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 Rifts World Book 19: Australia, Part 4 - "Bushmen are not Aborigines, but as wild as white can become." Without any introduction or further ado, the book moves on to- Outback O.C.Cs - so let's get to them. As always, the % listed is the chance for a normal human PC to qualify to play one.
 Sometimes I'm just like- "I have to include the one female illo from this chapter because there's only one."
 Shady merchant or flasher?
 Seemed like a good plan at first.
 "... I'm not... going to pay a lot... for this muffler..."
  White wizards. We wrap things up with the long list of classes you might use in the Australian setting, and they suggest reducing skills for some classes to reflect the local lack of education, just in case you felt the Euro-Juicer would be too storng. There are references to "Aboriginal" and "Reef" O.C.C.s not in any book. The only really common magic O.C.C.s other than those listed above are Mystics and Shifters, with Ley Line Walkers and Techno-Wizards being practically unheard of. Cyborgs are rare, and full cyborgs, juicers, and crazies are nearly unheard of outside of rare experiements. Psionics are as common as anywhere, but registered in the "tech-cities" and often expelled or executed if their powers are deemed too dangerous.  "None of my fellas wanted to be a guide, but joke's on them, I'm an O.C.C. now!" Rifts World Book 19: Australia posted:Where are the Aboriginal O.C.C.s? Nope.  "Shake my hand?!" It should also be mentioned that equipment is a little odd this time around. Since this book is presuming a somewhat lower tech level for Australia, M.D.C. armor ends up being harder to come by. Most of these classes only get "homespun" M.D.C. armor, which means it doesn't offer complete protection. On a high enough attack roll, this armor can be bypassed - which is basically instant death if you're facing M.D.C. attacks. Moreover, some classes, like the Sham-Man or Songjuicer get no M.D.C. armor at all. While presumably they can use spells as protection for periods of time. This wouldn't be a problem if most enemies you faced used S.D.C. attacks, but as we'll see, most of the bad guys and monsters get unfettered access to Mega-Damage weapons and attacks. We'll talk about that more in the equipment section, but survival ends up being an even larger issue in this book than it usually is. Next: Vires acquirit eundo. Alien Rope Burn fucked around with this message at 05:15 on Sep 13, 2018 |
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Sep 13, 2018 04:32
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Not a fan of how many... typos there seem to be in the 4e fantahams? On the other hand, if the threat deems it mechanically solid, I'll probably buy it and never run it.
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Sep 13, 2018 11:48
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WFRP 4e - The Peasantry We are now into the rural Peasant careers! Bailiffs can be Dwarf, Halfling or Human. They are primarily tax collectors for nobles and general enactors of noble will in rural areas. Some are respected and upstanding, while others are mere bullies, enforcing the lord's rights with threats and violence. As they advance, they become reeves, with broader power and responsibility. Reeves are tasked to maintain order and keep the borders, resolving any disputes with neighbors. They often get appointed magistrates when respected enough, and some of those are of the Cult of Verena as lay members. Most, however, do not require her blind Justice, as their work is largely arbitration of petty disputes between locals over livestock and farms. Most Bailiffs have a surprising degree of autonomy, which gives them plenty of time and chance for pursuing their own interests or hiring others. Because many also have large areas in which their authority extends, they are frequently sent out by their employers to handle local problems, which can drag them into adventures. Bailiffs have a good mix of basic combat skills and social skills, plus some sneakery and exploration. On Bailiffs posted:"Aye, it's been a poor harvest, but dues are dues. I'll take half now and half on Marktag. How's that? It's the best I can offer, can't say fairer than that." - Lena Sauer, Bailiff Tier 1 Bailiffs are Tax Collectors, Silver 1. They have good WS, I and WP, plus Cool, Dodge, Endurance, Gossip, Haggle, Intimidate, Melee and Perception. Which Melee is not specified, so I guess Melee (Any) or (Basic) is most likely. Their Talents are Embezzle, Numismatics, Strong Back and Tenacious. Tier 2 is Bailiff, Silver 5. They add Bribery, Charm, Evaluate, Intuition, Leadership and Lore (Local), plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Break and Enter, Criminal, Public Speaking and Strike to Stun. Tier 3 is Reeve, Gold 1. They add Animal Care, Lore (Heraldry), Navigation and Ride (Horse), plus Agi as a stat. Their Talents are Kingpin, Menacing, Nose for Trouble and Read/Write. Tier 4 is Magistrate, Gold 3. They add Language (Classical) and Lore (Any), plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Commanding Presence, Iron Will, Savvy and Schemer. Hedge Witch is Human-only. Hedge Witch is the term used by Witch Hunters to refer to any illegal spellcaster, but in the pst it referred to respected members of the community that used ancient magics. The decades of persecution of non-Collegiate magic have taken their toll, however, and now the surviving Hedge Witches exist in hiding in the quiet parts of the world, in smoky huts and hovels on the boundary of the wild places. Most are solitary folk for protection, but the locals are often aware of their talents. Their knowledge of how to ward off evil may be secret, but their herbalism, midwifery and healing talents are sought in times of need. They are also often the first line of defense against supernatural troubles, which can get them into all kinds of adventure. They also often head out traveling when Witch Hunters show up, to be away from danger in favor of other, less dangerous danger. They are known by many names, but their goal is the same - preserve the ancient ways from destruction. They have little love lost for the Colleges, knowing that any child lost to them will never return to the community, instead being pressed into service in distant wars. When possible, they go out of their way to hide children with the gift for magic from passing Wizards, though sometimes they will give one up - perhaps as a spy or a sacrifice. They mix exploration and healing skills with Hedge Magic, which is...unique, and we'll look at the power of the Lore when we get into the magic chapter. IMO they are the better off of the two non-Wizard arcane caster careers. Overall I'd still stick with Wizard, though. On Hedge Witches posted:"We tell the folk that the offering o' fish is for Grandfather Reik, 'cause it makes them feel safer than having to explain the river is home to an 'ungry spirit. It keeps the spirit safe, too." - Alt Zaunreiter, Hedgewise Tier 1 Hedge Witches are Hedge Apprentices, Brass 3 . They are good at T, I and Dex, and have Channeling, presumably Channeling (Hedgecraft) but it doesn't specify, Endurance, Intuition, Language (Magick), Lore (Folklore), Lore (Herbs), Outdoor Survival and Perception. Their Talents are Fast Hands, Petty Magic, Rover and Strider (Woodlands). Tier 2 is Hedge Witch, Brass 2. They add Cool, Gossip, Heal, Lore (Local), Trade (Charms) and Trade (Herbalist), plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Aethyric Attunement, Animal Affinity, Arcane Magic (Hedgecraft) and Sixth Sense. Tier 3 is Hedge Master, Brass 3. They add Haggle, Lore (Genealogy), Lore (Magic) and Lore (Spirits), plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Craftsman (Herbalist), Magical Sense, Pure Soul and Resistance (Disease). Tier 4 is Hedgewise, Brass 5. They add Intimidate and Pray, plus WP as a stat. Their Talents are Acute Sense (Any), Master Craftsman (Herbalist), Night Vision and Strong-minded. Herbalists can be anyone but Dwarfs. Because apothecary medicine is so expensive and not generally available in rural areas, they rely on Herbalists instead, who use the healing power of plants. Most Herbalist lore is passed down verbally, and so names for diseases and their treatments vary from village to village. The most experienced, however, are called in when no one has any idea what's going on or why a disease isn't going away. Much of an Herbalist's time is dedicated to visiting the sick, diagnosing them and searching for herbs. Some also work darker trades, making and selling drugs or poisons. While it is an inaccurate stereotype, it's a frequent joke in the trade that Halfling Herbalists tend to be only interested in pipeweed and wyrdroot. An Herbalist's knowledge of drugs and potions makes them welcome in any mercenary band, and Herbalist apprentices are often sent out in search of rare ingredients when particularly dangerous diseases strike. Wood Elf Herbalists are legendary for their knowledge, and in the Grey Mountains they say that Shallya went to Athel Loren to learn their lore when Ranald was dying of a disease she couldn't cure. High Elf Herbalists, on the other hand, follow the teachings of Lileath the Maiden, and it is said thaT Marienburg has an Elven library recording the medicinal use of every plant in the Old World, though no Human has ever been allowed in. The career is good at exploration and healing, with some social skills. On Herbalists posted:"This is beyond my skill to heal. The wound's been infected and it's taining his blood; he needs a doctor, or Shallya's aid. I can give you something to make sure he's comfortable on the journey to town. And something for you, too, to calm your nerves." - Kurtis Schwarz, Herbalist Tier 1 Herbalists are Herb Gatherers, Brass 2. They are good at T, I and Agi, plus Charm Animal, Climb, Endurance, Lore (Herbs), Outdoor Survival, Perception, Swim and Trade (Herbalist). Their Talents are Acute Sense (Taste), Orientation, Rover and Strider (Any). Tier 2 is Herbalist, Brass 4. They add Consume Alcohol, Cool, Gossip, Haggle, Heal and Lore (Local), plus Dex as a stat. Their Talents are Dealmaker, Nimble Fingered, Sharp and Sturdy. Tier 3 is Herb Master, Silver 1. They add Intuition, Leadership, Lore (Medicine) and Trade (Poisons), plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Craftsman (Herbalist), Field Dressing, Hardy and Savvy. Tier 4 is Herbwise, Silver 3. They add Drive and Navigation, plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Concoct, Master Tradesman (Herbalist), Resistance (Poison) and Savant (Herbs). Next time: Hunter, Miner, Mystic
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Sep 13, 2018 13:24
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Hedge Wizards are a terrible idea and the Colleges rule. Though the Witch career (and the Norse Seer/Vikti, even moreso, especially as Vikti were actually one of the few viable warrior-wizard types) was cool in 2e if you had a huge amount of time and EXP to work with. Since you could build your own semi-custom Lore, and then if you ever learned an actual Arcane Language and did a 'real' wizarding career (including Chaos Sorcerer) your minor Witchcraft color-magic would become safe to use and stop using the extra miscast dice. Sure, you were limited to spells under CN 14, but there are a lot of good Color spells under CN 14.
