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J'accuse! Just to follow up on Dystopian Universe and the spies in the Resistance thing. Each character has a secret, which will be one of eight types. Each type has its own way to get extra advancement points. For example, if your secret is BLACKMAIL, then any time you accomplish a Resistance Goal, you gain an extra advancement point (the Resistance won't squeal on you if you're a valued member). Revealing the blackmail on you gives the GM FIVE bonuses to be used on you for the next mission, but you earn an immediate advance. However, there are also SPY cards, indicating (possibly) one or more of your teammates are actually working for the government. Spies (there are five subtypes of spy) get advances for hindering the group. For example, the SABOTEUR earns an advancement point whenever you take an action that gives the GM blowback, or when you convince someone else to do so, or when the government earns advancement point. They can reveal themselves as a Traitor at any point for an immediate advance, the GM gets 5 Blowback, you gain 3 fate points, and if you survive to the next debrief, you can either turn Double Agent and stay with the Resistance (if they'll have them), or become a NPC . There will be one player selected secret in the secret deck + 1 or more spy cards (1 if you're playing with 3-4, 2 if you're playing with 5-6, 3 if you're playing 7-8 people).. each player draws two cards, and keeps one, putting the other one somewhere back in the secret deck, for example on top or on the bottom, or even in the middle. (without looking at any other secrets), so, it's highly unlikely that EVERYONE will A) avoid drawing two SPY cards, and B) Not pick the Spy, everyone has to choose that, and well, do you trust your gaming group? Don't answer that. Basically, at the end of each mission, each player gets a chance to accuse another player of being a Spy. This is handled away from the other players, the accused can either Show his secret to the accuser (and the government gets a free advance), if he's a spy, turn double agent (accuser gets free advance), or Say nothing and force the resistance to kill them (the character is dead, but La Resistance can get an upgrade). And yes, there's a type of Spy that gets bonus advance points for falsely accusing someone of being a spy...
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Sep 25, 2018 20:43
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Mors Rattus posted:Wait, you get blowback for killing people actively trying to kill you? In this mission, you're out in public, blowback in this case meaning response.. if someone's shooting up a public area, there's going to be a response/blowback, right? edit: Just to hopefully make things a bit clearer, another mission is to liberate medical supplies from a corp warehouse. Here's how goals/blowback work: Resistance Goals: » Get into the warehouse undetected 1 advancement point » Bypass security systems 1 advancement point per security system bypassed » Hack the manifest to cover your tracks 1 advancement point » Steal the medical supplies 1 advancement point per crate (maximum 4) » Don’t kill anyone 3 advancement points Government Goals: » Spot the PCs 3 advancement points » Sound the alarm 3 advancement points » Prevent the crates of medical supplies from being stolen 1 advancement point per crate (maximum 4) » Apprehend PCs for questioning 3 advancement points per PC Transgressions (Things that will earn blowback) Transgressions » A PC kills someone 1 blowback, but 3 blowback if it’s Guard Captain Rodriguez » A PC allows someone who’s seen them to escape 3 blowback » A PC causes significant property damage to the warehouse or its contents 5 blowback Suggested Blowback spending: » Backup (5 blowback): Bring in guards equal to the number of PCs, along with one guard sergeant. » Sound the Alarm (5 blowback): Security systems can now cause physical harm, and all guards get +1 to rolls made to find PCs. » Alert SecSpec (10 blowback): Write SecSpec Alerted on an index card and put 3 blowback tokens on it for the countdown. The countdown now has a spot in turn order. On its turn, remove a token from the card. If you can’t remove a token from the card, instead add a Sun Systems SecSpec (see below) to the scene for each PC in the mission, then put 3 blowback tokens back on the index card. Continue the countdown until the end of the mission. » Unwelcome Information (compel): The medical supplies are earmarked for a hospital that provides free medical care to all Citizens. Stealing them could sway public sentiment against la Résistance. So, the ideal mission from a PC standpoint is sneaking in, getting the crates (knocking out guards along the way who are unaware), and then fade into darkness. The more it gets violent and more things going boom, there's going to be more guards showing up all the time, and at some point the party is going to be overwhelmed if they don't escape. SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Sep 25, 2018 |
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Sep 25, 2018 20:44
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If I understand this, blowback only applies within the same mission? Which means that it's not 'public opinion has turned on you!' and more 'you've become more visible and more visibly a problem for the local Government forces' - it's about blowing your cover and encountering opposition, not 'killing is bad and you need to wage a PR campaign more than you need to wage an insurrectionist campaign' like Sigmata.
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Sep 25, 2018 20:58
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(one note here, I'm doing this all out of order, but one thing that I'm going to make clear, I'm not going to use the gratitous French words they use, mostly because I don't want my spellcheck to throw a fit) The system is base fate with nine playsheets, divided into 3 social groups of 3. Society: They have access to more stuff, and are GENERALLY more trusted by the populace, but the Resistance doesn't tend to trust them, as they obviously have the most to lose in a revolution. The Cleaners: No, not janitors, they're the people who make embarrassments disappear (both events and people) to either a corporation or to the city as a whole. The Blueblood: "What if Citizens and Exiles are people too???" types, they can use their place in society to help the resistance. The Officer: "Oh, you need a security squad to make sure the police don't break up your gathering? I'll have my men put a double watch in the area. Citizens: General, average, run of the mill folks Hacker: In a world where all citizens and society spend 9/10's of their time in Augmented or Virtual Reality (including taste buds etcetera), he who can control people's neural casings can basically do anything. Soldier: Yup, you may have joined to protect New Paris from subversive elements, then realized the subversive elements were right. Malcontent: They want to burn the system down. The Exiles (low class, automatically distrusted by the police, but sometimes you need friends in low places) Ex-Citizen: A Citizen who's had his neural casing (for Virtual/Augmented Reality) turned off, either by choice ("Yeah, I don't really want the government and corps to track my every step") or as punishment for transgressing against the laws of New Paris The Natural: Never got a neural casing, either due to expense, social status, or incompatibility. You've learned how to live in the real world, and to thrive in conditions that would make citizens quiver. The Armiger: An ex-cit or Natural who's taken obvious augmentations to fight against the Man. Literally.
