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fool_of_sound posted:Ya, a quote I've heard used is 'No sane person would think UA magic was worth the price, too bad the magic users aren't sane." Yeah. Probably the most "benign" Avatar in terms of demands on the follower would be the MVP, but like- you *could* find some promising athlete, coach him away from the taboos, get his Avatar skill high enough that he starts improving his hometown... or you could just adopt a highway or something. Even if you do manage to pull off a Michael Jordan, the book points out that in '98 the Jordan name and image made more money than the incomes of every adept on the planet put together. That kind of cash would certainly do more for Wilmington N.C. than occasional jolts every time the Bulls won.
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Jul 19, 2015 04:30
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Michael Jordan being an MVP who fell would explain a lot.
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Jul 19, 2015 05:06
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Although Jordan would make a super-powerful Plutomancer if he managed to keep playing like that while obsessed only with money. Charges coming in like water.
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Jul 19, 2015 05:09
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The Lone Badger posted:Although Jordan would make a super-powerful Plutomancer if he managed to keep playing like that while obsessed only with money. Charges coming in like water. The NBA is full of people who act like this: Sports Illustrated posted:“Allen was the first guy that showed me how NBA players spend money in strip clubs,” Barnes says. “That guy went. HARD. He’d throw so much money, and this was when I was first in the league, that I used to take my foot and scoop the poo poo under my chair and either re-throw it or put some in my pocket. He’d throw $30,000, $40,000 every time we went. I’m like, ‘You realize what I can do with this money?’” If Jordan actually managed to follow the Plutomancer taboo, it would be all over every tabloid in US.
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Jul 19, 2015 07:12
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golden bubble posted:If Jordan actually managed to follow the Plutomancer taboo, it would be all over every tabloid in US. I figure, when you're someone like that you don't need to actually buy things. You just put it in your contract that you will be supplied with everything you want.
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Jul 19, 2015 07:16
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The Lone Badger posted:I figure, when you're someone like that you don't need to actually buy things. You just put it in your contract that you will be supplied with everything you want. This is pretty much how concert riders work. I'm fairly certain most of the bigger names that come through my building are using us to stock their liquor cabinets.
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Jul 19, 2015 07:49
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The Lone Badger posted:I figure, when you're someone like that you don't need to actually buy things. You just put it in your contract that you will be supplied with everything you want. 
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Jul 19, 2015 08:10
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So with Games Workshop blowing up the Warhammer Fantasy setting to roll out their new skirmish game I was reminded of the fact that I completely missed out on Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition back when it was new. All I remembered about it was it used funny dice and it caused Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay fans to have howling conniption fits that made all the people bitching about 4E seem mild by comparison. I went and dug up a copy of the revised version that Fantasy Flight put out near the end of the edition's life and y'know what, this is actually full of interesting ideas. This is obviously where FFG first started messing around with RPGs having their own unique dice, and if you're familiar with their Star Wars RPGs then this is the progenitor of that. Where WFRP3 differs is that it adds a different wrinkle to things in the form of stances. There are three stances, neutral, cautious, and reckless, and by adopting a cautious or reckless stance you get to replace some of your Characteristic dice with Cautious or Reckless dice which have different arrays of results they can produce as well as different drawbacks. Cautious dice are full of successful results but also run the risk of you running into delays as you try and carefully do something, while Reckless dice are even more full of successful results but also have a mix of results that can either fatigue you through overexertion or result in things going badly wrong. And these stances affect the actions you perform as well, either in combat or in more freeform tasks like social or investigatory encounters. Some actions remain the same either way, like basic attack and defensive options, but more actions have different effects if they're used in either Cautious or Reckless stance, like attacks which do more damage in Reckless stance but fatigue you or open you up to reprisal or social actions whose approach changes depending on your stance between either careful flattery and lies of omission to flat-out lying through your teeth and throwing caution to the wind. And I can absolutely see why Warhammer grogs stripped a gear over this game because holy poo poo you guys, going over WFRP3 while keeping all the ridiculous edition warring over D&D4E in mind (the two games were contemporaries, coming out around the same time) is hilarious. You know how people complain about 4E's powers being too "MMO" complete with cooldowns? WFRP3 has actual MMO-style cooldowns for things! When you use certain actions or abilities with a Refresh rating they have to slowly count down until they're usable again. Some abilities have different Refresh rates so some things are slower to refresh than others. Like, the core defense moves of Dodge and Parry have a Refresh of 4 which means after you use them you put four counters on the action card (all skills and abilities come on cards!) and then remove one turn by turn until you can use it again. But some abilities interact with refresh rates so someone who delivers a stirring and inspiring speech could allow you to pull a couple refresh counters off early, while someone who nails you with a disorienting attack could add them on. I mean this game is FFG as hell, it comes with a ton of components and tokens and cards and stuff because that's what they do best. All of your Talents come on cards and every career has a sheet with tabs on the side you can just stick the appropriate Talents next to to indicate that they're currently active, everybody has an "action deck" which represents all the actions their character is trained in, ranging from basic stuff like simple attacks and parries and social maneuvers to more complex stuff you purchase with advances like two-weapon fighting, giving rousing speeches, or knowing how to canvass a city for information. Remember those stances from earlier? Every career has its own stance track, some going deeper into Cautious and some going deeper into Reckless and you get to purchase further depth in either one with advances. And you make your own stance track out of die-cut puzzle pieces that fit together! Yes, there's a Rat Catcher profession. Not only do you get a small but vicious dog but you can slot special Talents onto your dog (who gets its own mini character sheet) to represent the tricks you've taught it and you can purchase special actions for your action deck that center around giving orders to your dog. Careers seem to work similarly to the WFRP editions that have gone before. You get one randomly (default is draw three, pick one, but the later revised edition also has a d100 chart), it tells you what skills you count as career skills, gives you some typical trappings, and in this case every career gets a special ability as well as a stance track and an assortment of Talent slots. Then when you gain XP you get to use it to purchase advancements, the number and type of which available are denoted by the Career itself...so some Careers offer more advances for skill training, some are better for buying actions, some let you purchase more wound points, etc. You can also elect to jump to new careers, the cost of which is reduced if the careers share similar keywords (like Artisan, Scoundrel, Menial, etc). There aren't as many Careers by default as in WFRP, with a fair amount of consolidation going on...you don't have Ragpickers, Charcoal Burners, Camp Followers, etc, if you want to play a shitfarmer then there's a fairly straightforward Peasant career for you to reskin however you'd like. I am not at all shocked that this game got the backlash it did despite honestly looking kind of cool and interesting. I feel like the Cautious and Reckless stances give the game, at least on cursory inspection, a bit more interesting depth than the Star Wars games have, but in typical FFG fashion I imagine that actually playing the game with the full panoply of tokens, cards, and everything else would be a fiddly nightmare. I'd love to give this thing a try someday but I have the feeling that this is going to be one of those games where nobody I game with is even aware of its existence let alone owns a copy, or if they do know about it it's going to prompt an angry rant about how FFG tried to turn their beloved RPG into a board game.