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Sep 13, 2018 13:50
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Yeah, I'm not sure what hedgelore is like in 4e but I hope it borrows that idea of making your own lore with elements of lots of magic, even if it's not super powerful like a specialist.
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Sep 13, 2018 13:57
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I also appreciate the little blurb on why each of these character types might become an adventurer. Never had trouble coming up with excuses for the various Careers to hit the road, but it's the kind of thing that's good to include to get players some ideas of where they can find hooks. 2e sometimes spends a little too much time on 'Travel is so lethal and dangerous that only crazy people become adventurers'.
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Sep 13, 2018 14:00
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WFRP 4e - On The Hunt Hunters can be anyone. In Hochland, the locals have a deep hunting heritage, and 'Taal's Bounty' is a frequent greeting for them - and Hunters in general. Many in the Empire hunt for fun, as a job or out of necessity, and many of these Hunters become poachers when times are tough. Very skilled ones might be employed by a noble as a huntmaster, which gives them access to excellent weapons, horses and falcons. Elves and Dwarfs, meanwhile, tend not to care about Human political boundaries and may well go deep into Imperial lands in pursuit of a choice prize. The Wood Elves' Wild Hunt is spoken of in the Grey Mountains to scare children - and for good reason, for if their lands are encroached on, the Wood Elves are quick to hunt the intruders as well. It is common for poachers to lose two fingers as a punishment, and many who are in danger of this will go on the run rather than lose their ability to draw a bow, taking their chances in the woods or on the road. In the villages of Suden Vorbergland, the Hunters are being driven back by increasing farmland and nobles reserving wild lands for sport. The Army's always looking to hire skilled Hunters, too, as support for their forces as archers or scouts. Hunters mix exploration skills with excellent ranged combat skills. On Hunters posted:"My lord, those tracks... we're not following a stag. There are Turnskins in these woods." - Gundred Maynir, Huntsmaster Tier 1 Hunters are Trappers, Brass 2. They have good S, T and Dex, and have Charm Animal, Climb, Endurance, Lore (Beasts), Outdoor Survival, Perception, Ranged (Bow) and Set Trap. Their Talents are Hardy, Rover, Strider (Any) and Trapper. Trapper gives a bonus to Perception tests to spot traps and to Set Trap, and you can passively make Perception tests to spot traps automatically without having to actively look for them. Tier 2 is Hunter, Brass 4. They add Cool, Intuition, Melee (Basic), Ranged (Sling), Secret Signs (Hunter) and Stealth (Rural), plus BS as a stat. Their Talents are Accurate Shot, Fast Shot, Hunter's Eye and Marksman. Accurate Shot causes extra damage with ranged weapons. Hunter's Eye gives a bonus to any test to trail or catch game, and when traveling through lands that have animals in them, you are assumed to automatically hunt enough game to feed yourself and (purchases) others as long as you have the time and equipment to do so, on top of any normal foraging. Marksman gives +5 base BS. Tier 3 is Tracker, Silver 1. It adds Navigation, Ride (Horse), Swim and Track, plus I as a stat. Its Talents are Acute Sense (Any), Deadeye Shot, Fearless (Animals) and Sharpshooter. Deadeye Shot lets you just straight up choose your hit location with ranged weapons instead of it being based on your attack roll reversed. Sharpshooter eliminates any penalties to Ranged tests based on the size of your target. (IE, you can hit tiny things just as easily as normal things.) Tier 4 is Huntsmaster, Silver 3. You add Animal Care and Animal Training (Any), plus Int as a stat. Its Talents are Fearless (Monsters), Robust, Sniper and Sure Shot. Sure Shot lets you ignore Armor Points with ranged weapons based on your purchases. Miners are Dwarf, Halfling or Human. They are often prospectors tempted by tales of gold in the Skaag Hills - but the work is dangerous, and is done in dark tunnels far below the earth. Miners quickly learn to build supports and assess ores for their value, as well as to handle unexpected dangers like explosive gas or tribes of Greenskins. They are notoriously tough in both body and mind, and typically work on commission, with a license granted by the local lord in exchange for a cut of the finds. Some nobles actually have their fortune built on mining, and employ criminals or debtors in their mines. In theory, quarrying open stone above ground is safer, but accidents are still common and Beastmen seem to enjoy attacking the quarries. Many independent Miners end up in trouble due to underground Goblins or monsters, and some find that hunting such creatures is actually more lucrative than slaving away for the mine owner. Prospectors hunting for good land also have plenty of chances to be dragged into trouble. For Dwarfs, mining is an occupation for any social class, and Miners are considered extremely skilled artisans, deeply respected. Dwarfs have a keen sense of stone and seem to be drawn to valuable ore seams, with a near sixth sense for when a passage needs shoring up. Some clans are so proud of their mining skill that they march to war armed with picks instead of axes. Miners have excellent exploration skills and decent melee combat skills, especially because they tend to be strong as poo poo and very tough, plus brave as hell. Also, they can blow things up. On Miners posted:"After your supplies from the store are deducted, and your load of sixteen tons added, you made... let me see... no, you actually owe us for two today. Another day older and deeper in debt, boy." - Frederika, Victualler of the Delfgrunder Minehead Tier 1 is Prospector, Brass 2. They have good S, T and WP, and have Cool, Endurance, Intuition, Lore (Local), Melee (Two-Handed), Outdoor Survival, Perception and Swim. Their Talents are Rover, Strider (Rocky), Sturdy and Tenacious. Tier 2 is Miner, Brass 4. They add Climb, Consume Alcohol, Evaluate, Melee (Basic), Secret Signs (Miner) and Trade (Explosives), plus WS as a stat. Their Talents are Night Vision, Strike Mighty Blow, Strong Back and Very Strong. Tier 3 is Master Miner, Brass 5. They add Gossip, Lore (Geology), Stealth (Underground) and Trade (Engineer), plus I as a stat. Their Talents are Careful Strike, Craftsman (Explosives), Tinker and Tunnel Rat. Careful Strike lets you modify your hit location result on any attack up or down by up to 10 per purchase. Tier 4 is Mine Foreman, Silver 4. They add Charm and Leadership, plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Argumentative, Strong-minded, Embezzle and Read/Write. Mystics can be Human or Wood Elf. What they are is people that tell the future. Wandering Strigany caravans aren't rare in the Reikland, and locals often come to them for fortunetelling, charms and love potions. Most Mystics are merely perceptive, intuitive sorts who can tell their customer's hopes and fears and will give readings just specific enough to be believable. They must be careful and walk a fine line to avoid accusations of trickery, heresy and witchcraft, after all. Not all, though - a good amount do in fact have mystical abilities of some kind, though rarely full-on sorcery. Mystics may be palmists or card readers - both common with the Strigany - while Wood Elf Mystics more often interpret signs and symbols of nature or dreams. Many cults have their own skilled seers and sages giving prophesies of the future as best they can, too. Mystics may end up seeking a life of adventure because their insights bring them into the crosshairs of priests or witch hunters, or may be driven to do so by their dreams and visions. It's not exactly hard for them to give up a settled life no matter what, though - theirs isn't a trade bound to a place. Mystics are primarily social, but have access to several more magical Talents, and at the uppermost levels can get backdoor access to Petty Magic, assorted spells and a small subset of Celestial magic. I don't consider them a full-on caster class, though, because their magic is limited and comes only at tier 3. Witch! gives them access to a wide array of potential spells, though, once they can get it. On Mystics posted:"I'll tell you for why we have wheels on our houses: it's because no one likes to hear the cold truth of Morr a-coming, and if there's one thing for sure, Morr is always a-coming. So, it ain't because we're cheaters, but because we're honest folk!" - Honest Chupra, Strigany Pedlar Tier 1 Mystics are Fortune Tellers, Brass 1. They have good I, Dex and Fel, and have Charm, Entertain (Fortune Telling), Dodge, Gossip, Haggle, Intuition, Perception and Sleight of Hand. Their Talents are Attractive, Luck, Second Sight and Suave. Tier 2 is Mystic, Brass 2. They add Bribery, Cool, Entertain (Prophecy), Evaluate, Intimidate and Lore (Astrology), plus WP as a stat. Their Talents are Detect Artefact, Holy Visions, Sixth Sense and Well-Prepared. Tier 3 is Sage, Brass 3. They add Charm Animal, Entertain (Storytelling), Language (Any) and Trade (Writing), plus Agi as a stat. Their Talents are Nose for Trouble, Petty Magic, Read/Write and Witch!. Witch! adds Language (Magick) as a skill to any Career you enter, and if it's already part of it you get a discount. Also, you may spend 1 Resilience to manifest and permanently learn any spell from any Arcane Lore, once per purchase. Tier 4 is Seer, Brass 4. They add Lore (Prophecy) and Channelling (Azyr), plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Arcane Magic (Celestial), though they are strictly limited in which spells they can take from it, Magical Sense, Menacing and Strong-minded. Next time: Scout, Villager, Bounty Hunter
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Sep 13, 2018 14:39
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Why yes, guy in the Mystic quote, death is the only inevitable thing, that's precisely why the God of the Dead is also the God of Prophecy. He's always right. Eventually.
