|
Forces of Warmachine: Cygnar A Trencher Chain Gun Crew is armed with one of the most crucial Cygnaran weapons. They take up a position and open fire, forcing the enemy to take cover or die, as the fire of a chain gun can take down an entire unit in seconds. They fire so quickly that it's near impossible to tell one gunshot from another, though it is said that the Trenchers find the sound soothing - a constant reminder of their support. Gunners are grim even by Trencher "Gravedigger" standards. They know that even with the protection of the trenches and their weapons, the odds are not on their side. They carry immense amounts of ammo into battle and hope they live to fire it all.  Trencher Commandos are the toughest soldiers in the toughest branch of the Cygnaran Army, the elites among the Trenchers. They get intense special training in infiltration, covert ops and knife fighting. Those who pass earn the right to call themselves commandos, and they are the first special forces to be sent into danger. They often operate behind enemy lines, appearing from nowhere to eliminate sentries or entire units. They can clear even fortifications with coordinated use of grenades, and more than one foxhole of Winter Guard has been devastated by lurking commandos. Once they cross the enemy lines, they wreak havoc among artillery batteries, advance posts and other critical positions, often ensuring the success of critical objectives or spending weeks in enemy territory disrupting logistics and morale. When they're done, they head back to the Trenchers for the next assault.  The Trencher Commando Scattergunners have the job of clearing advance positions with fortified enemy troops. Every commando learns to use a scattergun, but each platoon is only given a few of the things. They're big, cumbersome and very powerful. While the rest of the commandos overrun a position, they fire on concentrations of enemies, using lethal grapeshot in close quarters. A commando assault supported by grenades and scatterguns can mulch most enemy soldiers with ease.  Trenchers don't have battle standards. They have the Trencher Infantry Officer and Sniper. The officers are generally trenchers that survive for a long time, rising to sergeant or even lieutenant, if they're a lifer with good leadership ability. In times of peace, they attend the STrategic Academy, but more often they end up training in no man's land. The snipers, on the other hand, are chosen for natural talent and coolness under fire, and they have amazing marksmanship, whittling away at the enemy before the squad closes to charge or use concentrated fire.  The Trencher Infantry Rifle Grenadiers have developed a new way to use explosive grenades. Traditionally, they are heavy, unwieldy and rely on an easily damaged gear-based timing system. Half the tiem, they blew early and tore their uses apart. Trenchers preferred smoke grenades and their rifles. Recent improvements at Point Bourne have found a solution, creating an extension attachment for the rifle to which greandes can be affixed. They use rapidly expanded gases from combustion to fire the grenade a long range. These grenades are smaller and sleeker, using fine-grade blasting powder and an impact trigger to provide an explosion of shrapnel. They are very efficient and quite powerful. Grenadiers are picked from Trenchers who enjoy demolition, and they get trained in the safe assembly and preparation of grenades. Once they're primed, regular trenchers can handle them easily enough, and the weapons have proven very useful on the northern front, where they're used to decimate packed formations of Winter Guard or armored targets.  The Black 13th Gun Mage Strike Team is the elite strike force of the Militant Order of the Arcane Tempest. Their numbers have always varied and they are very tight-knit, always those with the highest skill using magelock pistols. Until recently, they were based out of Northguard, performing secret missions deep within Khador and Llael, including raids, rescues and assassinations. They've done missions that'd destroy lesser warriors, knowing they'll never get more recognition than a handshake and a quiet thank you from their bosses. After Merywyn fell in 605, they covered the Cygnaran withdrawl from Llael by harrying Khadoran forces and buying time. Since then, intense fighting near Northguard has dropped their number down to three members. Captain Dixon Lynch is the only survivor of the original Black 13th. He prefers not to speak about the unit's history, either due to secrecy or painful memories, and will not identify the ultimate source of their sometimes mysterious orders. Many at the Tempest Academy see Lynch asa legend, and he is perhaps the oldest gun mage still in the field. He was once a member of the Brothers of the Tempest, the fraternity that preceded the founding of the Militant Order. He is a good if cold leader, and his team is unshakably loyal. Sergeant Samuel Watts is even less friendly, infamous for being a loudmouth with biting wit, and he has few friends. Rumor is he's been a sergeant for over seven years for pissing off Lord General Olan Duggan, who refuses to see him promoted to officer status. Those who know his reputation avoid his taunts and baiting, which he uses as an excuse to get into fights. You might think the polite and professional Lieutenant Darsey Ryan is the friendliest of the team, then. She joined the Black 13th just before Llael was invaded and is still a tough foe. She seems to attract challengers, and she's left dozens of pistoleers dead in her wake. Even Watts admits she once beat him in a duel. In battle, she dual wields pistols with no apparent weakening of her magical power. When the three fight together, they effortlessly watch each other's blind spots and combine their fire to take down any foe. For the Black 13th, even today, there can never be capture or surrender - jsut victory or death.  Becoming a Gun Mage Captain Adept is a long road. First, you must become a gun mage, which is a rare talent in the first place, and few have the skill for it. Then, you need to earn the rank of captain, which few gun mages do. Then you need the title adept, which is rarely granted. Gun mages of that power are rare, saved for the most crucial missions. They would be among the deadliest gunmen in Immoren even without magic, and each has the eyes of a hawk and great ability to spot movement. Their vision is so uncanny, in fact, that some say the bullets they fire must travel through Urcaen itself, reappearing in this world at the perfect spot to kill those who think they can hide. Their magic grants them even more power, and they command soldiers with unfaltering skill, firing on enemies as they wander the field. They use words of power to enhance the range and accuracy of their weapons, blasting apart any foe with bullets as powerful as cannon balls. Next time: Stormsmiths
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 18:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 10:33 |
|
|
I think part of what bothers me so much about Warmachine's visuals is that sometimes, you get something like this and it's just infinitely radder than giant pauldron guys and weird Apple-designed spacemaelfs. It's jarring. These guys look cool as heck! Tricorn hat, fancy uniform, magic guns? Hell yes, I am in on that.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 19:21
|
|
|
Wizards Presents: Races and Classes Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10 Staff Thoughts To cap off this book, I'm going to do one last round of quotes from the various designers commenting on their work on 4th Edition. James Wyatt quote:I’m so excited about 4th Edition I can barely contain myself. Running the Delve in our booth yesterday was awkward—I saw so many of the things I have grown to dislike about 3E come into play. Oh, the poor rogue’s useless against all these plants and elementals. Oh, the poor dwarf didn’t confirm his crit. Oh, look at all the people forgetting about attacks of opportunity (especially at reach) and getting pummeled as a result. I can’t say too much about it, but you can be sure it’s not just grapple that got an overhaul. quote:You can’t really just convert a character directly from 3E to 4E. We pretended you could do that from 2E to 3E, but that conversion book was pretty well bogus. The fact is, as I explained it a lot at Gen Con, that your character isn’t what’s on your character sheet: your character is the guy in your head. The character sheet is how the guy in your head interacts with the rules of the game. The rules of the game are different, so you’ll be creating a new implementation of that character, but the character needn’t change much. In fact, I propose that in 4E your character might actually be truer to your vision of him than in 3E. You might finally see him or her doing all the cool things you imagined doing but that never quite came out on the 3E table. David Noonan quote:New multiclassing rules, you ask. Yep, we’ve got ’em. Multiclass characters are running at a couple of our internal playtest tables right now. Early results are promising, but we’re talking about only a couple of characters, so we haven’t seen broad proof of concept yet. Matthew Sernett quote:It might sound crazy, but most of the monsters designed for 3rd Edition D&D are designed with only a hazy understanding of what numbers are appropriate. Monster design is dictated by the math and rules of design, rather than the math and rules serving a fun play experience. This description of the 3rd Edition monster creation process is interesting in the light of how 5th Edition goes back to the Challenge Rating system, has a 20 step process in the DMG for creating monsters, and that we do have Mike Mearls on record saying that they do have this internal tool for quickly matching CRs. Chris Perkins quote:The game makes the DM’s life easier in many ways. For one thing, monsters are more fun to play. A monster doesn’t need thirty spell-like abilities to be cool. Given that the typical monster has a lifespan of 3 to 5 rounds, it really only needs one or two “signature” abilities in addition to its normal attacks. The new game also makes it a lot easier for the DM to determine appropriate challenges for the party with an encounter-building system that’s much more intuitive than the current EL/CR system. It also doesn’t hurt that we’ll have a data-driven, plug-nplay encounter builder tool on D&D Insider. Do you feel you may face backlash from players who enjoy 3.0 and 3.5 and don’t want to upgrade their rules or campaigns? quote:We faced a similar situation with the change from 2nd Edition to 3rd Edition, so we assume that not every 3rd-Edition player will switch over to the new game overnight. All in all, 4th Edition offers a much better gaming experience for players and Dungeon Masters. Even though 3rd Edition is an excellent game, 4th Edition gives players better character options at every level, makes DMing less of a chore, and (as mentioned above) speeds up round-by-round combat. I expect that the improvements in game play will convince even reluctant players to switch over to 4th Edition. I also anticipate that the majority of d20 publishers will support 4th Edition going forward. We’ve been reading a lot about talent trees in 4th Edition. Will 4th Edition characters progress similarly to those in an MMORPG and was this sort of play dynamic the inspiration for the new 4th Edition rules? quote:Talent trees aren’t unique to MMORPGs. Wizards has produced other games that use talent trees, such as the d20 MODERN Roleplaying Game and the Star Wars Roleplaying Game Saga Edition. The theory of game design, regardless of platform, is constantly evolving. We’ve taken our gaming experiences over the past decade, as well as player feedback on the games and supplements we’ve produced in that time period, to build a system for character creation and advancement in 4th Edition that draws inspiration from numerous sources, but isn’t exactly like anything that’s been done before. It seems as though many of the changes and new rules in 4th Edition were inspired or emulate the ease-of-use of the current generation of MMO. How has the popularity of such systems affected D&D and how has it contributed to creation of 4th Edition’s game systems? quote:Just as MMOs have looked to the D&D game for inspiration, so too have we learned a few things from MMOs. (And not just MMOs, but games of all kinds.) However, the D&D game is not an MMO, nor are we turning it into one. As it happens, certain things that work well in MMOs also work well in tabletop RPGs. For example, we like the idea of being able to create different “builds” within a single character class, so that one player’s 5th level fighter can look and feel different from another player’s 5th-level fighter. This is something we experimented with in various other game products produced by Wizards in recent years. We’ve been reading a lot about class roles and how creating clearly defined roles (and different ways of approaching those roles) are a large part of what will differentiate 4th Edition. quote:Party roles existed in 3rd Edition, but they were never discussed openly in the core rules. We simply assumed that a typical group of players would know enough to make sure their party included a frontline fighter-type character, a cleric or other healer-type character, a wizard or other artillery-type character, and so forth. In the interest of helping less-experienced players build stronger parties, we’ve addressed the issue of party composition more openly and directly in 4th Edition by explaining party roles and the importance of having characters who can fill these roles. Each base class in 4th Edition has been designed to fill a specific role, but that’s not all the class aims to do, and every base class has things that it can do outside of its primary role. Mike Mearls quote:3E got a lot of things right, but anyone who has played it for a time knows that it gets things wrong. There are also legacy issues with the game that have persisted unquestioned for years. 4E is all about taking the things that work in D&D, keeping them in the game, and fixing everything else. That’s the goal, and I think we’re heading there. And that about does it for the book. I found it fairly insightful as a set of "developer diaries" that we get rather often in the video game industry, but not so much in the TRPG hobby, or perhaps, only recently as we've seen a growing shift towards greater interaction with social media. Certainly it serves as a counter-point to the theory that 4th Edition was supposed to a great departure from D&D's tropes (or really, tropes that were only mostly established with 3rd Edition). I rather enjoyed doing this whole thing, and so much so that I started putting it up on a separate site, as much for posterity as for anyone that might want to get people to read it outside of SA.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 19:23
|
|
|