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Jul 19, 2015 08:45
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WHF 3e is really fun in play. My group picked it up when it first came out and after playing a year and a half long WHF 2e game I loved all the changes they made. The only real problem is, as you said, it's FFG as hell. Every character gets their own little box to keep all of their character relevant stuff in (action cards, career card, the little bits you use to track things, the ability cards you can slot in, etc.) The other annoying part of the original core box launch is it only really supported 3 players and a GM, so we ended up with two of the core boxes.
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Jul 19, 2015 09:33
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Count Chocula posted:Everything I've read or seen about Sapphire & Steel makes it sound amazing. Like Doctor Who with just the creepy parts. It's being rebooted too. It's as lo-fi as late-Seventies English TV gets, and some of the specifics are the tiniest bit hinky, but it really is something else. Years ago, a friend dug up the first four episodes at about the same time he found someone's homebrew game based on similar themes, but I didn't even think of checking Youtube for the rest until after I found the boxed set at a used CD shop recently. ...now I want to find a copy of the Whispering Vault. That, and see if I still have that weird timecops RPG document around here.
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Jul 19, 2015 09:34
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The Lone Badger posted:I figure, when you're someone like that you don't need to actually buy things. You just put it in your contract that you will be supplied with everything you want. Theoretically, but there's still a lot of expenses that would easily bust taboo. Taxes certainly, accountants, agents, etc. Still, being obscenely rich is obviously still a good deal for a plutomancer even if they've got to bust from time to time. The biggest problem is that they'd probably ruin themselves by being unwilling to bust. Plutomancers would try and maximize their income while trying to insure never breaking taboo if at all possible...that means trying to avoid the need for lawyers or agents...evading taxes...even trying to get around things like hefty tickets. quote:...now I want to find a copy of the Whispering Vault. That, and see if I still have that weird timecops RPG document around here. I was actually thinking of making Whispering Vault my next F&F. It is definitely unique.
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Jul 19, 2015 11:03
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Sapphire & Steel is neat because they're absolutely not human. The Doctor isn't human either, but the Doctor acts in a way like he's a friendly human-looking entity in the whole uncanny valley chart so people are willing to overlook him not being human. Sapphire and Steel aren't human and can be polite or cordial but that's basically it because their mission comes first. Also if anyone has ever read any of the Promethean: The Created extra content books, the qashmallim duo of Ruby and Mr. Gold are an explicit Sapphire & Steel reference what with being two detached people with cool heads appearing where the Divine Fire needs them to be. And they actually work kinda well as qashmallim because in the show the two put more importance on their mission and their job than the people around them.
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Jul 19, 2015 15:59
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Is there an up to date index of the thread anywhere these days? It doesn't look like the index on tradwiki has been updated in at least half a year's time.
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Jul 19, 2015 17:02
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I am having trouble finding my Skorne and Legion hardcopies, which I need for the fluff stuff, so that's gonna be a bit. Until I find them, mercs! Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries  Mercenary is one of the most lucrative jobs in Immoren if you can handle it. They let generals have plausible deniability, bolster armies and bring in tactics that an army might lack. Most fight for coin, but they have many motives. Asheth Magnus has a complex agenda, an ogrun bokor fights for honor, Jarok Croe for greed. Those that have enough resources to combine with each other into small armies are often a match for any force. Of these, the most well known are the Four Star Syndicate, the Llaelese rebels of the Highborn Covenant, the pirates of the Talion Charter and the Rhulic Searforge Commission. Mercenaries are flexible forces, with very different styles. The Four Star Syndicate is a criminal enterprise, notorious even among pirates. They act brazenly and openly in their warjack-supported attacks, stealing from railyards, small fleets or even supply trains, then selling the goods on the black market. Few know much about their inner workings, but it's believed that the high captains that rule Five Fingers influence what contracts the Syndicate accepts and make use of its battles. Syndicate loyalty is bought with gold and iron, and anyone who hires out of Five Fingers will likely work for them eventually. The Syndicate pay well, but the jobs can be dirty. Four Star Syndicate armies can be made of any merc that works for Cryx or Khador, and may also include Captain Sam MacHorne and the Devil Dogs or Rhuper Carvolo. The Highborn Covenant is the most coherent effort of the Llaelese nobles in rebelling against Khador. They have a formidable army, though one more interested in coin than ideals. Their goal is lofty, if unlikely, and it gives the nobles in exile some legitimacy - without the army, their claims to rank would be tenuous at best. Most mercenaries working for them hire out for six to eight month tours, with extensions offered to reliable and trustworthy mercs. As time has passed with no signs of retaking Llael, they've been getting less selective. They will hire on any merc that works for Cygnar, and can also include a single Arcane Tempest Gun Mage or Long Gunner unit, which counts as mercenary rather than Cygnaran. The Searforge Commission is an alliance operated by Clan Searforge of Rhul to keep track of the southern struggles and ensure trade remains open. They lead the trade alliance for weapons, alloys, and 'jack parts, and while the Commission benefits them the most, they've also taken work that helps other mercantile clans. They coordinate mercenaries to escort trade shipments in hostile territory, and they are more than willing to fight to protect Rhulic interests. Searforge armies can include any mercenary Rhulic or Ogrun units. The Talion Charter was originally just the terms of employment aboard the ship Talion, a pirate crew. It's been expanded to serve as a rallying point for all kinds of pirates, privateers and freebooters, including some notable warcasters for hire, such as Phinneus Shae of the Talion, Broadsides Bart Montador of the Calamitas or the sorceress Fiona the Black. They've proven able to match any mercenary group, land or sea, and have quite reasonable rates. A Talion Charter army can include Phinnaeus Shae, any Privateer units and any mercenary warjacks, but can't include the Commodore Cannon and Crew unless Shae's in your army.  