Afterword and Intermission (1/2)
Holy crap, what a ride this was.
I hope you don’t mind me talking to you directly here. Pull up a chair, please. If you’re reading this far, you’re one of the people I need to talk to.
My name’s Andrew Seiple. I write for fun and profit. I’ve got other jobs, but the more I write, the more important writing becomes. Up until now I’ve done several novels and assorted fiction in the superhero genre and a children’s fantasy book. That’s all, really.
But last year I read a litRPG. It was better than I expected. I started digging into the genre, read another, and got inspired. That was around November.
I broke from the novel I was writing, (one of the superhero ones, I’ll go back and finish it up shortly,) and decided to try this LitRPG idea. I had a character, I had a story, and it would NOT leave me alone. So I went back to my roots, tried out the web serial format in a few different sites, and decided I’d see how it went.
And here we are, over three hundred thousand words later.
That’s a full trilogy, my friends. That’s… more than I thought it would be.
And going by how many of you are here reading this? It’s a successful experiment.
So!
Here’s how this is gonna go.
I was writing anywhere from 1-10 thousand words a day for a while there, and holy gods, it was work. Fun work, but lots of work. I was also writing the RPG system behind Threadbare as I went. The core of it actually came together in a few days, and I added bits as I needed. It’s mostly complete now. (Through levels 1-25, anyway.)
I’m going to take a break now, and finish up editing the last ebook manuscript for Threadbare, which consists of the last 120K words of the story to this point. The first two are out at Amazon already, and I’m slowly getting them online in other services. Printed books are following… the first one’s available already, the others will come over the next couple of months. If you don’t know what’s out there, feel free to search for Threadbare on the book marketplace of your choice.
After that, you’re going to see Threadbare audiobooks come out. Probably sometime in late spring or early summer.
I’m also going to work on making Threadbare’s system a playable tabletop RPG. I’m going to take my time with this one and make it fun. It’s going to open where the story ends, with the default setting having the characters be members of RAGs sent out to explore the world.
This’ll take a lot of testing. I’ll put beta versions of the RPG out behind my mailing list signup form, (and let existing members of the list know where it is, when it’s ready to be tested, so don’t sweat the small stuff.) Eventually I’ll have a Patreon, then it’ll be probably behind the paywall. Depending on how much demand and feedback I get, I might try to get it published. With art and spiffy stuff and everything.
I’m doing this THERE and not HERE because enough of you (and people on the other hosting sites) indicated that given the choice, you’d prefer to save Threadbare’s story thread for, well, stories. Which brings me to the next thing;
Threadbare WILL have a sequel. It will also have spinoffs, and stories stuff happening in the same world. I’m not sure which’ll hit first. If it’s a spinoff, or a new story, it’ll be a different post on this site.
But if Threadbare’s the POV character, then I’ll continue it here.
It’s been a hell of a ride.
And you know what? We ain’t done yet.
But for now, let’s let Threadbare have his happy ending. The poor guy worked hard for it.
Hell, just look at how far he's come, from level 1 so long ago!
THREADBARE’S CHARACTER SHEET
Spoiler: Spoiler
Name: Threadbare
Age: 5
Guild: Reclaimers Association of Generica
Jobs:
Greater Toy Golem Level 17
Cave Bear Level 14
Ruler Level 16
Tailor Level 11
Model Level 11
Necromancer Level 11
Duelist Level 14
Animator Level 16
Enchanter Level 12
Golemist Level 25
Smith Level 11
Sculptor Level 13
Shaman Level 5
Jobs stored in Guild Registry
Scout Level 11
Attributes:
Strength: 177 Constitution: 175 Hit Points: 352(462) Armor: 62(76)
Intelligence: 303 Wisdom: 233(240) Sanity: 536(712) Mental Fortitude: 52