Forces of Warmachine: Cygnar A Stormsmith Stormcaller is recruited for mechanikal aptitude and trained in the Strategic Academy as an arcanist specializing in electrical forces. Cygnar's enemiesh ave learned to fear the storms that accompany their armies into battle. Stormsiths are the reason for that, and the top of the Army's electrical forces. They wield mechanikal devices known as stormcallers, summoning lightning from empty air to assault their foes. Their precision strikes can take out warjacks, officers and the land itself. Though a single stormsmith is dangerous, they become even more deadly in groups, working in concert to light up an entire battlefield. They are specialists, ready to be called on at any time, and when sommoned to march they carry their stormcallers with pride.  Stormsmith Storm Towers are one of the most potent weapons ever made using storm technology, developed as an outgrowth of Sebastian Nemo's telegraph systems. They were refined from the powerful generator towers made to send signals at long distance, made more portable and designed to manifest and control electrical energy. When activated, the tower emits a field that aggravates the local atmosphere, generating a thunderstorm instantly and calling down lightning in a circuit between tower and sky. The stormsmiths that operate the weapon aim via a mechanikal rod to direct the electricity, and precise timing is vital, as the atmosphere agitation has a very narrow window to be stopped before the wielder is electrocuted.  The Squire is the recent culmination of decades of work by the Strategic Academy, the Royal Cygnaran University and the Cygnaran Armory. It's a compact, steam-powered drone with an advanced arcane turbine similar to those found in warcaster armor. What it lacks is tools or weapons, as it was not made to labor or fight. Instead, it enhances the powers of the warcaster controlling it. The designers only reluctantly admit that the Cult of Cyriss was key to certain technologies used to produce the Squire in a secret agreement with King Leto. The main difficult was figuring out how to miniaturize immense amounts of sensitive and fragile equipment in an armored shell that'd hold up to battle. To augment the mental field warcasters use to control 'jacks, the Squire integrates sensitive relays that expand the field significantly, allowing for a much greater control range. Its other main features are an enhanced spell targeter and a refined accumulator that can store arcane energy for later. With a compact cortex and many expensive components, the Squire's costs are tremendous, and they remain very rare.  The Trencher Master Gunner has spent years gaining an expertise that can't be taught, making them the top artillerists in Cygnar. They are versed in every artillery skill, from use of defilades to barrage firing patterns. They are experts in the coordination of field gun batteries, turning them into precision weapons rather than support. They accompany trencher ordnance and warjacks to the front, digging in and coordinating emplacement of gun crews and artillery. Once in position, they gauge range with unnatural precision, allowing the artillery fire to be incredibly accurate. They can even execute their bombardments without risking nearby friendly forces.  Captain Maxwell Finn is a legend, a veteran of countless battles. None of his Trenchers would ever believe it, but he was himself once young, growing up in the town of Point Bourne and joining the Trenchers as soon as he could. He quickly showed his strength and skill as a natural soldier, taking on anything thrown at him by his instructors and asking for more. He was a born lifer, reaching sergeant in record time, and he was assigned to Northguard and the 95th Trencher Company, known as the Northguard Gravediggers. He served there for almost a decade and reached the rank of master sergeant, distinguishing himself in key battles after the invasion of Llael. He remembers every man lost in those fights and can tell stories about each of them. In one incident during the withdrawal, several young soldiers got seperated from the main column, and Master Sergeant Finn personally went to find them, where he saw they were taking sniper fire from a pair of Khadoran Widowmaker. Finn stalked the snipers, taking them out with his trench knife, then led them back home five miles to their column, bleeding the entire way, but he wouldn't allow anyone to patch him up until they were safe. It's the event that made him more than a man to the Trenchers. The fighting in Northguard only built his reputation for being hte toughest sonuvabitch around. Many were killed, and he was knocked out and listed among the missing. When he came to, the front had moved south and he was behind enemy lines. He gathered up a ragged band of survivors, and the story of how they rejoined the Army at Point Bourne became another legend. His brash and cocksure attitude has never left Captain Finn, and in one battle he actually tore out an old fixed-emplacement mini-slugger, a heavy and cumbersome precursor to the chain gun, and charged forward with it, spraying bullets. No one's had the guts to tell him to put it back, and now it and his trusty knife are his favored weapons. Under his command, the 95th is the go-to company for defense, shoring up any position until reinforcements can arrive. Where Finn goes, the Trenchers will follow without question.  Major Katherine Laddermore is unfailingly loyal, a superlative cavalry officer who often volunteers for high risk assignments and extra patrols. She does it in open defiance of her father, Archduke Fergus Laddermore, the most powerful noble in Cygnar. She insists that others should not treat her differently for her family name, but it's too potent. Her father, the Lord of Durnkeep and ruler of the Southern Midlunds, controlled all of the Midlunds under Vinter IV, governing most of Cygnar's richest lands. Even under Leto, he controls the breadbasket of Cygnar and has plagued Leto since he took the throne. Fergus would lose his life if Leto ever learned that the archduke had secretly aided Asheth MAgnus and the skorne. It's all down to Katherine's strength of will that she opposed him, enlisted in the Army and qualified for the STorm Lances. She knows nothing of her father's treason but has discovered her family's reprehensible actions under Vinter IV despite their efforts to shield her from the truth. History remembers her grandfather for endorsing the Tempest Academy as Vinter's first Warmaster General, but Fergus helped to foster the Inquisition. Katherine is appalled at her father's actions and amazed that her family hasn't been banished yet, vowing to redeem their name by service. This only adds to her uncompromising zeal in battle, patrolling the eastern border with the 33rd Heavy Cavalry Battalion. She served in the invasion of Caspia, at one point fighting directly alongside King Leto, and she witnessed the death of Hierarch Voyle. Her battalion currently serves as part of Lord Commander Stryker's Storm Division. Laddermore's interest in storm technology has brought her in contact with Sebastian Nemo, and she's ovlunteered to help field test for him. Most recently, he gave her an experimental voltaic lance, armed with a powerful internal electro charger and voltaic accelerator, which translates the kinetic energy of her steed into raw electrical force. This power charges as the mount mvoes, arcing with power between her and her knights. Bolts of lightning fired from their lances strike deep into enemy ranks, opening paths through them. The weapon gets painfully hot after a few uses, even through her gauntlets, but Laddermore never allows her discomfort to keep her from fighting.  Captain Arlan Strangewayes is an arcane mechanik who treats every challenge as a puzzle that can be solved - arrogant superors, mangled turbines, attacking Khadoran warjacks, they're all puzzles with an ideal course of action that he often finds. He thinks battle and warjacks are easier than military politics, and boasts about 'solving' many of his hardest puzzles by hitting them with his giant wrench. He is a battlefield mechanik first and foremost, relishing danger. Some believe he has a death wish, but his recklessness actually comes from total faith in Cygnaran warjacks. When he's behind one, he is certain he won't be harmed, concentrating only on the 'jacks in his care and enhancing them with his potent magic to send them into a blur of motion or destructive power. When not on the battlefield, he is repairing his machines, restoring every bit to full functionality. Unlike many mechaniks, he prefers simple solutions and never rushes a job, as it risks breakdown in battle. His work rarely needs revisiting. He can ignore many dangers of battle due to his massive, customized steam armor. It's not so elaborate as Dominic Darius', but it grants a lot of protection, particularly against explosions or normal blows. He is very comfortable in it despite the hassels of keeping it fueled and maintained, and sometimes forget he's wearing it. He also relies on its boosted strength to manipulate warjack parts during field repairs. He's adapted voltaic technology to make an electromechanikal gauntlet that can fire electrical surges able to fry men or machines. He's a paragon of field expertise, and most mechaniks heed his advice. Those who've bene taught by him find he's an unforgiving taskmaster prone to demonstrating flaws in the most painful way possible. Few enjoy his lessons, but no one forgets them. EVen casually, he's gruff and hard to please, and he tends to stare at people talking to him as if he has more important things to do. One might think that he's close with Sebastian Nemo, but the two are uncomfortably aware of their differences. Nemo is a theoretician and innovator, while Strangewayes is a pragmatist focused on the here and now, and has even called the Thunderhead an "overly ocmplicated and impractical bit of business," which has not helped their relationship. Despite his gauntlet, Strangewayes favors old-fashioned steam power and older chassis, particularly the Ironclad and Defender. This has only added to his reputation as a curmudgeon, but he's the man everyone wants when a 'jacks needs to be patched up. The End. What's next? Khador, Cryx, the Protectorate of Menoth, Mercenaries, the Circle Orboros, Skorne, the Legion of Everblight or the Trollbloods?
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 19:30
|
|
|
Khador https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYnmFVTFT3E 
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 19:32
|
|
|
oriongates posted:Demons Behold, my favorite part of the setting. Probably not the best part (that'd be the Invisible Clergy and the scarily anthrocentric cosmos), but I just love the little buggers that are Unknown Armies demons. They encapsulate everything you need to know about the setting: 1) The supernatural is dangerous, and probably counterproductive to deal with. 2) They look like generic infernal baddies at first glance (they possess people, they're utterly ruthless, they make deals that almost invariably favor themselves), but on closer inspection seem completely unexpected and new (they're not a race of fallen angels or physical negative emotions, they're what people otherwise call ghosts, and they're more desperate and selfish rather than truly malicious). Then you think about it, and you realize your first impression wasn't actually wrong, just lacking nuance. Sufficiently unempathetic people are how we develop a baseline for evil to begin with, and they're the antithesis of the gods (the book actually outright says they're the opposite of Archetypes; rather than losing their selfhood and material goals to become a part of humanity, they lose their humanity to retain their selfhood so that they may continue pursuing their material goals...and in another parallel, become rather small fry on a cosmological level as opposed to an almost certain chance of drafting the rules for the next cosmos). 3) You did it. Erebro fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Jul 7, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 20:42
|
|
|
Erebro posted:2) They look like generic infernal baddies at first glance (they possess people, they're utterly ruthless, they make deals that almost invariably favor themselves), but on closer inspection seem completely unexpected and new (they're not a race of fallen angels or physical negative emotions, they're what people otherwise call ghosts, and they're more desperate and selfish rather than truly malicious). Then you think about it, and you realize your first impression wasn't actually wrong, just lacking nuance. Sufficiently unempathetic people are how we develop a baseline for evil to begin with, and they're the antithesis of the gods (the book actually outright says they're the opposite of Archetypes; rather than losing their selfhood and material goals to become a part of humanity, they lose their humanity to retain their selfhood so that they may continue pursuing their material goals...and in another parallel, become rather small fry on a cosmological level as opposed to an almost certain chance of drafting the rules for the next cosmos). And then you've got the demon element which rips that whole notion apart-- that some people can't free themselves and are dragged down into a base state by their desires and delusions. That also makes me think that a creative GM could take their story in a direction that doesn't render Adeptry into a metaphysical dead-end-- that just as the Clergy wants to affect the world from above, there is a host of mystical forces orbiting them in the Stratosphere who like things just the way that they are, except for all those pesky people who don't perceive the world through the lens of their distorted beliefs.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 21:04
|
|
|
Isn't there the suggestion that demons aren't the whole of the souls that they were, just the lovely, self-obsessed parts?
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 21:22
|
|
|
theironjef posted:Hi guys, here's some more System Mastery for you. It's Fifth Cycle, and it deserves only scorn and derision. Italian American Wizard Indiana Jones searching for treasure while getting into trouble with fellow wizard archeologists from rival colleges. Now that sounds promising. Erebro posted:Behold, my favorite part of the setting. Probably not the best part (that'd be the Invisible Clergy and the scarily anthrocentric cosmos), but I just love the little buggers that are Unknown Armies demons. They encapsulate everything you need to know about the setting: There are no demons - except us.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 21:31
|
|
|
Pope Guilty posted:Isn't there the suggestion that demons aren't the whole of the souls that they were, just the lovely, self-obsessed parts? quote:Once, the spirit had been a living woman named Pansy Henschele. She had died deeply troubled, and at the moment she crossed death’s threshold, her obsession and need were so strong that she pulled away from whatever fate awaited her and became a ghost. Or, as dukes like Fred or Kate Mundy would call her, a demon. Even those adepts who knew the real source of those conjured spirits named them demons. It was a useful reminder that people who would never lie, steal or kill in life were often quite cheerful to do so afterwards.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 21:47
|
|
|
Strange Matter posted:I was thinking about this point here which is especially interesting to me. See I was looking at the rules of Ascension and sort of viewing it as being kind of nihilistic, in the sense that anyone can become an Avatar and have a chance to ascend if they driven enough, even if they don't truly believe in the path that they are following, but actually you can look at it as being overall a very positive notion as well-- that a person can overcome baser impulses and obsessions in pursuit of an ideal, purely because he or she wants to do so, not because of some kind of underlying need. In a way it's actually kind of comforting that you can infact improve yourself through constant effort and achieve some degree of enlightenment in the process. Yeah, exactly. I think this is why demons can still retain Adept schools, because they still have the part of you that makes you obsessed. e: quote:Demons can also teach you how to create artifacts. They have an unfortunate tendency to create "trap" artifacts that make demonic possession easier. I really like this as a danger that PCs have to be aware of before they use strange artifacts. I think the setting chapter says that there were once lots of effective rituals, but in the era of postmodern magick the majority of effective rituals circulating around are dangerous junk that just summons a demon. I always imagine some poor naive duke breaking a mirror and scratching out their name and photo on all their ID cards because they think it will tell them the winning Powerball numbers. Have we covered werewolves yet? Lycanthropy in Unknown Armies is bonkers. Kellsterik fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Jul 7, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 21:48
|
|
|
Kellsterik posted:I really like this as a danger that PCs have to be aware of before they use strange artifacts. I think the setting chapter says that there were once lots of effective rituals, but in the era of postmodern magick the majority of effective rituals circulating around are dangerous junk that just summons a demon. I always imagine some poor naive duke breaking a mirror and scratching out their name and photo on all their ID cards because they think it will tell them the winning Powerball numbers.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2015 23:46
|
|
|
Strange Matter posted:So in other words, the Underground artifact market is like an early 2000s filesharing service, where half the stuff up for grabs is actually something horrible in disguise. Artifacts, hell, rituals are described as being like a piece of pizza in the gutter: are you hungry enough to eat it?
