|
How many more Rifts books are there?
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 13:34
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 20, 2024 01:11 |
|
|
Night10194 posted:How many more Rifts books are there? So, so many...
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 13:59
|
|
|
Roughly 50+ I haven't covered? (Ultimate Edition, 17 World Books, 11 Dimension Books, 6 Coalition War books, 4 Chi-Town books, 3 "Revised" books, ~11 unnumbered Sourcebooks, 5 novels). It's surprisingly hard to find an up-to-date list. Right now my main goal is to cover the World Books up to 23 and then cover Coalition War. I'll figure out if I'm going any further after that.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 13:59
|
|
|
Is Coalition War the one where the mask finally slipped and they were like 'maybe the nazis are just Hard Men who make Hard Choices and are actually v. good!' ?
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 14:00
|
|
|
I wouldn't go that far but it's very, very much "War is bad and there are no good sides in war." which Rifts likes a lot even when one side is clearly a bunch of fascist aggressors and the other side is just trying to defend themselves. But there'll be a lot of time to get into that eventually.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 14:08
|
|
|
Mors Rattus posted:This is the funniest entry on the entire timeline because it's referencing the novel Drachenfels, which is very, very silly. hold up: "Dracula Cha Cha Cha posted:In 1959, several of the world's notable vampires gather in Rome for the wedding of Count Dracula. Nefarious schemes are afoot and being investigated by British Intelligence, the Diogenes Club, and several others, including a British spy on the trail of a sinister madman with a white cat.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 15:15
|
|
|
MonsterEnvy posted:There are some talents the Witch gets that can make their lore better. But Its so much less risky to just go and become a wizard. Or, you know, you can play a Witch because you want to play a Witch
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 15:55
|
|
|
WFRP 4e - How Am Reikland Reikland sees itself as a progressive and civilized province, well apart from the backwards barbarians in the rest of the Empire. The province is ruled by its Elector Count, officially the Grand Prince of the Reikland; the Grand part is to say he's an elector for the next emperor when the current one dies. The Grand Prince's land is divided up into many individual fiefs of different dukes, counts, margraves, high priests, abbots and so on. These fiefs are collectively the Reikland Estates, most of which have had the same family in charge for many, many generations. The Grand Prince's decrees are largely ratified by the Reikland Diet, a body made of the lords of the Reikland Estates. However, some powers were received for the Prince in the Imperial Reforms of Magnus the Pious 200 years ago, such as the right to summon and command the State Army, the raising of emergency taxes in a crisis, the right to authorize new coin and the right to call a High Lord Steward's Court, if a powerful noble is charged with a crime. Most day-to-day provincial business is managed not by the Grand Prince, however, but the Reikland Council, comprised of ten High Lords. The Council meets weekly in the Wilhelm Chamber of Altdorf's Volkshalle, though it is rare for more than six of them to show up in any given week, and practically unheard of for the Grand Prince to attend personally. The Ten High Lords are each appointed by the Grand Prince, and while most will never meet them, their agents are everywhere. The High Lord of the Chair is the advisor of the Grand Prince and official leader of the Reikland Council when the Grand Prince is not present. The current one is Graf Archibold von Lilahalle, a stoic man who was given the position after he was greatly wounded saving Emperor Luitpold III from an assassin. His lingering and painful injuries keep him confined to a steam-powered wheelchair. (The wise do not note the pun in his presence.) The High Lord Steward is the only person legally allowed to judge a crime committed by a lord of a Reikland Estate. Because the High Lord Steward's Court is rarely called, as most lords are simply too powerful to prosecute, it is largely a ceremonial position. Despite this, the High Lord Steward is in theory the most senior of the High Lords and often stands in for the Grand Prince when he is unable or unwilling to attend court. Currenlty, the position is held by Archduke Adelbert von Bogenberg, who is a quiet man with little legal experience but a deep understanding of the motivations of people. Because the Grand Prince's time is largely taken with matters of the Empire, the Archduke is the de facto ruler of the Reikland much of the time, despite Graf Archibold's best efforts. The High Lord Treasurer is responsible for Reikland's treasury and for revenues. It is a very important position, always held by a close ally of the Grand Prince. Currently, it is held by the genius, if aged, Grafina Elena von Midwald, a dear friend of the former grand prince, who is well known for her outspoken love of wine and men. The High Lord Ambassador organizes the Reikland's foreign relations and the Altdorf Black Chamber, the infamous spies of the province. Currently he is Graf Liepmund Holzkrug, an intense and ambitious man whose family have long been rivals of House Holswig-Schliestein. He is vindictive, ruthless and adores hunting. The High Lord Judge is the last voice in Reiklander Law, which differs significantly from overall Imperial Law. Currently she is also the Supreme Law Lord of the Empire, Lector Agatha von Borhn of Verena. She is extremely experienced in all legal matters and is widely held is one of the most intelligent people in the entire Empire, particularly by those who have bribed her. The High Lord Chancellor is the spiritual advisor to the crown and also oversees the Reikland Chancery and Silver Seal. Currently, she is High Priestess Halma Habermann of Sigmar, who is a large, robust woman with pale skin, rosy cheeks and thick limbs. While she is quite charming and easy to approach, she is very outspoken against the Colleges of Magic, and there are constant rumors about the atrocities she saw during her service with the Order of the Silver Hammer. The High Lord Chamberlain runs the Palace of Altdorf and the Volkshall. This makes her exceptionally influential, as she controls where most high-level imperial politics happen. Currently, she is Duchess Elze von Skaag, a very thing woman with exceptional planning and negotiation skills. Publically, she supports Emperor Karl-Franz