Dexterity: 200(207) Agility: 137(144) Stamina: 347(471) Endurance: 72
Charisma: 139(168) Willpower: 289 Moxie: 428(567) Cool: 20(55)
Perception: 112 Luck: 125(132) Fortune: 237(354) Fate: 25(32)
Generic Skills
Brawling - Level 68 (+40)
Climb - Level 14
Clubs and Maces - Level 21
Dagger - Level 9
Dodge - Level 18
Fishing - Level 1
Magic Items - Resist Fire 29
Ride - Level 12
Stealth - Level 18
Swim - Level 5
Greater Toy Golem Skills
Adorable - Level 47
Bodyguard - Level 9
Gift of Sapience - Level NA
Golem Body - Level 34
Innocent Embrace - Level 17
Magic Resistance -Level 17
Cave Bear Skills
Animalistic Interface - NA
Claw Swipes - 58
Darkspawn - NA
Forage - 13
Growl - 2
Hibernate - 37
Scents and Sensibility - 23
Stubborn - 10
Toughness - 25
Ruler Skills
Appoint Official - Level NA
Emboldening Speech - Level 20
Identify Subject - Level 10
It's Good to be King - NA
King's Quest - Level 15
Kingsguard - Level 1
Noblesse Oblige - Level 56
Organize Minions - Level NA
Proclaim Treaty - Level NA
Royal Audience - Level 22
Simple Decree - Level 15
Swear Fealty - Level NA
Tailor Skills
Adjust Outfit - Level 5
Clean and Press - Level 20
Recycle Cloth - Level 2
Tailoring - Level 54(69)
Model Skills
Adjust Weight - Level 14
Call Outfit - Level 6
Dietary Restriction - Level 55 (+110 to all pools)
Fascination - Level 9
Flex - Level 22
Makeup - Level 12
Self-Esteem - Level 22
Sexy Pose - Level 2
Strong Pose - Level 17
Work it Baby - Level 55 (+55% to raw item bonuses)
Necromancer Skills
Assess Corpse - Level 12
Command the Dead - Level 28
Deathsight - Level 9
Drain Life - Level 8
Invite Undead - Level 12
Mana Focus - Level NA (+11% to sanity)
Skeletons - Level 19
Soulstone - Level 45
Speak With Dead - Level 24
Zombies - Level 3
Duelist Skills
Challenge - Level 12
Dazzling Entrance - Level 17
Disarm - Level 2
Fancy Flourish - Level 13 (20)
Guard Stance - Level 22
Parry - Level 27
Riposte - Level 1
Swashbuckler's Spirit - NA (+20 to cool)
Swinger - Level 2
Weapon Specialist - Level 50 (Brawling +25)
Animator Skills
Animus - Level 41
Animus Blade - Level 15
Animus Shield - Level 4
Arm Creation - Level 7
Command Animus - Level 23
Creator's Guardians - Level 70
Deanimate - Level 1
Distant Animus - Level 1
Dollseye - Level 18
Eye for Detail - Level 20
Magic Mouth - Level 18
Mend - Level 68
Enchanter Skills
Appraise - Level 30
Boost+5 - Level 25
Boost +10 - Level 5
Disenchant - Level 24
Elemental Protection - Level 18
Glowgleam - Level 26
Harden - Level 36
Soften - Level 31
Spellstore I - Level 40
Spellstore V - Level 18
Spellstore X - Level 8
Wards - Level 3
Golemist Skills
Armor Golem - Level 2
Bone Golem - Level 1
Call Golem - Level 4
Clay Golem - Level 3
Command Golem - Level 24
Flesh Golem - Level 1
Golem Animus - Level 66
Golem Guardians - NA
Greater Golem Upgrade - Level 2
Invite Golem - Level 12
Mend Golem - Level 66
Program Golem - Level 43
Toy Golem - Level 83
Wood Golem - Level 19
Smith Skills
Adjust Arms and Armor - Level 20
Refine Ore - Level 15
Smelt Down - Level 7
Smithing - Level 52
Sculptor Skills
Detect Clay - Level 8
Mend Ceramic - Level 6
Refine Clay - Level 18
Sculpting - Level 61
Shaman Skills
Beastly Skill Borrow - Level 1
Call Vines - Level 1
Dreamquest - Level 25
Fated Preserver - Level NA
Poison Resistance - Level NA
Secret Herbs and Spices - Level 5
Slow Regeneration - Level 3
Speak with Nature - Level 16
Equipment
Journeyman Tailor's Apron of fire resistance (+6 Armor, +10 Tailoring, Resist Fire 9)(+3 Armor, +5 Tailoring, +5 Resist Fire from WIB)
Okay Quality Bling
Ringtail Master's Coat of fire resistance (+5 CHA, +5 LUCK, +5 Armor, +5 Fate, +10 Resist Fire 10)(+2 CHA, LUCK, Armor, Fate, +5 Resist Fire from WIB)
Rippen Tear Cloak (+10 to brawling, +5 Armor)(+5 Brawling, +2 Armor from WIB)
Rod of Baronly Might (+5 CHA, +5 WIS, +10 Cool)(+2 CHA, WIS, +5 Cool from WIB)
Sneakypants (+5 Camouflage)(+2 Camouflage from WIB)
Yellow Belt of Bravado (+5 AGL, +5 DEX, +5 to the Fancy Flourish skill)(+2 AGL, DEX, Fancy Flourish from WIB)
Toy Top Hat (CHA +10)(+5 CHA from WIB)
Golden Laurels (Enables the REST skill, usable every two hours.)