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2015 01:12
|
|
|
There are actually a very few ways to design foolproof rituals, but they take a lot of meta knowledge and some rare people who can tell you about past universes.
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2015 01:20
|
|
|
Princess: the Hopeful The Queen of Storms AKA: The Seraphic General, Lady of the Cleansing Flame, The Dragon-Slayer Followers’ Epithets: Seraphim, Furies, The Sworn Guard, Crazies (derogatory) Former Kingdom: Gonel quote:The world hurts. The world always hurts. The Darkness is everywhere, subtly writhing in the night and in the hearts of corrupt bastards, and those loving parasites in Alhambra make the world a worse place just by existing. The ultimate goal of the Storms is to burn the Darkness away and leave nothing but ash. It doesn't matter if it's a complete stranger possessed by the Darkness, or a best friend that became a Dethroned or a UNECO site that's become Tainted. If it has been touched by the Darkness, it must be burned away the land salted so no Darkspawn can ever use it. Collateral damage is acceptable, but only if it harms the Darkness. Otherwise, it's useless and counterproductive. The ends justify the means. While not much is explicitly said about their hatred of Tears, it comes up often when talking about the enemies of the Storm. This is likely due to how Tears tends to drain Light away from any place that isn't Alhambra, weakening it for the Darkness to invade which is utterly anathema to the Storms. The Tears would see it fit to turn the Earth into a haven for the Darkness if it meant one more day Alhambra is left standing. The Storms would see the Earth be an ashen wasteland if it meant the destruction of all Darkness. Alternatively, the Tears are stuck in the Bargaining stage of Grief while Storms are stuck in the Anger stage. Out of every Y-splat faction, the Storms are the most Hunter-like, even if a bit overzealous. Out of all the courts, the Storms tend to pick up the most Mortals since their goals and desires are so simple and straightforward and tangible. Humans who want revenge against the Darkness are welcomed into open arms into service against the Darkness. Ultimately, those in the service of the Queen of Storms are soldiers in a war that may never end. This may manifest as front line assaults or covert ops. Practical Magic Simply put, for 1 Wisp, for the rest of the scene, reverse wound penalties (-1 becomes +1, etc.) and don't check for unconsciousness when the least health box is filled. It synergizes fairly well with their Charms which tend to require taking Resisted damage as part of their costs. Invocation: Tempesta As mentioned, Tempesta charms have the unique cost of requiring Resisted damage be taken. Death due to taking damage through Tempesta charm costs or bleeding out from damage incurred by those costs also prevents the Princess from reincarnating. Instead, they join their Queen as part of the never ending storm. As an alternative to regaining Wisps through the following of Duties, the Princess can instead roll Tempesta at the end of a scene where they have fought the Darkness and gain Wisps from successes rolled. The Tempesta Invocation cost is waived when the user has suffered enough Bashing damage to incur wound penalties or any amount of Lethal or Aggravated damage as well as in the midst of violent storms, explosions or other widespread devastation. It also applies when fighting a servant of the Darkness or an agent of the Queen of Tears. Showing mercy to an opponent who's wronged the user or those that they protect/love or pulling an unnecessary retreat or refusal of combat bars use of the Invocation until the next sunrise. If the opponent was a servant of the Darkness or an agent of the Queen of Tears, Tempesta can't be invoked until the last health box of the user is filled as such weakness and mercy must be forced out through pain. Self-flagellation is an acceptable method to achieve this. quote:Quote Inspirations: The Punisher, Hit-Girl Specific to the Storms are two sub-factions: the Stormwracked, Sworn mortals who can channel the Queen of Storms and Goalenu, living avatars of Tempesta and miniature storms whose physical form is mainly via possession of bodies of clay and flesh. Stormwracked Unique to the Queen of Storms are the Stormwracked, Sworn mortals who can not only resonate with the Queen that they are sworn to, but channel her power directly. Technically, any Sworn who purchases a dot of Tempesta is a Stormwracked. Stormwracked can purchase Unseen Senses for 1 XP provided it's for The Darkness and can buy a version of White Rabbits that allows communication between Stormwracked through dreams that operates through the Queen of Storms rather than the Dreamlands. They can also gain Wisps through Tempesta's unique method. Finally, there's Royal Favors. Once per story, the user can declare that the Queen is working her magic through them creating an Invocation of any general or Tempesta charm with a rating of half of their Tempesta rounded up. There is no roll. The user simply declares how many successes they want and take that much Resistant lethal damage. Princesses with a dot in Tempesta can also ustilize these benefits except for the Royal Favors which are only open to the Court of Storms. As a sidebar, a Merit is introduced that's pretty sickening is Checkmate Firing Pattern (2). Dodging bullets is a thing individuals or creatures with supernatural defenses can do. To counteract this, it just takes enough shots such that it's impossible to dodge without getting hit by a bullet somewhere. Mechanically, a person declares a teammate and then rolls their normal ranged attack without subtracting Defense. The target's defense is penalized by the successes rolled when being shot at by the chosen teammate. Multiple people can help. It's probably way more useful to just all fire at the target though unless their Defense is ridiculously high so the last person that's firing can do a called shot straight into the target's brain matter (if they have one). Goalenu In addition to the Stormwracked and Princesses (who've only really been present in large numbers after the Moon landing), there are the Goalenu, the lieutenants to the Seraphic General. Without a vessel, they resemble a large human-shaped storm cloud that internally flickers green, about 6 and a half feet tall or more or a shimmering distortion of the air. In this form, they're not quite so substantial and somewhat ephemeral. As far behavior, it tends to the absentminded or monomaniacal with only one driving purpose, but can sometimes be found arguing to itself with the only explanation they give being "many by birth, one by the General's will." Mechanically, it is similar to other ephemeral beings. Instead of Essence, it has Wisps and can regain them using Tempesta's advantage. It's considered rank 3 with three dots in Influence Tempesta and cannot put its influence elsewhere. It even has Skill dots, however those are only relevant when within a Vessel. They retain a Virtue and Vice and its Ban is the same as Tempesta's. It's Bane is the emotion of forgiveness and those feeling that emotion can harm the creature with a touch. Running out of Wisps or Corpus makes it disintegrate and returns it to the Queen. Though they are ephemeral, they retain enough human nature (either singulaarly or in aggregate) to be affected by things that would affect a human soul. No other ephemeral being can interact with them as well unless it can interaction with beings of different orders. I haven't read up too much on WoD spirits, I'll just summarize it as the book as done. Manifesting Goalenu is done as usual (whatever that is). Their base condition is called Tempestuous which forms in the presence of Storm's followers or great hatred and destruction (like maybe a Wasteland?). They may use their Influence to apply the Tempestuous condition on anyone with Tempesta dots. As far as Manifestations go, they can have any of them except Claim and Fetter and always have Materialize and Possess Vessel. It also has the Craft Vessel and Blast Numina with two variations of the Seek Numina also open for Darkness and Tempesta. When using the Possession Manifestation, both the Goalenu and the possessed takes a point of Aggravated damage. Crafting a Vessel A Vessel is a physical construct formed of flesh and clay that allows the Goalenu certain abilities it couldn't otherwise use as well as preventing Wisp Bleed and allowing it perpetual manipulation of physical objects (like enemies). It is the creation of the being through the use of the Craft Vessel numina and always needs a human heart and a clay sculpture of the Goalenu for the brain. The other parts may be of flesh or clay and different advantages are given for each. Clay parts makes the Vessel more resilient to the energies of the being, thus allowing it to last longer as well as other boons from not being made out of meat while flesh parts allow it to blend in more easily and access to Skills of their original owners. It takes 5 Wisps and an extended roll to craft a Vessel. There are a total of nine body parts with relevant effects. The brain and heart must be clay and flesh respectively, while the others can be from either. Vessels have a Revelation track which starts at Resolve + Clay parts-4 maxing out at 10. The maximum amount of Clay parts is 8 so a Resolve of 6 is needed to max out Revelation. As an ephemeral being, a Goalenu only has Power, Finesse and Resistance to use. Entering a Vessel gives it actual Attributes with, technically, no limits. Skills are based on the Goalenu's and the Skills of the previous owners' of the flesh body parts. Each body part also comes with 9 powers called Reprisals which are based off of its body parts. Two are common as they're from the heart and brains which can only be of a certain material the other seven have a choice. The 7 other body parts are the: eyes, right arm, left arm, legs, tongue, lungs and spine. Other body parts can be made of either material (or possibly other materials) but have no listed mechanical benefit. Each body part is also associated with an attribute whose Reprisal roll requires alone. Using Reprisals also makes the otherworldly nature of the Vessel more apparent as well as the energies inside become more apparent and the body of the Vessel begins to crack. At 0 Revelation or when the Vessel is destroyed due to damage, it explodes dealing damage to everything around it and rendering the parts unusuable. Health can be gained through repairs, not via healing. Reprisals on the Clay side include laser eyebeams, turning into a living artillery, pseudo-teleportation among other tricks. Reprisals on the flesh side include being able to ignore durability of inanimate objects, war cries, and defense boosting. Each costs some amount of Wisps and/or Revelation. How I feel about Princess: the Hopeful now:  Next: Queen of Mirrors, also probably my last post on Princess before I drop the whole thing.
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2015 03:33
|
|
|
Xelkelvos posted:Princess: the Hopeful The interesting thing is what the Queen of Storms is supposed to be and what we actually got. Like, just quoting from EarthScorpion who had an original strong concept for them (he also did Terrifying Argent Witches and a few other things): EarthScorpion posted:For example, one of the things about Storms is that conceptually she represents the dark side of modernism and industrial warfare, and how that's one of the "dark fates" of the idealised vision of the past which the Radiant largely associate with. That's why her main fighters are the Storms cults - they're a metaphor for conscription and the democratisation of violence, so Storms sends normal men and women into the meat-grinder rather than leaving it as a preserve of a 'warrior elite' of Princesses. That's why "collateral damage" and "acceptable losses" are an axiom of her fighting style. Likewise, there's technomythology hidden within her forces - technology dressed up as myth, because of that symbolic link to moderism. The Goalenu are golems, but they're also Terminators and war machines run by damaged uploads which only think of violence (ie, Tattered Ghosts), and the Goalenu grafts are cybernetics. The dreams of the Stormwracked are a metaphor for the internet and the way it enables insurgent groups to communicate beyond traditional boundaries - and they're also a cyberpunk-esque source of "downloaded knowledge" by the way the Storm-wracked train in their dreams. That entire theme is designed to contrast against the Alhambran dark side of excess traditionalism and refusal to change in response to the changes in the world - hence why Alhambra is culturally static, holding onto a past which has been eroded down by endless tears. This interpretation is much, much more interesting than what we're seeing from the 'final'? version.
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2015 04:26
|
|
|
Pope Guilty posted:Artifacts, hell, rituals are described as being like a piece of pizza in the gutter: are you hungry enough to eat it?
