Gameplay Spotlight: Ryude Creation
6 months ago
– Sun, Sep 14, 2025 at 03:29:59 PM
Hello everyone!
Bradly here, back with your latest Wares Blade update. I hope you all had a great weekend. We're heading into the final four days of the campaign; it's wild to think that the Kickstarter is already coming to a close. I feel like we've only just gotten started!
In tonight's update, we're dropping another Gameplay Spotlight entry. In our last update, we detailed character creation—tonight, it's all about Ryude creation. Let's get to it!
Gameplay Spotlight: Building a Ryude
In addition to the standard character creation rules mentioned in our last post, the Wares Blade rulebook also includes provisions for creating a Ryude from scratch. While these are mainly intended for Wares Makers rather than players, it’s a convenient way to expand the rulebook’s already substantial roster of machines.
You begin by choosing a Ryude Rank and Masque Rank. These are graded using letters, running from J (barely functional) to C (extremely powerful). B and A Ranks theoretically exist, but represent legendary machines well beyond the scope of the standard creation process. The Ryude Rank defines a unit's basic attributes, including how much damage it can take and how challenging it is to operate. The Masque Rank, on the other hand, decides how hard it is to attune with a unit and imposes additional modifiers—positive and negative—on its capabilities.
Ability Scores are determined by rolling a D10 and adding a bonus based on the Ryude Rank. This gives you a pool of 13 to 36 points to divide between the machine’s four attributes: SPE, POW, BAL, and ARM. These can be assigned as you see fit, as long as at least 1 point is put into each Ability Score. The SPE and BAL values are then adjusted based on the Masque Rank: Masques of Ranks J through H reduce them, while Masques of Ranks F and higher provide a bonus.
Next, Unit Durability is generated. Once again, you roll a D10 and add a bonus based on Ryude Rank. If the Masque Rank is high enough to unlock Ryude-Mind Durability, which acts as a reservoir of additional power for Word-Casting Techniques used while inside the unit, this is determined in the same way. All other attributes are then copied over from the relevant tables in the rulebook.
The final step is to pick some equipment. The weapons Ryude have access to are broadly the same as those that characters can purchase, but naturally much, much bigger in size. There are also shields, a small selection of armor, and special equipment like extra coolant tanks, snowshoes, and overcoats for protection against harsh weather.
All that’s left then is to decide how the players get their hands on the machine—or see how they fare when they battle it.
Wrapping Up
And that will do it for today's update! In the next one, we'll be talking about Gates and helping you determine which one is right for you.
As always, reach out to us if you have any questions or comments. You can find us on any of the platforms below.
As we're heading into the final 96 hours, keep sharing the campaign! Thank you to everyone who's done that and who's supported the project thus far.
Until next time!
Bradly & the LionWing Team
Stretch goal 9 unlocked! Gameplay Spotlight: Character Creation! Physical scenario booklet added!
6 months ago
– Thu, Sep 11, 2025 at 07:27:12 PM
Hello everyone,
Bradly here, back with your next Wares Blade update! It's been two days since our last post, and in that time, we've unlocked our 9th stretch goal! That means we are officially translating the Mountain Where the Devil Slumbers scenario. With this SG unlocked, everyone will be getting a free digital copy of the scenario!
Mountain Where the Devil Slumbers Scenario Physical Booklet
We've had a lot of folks reach out about offering a physical version of this scenario. While we initially planned to only provide it digitally to all backers for free, we have heard from enough people to decide to also offer a physical version of it as an add-on. It's priced the same as the Plunder of Lesquard booklet, as it's comparable in length to that adventure. And like Lesquard's physical version, this too will be a softcover release. It's available now as an add-on, so if you want to grab it, just go in and modify your pledge. If you got in on the earlybird for the Collector's Box Set, you won't lose access to that earlybird if all you're doing is modifying your pledge to add on something to your order.
Gameplay Spotlight: Building a Maverick
There have been a few questions regarding character creation in Wares Blade in recent weeks, so let’s take a quick look at what the process entails.
Players start by generating the six Ability Scores—SEN, AGI, WIL, CON, CHA, and LUC—in order by rolling 3D5 for each value. If this leaves your character with three or more stats below 9 or any one stat higher than 13, all six Ability Scores are re-rolled. This ensures that characters are broadly equal in terms of capabilities.
The next step is to select a Class, preferably one that aligns with the Ability Scores you have generated. Each Class prioritizes different stats, so high SEN, AGI, and CON are better suited for a Warrior, while Word-Casters benefit more from higher WIL.
Next up is Skill selection. Every Class begins with a set of default Skills, plus a limited number of Character Points (CP) used to either improve existing Skills or purchase new ones. The CP cost for acquiring new Skills depends on their type, with Specialized Skills like <Drive> and <Word-Casting> being the most expensive of the lot. This means that while you can “multi-class,” the tradeoff is a less skilled character overall. If you’re in a hurry or don’t want to dig through all of the Skill descriptions, the rulebook also offers a number of pre-made “Skill Packages” for each Class.