completely. Her husband, Duke Alardus von Skaag, is reported to be uqite frustrated that she lives in Altdorf and not Skaagerdorf with him, while she seems to enjoy it and can be found most nights drinking happily in many bars across the city with her bodyguards. The High Lord Reiksmarshal leads the armies of Reikland and ensures that each State Regiment is raised, finances and available as needed. Currently, he is the veteran commander Duke Kurt Helborg, friend and tutor to the Grand Prince, Emperor Karl-Franz. Helborg is said to be the finest sowrdsman in the Empire, and he is rarely available to sit on the council due to his military commitments, which he quite appreciates. The High Lord Constable is the ultimate authority on heraldry and genealogy in the Reikland. Currently, she is Grafina Materilla von Achern, who has absolutely no interest in her actual job but a huge interest in political intrigue. She has made the most of her relatively unimportant osition, chairing several private councils for the Grand Prince, and it is hard for most to reconcile her bubbly, maternal demeanor with her reputation for being the most ruthless woman in the province. The High Lord Admiral oversees the Admiralty of the Reik and, by extension, the entire Reikland Navy. Currently, he is Sea Lord Adalmann von Hopfberg. He is extremely senile and has been living in the Great Hospice for fifteen years, leaving the Admiralty to run itself without his influence or action. The Reikland Diet meets as needed in the Holzkrug Chamber of the Altdorf Volkshall, and their job is to look over any decrees of the Grand Prince in his duties as Grand Prince (rather than Emperor) and either pass them or return them to the crown with possible amendments. As most lords of the Reikland Estates lack the time to attend personally, they typically send favored children, spouses, relatives or other minions in their place, though very important decrees often bring the worried lords across the province in personally. Due to the sheer number of agents that Karl-Franz has influencing the Diet, though, most votes are a mere formality. The Reikland Estates themselves are all run by vassals of the Grand Prince. They are permitted to do as they wish in their lands, parcelling out sub-fiefs as they desire, though the creation of new hereditary titles requires approval of the Diet and the Grand Prince. Each estate has a range of legal and military obligations, but they are universally required to build and maintain at least one regiment for the State Army, usually used in peacetime as watchmen, wardens or guards. Most Reikland Estates are run feudally, and many vassals hold titles that have been hereditary for centuries. We get a visual representation of the Barony of Bohrn as a sample Estate, run by Baroness Agetta out of the town of Siedlung. She has three hereditary vassals, the Baron Markham of Siebbach, Countess OSterhild of Kaltenwald and Baron Balzter of Ettlindal, and three non-herditary vassals she has appointed, the Wardens Fabian of Ort and Luethold of Koff, and the Castellan Fronika of Neumarkt. The hereditary vassals have, combined, seven vassals of their own. The Baroness does not personally attend the Diet, relying instead on her younger sister, Lector Agatha von Bohrn, to keep track of it for her, as Agatha is already in Altdorf as part of both the Imperial Council of State and the Reikland Council as well as being a Lector of Verena. The Reikland is one of the most populous of the Imperial grand provinces. However, great swathes of it remain wild, forested and largely untouched by Humans. While these woods are relatively safe compared to other parts of the Empire, they are still home to many monsters. So, even after 2500 years of expansion, most Reikland settlements remain along the Reik and its tributaries, an while some may not have roads, they are connected by the river. It's only in the Vorbergland that rural settlements may spread freely, connected by excellent roads and canals. Altdorf sits at the center, the largest and richest city in the entire Empire, with a number of satellite towns that act as centers of trade or manufacture. A growing number of these are freistadt, free towns, granted charter to run themselves, usually via a council of burgomeisters, with little to no interference from local nobles. Emperor Karl-Franz I lives in Altdorf, which serves as both Reikland and Imperial capital. It is always expanded and growing, with new immigrants showing up daily, and constant building projects to grow the city, its bridge network and its many engineering marvels. It is a city of steam-powered bridges, islands and tenements, with many, many people. Because it draws in people from the entire Known World, it is shockingly cosmopolitan, full of people of all ranks, species and backgrounds. Even wizards are relatively ocmmon sight and rarely get more hostility than a muttered blessing. Visitors are always shocked that the city has a large Elf quarter near the Reiksport, founded by High Elf merchant princes coming up form Marienburg over a century ago. The alliance with the Dwarfs has stood isnce the time of Sigmar, so many Dwarf clans also live in tight-knit Altdorf communities, some of them having worked on the city's stonework for generations. They refuse to ever claim Altdorf as their home, of course, being stubborn Dwarfs. There's even a thriving Halfling population, largely dealing in fine food and ale in the many hostels of Altdorf, often guarded by the city's fairly sizeable Ogre population. Even stranger beasts call the city home - most fanastically, the monsters and animals of the Imperial Zoo, which include the Abomination of Stirland and the Drakwald Gibberbeast, displayed in cages for public amusement. Altdorf isn't all good, though. It is famously smelly, known locally as the Great Reek. In the summer, the stench coming off the Altdorf Flats is so potent that many of the wealthy flee to country estates or to the palaces of Grenstadt in Averland. The smell does little to ease the local citizens, either, and Altdorf's mobs of peasants are infamously vocal and prone to rioting over literally anything, especially taxes. Even seemingly trivial acts of local burgomeisters or nobles can spark a riot, but the fact that many of the protests are actually quite fair doesn't make the crown any less active in quashing any rebellions that take to the streets. On the other hand, Altdorf is a center of learning, where the wealthy send their children to study at the University of Altdorf. Grades and academic potential rarely meet up there; those who are poor but clever instead find themselves at the High Temple of Verena, which always has use for those of