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Jesus Christ those are some dumb-looking hats, even by Games Workshop standards
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Feb 17, 2021 02:56
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Love that Gorkamorka's role was put fear of him into the binding, it will be hard for them to find something that scares them more then that.
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Feb 17, 2021 07:08
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In general, I'm not a fan of the new "oh, well, actually, everyone can do bindings!!1!" thing. Smells of fear of not giving literally all the options out there to the players, thematic design be damned. Mors Rattus posted:He's consistent that way. Sigmar: "Nagash, contribute to the ritual." Nagash: "Can I get the souls afterward?" Sigmar: "No." Nagash: "OK, then I'll join if the souls explode." Sigmar: "Sweet, what will you give?" Nagash: "Nothing" Sigmar: "I see no issue with consigning greatest heroes to permanent ultimate death for no benefit. Come aboard, Skelly!"
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Feb 17, 2021 13:56
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I'll be honest, Sigmar is not coming off super well here. "One size fits all and more likely to cause deaths" combined with his ongoing "this is my buddy Nagash, who will contribute nothing and keeps measuring my neck for a rope, everyone be nice to Nagash" deal in the Age of Myth.
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Feb 17, 2021 14:07
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sigmar understands that you have to reach across the aisle and compromise bipartisanship is what made these realms great
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Feb 17, 2021 14:16
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I mean dude was just a half naked barbarian muscleman whos only remarkable skill was hitting things with other things
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Feb 17, 2021 15:27
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HerraS posted:I mean dude was just a half naked barbarian muscleman whos only remarkable skill was hitting things with other things Well, that and administrative road planning. But yeah he’s not a wizard and probably lacks the technical skill to vary it up much in the first place.
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Feb 17, 2021 15:29
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Sigmar's two big plays are "punch chaos" and "try to organize and build," and I kind of like that AoS carries that forward, even when it doesn't work for the guy.
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Feb 17, 2021 15:38
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JcDent posted:In general, I'm not a fan of the new "oh, well, actually, everyone can do bindings!!1!" thing. Smells of fear of not giving literally all the options out there to the players, thematic design be damned. It's less not everyone can do bindings, (As the ways to do it are secret, and there is a good chance they will screw it up.) And more a way to say some strange outsider that is not a god could have created your binding.
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Feb 17, 2021 16:55
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Soulbound: Champions of Order I Think I'm A Clone Now Subfactions are a new chargen element - they're essentially cultural backgrounds within a faction that focus on different aspects of the faction's culture. This provides a bonus on par with a Talent. A sidebar notes that if your character's background doesn't match any given subfaction, it's perfectly fair to take a suitable Talent or just get 2 free XP instead. Anyway, we start off with the new full faction here: the Lumineth! You remember their history, so I don't have to go into that so much. Their mix of humility and pride in their excellence remains a constant tug of war. The Lumineth aelementiri tend to see the Soulbound as similar to their own experience of bonding with the aelementor spirits. The idea of binding your soul to others to form a greater whole and finding greater purpose in that resonates. However, abandoning one's homeland in Hysh is a big ask for a Lumineth, and so it is only very selfless or very proud Lumineth who are willing to sacrifice their safety at home to bring their wisdom to other, less fortunate places. They tend to view their Bindings as younger siblings to be given sage advice when needed. They also tend to offer that to the people they meet, whether they're asked to or not. While few Lumineth like to admit it, their Soulbound often learn just as much as they teach. Often, they become uniquely able among Lumineth to understand the importance of cooperation and the value that other cultures can share with them. Unity and empathy with others are hard lessons still for many Lumineth, but the Soulbound excel at this, and some Lumineth teachers push students to become Soulbound in order to master new perspectives and become better at caring for others. Still, they do also find some Bindings disturbingly messy, especially when their foibles and idiosyncracies don't counterbalance each other. Some Lumineth even find the idea of mixing their soulstuff with non-Lumineth to be inherently dirty. Most of the aelves disagree, though, and respect the Soulbound as spiritual masters and bodhisattvas who have made great sacrifices to help others. They liken it to their culture's need to commune with Hysh, saying that perhaps what the Soulbound do is necessary to save everything everywhere. Even now, they tend to avoid emotion and favor detachment and pure logic. They do recognize a need for emotional grounding, though, to avoid the Spirefall repeating itself. Maintaining that balance is the key to their current culture, along with respect for the natural spirits of Hysh. They also maintain the societal balance between the Vanari, who emulate the warrior skill of Tyrion, and the mages and artists of the Scinari, who emulate Teclis. The aelementiri exist outside these castes, giving up their societal rank and worldly possessions in order to bond with the spirits. The most famous of these are the Alarith, the mountain spirit worshippers, but there are also river, wind and zenith spirits, not detailed here. (Or anywhere yet, though we'll get wind soon.) Lumineth adventurers are most often loreseekers, hoping to recover the knowledge lost in the Spirefall. Slaaneshi daemons stole much of it during the Age of Chaos, and the Lumineth often send out researchers to ruins in hopes of getting it back. They often hire on assistants to help with the physical parts of this research, to wit, the part where you raid ruins and recover artifacts. They also often hire guides when traveling outside Hysh, as they find the other realms dimly lit and confusing. They also perform expeditions to raise towers and geomantic symbols to protect against aftereffects of the Necroquake, though they rarely explain themselves to the locals while doing so, even if their rituals need to blow up a farm. Currently, four of the eight nations of Hysh look outwards, those dedicated to the principles of Teclis. The Tyrionic nations remain insular, focused on the defense of Hysh over all else...probably because Games Workshop hasn't done anything on them yet. But this means that there's only four subfactions currently for the Lumineth, less than any of the other factions. The first is Illiatha, the nation most obsessed with ensuring there will always be a new generation to teach. They are aware of how close they came to extinction once, and thus they see it as the sacred duty of all Lumineth to have and raise children that will surpass them. Children and midwives are seen as sacred. Those unable or unwilling to give natural birth instead may take part in enlightening the young through teaching or by participating in arcanogenesis, magically splitting their souls and minds into two different bodies. The cloning process was first invented before the Spirefall, though, and overuse of it led to insular narcissism and opening cracks in reality that aided the forces of Slaanesh. Now, it is illegal for any Lumineth to split their soul more than once, and clone-twins often deliberately pursue different disciplines and act in different ways to ensure they do not fall victim to narcissistic homogeneity. Soulbound Iliathans give up the ability to create children even by magical means, so they must pray they do more good for the world than they would have in raising a child, if they haven't already had one. The Iliatha bonus is Clone-twin. When your character dies, their clone-twin senses it and is immediately drawn into the Binding, as they share the same soul. They come to take your character's place as quickly as they can. The twin is a full member of the Binding, can use Soulfire and prevents the party's Soulfire from dropping on your character's death. You now play the clone-twin. Your clone-twin has the same starting attributes and core skills and talents as your first character, but everything else is converted to