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Sep 13, 2018 15:57
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That Sixteen Tons reference was so unsubtle. Has Cubicle 9 announced anything about FAQs/corrected editions? Can't wait for Peasant Ah, who am I kidding. I'd play anything and fully embrace random rolls.
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Sep 13, 2018 16:02
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https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1448273438/hc-svnt-dracones-20/description I'm predictable and a glutton for things that hurt, but I really hope that they don't change the game enough for 2.0 to merit a re-review.
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Sep 13, 2018 16:13
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So I guess Mystics kind of get the 2e edition Witchcraft talent this time around.
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Sep 13, 2018 16:27
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marshmallow creep posted:So I guess Mystics kind of get the 2e edition Witchcraft talent this time around. As does the Witch. The Hedge Witch does not.
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Sep 13, 2018 16:30
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WFRP 4e - Scouting Ahead Scouts can be anyone. Because maps are rare and most people in the Empire can't read anyway, knowledge of local terrain is very valuable for travellers. Scouts are experts in finding safe passage through the wild lands of the Empire, and are often hired as local guides to avoid danger, share local gossip and show the best places to forage. The best Scouts are barely seen by their employers as they explore ahead and find dangers to avoid. While most keep to lands they know, some specialize in navigating unmapped areas, or even in heading out on expeditions to make better maps. Most Scouts avoid handling the dangers they find themselves, leaving that to better-armed allies or just avoiding them entirely. Scouts are obviously valuable to an adventuring crew, especially one heading into the wilds for the first time. They may be asked to stay on after being hired, though many retain the aloof manner of a loner even as they help protect the group or spot ambushes. Scouts are primarily exploration skills, with only a basic ability at ranged combat. You want to shoot stuff, go Hunter; a Scout is a survival skill master, though. On Scouts posted:"You don't want to be going off the road down by the bluff without a guide. There's man-traps in them woods what the reeve put down to catch poachers. Almost 'ad old Billi's leg off last week it did." - Gwyn, Scout Tier 1 Scouts are Guides, Brass 3. They have good T, I and Agi, and have Charm Animal, Climb, Endurance, Gossip, Lore (Local), Melee (Basic), Outdoor Survival and Perception. Their Talents are Orientation, Rover, Sharp and Strider (Any). Tier 2 is Scout, Brass 5. They add Athletics, Navigation, Ranged (Bow), Ride (Horse), Stealth (Rural) and Track, plus BS as a stat. Their Talents are Combat Aware, Night Vision, Nose for Trouble and Seasoned Traveller. Tier 3 is Pathfinder, Silver 1. They add Animal Care, Haggle, Secret Signs (Hunter) and Swim, plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Acute Sense (Sight), Sixth Sense, Strong Legs and Very Resilient. Tier 4 is Explorer, Silver 5. They add Language (Any) and Trade (Cartographer), plus Dex as a stat. Their Talents are Hardy, Linguistics, Savant (Local) and Tenacious. Villagers are Dwarf, Halfling or Human. They farm and otherwise produce goods out in rural areas, and make up the majority of the Empire's population. They are charcoal burners, woodsmen, millers, herders and more. Most villages are ruled by a noble family, with their day-to-day life overseen by a bailiff. Village life is also usually managed by a council of local tradesmen and famers, led by a village elder with significant local influence. Villagers sometimes find their pastoral lives extremely boring and look for any chance to go live the adventure tales they hear from passing traders or Strigany. In winter, when the fields are fallow and the food is scarce, many also head to the cities for work, and some end up never coming back, caught up in adventure and mischief. The Villager gets basic melee combat, social and craft skills and a nice assortment of handy survival Talents but doesn't really specialize in much. On Villagers posted:"It's a hard life, for sure, but it's a good one. Every year the lady from the manor sends out her guard to clear out the forest and drive off the beastmen and the like. The family keep us safe, we keep their flocks. It's a fair trade most of the time." - Gunni Ackermann, Shepherdess Tier 1 is Peasant, Brass 2. They are good at S, T and Agi, and have Animal Care, Athletics, Consume Alcohol, Endurance, Gossip, Melee (Brawling), Lore (Local) and Outdoor Survival. Their Talents are Rover, Strong Back, Strong-minded and Stone Soup. Tier 2 is Villager, Brass 3. They add Drive, Entertain (Storytelling), Haggle, Melee (Basic) and Trade (Any), plus WS as a stat. Their Talents are Animal Affinity, Hardy, Tenacious and Very Strong. Tier 3 is Councillor, Brass 4. They add Bribery, Charm, Intimidate and Leadership, plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Craftsman (Any), Dealmaker, Stout-hearted and Very Resilient. Tier 4 is Village Elder, Silver 2. They add Intuition and Lore (History), plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Master Tradesman (Any), Nimble Fingered, Public Speaker and Savant (Local). Into the Ranger careers! Bounty Hunters can be anyone. They track down and capture fugitives or outlaws for money. Most are appointed by provincial courts and get warrant papers that let them seize or sometimes even kill their targets legally. Some are motivated by justice, but most are in it for the rewards. Most begin as simple thief-takers, retrieving stolen goods until they can establish a reputation and find more permanent work for a noble house, guild or cult, or start up their own bounty hunting group. Bounty Hunters often end up stumbling into adventure just via doing their job, and because they're often independent, they find it easy to turn towards doing whatever is currently happening instead of bounty hunting. Their broad skillset is also very helpful for adventuring groups, and it's not that rare for them to hire on fulltime. They mix combat, social and exploration skills. On Bounty Hunters posted:"It's amazing just how many boys will wrap themselves in manacles if you smile sweetly enough. And if that doesn't work, it's out with the knives!" - Anke Dorflinger, Bounty Hunter Tier 1 is Thief-taker, Silver 1. They are good at WS, T and Agi, and get Bribery, Charm, Gossip, Haggle, Intuition, Melee (Basic), Outdoor Survival and Perception. Their Talents are Break and Enter, Shadow, Strike to Stun and Suave. Tier 2 is Bounty Hunter, Silver 3. They add Athletics, Endurance, Intimidate, Ranged (Crossbow), Ranged (Entangling) and Track, plus BS as a stat. Their Talents are Marksman, Relentless, Seasoned Traveller and Strong Back. Relentless lets you Disengage while keeping a bit of Advantage, and lets you Disengage even when you have lower Advantage than your foe. Tier 3 is Master Bounty Hunter, Silver 5. They add Animal Care, Climb, Ride (Horse) and Swim, plus S as a stat. Their Talents are Accurate Shot, Careful Strike, Dual Wielder and Sprinter. Tier 4 is Bounty Hunter General, Gold 1. They add Drive and Lore (Law), plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Deadeye Shot, Fearless (Bounties), Hardy and Sure Shot. Next time: Coachman, Entertainer, Flagellant
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Sep 13, 2018 16:43
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PurpleXVI posted:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1448273438/hc-svnt-dracones-20/description It looks like it might, but the "shape and mass" system seems like a legit new idea. Whether theyve implemented it well is to be seen. Also once the Kickstarter is finished does that mean HSD 1e can be reviewed by system mastery?