sound mind. The famous Engineers' School, founded by Tilean genius Leonardo de Miragliano, is also here, devising ever newer and more inventive ways to kill people. It has had to be rebuilt over a dozen times since its founding. Most significantly, Altdorf is home to the Colleges since 200 years ago and the reign of Magnus the Pious. They are guided by the principles and precepts laid own by the Elf Loremaster Teclis, charged with training the magically gifted to channel their power for the Empire. Rumors of the warping influence of such potent magic gathered by so many wizards in such close proximity are constant, and allegedly the streets themselves have been twisted, with certain college buildings said to be hidden from view from all those who lack the witchsight. Most citizens don't believe this talk, of course. Altdorf is alos home to the Cult of Sigmar, who stand as a guardian against rogue mages. The city has more Sigmarite temples and holy sites than all other Imperial cities combined. Next time: Non-Altdorf Places. Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 16:30 on Sep 23, 2018 |
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 16:16
|
|
|
The funniest part of Warhammer Fantasy will always be that the Empire is a multicultural and diverse state whose massive power comes as much from being a major center of international commerce, scholarship and diplomacy as anything else.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 16:27
|
|
|
I've been wondering, actually, if the references to ruling Empresses and the massive expansion of powerful named NPC women was new or has been there the whole time. If it were 40k I'd know, but WFRP is, y'know, WFRP.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 16:29
|
|
|
It's new. That used to be one of the bad parts of the Empire fluff compared to Bretonnia and Kislev. A whole lot of the fluff in the third adventure book, Forges of Nuln, focuses on how stupid and vain and womanly Countess Liebowitz is, for instance. And there was a long train of 'This woman is stunningly beautiful but wears concealing clothing so she won't be judged on her beauty!!!' stuff in a lot of the older Empire books in 2e. It was a little weird. It's one of those things that got corrected as the line went, but by then they'd already mostly done all the Empire books. It's a welcome improvement for 4e to just start from there instead of going from that and a bunch of the weirder stuff about the Lahmians to the Bret Book and Kislev Book. Night10194 fucked around with this message at 16:36 on Sep 23, 2018 |
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 16:32
|
|
|
Alien Rope Burn posted:I wouldn't go that far but it's very, very much "War is bad and there are no good sides in war." which Rifts likes a lot even when one side is clearly a bunch of fascist aggressors and the other side is just trying to defend themselves. But there'll be a lot of time to get into that eventually. With a side of 'this group summoned DEMONS and DEEVILS to defend themselves so maybe THEY'RE worse?"
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 17:05
|
|
|
Dawgstar posted:With a side of 'this group summoned DEMONS and DEEVILS to defend themselves so maybe THEY'RE worse?" Yeah, the Minion War (the second big metaplot event where the But, you know, I've already got ten Rifts books on my docket and other projects that are taking precedence, so it's not the kind of crazy decision I have to make for awhile.
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 17:26
|
|
|
WFRP 4e - Technically Alphabetical Auerswald is a lively town at the meeting of the Teufel, Tranig and Ober rivers, making it one of the busiest and best-patrolled areas in the Reikland. The locals are strong-willed and charming, rarely causing offense no matter how hard they negotiate. The local graf, Ferdinand von Wallenstein, leaves the town to its council of burgomeisters, preferring to spend most of his time in his palaces in Altdorf and Nuln. His uncle, Lord Adelbert von Wallenstein, is a grizzled old warrior who spends much of his time hunting Goblins and bandits in the Reikwald to the east of town. Much of the town is built on thick stilts over the Teufel's floodplains, as it floods often. The town's buildings are connected by a labyrinth of ramps, bridges and rope ladders, and outsiders easily get lost. More than one drunk has fallen to their death off the high stilts. In recent years, there's rumors of an organized gang of blackmailers and con artists operating out of the town, but not witness has ever survived long enough to testify. Bogenhafen is the largest and most profitable of all the market towns in Vorbergland. Its its at the heart of the Reikland, serving as a crossroads, equidistant between Altdorf and Monfort and therefore a crucial stop on the main trade route with Bretonnia. Goods from Bretonnia and all the Empire are traded for local lumber, wool and metals from the Grey Mountains. The town is in Graf Wilhelm von Saponatheim's duchy, but he is happy to let the local council, largely Merchants', Stevedores' and Teamsters' Guild members, run things as long as he gets his tax. As goods come north are transferred onto barges from wagons, the warehouses are always full of fine wine and cheese. The locals are quite proud of their town, especially its well-maintained sewers, built by the Masons' Guild. Local criminals love the sewers, because smugglers have found them an excellent way to avoid the tariffs and fees of the town. The watch often hires interested and concerned citizens to sweep the sewers for miscreants...though as with much of the Empire, they're hardly the only danger under Bogenhafen. Diesdorf lies between Altdorf and Nuln, and serves as a hub for corn production villages, much of it sent downriver to the capital. The reliance on a single crop does mean that if a blight kills the corn, Diesdorf may follow it. However, those that vist often conclude that the real expert of the town is faith. Magnus the Pious once gave a powerful speech there, with folk traveling far and wide to hear it. Ever since, it has been a major pilgrimage site for Sigmarites, and on holy days the town's population often doubles. Despite its relatively small size, it has many temples and shrines to Sigmar, and most families there have at least one member in the clergy. Dunkelberg is the most southern Reikland trade town, set across several hills on the banks of the Grissen. The older, richer parts are high on the hills to give the nobles and wealthy merchants a commanding view of the area. Despite its growth, travelers often comment on its rustic feel, wiht regular markets clogging the streets. Livestock, local produce and