XP, and the clone-twin has the same XP your character did. You may spend it freely. Syar is a nation of artists, but before the Spirefall, their art was used as weaponry. Their weapons were terrifyingly powerful, leaving terrible scars on their homeland - sentient chasms that attacked cities, reality-warping spells that rove the wastes in search of victims, and more. The few that survived those days swore never to make or wield these weapons again. Teclis has but recently convinced the people of Syar to take up arms once more, saying that it's better to break their oath than to allow Chaos to win. The people of Syar remain possibly the most humble of the Lumineth, all too aware of how they appear to others. They favor understatement and subdued fashions...though when the time comes to show off, they are more than capable of blazing with glory. Some of them choose to become Soulbound to study the works of outside cultures and demonstrate their skill to outsiders. They often view their taking up of arms as Soulbound as way to end war forever in the future. They do not fear their souls exploding in death, for they know they leave a greater legacy. The Syar bonus is Bedecked in Splendour: During character creation, you can add any single weapon or armor trait to one piece of your equipment. Further, when using a downtime Endeavor to create something, you get double the normal dice from Training in Crafting. Ymetrica is the most mountainous part of Hysh and the home to the first aelementiri. Indeed, many Ymetricans had stayed in the mountains so long that they understood the rudiments of the mountain spirits even before Teclis came. They are very proud of their status as the first Alarith, and even the non-Alarith among them seek to emulate the strength of the mountains. Ymetricans are not hasty, focusing on stillness and patience even in their games until the moment comes to strike with decisive force. Many are avid mountain climbers, and the bravest head into the valley depths, where they must confront their traumas and darkness. Ymetrican Soulbound often only join after years of contemplating the decision, as they often see all too well the stoicism they will lose in becoming bound to less patient mortals. Still, Chaos must be fought, and Ymetrica is no less proud of being the first to answer the call of their god to defend the entire Mortal Realms. The Ymetrica bonus is Contemplation of the Peaks: In the first round of combat, you automatically go last, but every round after that, you automatically go first unless someone else Seizes The Initiative or uses a similar action to preempt you. Further, regardless of your Archetype, the Thoughtful Talent is added to your list of available chargen Talents. Thoughtful lets you double the dice from Training on any Mind-based roll as long as you have plenty of time to think things over for it. Zaitrec is the wizard nation even for a people of wizards like the Lumineth. Its people are obsessed with star and moongazing, speaking to the moons about their problems and trying to divine their will. They are considered fey and strange even by other Lumineth, and they often glow in the dark. Teclis feels a kinship with their whimsical and curious nature and spends much of his time in their lands. They respect him, but even more, they love his companion, the lunasphinx aelementor Celennar. They consider any form of magic worthy of study, even those of other species, like dwarven runecrafting and Khainite blood magic. More Zaitreci become Soulbound than any other nation's Lumineth, as they are curious and drawn to wonders outside of Hysh. They find the Binding itself to be a fascinating mystery in its strange powers, and some become Soulbound to learn more about that mystery. They also often love the chance to meet so many new cultures and study new kinds of magic, even if it means putting themselves in danger. The Zaitrec bonus is Fast Learner: Regardless of your Archetype, the Spellcasting (Any) Talent is added to your list of available chargen Talents. Further, you can ignore any normal requirements for learning a Lore of Magic - for example, you can learn the Lore of the Deeps despite not being Idoneth. Lastly, whenever you perform the Learn Spell downtime Endeavor, you learn an additional Common spell. Next time: Alarith Stoneguard, Alarith Stonemage, Scinari Cathallar and Vanari Warrior
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Feb 17, 2021 19:54
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Double custom spells, now we're talking.
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Feb 17, 2021 20:36
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MonsterEnvy posted:It's less not everyone can do bindings, (As the ways to do it are secret, and there is a good chance they will screw it up.) And more a way to say some strange outsider that is not a god could have created your binding. When even a mortal mage could do bindings - and fatalities and fuckups are things that happen to NPCs before the start of the game, this ain't Traveller - this is just loicense for those who want to do Order Black Crusade as Morathi/Malekith bound or have zany ideas about GM-Bound goblins. E: anyways, waiting for the Cities part, anything that fleshes out Best Legacy faction is good. Also, lol Sigmar, allying with the underworld god whose rule he considers to be worse that ultrapermadeath. How the gently caress did he manage to craft the Fantasy Empire without allying with some Nurgle worshiping tribes and a band of ungors is a mystery. JcDent fucked around with this message at 20:45 on Feb 17, 2021 |
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Feb 17, 2021 20:42
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Soulbound: Champions of Order The Cow Level  The Alarith Stoneguard was very recently discussed! To be one you must fast for long periods, endure the elements on the mountain peaks and then be buried alive. If judged worthy, the mountain will allow you to breathe and give you the strength to dig yourself free after a full week of total and complete inability to move. Otherwise, well, you die in a hole. After completing the Stoneguard trials, however, a new Alarith will go on to a life of duty in service to their aelementor. They work constantly to be worthy of the strength the mountain has given them, practicing endlessly with their diamond-cored granite hammers. They wear their large and goofy helmets to honor the Ymetrican Longhorn and to practice balance and posture at all times. As they practice their martial forms, they meditate to ensure their minds are equally immovable as their bodies. Stoneguard Soulbound have to deal with a basic problem: they are Soulbound to their new allies, but still bound to their aelementor. How does the aelementor fit into the group? For some Stoneguard, the spirit and the aelf are essentially one unit, unifying the spirit's will with the aelf's. For others, the Stoneguard serves as the messenger and voice of their patron but does not become one with them. For groups with multiple Stoneguards, often the spirits serve as guides and distant patrons, sending them off to go where the mountain cannot, seeking out threats to the Mortal Realms. Alarith Stoneguard who become Soulbound tend to be extremely dedicated to fighting Chaos, hoping to ensure it never gets near their mountain temples in the first place. Their patient and meditative wisdom is often quite helpful in guiding their allies, and they see their explosion on death as a way to achieve oneness with the Realms themselves. A Stoneguard starts with Body 4, Mind 2, Soul 2 and must be a Lumineth aelf. Their Core Skill is Weapon Skill, and they get a fair selection of skills from among Arcana, Athletics, Awareness, Determination, Fortitude, Intuition, Lore, Might, Nature, Reflexes, Theology and Weapon Skill. Their Core Talent is Mountain Stance, unique to them. It lets them spend an action to enter the stance, and while in the stance they can't be made Prone or moved in any way unless they allow it, and they get a bonus to rolls to knock others Prone. Further, when they use the Shove action while in mountain stance, they shove people to the next Zone. Beyond that, they can pick any two of Bilwark, Rending Blow, Stalwart Guardian (buffs an ally's Defence when you take the Defend action to protect them and gives a bonus on Might rolls when using Defend to stop something from entering a zone), Thoughtful or Tireless (when an Endeavor requires you to make an extended action, you get one more roll than normal). They start with stoneplate armor (Heavy Armor), either a greathammer or two warhammers, a pouch of earth from their burial site and 20 drops of Aqua Ghyranis.  