i don't usually play games with maps anymore, and at the scale of the map i stole by printing a planetside screenshot, these little risk pieces were the perfect size—the same exact risk pieces i used the very first time i played D&D on some graph paper at a friend's birthday party in high school. felt full circle in a fun way.
anyway, the first playtest of PLANET FIST kicked ass. it's honestly the best first playtest i have ever had. if you like the sound of a tactical military scifi TTRPG coated in a layer of goofy, over-the-top satire—or if you like, y'know, Planetside 2—then 👀👀👀
some favorite moments below the break!
- one PC (Dustie) took the LAGGING trait, causing her to flicker in and out of existence in stuttering motions. she rolled a partial success while attempting to advance under cover and fire up at some soldiers looking down from a bridge. the option she took: jittered and stuttered up to the corner, then blinked out of existence for a few seconds, overshooting her target reappearing in the middle of the road. she successfully blasted one target for full damage, but left herself now completely exposed to the others.
- all players are nanobot-based flash clones, and dead clones can either be "revived" by a medic, or reassemble in specified locations. players can choose whether to reassemble early, or wait for a revive. the stoner squad leader, Ire, PC opted to wait for a revive rather than reassemble because, quote, "if i reassemble i'll have to spark up again." in love with that a downside of reassembly is that you lose any ongoing high lmao.
- PC with the 1V1 trait revealed that actually, she hadn't been on the capture point where we thought she was—she'd be jetpacking up to the window to 1V1 the miniboss, who she promptly dispatched by dropping C4 through the window of the building he was unsuspectingly hustling through.
- Cookie, the PLUCKY sniper, failed a roll while too far from the enemy to justifiably have enemy return fire be the consequence, so i ruled that a friendly rookie climbed unknowingly into the line of fire just as Cookie fired, instakilling them. this caused the remaining rookies—who had previously be standing on the point because the Dustie, who also had LOVED trait, asked, them to on faction comms ("Yo, Dustie's gonna be there???? Dustie party at The Palisade!!!")—to flee away from the point. Cookie immediately laid her sniper rifle down on the ground and walked dejected back to the APC.
- Dustie ran up to some tanks to try to rocket launcher them, immediately failed and got blown to pieces, and given that she was LAGGING, all of her pieces were flickering in and out of existence separately, and some of them were changing equipment.
TRAITS REFERENCED
LAGGING: You occasionally flicker in and out of existence, appearing as if you’re repeatedly teleporting a few centimeters each second rather than moving. Most of your squad has gotten used to it, but others find it very strange or annoying. You may activate this effect once per combat, lasting up to 20 seconds. While doing so, you cannot be dealt DAMAGE, nor can you successfully deal DAMAGE.
+2 REFLEXIVE when dodging, -1 REFLEXIVE taking precise actions
1V1: It feels as if some mysterious hand that guides this universe wants you to get the opportunity to prove your skill. Once per session, name an enemy that you have met before or can currently detect. The referee explains how you get the opportunity to fight them 1 vs. 1.
+1 REFLEXIVE, +2 DAMAGE vs. single opponent with no friendlies in visual range
PLUCKY: You might not have much experience, but you make up for it with persistence and good nature. When you fail a roll and keep going in good spirits, and a squadmate of your choice who witnessed your determination gets a WAR DIE. You cannot use this ability on rolls where you are killed, but you can use it if and when a MEDIC revives you immediately after that same death.
+1 CREATIVE, +1 WAR DIE per session
LOVED: Everyone in your faction remembers you and is immediately happy to see you. You may ask one reasonable favor from any friendly NPCs you encounter that do not explicitly outrank you, and they will always be happy to oblige—for soldiers, such favors include run-of-the-mill [aka still incredibly dangerous] combat scenarios! This effect ends if they CHOKE [FIST: ULTRA Edition pg. 90]. Commanding officers are also generally more lenient with you.
+2 CREATIVE