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Sep 13, 2018 17:53
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Bounty-hunter is nearly a witch hunter. Is a broad-brimmed hat one of the trappings?
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Sep 13, 2018 19:19
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JcDent posted:Bounty-hunter is nearly a witch hunter. Is a broad-brimmed hat one of the trappings? No, because Witch Hunter is itself a Career.
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Sep 13, 2018 19:30
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WFRP 4e - Hitting Yourself With Whips Is The Secret Of True Combat Murder Coachmen can be Dwarfs, Halflings or Humans. For most, coaches are the only real way to get between towns, given the dangers inherent in travel. The wild places are full of Beastmen, Bandits and more, but despite that, Coachmen make it possible for even peasants to travel! The coaching companies relentlessly pursue speed, to better evade danger, and their employees have a reputation for ruthlessness and distrust of other travellers on the road. They typically begin their careers as Postilions, who read the lead horse of the team. Some Coachmen deliver mail rather than passengers, or work exclusively for a noble they chaffeur, or drive cabs or merchant wagons, or even the omnibuses of the cities that move citizens around, or even become getaway drivers. A good Coachman is always in demand for rough, dangerous or straight up illegal jobs. They often take breaks in winter to do other things, as the cross-country coaching lines are severely reduced during that season, but jobs are never scarce come spring - the coaching companies always need good drivers. The Coachman is an able combatant and has good social skills. On Coachmen posted:"Get 'em fed in a quarter bell. No second portions. We ain't paid for that. Coach Mistress eats last but save 'er the best. One minute longer than the quarter and I take a pfennig off you, the Mistress takes a shilling off me, and Castle Rock Coaches will be in here as quick as silver." - Bettina Hoch, Innkeeper Tier 1 is Postilion, Silver 1. They get good BS, T and WP, and have Animal Care, Charm Animal, Climb, Drive, Endurance, Perception, Ranged (Entangling) and Ride (Horse). Their Talents are Animal Affinity, Seasoned Traveller, Trick Riding and Tenacious. Trick Riding gives a bonus to Dodge tests on horseback and Ride (Horse), and lets you use any Perform skills freely while on horseback as well as removing any penalty to Dodge for being on horseback. Also, when mounted, you can take your Move at the start of the Round instead of on your Turn. (This edition has actual rules for being mounted!) Tier 2 is Coachman, Silver 2. They add Consume Alcohol, Gossip, Intuition, Lore (Local), Navigation and Ranged (Blackpowder), plus Agi as a stat. Their Talents are Coolheaded, Crack the Whip, Gunner and Strong-Minded. Crack the Whip gives a bonus to Drive and Ride tests when Fleeing or Running, and gives any animal you control +1 Movement when Fleeing or Running if you have a whip. Tier 3 is Coach Master, Silver 3. They add Animal Training (Horse), Intimidation, Language (any) and Lore (Routes), plus WS as a stat. Their Talents are Accurate Shot, Dealmaker, Fearless (Outlaws) and Nose for Trouble. Tier 4 is Route Master, Silver 5. They add Charm and Leadership, plus I as a stat. Their Talents are Fearless (Beastmen), Marksman, Orientation and Rapid Reload. Entertainers can be anyone. They are found all over the place, and many wander Reikland to earn their keep. Some work out of a specific theatre, some work by themselves on street corners or travelling, some are part of a troupe. The worst are essentially just travelling beggars, while the best are called on by kings and princes. It's a hard life, and no one tolerates a poor act, often running them out of town and throwing spoiled vegetables. The most common Entertainers are the jesters, singers, actors, musicians, acrobats, dancers and jugglers - crowd-pleasers that everyone loves. However, more obscure and stranger acts can easily exist. Entertainers are basically adventurers by default - both travel often, after all, and the call of the crowd is like an adventure already. Given they live on the edges of respectable society, they also get into a lot of trouble. They are largely social skills with a smattering of sneak and some minor combat ability. On Entertainers posted:"A wandering minstrel I, Tier 1 is Busker, Brass 3. They have good Agi, Dex and Fel, and get Athletics, Charm, Entertain (Any), Gossip, Haggle, Perform (Any), Play (Any) and Sleight of Hand. Their Talents are Attractive, Mimic, Public Speaking and Suave. Tier 2 is Entertainer, Brass 5. They add Entertain (Any), Ride (Any), Melee (Basic), Perform (Any), Play (Any) and Ranged (Throwing), plus WS as a stat. Their Talents are Contortionist, Jump Up, Sharpshooter and Trick Riding. Contortionist gives a bonus to Perform and Agi tests where contorting helps, and lets you bend your body in many seemingly unnatural ways, which help you out whenever the GM says they do (possibly requiring an Agi test). Jump Up lets you make an Agi test to immediately stand up whenever you gain a Prone condition, often with a modifier based on the Str of whatever knocked you down compared to your T. Tier 3 is Troubadour, Silver 3. They add Animal Care, Animal Training (Any), Art (Writing) and Language (Any), plus BS as a stat. Their Talents are Blather, Master of Disguise, Perfect Pitch and Read/Write. Perfect Pitch gives a bonus to Entertain (Sing), and any Langage skill using tonal languages, such as Eltharin, Cathayan or Magick. You also add Entertain (Sing) to your skill list for all Careers, with a discount if it already had it. Tier 4 is Troupe Leader, Gold 1. They add Drive and Leadership, plus T as a stat. Their Talents are Dealmaker, Etiquette (Any), Seasoned Traveller and Sharp. Flagellants are Human-only. They are Sigmarites who believe that forgiveness requires their struggle, pain and obedience. They travel the land, flogging themselves in penance for their own sins and those of others. They are utterly determined to serve Sigmar until the world's end, which they are pretty sure is soon. It is expected that good people will welcome, feed and help them in their quest. They often wander in large groups, guided by a Prophet of Doom that interprets the will of Sigmar for them. Some follow after armies, entering battle frenzies to fight without regard for their own safety. Others wander alone, certain they can best serve by righting whatever wrongs Sigmar puts in their path. It is, thus, very easy for them to wander into an adventure, especially if foes of Sigmar are involved. They rely entirely on the honest people of the Empire to support them, doing no actual work besides, y'know, whipping themselves and beating up evil. Their skillset is combat and survival. They are pretty dang good at both, being one of the only careers with native Frenzy access now that Frenzy doesn't suck. On Flagellants posted:"We strike this flesh and spill this blood, for his Empire, in the name of Sigmar!" - Viktorina Schwefel, Flagellant Tier 1 is Zealot, Brass 0. They are good at WS, S and T, and have Dodge, Endurance, Heal, Intimidate, Intuition, Lore (Sigmar), Melee (Flail) and Outdoor Survival. Their Talents are Berserk Charge, Frenzy, Read/Write and Stone Soup. Berserk Charge gives a bonus to Melee in Rounds when you Charge, and gives bonus Melee damage when you Charge. Frenzy allows you to use the Frenzy rules. Tier 2 is Flagellant, Brass 0. They add Art (Icons), Athletics, Cool, Language (Classical), Lore (The Empire) and Ranged (Sling), plus WP as a stat. Their Talents are Hardy, Hatred (Heretics), Flagellant and Implacable. Flagellant gives a bonus to any test to resist the Ruinous Powers, and requires that you spend half an hour every day maintaining a number of Wounds on your body equal to your purchases, but until you sleep next after that, you can enter Frenzy immediately without testing if you have the Frenzy Talent, and the Frenzy Talent is added to the list for any Career you are in. If you ever fail to flagellate on a given day, or if your flagellant wounds are healed, you cannot spend Resilience or Resolve until you flagellate again. And you are, of course, a Flagellant Flagellant with Flagellant. Implacable allows you to ignore the Wound loss from one Bleeding Condition per purchase. Tier 3 is Penitent, Brass 0. They add Charm, Language (Any), Lore (Theology) and Perception, plus I as a stat. Their Talents are Field Dressing, Furious Assault, Menacing and Seasoned Traveller. Furious Assault gives a bonus to Melee when making extra attacks (but not your first normal attack per Round) and, once per Round, if you hit an enemy in close combat, you may immediately spend your Move or 1 Advantage to make an extra attack. Tier 4 is Prophet of Doom, Brass 0. They add Entertain (Speeches) and Leadership, plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Battle Rage, Fearless (Heretics), Frightening and Impassioned Zeal. Battle Rage gives a bonus to Melee tests when Frenzied and allows you end your Frenzy early by making a Cool test at the end of a Round. Next time: Messenger, Pedlar, Road Warden
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Sep 13, 2018 19:30
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Good old Coachman. It was always a solid first career, especially as it led right into Highwayman and Scout, and for much the same reason. A guy who knows how to handle a gun and how to run a business is never amiss as an adventurer. Are whips still surprisingly good? Entangling was always a surprisingly solid weapon style.
