Bestiarum vocabulum - Forkrul Assail

After the Jaghut (one of the most famous entries on this blog, for reasons I can’t fathom) and the T’lan Imass, here’s another (totally unofficial and biased) version of an exotic race from the Malazan Book of the Fallen novels – the dreaded neutral fanatics and dispensers of judgment, the Forkrul Assail.

The Forkrul Assail are my second favorite race from the Malazan universe (‘cause, you known, Jaghut rules!). In part because they’re given little spotlight in the novels (so far, read the next paragraph); but also because they’re so frigging alien and frightening – in appearance and behavior.

While one can argue that the K’Chain Che’Malle (another Elder race from the novels) are weird, c’mon!, they’re just funky lizard/dinosaur-men and we had already our share of them in fantasy. The Forkrul Assail, however, are something completely new. Besides, their view of “Neutrality” is something so inhuman and f*cked up that (IMHO) it goes beyond the traditional view of Alignments.

Well, the usual warnings:

1) Lately, I haven’t had the time to read novels or RPGs on a good pace, so I’m still stuck on the seventh book – Reaper’s Gale. That said, if anything new comes up on the next books they aren’t here. An example would be my T’lan Imass conversion; I made it after reading the first and half the second books. Reading those stats again showed to me that a lot things that weren’t right (like the “anti-magic” abilities, which I created out of a confused interpretation of Elder/normal magic).

2) I don’t care about canon. Like the Jaghut, the idea here is to add more cool stuff to the D&D mash-up. Forkrul Assail as “uber-neutral alien judges that can scare demons/sorcerer-kings” is a very cool concept. The stats try to reflect that idea.

3) As I already mentioned twice, my love for these guys come from their vision of what means to be True Neutral. Yes, they’re pushing it, but in a wondrous and bizarre way, perfect for Gamemasters who like to provoke their players (or just love Planescape).

4) Finally, the Forkrul Assail are my perfect excuse for a high-level humanoid menace. Most high CR humanoids that come in bestiaries just don’t “click” with me (like, for example, the Adlet, from Bestiary 3). The humanoid/monstrous humanoid types are also so hard to properly define. It looks like the former (should) represent weak/non-supernatural beings, but Pathfinder made Giant into Humanoids, so any distinction in this regard is totally gone for me. If not for the Giants I’d have made the Forkrul as Monstrous Humanoids, but let’s see what kind of monster we can make with a Humanoid type pushed to its (almost epic) limits.

The stats below represent a fully adult Forkrul Assail with lots of centuries on its back (and thousands of deaths in its judgment records). 

Bestiarum vocabulum – Forkrul Assail 

"To achieve peace, destruction is delivered. To give the gift of freedom, one promises eternal imprisonment. Adjudication obviates the need for justice. This is a studied, deliberate embrace of diametric opposition. It is a belief in balance, a belief asserted with the conviction of religion. But in this case, the proof of a god’s power lies not in the cause but in the effect. Accordingly, in this world and in all others, proof is achieved by action, and therefore all action – including the act of choosing inaction – is inherently moral. No deed stands outside the moral context. At the same time, the most morally perfect act is the one taken in opposition to what has occurred before...In this civilization...its citizens were bound to acts of utmost savagery. Vast cities were constructed beneath the world’s surface. Each chamber, every building, assembled as the physical expression of the quality of absence. Solid rock matched by empty space. From these places, where they did not dwell, but simply gathered, they set out to achieve balance."

-          Silchas Ruin on the Forkrul Assail, Midnight Tides

 

Art by derkhanblue

Forkrul Assail                         CR 20 (307,200 XP) 

N Medium Humanoid 

Init +24; Senses low-light vision, darkvision 120ft., blindsight 15 ft.  