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Sep 25, 2018 21:05
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WFRP 4e - Undying Zombies are similar to Skeletons, but they're recently dead enough to still have fleshy bits, albeit diseased and maggot-ridden. Their flesh tends to slough off as they fight, releasing horrific smells that can turn the stomachs of even hardened soldiers. Like Skeletons, their primary power is that they're scary and feel no pain. They're absolutely terrible fighters, slow and can't do much but soak hits, otherwise. They have Construct, Dark Vision, Fear 2, Painless, Undead, Unstable and Weapon+7, and optionally Armor, Corruption (Minor), Diseased, Distracting, Infected, Infestation or Territorial, which again doesn't do poo poo for them. Dire Wolves are zombie giant wolves. They have glowing eyes, tattered flesh and so on. They roam the night on behalf of their necromancer masters, and in Reikland they are said to rise on their own to roam the Hagercrybs when Morrslieb is full, hunting for prey to sate a hunger that they can never actually stop, for they are cursed with a desire for flesh and a heightened sense of smell for blood. They are actually quite tough and have decent stats. You're not going to outrun them, either. They have Armor 1, Construct, Dark Vision, Fear 2, Size (Large), Stride, Tracker, Undead, Unstable, Weapon+6. Optionally they can have Corruption (Minor), Distracting, Infected, Painless and Territorial. I'm not sure why Painless is optional, and again, Territorial is useless without Bestial. Crypt Ghouls are ugly, stooping humanoids with sallow, filth-coated skin and sharp teeth to tear flesh. They are drawn to Shyish and Dhar energies, which in practice means they are found around graveyards, crypts and battlefields. They're pretty tough and strong. They're almost anti-charismatic, and not super bright or brave, however. They also aren't actually Undead! They're just usually in the same places. They have Bite+5, Infected, Night Vision and Weapon+6, plus optionally Bestial, Painless and Venom. Varghulfs are, technically, Vampires. Most Vampires balance their need for blood with a desire to maintain some semblance of decorum and Humanity. They play at aristocracy, often. Some give up on being Human entirely, however, embracing their inner beast. These are the Vhargulfs, savage and wild creatures devoid of lies, actively seeking animal gratification. They take the form of giant, bloated creatures that resemble bats, basking in their hunger for blood. They're actually very good at basically anything they might want to do, but they're dumb. They have Armor 1, Bestial, Bite+8, Fear 4, Dark Vision, Hatred (Living), Hungry, Regeneration, Size (Large), Terror 3, Undead, Vampiric and Weapon+9. Optionally they can have Corruption (Minor), Flight, Frenzy, Fury, Territorial or Tracker. Cairn Wraiths are powerful spirits, often the ghostly remnants of aspiring necromancers that sought eternal life. In life they had strong will, and in death that evil will drives them to a terrible vengeance on the living. Many of these Wraiths haunt the misty cairns of the Hagercrybs and other parts of the Empire. They're not significantly better at most things than a Human, but they're Ethereal and Terror 3 and that makes them very dangerous. They have Chill Grasp, Dark Vision, Ethereal, Terror 3, Undead, Unstable and Weapon+9. Optionally they c may have Bestial, Champion, Painless or Territorial. Tomb Banshees are the spectral remnants of once-potent witches who died steeped in Dhar energies, but weren't necromancers. They are tormented eternally by loss and bitterness, a driving void within that pushes them to release terrible, soul-shaking howls that can drive listeners insane or even kill them. Again, they're not actually better than most Humans at doing things (except WP, which they're quite good at) but their special traits are what make them dangerous. They have Dark Vision, Ethereal, Ghostly Howl, Terror 3, Undead, Unstable and Weapon+7. Optionally they may have Bestial, Flight, Fury, Painless or Territorial. Vampires believe themselves the rulers of the night. Many can pass for Human, and some do so for long periods among mortals. Despite their outward appearance, however, they are Undead and, rather than mortal hungers, they crave blood. All Vampires of the Old World ultimately descend from the ancient bloodlines that originated millenia ago, far to the south. Many are very, very proud of their heritage and the traditions that come with it. Vampires of different lines are often bitter rivals, though they're smart enough to work together when they come up against a greater foe. Vampires have excellent stats. 40's as low as they go. They get Bite+8, Night Vision, Undead, Vampiric and Weapon+9. Optionally they may have Bestial, Champion, Corruption (Minor), Dark Vision, Die Hard, Distracting, Fear, Flight, Frenzy, Fury, Hungry, Mental Corruption, Painless, Petrifying Gaze, Regeneration, Spellcasting (Death or Necromancy), Tracker or Wall Crawler. Ghosts are the spirits of the tormented dead, those who died with unfinished business. They, like Skeletons or Zombies, can be called on by necromancers or Vampires to serve, or may just haunt sufficiently Dhar-infused areas. In some cases, particularly driven spirits may even force their way out of the Realm of Morr to pursue their business, though this always quickly draws Morrite attention or that of the Amethyst Order. When summoned by necromancy, Ghosts often swarm together in mighty Spirit Hosts that plunge through foes, spreading fear and chaos. They're, as with most spirits, not actually better at things than any given Human and often worse, but their traits are nasty. Dark Vision, Ethereal, Fear 2, Undead, Unstable, Weapon+6. Optionally, they can have Bestial, Fury, Hatred, Swarm or Territorial. Now we enter the servants of Chaos. The mere mention of Chaos can make the superstitious flee or make the sign of the hammer, but while all fear Beastmen and Chaos warriors, the true danger lies in the hidden cultists, corrupt nobles and the misunderstandings about Mutants that lead to offering them up to Beastmen or Chaos tribes rather than killing them mercifully or finding a better way. We start out with Beastmen, grotesque mixes of beast and Human, who consider themselves the true children of Chaos, blessed by the Dark Gods over all others. Their herds stalk the forests, worshipping at profane, poo poo-covered altars. Gors are your common Beastman, found in nearly every Old World forest. They vary wildly in appearance but all mix Human and bestial traits, often with the head and legs of a goat and the torso and arms of a Human. The only universal feature of all Gors, however, are large horns. The bigger the better, as horn size is related to status among the Beastmen, and distinguishes them from Ungor and Turnskins. The largest of the Gors are known as Bestigors. Gors are physically superior to most Humans, but often clumsier and dumber. They have Arboreal, Armor 1, Fury, Horns+6, Night Vision and Weapon+7. Optionally they may have Armor 2, Corruption (Minor), Disease (Packer's Pox), Infected, Infestation, Mutation, Size (Large) or Spellcaster (Beasts) Next time: Not Gors
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Sep 25, 2018 21:07
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Joe Slowboat posted:If I understand this, blowback only applies within the same mission? Right.. Blowback is used by the GM to make players life hell in a mission. You're not going to have a Shadowrun type thing where your combat monster squad eats several levels of Lone Star patrols for a snack, and drives off laughing. In the case of the Special Security in the second mission I posted, you're adding (# of Player characters) elite troops to the scene every three rounds. When you see this, it means it's time to GO. The GM can also use Blowback to introduce new Aspects to a confrontation "Ooh, that shot must have hit something flammable, I'm adding the Aspect "FIRE!" to the zone you're in, meaning people in that zone will have to roll every round to avoid being harmed," and to make minor Aspects into Major aspects "Yeah, that fire must of spread to something very combustible, I'm changing "FIRE!" into "RAGING INFERNO", meaning the fire will spread to a new zone each turn. SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 21:11 on Sep 25, 2018 |
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Sep 25, 2018 21:08
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Ah, beastmen. The eternal jobbers that even Chaos can't bring itself to give a gently caress about.
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Sep 25, 2018 21:09
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JcDent posted:This tidbit doesn't make the universe sound too Dystopian. Probably because elves are more likely to be magical, and Goblins ill like fire.
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Sep 25, 2018 21:10
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The base supposition of the Dystopian Universe is that the players live in New Paris, a Walled City-State that's supposedly all that's left of civilization after a nuclear exchange. There are three classes of people. Society - The CEOs, the high class, the 1%, call it what you will. They get most of the benefits (their VR/AR works much better then the lower classes, so their food actually tastes like food, etcetera). The Society likes this situation, after all, they're getting all the benefits, and really, the Citizens should be grateful.. The Citizens - The grunts. They do the work (most people do the AR version of sudoku or a match-3 to power the computers that run the city).. They get minimal benefits, but get kept in their place by fears of the... The Exiles: Those without neural casings, those who've seperated themselves from the VR/AR reality that powers the city. They know it's poo poo. And they want to get others out of it Basically, it's a lot like the Matrix, where citizens are given a few benefits and used to keep the machines running, but for a lot of people, they'd rather enjoy their VR/AR world then live with the fact that there are no extended families anymore, folks die in hundreds of thousands of credits of debt (that'll never be paid off), and they likely will die young if their neural casing fails or gets outdated. What is not known is that there are other bastions of civilization out there, and that if the Society dedicated a portion of their efforts towards terraforming, the soil is arable and people could LEAVE the city. We can't have that, can we? SirFozzie fucked around with this message at 21:30 on Sep 25, 2018 |
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Sep 25, 2018 21:21
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Night10194 posted:Ah, beastmen. The eternal jobbers that even Chaos can't bring itself to give a gently caress about. Age of Sigmar with it's most recent release decided to do something interesting with them. They are largely the same, being civilization haters that defile pretty much everything. But decided to lean more into the True Children of Chaos thing. Namely the Beasts look down on Mortal Worshippers and Beastmen that take to worshiping the Dark Gods. Most beastmen consider a library of forbidden lore built by Tzeentch Cultists to be just as offensive as any other permanent structure. Along with mentioning the Dragon Ogres as beings that are bound to serve the Ruinous Powers, but don't care to actually entreat with them or ask for gifts, seeing it more as an obligation they want to get over with. quote:While the Beasts of Chaos view the destruction wrought by the Ruinous Powers with awe, they only rarely pledge themselves into their service. Those who do choose to fetter themselves to one or more of the Dark Gods are seen by their kin as weaklings, for to the creatures of the Greatfrays there is nothing more valuable than inherent strength and unbound ferocity. To entreat another being for power, to grovel at the hooves of a mightier creature in the vain hope of being rewarded, is an abasement without compare. While the creatures in each beastherd do follow an alphabeast, the hierarchy to which they adhere has only as much strength as the braying Beastlord or roaring Doombull themselves, and lasts only as long as this apex warrior can fight off all challengers. But the reins of the Chaos Gods can not be cast off so easily.