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Sep 13, 2018 20:13
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Night10194 posted:Good old Coachman. It was always a solid first career, especially as it led right into Highwayman and Scout, and for much the same reason. A guy who knows how to handle a gun and how to run a business is never amiss as an adventurer. Whips count as ranged weapons now, do damage equivalent to a throwing knife and can entangle foes, so...yeah, good option. The only problem is that once you entangle a foe you need a secondary option and likely it's in your off hand so it has a penalty.
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Sep 13, 2018 20:15
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Mors Rattus posted:Whips count as ranged weapons now, do damage equivalent to a throwing knife and can entangle foes, so...yeah, good option. The only problem is that once you entangle a foe you need a secondary option and likely it's in your off hand so it has a penalty. They actually always counted as ranged, with a range of (up to) 6m and SB-4 damage (so about on par with a throwing knife) before. Plus since you didn't have to reload you could swift attack, and they always had the snare move. Whip was one of the best reasons to have Ambidextrous, because you could snare someone and then lay into them with your sword while they tried to get out. So basically it sounds like they work the same.
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Sep 13, 2018 20:17
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WFRP 4e - BURN THE WITCH Witch Hunters must be Human. They are feared and respected across the Empire, with wide leeway in the performance of their duties. Those duties are to hunt the Old World and judge illegal witches and those who harbor them, typically armed with silvered blades and a brace of pistols. Most Witch Hunters are Sigmarites and belong to the Cult of Sigmar, but secular Witch Hunters do exist and are sometimes employed in the provinces. They are effectively specialized bounty hunters, though. The Colleges of Magic also employ their own Witch HGunters, the Magisters Vigilant, who hunt rogue wizards, necromancers and daemonologists, and tend to be trained wizards themselves, the logic being that it's best to set a witch to catch a witch. Witch Hunters don't do anything except adventure, crossing the entire Empire in search of rogue sorcerers. They show up wherever the foul influence of unsanctioned magic does, and they hunt it down. The bigger the reputation they get, the more terrible the foes they are set upon. The game notes that it is probably not a good idea to have a Witch or Hedge Witch and a Witch Hunter in the same party without some OOC negotiations to prevent major, game-killing conflict. Witch Hunters are excellent fighters with pretty good knowledge and intimidation skills. On Witch Hunters posted:"I ain't met a witch yet that won't catch fire." - Father Linken Donatus, Priest of Sigmar, murdered by a rogue pyromancer Tier 1 is Interrogator, Silver 1. They are good at WS, T and WP, and have Charm, Consume Alcohol, Heal, Intimidate, Intuition, Lore (Torture), Melee ( Tier 2 is Witch Hunter, Silver 3. They add Cool, Dodge, Gossip, Lore (Witches), Ranged (Any) and Ride (Horse, plus BS as a stat. Also their Trappings include the hat. Their Talents are Dual Wielder, Marksman, Seasoned Traveller and Shadow. Tier 3 is Inquisitor, Silver 5. They add Endurance, Leadership, Lore (Law), and Lore (Local), plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Fearless (Witches), Nose for Trouble, Relentless and Strong-minded. Tier 4 is Witchfinder General, Gold 1. They add Lore (Chaos) and Lore (Politics), plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Frightening, Iron Will, Magical Sense and Pure Soul. Boatmen casn be anything but Wood Elves. They manage the boats and barges of the Empire, moving goods along the rivers and canals in shallow-drafted vessels. The barge masters are expert river sailors with exhaustive knowledge of the rivers, and while simple boat-hands do whatever job is given them, they quickly learn the ropes and advance. Boatmen work for merchant barges, owned by their cvrew or captain, or by larger Merchant Houses. Many also serve as ferrymen along the rivers or run rivertaxis in large towns, sail pleasure ships or otherwise pilot vessels for others. Boatmen rarely need to seek out adventure - adventure lives on the rivers. Boats are needed by just about anyone, and so a Boatman can easily be present whenever adventure starts. The boat may even make an excellent base of operations for an adventuring party. Boatmen rarely have to worry about going anywhere if there's a river nearby, and even if they leave the river, they usually can have their fellow crewmen take care of the ship while they're away. Boatmen are decent if not great fighters with good exploration and decent social skills. On Boatmen posted:"Someday a real rain will come. So, don't forget your hat, madam." - Travis Binckel, Rivertaxi Tier 1 is Boat-hand, Silver 1. They are good at S, T and Agi, and have Consume Alcohol, Dodge, Endurance, Gossip, Melee (Basic), Row, Sail and Swim. Their Talents are Dirty Fighting, Fisherman, Strong Back and Strong Swimmer. Strong Swimmer gives a bonus to Swim tests and adds your purchases to your TB for purposes of holding your breath. Tier 2 is Boatman, Silver 2. They add Athletics, Entertain (Storytelling), Haggle, Intuition, Lore (Riverways) and Perception, plus I as a stat. Their Talents are Etiquette (Guilder), Seasoned Traveller, Very Strong and Waterman. Waterman gives a bonus to Sail tests for river vessels, and allows you to ignore any penalties on all Tests while onboard a barge that are caused by rolling waters, swaying vessels, unsure footing and so on. Also, you count as two boatmen for purposes of crew required to pilot a river vessel. Tier 3 is Bargeswain, Silver 3. It adds Climb, Entertain (Singing), Heal and Trade (Boatbuilding), plus Dex as a stat. Its Talents are Dealmaker, Embezzle, Nose for Trouble and Strike Mighty Blow. Tier 4 is Barge Master, Silver 5. It adds Leadership and Navigation, plus Int as a stat. Its Talents are Menacing, Orientation, Pilot and Public Speaker. Pilot gives a bonus to Row and Sail tests when in unsure or dangerous waters, and if you fail such a Test, you can reverse the result if it'd be successful, but if you do, you cannot get more than 1 SL. Huffers are Dwarfs, Halflings or Humans. They are specialized river guides who know one or a few local river systems extremely well. Huffers are commonly found near dangerous river stretches, and may be paid quite well for what many think is easy work. Others see it as cheap, given the alternative: risk of lost cargo. Many Huffers specialize in just one stretch of notorious water, while others focus on the periods of the year that the water is worst in. Others have broad knowledge and will work a boat for its entire vessel, serving as a navigator, especially for merchant ships with valuable cargo. Huffers are experts for hire, often working for wealthy patrons or brought in as specialists on voyages of discovery. Even when heading into the unknown, their broad knowledge of river conditions and river sailing are very useful, and they are able to travel much of the year due to the highly regional and seasonal nature of their work. This makes it easy for them to join adventurers for a time, then go back to huffing if the job doesn't suit their needs. Huffers get decent combat and social skills as well as, y'know, the boat skills. On Huffers posted:"A great big ship came in from Marienburg, low in the water and packed to the gunwales. I said that it would cost them a crown to take them through the Furdienst. Steep, yes, but it was a big ship. The arrogant Wastelander scoffed, said he'd do it himself. But sure enough, they drifted right into the shallows and were holed. They lost a good part of their cargo and it took them a week to repair the damage. Reckon it cost them a bit more than a crown." - Ilsa Dasche, Huffer Tier 1 is Riverguide, Brass 4. They're good at WS, T and I, and they have Consume Alcohol, Gossip, Intuition, Lore (Local), Lore (Riverways), Perception, Row and Swim. Their Talents are Fisherman, Night Vision, Orientation and Waterman. Tier 2 is Huffer, Silver 1. They add Charm, Cool, Entertain (Storytelling), Language (Any), Melee (Basic) and Navigation, plus WP as a stat. Their Talents are Dealmaker, Etiquette (Guilder), Nose for Trouble and River Guide. River Guide gives a bonus to any Lore test about river matters, and you never need to test for passing through dangerous waters until the Difficulty is -10 or worse - any easier test you automatically pass. Further, if you have the appropriate Lore (Local) skill, you just don't have to make tests to navigate dangerous waters in that area, period. Tier 3 is Pilot, Silver 3. They add Haggle, Intimidate, Lore (Local) and Lore (Wrecks), plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Acute SensE (Sight), Pilot, Sea Legs and Very Strong. Sea Legs gives a bonus to all tests taken to resist Sea Sickness, and you don't even have to make such tests under normal travel conditions - just during storms or magically caused Sea Sickness. Even then, you ignore any penalties on these tests. Tier 4 is Master Pilot, Silver 5. They add Leadership and Sail, plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Sixth Sense, Sharp, Strong Swimmer and Tenacious. Next time: Riverwarden, Riverwoman, Seaman
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Sep 13, 2018 22:52
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Night10194 posted:They actually always counted as ranged, with a range of (up to) 6m and SB-4 damage (so about on par with a throwing knife) before. Plus since you didn't have to reload you could swift attack, and they always had the snare move. Whip was one of the best reasons to have Ambidextrous, because you could snare someone and then lay into them with your sword while they tried to get out. You could only do this if you had an attack characteristic of better than 1, yeah? How easy is it to get extra attacks in this edition?