An Alarith Stonemage also communes with the mountains, but their trials are different. They fast and survive on the mountainside to atone for the actions of the aelves of the past and seek a symbiotic existence with the spirits. They prefer intellectual over martial pursuits and spend much of their free time creating rock gardens and stone decorations for their aelementors, who show them the secrets of stone art and magic. They commune with the spirits as much to share their aesthetic and philosophical ideas as to worship, seeking tranquility so that their bodies can be transmuted to be more like stone and their power to call on the earth grows stronger. Like the Stoneguard, the aelementor of a Stonemage takes on a role in their Binding when they become Soulbound. Stonemages have a more personal relationship with their mountain spirit than most Alarith do, and they often remain in mental communication with the spirit even as they travel the Realms, feeling the mountain's messages in rumbling stone. Deciphering the meaning of these rumbles often requires long meditation, of course. Many mountain spirits send their Soulbound Stonemages to be their ambassadors, both to their Binding and to the lands the Stonemage travels in. Literally the land - Hysh's mountains are interested in speaking with the volcanos of Aqshy and the carnivorous landscapes of Ghur. They've rarely been close in the past, but the Hyshian spirits believe that they must now come together with those of other realms or Chaos will take them all. Stonemages begin with Body 2, Mind 3, Soul 3. They must be Lumineth aelves, and their Core Skill is Channeling. They also get a selection of skills from among Arcana, Awareness, Channelling, Crafting, Determination, Entertain, Intuition, Lore, Medicine, Nature, Survival and Weapon Skill. Their Core Talents are Spellcasting (High Peaks), which is the new Lore for them, and Unbind. They also get two of Arcane Discipline, Creator (you need 1 fewer success than normal when making extended actions to create new items, though not to repair or modify existing ones), Fearless, Speed Reading (you can read just about any book in an hour or so, maybe a bit more for really complex ones, and remember them as well as if you'd read them at normal speed) and Tactician. They begin with stonescale armor (Medium), a Staffo f the High Peaks (a quarterstaff), scales, an amulet with a fragment of their mountain, a small piece of art they made and 350 drops of Aqua Ghyranis.  Scinari Cathallars have the duty of gathering and purging the used aetherquartz of the Lumineth. They move as if in a trance most of the time as part of their training in emotional control, and they wear many veils and billowing robes to mark them out for others to see. They carry sacred censer bowls and other relics to assist in their ritual tasks, and each of their gestures holds deep meaning for the emotional turmoil that they conceal within. They most always maintain control over the negative emotions that they channel from the aetherquartz into themselves, and they never wear gloves or shoes so that they can better divert that energy into the soil and plants around them. Because they are in constant communion with this psychic pain and distress, they able to manipulate it easily from long practice. They can even weaponize their emotions, casting grief and despair onto their foes so heavily it can kill, much as it kills the plantlife around the Cathallar. Newly Soulbound Cathallars often habitually attempt to take charge of the emotional needs of their Binding, with little thought for their own needs. It takes time for them to realize that unlike the Lumineth they're used to, a Binding's members can actually help ease their own burden, not add to it. Soulbound Cathallar continue to see themselves as having a duty to the Lumineth, so they return home regularly to help others release their emotions and gather more used aetherquartz. They have an easier job of it, in fact, as the Soulbound that aid them provide new stability when they risk emotional overload. Often, the Binding's members become the only people close enough to be able to read the actual emotions the Cathallar is feeling under the mask of calm they project. Cathallars have Body 1, Mind 4, Soul 3. They must be Lumineth aelves, and their Core Skill is Channeling. They get a few skills from among Arcana, Channelling, Determination, Fortitude, Guile, Intuition and Medicine. Their Core Talents are Emotional Transference (unique to Cathalar, allows them to take a Minor Wound when casting a spell or using a miracle to add bonus dice, more dice the higher the Doom is), Spellcasting (Light) and Unbind, and they also get one of Caregiver (double Training dice when making a roll to restore Toughness or remove Wounds or Conditions from other characters, including with magic, but not when healing yourself), Empathic (you get a bonus to rolls based on your Intuition Training when you'd benefit from understanding the feelings of the people around you, and you get double Training benefits when trying to read someone's mood with Intuition), Prophetic Dreams (at the end of any Rest, you roll 2d6 on a table to see if your dreams tell you any clues about your or the party's goals, but if you roll a 2 you get horrible nightmares of the world ending and the Doom increases. Personally, I'd tack on some really big clues when that happens, because that's pretty mean.) or Soul-Scarred (you permanently reduce your Wounds by 1, but permanently increase your Mettle by 1). They start with Cathallar robes (Light), a dagger, a ceremonial bowl of spent aetherquartz, a shard of glowing Hyshian crystal and 300 drops of Aqua Ghyranis.  The Vanari Warrior is one of the soldiers that serve the GreaT Nations in accordance with the Decree Tyrionic. Each one of them has plenty of civilian hobbies, but when the call to war comes, they fight. Some specialize in pikes tipped in burning sunmetal and phalanx defenses, while others favor the geometric perfection of the bow and arrow. Others serve as Dawnriders, mounted cavalry who bond with Xintillian stallions. Regardless of style, they are trained to master unity with fellow soldiers and reflect each others' strength and skills so that all can shine brighter. Only in unity, they know, can they achieve victory. Most Vanari Soulbound are misfits or outcasts from their warhosts, unable to serve in the traditional manner. They might be insubordinate or disobedient (and thus disrupt the phalanx's internal harmony), they might be addicts that endanger their colleagues with their aetherquartz use or they might have other reasons for not being able to keep up their standard practice. Whatever the case, though, the gods see use in their skill at arms even if their unit is unable to work with them. Not all Soulbound Vanari are disgraced in this manner, though - some are veterans who are chosen to help keep an otherwise fractious Binding unified. Still, most normal Vanari have no particular desire to leave their units and join a bunch of weirdos like the Soulbound, so those few are pretty rare. Vanari Warriors have Body 3, Mind 3, soul 2 and must be Lumineth aelves. Their Core Skill is either Ballistic Skill or Weapon Skill, and they get a good selection from among Awareness, Ballistic Skill, Beast Handling, Channeling, Determination, Fortitude, Guile, Lore, Might, Reflexes, Stealth or Weapon Skill. Their Core Talent is Shining Company (unique to them, it lets them fight in formation with an ally in close Range to buff Melee, Accuracy and Defense for themself and the ally for a turn, as long as they stay Close), and they also get 3 from among Collected (whenever you'd become Stunned due to a failed roll or magical confusion, you can make a 6:1 Mind/Determination roll to resist anyway), Hail of Doom, Loyal Companion (Horse or Scryhawk), Mounted Combatant, Spellcasting (Light) or Stand and Fire (once per round, when an enemy moves into your Zone, you can make a ranged Attack on them as a Free Action). They begin with Vanari plate (Medium), either a spear and shield or a bow and sword, a scryhawk lantern (which you need to be able to take Loyal Companion (Scryhawk)), a memento from their old warhost and 100 drops of Aqua Ghyranis. Next time: The Free Peoples subfactions
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Feb 17, 2021 22:17
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There's something kind of weird about having very standard full-of-themselves elves in a setting that doesn't really seem written to include other characters who take them seriously at all. Like, part of what makes elves work in Lord of the Rings is that basically everybody else in Middle-earth is a wannabe elf-friend, if you know what I mean. It's hard not to see the Lumineth being relentlessly mocked everywhere they go.
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Feb 17, 2021 22:27
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Rand Brittain posted:There's something kind of weird about having very standard full-of-themselves elves in a setting that doesn't really seem written to include other characters who take them seriously at all. That was already how it was in normal Hams. Mixed with them being kind of arrogant fuckups who mostly ended up on the right side when the chips were down, once they got done sending the Elf CIA to support a separatist movement that could cripple your naval development and help them keep unequal trade deals. The Warhams High Elf has forever had a strong gap between how they see themselves and how the rest of the world does, therein lies their good bits.