several wines come in from the local villages, and hand-crafted goods from across the Suden Vorgbergland. The town is surrounded by 'bleachfields,' where linen is dyed white by being hung in the sun as crops grow around them. The nearness to the mountains and Graugrissen forest mean Goblin raids are common, and while the wealthier parts of town are fortified with a stone wall, the rest is not. The poorest citizens have learned not to grow too attached to anything or anyone. There are many, many orphans in Dunkelberg, due to the Goblins, diseases and so on. The local duke has established several orphanages to provide them shelter, and to earn their keep he sets the children to work in the bleachfields. Visitors are often shocked to see an orphan labor force, but the callous disregard that the wealthy have for them is perhaps even worse. Sister Alella, a local Shallyan priestess, has been concerned aobut their welfre, even claiming that a number of children have vanished suspiciously, and she'd love to get some help finding out what's actually going on. Eilhart is famed among wine-lovers across the Old World for production of the grapes and wine that share its name. Eilhart is said to be one of the best white wines of the Reikland, famoous not only for its light and crisp taste but its mild hangovers no matter how much you drink...if you believe the locals, anyway. Recently, it has also grown in fame for its sharp and acidic beers using local grain and hops. Thus, Eilhart is a popular cruise destination for riverboats, with drinkers coming to the town to sample its many wares. Some say that the high number of visiting Bretonnians, drawn by the wine, may be the reason for the recent beer enthusiasm among the locals. Grunberg is downriver from several major trade towns, but its real industry is riverboat manufacturing. The town's boatyards are never quiet, as they keep the merchant marine afloat. The fields to the southeast appear peaceful and rich, but the locals call them the Battle Plains. It was there, long ago, that the Orc Warlord Gorbad Ironclaw was stalled. Uniquely in all of Imperial military history, the Battle of Grunberg was almost entirely fought with cavalry on both sides, and this has made the area a site of interest for archaeologists and graverobbers looking for debris in the old battlefield. Holthusen is a major stop on the route between Eilhart and Marienburg, set on the River Schilder. It is primarily a wine and beer town - and more specifically, wine and beer barrels. The coopers of Holthusen are famous for their barrels, especially the Holthusen Hogshead, which is said to be stout enough to withstand a direct cannon hit and leave the drink within unscathed. Most of the vintners and brewers of the western Vorbergland use Holthusen barrels, and many age their stock in specialized Holthusen warehouses sunk deep into the ground. The town is enclosed in rings of palisades, and the locals are often on edge. Bandits are rare, but wild Beastmen from the Reikwald often attack the town without warning. Many believe they want the wine, but some fear it's blood they're after. Whatever the case, the locals have taken to living barrels of cheap wine on the outskirts of the forest in the hopes that the Beastmen will take them and leave. Witch Hunters will likely not be pleased to learn of this. In a clearing a few miles away is a unique tree, a large pine that is perpetually frozen all year. The Rime Tree, as it is called, never melts, and ice and snow fall from it constnatly. It is freezing cold to the touch and even the strongest axe blow can barely crack the ice on its trunk. The site is claimed as holy by the Cult of Ulric and is the end of several pilgrimage routes to the south. For the more arcane sorts, the icy bark is useful and valuable for its magical properties, but the Ulricans do not generally appreciate wizards poking around, which makes harvesting it very risky. Lord Magister Shclotter of the Bright Order will pay heavily for anyone who can get the bark he can't. Kemperbad is an ancient town, a Grand Freistadt famous for its brandy. While it is part of the Reikland, it lies on the east bank of the Reik and has often been fought over and ruled by Talabecland, Stirland and Reikland, changing hands over and over. Since gaining its charter for self-rule in 1066 from Boris Goldgather, it has been a Freistadt run by the local council. Its prime location and ability to impose and retain its own tax has made Kemperbad very, very rich. Because of this, the merchants there are legendarily ostentatious and gaudy in their dress, wearing clothing so expensive it could bankrupt some families. The local nobles often envy the town's wealth and some send agents to destabilize it. Schadelheim sits near the Grootscher Marsh at the meeting of the Reik and the Mos, a lucrative position on the Marienburg trade route. It has many inns and barge berths, and ferries frequently move travelers between both rivers, serving as a hub for the marshland communities. South of the town centre is an ancient temple of Morr, which has been there since perhaps even before the town. Because of this, many locals have a very strong affinity for Morr - rarely seen in the Empire outside Ostermark, and very unusual for the Reikland. The local Sigmarites would love to change the town's faith and have many ideas on how to do it. Schilderheim suts at the meeting of the Schilder and the Reik and is a very important trade town. It's also home to many, many kinds of wildfowl, especially wading birds. Most notably, it is home to the red crane, a sedentary bird found mostly on the Reik that is known to use heavy stones to crack open clams. While the town prospers already, the local merchants and burgomeisters have higher aspirations. They want the wealth of Altdorf and Marienburg. The local stevedores have started raising the prices - very unpopular, and causing some civil unrest now. To avoid the fee, many mechants have begun to bypass the stevedores entirely, doing their business on the river itself by swapping entire barges. Merchant houses connected to this practice have had their wharves burned, warehouses raided and barges sunk, though obviously the Stevedores claim it has nothing to do with them. The Merchants' Guild will pay heavily to anyone that can prove the Stevedores are lying. Next time: Stimmigen and Beyond
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 17:43
|
|
|
Continuing to read through A Private War. The writing can be a little obtuse and oddly organized , but the focus the campaign puts on power struggles within the empire is interesting so far. Worry that it might be a little railroad-y. Has anyone else read this campaign?
|
|
#
?
