Hi guys! I'm really eager for this game and I think it will be a blast!
Oh, and Mao is no leader...
I believe Cephas or Arthur should be the leader. Cephas is the only one with the Command skill so it kind of makes sense and Adrian as an investigator is also a good candidate.
I see Mao as the brute in the group and Milo and the 'specialist'. IMO Father Alpharius should NOT be the leader since he is a menite... otherwise I don't see a motive for the whole Ratcatchers to not become a more religious group.
Hail!
Arthur is happy to take backseat to leadership. Though he'll step in if he feels it necessary.
Milo is a leader to himself only..lol....and having to lug Mao around is enough responsibility for him!!
I'm pretty new to the whole Pathfinder and roleplaying thing so I think I should stay out of leadership for the time being.
Besides I don't think Sadron would make a very good leader.
This isnt pathfinder
I'm pretty new to the whole Pathfinder and roleplaying thing so I think I should stay out of leadership for the time being.
Besides I don't think Sadron would make a very good leader.
Hum... I think you might have make some confusion, dude. When the GM posted on the recruitment thread that everyone who had submitted a PC was in, I believe he was referring to Arthur, Cephas, Father Alpharius, Mao, and Milo.
You haven't even submitted a PC...
Ah...
Sorry about the mess up guys.
I'm still learning the ropes around here. :/
Just to save folks the trouble of looking it up. Our 'Captain' (Cephas?) gains the Natural Leader ability and we can each gain one level in one of the following:
Animal Handling, Command, Driving, Gambling, Interrogation, Medicine, Negotiation or Riding (since nothing says otherwise we're still limited to level 2 in these skills, if it's relevant to anyone)
Nothing seems to exclude us or force us to all take the same skill.
We're (well the captain) to pick a Lieutenant and Treasurer, though these don't have any additional effects.
I'll take Negotiation, unless Cephas declines being Captain, in which case I'll take Command and be Captain.
I believe Mao will also take the Negotiation skill. All the others (except perhaps gambling) seems too out of character for him, but negotiation makes sense, since he had to set prices for his previous jobs as a bounty hunter.
Hmmm..Milo has deception, bribery and intimidation ... maybe adding negotiation will make him useful in those situations when we need to bluff our way into or out of a tight place!
Ah, the name Cephas came from a name generator, it wasn't as a rank or anything. It's his first name, and he comes from a line of posh sorts who uses all three of his names.
As for being the captain, while I could probably handle it, I think it would best be handled by someone with more experience in the rules system than I. Cephas was the first of a grand total of two IK characters I ever made. I believe the command stuff for him was for using 'jacks, though the idea is that he did command troops at one point in his past. In character, he wouldn't chafe at someone else taking the leadership position, as a Warcaster's battle experience is likely to be more along the lines of conventional warfare, whereas I imagine what we are going to be doing is more asymmetric warfare.
As for that list of skills, do we add those on top of what we already have for our characters? If so, I could take the Command skill point and up my Command to 2.
I don't pretend any real experience of the system, I've made a few test characters and run through some test combats, though I've played a fair amount of Warmachine, which is more or less the same system.
I've also run a fair amount of the d20 version, but that's a completely different bag of dice.
Yes you add the skills on top of what you have already, but you can't take any skill above 2 until we hit the next rank.
Was just wondering that myself.....is the DM still around? Maybe drop him a note to see if this is still a go or not.
Yeah... this is not a really promising start.
Hmmm, give it another week, I'd hate to do something drastic if they've just bumped their head or something.
If there's still no sign by say... 19th I can look into taking over, if no-one has any objections. Obviously I have no idea what DM E had planned...
Despite my love for the setting, I think I won't be able to take over this game. I'm already GMing four games in these boards and adding another one (specially a homebrew) would be way too much for me.
I won't be taking over, because I barely understand the system enough to make a character.
If only every game I joined didnt die shortly after inception...
Its getting really bad again...this is the 3rd game in the last few months I joined and it died before even the first adventure...it is very discouraging.
Well, I'm just wrapping up a year long RL game I'm running, so I should get some free prep-time again.
I assume no-one wants to diverge from the initial concept of dealing with creeps in the sewers?
I'll probably have to start simple, just some basic clear-out/monster hunts while everyone (including myself) gets used to the system a bit, and if all goes well introduce some more coherent plotting further down the line, or we could get to that point and then you can all tell me I'm a hack GM and you've had enough ;-) and we'll call it a day.
Taking this game would be a serious business so I'd say that it is far more important for YOU to decide what you want to run. Honestly, I'm eager to play ANYTHING in this setting.
We have done nothing yet so there would be no 'losses' so far. I'd say that you decide what you want to run and we'll (at least I am) going to follow you either way.
If you are looking for suggestions aside from the Ratcatchers original idea, I'd propose a military game in the Thornwoods, perhaps a 'behind the enemy lines' thing.
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Sorry, didn't phrase that right, what I meant is that if I'm writing something from scratch and have no preconceived plans I wanted to check if we're all happy to continue with the concept as is, or if you were going along with it because it was what was available.
Isn't Black 13th the Gunmage Black-Ops team?