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Sep 25, 2018 21:40
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Is the fluff still about the general response to Mutants as one of the bigger mistakes the Empire makes? That was definitely one of the most surprising and interesting parts of 2e's Tome of Corruption.
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Sep 25, 2018 21:59
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Night10194 posted:I'm talking about in 4e, not Age of Sigmar. Should have quoted then, thought you were replying to me. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 22:43 on Sep 25, 2018 |
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Sep 25, 2018 22:40
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I'm talking about in 4e, not Age of Sigmar. I don't give a poo poo about Age of Sigmar.
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Sep 25, 2018 22:41
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It is fairly explicit that kids born mutated are better off dead then left to the Beastmen, and that mutants are not evil in and of themselves, but rather that the terror and hate that they're subjected to tend to drive them to the Dark Gods or suicide.
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Sep 25, 2018 22:47
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Good, good. Another point I was worried might get lost between editions, still in there. That has been one of the nicest parts of this review, seeing that we're not getting the psuedo-end-times horseshit I might've feared would come out of new authors, but rather something continuing the trends forward. That alone has basically assured I will pick the book up for myself at some point.
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Sep 25, 2018 22:49
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WFRP 4e - Goat Men Ungors are those Beastmen with extremely short or even vestigial horns, barely considered Beastmen at all by their compatriots. Hence 'Ungor.' Some even have Human-like faces, which makes them decent infiltrators but also heaivly ridiculed by their fellows. Ungors are extremely poorly treated by normal Gors, and are often stunted or malnourished, at least compared to the larger Gors, which leaves them bitter and eager to take out their rage and jealousy on anyone they can. Ungors are about on par with a Human or even slightly below. They are Arboreal, Night Vision and Weapon+6, and optionally Armor 1, Corruption (Minor), Disease (Packer's Pox), Infected, Infestation, Mutation, Ranged+7 (25) or Size (Small). Minotaurs are huge, bull-like Beastmen that tower over even the largest Bestigor. Herds that have large numbers of Minotaurs see themselves as deeply blessed by the Dark Gods. The lesser Beastmen tend to congregate around Minotaurs, which bring courage to their lesser brethren. Minotaurs are even better at fighting than Gors are, though they're not very good at ranged combat; they don't really need to be. They have Horns+9, Hungry, Night Vision, Size (Large) and Weapon+9. Optionally, they can have Arboreal, Belligerent, Corruption (Minor), Disease (Packer's Pox), Fury, Infected, Infestation or Mutation. Bray-Shaman are Beastmen born with the innate power to wield Chaos Magic, often quite well. They are unique among their kind in that they never have to fight others of their herd - no one would dare to harm a Bray-Shaman, for they speak the will of the Dark Gods. They're on par with Gors for most things, but have excellent WP, too. They are Arboreal, Corruption (Minor), Fury, Horns+6, Night Vision, Spellcaster (Beasts, Any Chaos, Death or Shadow), Weapon+7. Optionally they may have Disease (Packer's Pox), Infected, Infestation, Mutation or Size (Large). Then you've got cultists and the lost. Humans that lurk within the Empire but are tainted by Chaos. Mutants are a tragedy, warped by the influence of Chaos. It can happen for no reason, to anyone at all - even babies. When this happens, many parents cannot bring themselves to kill the children, as the Empire teaches them they should, but instead abandon the infants in the woods, either to die or be taken in by Mutant or Beastman tribes. No matter how innocent a Mutant may be, the Empire treats them as terrifying pariahs and corrupt foes, and most end up falling either to the service of the Dark Gods out of bitterness at their abandonment...or suicide. They are statistically identical to normal Humans, except with Corruption (Minor), Mutation and Weapon+7. They may have any Trait. Cultists see Chaos as something to pursue, to command or serve. It seems logical, even inevitable. Some particularly devout followers of Chaos cults are given 'gifts' by the Dark Gods - mutations that will get them killed if the Witch Hunters learn of them, generally. Again, statistically the same as Humans, but they have Weapon+6. They may have Armor 1, Corruption (Minor), Mutation or Spellcaster (Chaos). Chaos Warriors are huge, hulking brutes in armor, covered in spikes and dark symbols. They are very clearly no longer Human. Nothing remains of their life before - they exist only to serve their dark patron. Most Chaos Warriors are marauders from the north, but a select few Imperial cultists may be granted the prize of Chaos Armor by their gods, earning great power, but never able to remove their armor again while they still live. Because few warriors are either as skilled or as well-protected, they can live a surprisingly long time despite this. They are warriors on par with a Minotaur - IE, very good at whatever they want to do, except maybe BS. They have Armored 5, Champion, Corruption (Minor) and Weapon+8. Optionally, Belligerent, Disease, Distracting, Frenzy, Mental Corruption, Mutation or Spellcaster (Chaos). Interestingly, they chose different art than normal - instead of Standard Issue Purple Spikyman, they went with a Nurglite Warrior, who is mostly naked and heavily mutated, with thick flesh and tentacles instead of purple armor, with a spiky helmet, shoulder piece and gauntlet. On Chaos Warriors posted:"In the dreaded north lies the greatest danger. It is the product of another place, another time, released upon us by the misfortune and mistake of long-dead gods. It hungrily grasps our world, quivering with expectation, sending forth hordes of the most warlike and jealous people of them all: our own kin, the tribes of Man." - Phitzer, Wissenlander Witch Daemons are next - the Gibbering Hosts of Chaos. They are blasphemous horrors from the Realms of Chaos, not native to the world, and serve as the will of the Dark Gods made physical. In Reikland, they tend to appear only if summoned by cultists of the Ruinous Powers. They tend not to remain long, as a result - the material world hates their existence - but the problems they can cause are so great that none who meet them ever forget the experience. Most Daemons serve one of the Chaos Gods specifically, but some are simply beasts of the Aethyr, mindless destruction given form without will. The game gives two Lesser Daemons and two Daemon Princes, saying they're examples and you can easily put a Daemon together with traits. Bloodletters of Khorne stalk the battlefields, taking skulls and lives for the Blood God. They have needle-like teeth, sharper than daggers, and monstrous horned heads. Their skin is blood red and hard as forged brass. Each wields a Hellblade, a wicked weapon born in gore, wielded with total abandon. The Bloodletters seek nothing but the joy of slaughter. They are very skilled fighters and pretty dang tough, with extremely high WP, Armor 5, Champion, Claws, Corruption (Moderate), Daemonic 8+, Fear 3, Frenzy, Horns+8, Painless, Unstable and Weapon+9. Daemonettes of Slaanesh are servants of the Prince of Pain and Pleasure, simultaneously beautiful and horrifying to behold. They have an unearthly allure that defies all sense and logic, rendering their foes unable to resist them with their profane, monstrous sensuality. They have pale skin and large, jet-black eyes, along with flowing, unnaturally colored hair. Instead of hands, they have crab claws. They tend to have mixed sexual characteristics, neither and both male and female. They are actually more accurate fighters than Bloodletters, if more fragile and with less WP. They have Champion, Corruption (Moderate), Daemonic 8+, Distracting, Fear 2, Night Vision, Unstable and Weapon+9. Next time: Hellish Princes