Sep 23, 2018 22:56
|
|
|
occamsnailfile posted:If I were going to take the fantasy-race angle to this, I'd say the dwarves don't have a lustful concept of sexuality the way that humans do--marriage is, as mentioned, about status and family politics and the production of more labor for the state. Male dwarves getting busy would be a waste of good working hours and breakups are a source of yet more grudges. We think of sex as a fundamental need because we are human, perhaps the dwarves just don't really experience it that way. One of the things the dwarfs are most afraid of from the Empire, incidentally? Dwarf women getting word of feminism. Dwarfs place women on a gigantic pedestal, and within the specific sphere given to them dwarf women have absolute power. Dwarfen society, however, is run by and for men and women have virtually no political power or freedom - they may have the only say in who they marry (and, it's implied, saying which of their husbands sired each child, giving them enormous but indirect power over clan politics), but a dwarf woman does not have the power to say they will never wed, or to pursue any career outside the home. It's implied that even the most pro-human dwarfs refuse to bring their women into contact with humans for this reason. If dwarf women saw how much better humans treat their women, the results could get... interesting.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 00:24
|
|
|
Given the number of dwarf women in the art of 4e (not far from the amount of dwarf men) I suspect that might be retconned. e: Especially because the dwarf woman shown most prominently is very enthusiastically performing traditional Dwarf craftwork.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 01:13
|
|
|
Mors Rattus posted:Given the number of dwarf women in the art of 4e (not far from the amount of dwarf men) I suspect that might be retconned. That's good to know, I guess. Dwarfs on the tabletop have always been an all-male army and there's never been a single female dwarf character in the tabletop fluff.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 01:20
|
|
|
I remember the Grudge of Drong. Were the villain Drong, was pretty much the embodiment of worst Dwarf features. Stubborn, racist, sexist, greedy, just kind of a general rear end in a top hat. One of the other Dwarf characters was a Dwarf Queen Helgar who was Drong's main enemy. Drong managed to take a lot of Helgar's support purely because he was male, when Drong did decide to go to war with her, his line was that he would see her beardless head mounted on his wall. Still the story had a hilariously awful end. Helgar called in Elven Allies. (As this was before the War of the Beard.) who clashed with Drong's forces, and just as the elves were looking to win, Helgar's forces entered the fight and started fighting the elves, because in the end she could not stand to see the Elves beat the Dwarfs, despite the fact that the Elves had always been her allies and Drong and his clan had been enemies before she was even born and for her entire rule. And in the end they all died and their holds got wiped out in the War of the Beard when it came a few years later.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 01:23
|
|
|
I always preferred the interpretation that dwarfs have a declining population because they're on what, their 4th apocalypse? Collapse, Grudge War, Shitbird Frog Hates Continental Drift, Skaven Hyper Machine Explosion, am I missing any?
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 01:23
|
|
|
Gonna also note that WFRP has never enforced any kind of dwarf sexism, even if it was in the army book fluff. 2e never went 'you can't play a lady dwarf' and I have no idea why you would expect that to ever be a thing.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 02:16
|
|
|
Night10194 posted:Is Coalition War the one where the mask finally slipped and they were like 'maybe the nazis are just Hard Men who make Hard Choices and are actually v. good!' ? Nah, that would be the fairly recent Coalition supplement titled "Heroes of Humanity" 
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 02:21
|
|
|
SirPhoebos posted:Nah, that would be the fairly recent Coalition supplement titled "Heroes of Humanity" I'm reading the promo copy for the book and oh my god. Springtime for Hitler and Germany posted:Rifts® Heroes of Humanity™ outlines the battle for the soul of humanity. The Minion War™ has spilled onto Rifts Earth. At the epicenter of the invasion is North America. If either of the two rival demonic forces succeeds in conquering the continent, the rest of the world shall follow and Earth will be annexed to Hell. The demon hordes believe no one can stop them. The Coalition States has something to say about that. They make it sound so nice!
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 03:03
|
|
|
Dawgstar posted:I'm reading the promo copy for the book and oh my god. Jesus Christ, Rifts. They drive in skull zeppelins!
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 03:16
|
|
|
Isn't "nazis fighting demons" something  already covers?
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 03:17
|
|
|
Dawgstar posted:I'm reading the promo copy for the book and oh my god. Minion War? Despicable Me sequels are getting weird!
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 03:17
|
|
|
Ronwayne posted:Isn't "nazis fighting demons" something And Rifts lacks any of the cool aesthetics or over-the-top factor. I mean, just one skull on the Zeppelin? You could've made the entire thing skull shaped!
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 03:24
|
|
|
Night10194 posted:The funniest part of Warhammer Fantasy will always be that the Empire is a multicultural and diverse state whose massive power comes as much from being a major center of international commerce, scholarship and diplomacy as anything else. It's pretty much the polar opposite of the 40K Empire. (It's also the one that's winning.)
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 03:42
|
|
|
Sorry for more or less dropping off the face of the thread. It's very easy to just not post or work on any of this and god knows I'm having the malformed half-baked corpses of F&Fs starting to pile up and seeing people talk about Sigmata reminded me that I'm doing this. So I'm going to try and get this poo poo done at a more reasonable pace because I want to at least finish one more of these projects before 2019. MECHANICS AND GAMEPLAY Or The Ideal Strat in Any X-Com Game Is to Just Play with All Cyborg Mechs All the Time and This Game Feels Like X-Com Instead of mechanics, Sigmata uses what it calls an Operating System NO WAIT COME BACK IT GETS WORSE. But yeah, it’s called an Operating System because goodness gracious it can’t go a half second without being technologically twee. The mechanics are used for four separate types of scenes: Combat, Evasion, Intrigue and Free Play. To interact with the game’s mechanics, you need to understand the stats. Except they’re not called stats. They’re called Core Processers. And there are four of them. Quad-Core Processors. God drat it. Stats (I’m not calling them different) range between 1-5 with 1 being below human average and 5 being well above average. What is average? Good question. Look at you bein’ all smart and inquisitive.