 

DEFENSE

AC 33, touch 24, flat-footed n/a (+9 natural, +12 Dex, +1 dodge +3 ring of protection) 
HD 390 (20d8+300) fast healing 10* 
Fort +27, Ref +29, Will +19 
DR 10/adamantine 
Immune asphyxiation, bleed, critical hits, poison, disease, fatigue, massive damage, weather; Resist all 10;
SR 35 
*stops if the Forkrul Assail is brought below 0 hit points 

OFFENSE

Speed 90 ft. (40 ft. in armor) 
Melee flurry of blows +30/+30/+25/+25/+20/+20/+15/+15 (2d10+15/17-20 x3) or punch/kick +27 (2d10+21/17-20 x3) 
Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft. 
Special Attack Alien Limbs, Constrict (2d10+21), Combat Surge, Crippling Critical, Improved Evasion, Frenetic Reflexes, Grab (Large), Piercing Strike, Quivering Palm (DC 29), Pull (any natural attack, 15 ft.),  Push (any natural attack, 15 ft.),  Sneak Attack +5d6, Stunning Fist (DC 29), Trip. 

STATISTICS
Str 31, Dex 35, Con 40, Int 23, Wis 25, Cha 27 
Base Atk +15; CMB +30; CMD 52 
Feats Combat Reflexes (B), Combat Expertise, Deflect Arrows (B), Dodge (B), Gorgon’s Fist, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative (B), Improved Sunder, Improved Vital Strike, Mobility (B), Medusa’s Wrath, Power Attack, Scorpion Style, Spring Attack (B), Weapon Finesse (B), Vital Strike 
Skills Acrobatics +35, Bluff +22, Climb +20, Diplomacy +14, Intimidate +20, Knowledge (Arcana) +20, Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +10, Knowledge (History) +24, Knowledge (Planes) +15, Knowledge (Religion) +20, Linguistics +20, Perception +31, Sense Motive +15, Stealth +35, Survival +23, Swim +28, Use Magic Device +17 
Skill Racial Bonuses +8 Perception 
Languages Forkrul Assail, Aboleth, Common, Undercommon, Aklo, Dwarf, Elven, Giant, Jaghut, Goblin, Infernal, Celestial, Abyssal, Draconic, Necril, Protean, Ignan, Terran, Aquan, Auran and two other dead and exotic languages of your choice, besides Telepathy (100 ft.) 
Special Qualities Blindsight, Compression, Darkvision, Hard to Kill, Improved Evasion, Keen Scent, Low-light vision, Preternatural Awareness, Primal Anatomy. 

ECOLOGY

Environment any 
Organization solitary, pair or army (30+) 
Treasure none 

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Alien Limbs (Ex) Forkrul Assail possess strong arms and legs with multiple joints. This increases their speed and threat range but also allows them to fight opponents at close combat. 

Crippling Criticals (Ex) Forkrul Assail are deadly martial artists. Their critical range with their natural attacks is 17-20/x3. If they confirm a critical hit, the attack also inflicts 1d10 ability drain to a random determined ability score.

Frenetic Reflexes (Ex) Forkrul Assail are so quick and their long limbs so agile that taking a 5 ft. step or a withdrawn action within their threat range provokes an attack of opportunity (though using Acrobats still works). 

Preternatural Awareness (Ex) Forkrul Assail are never flat-footed and have a +8 racial bonus to Initiative and Perception. Flanking or surrounding a Forkrul Assail doesn’t grant any bonus or mechanical advantages. 

Primal anatomy (Ex) Forkrul Assail have a unique anatomy, incredibly primitive but also very efficacious against trauma.

They (also) breathe through their skins, can survive underwater under practically any pressure, don’t suffer altitude sickness, can hold their breaths for an absurd amount of time and can, theoretically, hibernate through millennia.

They have multiple and redundant organs, except for their brains (which can, however, regrow cells if not completely destroyed) with makes them immune to critical hits and grant a 50% chance of ignoring precision damage (like Sneak Attacks) and ability score damage (but not drain).

Even though Forkrul Assail doesn’t have the regeneration special ability, they can regrow arms and legs, given enough time (or promptly recover lost members, if reattached a few minutes after removed, including their heads). Their amazing recoverability works like fast healing, with one difference: if a Forkrul is brought below 0 hit points, their fast healing is shut down.

Finally, their amazing resistance to damage also grants them a relatively immunity to weather (like endure elements) and resistance against all kinds of damage (thus their energy resistance). Forkrul Assail do eat and drink, but don’t die due to starvation. 

Hard to Kill (Ex) Forkrul Assail can keep fighting below 0 hit points and only die after reaching double their Constitution scores. Even after that, unless their heads are destroyed or their bodies are totally dismembered, it’s quite possible that the Forkrul Assail will eventually recover from their wounds. They’re immune to massive damage. 

