Welcome back to another Crowns and Covens Dev Update. This TTRPG Dev Blog covers everything we’ve been working on over the past few months, from new Archetypes and balancing improvements to the Companion System and our upcoming playtesting plans.
The past few months have been incredibly busy between work, personal life, system design, and running weekly games, which unfortunately meant there wasn’t much time left for writing blog articles. Development, however, certainly didn’t stop.
One of the biggest and most exciting changes happened completely unexpectedly: a good friend, and player of my weekly group, joined the “development team” – which consists of… me. And now him!
Jonas: Wanna introduce yourself, Robin?
Robin: “Wait, there is a Dev Blog?!”
Jonas: … Anyways. Having a seco…
Robin: Wait, I wasn’t finished! I guess my goal is to create mechanical depth, both horizontally and vertically, while still keeping things beginner-friendly for both the players and the Gamemaster.
Coming from a love of the Monster Hunter games, I’ve always enjoyed the sense of flow that comes from gradually mastering a system over time. My goal is to capture exactly that feeling in a TTRPG, so that as you learn more about your character and the world around them, you naturally become better at combat and other systems as well.
It’s important that we don’t lose sight of the core idea behind a TTRPG in the process, though: mechanics should always support the fantasy and roleplay at the table, without railroading players into doing something a specific way simply because it’s the most effective option.
Jonas: Thanks, that’s way better!
Crowns and Covens TTRPG Development Progress
As I was saying, having a second set of eyes on the project has been invaluable. Not only does he approach the game from a different perspective, but he also independently analysed many of the core systems which I just created based on gut feeling and translated them into numbers, formulas, and balancing frameworks. This has dramatically accelerated development and made balancing significantly easier and more consistent moving forward. So the internal voices of “is this too weak? Is this broken?” can shift towards “is it fun to play?” and creating unique Classes, Subclasses, Monsters, Weapons, Armours and Items.
On top of that, he is currently building our Companion and Encounter System, as well as content for the Bestiary (the Monster Manual of Crowns and Covens), allowing me to focus much more heavily on Archetypes and Paths – the classes and subclasses in OUR system.
Crowns and Covens Dev Update – New Playable Archetypes
Speaking of which, Robin joining the project and our new balancing framework led us to revisit every existing Archetype over the past month. We reworked several core mechanics, refined a number of systems, and generally took the opportunity to ensure everything is built on a stronger foundation. Hopefully, we are now reaching a point where major structural changes become less frequent and we can focus more on expanding content rather than redesigning fundamentals.
And content is exactly what we’ve been doing.
We now have several playable Archetype and Path combinations. Playable, not finished. Things will absolutely continue to evolve, but they are now at a stage where they can be brought to the table. And hopefully soon to other tables, so we can stress-test all the cool mechanics.
Wildkin Explorer
The Wildkin Explorer is our take on the classic Dungeons & Dragons 5e Ranger Beast Master fantasy.
If you’ve always wanted to explore the wilds alongside a loyal animal companion, this is the Path for you. Your Wildkin isn’t simply another combatant under your control. The two of you are hunters, partners, and packmates who have learned to survive together in a world full of dangers.
At the heart of the Path lies his ability Prey. Rather than spreading damage across multiple enemies, the Wildkin excels at isolating a single target and relentlessly pursuing it until the hunt is complete. Once a creature has been marked, nearly every ability in the Path revolves around advancing the hunt.
Your Wildkin can distract dangerous enemies and lure them away from the mark, allowing you to focus entirely on your prey. Alternatively, it can stay by your side, intercept attacks, and protect you while you pressure the target.
The Explorer and their companion also gain access to powerful combo attacks that reward coordination and tactical positioning. Success comes not from standing still and trading blows, but from constantly working together to create openings that neither could achieve alone.
Perhaps most importantly, the Path rewards smart hunting. By successfully pursuing your mark and executing your tactics, you regenerate the resources required for your signature attacks – the abilities that would traditionally be represented by Ranger spells in other systems.
The result is a highly active and tactical hunter fantasy. You’re not simply commanding a pet. You’re tracking prey, controlling the battlefield, and fighting as part of a perfectly coordinated hunting pair.
Friar Shepherd
The Shepherd is our interpretation of the classic Cleric Archetype.
Rather than focusing primarily on gods and divine worship, the Shepherd revolves around the concept of Guidance. The Friar Path embodies this through knowledge of the old world, folklore, forgotten traditions, and ancient wisdom. After all, what has a name and a purpose is often far less frightening.
This shift away from the traditional fantasy cleric also allows us to explore a much broader range of character fantasies within the same Archetype. While many TTRPGs split Clerics, Druids, Shamans, and spiritual leaders into completely separate classes, we see them as different expressions of the same core idea: helping people navigate uncertainty.
A Friar guides through knowledge. A Priest guides through faith. A Hearth Shepherd guides through community. A Shaman guides through ancient spirits and forgotten rites. Even our Druid belongs here, though perhaps not in the way many players expect.
Rather than the nature mage popularised by games like Dungeons & Dragons, the Druid in Crowns and Covens is inspired by ancestral traditions. They call upon generations of forebears for guidance, wisdom, and protection. To them, death is not an ending but a continuation of the journey, and those who came before still walk beside the living.
The Shepherd serves as a leader from the backline, helping the party achieve its full potential rather than dominating the battlefield directly. They are not the hero standing in the spotlight, but the steady hand on your shoulder reminding you that you can overcome whatever lies ahead.