War is so common to the Iron Kingdoms that it's only natural some people have turned it into a trade. Mercenaries are useful to everyone, dating back to the earliest days of the Warlord Era, when the warlords and priest-kings hired them to defend settlements. At the time, most were little more than tribal bands loyal to mercenary chieftain. As things went on, armies replaced levies and both they and the mercenaries became more disciplined and extensive. It is unknown if civilization would have triumphed over the Molgur without mercenaries, and some estimates claim there were more mercenaries than regular soldiers during the period. Certainly it was when many of the rules and charters were established. Mercenary outfits had grown into true companies, with generations of tradition, by the Thousand Cities era. The Charter, as it would be called, was a set of guidelines that was established governing the use of mercenaries. While it's been modified over the centuries, it has always defined the rules and strictures by which mercenaries can operate. It clarifies how employers are to be treated, how to deal with militaries and prisoners, and also how to treat other mercs. It gives rules on territory, loot, ransom and what counts as rebellion and what orders can be disobeyed. Every company must state allegiance to the Charter to be hired, and those in breach of its rules can suffer legal or even military retaliation, becoming a band of outlaws, often with a lucrative bounty on their heads - and, worse, no employment. Most nations never consider hiring anyone who breaks the Charter, though it does happen occasionally due to corruption or desperation. The Charter is further supplemented by codes or oaths taken by individual mercenaries or companies. Most commonly, they define what jobs the group will take and what they will or won't do. The Orgoth disrupted life for everyone, and while the mercs didn't die out, war profiteering mostly did. The Orgoth had no interest in hiring them and most never asked for pay when working for the resistance. The few bands that survived this era mostly served as paid watchmen for remote settlements. When the Orgoth were finally driven out, though, it all started again. The Corvis Treaties were barely signed before battles began anew, and the chaos and well-armed populace was fertile ground for mercenaries, so the Charter was renewed. Hundreds of companies were founded in those days, and the modern mercenary was born. Some of those original companies even still survive.  Some nations have long relationships with specific companies, such that they're practically part of the standing armies. They're on payroll and are considered strategic assets. Sometimes, their contracts extend into perpetuity, renewed decade after decade. Typically, they get paid better and better lodgings than regular soldiers, which can cause tension. Most companies, however, have become adept at interpreting the letter of their charters to suit their needs, learning contract negotiation and trade law. Less legitimate groups often have vague or incomplete charters, or even no charter at all. This is risky, of course, ensuring your clients are desperate, tyrants or secretive. Despite sanctions, there are still mercenaries who do not follow the Charter's codes. They are often already wanted criminals, and are little more than organized bandits most of the time. Respected companies often view them with disdain, but you need some tolerance for them if hired by the same employer. A company that violates its own charter or acts without one can be fined, disbanded or even declared an uprising and hunted down. When a charter is revoked, it is ceremonially burned by an agent of the sponsoring state, and the company can be arrested and brough up on charges. In past ages, some rulers used these tactics to get out of paying, particularly in pre-Vanar Khador. Some companies still won't work for Khadorans for any promise, as they remain skeptical it'll get paid. Most companies are small, usually led by a single veteran commander, potent fighter or rich backer. They usually have less than 30 members, and qualit of life can vary considerably based on their leadership, reputation and clientele as well as the stability of the area. It takes a special kind of person to become a mercenary. It can be easy to sign on in some cases, or require a series of rigorous tests, especially for the more successful companies. Arcane talents are a free pass into just about anywhere, of course. Most companies also spend a lot of time in the field and will hire on anyone who can cook or has wilderness skills. Many companies are just people looking for money, using whatever weapons they brought with them or could scavenge. Better funded companies can actually equip their soldiers uniformly, but most small companies require you handle your own arms and armor. Unsuccessful companies can go into a financial death spiral if they can't get paid, making them unable to afford to even repair their own weapons. Next time: Merc merc merc merc
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Jul 19, 2015 17:38
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golden bubble posted:The NBA is full of people who act like this:
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Jul 19, 2015 18:01
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pkfan2004 posted:Sapphire & Steel is neat because they're absolutely not human. The Doctor isn't human either, but the Doctor acts in a way like he's a friendly human-looking entity in the whole uncanny valley chart so people are willing to overlook him not being human. Sapphire and Steel aren't human and can be polite or cordial but that's basically it because their mission comes first. Ruby and Mr. Gold were also very, very early sneak previews/concept tests of Demon: the Descent demons, if I remember my scuttlebutt correctly. WoD writers enjoy seeding potential future lines or weird poo poo to hook into later in the things they write. The God-Machine got a lot of cryptic nods for a couple of years before Demon and 2e in general got announced.
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Jul 19, 2015 18:13
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They might be! But that gets into the whole debate of "is the Divine Fire a part of the God-Machine's machinations" which is a whole...thing that even the writers won't address. Then again I got the God Machine anthology PDF and a lot of the stories that were reprinted from other books don't always properly parse as God Machine things (which is probably the point, working on ambiguity and plans within plans) so who knows.