Stunning Fist (Ex) Forkrul Assail can use this class feature as a 20^th level Monk. The DC is 29. 

Piercing Strike (Ex) Forkrul Assail’s natural attacks work as +5 magic weapons and adamantine for the purpose of overcoming DR or bypassing hardness. 

Combat Surge (Ex) Forkrul Assail using a full-round action with her natural weapons attack like a 20^th level Monk using a flurry of blows. They also gain an additional move action every round.  

DESCRIPTION 

Forkrul Assail. Forkrassal. Krussail. Judges. Watchers. Balance Keepers. Demons. They’re known but a thousand names, deep in the legends and mythos of most humanoids civilizations of the present age and bygones ones. Few, however, recognize them for what they really are. Most people misjudge this elder race for just another exotic type of demon or outside – a dire mistake.

Forkrul Assail were ancient before the first elf was even born. The Winds Dukes of Aaqa knew them. The Forkrul walked the world long before the serpent folk and the jaghut. It is whispered that they’re almost as old as the aboleth, the mi-go and the neothelids. Even the primordial qlippoth were subjects to the Forkrul Assail’s judgments during their initial forays in the material planes.

At the present age, most Forkrul are long dead. Destroyed and eradicated by unlikely and desperate alliances of Good and Evil pantheons and ancient races. Unfortunately, a few survived. It’s just too hard to kill a Forkrul Assail. During the heat of battle – or worse, war – it’s tempting (or convenient) to just trap or bind them.

The Forkrul Assail are humanoid, although taller and thinner than humans or even elves. Their bodies are alien and belong to older eons of existence. A Forkrul possess more joints in their limbs and hands, a jointed sternum, large, solid black eyes and blue blood rather than red. They are physically far more robust than most humanoids, and appeared to be virtually un-killable through conventional means, healing from cuts and blows extremely quickly. They also possessed incredible strength, speed and agility, and are able to successfully combat several powerful opponents at once while sustaining only minor wounds. In addition, they have preternatural longevity and could live for millennia without food or water.

Their mind is as alien as that of the aboleths, though one can argue that the Forkrul’s worldview came rather from eons of decadence and inhuman philosophy than from contact with strange realities and entities. Unlike the illithid and the aboleths, the Forkrul were born on this sphere. Maybe that gives them a more frightening aura – what mortals can become after long and strange ages living upon this world.

Forkrul Assail are obsessed with Neutrality and Judgment, with restoring the Balance, the perfect stance between all Moralities, the ultimate pinnacle of Equilibrium. It can be argued that this almost religious passion eventually drove the entire race mad (the other option being too alienating to contemplate – that the Forkrul found the Final Truth of Neutrality).

To most living creatures, the Forkrul Assail’s worldview of balance and perfect neutrality is a vast, dead and motionless desert. After all, where nothing can change, where no improper act of moral can happen, the Balance would hold forever. The few Forkrul that took enough notice of the younger races in the first place to proper address the issue (usually while quickly slaughtering the listeners) said that such “gross oversimplification of the matter is a just and sufficient evidence of the Judgment’s ontological necessity”.

The knowledge that a breathing Forkrul Assail has awakened and is wandering the local region is enough to force alliances between metallic and chromatic dragons, to force the awakening of a neothelid or even an avatar or outsider intervention. More careful beings quickly leave the area. At least one of the dragon flights of the last millennia was actually provoked by the sighting of three Forkrul Assail leaving an underworld passage in the mountains to the north.

Changing Gamers assumptions about Pathfinder (Part III, some Classes)

I. Berserkers (a.k.a. Barbarians), also known as the Possessed, the Forsaken or the Anathema. Berserkers are cursed fighters that appear on every race. They’re identified by birth marks, strange eyes, sharp teeth and a thousand other signs that mark them as possessed by banished spirits (from demons exiled from the Abyss to forgotten and destroyed deities). Some are ordinary looking, but become bestial and horrendous when “manifesting” their inner demon (i.e. Rage). The Forsaken are universally shunned by must organized churches (and a few cults) and burned still as babies. Those few that reach maturity are deadly and natural warriors, consumed by unholy hungers. Some, however, managed to keep their chaotic taint under control – you’re one of them.