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Sep 26, 2018 01:05
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WFRP 4e - RATS Daemon Princes are the ultimage goal of Chaos' champions - apotheosis and ascension to the heights of power, eternal service to the Ruinous Powers as a Daemon Prince. They are terrible figures of power which even the greatest heroes would tremble to face. We get stats for two; writeups for neither besides a name. Feel free to imagine them however you like. Slenderthigh Whiptongue, Daemon Prince of Slaanesh, has M 6, WS 95, BS 110, S 115, T 120, I 100, Ag 95, Dex 40, Int 70, WP 85, Fel 85 and 86 Wounds. Stats over 100 are equivalent to a 100 but get extra SLs, incidentally, and still fail on a 95-00 roll. It has Armor 1, Champion, Corruption (Major), Daemonic 8+, Distracting, Horns+15, Night Vision, Size (Large), Spellcaster (Slaanesh), Terror 3, Unstable and Weapon+16. Fr'hough Mournbreath, Daemon Prince of Nurgle, has M 4, WS 70, BS 35, S 120, T 150, I 50, Ag 20, Dex 30, Int 85, WP 120, Fel 50 and 108 Wounds. It has Armor 4, Breath+12 (Corrosion), Corruption (Major), Daemonic 7+, Dark Vision, Disease (Itching Pox), Horns+14, Infected, Infested, Size (Large), Spellcaster (Nurgle), Terror 3, Unstable, Weapon+15. Anyway! Skaven. Skaven are an evil and malevolent species of ratmen that live underground. They live a foul existence in the sewers and tunnels under the cities of the Empire, so rarely seen that those who do usually dismiss them as Beastmen or Mutants. Few suspect the existence of the Underempire, with its tunnels stretching even beyond the Old World. Skaven exist under every city in the Old World, their society built on the backs of slave labor from captives across the Old World. Many shady Humans support this network, supplying slaves or warpstone in exchange for various favors and knowledge provided by the vast Skaven spy network. The Skaven are fully aware of the delicate space they inhabit in the shadows of other societies, and so they protect their secrecy by any means necessary. Those who are fool enough to openly discuss the Skaven and their complex civilization under the feet of Humanity may well be found dead in the gutter, victim of some unlikely accident. On Skaven posted:"I never seen nothin'. There were no ratmen, you hear? Just bad luck. Wilbur slipped and fall, that's all. He got careless, fell down a ladder onto his own knife. Ten times. Just bad luck." - Kristiana Fellger, retired Sewer Jack Clanrats are the majority of the Skaven population, coming from one of the many and complex Skaven clans that are always bickering, backstabbing, plotting and warring against each other. They typically follow orders of higher-status Skaven, but are always looking for a chacne to find a better position, usually via betrayal. They typically wear mouldering leather and filthy cloth, with scraps of tarnished and rusty metal as makeshift armor. They are often sent to serve as scouts or raiders for goods, warpstone or slaves. They're broadly on par with a Human, but faster, more cowardly and less charismatic. They have Armor 2, Infected, Night Vision and Weapon+7, and optionally Disease (Ratte Fever), Mutation, Skittish, Stealthy or Tracker. Stormvermin are the elite warriors of the Skaven, larger, stronger, tougher and more disciplined. They are the core of any major Skaven assault and serve as bodyguards to important Skaven. They are typically both well-armed and well-armored, using their clan's favored weapon combination. They're better than the average Human at most things, especially WS and Ag. They're still not super brave and aren't charismatic, though. They have Armor 4, Infected, Night Vision and Weapon+8, and optionally Disease (Ratte Fever), Mutation or Tracker. Rat Ogres are immense, hulking brutes, bred in the dark of the Underempire by the packmasters of Clan Moulder. They're idiots, but when driven by a good Skaven master, they are both fearless and unrelenting in a fight. They are rarely, if ever, seen on their own, and are often accompanied by Grey Seers or other major Skaven, working as bodyguards and minions. They are actually not very accurate, which is good because they're quite strong, decently fast and...well, dumb as a post. They have Armor 1, Infected, Night Vision, Size (Large), Stupid and Weapon+9. Optionally, they have Corruption (Minor), Dark Vision, Disease (Ratte Fever), Infestation, Mutation, Tail+8, Tracker or Trained (Broken, Guard, Mount, War). Yes, you can - well, a Grey Seer can ride a Rat Ogre. Now, let's talk Traits. Afraid (Target): The creature is Afraid of the target per the Psychology rules. Amphibious: The creature gets +AgB to the SL of all Swim tests and moves at full Movement in water. Arboreal: When in a woodland, the creature gets +AgB to the SL of all Climb and Stealth tests. Animosity (Target): The creature suffers Animosity towards the target per the Psychology rules. Armor (Rating): It has the rating APs on all locations. Belligerent: As long as the creature has more Advantage than its opponent, it is immune to Psychology. Bestial: The creature can neither speak nor think rationally. It avoids fire and, if struck by it, gains +1 Broken condition. It may only use Dodge as a defense. If it loses more than half its Wounds, it will attempt to flee unless protecting its young or it is cornered, or it has the Territorial trait. If any of these are true, it instead enters Frenzy. It has no Fel. Big: The creature is large for its species, getting +10 S, +10 T and -5 Ag. Bite (Rating): On its turn, the creature may spend 1 Advantage to make a free attack, with Damage of (Rating) - which already has SB calculated in, for the premade critters. Blessed (Various): The creature is Blessed and may use Blessings of the relevant god. Bounce: The creature can bounce high or otherwise make surprisingly high jumps. When Charging or Running, it doubles its Movement and may ignore intervening terrain and characters by going over them. Breath (Rating) (Type): On its turn, the creature may spend 2 Advantage to activate its breath as a free attack. Select 1 target within 20+TB yards; all characters within SB of that target get hit, along with all characters between the creature and the target. The creature makes a BS test against the Dodge of all targets. Any targets that fail take Damage of (Rating), and apply the breath type's rules. Cold causes 1 Stunned condition per 5 full Wounds, minimum 1. Corrosion causes 1 damage to all armor and weapons of the affected targets. Fire ignores APs and causes 1 Ablaze condition. Electricity ignores APs and causes 1 Stunned condition. Poison ignores APs and causes 1 Poisoned condition. Smoke fills the area with smoke, blocking line of sight for TB Rounds. The creature is, in all cases, immune to its breath, and the breath attack is Magical. Brute: The creature is a heavy, brutish example of its kind. It gets -1 Movement, -10 Ag, +10 S and +10 T. Champion: The creature is an extremely skilled warrior. If it wins an opposed test when defending in melee combat, it may cause Damage as if it was the attacker. Chill Grasp: The creature may spend its Action and 2 Advantage to attempt a WS test against a target's Melee or Dodge. If it wins, the target takes 1d10+SL Wounds, ignoring all TB and APs. This attack is Magical. Clever: The creature is particularly intelligent. It gets +20 Int and +10 I. Cold-blooded: The creature may reverse all failed