Frontiers Engine Changelog¶
This document tracks changes across Frontiers Tabletop Engine versions over time. New versions are added to the top of the document. Older versions remain accessible below for reference and for designers still working on projects based on earlier releases.
Each version includes a release date and a brief summary of changes and additions. For full detail on any change, refer to the Design Documentation set associated with that version.
Beta 2026-2 — active¶
Release Date: April 24, 2026
Major rewrite focused on teaching-first documentation, mechanical clarity, and design-side modularity. Restructures how Frontiers is documented and refines multiple subsystems.
Documentation: Introduced the Design Documentation set with Part One (teaching) / Part Two (Frontiers' answer) / Part Three (working ruleset) structure, replacing the older "Expanded" documents. Added Designing With Frontiers as the front-door teaching doc. Rewrote the Frontiers Overview as the condensed working ruleset with clickable headers. Introduced the Variants vs. Alternatives convention.
Terminology: Initiative replaces Momentum (direction flipped — higher now acts first). Reference Level replaces Provider Level, unifying math across PCs, NPCs, and Items. Enhanced replaces "magic item" terminology for Level-above-0 Equipment. Skill Categories (Body, Mind, Voice) introduced as a new layer above specific Skills. Equipment uses States (Equipped, Activated, Consumable) instead of "Categories."
Icons: Updated full icon set for better cross-platform rendering. Notable changes: ⛣Acuity (was ꩜), ☼Resolve (was 𖤓), ⚝Finesse (was ᯽), ✚Health (was ✙), ⊗Wound (was ꉂ), ⊖Fatigue (was ⏾), ⛉Mental Defense (was 𖢻), ◉Awareness (was 𖣠), ➤Initiative (was ⴵ Momentum), ⇉Movement (was »), ⏾Downtime (was 𝗓ᶻ), ✻Activity (was ✶).
Resolution: Gradient Die bands rebalanced to a bell-curve distribution (1 = Major Negative, 2-3 = Minor Negative, 4-7 = Standard, 8-9 = Minor Positive, 10 = Major Positive). Basic vs Gradient modes clearly distinguished. Favor/Disfavor formalized with 3-stack cap and 1-for-1 cancellation.
Attributes & Derivatives: Attribute scale changed from 0-10 to 1-10 (floor of 1 is absolute). Defense formula simplified to 5 + highest of (relevant Mod pair) + Equipment. Awareness and Intuition now have formulas (1 + Mod, reduced by 2 per ⊖Fatigue). Maximum ⊗Wounds = 1 + ❖Vigor Mod; Maximum ⊖Fatigue = 1 + ☼Resolve Mod. Live vs Anchored Derivatives distinction formalized. ⛃Carrying Capacity removed from core engine.
Flow of Play: Initiative renamed and flipped (higher acts first). Reactions now share the ✦AP pool — unspent ✦AP persists until next Turn, available for Reactions. Overspend simplified (player chooses 1 ⊗Wound or 1 ⊖Fatigue, no roll). Negative Energy floor added (negative one-half of positive max, rounded down). Stabilize Action formalized (2 ✦AP adjacent to restore 1 ✚HP). Auto-revive at Encounter end if ally can reach. Downtime healing formalized (3 hrs = 50% max HP, rolling).
Skills: Major overhaul. Two-layer system: Categories (+1 to +5 flat modifier, capped per-Category) and binary Specific Skills (grant Favor when applicable). Category modifiers are build rewards, not baseline training. Previous three-benefit menu (Favor / Enhanced Attribute / Narrative Edge) removed — Skills now grant only Favor. Skill list remains designer-defined. Competencies formally separated as an access-granting system (weapons, armor, tools, languages, vehicles, magical systems).
Abilities: Reference Level replaces Provider Level. Static vs Dynamic Level distinction formalized. Universal Anatomy expanded to 9 required fields. Action Cost now explicitly covers four types: Standard ✦AP, ✧Free Action, Reaction, Passive. Soft cap of Ability Level 15. Frequency limits made explicitly optional.
Equipment: Reference Level math mirrors Abilities. Three Equipment States: Equipped (persistent max ⚡︎Energy reduction), Activated (per-use cost), Consumable (per-use, removed). Enhanced / non-enhanced terminology formally adopted. Carrying Capacity / slot systems removed from core (system-defined). Item Durability not in engine. Items granting Abilities: Ability Level = item Level. Max ⚡︎Energy reductions stack across multiple above-Level items. Max recommended Equipment Level: 15.
Characters: Origin / Background / Archetype reframed as the Three Roots (biological, external, trained inheritance). Mechanical contributions per layer are open (templates, not rules). HP formula simplified: ❖Vigor Mod + Archetype HP Mod per Level. Origin and Background no longer contribute to HP. Vigor changes recalculate HP retroactively. Vector Marks remain the progression engine (3 Marks = 1 Level). Skill Mark now grants a new Skill OR +1 Category modifier. Ability Mark legality: ≤ Reference Level + 2. Mark pacing default: ~1 per session. Mark types cannot repeat within a Level. Multi-Archetype default: per-Level features only, no new "Level 1 starter." Starting values at Level 1: 10 Attribute Points, 3 ⚡︎Energy, 3 Skills, 2 Abilities ≤ Level 3. Single Archetype max: 10 Levels. Total Character Level soft cap: 20.
Licensing: Open RPG Creative (ORC) License unchanged. Frontiers repository treated explicitly as an open-source starting point.
Beta 2026-1 — archived¶
Release Date: February 13, 2026
Initial public release of the Frontiers Tabletop Engine.
Introduced the foundational engine: Gradient Resolution System, Free Play / Encounter Play dual-mode structure, four-Attribute base (Vigor / Finesse / Acuity / Resolve), Momentum-based turn order, ✦AP action economy with ⚡︎Energy exertion resource, Wounds and Fatigue as parallel damage tracks, the Origin / Background / Archetype character triad, Vector Mark advancement, Ability and Equipment Level interaction via Provider Level, and the initial Expanded Documentation set.
Released under the Open RPG Creative (ORC) License.
Archived versions: [link TBD — see archiving note below]
*This changelog is a living document. New versions are added to the top. For the current active ruleset, see the Frontiers Release Section.