Any dice result is equal to or higher than 6 is a success. Everything else doesn’t matter except for 1s. 1s are botches and if you remember loving anything about the 90s you know this is already an awful idea but at least the dice pools are smaller. Botches eat Successes, plain and simple. You want more d10s than d6s. You can in fact have negative successes! Let’s look at the outcome table~:
Health is abstracted into what’s called Exposure. Exposure is ranked 0-10 where 0 is safe and 10 is “about to be screwed”. Because this game is meant to portray three different types of combat, Exposure can be how hidden you are, how shot up you are or how suspicious you are. Exposure doesn’t come into play in what’s called Free Play. Free Play is anything that’s not combat, evasion or intrigue and is mostly a freeform back-and-forth improv conversation between the GM and the players. Any time you want to do something Suitably Dramatic is when you roll. Otherwise free play is somewhat abstract where you talk about the world and your actions and so on and so forth. But what about Structured Play? STRUCTURED PLAY Combat, Evasion and Intrigue fundamentally all share the exact same mechanics but with different stakes. Enemies can have up to 10 Exposure, PCs can have up to 10 Exposure. The point is for one side to knock the other off kilter and out of the confrontation in combat or for the PCs to get a lot of successes and reach their goals. This is done using tactics that correspond to the four stats.
And here’s why I really need to see this entire thing in action: the emphasis on group tactics and covering each other’s backs and constantly performing a little dance of Exposure juggling. On the upside, enemies never lose Exposure or the players don’t lose progress. Enemies who are raised to Exposure 10 are either killed or have their morale broken or knocked out and are out of the moment. Players are knocked out at Exposure 10 at the end of the round and their fate depends on who wins the structured scenes. Intrigue and evasion play differently but I’m going to take each mode and put them more specifically under the microscope and pick them apart. There are still a few more things that apply to every mode of structured play.
There are also some further rules and advice that I'll just sum up here real quick: respect the rules, respect established tone, respect the established facts, respect the other players' characters, emphasize that your actions are assists and you're all working together (by like having your success being giving someone an in to do good work), help others narrate if they need a hand, do dialogue with the GM instead of just narrating your outcome by telling the GM how you'd like the conversation to go, don't be afraid to set the GM up with a question in your narrative that you want answered. Not too bad for advice. THOUGHTS Man this game is lethal on your character! Like okay yes it’s abstracted damage but it’s really not hard to lose a character or just get hosed. Or at least it feels like it. Because to be honest I’ve never really seen anything quite like this system and its focus on more or less juggling heat and aggro so I have zero idea what this actually looks like in motion. As a whole I don’t exactly hate it? I need to know more. I’m really not a fan of how swingy the dice are and how it’s really easy to get shoehorned into only doing one thing and doing it well. It feels like it wants you to just go hard on enemies and not be too cautious because you’re always going to have the heat slowly be cranked up but when you consider that your damage is either “each enemy does a single attack that deals 2-3 damage and the GM picks who they attack” or “everyone takes 2-3 damage per round automatically and then you do your stuff” there’s never going to be a situation where one person will tank all the hits and the others will back them up indefinitely. It’s a strange system to parse and also I dislike all of the doofy emphasis on technological terms because ha ha you’re a cyborg get it. NEXT TIME: picking apart the things that make the Combat structure unique which is mostly that certain troops or enemies exist vs. that not being a thing in the other modes.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 03:45
|
|
|
Oh hey I was going to do a much lower effort write up on Sigmata. Glad someone's already tackling it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 05:28
|
|
|
Pollyanna posted:hold up: But by gadfrey they have the guts to show you Dracula's dick! That's more than DC can say.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 05:55
|
|
|
Anniversary posted:Oh hey I was going to do a much lower effort write up on Sigmata. Glad someone's already tackling it.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 06:04
|
|
|
Nessus posted:
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 07:20
|
|
novels
|
I ordered the WHFRPG starter Friday and the shits canceled my order that evening, leaving me to stew over the weekend. Boo. Boo I say Also, I am aware that I'm slacking on my DEGENESIS REBIRTH commitment, but I mostly do them when doing intercity travel, and I spent my last trip mostly on vidja reviews. Sorry!
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 09:21
|
|
|
Hey so if you want a well thought out and presented analysis of Sigmata, start with the above. If you want some guy's ramblings based on powering through the book in an evening, well, that's what this post is for. quote:When the fascist said the Christians were persecuted, From here on out this is meant as, at best, an addendum to Hostile V's review which goes into a lot more depth and does, in my opinion, a great job of earnestly presenting the material. I was also taken aback by alluding to the X-Card and then moving on. I appreciate the work makes it clear that not hurting people while playing a game is good, if not in so many words. I agree the intended design goals are sensible. They seem to largely be met, as well. I find the initial fiction vignette chapter a let down. It feels like its been done before in the places it tries to be clever and is at its best when showing, not telling. One MAJOR confusion for me is that the text explicitly says that women and people of color have the right to vote. But the US unified around the "Interior Threat" vote, which Hostile V explains well, basically fear of the outsider. Interestingly, it says both sides courted the 'Interior Threat' vote, and that whoever was more willing to trample rights won, so whether Democrats or Republicans are in power is actually, textually, not clear. The fact that no party tried to bring those abandoned by the 'Interior Threat' voting bloc into their coalition is really confusing to me, because remember, women and people of color have the right to vote. From my reading its textually unclear. Oh, the Regime you're fighting is explicitly the Executive branch. With the president receiving the Voldemort treatment (we don't say their name!) That the Legislature is complicit is mentioned, with an "opposition party" existing (but what, or even if, they hail from the Democrats or Republicans