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Feb 17, 2021 22:29
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Joe Slowboat posted:I'll be honest, Sigmar is not coming off super well here. "One size fits all and more likely to cause deaths" combined with his ongoing "this is my buddy Nagash, who will contribute nothing and keeps measuring my neck for a rope, everyone be nice to Nagash" deal in the Age of Myth. I think the big takeaway is that the best deal you get from Nagash is him contributing nothing. That way he doesn't put some kind of hosed up time bombs into the Soulbound. Nagash was never going to contribute anything beneficial but at least this deal kept him from contributing something baneful that only appeared to be beneficial.
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Feb 18, 2021 06:10
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Cooked Auto posted:C7 announced that Seraphon is getting a supplement later this year in a recent production update by the way. That sounds less like player content and more like GM content. They'd probably have talked up species traits and archetypes if they were going all-in on making them player characters.
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Feb 18, 2021 06:15
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LeSquide posted:Sigmar's two big plays are "punch chaos" and "try to organize and build," and I kind of like that AoS carries that forward, even when it doesn't work for the guy. I get the feeling that he only punched chaos so they'd give him room to build more infrastructure projects. "I'm trying to build an innovative system of irrigation canals over here, and I can't do that while its COVERED IN DEMONS!" (barbarian rage enaues) The Lone Badger fucked around with this message at 06:26 on Feb 18, 2021 |
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Feb 18, 2021 06:22
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Everyone posted:I think the big takeaway is that the best deal you get from Nagash is him contributing nothing. That way he doesn't put some kind of hosed up time bombs into the Soulbound. Nagash was never going to contribute anything beneficial but at least this deal kept him from contributing something baneful that only appeared to be beneficial. Instead, Nagash contribution is now just baneful with no appearances of benefits  The Lone Badger posted:I get the feeling that he only punched chaos so they'd give him room to build more infrastructure projects. It was a very early age of human settlement in not!Europe, I doubt they already had a deep theological understanding of Chaos. Your Ulric priest says they're bad, you can see them mutate before your eyes, the Nurglites also stink, you just class them as "permanently hostile" like beastmen or orcs orcs orcs, bash them, and move on.
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Feb 18, 2021 07:41
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Also his original big thing was orcs, considering they killed his mom and were a constant plague on his people. Because think about trying to fight them with bronze age tools and small tribes. That must have been a nightmare.
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Feb 18, 2021 14:35
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Sigmar is the god most likely to be a hardcore Dwarf Fortress player.
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Feb 18, 2021 16:33
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Soulbound: Champions of Order Freep The Free Peoples do not get a new Archetype, which I think is a waste - they should've given us a Freeguild champion of some kind, I think, even though they're easy enough to make custom. I won't bore you with another explanation of what the Free Peoples are, but instead talk about what we do get: a bunch of subfactions representing the Free Cities your character is from. We do, however, get the note that the Free Cities rarely fight each other, preferring to use political maneuvering against each other because no one really wants to lose a bastion of trade and civilization. Also, they often have relatively peaceful relations with immediate neighbors, sometimes in weird ways - the Free Cities in Ghur tend to be on good terms with the local ogors, and the Shyish ones often have tentative or temporary peace accords with the Ossiarchs. The book was pretty clearly in the middle of production when Broken Realms: Morathi dropped, and so it had to deal with the fall of Anvilgard and its transformation into Har Kuron. The way it does this is to present Anvilgard as a subfaction here, Har Kuron in the Khainite section, and a sidebar saying that if you want to get more details on what's going on, get Broken Realms or wait for their upcoming campaign book, Shadows in the Mist, which will cover running a game during the fall of Anvilgard. This seems fair to me - deciding how this effects Order as a whole is not in the pay grade of an RPG company that is already being surprised by this thing happening. Anvilgard was a seaport on the Charrwind Coast of Aqshy, in the midst of the Crucible of Life jungle. The Anvils of the Heldenhammer launched a massive defoliation campaign to keep the foliage from overwhelming the city, leaving it perpetually wrapped in a defoliant fog. The city soon became a haven for the Blackscale Coil, a criminal syndicate of Ulguan aelves. However, the Coil's leader, the Visharhein (meaning 'Sovereign' in Ulguan aelvish) has now ordered a series of assassinations and abductions of prominent city leaders. The Coil is moving, and given how much power it already had, it seems clear now that they plan to openly take over the city. A secret war has begun between Anvilgard's natives and the aelven criminals loyal to the Visharhein. (Who is actually Morathi; this is assuming it happens before Broken Realms, as the post-Broken Realms writeup will come later with Har Kuron.) The Anvilgard bonus is Illicit Dealings. You either select any two contacts or any one contact from the new Allies and Contacts rules. If you picked two, you have both as if you'd used the new Contacts downtime Endeavor, gaining access to their basic Benefits. If you picked one, you instead have access to their Greater Benefit. We'll cover what this means later, but it's pretty handy! Brightspear is built inside the greatest of the ruined citadels of the ancient Agloraxi, which solidifies the surrounding region against the temporal and physical warping of Tzeentch's corruption. Even now, the wizards aren't sure quite how the Agloraxi managed that. The Celestial Warbringers have fully cleansed the citadel, though, founding the three-tiered city Brightspear. It is named for a giant, spear-shaped beacon that stands at its center, with the rest of the city built like an orrery around it. Unlike most Free Cities, it lacks a functioning realmgate and relies on imports through the Kharadron trade fleets, who brave the aerial legions of Tzeentch to deliver much-needed supplies. The city is quite young and it has suffered greatly in the Necroquake, with rebuilding going only slowly. Fortunately, the Spearians are very good at making do with few resources. They lack a grand history, but they are brave and clever. The Brightspear bonus is Resourceful. You can ignore any tool requirements for any roll or Endeavor, but if you do, the Difficulty increases by 1. Further, during any period of downtime, you may swap your Training and Focus in any one skill with your Training and Focus in any other skill. This doesn't cost an Endeavor, and it works even if one of the two skills has no Training or Focus. (This is incredibly good - basically any time you have downtime, you can just decide you've got a new skill you want in place of an old one you don't.) Hammerhal Aqsha is the Aqshy half of the city of the Stormrift Realmgate. It is a city of industry that towers over the Aqshy plains. It expands constantly, pushed by the defensive cogforts that secure its new borders. Lightning shields protect it from the air. In theory, it should be able to house the many refugees that come to it, but the wealthy nobility of the Goldpath see no need to invest in the slums. The chief way out is to join the Freeguild Goldjackets or, occasionally, to become Soulbound, achieving success for their family through