Inventory
A Folded-steel Dagger (Dagger Level 10)
Tailor's Tools
4 vials of Green Reagent.
1 Vial of Blue Reagent
A pouch of assorted crystals, rank 1-4.
Minorphone (Enhances voice and social skills focused through it twice per day)
Quests
Unlocked Jobs
Air Elementalist, Berserker, Cleric, Cook, Cultist, Grifter, Spirit Medium, Tamer, Wizard
THREADBARE’S JOBS AND SKILLS
Spoiler: Spoiler
THREADBARE’S JOBS AND SKILLS
CAVE BEAR
Cave Bears are large beasts, tough and strong and stubborn. They eat pretty much anything organic and spend most of their lives underground, emerging to forage as needed. Bears gain experience by eating bear-associated foods, roaming their territory, and defeating foes with their natural weapons.
GREATER TOY GOLEM
Toy golems are the protectors of children everywhere! And also good, reasonably cheap guardians for any fledgling golemist. They aren't the toughest of golems, but they possess a few costly powers good for helping their charges survive. Like all golems, they're sturdy, resistant to magic, and immune to a lot of things that would kill living beings. Greater golems possess sapience, and attribute ranks that lesser golems simply do not have. They can even learn jobs! Limited in that aspect only by the intelligence of their crafter, greater golems have theoretically astronomical potential. Greater Toy Golems gain experience by doing adorable things, surviving conflict by toughing it out, and defeating foes using their natural weapons.
ANIMATOR
Animators give life to inanimate objects, awakening them to serve and defend the animator. Animators gain experience by casting animator spells and defeating foes with their animi.
DUELIST
Duelists fight with their chosen weapon and swashbuckle around, using mobility and attitude to win their fights. Duelists gain experience through fighting with their specialized weapon, defeating foes with panache and style, and doing risky, flashy things in dangerous situations. Note: Specialized weapons can be changed. Practice hard, your specialized weapon will shift to your highest weapon skill.
ENCHANTER
Enchanters are one of the oddest adventuring professions. They do most of their work beforehand, and use their items to devastating effect. Enchanters gain experience by creating magical items, casting enchanter spells, and using their created items to defeat foes.
GOLEMIST
Congratulations! Through blending Animator and Enchanter, you are now a golemist! Golemists craft unique magical constructs, and use them to fight their battles. Golemists gain experience by casting golemist spells, creating golems, and using their golems to defeat their foes.
MODEL
Models improve their bodies and attitudes, displaying their glory for all to see and controlling how others look upon them. Models gain experience by using model skills, succesfully controlling first impressions, and defeating their foes through social manuvering.
NECROMANCER
Necromancers raise the dead to do their bidding, and can negotiate with powerful spirits and undead entities. Necromancers gain experience by interacting positively with the dead, casting necromancer spells, and using the undead to defeat their foes.
RULER
Rulers entice people to work for them, and organize them through decrees and rewards to do their bidding. Rulers gain experience by having their subjects do their bidding, organizing others to a common goal, and looking out for the interests of those in their charge.
SCOUT
Scouts roam the wilderness, spying upon foes and using stealth and survival to accomplish their goals. Remember, be prepared! Scouts gain experience by using scout skills, exploring new wilderness areas, and remaining undetected by foes.
SHAMAN
Shamans are wise in the ways of nature, dealing with plants, beasts, and natural forces for their own benefit and the benefit of their communities. Shamans have a wide grab bag of versatile tools, and are at home dealing with most problems that can arise in the wilderness. Shamans gain experience by living in accordance with nature, dealing with beasts, plants, and natural events, and helping their chosen tribe.
SCULPTOR
Sculptors work with clay, either fired or unfired, crafting pottery and related items with knives, wheels, and kilns.
SMITH
Smiths work with metal, crafting objects with the help of a forge, anvil, and hammer.
TAILOR
Tailors work with cloth and occasionally other flexible materials, crafting objects with the help of scissors, needle, and thread.
GREATER TOY GOLEM SKILLS
ADORABLE
Level 1, Cost N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Adorable has a chance of activating when you do something cute in front of an audience, or onlookers blame you for something that isn't your fault. It improves the attitude of anyone who fails to resist your charms.