WP tests if this would make them succeed. Constrictor: Any successful hit the creature makes gives an Entangled condition, and the creature may choose to enter a Grapple. Construct: The creature has no Int, WP or Fel, and never needs to test them. If no wizard controls it and it has no Territorial trait, the creature wanders aimlessly, following ambient magic. For purposes of calculated Wounds, it uses SB whenever WPB would be used. All of its attacks are Magical. (I guess this is why Undead can be Territorial; I'd forgotten that particular rule of Construct.) Corrosive Blood: Every time the creature is wounded, its blood splashes on all Engaged targets, causing 1d10 Wounds (modified by TB and APs) to a minimum of 1. Corrupted (Strength): The creature is tainted by Chaos or Dhar and counts as a Corrupting Influence of corresponding strength. Cunning: The creature is cunning. It gets +10 Fel, Int and I. Dark Vision: The creature may see in darkness as if it were daylight. Daemonic (Rating): The creature is made of raw magic and unholy ichor. It needs no food, water or air. All its attacks are Magical. After it takes any blow, roll 1d10. If the roll equals or exceeds the Rating, the blow does nothing, even on a critical. If the creature hits 0 Wounds, it immediately returns to the Realms of Chaos and is removed from play. Die Hard: The creature may heal from any Critical Wound short of immediate death, given some reattaching of parts and time. Even death can be 'healed' if the appropriate body parts, such as a head, are reattached. If death occurs and all parts are in place, the creature may make an Endurance test at the start of every round; it if gets an SL of 6+, it returns to life with 1 Wound. Disease (Type): The creature carries the named disease and can pass it on as per normal contraction. Distracting: The creature confuses or distracts foes with some trait or appearance. All living targets within TB yards of it get -20 to all tests; this does not stack no matter how many Distracting foes are there. Elite: The creature is a veteran. It gets +20 WS, BS and WP. Ethereal: The creature is insubstantial and can only be harmed by Magical attacks. Fast: The creature is fast. It gets +1 Movement and +10 Ag. Fear (Rating): The creature causes Fear (Rating). Flight (Rating): As a Move, the creature can fly (Rating) yards. In flight, it ignores all terrain, obstacles or characters in the way. At tne end of its move, it must either land or continue flying. It may use this Move to Charge. If it starts its turn flying, it must choose to fly for its Move. If it cannot, it falls. When targeting it, horizontal disance is normal, but if flying, range is increased by 1 step - Long becomes Extreme Range, say. When flying, it gets -20 to all tests to make ranged attacks due to the need to move constantly. Frenzy: The creature can Frenzy. Fury: The creature may spend all of its Advantage, minimum 1, to become subject to Hatred (Foes in Close Combat). If it has at least 3 Advantage, it may instead expend all Advantage to enter Frenzy. Next time: Traits that begin with G.
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Sep 26, 2018 02:19
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Is there any way to bypass Daemonic, because that seems like some pretty unfun horseshit to have to fight. Magic weapons, spells, blessed weapons, etc used to bypass their aura back in 2e, after all.
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Sep 26, 2018 02:21
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Not by default but I'd definitely allow anything with the Magical trait to do it - which covers must of the weapon blessings, for instance. I would not allow that to bypass Ward, but Ward is only actually on a single thing and it's the Dome spell.
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Sep 26, 2018 02:28
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Mors Rattus posted:It is fairly explicit that kids born mutated are better off dead then left to the Beastmen, and that mutants are not evil in and of themselves, but rather that the terror and hate that they're subjected to tend to drive them to the Dark Gods or suicide. Don't most mutants that don't die turn into chaos spawn?
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Sep 26, 2018 02:36
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Ronwayne posted:Don't most mutants eventually turn into chaos spawn which are very much of the very much no-good kind? If they're exposed to a lot more mutating phenomena. It takes a lot, and I mean a lot, of sustained mutation to collapse into one as of 2e. Like getting continually rubbed with Warpstone or becoming a long-term active Chaos worshiper.
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Sep 26, 2018 02:37
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It is unclear how much in 4e it takes to become Chaos Spawn, but you become no longer a PC if you get mutations over (TB+WPB) which is still going to be like at least 6 on average. But like at that point you're not a Chaos Spawn, you're just so broken that you are now tapped deep into Chaos.
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Sep 26, 2018 02:38
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Oop, Ward is also on the Ward spell, Aqshy's Aegis (against magic fire only) and Glittering Robe. And Shadowsteeds have it outside sunlight, but they're practically impossible to hurt anyway when that's happening. I'm still okay with a rare handful of magic spells giving a really irritating shield to deal with, but that's me. (Ward is identical to Daemonic's damage negation feature; most of those provide it at 9+, except for Dome and Glittering Robe. Dome only works on ranged and magical attacks from outside the dome at 6+, and Glittering Robe slowly drops its Ward from 9+ every time it absorbs a hit, capping at 3+, which may be a bit much.)
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Sep 26, 2018 02:43
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I am not too bothered but demonic as it's only on 7 and 8s on the monsters we got. Also it leaves them nice and vulnerable to the Banishment spell if you have it.
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Sep 26, 2018 04:05
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7 or 8+ means a 30 or 40% additional chance to ignore a hit after you already resolved an attack roll against potentially a very dangerous enemy who may have had a solid defensive roll already, and who might have plenty of DR or wounds to work through. Shrugging off 30% of successful hits is a big deal, especially as it negates criticals, especially when you have no way to negate this or get through it besides 'I guess I'd better hope I roll well against demons.' By contrast, Demonic Aura was added in in the Old World Bestiary in 2e because demons were dying too fast and proving to be too much of glass cannons. It gives a demon +2 TB unless they get hit with magical or blessed weapons, or a direct magic attack. This often effectively translated into 20% better chance the attack deflects on the damage roll against low level parties, but could be overcome by hitting hard or by having someone with the Lesser Magic Bless Weapon (or a Runesmith) or by having a wizard around. Night10194 fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Sep 26, 2018 |
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Sep 26, 2018 04:21
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JcDent posted:The WWII pidgeon experiment mentioned earlier was about getting pidgeons to guide bombs by pecking extremely early touchscreens. It had a good success rate. The Cold War sees your weird, and raises.
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Sep 26, 2018 05:05
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Blue Peacock starved the chicken to death. Pigeon Cruise Missile let the pigeon go down in a blaze of glory.