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2015 18:24
|
|
|
Forces of Warmachine: Khador Khador is an unrelentingly harsh nation of snow and ice, and Khadorans are famous for their resolve in the face of hardship. Empress Ayn Vanar is trying to reclaim the glory of the old Khardic Empire, from which Khador descends. Their armies are as strong as their people, willing to outlast any foe in order to reclaim their ancient lands. Their forces are extremely tough, more resilient than any other. They do not have many warjack cortexes, so they outfit all of them in immense, heavily armored 'jacks of extreme power, supporting them with a resilient and potent infantry base.  The Khadoran Empire is the inheritor of an ancient legacy of war. They hold soldiers in high esteem, and every male citizen is required to put in at least some mandatory service. Many women also join up, and so Khador has a substantial percentage of its population ready to fight. They have had several victories in the last few years, occupying Llael and the Thornwood. Their military forces have been recently and heavily modernized by the development of long-range artillery and new warjacks, as well as armed with the military genius of leaders like Supreme Kommandant Gurvaldt Irusk. Llael has provided crucial supplies and technological developments, arming Khador with alchemical stockpiles of blasting powder and other weapons, along with Llael's entire industry base. This has also deprived Khador's ancient rival, Cygnar, of their greatest ally and inspired many Khadorans to believe that nothing can stop them. However, since then, advances have been slow and painfully won, but their fighting spirit remains undiminished. The modernization of Khador's military took a number of ideological paradigm shifts, and arguably they surmounted the most barriers of any Immoren nation, given how deep their respect for the past and the Khards are. Ayn Vanar has brought a unity to Khador that has rarely been the case. Her almost universal support is a notable departure from most of Khador's rulers; until the Vanars, the military was stagnant, and the rulers lacked the vision and will to adapt to changes in warfare.  Under the Khardic Empire, the land was divided into volozkya, sovereign kingdoms bound to the Khardic conquerors as new territories. Their rulers became referred to as great princes, to demonstrate vassalage to the Khardic emperor. This tradition was renewed in Khador after the Corvis Treaties, with the princes as the highest nobles but subordinate to the king. After the Orgoth, everyone was eager to embrace Khardic symbols as a way to symbolically take their strength, but the details on Khardic governance were incomplete and chaotic. One area that was unclear was how the sovereigns verified and approved their bloodlines. The old laws said that the sovereign must descend from the ruling families of the volozkya, but were otherwise vague. It was uncertain whether all of the 'royal' bloodlines were equally valid or if there were more strignent requirements to limit the lineage to fewer, perhaps even just one family. Some insisted only the original volozkya counted, not the later conquests of the Umbreans, Skirov and Kossites. It was also unclear if the great princes had any legal authority to endorse a coronation, which led to many feuds and a lot of chaos. The Umbrean Great Prince Vladin Tzepesci took power and became ruler of Khador in 209 AR, just seven years after the Corvis Treaties. His scholars claimed the Tzepesci line had the strongest ties to the Khardic emperors, who were "horselords born of the soil of the eastern plains" and preferred to rule from Old Korska rather than western Korsk. Others disputed this interpretation, emphasizing an era when the Tzepescis had rebelled and divided the empire in the Horselord Wars. However, the opposition was unable to organize themselves against Vladin, and the most vocal of them were quietly assassinated. The Tzepesci line ruled for sixty years, passing the crown three times, but their rule remained full of strife, even under the later kings Geza and Levash Tzepesci. Levash was the greatest of them, ruling Khador with an iron fist from 236 to 272 AR. He was known as Levash the Tormentor, as he hoped to unite Khador by warring with the southern nations. His plan was to crush them quickly by using the Khadoran colossals. It worked in Ord and Llael, but faltered when Cygnar's colossals were brought to bear, and ultimately the war was lost rather expensively, leaving Khador near bankrupt. The harsh terms of the defeat not only forced Levash to dismantle the colossals, but also the foundries that built them, leaving Khador weak for decades after and ending the Tzepesci rule. Levash had a reputation for tyrannical cruelty towards his vassals and the common people, as his wars required heavy taxation and mass conscription. Whatever his actual failings, they were heavily exaggerated by the great princes hoping to end the Tzepesci dynasty, and by the end of his reign, the Tzepescis were despised by all. Levash avoided many assassinations, dying of old age, which his enemies said was evidence of dark pacts. From then on, the Tzepesci bloodline has been linked to rumors of sorcery, dark cults and conspiracy, though its actual members were always romantic figures to the Umbreans of the east. Dmitry Dopatevik was the one to oust the Tzepescis and the first man to claim the title of King of Khador. He took measures to institute more formal laws of monarchy to make it distinct from, if also connected to, the ancient Khards. Despite this, after his reign the great princes continued to squabble over the succession. Their family names changed over time, but they insisted they could trace their roots back to the Khardic emperors. It was not until centuries later, after the terrors of the necromancer-king Ivan Vladykin the Frenzied, that there was a stable dynasty. After defeating the necromancer in the coup of 459 AR, Mikhail Vanar accepted the crown, albeit relucantly, and the Vanars began to advance Khador, ruling ever since. The actual effectiveness of the Vanars after Mikhail is a matter of some debate, but the popular perception is that they ushered in an era of prosperity and success, and the Vanar mystique is so pervasive that the difficulties of the early dynasty are now mostly forgotten, and the one interruption of their line's rule is seen as proof of their divine right. After all, it was under the Menite King Ruslan Vygor that Cygnar beat Khador in the First Thornwood War, reinforcing to many Khadorans that bad idea of a non-Vanar king. The most famous Vanar ruler was King Ivad, the People's King, who abolished serfdom in 546 AR. It was he who would popularize the idea that Khador would rise again as an empire, and his granddaughter, Ayn Vanar, is the one who has made that a reality, building on Ivad and later her regent Simonyev Blaustavya's efforts. Her conquest of Llael in 606 has only cemented her popularity after she crowned herself Empress of the Khadoran Empire. Regardless of the Vanar popularity, however, the great princes retain quite a lot of power and influence. Their role in government has changed over time, but they still have many liberties and are treated as lesser royalty. Among their rights are the rights to gather warriors and equip them for battle. Many have voluntarily given up this privilege to concede their vassals to Ayn Vanar, and High Kommand encourages them to enlist as officers. Others have preserved their martial traditions as a matter of pride. Traditionally, the sovereign gives these nobles military honors and ranks befitting their status, and a number of great princes and their highest vassals serve as kommanders and kommandants in the Army, even if they rarely participate in military actions. Several hold their ranks in name only and allow handpicked subordinates to lead for them. Despite the general peace brought by these measures, the empress is well aware that a sufficiently ambitious great prince could threaten Khadoran unity. Only they could make a claim for her throne, and the Tzepesci line in particular has long been a rival of the Vanars and distrusted. The Umbreans have repeatedly proven their loyalty to the Tzepesci princes before the ruler of Khador, and many believe the Tzepescis have never given up wanting the throne. Over the years, many have pushed both Regent Simonyev and Empress Ayn to strip the Tzepescis of authority and divide up their lands, but it's never been approved, as it could stir up popular support for the Tzepescis in the east, where they have a lot of influence and are seen as legends. It's been complicated in recent decades by the fact that Great Prince Vladimir Tzepesci has shown warcaster talent and devoted his life to fighting alongside the Army as well as training other warcasters. Despite all that, the question of the Tzepesci loyalty returned after the conquest of Llael, which united the lands once known as Umbrey. Several eastern great princes have allied under the Tzepesci banner, and renewed Umbrean sentiment is making Korsk uneasy. Next time: Military History, Continued
|
|
#
?
Jul 8, 2015 22:46
|
|
|
Forces of Warmachine: Khador Vladimir Tzepesci, for his part, has earned a different reputation among the military - they call him the Dark Champion and know that he has performed great acts of heroism, constantly risking his life for Khador. They have seen him suffer to save lives, and even his foes will not dare question Vladimir's courage, even if they question his longterm goals. Besides great princes like Vladimir, however, and the empress, there is another recent force in Khador: the kayazy, or wealthy commoner class, also called the merchant princes. They have a long history, but have seldom had such power until King Ivad abolished serfdom. The kayazy are any of sufficient wealth, both legitimate and criminal, and particularly in Korsk. Their funding has been essential to a number of royal endeavors and military projects, and that gives them power. The kayazy resent noble influence in Khador and work to elevate themselves while reducing the power of those they see as relics of the past. This class tension has only increased with the strain of war, which has put a lot of burden on the kayazy, who intend to be repaid. Empress Ayn has proven adept at playing the nobles and kayazy off each other for her benefit, generally siding with the nobles over the katazy, as they might threaten her rule. Khadoran pride has often stood in the way of progress, and after the Corvis Treaties, Khador's army was hardly unified. It was a bunch of autonomous forces from the Rebellion who, while each well trained, had little chain of command. Most were headed by nobles. Theoretically, they all had the same goals, but in many cases noblemen's needs dictated deployments and morale. The army was controlled by politics. Soldiers of this period were roughly divided into three groups. First, the conscripted masses, who were poorly trained and badly equipped but in huge number. Second were dedicated, professional soldiers. Third were the elites, largely heavy cavalry whose presence was long considered completely required for military success. Even before the recent reforms, Khador never dismissed the power of their conscripts, which they insisted were superior to the standard soldiers of other nations. The Khards once boasted that even their most untrained farmer was equal to two southern soldiers, and the attitude remained after the Rebellion. However, the army acknowledged that the treasury could not afford to outfit most of these troops with high quality equipment, so they had to make do. They were meant to overwhelm by raw manpower, often with little direction or hope of survival. The professional soldiers were infantry, often liegemen to nobles or conscripts who stayed on after their obligatory service ended. They were far less numerous, but a vital backbone to the army, able to be relied on in any circumstance. The oldest surviving example of these soldiers is the Iron Fangs, a group of pikemen organized from various pike traditions by King Iann Graznata in 398. He authorized them to see if men on foot could stand against warjacks using techniques meant to fight prey such as bears. Their success earned them recognition and numbers, until they became the army's most numerous and respected heavy infantry. It was from the professional soldiers that Khador's first legions were formed, and the term still has prestige attached. Legions were the first cohesive groups of similarly equipped soldiers with a royally appointed officer. Besides the Iron Fangs, the training and outfitting of these soldiers was highly varied, with many traditions from many regions. The quality of their gear depended on what patrons or nobles could afford, and it was not uncommon for these soldiers to retire from the army and become mercenaries instead, especially in border regions.  The most respected group was the cavalry, even after the widespread use of warjacks. Typically, they were aristocrats or sons of kayazy who could afford to outfit themselves and their horses. Their prestige was generally linked to the weight of their armor and quality of their weapons, with the ancient uhlan drakhuns as the pinnacle, lancers riding Karpathan horses bred for strength and stamina. Drakhuns were able to run roughshod over lesser soldiers with ease, and the tradition has been passed down to groups like the Iron Fang Uhlans and the Man-O-War Drakhuns. Khador has also found uses for light cavalry messengers and scouts, but they have never been as respected as the heavy cavalry. The sovereign traditionally had great power to levy conscripts, but getting professional soldiers or cavalry took the cooperation of the great princes, lesser nobles or even the kayazy. This constrained the throne in war, requiring political pressure to ensure compliance. The treasury of the 200s and 300s could rarely support large armies save of conscripts, and so Khador could use few mercenaries, as well. Funds focused on the construction of colossals and, later, warjacks. This kept Khador's army behind the times and the throne relatively unstable until the Vanars. It was Mikhail Vanar who instituted the first major reforms, having been a soldier all his life. He saw the military as a top priority. While he was plagued by illness (and eventually died of it), he began the work that would lead to the modern Khadoran Army and established High Kommand to ensure it would not end with his death. Under Mikhail, in 460 AR, the Winter Guard was established to give greater structure to the system of conscription and to provide a true standing army. Mikhail invested in guns for the Winter Guard, choosing short-range blunderbusses that were cheap but brutally efficient. It wasn't a popular decision due to the taxes he had to levy, but it let the army move away from its feudal roots. A clear rank hierarchy was established, eliminating regional or redundant ranks in favor of universal consistency. The first Juggernauts were developed, as were the first Destroyers, now the examples of Khadoran approaches to war. Mikhail would die before the first Destroyer rolled off the line, and the First Thornwood War would see these 'jacks refined and improved, but their basic function and appearance are Mikhail's legacy.  