II. Mundane Bards are wandering artists, rogues and scoundrels. Easily accepted and common to most cultures under a myriad of names. They’re just performers, nothing more. However, there’re rumors of strange musicians and minstrels capable of invoking spells and powers different from god- or book-magic. Masters of illusions, healers, diviners and mind-benders, the presence of such Mystics is usually followed by the sudden demise of wizards, priests and rulers. Bards are actually the last (and much diminished) descendents of the Holy Ones, the first spellcasting tradition among mortals, their magic a perfect blend of the divine/arcane dichotomy known today. Bards keep the ancient Balance and travel the world guided by their Hidden Master’s orders – usually to silently kill a spellcasting mortal, to banish otherworldly presences or to manipulate certain rulers (so that they destroy or promote a certain religions). The world once belonged to mortals; the Bardic Secret Orders will make sure this legacy becomes again a reality.

III. Druids are the memories of a Lost Age, of a better world. A long ago, the Humanoids Hordes warred against the Beast Kingdoms. It was a terrible war and the Humanoids won. The beasts were cursed, diminished and banished. Most today are simply animals, their higher spirits and gifts buried beneath millennia of humanoid magic. Inside the deeper forests and farthest wilds, there still a few of the old Beast Kings. When the lands of these old half-gods are taken by Humanoids and their final demise is at hand, a few decide to assume the guise of their enemies, to survive. They’re the Druids, the Shapeshifters, magical animals locked in humanoid form, possessing a forgotten type of spirit magic. Most Druids don’t remember who they’re as primordial gods, as the Ritual that creates them erases and buries their long memories, shapes and powers. Only after much training and soul searching can a Druid becomes but shade of the old god that it was in eons past.

IV. Fighters are just warriors and warmongers. And wizards are just old men that study maddening tomes. Both are lies. Any man can pick a sword and fight. A few can even train and become warriors. But true Fighters – the Ironborn – are above any mortal combatant. Fighters can take on ogre, face armies or even vanquish dragons. They’re the sons of the Orders of Steel, ancient religious sects of the dead gods of war. Each sect teaches secret techniques (feats) besides exercises that allow a Fighter to use weapons, armors and their bodies to limits undreamed off (weapon and armor training, lots of hit points). Each Order of Steel has its own symbols, colors, holy weapons and armors; besides an agenda. They’re also devoted to certain kingdoms. It’s no wonder that Fighters are banished from royalty by ancient traditions and taboos. Otherwise they’d rule the world.

V. Paladins are a living mystery. Feared Champions touched by the Otherworld, anointed simultaneously by the Higher and Lower Spheres. Inside each Paladin resides the potential of greatness and the fulcrum of destinies. Things simply happen around Paladins, ominous acts, terrible coincidences and greater events – legends. Some whisper that simply to sleep inside the same house of a Paladin can change a man’s life. Because Fate walks by their side, Paladins are constantly watched by supernal forces. It’s a gambit for their souls. The Higher Spheres have the initiative, but the Lower Spheres have the longer play. A Paladin is thus blessed by the cold and judgmental Celestials, but each such Champion is also accompanied by a fell spirit (an imp, shade or other unclassifiable demonic being). This demonic soul guide constantly attempts to guide, cajole and deceive the Paladin to dark paths. At the hands of Heaven, a Paladin can enlighten nations, but turned to the Abyss, an Antipaladin can bring about Apocalypses. Each Champion has this potential. It’s no wonder that none wants Paladins around (but, ironically, all are also extremely afraid of being the one responsible for killing one of the Fated).

VI. Sorcerers are those mortals that somehow meet powerful supernatural creatures and manage not only to survive, but to make a ritual pact with them – the dread Joining. This ritual is concluded when the mortal drinks the blood (or essence) of the supernatural creature, becoming bonded with it. The mortal share his master’s dreams, nightmares and traits, gaining supernatural and spellcasting abilities (some whisper that he also shares his master’s fate). Sorcerers are also known as the Others, Nightspawn or the Tainted. Servants of old beings and inhuman creatures, they work in secret and against their master’s rivals. A few claim that Sorcerers are to their supernatural patrons what familiars are to most humanoid arcane spellcasters.