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Sep 26, 2018 08:08
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Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2e: Tome of Salvation Regional Gods Imperials have a lot of cultural bleedthrough from the local Gods of their neighbors. How likely an Imperial is to denigrate a foreign god as 'just' a regional god tends to be a function of how far away from that region the Imperial lives. In the northern Empire, Kislevite shrines are common and the people hold Ursun, Dazh, and Tor (the Gods of Bears/Nature, Rulership/the Sun, and War/Lightning) in high regard, though there's a curious tendency to build a single shrine that serves all three Gods since their congregations are small. Most Imperials outside of the north will tell you Ursun is an aspect of Taal, Dazh is an aspect of Myrmidia, and Tor is an aspect of Ulric, but they're respected on their own terms in Middenland, Ostermark, and other neighboring provinces. This admiration comes from the fact that Kislev and the Empire have been fighting Chaos together since the days of the Ungol tribes allying with Sigmar; the Empire has no cause to believe the Kislevite Gods are anything but enemies of Chaos and champions against evil. The Lady of the Lake is dismissed as an odd regional God worshiped by weirdos, and is often made fun of in the Empire. She isn't worshiped outside of Bretonnian expats. If people do take her seriously, they tend to assume she's Myrmidia or a servant of Myrmidia and that the addled Brets just made up a weird pond lady. Dwarf Gods are not Gods in the same sense as humans think of Gods, but are rather the most honored ancestors of the dwarfs. The Gods like Grimnir (vengeance, war, slayers), Grungi (craftsmen, miners), and Valaya (Motherhood, protection, plenty) (the most important 3) are simply the most important of all ancestors, held up to the level of divinity because of their greatness. Dwarfs build private shrines and prefer to give private devotion rather than the public worship of humans. Instead of private prayers, though, they like to tell epic sagas of the great deeds of the ancestors, usually accompanied with a lot of drinking and possibly some off-key singing. Humans respect the faith of dwarfs, partly because Sigmar told them to, partly because it seems reasonable enough and they've always been friends. Dwarfs think human religion is rather odd, but then, they think a lot of things about humans are rather odd, without it affecting the fact that they get along well enough. They do, in fact, view Sigmar a little like a human Ancestor God, but as he's a human Ancestor God, few dwarfs worship him. Notice the few, though; apparently it isn't impossible to play a dwarf warrior priest (albeit without magic) who identifies Sigmar as an Ancestor God if you wanted. You'd be considered odd, but that's neat. Sometimes, humans come to identify strongly with the Gods of their neighbors and friends, and it isn't unheard of to see humans in Wissenland building shrines to Grungi or offering prayers to the Ancestor Gods. A genuine human-built temple of Grungi stands in Nuln. Elves have a lot of gods, and like to claim they're in direct contact with them. They also like to claim they have no need for Priests, because all elves are mystical and magical and special, according to elves. Elves consider everything they do to be special, and so they consider their Gods to have a direct and personal interest in their everyday lives, with no need for rituals and cults the same way humans have them. It is very rare to see humans worshiping an elven God, or elves worshiping a human God, because both tend to think the other's pantheon is a messed up distortion of their own pantheon. Also, a not inconsiderable number of the elf Gods are assholes. Asuryan is the King of the Gods and the Phoenix Lord, and he is also a huge dick. He chooses every king of the Ulthuani High Elves, which means he chose Caledor II, which means the War of Vengeance is his fault. It isn't in this book but a lot of the other myths do an interesting thing with him that I'm not sure is intentional: He tends to kind of strut onto the field after everything is resolved and say 'Ah! I see! Everything went exactly as I wished. I am truly perfect!' which was a mold for the King of the Gods in the ancient near east. Similarly, he's also a dick who let a lot of terrible things happen to the other Gods and did things like burn the God of Wisdom's great library for daring to teach elves how to study and question tradition. Hoeth is the aforementioned God of Wisdom and he's an awful lot like Verena. The main difference is that he loves magic and is patron to the High Mages of the Tower of Hoeth. Generally one of the less dickish elf Gods. Isha is the Goddess of Agriculture and Fertility, the mother of the elven race and the protector of the natural order. She's a general nature and healing goddess. Two separate entities claim to be the Avatar of Isha on the world: Ariel of the Loren and Alarielle, Everqueen of Ulthuan. Who knows if they are. Khaine is interesting. Khaine is a massive dick, and is the God of Murder and also the God of Doing Bad Things For A Good Cause. Elves pray to Khaine when they have no other option. Khaine is a bloody-handed murderer who thinks of nothing but murder all day, but he is also an enemy of Chaos and in many ways, you could contextualize him as the God of elves killing elves. He is also the patron of the Dark Elves, where their edgelord Witch-King Malekith has elevated him to the top of the pantheon because he's a Canadian psycho-murder elf king. Is probably not just Khorne with a pair of pointy ears held on by string. Probably. Kurnous is the Father of the Elven Race and husband to Isha, much like Taal and Rhya, really. However, unlike with Taal and Rhya, among elves Kurnous is waning and Isha is waxing, partly because only the wood elves actually like nature all that much; the average High or Dark elf doesn't actually care about trees or nature. Remember that a High Elf lives in an artificial magical paradise that has as much to do with real nature as a disney movie, while the average Dark Elf loves iron and spikes and industry because Tolkien-esque bad guys (and also insane militarist authoritarians). The Wood Elves still keep Kurnous as their chief God, worshiping him above Asuryan, which actually fits in well with their origin as deserters and survivalist colonists who refused to continue to get involved in the War of Vengeance or leave the Old World. Lileath is a lying dick (at least in canon, where she pretty much directly caused the End Times by lying to everyone). I mean, she's the Goddess of Dreams and Prophecy. She handles general seer stuff. There's nothing all that exciting about Lileath. I mean, we don't talk about the End Times and they didn't happen in the timeline 2e is in (since one of her lies was apparently 'you should let Archaon take Middenheim, it's a good plan. For reasons.') but it bears mentioning. Who knows what she's actually like in 2e, since we never got an elf book. Leoc is the Elf God of trickery and celebration. Elf Ranald has nothing to do with anarchism or justice against oppressors, and just prefers being a generic trickster god who also really likes singing and dancing. His priests are called Feastmasters, though, and they are party priests of the tricky party God, managing grand celebrations. He is also the patron of the Wood Elf Wardancers, an order of dance-fighters who exist to annoy the everloving poo poo out of anyone who has played Blood Bowl. Mathlann is Manaan, but with a big mustache and fake glasses. If anyone asks why an elf has a mustache, he drowns them. He is another representation of how absolutely no-one who spends time on the ocean would ever neglect to make offerings to the sea god. Given the Ulthuani High Elves are a seafaring people, he is quite important. Morai-Heg is the Goddess of Fate and Death. She's the usual 'knows when everyone will die' kind of crone of fate, with a rune-pouch with the death of all things written on it. Nothing to see here. Vaul is one of the other non-dick elf Gods, the God of smiths and builders. He tried to save the world from Khaine, no-one backed him up, and he was horribly crippled and enslaved to the most dickish of the elf Gods outside of Asuryan. He just wants to make things and be nice! Poor Elf Hephaestus. Halflings have a lot of Gods, as well as worshiping human Gods (particularly Sigmar, who they claim promised to protect all halflings and was a great friend to halflings. There is no evidence this ever happened). Halflings don't take religion all that seriously, unless it gives them a good excuse to get together, gossip about each other's families, and eat until they pass out. Their main Goddess is Esmeralda, noted for having no strictures and only one command: Have a week where you eat a ton of pie, once a year. Halflings treat this with religious devotion, as do many of their neighbors, because hell, a week of pie is great. They have other Gods, as well, but most of them are more like tall tale folk-hero characters than the Gods of the humans. Their Gods get up to antics and tend to be more 'halflings wish they could be this guy' rather than the embodied virtues of their people or the forces of nature. All of the races have very different perspectives on religion. Humans are the only ones who worship with dedicated priests and miracles and channeling the power of the Gods. Elves don't seem to understand divine magic (we have multiple cases where they assume it's just oddly channeled Arcane magic, despite the fact that it works much differently mechanically and narratively) and believe there is no need for specialized priests when every elf is inherently special (outside of some cases like the insane murder religion the Dark Elves have raised over in not-Canada). They just offer a prayer to whichever God they think they need at the moment. Dwarfs do have specialized loremasters who handle blessings and keep the names of the Gods, but without the ability to channel magic they don't seem to be able to form the same kind of connection to the divine that humans do. And halflings mostly just want an excuse to eat pie and get drunk as hell, with one local bribed to get slightly less drunk so he can give the ceremony some dignity. Such a rich tapestry in the Empire, I tell you. Next: Enemy Gods Night10194 fucked around with this message at 14:41 on Sep 26, 2018 |
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Sep 26, 2018 14:36
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The Elf pantheon (shared with the Eldar, albiet in the latter case being almost extinct) is strongly based on the classical Greek pantheon, which may explain the king of their gods being an enormous dick. The crippled blacksmith is kind of a giveaway.
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Sep 26, 2018 14:46
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My favorite 4e thing with Halfling religion is that the Halflings don't build temples, but have them anyway because the Sigmarites decided to be friendly and charitable and in their mind that meant 'build some temples.' So now they have very nice temples, which they have no priests for nor indeed much interest in beyond 'these are nice buildings, thanks.'
