Hearth of Dawn Command

I went to GenCon 2016, briefly, bouncing through on Friday on my way on further east and vacation. All in all, it was a productive and fun gaming day, not least because I explored a new RPG I had discovered called "Phoenix: Dawn Command", from Twogether Studios.

What is Dawn Command?

I could go on at length describing the game and setting, but Geek and Sundry did a nice job of that already. But, in case you don't hit the link, it is a table top role playing game that uses cards instead of dice. That is one thing that sets it apart, but it is also different in that it is when you die that you level up - your character reincarnates after going through mystic training. And you will die, great evil is over running the world and you are part of a group desperately trying to save it.

So, Friday morning, to learn about the game, I joined a session at the table for the game and went through character creation.

Baker Cru...

Cru grew up an orphan in the city of Sunset. He was ethnically from the Grimwald, but never knew anything about his parents or how he ended up in the orphanage. And if anyone there knew, they never told him. As he got older, he found himself working in the kitchens. It made him feel useful, and creative, to try and help feed so many mouths with inconsistent ingredient supplies.

In particular he became quite inventive baking, and when old enough to leave the orphanage Cru apprenticed to a baker near the wharves. He was kept busy all day providing breakfast rolls, meat pies, and loaves for the neighborhood. He loved every minute of it - providing for the city. When his master died unexpectedly, Cru took over the bakery and became a fixture - and Baker Cru was well known throughout the district for the best pastries and pies.

Given his own history, he was quite interested when learned that a maiden a few doors down from the bakery was caring for some orphans in addition to her younger brother. Meridi had 5 kids in her home, and was kept desperately busy caring for them. Cru allowed Meridi to work in the bakery when she could, and took the oldest - Meridi's brother Hakir - as his own apprentice.

It was night when the Bone Legions came to Sunset. Cru was sleeping above his shop, when he was awoken by shouts and noises outside. He rushed to the window and an orange glow to find that many buildings were on fire, including Meridi's place. He rushed to the street to find her with the youngest child, wailing and crying that the other children were still trapped inside. Cru charged into the burning house, and exited with one of the children. He charged back in, and came out again. He returned to the building and heat, again exiting with a child. He never hesitated, even though the entire building was nearly engulfed, and charged back in to find Hakir. Cru never came back out.

...became Hearth of Dawn Command

When you reincarnate as part of Dawn Command, you are placed in a School - essentially your character class - based upon how you died.

• Bitter die in failure. Did Cru fail? He saved 3 children. Despite not getting the 4th, that didn't feel enough like failure.
• Durant die because they weren't strong enough. Cru didn't feel being stronger or tougher could have let him bull through fire like that.
• Elemental die for duty. Cru wasn't compelled or duty bound to enter the home.
• Forceful isn't fast enough or met an obstacle that stopped him. Maybe, if fire was that obstacle.
• Shrouded die for secrets - their discovery or their pursuit. No secrets here.
• Devoted die for others - sacrifice. Cru surrendered himself charging into the flames. He wasn't going to stop as long as there was a chance... he died because that next kid could live. He had died for sacrifice. Devoted it was.

A new member of the Command takes a new name - Cru was no more, he had died. Now he was Hearth, a Devoted of Dawn Command. You also take a talisman weapon - a Talon in game terms. Hearth wears a large baker's knife at his waist.

At the table, with the other players I was with, we next went through creation by drafting cards of key Traits that would be unique within our team, or Wing. As a Devote, I drew from Grace and Intellect cards. There are also Strength cards. As a Devoted, I was to be the healer, but this is a dynamic role not only restoring health to my allies but also taking wounds onto myself and even passing them on to opponents. It promised to be quite active to play.

Drawing Traits, Hearth took on two Graces. In the Crucible, he had trained to be a Commander. Hearth was capable of using his knowledge and mastery of wounds to offer guidance to his Wing - orchestrating the fight to minimize risk and Inspiring the team. For his next Traits Hearth took two Intellect cards. Hearth gained knowledge as a Shaman, having learned of the Grimwald traditions, finally gaining some of his blood heritage within the Crucible. And he had become pensive and somewhat Mysterious with the weight of sacrifice - made and those to come.

From this brief taste of the setting and mechanics, I can definitely see myself playing. What I particularly like about my experience with the game so far:

• While I did not actually get to play with Hearth, the creation process connected with me and Heather feels alive - someone I want to guide through stories at the table
• The cards are critical in giving the game a unique feel. Either in your hand or when discarding for different abilities prompts the player to describe why and how they take effect. Story telling become integral as a result, in a way that feels more visceral than rolling a die and reading the number. And it is always nice to have a variety of game mechanics to experience
• Initiative is handled differently, with what seems a cool mechanism that brings the environment into play (again I didn't play so that is just my impression)
• Also, the Chant offers one of the coolest zombie analogs I've seen in a long time. 

If you get the opportunity. Check out Dawn Command. I know I am glad I did. I will point out that there are some nice player resources at the Twotogether website - some downloads, game play videos, etc. get more of a feel.