In praise of the Token System

Ok, small post. I just would like to share this little gem. During the height of d20 madness, one of my favorite pieces of game design was Iron Heroes, from Malhavoc Press. This was a variant d20 fantasy designed by Mike Mearls where (practically) all the classes were just different styles of Fighter (or Barbarians). Although you got an Arcanist class, it was very wonky; and while the Thief class was your classical S&S thief, the Executioner was more a ninja than the traditional Assassin of AD&D 1^st. Other classes included the Hunter, Man-at-arms, Harrier, Armiger, Berserker, Archer and Weaponmaster (besides other classes from a Companion released a few years later).

Iron Heroes’ proposal was interesting but it was not its major feature for me. The real brilliance was the Token System. The entire game was absurdly obsessed with tactical cinematic-like combat – a feature that seems to eventually become the sole point of D&D 4^th – which was really a shame since the Token System was a lot more versatile than that. In fact, I find it to be as original as other famous subsystems, like 7^th Sea’s Advantage/Disadvantage system and FATE’s Aspects. But, as usual, I digress.

What where Tokens? Basically, they’re a small bonus designed to encourage specific actions. In a game dedicated to fighting styles, they’re awesome, though they could be expanded to cover entire different actions – like social, economic or even magic actions (in fact, some of the social feats that used Tokens were pure genius).

For example, if you’re a Berserker in Iron Heroes (and this is just an example, as I don’t remember the details) you would gain 1 Token every time you’re hit in combat. You could then spend this Token to fuel various Rage-like effects or feats, like increasing an attack’s damage or providing you with more actions.

I remember that at the time Iron Heroes came out (around 2005) I was running an Iron Kingdoms’ D&D 3.5 campaign. Remember my last post about how Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization sucks? Well, I hated those feats even them. I started to incorporate the Token System design ideas on my D&D, but only for Fighters (a way to make the class more unique… one of my obsessions, as you know, if you’re an old reader of this blog). In other words, if a Cleric bought the Weapon Focus feat, nothing changed. If the party’s Fighter bought Weapon Focus, then he’d gain Tokens.

I was playtesting the stuff and unfortunately the campaign didn’t last too long. I proposed that the Fighter would gain 1 Token every time he hit a foe with his chosen weapon (Weapon Focus). He could spend Tokens on 1-1 basis to gain an attack bonus to his d20 roll. I also remember that we created an Armor Focus feat that granted 1 Token each time our armored Fighter was hit (if using his chosen type of armor). He could spend 1 Token to soak part of a hit as non-lethal damage (usually an amount equal to his armor bonus); or he could spend 3 Tokens to use his armor bonus as DR against one hit.

It was a simple but very fun resource-based system, with lots of potential. Yes, it could get cumbersome. Some Iron Heroes classes were amazingly broken, while, in other situations, tracking all your Tokens (granted by different class abilities and feats) could be a problem.

Weapon Focus & Specialization... sigh...

First, a little about D&D Next's Expertise Dice and Pathfinder's Stunning Fist feat.

A monk doesn't need to meet the prerequisites of Stunning Fist, gains it for free and can it use once per day for each monk level (other characters must meet all prerequisites, buy the feat and can only use Stunning Fist once per day).

Well, what does that have to do with the Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization feats? I believe these are the Fighter's "hallmark" feats (and usually every PC Fighter that I know buys both). If so, why are they so boring? (I admit that I hate "arithmetic feats"... like 99% of D&D 4th feats).

The idea here is to give Fighter some exclusive toys when buying those feats. It’s here that the Expertise Dice come in. For those of you that don't know them, Expertise Dice (or ED) are a class feature of D&D Next. To be sincere, I don't know if they still are called that. I don't follow D&D Next's open playtest anymore.

ED are an amazing idea with a rather poor (or clunky) execution. Basically, they're a floating dice poll to be used every round and added as a bonus to things like attack, damage and AC. They were supposed to be the Fighter's "unique stuff" for Next, but by last time I checked
almost every class used them. To make things worse, there's a Maneuver System attached to them. In the end, their implementation ruined D&D Next's "simplicity" that I so enjoyed from the first packet.

I still believe that ED are great (and I'll probably use them for my OD&D games). In a sense, they remind of the Action Dice of Dungeon Crawl Classics (in fact a lot of stuff in D&D Next reminds of DCC RPG).

They can be a good "solution" for the Fighter's hallmark feats in D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder. This is how I'd use them. As usual, this is pure brainstorming without any playtesting (sorry, no time).