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Sep 26, 2018 14:49
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Please that's completely wrong. You need somewhere to put the pies during pie week preparations.
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Sep 26, 2018 14:52
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Ghost Leviathan posted:The Elf pantheon (shared with the Eldar, albiet in the latter case being almost extinct) is strongly based on the classical Greek pantheon, which may explain the king of their gods being an enormous dick. The crippled blacksmith is kind of a giveaway. Asuryan is a dick in a very different direction from Zeus, though. If I recall correctly, and I hope I do because I can't remember where I read this and I hope it's canon (and if it isn't I'm sure as hell going to continue to treat it as such), the reason Slaanesh has it in for the Asur specifically (High Elves) is because during the Collapse, Slaanesh tried to seduce Asuryan, and he ignored her because he was either too dignified or too boring to be swayed. Zeus would've turned into a bull or swan and gotten right on that. Similarly, he's much more of a direct tyrant who wants to keep people locked down and under his thumb, and whose principle traits are overwhelming arrogance and self-regard, plus the aforementioned tendency to swan on out at the end of a myth and go 'Oh yeah, everything went how I wanted, even if I didn't say, so I guess I win.'
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Sep 26, 2018 14:53
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Zeus also, interestingly, is explicitly not a dick in the manner Asuryan is. Zeus is a dick in his personal relationships, but as a king he's pretty much great, by the standards of Greek justice
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Sep 26, 2018 14:55
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Elf Hephaestus is a hero and a good dude, though. Which, you know, so was normal Hephaestus. Elf Hephaestus lacks the bitchin' magic robots, though. E: Also, it was always intentional that there are parallels between the Druchii and Sparta, and the Asur and Athens, especially as the Asur are actually still pretty huge dicks a lot of the time but put a nicer face on it. Though I also like to imagine the Asur as the Warhams First World, being the British Empire/US, living in their magic paradise while messing around with everyone else. While the Druchii are evil fascist Canada. They really should've had war-moose. This metaphor also makes the Athel Loren crazy isolationist elf Alabama. Night10194 fucked around with this message at 15:03 on Sep 26, 2018 |
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Sep 26, 2018 14:57
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WFRP 4e - Traitor More Traits! Ghostly Howl: On its turn, the creature may spend all of its Advantage (minimum 2) to make a free attack using a hideous scream. All living targets within I yards get +3 Deafened conditions and take 1d10 Wounds, ignoring TB and APs. They must also make an Endurance test at +20 or get +1 Broken condition. Hardy: The creature is tough. it gets +TB Wounds before any Size modifiers. Hatred (Target): The creature is subject to Hatred towards the target. Horns (Rating) (Feature): The creature has horns or some other feature that is sharp and pointy; if not horns, it'll be noted. When the creature gains Advantage from Charging, it can make a free attack using the Horns, performed as normal, with the Rating used to calculate Damage. The SB is already included in prewritten entries. Hungry: If the creature kills or incapacitates a living foe or encounters a fresh body, it must make a WP test at +20 to not stop and feast for a turn, losing its next Action and Move. Immunity (Type): The creature is completely immune to the specified type of damage, such as fire, poison, magic or electricity. It ignores all Damage from that, even Critical Wounds. Immunity to Psychology: The creature ignores the Psychology rules. Infected: Whenever the creature causes a living foe to lose Wounds, the foe must make an Endurance test at +40 or get Festering Wound. Infestation: Due to biting fleas or similar, all foes get -10 to hit the creature in melee. Leader: The creature is a natural leader. It gets +10 Fel and WP. This cannot be applied to Bestial creatures. Magical: All of the creature's attacks are Magical. Magic Resistance (Rating): The SLs of any spell targeting the creature are reduced by (Rating). Mental Corruption: The creature has a random mental mutation. Miracles (Various): The creature can perform Miracles of the specified deity. Mutation: The creature has a random physical mutation. Night Vision: The creature has the Night Vision Talent. Painless: The creature feels no pain. It ignores any penalties from Critical Wounds short of Amputation, though it suffers the extra damage and Conditions as normal. Petrifying Gaze: As an Action, the creature may spend all its Advantage (minimum 1) to unleash its gaze. It rolls BS against the target's I, adding 1 SL per Advantage spent. The opponent gains 1 Stunned per 2 SLs by which the creature wins; if the creature wins by at least 6 SLs, the target turns permanently to stone. If the target is a spellcaster, they may oppose with Language (Magick) instead of Initiative by casting counterspells. Prejudice (Target): The creature is subject to Prejudice against the target. Ranged (Rating) (Range): The creature has a ranged weapon or attack, dealing Damage of (Rating) and with Range of (Range). Rear: As a Move, the creature may make a Stomp attack if it is larger than the target. (Stomp attacks are detailed in Size.) Regenerate: At the start of each round, if the creature has more than 0 Wounds, it heals 1d10 Wounds. If it has 0 Wounds, it rolls 1d10; on an 8+, it heals 1 Wound. If it ever rolls a 10 on either Regeneration roll, it heals 1 Critical Wound and all penalties or Conditions associated with it. Critical Wounds and Wounds caused by fire may never be regenerated. Size is complex enough to need its own explanation. There are seven steps of Size. Tiny (mice, pigeons), Little (cats, babies), Small (giant rats, Halflings, Human children), Average (Dwarfs, Elfs, Humans), Large (horses, Ogres), Enormous (Griffons, Manticores) and Monstrous (Dragons, Giants). To increase the size of a creature that's pre-statted, give it +10 S and T and -5 Ag per step increased. Reverse to shrink it. When fighting enemies, if a creature is larger, all of its weapons gain Damaging if one step larger or Impact if two steps or more larger. Creatures multiply any rolled Damage by the number of steps between them and their target after all other modifiers. Any successful strike of a smaller creature activates the Deathblow rule, even if the target survives (IE, the creature can move into the target's space and attack another target, up to WSB times). Meanwhile, if the creature is smaller than its target, it gets +10 to hit. I'm not sure if this applies to PCs - it'd mean that most PCs can wipe the floor with small foes, but there aren't that many of those. Halflings are like triple hosed against most creatures, though, in melee! Because this isn't the only rules. Those defending against attacks from larger targets get -2 SLs per step smaller they are when using Melee to oppose. Further, if a creature seems aggressive, it causes Fear in any smaller targets and Terror in any targets 2+ steps smaller, with rating of either equal to the difference in size steps. This means, again, Halflings suffer Terror against horses. Creatures larger than their foes ignore any need to Disengage in melee combat - they can just step away. Creatures at least 2 sizes larger than their foes win all opposed Strength checks automatically, and creatures only one step larger win unless their opponent rolls a Critical, in which case normal rules apply. Further, any creature larger than its opponent can spend 1 Advantage on its turn to make a free attack Stomp by kicking or bashing downwards, with Damage +(SB). Size also changes wound calculations. Tiny creatures have 1 Wound, Little have (TB) Wounds, Small and Average we know, Large get (SB+(TB*2)+WPB)*2, Enormous get double that, and Monstrous get double that. Back to normally-sized Traits. Skittish: The creature is scared by loud noises and magic. If either happens, it gets +3 Broken conditions. Spellcaster (Various): The creature can cast spells from the specified Lore. Stealthy: The creature gets +AgB to the SL of all Stealth tests. Stride: The creature has a long stride. Multiple Movement by 1.5 when Running. Stupid: The creature's an idiot. If near any allies without Stupid, the creature acts normally as they guide it. Otherwise, it must make an Int test at +40 at the start of each round or lose both its Move and Action due to confusion and idiocy. Swamp=strider: The creature suffers no Movement penalties for boggy ground. Swarm: The creature is actually a group of identical creatures acting as one. They count as one creature that is immune to Psychology and may ignore Engaged rules when using its Move. If the swarm ever successfully strikes a foe, it uses the