Some responsibility for the modernization of the army must also be given to Ruslan Vygor and the Thornwood War of 510-511, which led to a great reexamination of Khadoran tactics. The cost and deaths of the war led to improvements to the Juggernaut and Destroyer chassis, but also to a reevaluation of what was required to fight on an equal or superior footing to other armies. Analyses of this war were the focus of many military thinkers, including Rurik Zerkova, Gurvaldt Irusk and others that would develop the current tactics of High Kommand. While Vygor is blamed for the loss of the war, he is credited with the daring and brilliant strategy of using most of the heavy cavalry against Llael to lure in the Cygnaran army, nearly allowing the Khadoran forces to march through Thornwood undetected. However, the ruse was discovered in time to allow a forced march to intercede, and the battle that ensued challenged the Khadoran belief that no army could succeed without heavy cavalry. The nobles rejected the challenge, but it was a significant divider between old and new strategies.  King Ivad Vanar of 545-572 AR carried forward the work of his predecessors, laying the foundation for Regent Simonyev Blaustavya and Empress Ayn Vanar. These three all placed great importance on engineering and mechanika, investing significantly in improving Khadoran 'jacks and the power and portability of field ordnance. While the first Man-O-War steam armor dates back to 474, Simonyev personally implemented substantial improvements in engineering and helped bring these mechanikally enhanced soldiers to their current position at the fore of Khador's forces. The diversification of the Man-O-Wars allowed Khador to overcome its numerical disadvantage in warjacks (caused by a scarcity of the materials required to make warjack cortexes). The Man-O-Wars are the perfect example of modern Khadoran military philosophy, reinforcing the importance of mechanikal innovation in the military. The existence of High Kommand and its body of senior officers has provided some continuity and efficiency to the Army, but many believe the greatest innovations would never have arisen if not for one man: Supreme Kommandant Gurvaldt Irusk, once a student of the present premiere, Mhikol Horscze. He almost singlehandedly redefined Khadoran military thought. Most of his greatest work was tactical rather than strategic, but he has also shaped the composition of the army and how it is used. It is because of him that the Winter Guard have begun to modernize their weapons, and he has revolutionized gunnery science and personally helped develop new Khadoran artillery. The conquest of Llael also brought the Order of the Golden Crucible and its holdings into the empire, allowing the development of relatively accurate rockets in the Winter Guard, and both the falls of Llael and Northguard are proof of Irusk's brilliant leadership. Next time: Anvil, Hammer and Forge.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 00:58
|
|
|
Forces of Warmachine: Khador Military enlistment is compulsory in Khador, and all men are required to have a single tour of duty, with exceptions for extreme disfigurement, generally starting at age 15. Standard length of this tour is 5 years, but it can be adjusted by various factors. Wealthy kayazy or those deemed necessary for "essential duties" in Khador can pressure the Army to reduce the term to the minimum of two years. After that, citizens can return to their lives and whatever they did for a living. For the first several months of enlistment, men and women undergo constant drills and training focused on discipline, stamina and the fighting skills needed for the Winter Guard. Some classes of citizen are exempt from the Winter Guard but still need to undergo training and must be ready to serve if asked. Most notably, this includes the vassals and heirs of the great princes, who have their own martial traditions and often join the more prestigious branches of the army, like the Iron Fang Uhlans. Each great prince is expected to equip and train their vassals and household, far more extensively and rigorously than the training of the Winter Guard. However, some use archaic techniques and have little understanding of modern combat doctrine, focusing instead on cavalry and dueling. Members of these families are guaranteed officer commissions, and officer is a popular career for noble children. Everyone in the Army is still expected to do their part, and even the far-flung and rustic Kossites, long aloof to politics, have been called on for their expertise. They remain patriotic, and are often willing to travel hundreds of miles from their northern homes in the Scarsfell Forest to bring their skills to the front. Their familiarity with rough terrain has proven invaluable in the Thornwood. However, Kossites and Umbreans do face prejudice and find it hard to advance in rank, with only a few having any real authority. The Khadoran Army divides itself into three armies, each overseen by one of the three supreme kommandants that serve in High Kommand under the premier. They focus on longterm strategy, personnel and logistics, remaining at the capital most of the time. Traditionally, this functions well and prevents top-level miscommunications. In 607 AR, just before the successful taking of Northguard, Empress Ayn named Gurvaldt Irusk a fourth supreme kommandant, deemed necessary as Khador pushed further into enemy territory and the armies were forced to divide their resources. While the supreme kommandants in the capital oversee their individual armies, Irusk's proximity to the front puts him in a unique position for commanding combined actions and mixing the three armies as needed. Having one voice of authority has proven essential to operating at a great distance from the capital. Many senior officers are still uneasy about having a supreme kommandant away from High Kommand, arguing it compromises their authority, but Empress Vanar maintains that High Kommand exists to advise and strategize at the top level, not lead men and women hundreds of miles away, which Irusk is better suited for. Premier Horscze has given Irusk his full support, so the arrangement is unlikely to change. Current doctrine is untraditional, coming largely from Irusk on Conquest, and defines the concepts of the Hammer, Anvil and Forge. The First Army is the Anvil, the Second Army the Hammer and the Third Army the Forge. The Anvil creates a fixed position, impossible to siege, and the Hammer strikes whereever it is needed. The Forge protects the homeland and trains soldiers. The Winter Guard is backbone to all three, with specialized forces making up for their shortcomings. Warcasters are not permanently attached to any kompany, division or army, moving as they are needed. There are exceptions, and they'll often stick with battalion for a while and form close ties. They may be given permission to reassign favored personnel with them, and those of unusually high rank may have greater duties requiring oversight of larger forces than they have on hand. Irusk has adapted to new challenges against Cygnar, having the three armies work very closely and often outside their operational regions. He sees this as consistent with core doctrine - each army was never intended to work without the others. He has also changed the methodology of occupation, reducing the number of soldiers involved in rear areas and police forces, so there are now far fewer Khadoran soldiers in Llael, moved to help protect supply lines or pressure the front. Some officers believe it's too early to do this, as several Llaelese cities are not yet quelled and suffer from dissent. Others point to the fact that the Protectorate of Menoth recently seized control of the Llaelese city Leryn, previously held by Khador. However, Irusk has no plans to pacify Llael - as long as they control Merywyn and the mines, High Kommand has deemed it unnecessary to commit more forces there. Frontline kommanders often disagree, missing the alchemical production Leryn provided. However, their secrets have already been plundered and relocated to the Khadoran interior as required.  Thornwood has had its own problems, far more than anticipated. It is sparsely populated, has few roads and Cryx has been attacking supply lines, along with Cygnaran raids and interference from the forest savages. Khador has begun building forts to defend the new acquisitions, particularly a chain along the Dragon's Tongue, plus supply forts and roads through the forest. Despite aggressive allocation of manpower, it's cost more than expected and has been going slowly, with the original schedule entirely infeasible. Despite all these setbacks, the Khadoran Army remains resolute in restoring Khador's glory and the lands of the Khardic Empire. Conscription keeps the army large, and Khador has built an industrial base that can supply men and 'jacks with the weapons they need. Supreme Kommandant Irusk plans to make each part of the Army so strong and self-sufficient that they can win even while isolated from the rest, insisting that even if his supply lines are attacked, he can hold his own with or without support. The First Army, or Anvil, is called on for protracted battles and is trained for stamina. They are, in theory, sent forward to engage and tie up the enemy across large areas, with the Hammer striking at the flanks. Anvil tactics maximize resilience by cycling active and inactive forces constantly and taking time to recover from casualties. Its officers consider themselves experts on sieges, and they also serve as an active reserve for veterans to recuperate in while staying close to the field. The Anvil is relied on to hold territory and assimilate it, and it has been battling resistance elements in Llael. None of the soldiers take occupation for granted, and they've endured many ambushes and even organized attacks. It's a job they weren't well-suited for, and they've had to learn hard lessons. Increasingly, they've made Llaelese cities productive for Khadoran industry, a matter of pride with them. Most Llaelese still think of themselves that way, but have begun to accept that life now is not so different from before. Despite this, the recent reduction in Llael garrisons is a concern for the 2nd Division under Kommandant Voroshilov Klimovich. Klimovich has reason to expect that this will encourage rebels, and with the Protectorate getting involved and attacks by the Iosans, confrontations seem inevitable. The 2nd Division has been training tirelessly for it. After the fall of Northguard, many battalions were sent south to Thornwood, and that's largely fallen to the First Division, led by Kommandant Yegoruv Ilyevich. It's required a shift in tactics from patrolling Llael, complicated by lack of maps, little cleared land and constant ambushes. Morale has plummeted, but the establishment of a large supply base has helped provide more sense of security. The First Army is nominally under command of Supreme Kommandant Ivon Krasnovich of High Kommand, but its direction is left to Kommandant Mikhail Ivdanovich, who commands from Merywyn. He is a humble, quiet officer with an engineering background, supported faithfully by his men. He has been credited by Irusk as vital to the takeover of Llael, due to his oversight of supply lines to the front. Despite the Thornwood problems, he is seen as the one man who can probably get supplies through the Thornwood, and is even relatively popular among the Merywyn locals for restoring industry and commerce as well as repairing most of the damage from the siege, including sites of historic significance. The Second Army, or Hammer, focuses on crushing offensives and has the most assault legions, warjacks and heavy armor infantry, though they still rely on the Winter Guard infantry battalions. During the Llael invasion, they started lightning attacks on Redwall Fortress, Elsinberg and Laedry, and they've been at the forefront of all Cygnaran operations, including the fall of Northguard and the push to the Dragon's Tongue. As such, they are currently very well respected. Supreme Kommandant Irusk is most associated with them, and particularly the 4th Assault Legion of 3rd Division, who have fought under him longest. They specialize in swift attacks, destroying forts rather than sieging them. It's not always appropriate, but Irusk has many tools. The 2nd Army has the most casualties and highest turnover rate, and victory generally comes at a high cost for them. Fresh recruits are always needed, and Irusk has ensured they always get placed with veterans to learn the trade quickly. The Hammer's gotten much bigger in recent months, both from fresh conscripts and force reallocation. They are presently in the Thornwood, rather precariously due to lack of support infrastructure. They are trying to counter Cygnaran forces across the Dragon's Tongue, but it's been hard to implement - the fortresses are going slowly, none yet complete, and supply lines are uneven at best. The enemy has fortified cities already, leaving the Hammer at a disadvantage. Fewer soldiers than considered acceptable are manning the new forts, and the army has trouble patrolling Thornwood thanks to the Cygnaran ranger raids, leaving them unable to react quickly or attack enemy positions well. They've been focusedo n overcoming this, and are being pressured to do it soon. They rely heavily now on exceptional warcasters such as Forward Kommander Kratikoff, Kommander Karchev and Kommander Strakhov. They are the purview of Supreme Kommandant Alex Gorchakoff at High Kommand, but his influence is near nil thanks to the proximity of Irusk, and rumor has it they've been having tension, as Irusk accuses Gorchakoff of insufficient effort in sending materials for construction. Irusk has a far better working relationship with Kommandant Boris Makarov, field commander of the army, who is a huge and gluttonous man and seasoned Iron Fang who remained away from the army for years until his son's birth. Now that he has an heir, he has returned to the Hammer with enthusiasm. Perhaps because of their fighting reputation, both divisions of the army are led nominally by great princes, Kommandant Jhrom Holcheski of the 3rd out of southwestern Thornwood and Kommandant Servei Marvor of the 4th, out of southeastern Thornwood. This provides prestige, but their station has kept them at the capital or their homes more often than not. The COs think that's for the best, as their rank has caused confusion in the chain of command before. In their absence, details fall to kommandants with a solid rapport with Makarov and Irusk. The Third Army, or Forge, handles training new conscripts and maintaining the home garrisons. The five border legions also fall under their purview. They have many training facilities, but only one training city: Volningrad. The Border Legions make them structured rather differently than the other armies, with their forces covering the largest geographical area. Garrison duty is seen as the easiest and least prestigious post, highly desirable for its safety for those with families. Recent years, however, have shown threats to the interior, such as the rampant dragonspawn in the north, which the Greylords Covenant and High Kommand lack good intel on. The trollkin kriels and blackclad druids have also been problems in remote regions, and the 3rd Army also takes care of vital industries like logging and mining. High Kommand and the Prikaz Chancellory have gone to great lengths to quash rumors of attacks by Ios on the interior, which are based on an alleged attack by Iosan forces against a Greylords Covenant base near Fort Brunzig. Exactly how the Iosans would get so far into the country has not been explained, and most officers dismiss the rumors. Kommandant Konstan Zhukovny commands 5th Division and the border legions, responsible for the safety of the interior and the border. This has historically been a safe job, as no foreign power has ever succeeded in invading Khadoran soil. However, recent turmoil has challenged them as never before. The 3rd Army is directly led by Supreme Kommandant Menshik Sergevich of High Kommand, with Kommandant and Great Prince Karl Szvette as his field commander. 6th Division, the training division, is headed by Kommandant Grezko Antonovich, and Szvette has little involvement, leaving matters to his kommandants. The 3rd's officers are traditionally focused on supply and allocation of reserves, with more autonomy than any other part of the Army. Their most active soldiers are the 1st and 5th Border Legions. The 1st was originally based in Ravensguard until Northguard fell, and they have stayed with the 2nd Army in the Thornwood. The 5th are, likewise, south at the front, famous for fighting Cygnar for years and not giving it up yet. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th are all much smaller and less distinguished, assigned to watch Rhul and Ord. They are sometimes used to bolster interior garrisons, and the 3rd have a sinister reputation of being affiliated with the Old Witch, Zevanna Agha. They have come into prominence lately due to fighting internal threats in the remote regions, and when they show up in unexpected places, it means disaster is near and their support will be much-needed. Next time: Warcasters.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 02:00