Weapon Focus feat

A Fighter who buys Weapon Focus gains a Focus Die (FD) instead of the normal benefit of the feat. During a combat, at the beginning of her turn, she can roll her FD and add its result to one of the options below (only while wielding her selected weapon):

I. As a bonus to attack rolls.

II. As a bonus to combat maneuver checks.

II. As a bonus to AC.

IV. As a bonus to CMD.

The Fighter must declare where in what option she’s using her FC before rolling. All bonuses last until the beginning of the Fighter’s next turn (optional rule: rolling dice is fun! So, the GM is allowed to let the player roll her FC at every attack roll – or against every attack, if using for AC –, instead of rolling once and using the result to all rolls for the round).

The FD beings as a d4 at 1st level, increasing by one step every 5 fighter levels (5^th, 10^th…), to a maximum of 1d12 at 20th level.

Greater Weapon Focus feat

You gain two Martial Dice (MD). They work like FD, except that once used they’re spent until the beginning of the Fighter’s next turn. You choose to use a MD after rolling but before the Gamemaster narrate the consequences of your action.

MD use the same type of dice determined by your FD. If your FD is a d8, you gain 2d8 as MD. It’s recommended that the FD be of a different color, so as not to be confused with the MD.

MD can be spent/distributed on the following options:

I. One or more Martial Dice can be spent and the result added to one attack roll or combat maneuver check.

II. One Martial Dice can be spent and the result added as a bonus to AC against one attack.

II. One Martial Dice can be spent and the result added as a bonus to CMD against one attack.

IV. One Martial Dice can be spent to automatically confirm a critical hit.

V. One Martial Dice can be spent to negate one Attack of Opportunity.

VI. One Martial Dice can be spent to increase by 5 ft one attack roll or combat maneuver check (your threat range doesn’t change).

VII. Two Martial Dice can be spent to redirect an attack from an adjacent target to you.

A Fighter of 12^th level gains 3 MD from this feat, plus another die at 16^th and 20^th levels (a maximum of 5 MD).

For example: a 16^th level Fighter with Greater Weapon Focus has a 1d10 as FD and 4d10 as MD. While using her selected weapon, before rolling, she decides to use her FD as a bonus to attack rolls. During her turn, she spent one MD to negate an AoO due to moving. She then spends another MD as a bonus to one attack roll, holding her final MD to boost her AC if attacked.

Weapon Specialization feat

A Fighter who buys Weapon Specialization can choose to add her Focus Die (FD) to all the damage rolls. When a FD is used on damage rolls, it’s open-ended (if you roll the maxim number on the dice, roll again and add it).

Design note: yes, you must choose to use your FD on damage instead of using one of the 4 options granted by Weapon Focus. Non-fighters get the +2 bonus to all damage rolls. I don’t find to unbalance the feat, because when a fighter decides to use Weapon Specialization she tends to deal more damage. Besides, fighters in Pathfinder (due to Weapon Training) always deal a lot more damage. Finally, the open-ended bit above provides a good boost (and I hope an interesting gambit element).

Greater Weapon Specialization feat

You can spend Martial Dice (MD) on damage rolls. These rolls are open-ended, except that only die can “explode” (if you roll, for example 2d10 and come with 2 “10”s, choose one and roll again).

You can also spend one MD to treat you next attack roll as magical, silver and cold iron. You can spend 3 MD to make your next attack bypass alignment-based DR. Finally, you can spend 4 MD to bypass adamantine-based DR.

P.S.: I wrote these rules about a month ago. Reading it again now, just before posting, made me note a possible design mistake – these feats should be class features (because the Fighter is still forced to buy them). This is easy “to fix” if you’re playing D&D 3^rd or 3.5. In Pathfinder thing are trickier. That’s because I should have find a way of using Expertise/Martial Dice on the Armor and Weapon Training class features. Why didn’t I do that? Well, first I’m lazy; and second I don’t have much free time lately. To tinker with those class features would require more thought. It wouldn’t also change the way those feats work for Fighter – they’d still suck. Anyway, if I get a better idea on how to use Expertise/Martial Dice on the Fighter I’ll let you know (until that time, you may be interested in my variant Fighter that also has a resource-based mechanic).