BODYGUARD
Level 10, Cost: 25 Sta Duration: 1 minute per toy golem level
Name a target party member when activating this skill. For the duration, you have a chance of intercepting each attack aimed at them, so long as you remain within two yards of them. Multiple attackers or overwhelming amounts of strikes may reduce the effectiveness of this defence.
GIFT OF SAPIENCE
Level 1, Cost N/A, Duration: Passive ConstantCongratulations, you now have all the attributes and can think and learn. Good luck with that. You also have 8 adventuring job slots, and 4 crafting job slots.
GOLEM BODY
Level 1, Cost N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Your body has no organs, and is made from inorganic or once-organic material infused with a magical force. By being exposed to effects that would kill or cripple living beings and surviving them, this skill will level up. As it levels up, you will gain immunity and resistance to a wider range of lethal effects.
INNOCENT EMBRACE
Level 5, Cost: Sanity equal to half the amount healed, Duration: Instant
Heals an embraced target 10 X the level of this skill. Will affect on other golems, is standard healing otherwise. Currently activated through Animalistic Interface, and will affect any legal target embraced. Does not affect uninjured targets.
MAGIC RESISTANCE
Level 1, Cost: N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Has a chance of negating any non-beneficial magic cast upon you. The chance of success is dependant upon the spellcaster's level.
CAVE BEAR SKILLS
ANIMALISTIC INTERFACE
Level 1, Cost N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Allows the beast to use their racial skills without requiring vocalization. All skills that are not constant passives may be turned on and off as the situation and instinct require.
CLAW SWIPES
Level 1, Cost 5 Sta, Duration: 5 attacks
Enhances the damage caused by your hands and feet, and adds the sharp quality for the next five strikes. Currently activated through Animalistic Interface, and will activate whenever you brawl with intent to injure.
DARKSPAWN
Level 10, Cost: N/A Duration: Passive Constant
You gain a bonus to all attributes equal to twice your Cave Bear level while in darkness, and can see normally in darkness. Sufficient light will disrupt this effect, and the bonus does not increase the maximum size of the associated pools.
FORAGE
Level 1, Cost 10 Sta, Duration: 10 minutes
Greatly enhances your perception for the purposes of finding food, water, or other natural resources in the wilderness. At higher levels, may be used to locate specific naturally occuring resources. Currently activated through Animalistic Interface, will activate whenever you hunt for natural resources.
GROWL
Level 5, Cost 10 Mox, Duration: Instant
Growl at a target to damage their sanity.
HIBERNATE
Level 5, Cost N/A, Duration: 1-3 months
Go into a torpid sleep. Requires a cool, dark place and you cannot be affected by the Starving condition. Restores all pools to full, as per a normal rest.
SCENTS AND SENSIBILITY
Level 1, Cost 5 San, Duration: 5 minutes
Activates heightened smell, greatly increasing perception for that sense and allowing you to catalogue and remember specific odors. Currently activated through Animalistic Interface, and will activate whenever you encounter an interesting scent.
STUBBORN
Level 5, Cost N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Increases your resistance to sanity damaging effects.
TOUGHNESS
Level 1, Cost N/A, Duration: Passive Constant
Has a chance of increasing whenever you take serious damage. Raises your maximum HP by two whenever it increases.
SCULPTOR
DETECT CLAY
Level 1, Cost 5 For, Duration: Instant
Directs you to the nearest sources of clay, pigment, and other substances useful for sculpting
MEND CERAMIC
Level 10, Cost 20 For, Duration: Instant
Mends a damaged pottery item, repairing it a small amount.
REFINE CLAY
Level 5, Cost 10 Sta, Duration: Instant
Seperates any usable pottery crafting materials out of whatever material it's mixed with.
SMITH
ADJUST ARMS AND ARMOR
Level 5, Cost 10 Sta, Duration: instant
Resizes any armor or weapons to fit the chosen wearer or wielder, and also allows minor alterations.
REFINE ORE
Level 1, Cost 10 Sta, Duration: Instant
Separates any usable crafting materials in a container or dirt, ore, or stone into neat piles of material.
SMELT DOWN
Level 10, Cost 25 Sta, Duration: 30+ Seconds
Breaks a metal item down into ingots of metal, and separates out any gems or other materials into a small heap nearby.
SMITHING
Level 1, Cost NA, Duration: 30+ seconds
Crafts the desired metal or mixed-metal-and-forgeable item desired, requiring different materials for each project and the presence of appropriate tools. Has a chance of failure.
TAILOR
ADJUST OUTFIT
Level 5, Cost 20 Sta, Duration: Instant
Resizes any cloth outfit to fit the chosen wearer, and also allows minor alterations.