|
|
|
Unknown Armies, part 19: Behind the Scenes quote:The world ended on January 1st, 2000. We’re living in hell. GM's Section When it comes to F&F entries I tend to skip the GM sections...most of the advice is more or less the same stuff you've read before or it's useful (but dry) advice on how to work with unique aspects of the game system and setting. Certainly appreciated but not exactly worth highlighting. Well, the Unknown Armies GM section is heftier than most, so while I'll be skipping bits here and there I will actually get into these parts... The Sleeping Tiger Most of the first part of the GM section is, as I mentioned, useful but not particularly interesting advice on how to set tone, handle failure or unexpected developments, run combat, etc. One thing stands out that calls back to the first half of the book: The Sleeping Tiger. For those that don't remember, the Sleeping Tiger is a metaphor for the clueless general public. Here's the thing about magick: it's powerful, it's addictive, it's liberating and sometimes it's even useful. However, one thing it isn't is an opportunity to rub your hands together and "take over the world". There's a reason the Sleepers exist and it's not because they're trying to "keep you down", it's because if the general public found out the truth it would be war between the mundane world and the Occult Underground. And the Underground would lose. Hard. Sure, it would be nasty...adept's and avatars have some very unpleasant tricks that can be difficult to defend against. Expect world leaders to suddenly end up in bloody chunks from multiple long-distance blasts or Pilgrim assassins. Monstrous epideromancers and near-unkillable Masterless Men will take down police and military by the dozen. Politicians and public figures suddenly get entangled in webs of scandal as the cliomancers and personamancers start throwing mojo around...but it doesn't matter. Normal humans have the numbers and the weapons they need to turn the Underground into paste. The more the Underground tries to fight back the more rabid and paranoid humanity will become...it doesn't matter if the mobs lynch a hundred mentally ill or just eccentric normals for every one adept. Of course a few would survive once things die down but there's no chance of adepts "taking over" and with the modern world's technology it's not going to be nearly as easy for things to get "swept under the rug" as it was in the past. Once the cat's out of the bag that's it...hopefully things will go better next time the world gets remade. Of course, that's for the "big stuff". Stuff that can't be rationalized or explained and that spreads worldwide like wildfire. It's also possible to "wake the tiger" on a more local (but still deadly) scale. Hence there's handy rules here for rioting. It all ties back to the Stress system. In the modern "1st world" citizens rarely have any Hardened notches (except maybe on Self). And they certainly aren't going to have enough Hardened notches to resist the high Rank check required to resist freaking out at the sight of obvious, blatant magick. It's worth noting that technically, you can trigger riots with other Stress check's as well...it's just hard to inflict Self, Helplessness or Isolation checks on a large scale and Violence tends to result in more "flight" than "fight" (but it's certainly possible, don't think a handgun is going to let you boss a mob around). Riots occur because, when you've got a large crowd, a significant portion of the viewers are going to blow their Unnatural stress check and freak out in "fight" mode. That, in turn, will trigger Violence and Helplessness checks in the rest of the crowd, leading to more people switching to "kill it with fire" mode, even ones who didn't directly view the event. When an unnatural event occurs in front of a large crowd (at least a 100 people in close quarters) then the GM rolls 1d100: *1-25: The crowd gets all "deer in the headlights" and just freezes, dumbfounded. *26-50: The crowd runs for it. Several people are likely to get injured or trampled. *51+: full-blown riot. This roll is modified...the more "prepped" a crowd is for what they're about to see (whether this is to make them believe it's something wondrous or to convince them it's all a trick somehow) the more you subtract from the roll and the more unpleasant the effect, the more people are present, and the more they already don't like the caster the more gets added to the roll. The roll result is more or less the percentage of the crowd that has completely lost their head (the rest are mostly just scared and confused). Major characters caught in the riot take damage equal to the sum of the riot roll every 15 minutes for an hour (less if you're Dodging). Anyone who the mob identifies as one of "the bad ones" take damage equal to the roll every 10 minutes for the hour. A riot lasts minutes equal to the initial roll and at the end of that time the GM rolls again (without modifiers). If the second roll is at least half as high as the first the riot continues with the new roll as the riot result. Rinse and repeat. This means most riots will, eventually wind themselves down. Of course incidents occurring post riot can lead to more stress checks (Self and Helplessness are more common, and Violence checks from police intervention are also likely). Generally, there's no large-scale "fallout" from these events. Most rioters will probably try and rationalize things afterwards and even the ones that don't aren't likely to be taken seriously. Words like "mass hysteria" will get thrown around and the Sleepers will hunt down whoever thought this was such a loving good idea (assuming the crowd hasn't dealt with them). So, here's an example: An Evangelical Epideromancer has some very weird interpretations of the whole "blood of christ" thing and has managed to wrangle up a hundred or so spectators and they're all crammed into a small church (+10 for tight quarters). He spends an hour or two enthusiastically preaching with lots of "Jaaaysus!" and "Amen!" being shouted and claiming that he will perform a miracle for them (this gets the crowd receptive -10). He then brings out a naked man with no legs, a soldier who got them blown off by a landmine. After some more praying and carrying on he takes out a metal cross, sharped to a point and jabs it into one eye (+10 for the act hurting someone), getting a major charge and then using that charge to regenerate the man's legs in front of everyone (-10 for helping someone). The GM rolls 1d100+10 and gets a 46. The crowd freaks out and runs out of the church. In the process about 10 (4+6) people get badly hurt but the priest and his assistants are unharmed. quote:If you think you’re about to get possessed by a demon, put your shoes on the wrong feet and walk around the outside of your house backwards three times every day at dawn for three days. Try to do it without looking behind you. More Artifacts Next we've got a chapter devoted to more powerful artifacts. These are mostly created through rituals (rather than being Adept created) or natural events. *Hand of Glory: an old classic that's still kicking around. At least so long as you can get the ingredients...the severed left hand of a hanged criminal along with horse dung, long peppers, virgin wax, nitre and several other unusual ingredients. The final product is a candle molded around the hand with a wick at each finger. When lit, anyone who can see it becomes entranced (adepts can try to break free by rolling their skill). Entranced victims cannot speak, move or think (they can be slowly led about or pushed gently). The effect lasts as long as the hand is lit, unless the victim is injured. A brand new hand of glory stays lit for about 15-20 minutes. *Jesus Fishes: These are enchanted jesus fish decals. Anyone driving a vehicle with one of these on the bumper has a +20% bonus to drive when trying to avoid danger created by someone else. The effect lasts a week but can be "recharged" by leaving the car in the parking lot of a christian church's parking lot for an entire service. No one knows whose making these for sure but there's a claim that the inverse exists: a darwin fish that worsens your driving when you do something stupid or risky. *Das Garten. Das Garten is a book, which is actually a spell. Upon finishing the book the words animate and crawl into the readers nose, ears and mouth. Once the words enter the reader can hear the voice of the author, Rebekah Kryzynski. Rebekah "wrote" herself into 8 books (only 6 are left) before she died and reading one of them allows her into your head. She's not a demon and she cannot actually possess your body under normal circumstances. She can make you sleepwalk but loses control the moment your eyes open (limiting her options). She can also make terrible noises in your head whenever she wants. Finally, she's an unspecified Adept (although how she could be anything other than a Bibliomancer I don't know) who can "steal" charges if her host gets them, using them to power her own magick. She can use these to threaten her host into doing what she wants (hope you speaking German or Polish by the way, because that's the only language she knows). Unfortunately for adepts and ritualists there's a common rumor that these books are encoded with several powerful rituals and their age (1412) and hand-written nature means that they're sought after by bibliomancers as a source of charges. *Ghost of a Camera: This artifact has no physical presence, existing only astrally (making it normally invisible). You can only manipulate it via astral projection. The camera has the power of "reverse" astral perception...allowing anyone looking through the viewfinder to see the mundane world. For example, if you're astrally projecting to follow a crooked politician for some blackmail material and you catch him getting nasty with two 90 year old Russian dominatrixs (dominatrices?) then all you'll really see is their auras touching and wobbling in unwholesome ways. You can probably work out what's going on but it's short on useful details. Looking through the camera will allow you to see the sight in all of its horrible, fleshy glory. You can describe exactly what they're doing to your blackmailee and you can get an accurate image of what they and he look like. What's more you can take pictures which can be transferred to a normal camera by "overlapping" the mundane camera with the astral one. It requires a real camera of the same make, model and year (1945 Mercury II Model CX). *Skeleton Keys: A frighteningly common artifact. These keys open any lock or restraint, from knotted rope up to high-tech retinal scanners. The one limit is that when "getting in" to a place or thing if you have seen anyone try and open it within the last 12 hours (or done so yourself). When getting "out" of something (say handcuffs) the limit is only a minute. Fortunately the keys can be used only a limited number of times and require a fairly involved ritual to create...unfortunately that ritual has spread around the Underground quite a bit. It requires a key that belongs to you but you don't know what it goes to (easy to get from any thrift store) plus the marrow of a thief (harder...and unpleasant...to get). Finally bury it for one month in the grave of a guard, policeman or watchman and urinate on the grave once a week (protip: don't get caught urinating on a cop's grave). *The Magic Bullet : This is a major artifact, believed to have been created by JFK's assassination. It's just the remains of the bullet enclosed in a steel locket, but the magick grants +30% to your Firearms skill when aiming at an unsuspecting target. The Warstone: This is believed to be one of mankinds oldest artifacts, created by the Acension of the first Warrior (much as the Naked Goddess' Acension created her tape). The stone is a bloodstained hunk of rock. While holding it you automatically pass all Violence checks (gaining a Hardened notch), plus you gain one Hardened notch per day you keep it and fills the holder's head within scenes of violence and bloodshed. Finally, it gives +10% per Hardened Notch to any skill used to attack someone. Nasty. The Naked Goddess Tape The tape of the Naked Goddesses Ascension has a strange attraction to adepts. Any adept who hears of it becomes curious about it. Any adept who sees it (the tape itself, not the contents) wants it so bad that trying to resist is a Rank-10 Helplessness check. Anyone watching the tape for the first time gets their mind expanded a bit (+10% to skills related to magickal lore of knowledge of the invisible clergy) and learns the skill Create Desire at 30%. Create Desire lets you make people want things, giving them the irresistible urge for a specific object or person. Resisting is a Rank-10 Isolation check (rank 5 if they get the object and then lose it). Create Desire is "charged" by watching the tape again (and you can only spend XP on the skill when watching the tape). Duplicating the master tape is possible but watching duplicates have a lesser effect. First, you want the master tape, second you get a smaller bonus to your magickal knowledge skill (+5% for 2nd generation copies and dropping 1% for each "step"). quote:17% of the population of North America isn’t real. Next we'll get into the Unnatural, basically a bestiary of UA weirdness.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 14:16
|
|
|
Creating Artifacts - or just finding real weird poo poo like that Beatles' White Album signed by the Manson Family - has got to be one of the most fun parts of UA. Besides going insane from it infecting your worldview.