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Jul 19, 2015 18:18
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Daeren posted:Ruby and Mr. Gold were also very, very early sneak previews/concept tests of Demon: the Descent demons, if I remember my scuttlebutt correctly. WoD writers enjoy seeding potential future lines or weird poo poo to hook into later in the things they write. The God-Machine got a lot of cryptic nods for a couple of years before Demon and 2e in general got announced. IIRC Ruby and Mr. Gold were more a case of Demon developers looking back over the previous WoD lines and going "hey, these things kinda look a lot like Unchained/GMC angels" than a deliberate nine-year-in-advance sneak peek--we're not that organized.  But yes, Ruby & Mr. Gold are cool, Sapphire and Steel is amazing (the second series with the train station haunted by the ghost of a WWI soldier is very dear to my heart), and now I, too, want to track down Whispering Vault.
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Jul 19, 2015 18:40
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Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries The more respectable companies tend to be extremely professional, either large enough to field a small army or specialized in a specific type of combat. They are in high demand, especially in early spring, the traditional season for new campaigns. Specialists exist for pretty much any type of modern combat, but they usually charge higher rates for their equipment and expertise. The best-equipped companies even have their own warjacks as force multipliers, and any merc that can afford to buy and maintain one is always in demand. Warcasters are rare, but 'jack marshals aren't, and most veteran mercenaries learn the basics of commanding 'jacks. Not all mercenaries join companies. Many start as lone guns, though only the best rise to prominence this way. Staying independent takes skill, and those without it die or get recruited into larger groups. In general, solo life is short and dangerous, and joining a company means better pay and longer life...with a few notable exceptions. Warcasters, alchemists and arcanists of all types are in high demand no matter what. Independents are often viewed with disdain by larger companies and national paymasters, though. The companies resent the wages some independents can command, and the clerks prefer the simplicity of large contracts to many small ones, which take longer to draft.  The nations of Immoren look at mercenaries in varying ways. Generally, as an army's strength increases, the role of mercenaries decreases. There's exceptions, usually companies with a long history of cooperation with a specific nation, but most mercenaries are usually hired for specific jobs or to shore up some neglected part of the military's skills. Khador and Cygnar are the largest employers, and Cygnar has come to increasingly rely on mercenaries as their many fronts stretch them thin. Indeed, large companies sometimes fortify entire garrisons on the borders. This is not sitting well with the general staff or King Leto, but they have few alternatives. Cygnar will mostly hire respected companies and specialists. High Kommand loathes mercenaries and doesn't hide it, but Khador is pragmatic and still uses them widely. The Khadoran reputation for reliable pay is rising even as Cygnar's is falling. They prefer Khador-born mercs, since they're certainly veterans of the Winter Guard, or large organizations with their own trainers. The merchant princes of Khador also keep contact with some less reputable assassins-for-hire that'll work for the army. Their loyalty is questionable, but their effectiveness isn't. Khador also hires outlaws if they're cheap or have a grudge. Many mercenaries base themselves out of Ord. King Baird Cathor II, the Bandit King, is notoriously laissez-faire about them, and they're well-positioned to go to Cygnar or Khador. The Ordic port of Five Fingers is another draw - it's corrupt as hell, and there's always work there. You can even find ships bound for Cryx, if you're desperate or insane. While Ord tries to stay out of war, Baird is no fool. He favors Cygnar over expansionist Khador but also relies on Khadoran trade, and he's more than willing to use mercenaries to interfere with his neighbors' battles. Ord lacks the wealth to do this on a large scale, but it will sometimes aid Cygnar via mercenary hiring. Plus, because of the extensive Ordic spy networks, they can often blackmail or find a bargain. Cryx regularly hires assassins and mercenaries, sometimes openly and sometimes not. Often, mercenaries are used to keep people from realizing Cryx is doing something - everyone knows who necromechanikal thralls work for, but a mercenary force could be serving anyone. Many mercs, of course, will not hire out to Cryx for any price. Few are interested in working for undead genocidal tyrants. Only the most desperate will sign on with Cryxian forces, but when hiring entire mercenary armies, Cryx is quite good at concealing who's doing the hiring. The Protectorate absolutely despises mercenaries, and unbelievers entering their borders are likely to be arrested or killed. Plus, their country isn't exactly known for its pleasant hospitalities or even good alcohol. Still, they know they're outnumbered and will sometimes hire outsiders, particularly for the Northern Crusade, so far from home. They are annoying, but will follow any signed deal to the letter and always pay. On the other hand, they will also blatantly allow you to take the brunt of the enemy in fights, so factor that into your negotiations. Mercenaries also often work for private employers. Private armies are forbidden pretty much everywhere, but it's not as rare as governments would like. Some nobles and wealthy organizations use legal loopholes on the grounds of protecting their assets, and in practice, anyone with the coin and a grudge can hire an army. This makes governments uneasy, so you want to keep that hidden unless you have a legitimate, recognized purpose, which makes logistics a bit tricky. Large private armies are rare, but when they do show up, they are a big problem for their targets.  