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Sep 13, 2018 22:54
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marshmallow creep posted:You could only do this if you had an attack characteristic of better than 1, yeah? Not very. Furious Assault talent or be Frenzied. Other than that, there's a few circumstances where you get a free swing on people. Other than that, extra attacks mostly belong to monsters.
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Sep 13, 2018 22:58
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Is there more of a reason to use two hand weapons over, say, hand weapon and shield now?
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Sep 13, 2018 23:18
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Night10194 posted:Is there more of a reason to use two hand weapons over, say, hand weapon and shield now? Axes specifically can hack off armor points and are almost all two handers. E: well, they all are but one is classed as a polearm and not twohanded for weapon group.. I wish there were more two harder talents, though.
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Sep 13, 2018 23:35
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Oh, I meant a pair of hand weapons, as in a sword and sword. Two-handers were always amazing just because of Impact.
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Sep 13, 2018 23:36
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Night10194 posted:Oh, I meant a pair of hand weapons, as in a sword and sword. Dual wielding is an actively supported strat that can let you do two hits a round and has good talent support. It’s just complex, I’ll probably explain it in more detail in the talents chapter because it would not have fit in the briefer writeups here. Sword and pistol also works.
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Sep 13, 2018 23:37
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Sorry, I'll wait for the equipment chapter. Was just always an oddity in the original system: They didn't want to use the TT rule for dual wielding (an extra attack) because it would probably have made it too useful compared to other options, but in the end the whole 'can free parry if you have a sword and sword' was offset by 'can also do that if you have a sword and shield, and the shield is at +10% WS to Parry, and gives enemies -10% to BS to shoot you, so why the hell aren't you using a shield' rule. Same reason no-one used Spears. Fast was useful, sure, but a hand weapon used the same prof, cost as much, and could Free Parry if wielded with a second hand weapon, dagger, or shield. Or the Morningstar or Rapier, which actually made Morningstars the only weapon in the game that was just effectively an upgrade over a Hand Weapon (Since it was effectively a normal Hand Weapon except it had Impact and rolled twice for damage in the first round you used it each combat). And why Parrying weapons used to struggle to find a niche, since again, everyone could use Shields and they were extremely good. The main melee choice came down to flail/lance (they were mechanically identical for the most part), zweihander/halberd, or sword and shield.
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Sep 13, 2018 23:44
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They definitely tried to give weapons a niche here. Shields are a weapon now, btw, just with special shield rules on them. Bonking people with them isn’t a great idea tho.
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Sep 13, 2018 23:46
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Mors Rattus posted:
You skipped this set.
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Sep 14, 2018 01:50
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MonsterEnvy posted:You skipped this set. ...poo poo, did I? how'd i manage that, i had 'em written up ah well, tomorrow
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Sep 14, 2018 02:11
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PurpleXVI posted:SenZar 
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Sep 14, 2018 02:20
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Rifts World Book 19: Australia, Part 5 - "This impressive machine is fondly dubbed 'Big Brother' by lower level citizens, because it watches and records a lot of public activity, like something from a political paranoid's worst nightmare."  After the Jones family got a turret, well, just everybody had to have one. City Blueprints A Tale of Two cities As previously mentioned, Melbourne and Perth were the only Australian cities to survive the apocalypse, and have worked to fortify and isolate themselves ever since. They're not allied in any sense - they haven't even made meaningful contact - but they share a lot of similarities. While their societies are highly advanced and affluent, They're also highly regimented and bureaucratic. They generally see the outside as a hellscape overrun by bandits and monsters, and ban immigration almost entirely. Melbourne Now located on an island thanks to the flooding during the cataclysm, Melbourne is entirely walled off and though there are ruined beaches, no citizen visits them. In general, it comes across as a large steel and concrete monolith, with aircraft constantly patrolling for dangers. Melbourne is technically a democratic republic, but is given to severe jingoism and the military wields a great deal of power. We get a long list of governmental departments from the Occult Investigation Agency to Department of Goods Distribution, but they all answer to the CAO, or Central Administration Office. There is no single president or prime minister, but the CAO instead is a committee of eleven representatives. We get some quick places of interest: The Government Tower is a giant silver needle that houses most of the major goverment offices within a perimeter wall. The Botanical Gardens take up a fifth of the island for hydroponics and bio-domes to serve their food needs, with much of the remainder taken from the sea. The Football Stadium still exists because this is Melbourne and football is still important. Presumably they have several teams now, so it's not like "And the Melbourne Devils face... nobody! Again! Win by default for the Melbourne Devils! Hooray!" The Theater Zone is the main entertainment hub by happenstance. Lastly, The Energy Loop is a tremendous massive pipe that handles power distribution. Please don't blow up our large obvious power source! Please? The city also has a central AI known as "MAC-2 Melbourne", aka "Kay", who helped advise the reconstruction and espoused the isolation that Melbourne lives under. While it has no technical authority and is theoretically an advisor, it spies and collects information throughout the city to provide to the CAO. It also handles important announcements and propaganda, and though an AI, still largely acts on efficiency and logic over feelings. Though nobody knows this for certain, there's a program where that if over 50% of the members of the CAO are unable to serve for any reason, it can take over the city by itself. There are conspiracy theories that it's seeking to overthrow the human government, but there's no hard evidence. Perth Though much of Perth was eventually submerged, the city had enough warning to evacuate. As they rebuilt, they built part of the city over the submerged ruins, and only built their major wall facing the shore. They make up the difference with heavy security and patrols, but they're debating whether or not to build that (sea-facing) wall. In general, it's more jumbled and less organized than Melbourne. Government Hill is actually an island, and the main government have a pyramid-styled building. The Sprawl is much of the seaward area that struggles with flooding and waves, making it the closest equivalent they have to a slum. The Military Wall goes right up agains the mountains, but the bunkers and training camp that adjoin it on the inside make up the main military center. The Sky Needle was originally built for communications, but a lack of hope regarding the outside world has relegated its use to sensors and air control. The Monorail is a large rail system that dips up and down through the buildings. The Central Processor Plant desalinates water and purifies air, making sure smog is a minor issue. The Central Hydro Power Plant provides most of its power, though there are plans to build a backup despite protest from locals nearby. Lastly, the Center Domes are large, clear domes built to protect the citizens from air attack, airborne infections, and things trying to steal their... essence. The computer that oversees Perth is the Black Swan PCC-12000, more commonly known as "Reflex". It mainly processes information and records, and anybody can access it, but with varying access depending on your "citizen level", whatever that is. It isn't an AI per se, though, and doesn't have any level of self-determination. Features Common to Both Cities So, despite being completely separated and out of contact with each other, both cities have common elements due to coming from the same society and same technology. And, you know, 300 years of development couldn't change that! You take two groups of people and separate them for 300 years, obviously when they come together they'll be like "well, not much has changed, do we still do fistbumps, we do, *fistbump*". In the interest of avoiding duplication of effort, we get some mutually applicable facts. Both are fine places to live as long as you don't mind stifling fascism and surveillance in just about every place that isn't the bathroom (I'm just guessing they don't watch you pee, but I'm being generous). Every building and every room has its own address so that the computer can keep tabs on you. Everybody has a citizen card with a level designated between 0 and 5, where being caught without your card is a major offense. 0 is an unskilled laborer, criminal, or mutant, 3 would be a white-collar worker or blue-collar management, and 5 are CEOs, government administrators, etc. In general, the main way to improve your Citizen Level is by military / security enlistment. Paranoia is a given, and fears of infiltration or invasion are common; hence the walls, citizen cards, etc. The walls are fortified with sentry towers, automated guns regular drone patrols, and they generally shoot anything that's larger than a cat without an ID card. Manned aircraft responses are also massively trigger-happy, and rarely give a chance for humanoid intruders to surrender. Everything else gets shot. Beyond the wall and above the city, there are "laser nets" of laser sensors that detect incoming intruders. While it's seemingly impregnable, there are ways to get in during gaps in laser net coverage (usually during aircraft or watercraft approaches), through pipes and waste chutes, etc. Basically, there's a guide as to how inventive PCs might be able to break in and out, though it's still fairly challenging. Rifts World Book 19: Australia posted:Oh, and G.M.s, you don't have to be generous, but be fair.  "Seriously, I was just looking for the loo." Key Players Police are straight-laced, heavily armed, honest fascists. However, crime is low, and most of their most serious threats come from the outside - smuggled items, magic, alien lifeforms, city raiders, etc. Murder and other major crimes aren't unheard of, but are very rare. They also deal with registering psychics and mutants, who are both considered to be dangerous by default. Perth is slightly more open than Melbourne, and has a result it has a slightly higher crime rate. We get a list of crimes and punishments - more unusual crimes include wasting resources, hiding a psychic or mutant, illegal use of psychic or mutant powers, or magic usage. Imprisonment as punishment is unheard of- instead, one is typically given fines or community service. Major crimes can result in automatic conscription or loss of Citzenry Level. The worst crimes can result in temporary facial branding ("Humiliation Treatment"), "Personality Adjustment", or outright exile. Exile is the most feared, as citizens of both cities presume the outside is a terrible murderland (it is, but not as bad as they think). There is a list of subversive groups, like organized crime ("The Collective", "Procurers Limited"), raiders, mutant rights groups ("The Mutant Liberation Movement", "The Mutant Defense League"), radical human supremacists ("The Supreme Australian Nation", "The Free Australia Movement"), fanatical isolationists ("The Anti-EHRA Movement"), and sorcerers ("The Secret Society of Magic"). Lastly, we end with a long laundry list of companies in each city, one of which are terribly notable beyond their spheres of influence. Rifts World Book 19: Australia posted:More details to come? Nope!  Next: Oh, the jerks you'll play!