|
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 14:35
|
|
|
Someday, I will run an Unknown Armies game centered around these: http://www.vinyloftheday.com/2014/06/18/soviet-banned-western-music/ Somewhere out there, there's a bootleg recording of Song From Moulin Rouge with a B-Side of the Stargazers' Broken Wings pressed into Stalin's last brain scan after his fatal stroke that every cantomancer in the world would kill to get hold of.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 15:44
|
|
|
oriongates posted:Next we'll get into the Unnatural, basically a bestiary of UA weirdness. Oh, I'm so looking forward to this one. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 15:56
|
|
|
Forces of Warmachine: Khador Warcasters in the Khadoran Army get a ton of liberty. If they're loyal, they advance rapidly and get authority over large contingents of soldiers and warjacks. Both Empress Vanar and her predecessors have always been willing to indulge and adapt to the needs of warcasters, and they're essentially immune to criminal prosecution as well as given immense leeway in their missions. They are technically obligated to obey High Kommand but tend to operate outside the chain of command, using the military infrastructure to get reinforcements and supplies. High Kommand is eager to get more warcasters but hve yet to find a reliable way to identify the talent. As a result, Khador has often lagged behind Cygnar. The last century has brought them closer to parity in capabilities, but High Kommand still has fewer warcasters, so they are even more focused on finding them and honing them into weapons. With the expansion of the Greylords Covenant, the primary fellowship of magic in Khador, it was expected more warcasters would be found, but it hasn't really worked. Most seem to emerge at random within the military, revealed by combat stress. Scholars insist that some family lines have higher potential, however, most notably the Tzepescis. The Greylords oversee the initial training of those who know nothing of magic, then have them mentored by a senior warcaster. Of those who are Greylords, most warcasters never advance beyond the rank of magziev, as their military focus prevents them from pursuing the research and politics needed to advance in the Covenant. There are exceptions, like Koldun Kommander Aleksandra Zerkova, however. Those warcasters that complete Druzhina training are generally promoted to kommander and given authority ot operate independently with a large team of soldiers and machines. Some remain outside the military structure, like Great Prince Tzepesci or Zevanna Agha. They are obeyed as if they were kommanders and get the same liberties, which can bother some military officers.   Kommandant Irusk was born for war. He is the chief military advisor of Empress Ayn Vanar XI, well loved by his men and famous as a god among soldiers. His rise has been out of determination, loyalty and sheer genius. He was born to a military family, trained from birth in warfare. His mother died when he was young, and his father gave his son knowledge of battle and combat, with Gurvaldt studying the fundamentals of Khadoran military doctrine from childhood. He joined the Winter Guard at age 12, and was already accomplished when his magical talent was spotted a few years later. Once he was sent to the Druzhina academy in Korsk for warcaster training, his career was inevitable. His instinctive grasp of tactics revealed weaknesses no one else saw, and his presence rallied the troops while his magic let him exploit any weaknesses he spotted. By 19, he was an officer and by 21 a full warcaster, with a staff position in High Kommand by 25. He won time after time, mastering all aspects of modern war. His book on tactical warfare, Irusk on Conquest: How to Fully Subjugate Your Enemy, is required reading in military academies across Immoren. As he rose to prominence, he became the empress' chief advisor on the military, and began to realize his dream of modernizing and rebuilding the Army to his vision. The invasion of Llael cemented his reputation as one of the greatest military minds of history, as he began with a series of winter attacks, catching the Llaelese by surprise and testing his experimental strategy of annihilation, using his artillery, heavy infantry and cavalry to asmash the enemy again and again. The siege of Laedry was over so quickly that some parts of Llael surrendered without a shot fired, and it is now one of the most important millitary actions in history. Irusk is a perfectionist with a natural air of authority, and utterly incorruptible. He despises politics and is like a raging bull in court, but prgmatic enough to make friends with the most powerful kayazy, who control the empire's purse. With their patronage, he's ready to take on the world. His gimmick is a mix of buffs and damage blasts, and his feat makes his allies fearless and very powerful.  Supreme Kommandant Irusk is the Epic version of Gervaldt Irusk. He has been named the empire's perfect officer, and his absolute control in battle is legendary. His promotion to supreme kommandant, however, was after a defeat, and only cemented his resolve to redeem himself before his empress. His successes have never satisfied him, and he remains critical of all plans, constantly seeking to perfect himself...but even this did not prepare him for the insults Ayn Vanar hurled at him after his first failure to capture Northguard. This shamed him more than he'd ever felt, and during a short leave at his neglected family home, he realized it was her accusation of wasting the lives of his men that troubled him most. He'd learned to measure lives as a resource, reducing his countryment to quantities and valuing them too little. Gurvaldt considered suicide, but after finding one of his father's old cavalry sabers, he remembered lessons of youth. He returned at the empress' summons...and was unexpectedly promoted, which he understood for what it was: a challenge to achieve total victory. Before returning to Ravensgard, Irusk took his father's sword and had it set in a mechanikal housing, wielding the weapon now as a reminder of his promise and his family honor. He gathered his men and spoke to them of the battle to come, revitalizing them for the attack on Northguard. He led the army with the skill of an artist, and in one day, the greatest Cygnaran fortress of the north fell, along with the Thornwood. Irusk personally raised the Khadoran flag at Northguard, once more earning a reputation as the greatest military commander alive. In battle, Irusk imagines his army as an interlocking machine, and he knows even Northguard is not enough. Until all enemies of the empire lay at his feet, he must push on still, come what may. His new gimmick is more focused on buffs than before, and his feat allows his units to ignore bad terrain, while the enemy is debuffed.  Kommander Alexander Karchev, better known as Karchev the Terrible, has been serving Khador for over a century. After enduring terrible horrors, he chose to exist in a tortured body encased in a warjack shell rather than accept death. His brutality and control over warjacks makes him a terrifying foe. He was already a respected Greylord magziev over 40 when the Thornwood War broke out in 511 and he led a battlegroup during the Battle of the Tongue. He pushed into an ambush, and while he was gravely wounded, he continued the assault on the neemy warcaster, Colonel Drake Cathmore, killing Cathmore but suffering terrible wounds. He refused to die, clinging to life until he was returned to Khador, where he was mechanikally sustained. His limbs could not be saved, however. He confronted High Kommand, demanding a machine body so he could fight on. A decade later, he was given a monstrosity built on a modified Berserker chassis, combining the machines he needed to live with a warjack shell. Over his long years in service, he's used multiple mechanikal forms, some retiring as new innovcations replaced the old and others being destroyed in the field. High Kommand sees Karchev as a treasure of Khador, a brilliant arcanist and officer with more than a century of battlefield experience. He has access to a depth of history outside anyone but the immortal lords of Cryx, and when he speaks, High Kommand listens. Supreme Kommandant Irusk personally chose Karchev to accompany him to Northguard, where he killed General Hagan Cathmore, a descendant of Drake Cathmore. Despite the constant agony his machines put him in, he has never sotpped fighting. Most of his life now has been spent entombed in a warjack hull, and it gives him a special affinity for 'jacks, which serve him more like living things than machines. His gimmick is warjacks, and he himself has a warjack health setup rather than a normal set of wounds. His feat buffs his warjacks even further. This is the warjack guy. So warjack that he is a warjack.  The Old Witch of Khador is never seen without the 13-foot Scrapjack at her side. Legends of the Old Witch have been passed down in Khador for generations. Her origins are forgotten now, but the oldest stories are retellings of Molgur legend of a shadowy creature of slaughter that feasted on the fallen. Legends from the time of Khardovic speak of an ugly old woman of immense power counseling the priest-king. Some say her advice took the lives of those who heeded it, but it always advanced Khardovic's cause. The Old Witch appears in hundreds of stories, guiding the Khadorans for nearly three thousand years. She appears in folktales from across Khador, always capricious. She saves entire villages from starvation in exchange for the clan leader's first male child. She vanishes the men who cross her, leaving their skins at the crossroads to warn others. She was around when Menoth walked the world, waiting for him in her cave. She has many names, but most commonly she is Zevanna Agha, the Old Witch of Khador. Few tales describe her in detail, but she is always an ancient, hunchbacked woman with a walking staff and a constantly moving sack. Her fingers end in metal talons, and it was not until the formation of the Iron Kingdoms that her companion was first mentioned - a primitive steamjack she put together from battlefield wrecks. It is a beat of burden that serves her faithfully, bearing an old arcane relay scavenged from the First Thornwood War. While Zevanna Agha's powers are primal and ancient, she has had no trouble learning mechanika or modern war. She commands warjacks with the same skill that draws the crows and the bones of the earth to serve her. Her deeds have often served to protect Khador, but no one doubts she has her own purposes, and legend says she counseled the Khardic lords to seek conquest, promising them aid 'from the ancient source of their blood,' that their enemies owuld 'with breath still on their lips.' To this day, most sages attribute the great plague that swept the Kossites and Skirov to Khardovic's spirit, but some claim it was the work of the Old Witch, who appears frequently in tales of the Khardic wars, using sorcery 1500 years before the Gift. She appears in Umbrean, Skirov and Kossite legend as well, supporting their wars, too. The extent to which she has manipulated the Khadorans is a mystery. One legend sayst that Sveynod Skelvoro declared himself the first Emperor of Khard at her urging, and that she's appeared to every Khadoran monarch since. They say she made the crown of khador from the gold and iron of the slain chiefs, enchanting it and adorning it with red jewels and human blood. Proof exists that she fought the Orgoth to deny their gods' power, and cruel she might be, but she guided Khador towards some vision of greatness. The recently published journals of Exarch Voltor Drydestiev, confidante of King Ivad Vanar, say that she came to speak to him, but Ivad would only say he'd been in the presence of something ancient and that the safety of Khador would be ensured for generations. No one knows the extent of Ivad's bargain, but orders were secretly passed to his generals to ensure they cooperated with the Old Witch, giving her soldiers and warjacks if she asked. By command of the Empress, Zevanna Agha may requisition anything she needs, without explanation or accountability. It is uncomfortable, but it must be so. The Old Witch has potent allies in the aristocracy and military, and the Greylords Covenant does anything she tells them to. She often leads Khadoran troops in battle now, particularly the Third Border Legion. The Winter Guard speak of her in hushed tones, for she can appear any time and command them whenever she likes, to face sometimes unfamiliary horrors. She has opposed anyone who stands in the way of Khador, but seems ot have a special hatred for the Circle Orboros, striking down even their strongest leaders and taking their lands. She has long meddledi n the bloodlines of Khador, and the Tzepesci lineage in particular. For centuries, she has guided their lives and wars, culminating in Prince Vladimir Tzepesci, last of his line. She waited until he nearly died in battle against Cryx to reveal to him his destiny, and has since watched as fate tightens its grip. It seems unlikely that she could care for any mortal, so it's more likely she sees him as a potent weapon. She is far more active now than any time since the Orgoth occupation, moving to directly intervene in Khadoran affairs. Her gimmick is terrifying buffs for herself and Scrapjack as well as a few chosen allies. Her feat makes the enemy unable to do much at all near her and also makes crows attack them.  Forward Kommander Sorscha Kratikoff is Epic Sorscha. She has learned to live with loss, growing numb to the suffering around her. She has moved among nobles since enlistment, chafing against their arrogance. Only Vladimir Tzepesci gave her honesty and no pretenses, the only man to reach her heart since her father's death. His enemies among the kayazy were quick to take advantage, spreading rumors of treason between the two lovers. The Llaelese occupation brought terrible suffering, and at the height of the war, Vladimir vanished, apparently dying in battle against Cryx. Only duty kept Sorscha from riding out to find him, and the kayazy soon began questioning his competence, habits and even his loyalty, as if his past deeds meant nothing. Sorscha yearned to hunt them down and kill them. She was promoted to forward kommander, assigned a cadre of Winter Guard and sent against Cygnar. Her fury became legendary. When Vladimir returned, he came to her before any other, and her hope briefly returned, but he could not stay long. Kommandant Irusk called Sorscha back to Llael, and Vladimir was summoned to war. She believed High Kommand intended to separate them, and her thoughts darkened. Now, she fights like a woman posssessed. She was there when the Butcher of Khardov was wounded in his failed attack on Fellig, but did nothing to stop it - she left him to die as penance for killing her father. She feels no remorse, but now worries she may one day pay for that, especially since Zoktavir survived. Her patriotism still drives her, but increasingly she is also driven by the darkness within her, fighting so that she can find peace in the clarity of battle. Her new gimmick is using cold to buff and debuff rather than throw cold damage around so much. Her feat causes attacks to do more damage if the enemy is not immune to cold. Next time: More and more warcasters of
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 17:03
|
|
|
Comrade Koba posted:Oh, I'm so looking forward to this one. Me too Super Console  Magic The most important offensive attribute for a spellcaster is - shock of all shock - Magic. Not only only is spell damage based on it, but it also determines Magic Skill, which let's you cast spells more often and makes it easier to get Status Effects working. Speaking of paying, as mentioned way earlier, a spell's cost is essentially damage to the caster's HP Bar, with the difference between the cost and Magic Skill determining how many percent you lose. Since this is about differences and not absolute values, a spell could have a cost of zero, or even a negative one. Attack and Healing Spells These work pretty much equal (with healing spells essentially dealing negative damage). The damage of a spell is equal to [Magic Attribute + Modifier], with an upper limit based on its level or tier. Healing spells have a fixed Power rating, making these spells very dippable for a otherwise more warrior-like characters (they can heal just as much as a pure caster, but their lower Magic attribute means they'll run out of juice way quicker). Unlike physical attacks, these spells always hit. Status Effect Spells Status Effects can be resisted with your Status Resistance vs the caster's Magic Skill. Status Effects typically stick around until the end of combat or (in the worst case) until healed by a spell or item. A lot of Status Effects can be shrugged off each turn by repeating the resist roll (with a cumulative bonus each turn). Bosses are of course immune against all the fun save-or-die effects, and they can try to shrug off anything else. Spells and items that remove status effects always work without fail. As for the Status Effects themselves, they are straight from Final Fantasy. The only major difference in effect is Poisoned, which deals damage based on its strength instead of a percentage of the victim's health. The flying status is also separeted into Low-Flying (hovering, only protects against Earth damage) and High-Flying (true flight, now melee weapons can't reach you). Bard Songs One of the few magic schools with some spells that are area-effect by default. Buff-type spells also have the neat feature of being maintanable, with their effects going on as long as the Bard keeps using actions on it (and running for their normal duration once the Bard stops), which doesn't cost Mana. Level 1
Black Magic This school is all about blasting enemies with all the colors of the elemental rainbow, with a couple status effects thrown in for variety. Level 1
Earth Magic A strange school of magic without level 2 and 4 spells, as its power comes in big jumps. Level 1
Summons  Not sure if I could do those flames, but the rest looks doable. The big guns. These guys are very expensive, but very powerful, and they affect everyone by default (except for the Summoner itself if the effect is harmful). Summoners can already focus this down to just the party or the enemies, but this could become problematic for a Tasked character. Every attack summon deals a fixed amount of damage, which is usually equal or very close to the damage cap for that level of spells. (A lot of these are straight adaptions from FF summons, but some are more... unique.) Level 1
Time Magic For non-elemental damage and screwing around with the space-time continuum. Level 1
White Magic For all your healing needs, with some utility and divine retribution. Level 1
Next Time: Equipment - aka let's buy some swordchucks. Doresh fucked around with this message at 20:42 on Jul 9, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 19:30
|
|
|
In your opinion, does Super Console acknowledge and utilize the fact that in 99% of all JRPGs, the central protagonist is some kind of sword wielding fighter type as opposed to a mage type and empower Martial classes accordingly? Or are Mages by far the best source of damage, which is the pratfall that the Returners RPG suffered from?
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 19:47
|
|
|
I have noticed a tendency in WMH that when characters become Epic their pauldrons grow more and more ridiculous. What is with RPG/Wargame art and pauldrons? Wherefore comes this fetish for shoulder defense?