goes unmentioned.) The Judiciary as a check on the Regime's power doesn't receive any textual attention, I guess the whole "shredding the constitution" thing that made the libertarian miltias very mad just escaped their notice (I think the intention is that the judiciary has been co-opted by the Regime at the highest level?) But here's the thing, when talking about the Resistance's uniformly agreed upon goals, the Judiciary still isn't mentioned. They explicitly say the Legislative and Executive branches must be purged and the formation of the militarized occupation police force (Fists) reversed. But those lifetime Judicial appointments, they're not worth mentioning. So "The administration has absolutely no ideological nexus." But, "Real America is the nexus of American fascism." I think the intention of this seeming contradiction, which the text doesn't seem to disagree with, is that the Regime isn't Fascist? In a game about fighting fascism. Rather the regime is just looting America and the loyalists are fascist, but that seems really, really silly. Oh right, 'Real America' is the concept of the "White Christian Nuclear Family". There's also a weird aside about how Loyalists would commit suicide if it would impede the Resistance as an example of how devoted they are to the Regime. Oh so there are explicitly work camps for undesirable, and if you can't work you're disappeared. But the Regime is, textually, still divided on committing genocide. Ignoring that it is committing genocide. Also Loyalists want genocide, maybe? There's also a paragraph about how these death camps are not good, which I guess in 2018 is necessary to write? The First Receiver story is. I don't know. It's strange to me, especially the "true" story. Hostile V summarizes it well, so maybe read what they said? Also the Resistance assumes, without having recruited any Receivers, that they'll turn up and help them with their massive prison break. They don't. So, I'm a little extremely dice-y on the Signal. It seems to be 100% technomagic, emphasis on the magic. Hearing it turns some people into cyborgs and some technology into cybernetics, too. Also its mentioned that to propagate (I must've misread this, it has to mean to create) the signal you need to be a mathematician with a research mainframe. But the Resistance has mechanically unlimited access to the Signal. And the Gift of the Stranger, which can only be turned off by giving away your 1337 hacker handle, doesn't impede socializing or anything even though it seems to say it makes you nondescript in appearance and communications when its on and you look like a machineman when its off. Not sure if this is an oversight on my ability to read or the text. There's a chapter selling you on how hype the 80s is. It is exactly as bad as that sentence makes it sound. Okay Mechanics! What they represent is weird and confusing to me, apparently you can't be good at extreme aggression unless you're an extrovert! I really dig the narrative emphasis and player buy in. Probably a pain at most tables, but the idea seems good if everyone is on the same page. If not the amount of allowed Vetos would be game breaking. In combat I see zero reason for the GM not to focus fire characters. In the non-Combat stress encounters you can't, but in combat you can and textually should. From what I can tell you should spec for combat because its the most player unfriendly, with Intrigue seeming to be the easiest, and Avoidance somewhere in between? There's an optional rule 'Voice of the Outgroup', that uses an "ivory tower academic" attending a "country dirt bike race" as not a member of an outgroup. In a game where the antagonist has pitted society explicitly along rural/urban divides and targets intellectuals. This doesn't seem right? Advancement explicitly favors MinMaxing at character creation. Resistance High Command are unknown and maybe don't exist. "Each of the factions were filled with demagogues: ideological cancers who demanded party purity and who eschewed any type of compromise as treason to the cause." Until magic machinemen came. This game feels extremely libertarian power fantasy. Okay that's all I have from my notes. But if there's any interest I could actually do something with one of my degrees and we could talk about the Ethical Insurgency chapter.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 14:23
|
|
|
Please do, Sigmata is an interesting total mess.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 14:38
|
|
|
Anniversary posted:Okay that's all I have from my notes. But if there's any interest I could actually do something with one of my degrees and we could talk about the Ethical Insurgency chapter. Yes, please!
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 15:37
|
|
|
WFRP 4e - Apples to Apples Stimmigen sits right on the major bridge over the Ober, and that plus its access to the Vorbergland canals ensure it is a bustling trade town, one of the busiest in the Suden Vorbergland. It is famous for its orchards, the source of Reikland's most famous apple, the sweet-but-tart Ernwald. The Ernwald apple grows only around Stimmigen; all attempts to grow it elsewhere have failed. This brings in plenty of curious plant experts, but also plenty of Halflings, who love the Ernwald for its use in pies, pastries and crumbles, along with cider. Their works can be found in local inns, especially during Pie Week, which is celebrated by all inhabitents of Stimmigen, not just the Halflings. Ubersreik sits at the mouth of the Grey Lady Pass, one of the two major routes into Bretonnia. As a result, it regularly sees merchants from across the Old World, and is guarded by the mighty Black Rock fortress. It has a long and steady association with the Grey Mountain Dwarf clans, and uniquely in the Empire, it has Dwarf representatives on the town council. One of its more spectacular constructions, the bridge over the Teufel, was made by Dwarfs in the time of Magnus the Pious, and it is widely seen as one of the most impressive feats of engineering in the entire Reikland, connecting the trade road that runs from Bogenhafen on to Dunkelberg and Nuln. While Ubersreik deals in all kinds of trade, it is most famous for Dwarf metalwork. They promise a more exhaustive detailing in the WFRP Starter Set. Weissbruck was originally just a fishing village on the Bogen, but has grown over the past century into a bustling trade port between Bogenhafen and Altdorf, largely thanks to the efforts of its ruling family, the Grubers, who have been capitalizing on the rich coal and iron deposits in the nearby Skaag Hills. They were even able to commission a team of Dwarf engineers in 2462, building a canal that rapidly accelerated the towns' growth. The mine output has been slowing, but trade's only increased. Despite the wealth of the Grubers, Weissbruck still feels like a mining town, with the dockworkers and miners maintaining an uneasy peace never far from the threat of violence. As the mines peter out, more and more miners come down from the hills, forming a growing population of strong, angry and unemployed people with little to do but drink. Wheburg is the