Oathsworn of the Forge
Where the Shepherd guides through belief from the back line, our Paladin, the Oathsworn stands as the immovable rock in the front line, defined by an unwavering commitment to a personal oath.
The first Oathsworn Path I’m exploring is the Oathsworn of the Forge, a warrior who brings powerful weapons and fire magic into battle. Beyond personal prowess, they can enhance the equipment of their allies and even create entirely new items during combat to adapt to changing situations.
The oath is to make sure that his people are well equipped for whatever lies ahead.
But the Forge is only one expression of what an oath can become.
An Oathsworn of Glory relentlessly pursues challenges to leave a legacy remembered for generations. Here I imagine the classical “fun” warrior who seeks a challenge and leaves his foes alive with PTSD, just so they tell his tale, or get stronger and fight him again some day. Think Thorkell from Vinland Saga.
An Oathsworn of Dawn embodies hope in a world that desperately needs it. Inspired by heroes like Himmel from Frieren, they rally allies from the brink of defeat, stand against impossible odds, and continue moving forward even when they are afraid themselves, simply because it is the right thing to do and the world needs a hero.
Elementalist Sorcerer
The Elementalist is next in line.
This Path masters and combines the fundamental elements to unleash devastating combination attacks. What makes the Elementalist particularly interesting is that their power grows throughout an encounter as they actively alter the local mana environment, allowing increasingly potent interactions between their abilities.
Every spell leaves behind a Stain of its element on the battlefield. Fire, Ice, Lightning, Earth, and other elemental forces linger long after the initial spell has been cast. The Elementalist can then consume, transform, or detonate these Stains using other abilities, creating increasingly devastating chains of effects as combat progresses.
The inspiration here came from Lune in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I loved the idea of a spellcaster whose strongest abilities are not simply selected from a list, but carefully set up over multiple turns through planning and clever combinations.
As a small side note, this is also a good example of why I think it’s incredibly important to draw inspiration from different kinds of media when designing a TTRPG. Without playing Expedition 33 I wouldn’t have found the idea for the Elementalist and without the Anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End I would think completely different about mages and warriors.
Bloomwarden Verdant
The Bloomwarden Verdant is a nature-focused control mage and healer.
Many players hear “Druid” and immediately think of shapeshifting, animals, and nature magic. In Crowns and Covens, we split those fantasies apart. The Akin Verdant embodies the shapeshifter fantasy, while other Verdants represent different aspects of nature itself. The Bloomwarden focuses on growth and life, gradually covering the battlefield in flourishing vegetation. Future Verdants may embrace decay and corruption as Blightbringers, or other natural forces entirely. Rather than one class trying to represent all of nature, each Path explores a specific aspect of it in depth.
Rather than relying solely on direct spells, the Bloomwarden summons plant-based minions and gradually overwhelms the battlefield with his Undergrowth. Given enough time, they transform the combat area into a thriving ecosystem under their control, supporting allies while restricting enemy movement and options.
Wordsmith Bard
The final playable Path for this development cycle is the Wordsmith Bard.
The Wordsmith represents the ultimate storyteller: the person whose version of the story becomes reality.
They manipulate and control combat encounters in wonderfully absurd ways. A piano suddenly falling from the sky in the middle of a forest? That’s unfortunate. Your trusted companion was secretly the villain all along? Better deal with that immediately.
The core mechanic revolves around assigning Labels to characters and creatures during combat. These Labels interact with the Bard’s Inspiration in unique ways and often come with significant trade-offs. Labels represent how irrational truth can be. When enough people believe it, something becomes the truth.
He may label someone as the Hero of the story, giving them a higher success chance as the Hero always wins, or call out a Coward in the enemy lines who is going to have a hard time staying in this dreadful combat.
Use Kill Your Darlings to remove an enemy from the story with an enormous burst of damage? Congratulations. They’re now invisible and preparing their dramatic villainous return.
Classify an enemy as a Monster? Your allies may need to overcome fear before engaging it, but they’ll deal massive bonus damage if they do.
The Wordsmith constantly bends narrative logic, creating powerful opportunities that always come at a price.
What’s coming next to Crowns and Covens?
For June, Robin is continuing work on the Beast Berserker under the new balancing framework.
This Path revolves around the tension between rage and calm, shifting back and forth between both states. And yes, when the Berserker truly loses control, they literally transform into a savage beast.
Meanwhile, I’ll be working on the new Necromancer for the Summoner Archetype, as well as the first Path for the Pactbound Archetype.
The only problem is deciding which Pact I want to build first.
Will your Patron be the fairy-tale guardian who has watched over you since childhood, a Ghibli-inspired protector offering guidance and power?
Will they grant you power to twist fate itself in pursuit of one final personal task?
Or will you become the vessel of an Ancient God, a being seeking to bring carnage upon the world? Can you control that power and use it for your own ends, or will it eventually control you?
Looking Ahead
The Archetype framework is now firmly established and receiving new content at a steady pace.
The next major milestones are a first draft of the Item Manual and the Monster Manual. After all, players need things to defeat and loot.
And while the combat and roleplay systems are now online, we still need to work on the exploration and off-time systems.
But that’s a topic for the next development update.
We’re also preparing to recruit our first playtesters soon.
If you’d like to be part of the development process – or simply make sure you never miss an update – feel free to join the waiting list and follow the project’s progress as the Crowns and Covens TTRPG continues to grow.
Thanks for your time!
Cheers, Jonas