There is no mercenary company in Immoren that's larger or more profitable than the Steelheads, which have chapters across the continent. They were founded in Berck 200 years ago by Ordic veterans, with the idea that an organized and professional military force would be in higher demand than an unreliable free company. Within a few years they became a small, cattered army focused on combined arms. They were, indeed, in demand, with the flexibility and discipline to face anything. They founded chapter houses in Caspia, Korsk, Merywyn and Corvis. Their chapter house in Blackwater is controversial, but Cryx honors its contracts and pays well. Their success has been immense, and where other mercenaries might have cooling off periods, the Steelheads just assign new chapters to a job. They now have chapter houses in almost every major city plus some more obscure areas. They sometimes end up fighting each other, but they're okay with that. In fact, many chapters have rivalries that, while good-natured in peacetime, can turn bloody. The Founding House in Berck oversees all chapters, but as long as a chapter pays its dues and upholds the company reputation, they can do as they like. This lets the Steelheads evade certain laws that would otherwise hinder their size. All you need to be a chapter master is coin and the permission of the Berck trustees. convince them your location's profitable and you're golden. Then you get made a captain and given a line of credit to outfit your company with arms and armor, which the Steelheads will happily sell you in bulk at a discount. You must keep your books in order and pay the Founding House 20% of annual profits. If you grow big enough to have more than one captain, the trustees promote the most senior captain to commander. Steelhead training and doctrine is all in their slim handbook, which defines all aspects of Steelhead life and tactics. All officers must read it, and while Cygnar and Khador find it antiquated, it's been influential on mercenary captains for generations. Some chapter masters, like Stannis Brocker of Ternon Crag, prefer to take to the field, but often captains spend more time dealing with logistics than combat, leaving the fighting to their lieutenants, who are always veterans. They command the sergeants that lead the Steelhead platoons. The rank and file are more comfortable than most soldiers and certainly most mercs, but pay is a bit variable. While a chapter's active, they can expect around 1.5 times the average pay of a Khadoran or Cygnaran soldier, with less time in battle. In lean times, they may be let go or put to off-duty stipend - a mere third of their normal pay. Still, work's usually plentiful these days, and the Steelheads can afford to be choosy. Prospective Steelheads must pass a rigorous series of combat trials and prove they're able to take orders respectfully. Many mercenaries aren't good at that. Those that pass get stable, respected careers. The Four Star Syndicate operates out of Five Fingers, controlled by the city's four crime lords, the High Captains. It's an open secret, but they don't acknowledge their control of the Syndicate publicly, thus letting them hire mercenaries that'd avoid working for the High Captains. They profit from basically any conflict in western Immoren. On top of their own operations, they'll stake and lend to smaller mercenaries, and many companies pay them a percentage. Further, they hire on a lot of mercenaries short term. Almost all of the best have worked for them at one point or other, even Asheth Magnus. However, the Syndicate's not always a well-oiled machine. The High Captains see the wars of Immoren as a place to profit, and their schemes often clash. It's not uncommon for them to hire mercenaries to compete with each other, as the upper officers aren't always fully aware of the actions of the others. This can lead to them acting in self-defeating ways. All four High Captains value the Syndicate, though, so they can usually find a way forward. Most of their work is purely for profit in the short term, but occasionally they work for long-term rewards in politics. They've occasionally supported one nation or another, but always for mercantile or economic reasons.  Ashlynn d'Elyse is the only daughter of master duelist Benoir d'Elyse, formerly of the Royal High Guard of Llael. Shje will work for Cygnar or the Protectorate of Menoth. she grew up in training academies, and by 15 had beaten some of Llael's top swordsmen. Her skill and arcane talent earned her a place at the Royal Arcane Academy, where she was top of her class, and she became one of Llael's few warcasters. she found her early work tedious at best, seeking out danger wherever she could, and soon became a renowned duelist. When Khador invaded, she fought at the front, unleashing her full power at last. Her father's execution after the fall of Merywyn has only hardened her already ruthless heart, giving her a new perspective on war. Ashlynn uses her formidable magical power to bolster her sword skills, unleashing a storm of attacks against anyone unlucky enough to get close, and she's no slouch when it comes to movement. Since the Llaelese occupation, she has been freelancing to fund her war on Khador. She doesn't like the Protectorate and she blames Cygnar's withdrawal for the fall of Llael, but she'll take their gold, which she uses to fund her rebels. She is vengeful and independent in her battles, seeking to not only repel the invading Khadorans but also to one day kill the men she blames for her father's death - most notably, Gurvaldt Irusk and the traitor Prime Minister Glabryn. Her gimmick is movement, her feat lets her allies roll three dice and pick the best one. Next time: Kill bitches, get paid
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Jul 19, 2015 18:48
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What are these proportions? 
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Jul 19, 2015 18:59
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Halloween Jack posted:Jordan is a gambling addict; how does that interact with Plutomancy? (I don't even follow basketball, Jordan is just a fascinatingly awful personality.) Reasonably well or very badly. A Plutomancer who is extremely good at gambling can use it to generate charges in a relatively short time (assuming they play something skilled based). If takes a lot of cash to break taboo (1000$ in one payment) so if a plutomancer is conservative, cool-headed and skilled they could rack up a good quantity of minor charges in a short period of time while avoiding breaking taboo. The problem is...well the problem with all gambling: the temptation to ignore the odds in favor of huge payouts, the sunk cost fallacy, etc. This is compounded by the plutomancer's general insanity...I'd imagine it's very hard for most plutomancer's to casually lose money, even in small amounts, and the temptation to go for bigger and bigger payouts is probably even tougher for them to avoid. But an actual professionally skilled gambler (or con man) could probably work okay as a plutomancer. But even then you'd probably be looking at minor charges only...the risks for large bets is too much. High stakes gambling (i.e. the type Jordan and a lot of other basketball players engage in) is terrible for plutomancy, with any lose likely to break taboo. And remember, charges aren't like cash...if you go into a game with huge amounts of money and lose badly you're still probably going to have huge amounts of money (just a bit less than before). Go into a game with huge amounts of charges and break taboo...you lose all your charges.
