Yeah I just hopped on. 
Notes from hanging out on Discord:
BUGS:
-
Abilities on playbooks are broken - Fiddle/Study/Theorize is in Guts and Heart sections tooFIXED
Characters and Covens:
- “Image” needs a better word, but we’re not sure what
- Friendship perks are good
Factions:
- Simplified factions is good. Margie: factions in S&V have too much backstory
Faction confusion: who are the skeptics? need to frame them in the context of “the magic goes away” type scenarios- Other covens as factions?
Compromise: “here’s a list of NPCs, some of these become factions if your rep with them becomes important”City Coven: the big city? Is Broombridge too small? Is it too Hogsmeade?
World-building:
- Expand on the Euro/Brit-centric influences
List touchstones in 2nd draft
We spent the rest of the evening watching Kiki’s Delivery Service – which maybe gave me a new insight into the “Skeptic” faction, in terms of “doesn’t believe in magic.” The folks in the city don’t disbelieve in magic, but it’s not part of their world. They might even associate it with countryside superstitions and unfashionable clothing. (Analogous maybe to artists – not being something most work-a-day people associate with or know, maybe appreciated from afar while individual instances are looked at askance as Bohemian, weird, poorly dressed, not something you’d want your kid to be or hang out with.)
So reputation with “Skeptics” would be more with the Mundane – are you a respected member of the community, or one of those weirdos?
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Home Locations
The game was inspired by British and European folklore and mythology. You can choose to set your game anywhere and anywhen. For games set in the default setting, though, here are some typical locations for witchy adventure. Cobblespire, Broombridge, and the Gloaming Woods are all close enough to each other for witches to easily visit (whether via flying broom or on foot). While some parts of these places might be dangerous, witches can find spots to live in safety and comfort. The Mentor determines the placement and travel time to other locations.
Cobblespire Academy
This is the only official school of magic in the entire region, and the default home of a School Witches coven. Cobblespire is a sprawling, ancient collection of buildings, with towers reaching to cloudy skies. Vines reach up the walls from the herb-rich gardens. Room after room is thick with spider-webs and stacked tomes. Teachers in pointy hats instruct their students in ancient spells, while students gather in the commons and their own rooms to socialize, study, or scheme.
Cobblespire has its share of problems (pick one or more):
- The school is a shadow of its former glory and has fallen on hard times
- The school is threatened by some outside source, perhaps with inside assistance
- Magic is fading, and the school is carefully shepherding the power that’s left
Broombridge
This is a major city, isolated by surrounding forests and farmland, but vibrant and varied. It is the default home of a City Witches coven. Broombridge is a melange of architectural styles, old manors and new shops, fountains and parks, statues to the folk heroes of olden time, homes and gardens. Sturdry farmers come to sell their wares to friendly city folk.
Broombridge has a history with magic (pick one or more):
- The people know magic is real, but don’t always like witches (why?)
- The people aren’t sure that magic is real or not, and some might react badly if it’s revealed
- The people need the help of witches, but resent feeling needy
The Gloaming Woods
This is the name for the forests which fill the region, and is the default home of a Forest Witches coven. Paved roads and woodcutters’ trails crisscross the woods, marking the safest routes, and linking the small settlements and isolated camps where people live. Strange lights and stranger experiences await anyone who ventures too deeply into the woods. Potent herbs, talking animals, and rumors of a powerful wish-granting being named the Green Regent all beckon travelers in despite the risks.
The nature of the Woods’ magic is ambiguous (pick one or more):
- The woods are being taken over by a dark force, or such a thing already rules part of it (what next?)
- Magic is mostly confined to the woods, rather than spilling out into the wider world (is that good or bad?)
- There’s a conflict between ancient fairy magic and modern human magic (how does it affect the PCs?)
Adventure Locations
These are places where witches might go to adventure. Magic, and danger, will be more overt in such locations.
The Ruins
Beyond the woods, there’s a large cleared area. Ancient ruins lie here, overgrown with vines. Some say it’s haunted, others say it’s cursed. These ruins are part of the secret history of magic. Cobblespire’s teachers and Broombridge’s parents caution witch children not to visit the ruins, yet every year, a few of them do.
The Caves
There’s a cave entrance near Broombridge, at the edge of the forest. The cave mouth is lined with runes that glow strangely in moonlight, and a breeze from inside sounds like a softly sighing voice if you listen for long enough. Young witches tell each other stories about the ancient underground kingdom the caves are supposed to lead to, but whether elves, gnomes, or cthonic enigmas live there is something no two stories can agree upon.
The Cemetery
Broombridge is an old town, and its cemetery is equally old. The town’s famous families have mausoleums scattered through the ground. The shades of witches past might lurk here, if such things are truly real. Even if not, an important family might have buried something important in one of their vaults, and ancient records might point the way to these forgotten relics.
NPCs and Factions
Not every group of NPCs is a “faction”. Factions are groups of people that involve themselves with the PCs’ adventures, and have a good or bad opinion of the coven. When you start playing, you can decide which factions are part of your game, and add more factions as the game progresses.
Some factions are logically grouped together, like “all citizens of Broombridge”. If your game is set in one location, the NPCs of another location (e.g. townsfolk for a Forest Witches game) might all be one faction. The NPCs of your home location might split into smaller sub-factions.
City Factions
- Puritans are the conservative, cautious townsfolk who fear or mistrust magic. They can be persuaded by witches’ positive actions, or harass them for any misstep.
- Skeptics are people who don’t understand the power of magic,
who value technology moreprefer a mundane life, or (in games where magic is receding from the world) don’t believe it exists.
Forest Factions
- Fairies are mysterious creatures of magic, that reward witches who protect the forest, or play pranks on careless children.
- Wild Ones are intelligent talking animals, such as birds or badgers, who have some mixture of animal or human qualities. A talking bird, or a family of squirrels who live in a tiny log cabin, are both Wild Ones.
- Woodcutters are the taciturn people of the deep woods, who know the secret paths and ways of nature. They can seem scary to novice witches, but they may aid a coven that has done the forest a favor in the past.
School Factions
- Eccentrics are teachers and staff who teach more obscure or difficult magical skills. They are sometimes old, often weird, and knowledgeable - but getting anything useful out of them can be challenging.
- Pedagogues are scowling, disapproving teachers who have no tolerance for childish antics, and expect good performance. They can be impressed by solid magical performance, however.
- Preceptors are the positive teachers who mean well, but may not have much influence in the larger affairs of the school. They can be counted on for unofficial aid, but their quiet disappointment can sting.
I did a playtest with my Thursday group. We got through character creation and one adventure in 90 minutes, and got some useful feedback from that. There will be a third draft in a few weeks, and I can probably start polishing it for publication if that goes well.
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