heroism and defense of the city. Hammerhalians often complain about the rising crime or the difficulties of lower class life, but they are intensely proud of their city and their heritage as descendants of the Seven Tribes of Azyr. Hammerhal Aqsha specifically is home to the Acadamae Martial, the greatest military colleges of the Mortal Realms. The Hammerhalians of this half of the city adore the Freeguilds and the military geniuses the Acadamae produce, and everyone has at least some understanding of war. The Hammerhal Aqsha bonus is Military Acumen. You double Training in any skill used for any roll related to military tactics or knowledge and for any use of the Fortify Endeavor, which we'll cover later. Further, the Tactician Talent is added to your available chargen Talents regardless of Archetype. Hammerhal Ghyra is the Ghyran half of Hammerhal. It is a food producing city, exporting massive amounts of grain and meat each day and bringing in magma to burn out the fast-growing plants that surround the city. Aerial trade of all kinds moves through daily, bringing in all kinds of goods, and this half of the city is exceptionally diverse. It's full of aelves, Sylvaneth, humans, dwarves and more - even Seraphon diplomats based out of embassies full of snakes. While it, like its Aqshian half, has plenty of income inequality, it too bursts with civic pride. Ghryan Hammerhalians take pride in their ability to thrive in any environment and endure any trial, no matter how long it takes or how hard they have to work. The Hammerhal Ghyra bonus is Stubborn Defiance. You can take the Industrious Endeavor even if you aren't Human. This one I'm going to explain here - Humans get a huge boost in this book via the Endeavor system: Industrious gives them a free additional Endeavor every downtime. Non-human Ghyran Hammerhalians also get it! On top of this, the Complexity of any Death Test you make is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1, and if any effect would instakill you, you are instead just Mortally Wounded. This includes stuff like a Bloodthirster's abiltiy to instantly decapitate when they'd normally cause a Mortal Wound, explicitly. Greywater Fastness is the massive Ironworks industrial city built in the Ghoul Mere of Ghyran. Its gunners defended it from a massive Beastman horde, and while the Greycap forces drove off the gors, they smashed apart all the woodland around the city. Even now, the magic of Ghyran has been unable to heal all the damage to the environment. The Dreadwood Sylvaneth that live in the broken woods hate the city with a passion thanks to its constant pollution and have only barely agreed to a very, very tense truce. There is exactly one trade route through the Mere, and stepping off it means death at the hands of either the ghosts of Ghoul Mere or the Sylvaneth. Even so, Greywater Fastness continues to pump out guns. Ironweld and Dispossessed Duardin control most of the city politics, and they believe the key to survival is more work, more trade and more guns. The locals have learned several things: first, hard labor and the scars of industrial diseases are an acceptable price for survival. Second, getting rich is hard. Third, even if you get out of Greywater, never back down on anything and solve all your problems with overwhelming artillery force. The Greywater Fastness bonus is Heart of Industry. You begin play with your choice of a blunderbuss, a rifle, two pistols or one repeater pistol on top of your normal equipment. Also, whenever you perform any crafting Endeavor, you can choose to automatically succeed. If you do, the Doom increases by 1. Excelsis is built around the Spear of Mallus, a massive chunk of the World-That-Was that slammed into Ghur in ancient times, before even Sigmar had awakened. It was redolent with temporal power, flowing with the energies of nonexistent pasts and possible futures. Sigmar sent the Knights Excelsior to build a city around prophetic stone from his old homeworld...but they weren't particularly gentle about doing so. Early in its existence, the Stormcast purged over a quarter of the city's population over potential Chaos taint, and even now, the locals fear the Knights and their Lord-Veritant, Cerrus Sentanus. Despite their fears, they have become quite wealthy by selling the shards of the Spear for fortune-telling. These shards, known as Glimmerings, grant visions and powers of prophecy. The Azyrite settlers and Ghurish locals have come together under a veneer of civilization, but at their heart they remain aware of where they are, and of the instincts and hunt that rule over their realm. They may plot and prophesize, but each one is ready to throw away possible futures if their instinct tells them to act. The Excelsis bonus is All That Glimmers. You begin the game with 1d6 Glimmerings. Each one can be used once to get the same effect as casting the Prophecy spell and asking a single question. Glimmerings can be sold for 100D of Aqua Ghyranis, and during downtime, you can spend 100D to get 1 Glimmering, no matter where you are, without spending any Endeavors. Lethis is a towering gothic city in Shyish. Its people are known for their bone talismans and solemnity, and the streets are lined with graves and Stygxxian Greatravens, which I assume are just really big, fat ravens. The city is also famous for its religious devotion...but not to Sigmar. To Morrda, the Master of the Black Raven. Shrines and small churches are everywhere. Outside of Lethis, most say that Morrda was once a powerful death god but was, like many others, consumed by Nagash. The Raven Priests of Lethis deny this. They say that the Raven Lord escaped Nagash's purge and went into hiding. They will return when they have gathered enough power to be safe. The people of Lethis continue to practice Morrda's burial rites and create his holy talismans that ward against the undead and daemons. Indeed, these talismans are now one of the chief exports of Lethis, because they work. The only product of the city that is even more sought after is Peacewater, a sort of medicinal tonic produced from the waters of the lake Lethis is built on, which eradicate memory. When prepared correctly as Peacewater, it serves as a spychological balm that comforts the mind, prevents fear from taking over and can bolster the soul by softening the pain of trauma. However, drinking Lake Lethis' water straight is a very, very bad idea, as it will utterly destroy all of your emotions and memories and leave you a mute, useless shell of a being, unable to do anything. The Lethis bonus is Talismans of Morrda. You have a collection of protective bone and raven feather charms, and as long as you adorn yourself and/or your gear with them, your weapons and armor count as Magical when used against Undead and Daemonic creatures. Misthavn is an Ulguan city that is practically impossible to find on a map thanks to the ever-shifting nature of the Realm of Shadow. Most charts say it's somewhere on the shore of Cape Tenebrax, but it could honestly end up on any shoreline in Ulgu. In part, this is because it's made of ships lashed together to form artificial islands as a kind of floating city-fleet. It can move around and it is divided into armadas based on command rather than districts based on location. The Scourge Privateers are the most numerous of its people, but there's also human and duardin captains in the fleet, which si defended by Freeguild marines. Whenever the city decides to stop in an area, divers head down underneath the ships to clear barnacles, check on rigging and do repairs while the fishermen head out to check the perimeter of nets to get food for the city. When danger comes, the city splits apart into its component armadas, reforming after secret signals that the coast is clear. Obviously, the city is a hotbed of smuggling and criminal activity, or what would be criminal activity anywhere else. Vice is a thriving business, and Grey Mages often make money by selling illusory fantasies. In theory, the Conclave enforces Sigmarite law, but in practice, the locals have twisted the laws to fit their own customs, and if Azyr wants to complain about that, it'd better come down and do so in person. The Misthavn bonus is City of Scoundrels. You start with a False Identity per the core book Endeavor and may perform that Endeavor in the