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Jul 19, 2015 19:03
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Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries Drake MacBain is a simple man, with a simple desire: money. He'll work for Cryx, Cygnar, Khador or the Protectorate of Menoth. He's fought more battles than he can count, working for anyone who can pay. He's straightforward, and his strict adherence to the mercenary code has made him one of the top mercenary warcasters. His parents died when he was young, and it wasn't long before he fell in with mercs. One day, he watched the company's Mule and was surprised to see it respond. His band's mechaniks recognized his talents and began to teach him what they knew of managing warjacks. His magic is mostly self-taught, learned by doing. His warjacks have seen many battles, most decades old even before he bought them. He refuses to scrap any but the most unrecoverable 'jack, and while his employers may shake their heads at his patchwork weapons, he directs them well. He is a shrewd and pragmatic man, willing to do whatever it takes to win, making do with whatever he has on hand. He's strict about contracts and never betrays one, delivering on whatever he promises to do, to the letter. He can pick his jobs, given his popularity, and he loves his work. His resilience and determination are legendary, and he's survived scrapes he has no business even being near. Survival against all odds is part of why he commands such a huge fee. He always gets the job done. His gimmick is buffs and his feat prevents the deaths of a handful of nearby allies when they would otherwise normally die.  Asheth Magnus, better known as Magnus the Traitor, will work for Cryx, Khador or the Protectorate of Menoth. He hates Cygnar, waging a personal war on them and financing his vengeance with mercenary coin. Years ago, he served as commander under Vinter Raelthorne IV, revered for his skill and ferocity. Magnus sacrificed troops to win, but Vinter never cared. Life was cheap, after all, and warjacks weren't. His unquestioning loyalty earned him great luxuries, but he was always resolute. What he calls patriotism, however, others name lust for power. He was lowborn, after all, with no hope of official position, save by military means. After Leto's usurpation, Magnus refused amnesty, leading loyal remnants of the Royal Knights in a guerilla war on Cygnar, using the battles as a cover for his true agenda. Leto's mercy, to Magnus, is his greatest weakness, and he spared Vinter's life. Magnus seeks one thing only: to restore the true king. Over the years, he worked to build a path for his liege's return, using criminal ties to get weapons and military technology to the enemies of Cygnar, destabilizing Leto's kingdom. He would raze the nation to the ground and let Vinter rebuild it from the ashes. However, he may have underestimated Leto's courage, or perhaps that of Coleman Stryker, who crippled Magnus. Despite his best efforts, Leto remains on the throne. Magnus' resolve remains undiminished, however. Vinter will rise again. His gimmick is buffs and his feat lets his 'jacks move a second time in a turn.  Magnus the Warlord is Epic Magnus. He will work for Cryx, Khador or the Protectorate, and can be fielded as a full member of the Skorne if the army is large enough to have two warlocks. For years, Magnus worked to restore Vinter to the Cygnaran throne. He led countless plots, embraced exile, endured being hunted, murdered anyone in his way. Despite all that, Vinter questioned his loyalties, sending a master torturer of the skorne to cut the truth from him. Magnus is proud that even Master Tormentor Morghoul could not break him. This revealed the true agenda of Vinter Raelthorne, sending ripples through the Skorne Empire and turning Makeda against Vinter. Magnus knows, though, that Vinter is not defeated. He works with a terrible energy, devoted to his purpose entirely. That purpose is simple: survival and revenge. He knows all of Cygnar's secrets, and he is preparing for Vinter's return. Soon, all of his enemies will die. Few would understand it, but part of Magnus is loyal to Cygnar, to what he sees as its strength. He believes Leto is a usurper who broke the destiny of Cygnar when he overthrew his brother, and only blood can restore it. He is determined to be on the winning side, eager to see a restored Cygnar utterly destroy the Protectorate of Menoth and set fire to Khador and Cryx. He hates those he serves, but their money gives him power, and he spreads that power well.  The Renegade is over 8 and a half feet tall and nearly 4 tons. It is designed by Asheth Magnus based on an old Cygnaran chassis, now decommissioned. It exemplifies his approach to war: relentless aggression and total commitment. It's armed with a shredder scrapsaw, and the first Renegade's weapon was made from scrap iron, but Magnus has improved them with each iteration after seizing an estate in Ternon Crag, which he uses as a private warjack fabrication facility. The shredder can tear open anything, and it's aided by the obliterator rocket, which tosses troops around easily. The rockets are expensive, but useful. The real triumph, however, is the Renegade's arc node. Arc nodes are notoriously fragile, complex and expensive, but Magnus is excellent at salvaging and repairing the things. With access to proper tools, he can even make replacement nodes from scratch, but at present all his Renegades use parts salvaged from wrecks after his victories. Naturally, only armied with Magnus in them can field them.  The Talon is 9 feet tall and almost 3 and a half tons. It was originally a Cygnaran design, but is commonly seen now in salvage yards and black markets, following its decommissioning in favor of the Charger. It's still a mercenary favorite, relying on a technique known as 'stalling' to stun warjacks. It uses its stun lance to send conflicting signals to the cortex, causing the enemy 'jack to falter, making quick movements impossible. It'll be corrected shortly, but sometimes a few moments is all you need for a critical blow from the lance or the spike shield it carries. Newer, more advanced 'jacks are in production across Immoren, but those without government money must use what's available. While expensive, the Talon will remain a part of mercenary forces for years to come.  The Vanguard, at almost 9 feet tall and almost 4 tons, is one of the few Llaelese-designed warjacks. It was made as both weapon and bodyguard by the Order of the Golden Crucible, wielding a giant guisarme and a large-caliber cannon built into its tower shield. It can keep up with even fast warcasters, too. Only a few of them escaped the invasion intact, and mercenaries who get one consider them well worth the high cost. Repairing them isn't easy, and they are a sign of wealth amogn the sellswords that use them.  The Mangler is 12 feet tall and 8 tons. It was originally designed by Asheth Magnus, but it's quickly become a popular heavy chassis among mercenaries. Even the originals, built of flawed materials, show an adaptive genius in their design, built from Magnus' experience in Cygnar. It uses parts stolen from laborjacks or outdated warjacks, but it's not weak or old. It wields a massive iron ball on a wrecker chain, often stolen from a ship anchor or drawbridge. the left knuckles are spiked as well. Magnus designed the Manglers for labor and supply travel, so the spike does not impair the ability to use its hand, either. Many mercenary mechaniks have stolen the design, and a lot of companies now include a heavy warjack with a wrecking ball, spike and the title 'Mangler.' Next time: Steelheads
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Jul 19, 2015 20:33
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GimpInBlack posted:IIRC Ruby and Mr. Gold were more a case of Demon developers looking back over the previous WoD lines and going "hey, these things kinda look a lot like Unchained/GMC angels" than a deliberate nine-year-in-advance sneak peek--we're not that organized. Whoops, I knew I was probably remembering something wrong  Still, though, I distinctly remember the first Demon blurbs making me go  , because they were extremely similar to my own setting thoughts which were developed from the same stuff Demon eventually called back to.