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 19:54
|
|
|
I like how some characters from WFRP know what game they're in. The Bone Picker and the Protagonist can only afford to cover themselves little rat skulls, but it's the thought that counts.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 20:11
|
|
|
Strange Matter posted:In your opinion, does Super Console acknowledge and utilize the fact that in 99% of all JRPGs, the central protagonist is some kind of sword wielding fighter type as opposed to a mage type and empower Martial classes accordingly? Or are Mages by far the best source of damage, which is the pratfall that the Returners RPG suffered from? Martial characters actually come off very competent. The big advantage of casters is utility, exploitation of elemental weaknesses and area effect. Fighters can pull all of this off as well*, just not as flexible. The big advantage of fighters on the other hand is resilience and high focused damage, with the occasional lucky crit. Spells have a hard damage cap that only goes to 99 aside from buffs. Endgame fighters can deal more damage thanks to their weapon's damage not being capped. Even earlier, fighters have the earliest and cheapest access to multi-hit attacks. A Black Mage can soften up all the enemies, but the Fighter can be much surer to knock someone out in the first turn. And sure, casters have easier access to save-or-die spells, but those don't work on bosses. Thinks look even better for Tasked Characters, since even if you want to follow a class as closely as possible, you still end up with lots of slots to spend on other stuff, while casters need much more slots to get a big spell selection. *) Yes, there is an ability that turns your normal attack into an area effect. Couple that with the Berserker's "Do 4 attacks in 1 turn" capstone ability (or any of the double-hit abilities for somethingn less ridiculous), and thinks get pretty ugly for the bad guys... Night10194 posted:I have noticed a tendency in WMH that when characters become Epic their pauldrons grow more and more ridiculous. I think this started with Games Workshop making huge pauldrons for their Space Marines and Chaos Warriors for easier arm attachment. Then Blizzard borrowed the design quirk and it became a ridiculous trend. Doresh fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Jul 9, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 20:54
|
|
|
With great power comes great responsibility. Great responsibility requires additional reinforcement and buttressing.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 21:00
|
|
|
Doresh posted:I think this started with Games Workshop making huge pauldrons for their Space Marines and Chaos Warriors for easier arm attachment. Then Blizzard borrowed the design quirk and it became a ridiculous trend. Yeah, it's done to hide the fairly obvious and large seams between arm and body and probably to allow for some better poseability.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 21:03
|
|
|
Forces of Warmachine: Khador Kommander Strakhov (first name: Oleg) is hated and feared more than practically anyone else, at least by Khador's foes. He is the man turned to by High Kommand for the most dangerous missions, because if he can't do it, no one can. He lives to test himself, combining ruthlessness and tactical genius. Strakhov has served for nearly 20 years now, but the details are largely unknown except to a select few in High Kommand, at least until the Llael invasion. He spent the first weeks of the invasion systematically destroying Llael's top commanders and warcasters, most notably Archduke Alreg Vladirov and his entire command with a well-planned ambush. Vladirov was a lord general of Llael and a master tactician, and his earl death was a major blow. His fate was unnown for years until the Resistance found his signet ring in a mass grave outside Leryn. Strakhov's final operation in Llael resulted in the destruction of several major munitions depots in Merywyn just hours before the capital fell. He infiltratred the city and detonated ammunition depots as Irusk began the final assault, throwing the defense into chaos and ensuring a heavy civilian death toll. Irusk saw Strkahov's work and called him in for advice on the foundation of what would be the new Assault Kommandos, then appointed Strakhov to train the Kommando officers. Trhough 605, Strakhov personally led the Assault Kommandos against Cygnar near Northguard, testing them in battle and killing massive numbers of Trenchers. Despite the respect Irusk has for Strakhovm however, Strakhov occasionally angers him by performing high-profile operations without waiting for approval from High Kommand. The only thing that keeps him from reprimand is that these missions have overwhelmingly succeeded. Strakhov prefers to rely on physical combat, but his magical skills are refined for his favored shock assault tactics, launching his 'jacks in brutal strikes in the middle of enemy positions before they can react. His gimmick is movement and tactical control, and his feat lets him make his allies even faster.  Vladimir Tzepesci, the Dark Champion is Epic Vlad. All his life, a doom he did not understand has haunted him, constantly reminding him of his past and future. In the final days of the Llael invasion, he nearly gave his life against Cryx. The Old Witch of Khador found him dying in the Thornwood for his courage, taking him to her lair. There, as the kayazy bickered over his lands and title, he slept for months. He was presumed dead, but he grew stronger and he dreamed. He is as dear the Old Witch as a child to its grandmother, being the last living Tzepesci. She guided him with prophetic whispers as he slept, showing him terrible visions of his future. He tore himself from his sleep, finding himself whole and strong, and he worked in the Old Witch's averns to merge his broken weapons into the great blade Dominion. He has returned to the world with his destiny revealed to him and the Old Witch's doom upon him. He raised his army and headed to the Thornwood to take part in prophecy. There, in the ruins of the Temple of Garrodh, he slew the Harbinger of Menoth, denying Lich Lord Asphyxious a chance at godhood. In a fighting retreat, he met with Sorscha Kratikoff and rekindled her hope, but destiny soon called again. As the heir to the throne of Umbrey, a nation long ruled by Khador, Vladimir feels increasing conflict. He struggles with both his loyalty to his Empress and his Umbrean blood. He is ready to seize his destiny now, and both the Empress and the Old Witch watch him carefully. His gimmick is a mix of wind blasts and powerful buffs, with his feat giving a handful of his soldiers massive buffs to everything.  Koldun Kommander Alexsandra Zerkova is among the most ambitious and ruthless of the Greylords Covenant. She will destroy anyone who stands in the way of her knowledge, and she is a master of unholy lore. The Zerkova name strikes fear in all who know of her, and it was that family that led the attacks on Ord in the Second Expansion War. Some Khadorans associate the Zerkovas with dark magic and dangerous roads to power, however, and for the last four generations, interest in the occult has come with their patriotism. Aleksandra's father set her to studying dead languages and esoteric lore in their ancestral library, and magic came easily ot her. After joining the Greylords Covenant, she demonstrated the start of her interest in ancient civilizations, particularly the Orgoth and Morrdh. She broadened her studies to include Calacia and cursed Acrennia along with ruins predating the Khards. High Obavnik Arbiter Dmitrilosk gave her permission for unsupervised travel in search of weapons, and she has spent over a decade wandering ruins like Uld Vroggen, heading deep into the Orgoth chambers of the mines to amass a collection of items of power, mostly Orgoth. Her activities have also led her to help with the siege in Merywyn against the local Fraternal Order of Wizardry, obliterating them so entirely that no one even knows how she did it. She is extremely reclusive recently, even more than normal, and while the Prikaz Chancellory has hidden the specifics, it's known that her stronghold was one of the first targets of the Retribution of Scyrah when they came out of Ios. Only the most highly ranked know that she is, in fact, in possession of the god Nyssor, though her efforts to learn his secrets have yielded little so far. Zerkova uses warjacks and soldiers like pawns, and most deem her cruel and heartless, willing to do anything to enforce loyalty. Her voice commands respect and fear no matter where she goes. Her gimmick is magic blasts and magical control, and her feat blocks a lot of enemy actions by calling on shrieking winds.  Kommander Orsus Zoktavir is Epic Orsus. Constant battle has only deepened his madness and brought forth the darkness within. Only the Doom Reavers feel any recognition for him, seeing in him the same force that urges them to kill. Even those who once endorsed using him as a weapon have begun to doubt the wisdom of it. Llael seemed like his finest hour, as he took on Redwall Fortress and its defenders like a rabid dog, his warjacks and Doom Reavers in tow. Some speculate that Irusk hoped the Butcher would die in the attack and take his worst followers with him. He didn't, and this provided a problem: they were there to conquer, not slaughter. Orsus was midnful of those orders when calm, but when the battle madness came down, there was no stopping him. When Khador focused on Cygnar, Orsus was ordered to stand down. This left him with time to remember things he'd tried to forget, torturing him and eating away at his self-control. In response, he was hurledi nto battle, allowed to fight in the southwest, where he could do little harm. When he was given more specific orders, they were generally very dangerous and he was often wounded. In the final stages of the battle in Thornwood, his bloodlust reached new heights, and he led an unauthorized suicide attack on the city of Fellig. Not even he could handle the task, and when he failed to return, some of High Kommand was relieved. However, months later, he walked out of the wilds and returned to his barracks as if he'd never left. He has not spoken of what happened even when ordered by Irusk, but it's clear his rage remains. Even his magical power is affected by it, surging up and then simmering. He is incapable of restraint, and only at home when fighting. His gimmick is berserking and killing things and buffing from killing things. His feat allows him to gain power from murder and then hand out that power to do more killing.  Warjacks are immense and not easily moved without railways, so Khador has been very quick to lay new track, both at home and in the conquered lands. Wagons and draft horses take the 'jacks where trains can't, and if necessary, they can travel under their own power, at a great waste of coal and water. War has forced the making of new firebases, where supplies of coal, water and weapons are ready for resupply. As the front lines move, more of these have been built to allow warcasters and their 'jacks to strike wherever needed. Some become permanent forts and command posts, and a number are under construction along the Dragon's Tongue to counter Cygnaran bases. Roads and resupply points stretch across the front, connecting with centers of production in the interior. Khador's new infrastructure and military reforms have not, however, significantly altered 'jack design. Even with Llael and the Thornwood, they lack the precious metals for mass fabrication of warjack cortexes, and so they continue to allocate resources towards medium-grade cortexes meant for heavily armored and highly survivable 'jacks. Other nations have used more maneuverable and reactive light warjacks for many roles, but Khador does not. Their heavy 'jacks instead can perform multiple battle functions and wield immensely powerful weapons. To compensate for the large number of light 'jacks their foes use, they have the steam-powered Man-O-War troops, which serve a similar purpose but are easier to deploy in volume. Their use has allowed Khador an equal tactical footing, making up for machines with manpower.   The Devastator, at almost 11 and a half feet tall and 16 tons, is terrifying. It's a walking fortress, able to take even concentrated artillery fire. Two decades ago, when High Kommand asked for a new and more heavily armored chassis, the Mechaniks Assembly quickly presented a monstrous design using advanced mechanikal weaponry and almost a third more armor than the Juggernaut. When in closed configuration, the Devastator's plates interlock to give full and nearly impenetrable armored protection. As a result, it weights almost half again as much as any other Khadoran 'jack and can shove aside basically anything. It has an array of short-range grenade launchers, but they can only be fired when the carapace opens and exposes vital machinery. To compensate, the grenades are timed to explode in quick succession, filling the air around the 'jack with deadly shrapnel for several seconds in what the designers dubbed the "Rain of Death." Next time: Heavy Warjacks For All Purposes
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 21:32
|
|
|
I was only joking about pauldron size and importance melding but jesus christ not-Dracula, your shoulders are out of control.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 21:36
|
|
|
Night10194 posted:I was only joking about pauldron size and importance melding but jesus christ not-Dracula, your shoulders are out of control. I'm getting more of a not-Rasputin vibe than not-Dracula.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 21:41
|
|
|
He could hide three garbage bags full of cyanide in each pauldron.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 21:52
|
|
|
I think another important thing with giant pauldrons is that they're an easy answer to 'how do we make these tiny, tiny silhouettes readable at distance.' It's lazy, and it can get real stupid real fast without someone reigning in the design, but it has a useful purpose in identifying units, especially unpainted ones, when they aren't at eye level or otherwise right in your face.
|
|
#
?
Jul 9, 2015 23:17
|
|
|
theironjef posted:Hi guys, here's some more System Mastery for you. It's Fifth Cycle, and it deserves only scorn and derision. I've seen enough of these games based around the ability to roll a farmer that I kind of want to see an RPG based entirely about playing a farmer.
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2015 00:57
|
|
|
The Vosgian Beast posted:I've seen enough of these games based around the ability to roll a farmer that I kind of want to see an RPG based entirely about playing a farmer. Would this be a farmer who has to deal with terrible beasts or some kind of exotic monster rancher, or just a chap trying not to starve when the Beet Famine comes?
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2015 01:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 10:33 |
|
|
theironjef posted:Hi guys, here's some more System Mastery for you. It's Fifth Cycle, and it deserves only scorn and derision. Man, I mixed that up with Fifth Age for a second and was intrigued, and then cruel reality returned. Not much to say about another dorky elfgame, though man, dwarves. What bugs me about them is: how are they not just considered short humans? Really, that goes for all of the classic "demihumans", but seriously, why are dwarves a separate species? They just seem like the human equivalent of schnauzers. Of course, that gets even goofier with races that can interbreed. Elves, humans, orcs should all be the same species. Conventional fantasy, why are you so dumb? 
|
|
#
?
Jul 10, 2015 01:20
|
|