future even if you don't meet its normal requirements. Further, you begin play with one dose of any three Misthavn narcotics, detailed in the equipment chapter, and in any city you can always find a drug dealer to get more Misthavn drugs. Settler's Gain is a Hyshian Free City, known as Yllurai Xhen in the language of the Lumineth aelves. The Lumineth consider it the ideal settlement for immigrants to Hysh, a utopian place of enlightenment and wonder. It has many hovering crystalline buildings arranged in accordance with the ideals of Xintilogica, the philosophy that defines the city's pursuit of refining the mind and soul. Menial labor is largely done by sun-powered robots, allowing the locals to focus on study and enlightenment. The goal of most residents is to ascend to the floating spires, a slow process achieved by passing various philosophical, theological and magical tests held by the Lumineth Invigilators. Non-aelves often have a lot of problems doing so, though, because they lack the long lifespans required to achieve depth of study in these fields enough to pass the highest tests. Those who are chronically unable to advance are called the Earthbound. They live in relative splendor for mortals, but resentment against their societal betters is on the rise amongst the Earthbound. As yet, there has been no violence largely because those deemed to be troublemaking leaders are sent to the Enlightenment Prisms, where some unknown means are used to "correct" their "flawed" viewpoints. Several Earthbound have grown so frustrated with the tests that they consider the idea of leaving the city to become adventurers preferable to living at the bottom of the heap even if their needs are cared for. Others are sent on "spiritual excursions" after disappointing their aelven teachers or pissing them off, sometimes to fight, sometimes to spread the ideals of Xintilogica. The Settler's Gain bonus is Xintilogica. You know how to arrange your environment symmetrically and in an ordered way in order to refine your mental state. When you take a Rest, you can arrange furniture, set up objects or even just trace geometric shapes around yourself to meditate. If you do, you roll a d6. If it is equal to or more than the Doom, you get a bonus die on your choice of Mind or Soul rolls until your next Rest. If it's less than the Doom, nothing happens because the area is too chaotic or disturbed to have it work. Last, we have Vindicarum, the Bulwark of Faith. It is built on the slopes of a massive mercury volcano in Chamon, Mount Ketnus. At the heart of the boiling quicksilver is a realmgate called the Silvershift, which the Celestial Vindicators reclaimed from Tzeentch at the start of the Age of Sigmar. The volcano has now become one of the chief strongholds of the Free Peoples in Chamon. It is protected by the Iron Collar, a ring of defenses around the rim of the volcano itself, which has never fallen despite several direct attacks by Chaos forces. The problem is that Chaos cults keep showing up in the city thanks to Tzeentch's efforts, and each time it happens, the Celestial Vindicators react with extreme prejudice. Entire slums have been burned to the ground, and even minor crimes seen as influenced by Chaos can receive capital punishment, thanks to the extremism of the local Stormcast. Many other Stormcast are not happy with the situation, but as yet no Stormhost has taken direct action to interfere with the city's rule. In part this is because the city is a focal point of the Sigmarite church, and they don't want to harm these mortals. Prayers can be heard from its many cathedrals at all hours, and the bells are operated by ingenious mechanisms so no one has to waste time ringing them manually. Flagellants and firebrand preachers are common sights, and a relatively large number of these zealots are paranoid about Chaos agents among them - and equally fearful of the wrath of the Stormcast, who are less evil but no less unpredictable. The Vindicarum bonus is Eyes of Devotion. The people of Vindicarum, you included, are very good at spotting the signs of Chaos corruption. When making any Insight or Awareness rolls to spot the touch of Chaos in individual people or when making Survival rolls to track Chaos followers, you can add your Theology Training to the dicepool. Also, Theology is always one of your available chargen Skills, regardless of Archetype. Next time: The Khainites
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Feb 18, 2021 23:49
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I like that they use a fair number of cities that are not from the Army book. Though Excelsis also seems like it's about to be hit by a big lore change, with the Great Waagh of Gordraak getting ready to knock on it's doors, in order to get to it's Azyr Realmgate.
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Feb 19, 2021 04:44
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Night10194 posted:Also his original big thing was orcs, considering they killed his mom and were a constant plague on his people. Because think about trying to fight them with bronze age tools and small tribes. That must have been a nightmare. And yet Gorkamorka gifted the Soulbound with something unambiguously important and useful (the strong ability to resist fear) while naming as their price only the chance to give that above gift. Sigmar really needs to go to Gorkamorka and give them a punch in the face to start a big-rear end (non-fatal) brawl (which is presumably the Orc version of a loving hug).
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Feb 19, 2021 04:55
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Everyone posted:And yet Gorkamorka gifted the Soulbound with something unambiguously important and useful (the strong ability to resist fear) while naming as their price only the chance to give that above gift. That’s how they became allies at the start. Gorkamorka just got bored eventually.
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Feb 19, 2021 06:07
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And in the end, isn't the soul explosion only there so that you'd have a way to permakill a PC instead of them always being somewhat revivable? Not the most elegant solution, and not the most elegant fluff justification. Back to something mentioned earlier, but the soul-clone joining the group as soon as possible is potentially hilariously dumb, as the group and the clone could be at very, very distant points of the practically endless reality balls. To offer a break from my usual No Fun routine, I love how Greywater gives guns to everyone as well as making them more industrial yet polluting. "Sure, I can make us a bomb in two hours, but, uh, just take the Branchwytch for a walk in the meantime"
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Feb 19, 2021 07:29
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JcDent posted:And in the end, isn't the soul explosion only there so that you'd have a way to permakill a PC instead of them always being somewhat revivable? Not the most elegant solution, and not the most elegant fluff justification. Not really. Other then Stormcast it's not easy to just come back to life in Warhammer. It's more an explanation of how they don't get enslaved by Nagash. JcDent posted:
It's almost certain they will be in Hysh. Then it's a matter of using the right Realmgates and whatever other transportation. This is something that could take a few months or less then a day, depending on how close the party is to a known Realmgate. MonsterEnvy fucked around with this message at 09:22 on Feb 19, 2021 |
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Feb 19, 2021 09:06
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MonsterEnvy posted:Not really. Other then Stormcast it's not easy to just come back to life in Warhammer. It's more an explanation of how they don't get enslaved by Nagash. Seems like "now we have to spring our party member from Nagash" would be more interesting as far as these things go. quote:It's almost certain they will be in Hysh. Then it's a matter of using the right Realmgates and whatever other transportation. This is something that could take a few months or less then a day, depending on how close the party is to a known Realmgate. I wonder if those solar robots will ever appear on the tabletop.