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Jul 19, 2015 22:10
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Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries The Mule is just over 12 feet and almost 8 and a half tons. It's one of the most prized warjacks on the market, decommissioned from active Cygnar service in 582 AR after 123 years of use. Mercenaries across Immoren still find it useful. It's built on the Nomad chassis and very cheap to maintain, as most of its components work with many warjacks, particularly those made by Engines East, and can be readily salvaged. It does take constant maintenance, though, especially around the piping and steam engine. The real genius of it is the steam-driven cannon, or steam lobber, which uses boiler pressure to hurl explosives at the enemy. A cutoff valve between the motive system and lobber allows the Mule to route the full boiler yield into the cannon to maximize range, too.  The Nomad is over 12 feet and 7 and a half tons. It's one of the earliest warjacks made in the arms race between Cygnar and Khador, and its one job is ripping armor open. The battle blade is based on that used by the Cygnaran Sword Knights, and it served well for around a century under Cygnaran banners, particularly against Cryx. It was one of the first chassis designs made in bulk, but over time, the Cygnaran army began to favor multi-role 'jacks. When the Nomad was decommissioned in 503, many mechaniks mourned the loss of such a practical and repairable warjack. It's simple but effective - iron on a reinforced frame, with a small buckler attached to one hand and a big sword. The free use of the buckler hand is especially important to mercenaries, who often rely on their 'jacks for labor as well as battle. The Nomad is now a mainstay of warrior bands throughout Immoren due to its reliability and easy mainteance. It's older than anyone still alive now, but shows no sign of true retirement.  Steelhead Halberdiers will work for Cryx, Cygnar, Khador or the Protectorate of Menoth. They are serious soldiers, recognizable with their Steelhead helmets and badges. The Steelheads are two centuries old and have long understood the value of training and professionalism. The halberdiers are the core of the company, drilled in formations and able to bring down far more sophisticated foes with efficiency. They are disciplined and coordinated, intercepting foes for riflemen or holding an enemy in place for a flanking charge. They use their coordinated strikes to take out small targets, following their founding philosophy: "Ye never need defend against the offender ye have already killed." Against larger foes like 'jacks, they set their halberds to catch the enemy. They are usually deployed in large numbers, and they're happy to risk their lives for coin.  Steelhead Light Cavalry will work for Cryx, Cygnar, Khador or the Protectorate. They are hardened horsemen, fast and reliable. They cost more than the infantry, of course, but their power makes it a bargain. They have a reputation for toughness and risk, killing for coin with no interest in politics. Some accuse them of banditry and looting, but Steelhead officers insist their men are professionals who take no more liberties than any red-blooded soldier in wartime. They have no favored breed of horse, using any steed available and able to be trained. Some use swift, lean horses from Carre Dova in Ord, while others prefer Idrian desert horses or sturdy Midlund breeds. Regardless of mount, they all use cavalry axes and cheap but potent blunderbusses.  Steelhead Riflemen will work for Cryx, Cygnar, Khador or the Protectorate. They are soldiers able to decimate enemy lines or provide covering fire to keep people in one piece until they hit the foe. Every one of them is a good shot, and in concentrated fire they become truly deadly. Anyone can apply to be a Steelhead, but only those who meet very high standards of professionalism can become riflemen. Many are former soldiers of national armies seeking better pay, travel or variety. They have more than a few ex-long gunners or Winter Guard as well as Ordic militia and Llaelese refugees. Mixed backgrounds occasionally cause rivalries or grudges, but lieutenants and captains are good at ending squabbles and ensuring any brawls take place after the battle, when the cash is already in hand. While their overall quality is high, the units do fill themselves out with a few lowlifes and criminals drawn to mercenary work, often desperate to escape punishment and heading far from their homes. Coin is always the driving factor for them, and the Steelhead quartermasters are financial wizards. Riflemen earn bonuses on ammo conserved, to encourage careful shooting. This rarely leads to problems, but more than one client has remarked on the riflemen making a show of aiming at routed foes but not firing. Their stinginess with ammo also leads to them ruthlessly scavenging from their own dead or unconscious comrades.   Alexia Ciannor is never without her Thrall Warriors or Risen. She will work for Cygnar or Khador. Few have lived a life so terrifying as she has. Her mother, Lexaria, was beheaded as a witch in the Corvis Witch Trials when she was seven. She was raised by her uncle, a Morrowan priest, but he could not have predicted her power or her need to reconnect with her mother. Her obsession with her mother led her to Witchfire, the sword that destroyed Lexaria's coven and captured their souls. It was once wielded by the head of Vinter IV's Inquisition, and it has been used to both terrify and save the City of Ghosts, first raising the dead against it, then saving it from the skorne. It has been forced sometimes to serve the greater good, but it is a dark and corrupting relic that hungers to slay priests and arcanists. While she was able to play it for years, Alexia is no longer sane. Her first attempts to resurrect her mother resulted in the animation of the coven as corpses, eager to kill. She put them down and returned their souls to the blade, later using a machine of the Cult of Cyriss to extract the souls, becoming their unwilling receptacle in the process. Now, she is haunted by voices only she can hear, and it is perhaps only her mother's spirit that has kept her from being entirely commanded by Witchfire. Alexia managed to escape the blade's control after Corvis was liberated, when it was seized by the Church of Morrow. High Prelate Dumas sent the blade to the Sancteum, but Alexia raided the caravan, reclaiming the sword and becoming hunted by the Order of Illumination. She turned to mercenary work to survive, avoiding battle-chaplains as much as she can - she doesn't want to hurt people that remind her of her beloved uncle. Many captains or kovniks will hire her despite laws against necromancy so long as her Risen Thralls slay only foes. Alexia seeks to master and transcend death that she might resurrect her mother, and she studies thralls, skarlocks and bonejacks entirely for that understanding. She finds Menite rites fascinating and believes the Testament of Menoth knows the secrets she wants. She plans to force him to break his vow of silence with Witchfire, but has the problem that the Menites hate her as an affront to Menoth's will. The Cryxians also want her dead so they can reclaim Witchfire, which once was buried under Moorcraig. Alexia does not know this and does not care. All but one of the Cryxians that brought it to the mainland are dead, and Kell Bailoch does not speak of his past. Some say Witchfire is an Orgoth weapon, others that it was made by Thamarites to kill Menites and Morrowans and steal their power. Alexia can call on the Risen via Witchfire, animating the dead and binding them to her will. The Risen are weak, but plentiful. Her thralls are rather hardier, born of her unique talent for necromancy. They can follow complex orders and even act on their own initiative, much to the envy of other necromancers. What they do not realize is the price: the voices of the dead coven fill her mind, and she has begun to confuse their will for her own. Next time: More named people
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Jul 19, 2015 22:40
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PurpleXVI posted:Is there an up to date index of the thread anywhere these days? It doesn't look like the index on tradwiki has been updated in at least half a year's time. IIRC Alien Rope Burn made a few updates, but other than that, nope. That's why I'm working on my offsite archive.