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Sep 14, 2018 06:28
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Mors Rattus posted:...huh. It isn't actually explicit anywhere n the book; neither is needing to gain the trappings. I inferred that you must be given them when you rank up because nothing else made sense, but...you're right, it just isn't mentioned. This was from a couple of days ago, but I've been reading the book myself and, while it's not explicitly spelled out in any single place, based on scattered references throughout Chapters 2, 3, and 11 I'm pretty confident this is how it works:
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Sep 14, 2018 07:37
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WFRP 4e - Not Peddlers, Pedlars Messengers can be anyone. When standard postal service (ie, 'hand it to a coach going in the right direction') is too unsecure or slow, people go to the Messengers. Several companies provider courier services at express speed, competing to be the fastest and safest for message delivery. Most Messengers take their jobs deadly seriously, guarding their packages with their lives if need be. Some courier companies work with coaching houses to allow for easy horse swaps and therefore top speed delivery. In cities, runners are employed to carry messages within city limits, and most larger settlements will host competitions and races to celebrate the fastest of them, with winners earning prizes and lucrative delivery contracts. Messengers often work the military, nobles, large merchant groups or even criminal gangs that want to maintain the privacy of their communications. The information within such messages is usually sensitive and can easily lead to adventure if intercepted - or even if delivered properly. The easiest way for anyone to get that information, at that, is to waylay the Messenger, which is adventure in itself. At that point, if it's lost, the Messenger's duty is to work to recover it by any means possible. Messengers are usually freelancers rather than permanent employees, paid per delivery, and so it's easy enough for them to drop everything and then return to work later. Messengers are good at exploration and if not at winning fights, at least at getting through them intact. On Messengers posted:"Are you Herr Schmidt of Hochplatz, Kemperbad? Erm, do you know a Herr Schmidt of Hochplatz, Kemperbad? Erm, do you know a Hochplatz? Kemberbad?" - Willi Winkle, Messenger on his first day Tier 1 is Runner, Brass 3. They're good at T, I and Agi, and have Athletics, Climb, Dodge, Endurance, Gossip, Navigation, Perception and Melee (Brawling). Their Talents are Flee!, Fleet Footed, Sprinter and Step Aside. Fleet Footed is +1 Movement. Tier 2 is Messenger, Silver 1. They add Animal Care, Charm, Cool, Lore (Local), Melee (Basic) and Ride (Horse), plus WS as a stat. Their Talents are Crack the Whip, Criminal, Orientation and Seasoned Traveller. Tier 3 is Courier, Silver 3. They add Charm Animal, Bribery, Consume Alcohol and Outdoor Survival, plus WP as a stat. Their Talents are Nose for Trouble, Relentless, Tenacious and Trick Riding. Tier 4 is Courier-Captain, Silver 5. They add Intimidate and Leadership, plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Dealmaker, Hatred (Outlaws), Kingpin and Very Resilient. Pedlars can be Dwarfs, Humans or Halflings. They are traveling merchants of a sort, selling miscellaneous crap, sharpening knives, mending clothes, tinkering - really, just about anything that needs doing but not a dedicated trade. They're basically walking general stores, selling hair pins or ribbons or other small luxuries easily available in larger towns. Even the most suspicious tend to welcome a Pedlar, because everyone loves pretty baubles and knickknacks. Some also serve as de facto messengers and town criers, bringing around the local news in the quiet areas in exchange for room and board. Some Pedlars prefer to keep market stalls due to the dangers of the road, and some make a living selling relics along pilgrimage routes. Ambitious Pedlars often get into adventure after hearing tales of profit in far-off lands. They're self-reliant sorts, easily able to pick and move, and find it easy to get into towns and strongholds with few questions asked, because they're so ubuquitous. Pedlars are all about exploration, social and sneaking, with a smattering of craft skill. They do not fight at all. On Pedlars posted:"This here is an absolutely unique, one-of-a-kind, only-one-in-existence, work of art. If you want more, don't worry, I've got another couple dozen on the back of the cart." - Delberz Trotte, Trader Tier 1 is Vagabond, Brass 1. They get good T, Dex and WP, and have Charm, Endurance, Entertain (Storytelling), Gossip, Haggle, Intuition, Outdoor Survival and Stealth (Rural or Urban). Their Talents are Fisherman, Flee!, Rover and Tinker. Fisherman gives a bonus to any test involving fishing and, assuming you have access to a large enough body of water, you are automatically assumed to fish up enough to feed yourself and a number of others based on your purchases, assuming you have time to spend at least an hour or so fishing. This is on top of normal foraging. Tier 2 is Pedlar, Brass 4. They add Animal Care, Charm Animal, Consume Alcohol, Evaluate, Ride (Horse) and Trade (Tinker), plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Dealmaker, Orientation, Seasoned Traveller and Strong Back. Tier 3 is Master Pedlar, Silver 1. They add Drive, Intimidate, Language (Any) and Perception, plus I as a stat. Their Talents are Numismatics, Sharo, Sturdy, Well-Prepared and Very Resilient. Tier 4 is Wandering Trader, Silver 3. They add Lore (Local) and Lore (Geography), plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Cat-tongued, Strong-minded, Suave and Tenacious. Road Wardens can be Halfling or Human. They are the Empire's system of protectors of the highways, fighting off bandits, Greenskins, Beastmen and anything else that threatens travellers. They are supported by tolls, which they usually end up collecting personally. The best and most successful are well-respected and beloved, often with free stays at any inn in their territory. Main-road Road Wardens are usually Army soldiers patrolling during peacetime, and so are well-trained and have sexy uniforms. Less-travelled roads have to make do with the local equivalents, who occasionally take advantage of their lack of supervision to gouge travellers. Some prefer to sit in their fortified toll stations rather than actually patrol, but they have to at least keep the roads nice enough that people will actually give up their coin. Road Wardens often run into adventure just by doing their job. Anything bad happening out in the country is, after all, usually near a road, and so they have to go deal with it. If they then follow up and stay involved, well, that's part of the job. Might even earn some extra pay - even if it means going way, way off-route. Road Wardens do good combat and exploration, decent social. On Road Wardens posted:"What can I say, it's a pfennig a leg. Them's the rules. Nothing I can do about it. Perhaps you should try to find a different route to get your bees to Grunberg." - Andreas Muller, jobsworth Toll Keeper Tier 1 is Toll Keeper, Brass 5. They're good at BS, T and I, and have Bribery, Consume Alcohol, Gamble, Gossip, Haggle, Melee (Basic), Perception and Ranged (Crossbow). Their Talents are Coolheaded, Embezzle, Marksman and Numismatics. Tier 2 is Road Warden, Silver 2. They add Animal Care, Endurance, Intimidate, Intuition, Outdoor Survival and Ride (Horse), plus WS as a stat. Their Talents are Crack the Whip, Criminal, Roughrider and Seasoned Traveller. Roughrider gives a bonus to Ride (Horse) in combat and allows you to have your mount take an Action in combat as well as a Move, without needing a Ride test, assuming you have the appropriate Ride skill. Tier 3 is Road Sergeant, Silver 4. They add Athletics, Charm, Leadership and Ranged (Blackpowder), plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Etiquette (Soldiers), Fearless (Outlaws), Hatred (Any) and Nose for Trouble. Tier 4 is Road Captain, Gold 1. They add Lore (Empire) and Navigation, plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Combat Aware, Commanding Presence, Kingpin and Public Speaker. Next time:
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Sep 14, 2018 11:47
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Alien Rope Burn posted:The Football Stadium still exists because this is Melbourne and football is still important. Presumably they have several teams now, so it's not like "And the Melbourne Devils face... nobody! Again! Win by default for the Melbourne Devils! Hooray!" Currently, half the teams in the AFL are based out of Melbourne. The ratio would have been even higher when this book was published.