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Feb 19, 2021 10:23
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Soulbound: Champions of Order Murder Elves The Daughters of Khaine are still part of Order, at least on a technicality. Certainly their forces have helped win many battles against te orruks and Chaos, and they have received few thanks for it. The problem, of course, is that they're bloodthirsty killers. They hate Chaos with a passion greater than any other, but even they can't deny that they're more than willing to use other blood. Their strongest area is in Ulgu, where they are based, and the various sects each dream of supplanting Hagg Nar in the favor of H High Oracle Morathi. There's not a lot of mobility within their system, however. The vast majority of the Daughters are the Sisterhood of Blood, whom outsiders deal with most often, but alongside and often above them are the Scathborn Handmaidens of Morathi, whose aelven souls inhabit bodies twisted into serpentine or bat-like forms by the touch of the Mathcoir master cauldron. Other peoples find the Scathborn disturbing and often associate them with Chaos mutation, so Morathi generally keeps them hidden away from others. The bottom ranks of Khainite society are filled with the Leathanam, who serve as thralls and servants for the other Khainites and are primarily made of the majority of male Khainite aelves. Their innate magical power and part of their souls are siphoned by Morathi into the Mathcoir and, through it, the ritual cauldrons of the Khainite sects. They are indoctrinated to believe that Khaine despises them because they are weak, but are given few chances to become strong. A rare few excel despite this, but they are typically branded with magical runes of control, which they are told will protect them from Slaanesh. Even these few are kept in the shadows, for Morathi has no desire for others to see them, much as she keeps many of the worst acts and plans she creates hidden from all but top-ranking Hag Queens. Even the other Daughters of Khaine barely know what their oracle gets up to most of the time. Hagg Nar is the most favored sect of the Khainites, the core upon which all else is built. They take their name from the capital city of the Khainites, deep in Ulgu, where Morathi keeps the Mathcoir. It is the magic of the Mathcoir and the charisma of Morathi that built all of the modern Khainite society. Hagg Nar is a temple city now to which all Khainites must go at least once, equally a religious sect and a powerful city-state that maintains harsh control over the lands around it. Members tend to be sneaky types, as those who are too belligerent are purged from the sect or sent to others, much as they get rid of any who they see as too weak to use or who are too ambitious to break to service. Hagg Nar Khainites prefer red-lacquered armor and plenty of accessories, typically chosen from the plunder they took or the tributes they receive from worshippers. They also are noted for dying streaks of hair with blood taken from the most worthy foes. Hagg Nar is easily the strongest and largest sect even now, thanks to its favor wit Morathi, and it runs most of the temples and shrines of Khaine as well as often performing the nastiest rites of the Red Invocation. The Hagg Nar bonus is Devoted Disciples. When you determine your Defense, you include your Devotion Training in the calculation as well as your Reflexes Training. Further, when making Death Tests, you add your Devotion Training in dice. Draichi Ganeth is a sect whose temple sits in the northern wastes of Fuathorn, a barren area of Ulgu. They hold as sacred the pure and simple killing blow, particularly the decapitation. They are known as the Executioner's Cult among friends and enemies alike, and while Hagg Nar may be the largest sect, the Draichi Ganeth are the most commonly seen Khainites outside of Ulgu. This is because they often go on long pilgrimages across the Mortal Realms in order to seek enlightenment in the act of behading the foes of Order. They aren't especially subtle or sneaky - that would be to admit to any shame in their actions, which they do not feel. They are often the most heroic Khainites in the eyes of others, as they have often helped save the Free Peoples from danger by...well, beheading said danger. Ritual fencing is the core of their worship, focusing on the single perfect attack, and when they head to battle, the Draichi Ganeth favor open, bloody posturing as a display of their strength. They torment captive foes and leave a bloody trail to mark their passage in war, that all would know the fate of those who cross the Murder God. They are infamous for their use of the Krish'lar rites, coating themselves in the blood of their foes on the field to intimidate others and psych themselves up. They have no place for stealth in their rites, and they find those who caution them to take care as worthy of contempt, even if they are also of Khaine, for they know that a true killer needs only a blood and zeal. They prefer utilitarian and unormanted clothing, typically simple steel with perhaps a bit of silver, brass or gold trim. They do not accessorize except by performing the Krish'lar, when they are stained red with the blood of their kills. The Draichi Ganeth bonus is Rites of the Krish'lar. The first time each combat that you kill a non-Minion foe with a Slashing or Piercing weapon, you do so in a way that coats you in their blood. This gives a bonus to Defence for the rest of the combat. Kraith is the most merciless of the Khainite sects, known also as the Crimson Cult. Unlike other sects, they have no temples or static places of worship, for they hold that the only place Khaine can be truly honored is in battle. The Kraith are monster hunters and assassins, and they see all others, even other Khainite sects, as lesser than they are. Their only virtue is slaughter, and they consider most others to be lacking in that department. They see the hierarchy of Hagg Nar as foolish, the ritual of Draichi Ganeth as wasteful and the restraint of Khailebron as contemptuous. The idea of artistry or honor in a kill is a lie, a dilution of the purity of murder. Even when they apply their talents to killing dangerous beasts, the rest of the Free Peoples are uncomfortable at best around the Kraith. Their skills are welcome, but their tendency to exsanguinate foes after battle and take body parts as trophies means they have no real friends even among their allies. Most Kraith are heavily stained and scarred by the rites they perform. Unlike the Draichi Ganeth, they see no shame in the use of poison, and indeed, they often use poisoned weapons. After all, Krylla the Slaughter Queen, the aelf who perfected the use of the poison Nagendra's Venom, was of the Kraith. The Kraith bonus is Revelry in Carnage. Once per turn, when you kill a non-Minion foe, you regain 1 Mettle. Also, you start the game with a single dose of Nagendra's Venom, covered in the equipment section. Khailebron is another largely nomadic sect, but much subtler than the Kraith. They are assassins who worship Khaine's aspect as the unseen killer and also blade dancers that make friends and allies among the Free Peoples by providing entertainment. The Khailebron have only one temple, whose location is kept extremely secret. They spend most of their time traveling between the temples of other sects, killing those that Morathi designates. (Or other Hag Queens, if they can find the right bribe, presumably.) The Khailebron work as Morathi's enforcers, messengers and stealth specialists, striking when other sects threaten to cause dangerous schisms or spread vile heresies. Their talent with illusory magic means they can change appearance easily, but also means they rarely attain the fame and glory of other sects. Sure, they might become famous as gladiators or dancers, but there's not a lot of room for an ambitious Khailebron to rise in the ranks or gain infamy for their skill in battle. They often find other Khainites annoying and unimaginative despite their greater spotlight. Khailebron favor dark blues and violets as well as tattoos that mimic shadow patterns on the skin. They usually use dark metal for their weapons, dulling it to prevent reflections. The Khailebron bonus is The Unseen Hand of Khaine. When you determine your Melee, you include your Entertain Training as well as your Weapon Skill Training, and you can add your Entertain Training to any Body/Stealth rolls. Also, you may take the Spellcasting (Grey) Talent as one of your chargen Talents, regardless of Archetype. Khelt Nar is a rising star among the Khainite sects, and they'd likely be taken down by a concerted alliance of rivals if they weren't so utterly obsessive about fighting Chaos. Their home temple-fortress is now quite large, but was once merely a small shrine, the Ironshard, atop the iron mountain Rothfor. The temple Khelt Nar was built around it with aid from Morathi's shadow magic once it became clear how much valuable material was hidden inside Rothfor. Despite the magic hiding them, Chaos has attacked the temple multiple times, which is one reason the Khelt Nar sect hates the Dark Gods so much. They have never fallen to the attacks, for their vicious fury has always won out. It also fuels a number of more philosophical Khainites to write about the nature of murder against Chaos - typically, using the blood of the Chaos Champions they've killed. They have become masters of mining and forging the umbral metal of Rothtor, developing a new type of dagger known as the kuirath. These blades are infused with shadow magic, causing those wounded to become confused and engulfed in darkness from within their own veins. It may not last very long, but it makes it much easier to kill them while it does. No other sect has stolen the secret of making kuirath, despite their best efforts. Khelt Nar doesn't really hide its ambition of replacing Hagg