Deathblow rules even if it does not kill the opponent. All opponents engaged with a Swarm lose 1 Wound automatically at the end of every Round. The Swarm has 5 times the normal number of Wounds for its type and +10 WS. Any attempts to shoot the Swarm get a +40 bonus. Tail (Rating): On its turn, the creature may spend 1 Advantage to make a free attack with its tail, with Damage +(Rating), which already has SB calculated in for premades. If the target is smaller Size and takes any damage, they also become Prone. # Tentacles (Rating): The creature has the specified number of tentacles, gaining one free attack per tentacle each round, using Damage +(Rating), which already has SB calculated in for premades. If a tentacle causes any damage, it also causes +1 Entangled condition and begins Grappling the target. If a tentacle is Grappling, its free attack is used for the Grapple rather than the creature's normal Action. Territorial: The creature will fight to the death to defend an area, but will not normally pursue fleeing foes. Terror (Rating): The creature causes Terror (Rating). Trained is another fairly complex one. You can come up with your own Trained skills, but basically, whatever skills the creature has will be in the brackets of Trained (Whatever). The ones that exist by default: Broken: The creature may ignore Bestial and gets +2d10 Fel. Drive: The creature can pull a cart or coach or similar. Entertain: The creature can entertain people. It gives +10 to appropriate Entertain, Perform or Play tests. Fetch: The creature can fetch objects. Guard: The creature is trained to guard a place, gaining Territorial. Home: The creature is trained to return home if lost or released. Magic: The creature ignores Skittish for purposes of dealing with magic. Mount: The creature will allow itself to be ridden, though dangerous or belligerent mounts require the specific Ride skill for their species to attempt riding. War: The creature gets +10 WS and ignores Skittish for purposes of dealing with loud noises. Back to traits! Tongue Attack (Rating) (Range): On its turn, the creature can spend 1 Advantage to make a free attack with its tongue. This is a ranged attack with Damage +(Rating) and Range (Range). If it hits, the enemy gains +1 Entangled condition and, if smaller size, is dragged towards the creature into Engaged range. The creature may then choose to either release the target and perform a Free Attack with its Weapon trait, or to keep the target wrapped up and start a Grapple. Tough: The creature is tough. It gets +10 T and WP. Tracker: The creature gets +IB to the SL of all Track tests. Undead: The creature need not eat, drink or breathe, is not alive and is vulnerable to Undead-targeting stuff. Unstable: The creature's form is mainted with magics inherently unstable in the material world. Whenever it ends a Round Engaged with a foe with higher Advantage, it loses Wounds equal to the difference in Advantage. If it ever reaches 0 Wounds, the magics fail and it 'dies.' Vampiric: The creature drinks blood. Whenever the creature performs a successful Bite attack against an appropriate foe, it heals Wounds equal to the Wounds the foe loses. It can heal by no means other than this blood-drinking. Venom (Difficulty): When the creature causes Wounds, the opponent must make an Endurance test or gain the Poisoned condition. If no difficulty is listed, assume it is Challenging (IE, no bonus or penalty). Vomit: On its turn, the creature may spend 3 Advantage to vomit forth a stream of filth as a free attack, choosing 1 target within TB yards. All targets within 2 yards of the chosen target get hit. It makes a BS test against Dodge for all affected targets. All targets hit take +(TB+4) Damage and +1 Stunned condition, and all of their armor and weapons take 1 Damage. (When weapons take damage, they get -1 to their Damage rating each time. If their rating hits +0, or +SB+0, the weapon is now an Improvised Weapon; if an Improvised Weapon is damaged, it becomes useless.) Ward (Rating): Whenever the creature is struck, roll 1d10. If it is greater than or equal to the Ward rating, the attack does nothing, even on a Critical. Wallcrawler: The creature can effortlessly walk on any surface, wall or ceiling. It moves at full Movement along such surfaces and automatically passes all Climb tests. Weapon (Rating): The creature has a melee weapon or attack, dealing Damage +(Rating), which has SB already figured in for premades. Usually this will be SB+4, for a Hand Weapon. Web (Rating): Whenever the create successfully hits, it creates webbing, causing +1 Entangled condition with Strength of (Rating). The End Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 19:30 on Sep 26, 2018 |
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Sep 26, 2018 15:05
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So, what are your overall thoughts on 4e? Anything you think it does especially well or poorly comparatively? It's been interesting to get a look at it.
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Sep 26, 2018 15:08
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I think that it upped complexity, but in a good way - the addition of Advantage provides interesting tactical considerations and gives even low-combat characters a chance to contribute, especially if they have Leadership (to give Advantage to others) or basic ability to, like, throw a rock. Hang back a few rounds and smack a guy with a ranged attack, help your allies! I think the decision to make what had often been individual rules on specific beings or objects into tags and traits is also useful - it means there'll be cross-referencing and lists but it ultimately cuts down on exception cases. I have been enjoying running 4e and found the Downtime system interesting so far, too. Fumbles except in specific cases are probably the biggest issue, followed by editing errors. The book didn't get a great editing pass for typos. e: Oh also I think it did magic better. I really like the way they did magic, and gave low-level wizards a chance to play with Big Boy Magic at the cost of risk.
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Sep 26, 2018 15:32
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I admit I look at those Daemon Prince stat blocks, check what (given what I can understand from the review) a 4th tier warrior can do, and then wonder why they bothered to give them stat blocks. I'm not all that fond of breaking the 100 cap because it doesn't seem especially necessary, and I worry that if I'm missing something and a character actually can do damage to, say, a DR 18 108 Wounds monster the same kind of power that can threaten that can lead to similar problems at the highest levels as you had with WH40KRP's extreme damage vs. DR shenanigans, since player DR is considerably more capped (and as far as I can see, wounds are only ever increased by increasing stat bonuses now, if that's correct?) E: Amusingly, Daemon Princes can be surprisingly weak in 2e, because the only mention of how to stat them is 'take the Champion who earned Princedom, give +20 S and T, then double their Wounds and give them Daemonic Aura'. So they can be massive shitwreckers or something a 3rd tier can take in a duel in 2e. Night10194 fucked around with this message at 15:41 on Sep 26, 2018 |
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Sep 26, 2018 15:37
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I have no idea what they were thinking with Daemon Princes but 'this specific one-off monster is dumb' is low on my list of complaints, especially since Daemon Princes are explicitly meant to be build-your-own anyway with traits and whatever stats you want to give them. And you can get extra Wounds by taking the Talent that adds TB to your Wounds again; that is a multi-purchase Talent. e: the Daemon Princes and the Dragons are really the only monsters I think are just completely unstoppable. The large-scale monsters are all quite challenging but seem to me to be designed to be one-vs-entire-party bossfights. I would not suggest giving a Manticore or Griffon any backup greater than like, one dude riding it, though. e2: the modularity of Traits and the stat-boosting traits also let you very handily calibrate even animals to be a threat, which is nice. (And nice for Amber Wizards, who can boost their transformation spell up to get a trait-heavy animal and therefore a very scary one.) Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 15:42 on Sep 26, 2018 |
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Sep 26, 2018 15:40
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Oh, I was more just wondering if it was actually possible for a PC to hurt them because I've been trying to get a sense for what high tier PCs can do in combat. E: Basically, hearing that DR 18 108 wounds guy actually is pretty much unstoppable is actually a good thing because it means that damage vs. DR is unlikely to get too insane even at high levels, meaning that's just an overtuned outlier rather than 'oh no 4th tier might turn into 40kRP'.
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Sep 26, 2018 15:42
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