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Sep 14, 2018 12:14
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WFRP 4e - RIVER COPS Riverwardens are Halflings or Humans. They are the members of the Imperial River Patrol, the river cops. They have a reputation for being harassing thugs as much as for actually stopping crime, but most riverside inns or villages set some dock space aside for them on the basis that if they weren't around, worse criminals would be. The Riverwardens are hugely overworked and tend to focus on the worst crimes, with lesser ones being assigned spot fines. On the major trade rivers, they maintain larger vessels crewed by their Shipswords, who are trained to handle problems like Trolls or Greenskins. Some Riverwardens rarely get out on the water, instead manning the outposts that overlook strategically important areas of river, while others work high-speed riverboats by night to stop smugglers. Their biggest vessels are essentially fully equipped warships, covered in cannon and mortars. River Wardens get up to plenty of adventure just doing their jobs, but even without that, they can easily head out on trips. River Warden shifts are a month long and you don't go off duty at all, but once they're over, you have months off to do whatever you need to do without question. Riverwardens mix combat skills and social skills, with a few exploration skills focused on the water. On River Wardens posted:"So back in the day, when I was a riverwarden, Big Willi came around to tell me I had to leave a certain shipment alone. He said I should just let it through and everything would be alright. Of course, I was young, wasn't I? I told the ship's Master all about it. And was I rewarded for my honesty? Nah, Big Willi came round and beat me up, and the next day I was drummed out of the river patrol. They were all in it together, weren't they?" - Nikki Schnelling, ex-riverwarden Tier 1 is River Recruit, Silver 1. They are good at BS, S and Fel, and have Athletics, Dodge, Endurance, Melee (Basic), Perception, Row, Sail and Swim. Their Talents are Strong Swimmer, Strong Back, Very Strong and Waterman. Tier 2 is Riverwarden, Silver 2. They add Bribery, Charm, Intimidate, Gossip, Lore (Riverways) and Ranged (Blackpowder), plus WS as a stat. Their Talents are Criminal, Gunner, Fisherman and Seasoned Traveller. Tier 3 is Shipsword, Silver 4. They add Climb, Cool, Intuition and Leadership, plus I as a stat. Their Talents are Fearless (Wreckers), Hatred (Any), Pilot and Sea Legs. Tier 4 is Shipsword Master, Gold 1. They add Lore (Law) and Navigation, plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Commanding Presence, Kingpin, Menacing and Orientation. Riverwomen are Dwarfs, Halflings or Humans. They're the folks that live along the rivers and make their living from them. The river banks are densely populated, and between them and the marshes, plenty of people live off fishing, trading, dredging and ensuring everyone else has plenty of eels, shellfish, fish and so on to eat. They tend to be more open, diverse and friendly than other villagers, as they meet often with travellers on the rivers. Riverwomen are at home anywhere there's water, and because of their diverse skills, they're pretty much able to drop everything with the confidence that there'll be a job to come home to if needed. They are well-placed to learn a lot of stuff, especially about river crimes, and may well have criminal contacts, which can be very handy. Riverwomen are mostly exploration skills but get some decent if not amazing combat. On Riverwomen posted:"If I drop this branch in the water now, it will eventually get to Marienburg. Unless it sticks in the mud, of course." - Jemima the Greenfish Tier 1 is Greenfish, Brass 2. They are good at T, Agi and Dex, and have Athletics, Consume Alcohol, Dodge, Endurance, Gossip, Outdoor Survival, Row and Swim. Their Talents are Fisherman, Gregarious, Strider (Marshes) and Strong Swimmer. Tier 2 is Riverwoman, Brass 3. They add Gamble, Lore (Local), Lore (Riverways), Ranged (Entangling), Ranged (Throwing) and Set Trap, plus WS as a stat. Their Talents are Craftsman (Boatbuilder), Rover, Strong Back and Waterman. Tier 3 is Riverwise, Brass 5. They add Charm, Intuition, Melee (Polearm) and Perception, plus I as a stat. Their Talents are Savant (Riverways), Stout-hearted, Tenacious and Very Strong. Tier 4 is River Elder, Silver 2. They add Entertain (Storytelling) and Lore (Folklore), plus Fel as a stat. Their Talents are Master Craftsman (Boatbuilder), Public Speaker, Sharp and Strong-minded. Seamen can be anyone but Wood Elves. They are your career sailors on the high seas or the River Reik, typically for the Imperial Navy or one of the merchant houses. Reikland may not have a coastline, see, but the Reik is more than wide and deep enough for most ocean-going vessels to comfortably sail it. The Imperial First Fleet that patrols it rarely actually sees open sea, mostly because the taxes for warships to pass through Marienburg are exorbitant. It is very easy for a Seaman to find work on just about any vessel, and some work to travel the world, paying their way with labor. Others work out of the Missions, buildings run by the Imperial Navy to provide for their staff. Obviously, it is extremely easy for a Seaman to get involved in anything, especially if ships are present. Seamen mix exploration, social and combat skills. On Seamen posted:"I can see the Sea!" - Marian Zelman, Optimistic Reiklander Sailor Tier 1 is Landsman, Silver 1. They're good at Agi, Dex and Fel, and have Climb, Consume Alcohol, Gamble, Gossip, Row, Melee (Brawling), Sail and Swim. Their Talents are Fisherman, Strider (Coastal), Strong Back and Strong Swimmer. Tier 2 is Seaman, Silver 3. They add Athletics, Dodge, Endurance, Entertain (Singing), Language (Any) and Melee (Basic), plus WS as a stat. Their Talents are Catfall, Sea Legs, Seasoned Traveller and Strong Legs. Catfall gives a bonus to Athletics tests when falling and, when you fall, you can make an Athletics test to reduce the distance fallen for damage purposes. Tier 3 is Boatswain, Silver 5. They add Cool, Leadership, Perception, and Trade (Carpenter), plus I as a stat. Their Talents are Old Salt, Strike Mighty Blow, Tenacious and Very Strong. Old Salt gives a bonus to Sail tests on any seaworthy vessel and lets you ignore any negative modifiers to tests at sea based on weather, rolling ships and so on, plus you count as two seamen for purposes of minimum crew required to pilot a sea vessel. Tier 4 is Ship's Master, Gold 2. They add Charm and Navigation, plus Int as a stat. Their Talents are Orientation, Pilot, Public Speaking and Savvy. Next time: Smuggler, Stevedore, Wrecker
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Sep 14, 2018 12:38
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Mors Rattus posted:Riverwardens are Halflings or Humans. As an aside, I like that, for at least a couple of the occupations with gendered names "because of the limitations of language," they went with the feminine form rather than assuming masculine = default.
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Sep 14, 2018 12:59
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They also provide a lot of female characters in the art and the quotes. It's very nice, and the art has some really diverse body styles. (Smuggler, for instance, is a lady who is built something like a very confident keg with a gun.)
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Sep 14, 2018 13:01
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That kind of stuff goes a long way to allaying my other worry about 4e, which is that I kind of feared stuff like 'Bretonnia is as much about the performative nature of gender and class as it is chivalry and lancing dragons' would go by the wayside in an update.
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Sep 14, 2018 13:17
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