Nar as the most important sect, and their method of doing so has been aggressive support of Morathi and obedience to her orders. They are often found hunting Chaos beasts or researching shadow magic to better stop Chaos from fraying reality with portals. Few outsiders really understand the finer parts of their esoteric philosophies, though, and most see them as little different from the average Daughters. The Khelt Nar bonus is Kuraith Blade. You begin the game with a kuraith, which is a dagger with the Magical trait. In your hands, though, it's more dangerous. Whenever you deal damage with the kuraith, the target must make a Mind/Determination roll that gets harder the more damage your attack did. If they fail, they are Stunned until the start of your next turn. Har Kuron is what Anvilgard becomes after Morathi takes over. She ascends to godhood as Morathi-Khaine and immediately lays siege to Anvilgard, revealing herself as the Visharhein of the Blackscale Coil. The city is renamed Har Kuron, and it has become a vassal state of the Daughters, with Morathi still controlling the Ulguan aelf criminal underworld, though some who were not of the Coil have turned rebel. The Scourge and Order Serpentis continue to smuggle goods in and out of the city and operate as criminals, but now, assassins and Khainite killers stalk the streets, watching for any civilian that dares speak out against their new god-queen. Again, this will be covered in more detail, we're told, in the Shadows in the Mist campaign book. Until then, it's up to you to figure out how or if a Har Kuron Khainite can get along with other party members. (Though since Soulbound are all folks on the outs with Morathi, it's at least possible even if the others aren't down with what she did.) The Har Kuron bonus is Make an Example of the Weak. Whenever you kill a non-Minion foe in melee, you may spend 1 Mettle to execute them as brutally or impressively as possible. Any allies in your Zone that are Charmed or Frightened immediately recover from these Conditions, and all allies in your Zone get a bonus to Melee until the start of your next turn.  Our new archetype is the Khainite Shadowstalker. The Shadowstalkers are Morathi's elite spies and assassins. Their bodies are tattoed or marked with miracth, also known as shademark, and infused with raw shadow magic. They are trained to keep hidden from all others while ensuring that the ambitions of various Daughters of Khaine do not interfere with Morathi's bigger plans. Shadowstalkers are able to travel through the Umbral Web, a set of arcane paths that let them teleport across vast distances in order to bring the bloody judgment of Morathi down on anyone she has marked for death. Those that witness these kills rarely see the killers, and thus the murders are attributed to the hand of Khaine himself. More than any other Khainites, the Shadowstalkers are fundamentally tied to Morathi rather than Khaine or the ideology of the cult. She leaves them little chance for individuality if she can help it, and they rarely take part in Khainite ritual except to aid in maintaining a disguise. Even in Hagg Nar, the Shadowstalkers tend to feel isolated and cut off from their own culture. Typically, this isolation and depression has only two endpoints - either they become even more loyal to Morathi because she's the only real connection they have, or they get designated as expendable and killed in action because their loyalty is waning. Most remain devout in their worship of Khaine despite their alienation, if only because it gives them another avenue for feeling tied to something, and they are, after all, quite good at murder and honored by the High Oracle. They're rarely chosen to become Soulbound, because Morathi usually uses that to get rid of threats to her power. Most Shadowstalkers would never become that kind of danger...but the key word there is "most." It has happened before and will again, and that's why there's Soulbound Shadowstalkers. Shadowstalkers start with Body 3, Mind 3, Soul 2 and must be Khainite aelves. Their Core Skill is Stealth, and they get a good selection from among Arcana, Athletics, Awareness, Ballistic Skill, Channeling, Dexterity, Guile, Intimidation, Intuition, Lore, Medicine, Reflexes, Stealth and Weapon Skill. Their Core Talent is Shadow Leap (you can teleport between fully shadowed areas within Long Range and can enter stealth when doing so), and they also get two of Applied Anatomy (when you hit a living creature with an attack, you do extra damage per 6 rolled, capped by the higher of your Training or Focus in Medicine), Backstab, Executioner (when you hit an Incapacitated, Prone or Restrained foe with an attack, you deal extra damage per 6 rolled), Effortless Deceit (you get a bonus on opposed rolls to deceive others, from lying to forger to disguises, and you are immune to spells or effects that compel truth) or Spellcasting (Grey). They begin play with leather armor (Light), either an umbral blade (a sword) or two assassin's blades (each a dagger), a Shadowshroud (a cloak that increases Defence when fully in shadow and which always counts as a shadow for Shadow Leap), a dose of basic poison and 85D of Aqua Ghyranis. Next time: Fyreslayers Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Feb 19, 2021 |
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Feb 19, 2021 20:00
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Great, a whole faction of bloody edgelord elves and I'm not allowed to kill them.
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Feb 19, 2021 20:12
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I'm sore the Idoneth will be delightful
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Feb 19, 2021 20:23
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By popular demand posted:Great, a whole faction of bloody edgelord elves and I'm not allowed to kill them. Good news, they predictably turn on the alliance in the first big metaplot event. Didn't that take the RPG authors by surprise, too? That suddenly they had to account for the fact that the spike-elves were suddenly going to be enemies in the very near timeline future instead of 'obviously sizing up breaking off and becoming enemies?'
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Feb 19, 2021 20:24
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If they weren't surprised by it, they certainly have left well up in the air 'so, uh, how does our table handle the fact that one of our PCs may have had their entire faction backstab the rest.' Though my instinct would be to say that any Khainite PC probably has issues with Morathi in the first place, which means Soulbound Daughters of Khaine are even more rebels now?
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Feb 19, 2021 20:26
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Turns out it's not a particularly good idea to ally with people who constantly talk about purging the weak and slaughtering the helpless. Same for the guy who kept screaming about how he'd render the entire world to death and bones so that he could control all existence. Turns out they all attack you eventually. Who knew?
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Feb 19, 2021 20:31
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Night10194 posted:Good news, they predictably turn on the alliance in the first big metaplot event. Didn't that take the RPG authors by surprise, too? That suddenly they had to account for the fact that the spike-elves were suddenly going to be enemies in the very near timeline future instead of 'obviously sizing up breaking off and becoming enemies?' The only way this can avoid sucking is Gorkamorka reforming and returning to the Alliance.
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Feb 19, 2021 20:31
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Though it's also kind of funny to start out on and set up an entire premise on 'we have to work together, even if some of us are kinda dubious, because there's an existential evil out there we all have to oppose' , around which the entire premise of the RPG is set (after all, you're a multinational team of trouble-shooters designed to show this alliance thing can work) and then get blindsided by the first metaplot thing being 'lol all your dubious allies betray you instantly in exactly the way it looked like they might'. Got to be a little awkward to write around.
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Feb 19, 2021 20:33
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It should be noted - BR: Morathi is actually not badly written in how it handles this...or the fact that not all the Ulguan elves are on board. A non-majority but significant chunk of Anvilgard's dark elf population went 'wait, what? ANVILGARD ENDURES' e: likewise, the Idoneth remain split on this, with some working with Morathi and some with Sigmar and some no one. Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Feb 19, 2021 |
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Feb 19, 2021 20:41
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By popular demand posted:The only way this can avoid sucking is Gorkamorka reforming and returning to the Alliance. They need to channel his aggression into non-fatal forms when dealing with Alliance members, then. I suggest luchador orks, goblins, ogres, and giants.
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Feb 19, 2021 20:41
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HIRE THIS DESIGNER!
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Feb 19, 2021 20:44
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| # ? Jun 8, 2024 08:09 |
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Broken Realms is also still an ongoing thing, and we are waiting on details for the aftermath.
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Feb 19, 2021 21:19
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