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Jul 19, 2015 23:23
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Are these merc groups exclusive to the main factions, or will they work for weirdo groups like the Convergence, elves, and druids as well?
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Jul 19, 2015 23:36
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Cythereal posted:Are these merc groups exclusive to the main factions, or will they work for weirdo groups like the Convergence, elves, and druids as well? Well, you can tell that Matt Wilson loves him some Cygnar, because most of them will work for the Swans. Then they'll work for lots of other factions in decreasing order of attendance. Basically it goes Cygnar, Khador, Cryx (but mostly weird ones that no one else wants), Protectorate, Retribution... occasional hordes, like the Troll guys will work for Trolls, and Magnus will work for Skorne (as if anyone plays two caster games). Absolutely no one works with the Convergence.
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Jul 19, 2015 23:52
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theironjef posted:Absolutely no one works with the Convergence. More to the point, the Convergence considers mercs unreliable, and refuses to use them.
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Jul 20, 2015 00:12
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fool_of_sound posted:More to the point, the Convergence considers mercs unreliable, and refuses to use them. That and they are still totally insular and secretive. A lot of the folks in Immoren have no idea who they are, even as their town is being demolished by CoC operatives. It's not a big deal no one works for them.
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Jul 20, 2015 00:14
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Who do so many mercenaries work for Cryx? Doesn't that seem a bit... unsafe?
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Jul 20, 2015 00:18
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The Lone Badger posted:Who do so many mercenaries work for Cryx? Doesn't that seem a bit... unsafe? The mercs who work for Cryx are generally either disreputable or evil themselves. Pirates, various weird undead things, bio-organic monsters, and so on. Also it's the safest faction! If you die while working for Cryx there's an awesome insurance plan. They harvest your soul and turn it into Focus, and your body is generally turned right into a mechanithrall. What more could you ask for?
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Jul 20, 2015 00:19
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The Lone Badger posted:Who do so many mercenaries work for Cryx? Doesn't that seem a bit... unsafe? Henching is a long and glorious tradition. Is it really that different from the many men who will put on a clown mask and work for the Joker? Or take up the jumpsuit and AK to go get shot by British spies for Dr. Igor Tarantula, MD?
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Jul 20, 2015 00:19
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Cryx pays extremely well because no one in the Scharde actually has a use for most of the poo poo they plunder.
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Jul 20, 2015 00:30
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theironjef posted:That and they are still totally insular and secretive. A lot of the folks in Immoren have no idea who they are, even as their town is being demolished by CoC operatives. It's not a big deal no one works for them. Eh. The Convergence has been the only part of this setting that's made me pay attention. Everything else has felt very rote fantasy with surprisingly uninteresting shades of steampunk, not unlike Eberron but without that setting's charm.
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Jul 20, 2015 00:37
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Eberron's not really steampunk though.
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Jul 20, 2015 01:21
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Cythereal posted:Eh. The Convergence has been the only part of this setting that's made me pay attention. Everything else has felt very rote fantasy with surprisingly uninteresting shades of steampunk, not unlike Eberron but without that setting's charm.
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Jul 20, 2015 01:26
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Nessus posted:See it's interesting to me because I feel the converse. I feel like Cyriss is just duplicating computer nerd idealism (if in a relatively clever way that doesn't seem like it just says "BTW everyone else is stupid, coding skills rule this fantasy land after all") and bringing robot poo poo into a fantasy realm. Of course a lot of people really dig fantasy robots, so hey. Well the thing about the Cult of Cyriss is that they've been getting namedropped in the Iron Kingdoms setting from way back when, so it's not like they just sort of sprang fully formed from a Privateer Press designers meeting where they suddenly decided "hey, we need a clockwork robot faction." If I recall correctly the first mention of them was actually in the Witchfire Trilogy d20 adventure which was the very first anything that Privateer actually published, before Warmachine and their own stab at an Iron Kingdoms RPG.
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Jul 20, 2015 01:30
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Kai Tave posted:Well the thing about the Cult of Cyriss is that they've been getting namedropped in the Iron Kingdoms setting from way back when, so it's not like they just sort of sprang fully formed from a Privateer Press designers meeting where they suddenly decided "hey, we need a clockwork robot faction." If I recall correctly the first mention of them was actually in the Witchfire Trilogy d20 adventure which was the very first anything that Privateer actually published, before Warmachine and their own stab at an Iron Kingdoms RPG. I do kind of like the subtle theme of religious brutality under the surface of IK.
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Jul 20, 2015 01:32
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Nessus posted:and bringing robot poo poo into a fantasy realm. Aren't they less robot than everyone else? Most factions use AIs, Cyriss refuses to.
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Jul 20, 2015 01:34
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Nessus posted:I do kind of like the subtle theme of religious brutality under the surface of IK. Subtle? That is not the word I'd choose for the Protectorate for starters. The whole setting feels oddly lifeless to me, like it's a generic fantasy setting with a token splash of paint for fantasy robots. I like the Convergence and can't really point to any one thing I actively dislike, but it feels much less than the sum of its parts to me.
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Jul 20, 2015 01:37
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