first town in the Grey Mountains if you head from Helmgart to Bogenhafen. Its proximity to the fortress Helmgart ensures it sees regular passage of troops, and it has a large barracks for visiting soldiers. As they have often had to survive the worst mountain weather as well as frequent attacks by Orcs, Goblins and monsters from the Drachenberg, most visitors are in a mood to celebrate when they arrive. Wheburg is famous for its hospitality as a result, and the locals are said to be the friendliest in all Reikland...for a price. The streets are full of taverns, inns, brothels and casinos, plus plenty of drug dealers. While brawls and minor crime are common, things rarely get too out of hand due to the sheer number of soldiers on hand at any time to disperse the rowdy. (Excepting when said rowdy folks are soldiers themselves.) Spending time in Wheburg before marriage is seen as a rite of passage among wealthy Reiklanders, and it is now a common saying that what happens in Wheburg stays in Wheburg. The Grey Mountains are guarded by a series of fortresses, built and rebuilt over and over to defend against marauding Greenskins, Trolls, Undead and Bretonnians. The Reik is also guarded by many forts, but those are largely relics of the past, when the other grand provinces were threats and enemies. Only a few key strategic river fortresses remain, vastly outnumbered by castle ruins in grave disrepair. Blackstone Tower guards one of the lesser Grey Mountain passes, the Crooked Corridor, a narrow gorge near the Wasteland. It's useless to most merchants, far too tight for horses or wagons, and dangerous due to steep cliffs and perches that can easily send a traveler plummeting to their doom. It is entirely impassable in winter and not that much better in other times, and for a long time only the local goatherds knew of it. Then a series of Greenskin raids drew it to official attention. Several decades back, Emperor Mattheus II ordered the construction of the fort to watch over the Corridor. Nine years later, Blackstone Tower was completed, named for the local dark stone used to build it. The high position means Imperial sharpshooters have an excellent perch to fire from, but it was not to be. A minor oversight in the planning stages of Blackstone caused it to be built on land belonging to the Dwarfs of Karak Ziflin, and the Emperor chose to cede the tower to them to avoid upsetting them, over the complaints of the Margrave of Geetburg, whose funds helped build the tower. Today, the Dwarfs allow a limited garrison to occupy the tower alongside their own forces, which have largely rebuilt Blackstone entirely. The Reiklanders rarely enjoy working under Dwarf leadership, and the Dwarfs are always belittling the Human stonework they haven't yet replaced, so the Tower is something of a powder keg waiting to explode. Steirlich Manor sits atop a ridge in the Hagercrybs in the Duchy of Grauwerk. It is an ancient holding of the von Bruner family, currently ruled by Graf Steirlich, whose name and that of the manor are both drawn from an ancestor given the land by Emperor Mandred Ratslayer in 1138. Graf Steirlich is ambitious and ruthless, though well liked by his peasantry for his focus on rooting out bandits and other dangers. There are, however, rumors that he is too eager to investigate unnatural events, as dark tales of corruption haunt the von Bruner line. The dark, handsome Graf is always looking for those of stout heart and strong will to help him keep the peace, of course, so few mention such rumors aloud. Helmgart guards Axe Bite Pass, one of the two main entries to Bretonnia. It dates back to times when Bretonnia was not the staunch ally it is today, and while Helmgart's ramparts no longer host aging skulls in elaborate helmets, they're still in the basement. The soldiers are now more likely to be called on to patrol the pass, protect merchants and travellers from Greenskins and fight bandits. The keep was carved into the mountainside long ago by the Dwarfs, with three tiers of stone wall dominating the granite mountain and giving excellent view of the road below. Next to it is an immense stone wall broken only by a single tunnel between two sheer mountainsides, the only route to Bretonnia in the area. A number of legendary regiments are called on to guard Helmgart, most famously Mackensen's Marauders, a Reiklander State Regiment of gunners known for deadly accuracy, which is only helped by Axe Bite's total lack of cover. The road leads on to Bogenhafen and then Altdorf. Helmgart is equal parts citadel and trade town, given its position. Bretonnian merchants deal in wine, fine fabrics, weapons and armor, while their Reiklander friends move those goods south. The local Dwarf clans also show up to sell ingots of silver, lead and iron along with rare Dwarf-made metalwork. Helmgart Marketplatz is always bustling with deals and with thieves. The Stone is a promontory on a Reik island near Essel. It has a small, insignificant jetty and a path up the promontory, but no one heads up to the fort at the top. Captains avoid the island and give it a wide berth, with the more superstitious offering up sacrifices of salt and steel to Grandfather Reik for safe passage. There are no pennants on the battlements, but occasionally the gleam of a helmet shows that it is still manned. Most do not realize it, but the Stone is actually a secure prison for dangerous criminals that cannot, for political reasons, just be killed. Some have powerful friends or are nobles whose crimes would, if publically acknowledged, shame the good families of Reikland. Others are political hostages for good behavior. A few just know too much, kept alive in case their secrets are required. No one particularly asks how they are treated in the Stone - no one wants to know. Next time: Holy sites and ruins.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 15:46
|
|
|
Anniversary posted:Okay that's all I have from my notes. But if there's any interest I could actually do something with one of my degrees and we could talk about the Ethical Insurgency chapter. Please do!
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 15:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 20, 2024 01:11 |
|
|
Mors Rattus posted:Ubersreik sits at the mouth of the Grey Lady Pass, one of the two major routes into Bretonnia. As a result, it regularly sees merchants from across the Old World, and is guarded by the mighty Black Rock fortress. It has a long and steady association with the Grey Mountain Dwarf clans, and uniquely in the Empire, it has Dwarf representatives on the town council. One of its more spectacular constructions, the bridge over the Teufel, was made by Dwarfs in the time of Magnus the Pious, and it is widely seen as one of the most impressive feats of engineering in the entire Reikland, connecting the trade road that runs from Bogenhafen on to Dunkelberg and Nuln. While Ubersreik deals in all kinds of trade, it is most famous for Dwarf metalwork. They promise a more exhaustive detailing in the WFRP Starter Set. And likely a tide of vermin.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2018 16:28
|
|