Hello Martians!

After a fantastic play test earlier this year, Ares Ascendant has been updated with some minor rule changes and a new spread for the Strife Player.

• Rule Update #1: For some players the competitive angle of the Paragon system doesn't set quite the right tone. Although there's tension among the characters, most players don't want that tension to seep into the dynamic at the table. To that end, the contest resolution mechanism has been changed. Although the player who rolled highest is still called "Best," anyone who succeeds gets the same number of renown points. The player who rolled best gets other benefits.
• Rule Update #2: Instead of accumulating points for the Colony's political position, the person who rolled Best in The Conclusion of the Final Challenge of the mission gets to set the political position of the colony.
• Content Update #1: The Domain of "Perception and Connection" has been replaced with "Logistics and Operations".
• Content Update #2: The rules includes a new spread providing guidance for the Strife Player on the first session. It suggests questions to ask the players to establish the context of the mission to Mars, describes running a flashback contest to provide orientation on how Paragon works, and describes an approach for establishing the first Mission.