We’ve spoken a lot about the setting so far, but I’m certain many of you have been wondering; what exactly are you going to do in Unforetold: Witchstone? In most RPGs, you get your direction from one primary source: quests!
Except… we don’t have quests. Instead, we have something we call Opportunities.
Opportunities are potential threads you can choose to follow in order to achieve some outcome. There is no “Main Quest” in Unforetold: Witchstone, no having to choose between pursuing core progression or tangential side content. You make your own goals as you adventure in Kalsundia, and the ultimate endgame is up to you. Every action you take, every Opportunity you follow, every faction you decide to empower or topple, is all part of what makes the story your own.
Now, that doesn’t mean you won’t ever roll the credits, or that there won’t be a satisfying conclusion to your adventure. What it does mean is that the fate of the land isn’t tied to any one character, faction, or Opportunity. How you change the world is your decision alone.
When you do decide to pursue an Opportunity, that means somebody wants something. They may suggest a way for you to go about getting it for them, but ultimately, as long as you fulfill that desire, the approach is entirely up to you.
Let’s take a look at one of the first Opportunities you might come across in Kalsundia. After landing in the port of Kalsundar, the entire docks are on lockdown. The only way out is guarded by an enterprising Lawblade named Els Druthdrang, and he’s agreed to let you pass if you procure a rare gemstone for him from the mainland.
After asking around, you learn that a certain individual at the warehouse may have the artifact you need. Easy enough, just whack him over the head with your sword and take it from him!
Or, if assault isn’t your jam, you can opt for a stealthy approach. Sneak up behind him and deftly
take the artifact straight out of his pocket. Surely he won’t notice, at least not anytime soon.
But, there are more ways to interact with the world and these characters than just murdering and thieving. This brings us to one of the systems that we’re most excited for you to try: Influence.
You can think of Influence as building your own dialogue. In traditional RPGs, the dialogue choices you can make with characters in the world is limited to what the writers and designers thought to prepare for you. Influence gives you the power to build your own custom requests for anyone you meet in Unforetold: Witchstone.
You can walk up to any NPC and sweet-talk them into joining your party. Intimidate others into running away. Ask someone to help you out with an assassination. Request that your target meet you someplace private, the kind of place where there won’t be any witnesses. Convince two people to talk to each other, so they can reconcile their differences… or maybe just to make sure that they’re distracted enough for you to sneak past them into a restricted area.
Not only do you get to build your own requests, but you also choose how you’re going to go about convincing these characters to cooperate. Are you a big burly fighter with low charisma? Just flex those pecs, look menacing, and you might be surprised what some moderate threats of violence can accomplish.
Let’s go back to the individual at the warehouse. You know he has the artifact you need, but you’re a bit iffy on the whole murder thing. Well, if you’re particularly silver tongued, you can just Influence him to hand it over!
But wait, when you speak to Andrath, he mentions that he’s had a falling out with his daughter, and he would do anything to get her back home, even give up his rare artifact. By finding her and Influencing her to go talk to her dad, you can reunite a broken family and get the item you need.
On the other hand, what about Els, the guard that’s extorting you to get him the artifact? Maybe there’s some other way you can get him to move without giving him what he wants…
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek into how you’re going to interact with the lands and people of Kalsundia. However you choose to accomplish your goals, through violence or theft, through diplomacy or intimidation, by helping others or removing them as obstacles, just remember that the people of Kalsundia are watching. Getting a reputation as a notorious killer might not make you many friends with the broader population, but to others, you might be exactly the kind of person they’re looking for.
You can discover this and more when Unforetold: Witchstone releases in early access January 25th, 2024!
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