Did you know arthropods shed their exoskeletons as they grow? It's a process called ecdysis, but most of us just call it moulting. What I find super cool about this process, though, is the chance for regeneration. With the world of Bug & Claw keeping up with OSR tenants and being a dangerous place, characters can get themselves into real pickles. This made me think– arthropods have a lot of limbs, what if they could lose a few? Which then opened opportunities for allowing the chance to gain them back!
- When you lose a limb, or otherwise receive a nasty wound, in Bug & Claw things get harder for you.
- At lower levels, you have chances to regenerate lost limbs and nasty wounds through moulting.
- Moultings get more infrequent the higher level you are.
- You can choose when to moult, as long as it's within a few days of levelling up. Though, you cannot carry a moulting over to another level.
| D6 | Outcome |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | --- |
| 3 | Partial regeneration, part comes back not what it once was |
| 4 | Regeneration, part comes with temporary setback |
| 5 | Full regeneration |
| 6 | Full regeneration, with a temporary bonus |
Moulting is dangerous
Moulting is dangerous, causing you to temporarily be very vulnerable during and afterward. This opens up opportunity for relationship-building, another core-mechanic to B&C. If you're travelling in a party, with hirelings, or other friends, you can watch each other's backs, camping out while moulting. Otherwise, you can return to town where it's common to moult in a safe space with others, though there may be risk or fees.
Environmental reactions
The environment in B&C is littered with radiation, chemicals, fungus, and strange crystalline structures, all of which can have unpredictable effects on characters. You might gain advantage on moulting regeneration, or lose a moulting level entirely due to your encounters with certain substances.