Finally, we get to the equipment. All Wares Blade characters start with a few essentials free of charge and then get an additional (3D5 x 10) golda for weapons, armor, and general items. If they have any CP left over from buying Skills, this will be converted into additional golda at a 1:1 ratio. For those who have a hard time deciding, a few recommended equipment loadouts are also provided. Once all equipment is purchased, the player can then calculate the character’s remaining stats and finish filling out the character sheets.
Word-Casters, however, have one additional step to take care of: selecting their Techniques. Every Word-Caster has a bank of Memory Points to spend on acquiring Techniques, determined by their AGI, WIL, and <Word-Casting> Skill Level. A Technique’s Memory Point cost is based not only on its Level, but also whether it belongs to the character’s chosen Gate, opposing Gate, or another Gate entirely. Any Memory Points not spent during character creation are kept in reserve for future use.
An experienced player will likely be able to get through the entire creation process in about 15 minutes, give or take.
Wrapping Up
And that will do it for today's update! We'll be back again this weekend with the next update, so keep your eyes open for that.
As always, reach out to us if you have any questions or comments. You can find us on any of the platforms below.
As we head into the final week of the campaign, keep spreading the word, and let's finish strong!
Until next time!
Bradly & the LionWing Team
Lore Spotlight: Giant-slaying 101! A closer look at the standees!
6 months ago
– Tue, Sep 09, 2025 at 04:43:51 PM
Hello everyone,
Bradly here, back with your next Wares Blade update! We have just 9 days left in the campaign and are a mere $200 away from unlocking our 9th stretch goal—how fitting! As mentioned in the last update, if we hit $170,000, we'll be offering a new scenario to all backers for free. We're really excited about this stretch goal in particular, and we hope you are too!
Mountain Where the Devil Slumbers Scenario
We've had some folks ask questions about this scenario, primarily what it is and if there'll be a physical version of it. This isn't a scenario that's being created from scratch; instead, it's one that was released originally in Japan at the time of the game's initial launch.
While the stretch goal specifies that the scenario will be a digital reward, we are talking internally about offering the new scenario as a physical add-on for purchase. For those wondering, this scenario, entitled Mountain Where the Devil Slumbers, is about the same length as the Plunder of Lesquard scenario.
Lore Spotlight: Giant-slaying 101
In our last update, we kicked off our "Lore Spotlight" series, where we got into the weeds a little about maintaining a Ryude. Tonight, we're back at it, looking at what it takes to fell a Ryude. We talked briefly about this in our AMA and in one of the older updates; tonight, however, we delve a bit deeper.
In a one-on-one fight, a human doesn’t stand much chance against a Ryude, and even a contingent of troops will struggle to make much headway against their powerful armor. Over time, however, the armies of Ahan have devised a number of special weapons to even the playing field.
The ballister, also known as a stone bow, is one of the more versatile anti-Ryude tools. Similar in construction to a crossbow, it fires heavy metal balls rather than quarrels, usually with the aim of cracking a Ryude’s Masque. However, a ballister can also be loaded with chalk or paint projectiles that can temporarily obscure a machine’s vision if the firer is skilled enough.
For those who prefer a more direct approach, the siege-bow fires massive arrows at effective distances of up to 120 meters with enough force to even give a Courser worries. This power does come at a cost: preparing a siege-bow for firing takes 2 Rounds (1 full minute) unless there is a second person on hand to assist with the winding. Its sheer size also makes it impossible to move around the battlefield without the aid of a horse.
Meanwhile, the more underhanded may appreciate knowing that specially formulated poisons exist that can induce clotting in the Ryude’s all-important blood supply. The difficulty lies in getting said poison into the machine’s bloodstream—a task usually accomplished by means of a special “stinger” that can be fired from a ballister or mounted on the tip of a cavalry lance. Better still, this poison is effectively harmless for humans and other living beings, allowing it to be used with impunity.
Standees
As you've probably seen, we're offering acrylic standees in this campaign. These are provided as part of the Collector's Box Set, and we've had some folks ask if we could show off some close-up pics of these. So that's what we're going to do! Below are three of the standees on offer. We hope you like 'em as much as we do!
Wrapping Up
And that'll do it for today's update! We'll be back on Thursday with another, so keep your eyes peeled for that! As always, if you have any questions or need to contact us, drop us a message or comment here on Kickstarter, or reach out to us through one of the platforms below.
Thank you to everyone who's told a friend or two about the campaign and who has supported us thus far. Truly, we are so appreciative of you all and love the enthusiasm there is for this project.
Until next time!
Bradly & the LionWing Team
Stretch goal 8 unlocked! Lore Spotlight: Ryude Maintenance!
6 months ago
– Sun, Sep 07, 2025 at 10:26:43 AM
Hello everyone,
Bradly here, back with your next Wares Blade update! Hope everyone's weekend is going well. Today's update is the first of several gameplay-focused posts, where we dive a little deeper into the mechanics and lore of Wares. Of course, we've also got some other business to discuss, so let's jump right into things!
Stretch Goal 8 Unlocked!
Since our last update, we've knocked out another stretch goal and are over halfway to the next! Let's take a look at the map to see where we're at.
Having surpassed the $160,000 mark, we'll be adding an afterword to the back of the book, to help bookend things, since we have already added a Foreword thanks to reaching the $100,000 mark! But let's be honest here, everyone's just waiting for that $170k goal, which will allow us to provide another scenario, Mountain Where the Devil Slumbers. We're so close to unlocking it too, so let's keep up the pace!
Lore Spotlight: Zen and the Art of Ryude Maintenance
Despite their mechanical appearance, Ryude are powered by a delicate synthesis of biological and arcane systems. Players who get their hands on one of these massive machines must therefore be ready to watch after its well-being: a neglected Ryude will quickly accumulate Ability Score penalties, compromising its performance and out of battle.
Two staples keep a Ryude running: water and blood. Water provides cooling to the machine’s systems and will be gradually boiled off with every movement and action. By default, a Ryude carries about three days’ worth of water, but fierce battles and hot weather will deplete those reserves much quicker. If the machine’s water tanks run dry in a critical moment, it’ll overheat and shut down, leaving its operator in a whole world of trouble.
Blood is equally essential, as it sustains the muscle tissue that allows the Ryude to move. It will usually take about a year for a machine’s blood supply to begin putrefying, at which point its movement starts getting slower and less reliable. However, the Ryude’s pseudo-circulatory system is also vulnerable to damage—one hit in the wrong place, and the machine could start bleeding out. Once this happens, the only thing a Ryude-Master can do is seal off the affected area and hope for the best. A Ryude’s blood supply also makes it vulnerable to a whole other type of weapon—but more on that next time!
Wrapping Up
And that'll do it for today's update! We'll be back on Tuesday with another, so keep an ear to the ground for that! If you have any questions or need to contact us, feel free to send us a message or comment here, or reach us through one of the platforms below.
As always, keep spreading the word about Wares Blade! Just telling a single person helps us, as that one person may tell another person, who then may tell another person, and so on. A big shoutout to everyone who's already done that and, of course, to everyone who's supported the campaign thus far! You all are awesome.
Until next time!
Bradly & the LionWing Team
Stretch goal 7 unlocked! Stretch goals 8 and 9 revealed!
7 months ago
– Wed, Sep 03, 2025 at 04:35:12 PM
Hello, everyone!
Bradly here, back with your latest Wares Blade update! It's been a few days since our last post, and in that time, we've unlocked another stretch goal and are now officially on our way to stretch goals 8 and 9. We haven't yet revealed these two new SGs, but that's what today's update is for! Of course, we've got more to go over today, so let's just jump right in!
Playkit Incoming
We've had multiple backers reach out about gaining access to enough of the Wares Blade rules to run a session. This past weekend, some of the team sat down and hammered out a playkit that expands upon the sample rulebook and allows players to run some basic Wares Blade adventures. We will have that ready to download shortly, so please look forward to that!
Is a Ryude the only thing that can stop another Ryude?
This is a question that was discussed in last week's AMA and one that I've seen mentioned in the Discord. So, I'm setting the record straight here in writing: yes, Ryude can be fought and even taken down by non-Ryude combatants--it's not easy, though. Of course, the defense against a Ryude is another Ryude. However, ground units can take the fight to these mecha monstrosities with the right tools and strategy. For instance, various schools of spellcasting (eventually) provide access to techniques that are powerful enough to stop Ryude. Additionally, there's a small arsenal of anti-Ryude tools that can be utilized in battle as well, such as specialized poisons and paint-projectiles that will temporarily blind a Ryude.
So, if you go up against a Ryude as a ground unit, it's not an immediate you're-dead situation, but it will take intentionality and the right plan to make it out of the encounter alive.
Stretch Goal Time!
Since our last post, we've reached our $150,000 stretch goal, which means everyone will receive a pre-generated character pack! So then, what comes next? Let's take a look at the map!
Well, two SGs come next: a small one and a much larger, more ambitious one. At $160,000 (about $5,000 away), we'll be adding an afterword to the book, written by the publishing team. With this, the game is bookended by the developer's opening words and the publisher's closing words.
And then at $170,000, we'll translate the Mountain Where the Devil Slumbers scenario, which is a scenario that can double as a nice starter scenario thanks to how it provides a bunch of city exploration, some politics, and an introduction to some of the big players in the setting. We're particularly excited about this one!
Wrapping Up
And that will do it for today's update! Thank you again to everyone who has supported the project and to everyone who continues to spread the word about it! We so appreciate your enthusiasm for this campaign.
If you'd like to get in touch with us, please don't hesitate to reach out here or via any of the social media platforms listed below.
Until next time!
Bradly & the LionWing Team