Sorry, didn't phrase that right, what I meant is that if I'm writing something from scratch and have no preconceived plans I wanted to check if we're all happy to continue with the concept as is, or if you were going along with it because it was what was available.
Isn't Black 13th the Gunmage Black-Ops team?
To be honest, in my case it falls more in the "it is what is available". I simply love the scenario but since it is a bit unknown, these boards have not too much love for it. Iron Kingdoms is such an amazing place that it feels a bit underwhelming to play a campaign that could have a similar feel in any other scenario (like the ratcathers idea).
For me, when I think about Iron Kingdoms, three things comes to my mind quickly: Iron Giants; Massive Warfare; Deadly Wildland. Anything in those lines would be pretty incredible... Black 13th squad is indeed a pretty nice idea. I could also see us playing something like 'A-Team'.
If there is a consensus that a more military game would be preferred I don't mind, Black 13th is a compelling sort of idea, but would probably mean that everyone takes Gunmage as one of their classes.
Fortunately I think the 2-classes structure means we can still have enough differentiation of characters, a GunMage/Soldier is still pretty different to a GunMage/Aristocrat or GunMage/Arcanist. It would also mean that Trollkin, Ogrun and Gobbers are out, as (iirc) they can't select the Gifted background.
...And it is different enough to the concept on here that it'd be easier to start a new thread, than request to take over this one.
Next question - I don't have access to many websites from where I am and Black 13th isn't returning much (and my warmachine lore is 90% 1st edition WM/d20IKRPG) is there any particular resources dealing with them that I've missed, or are we just taking "GunMage Black-Ops" and running with it?
The only bit of information I was able to find is this, from the warmachine book. It states that only three of them survived... we could be 'assumed dead agents' or even take the shoes of these three individuals and perhaps someone outside the group if we hear from more players wishing to join the game.
After the fall of Merywyn in 605 AR, the Black 13th covered Cygnar’s withdrawal from Llael by harrying vast numbers of Khadoran forces and buying time for weary soldiers to regroup at the northern fortresses. Since that time, intense fighting near Northguard has cut the unit’s complement to three. Captain Dixon Lynch is the only surviving member of the original Black 13th. Lynch does not talk about the team’s history, whether from a desire to preserve its secrets or due to an abundance of painful memories, and he will not identify the ultimate source of its sometimes-enigmatic orders.
Many at the Tempest Academy see Lynch as a legend, even excepting his current service. Perhaps the eldest gun mage still serving in the field, Lynch once belonged to the Brothers of the Tempest, the secretive fraternity that predated the founding of the Militant Order and its formal adoption as a branch of the Cygnaran Army. Despite being a man of few words, his cold but steady leadership has earned him the unshakable loyalty of his team.
Those who see Lynch as taciturn view Sergeant Samuel Watts as downright unfriendly. The gaunt and scarred gun mage, infamous for his biting wit and loud mouth, has few friends. Rumor has it Watts remains a sergeant despite over seven years with the unit after earning the ire of Lord General Olan Duggan, who allegedly declared, “That man will never be an officer so long as I am still breathing.” Those who know Watts’ reputation carefully avoid responding to his baiting. He is said to have a habit of taunting fools into reaching for a weapon as an excuse to demonstrate his own lighting-fast draw.
This might lead people to think of Lieutenant Darsey Ryan as the friendly face of the team. A coolly polite and professional duelist of unsurpassed skill, Ryan joined the Black 13th just before the invasion of Llael and remains as tough an opponent as ever. She attracts challengers like a flame attracts moths and has left dozens of overconfident pistoleers dead in the dirt. Even Watts admits she once beat him at his own game. In battle, she wields a magelock in each hand with no apparent inhibition to her sorcerous power. When she focuses her arcane energy into striking down a hard target, the bullets from her pistols erupt in a blinding flash into a devastating explosion.
When these three fight together, each effortlessly watches the blind spots of the others while combining their fire to tear apart any opposition. What was true in its earliest days still holds today: for the Black 13th there can never be capture or surrender, only victory or death.
Taking a look at the books, it appears that the Black 13th are tied to the Arcane Tempest Gun Mage, which is a Cygnaran Career option that would limit our other class to Aristocrat, Horsemen, Military Officer, Pistoleer, Ranger, Rifleman, Soldier, Spy, or Warcaster.
The Kings, Nations, and Gods book also gives the Unorthodox Engagement Team company which seems to fit quite well with the Black 13th.
Since we all would have to take the Arcane Tempest Gun Mage career, it might be a good idea to allow us the options under Customization and Options, allowing us to:
*Replace a starting ability;
*Replace a starting occupational skill;
*Replace a starting spell;
*Start with 10 XP to allow more customization. (after all we are the Elite team, right? It makes sense to be a bit more powerful than the standard gun mage)
Sounds good to me. It'll take me awhile to put a character together, will probably stick with warcaster and change arcane mechanik. I have company in town for another week so i'd make the character after that.
Will see what I can come up with....
Okay, I'll start this in a new "recruitment" thread.
I think we'll take the existing background as so nicely posted by Mao. However the Black 13th now operate as a fully covert force, Lynch, Watts and Ryan are utilized on the battlefield.
Other teams operate more behind the scenes, as ghosts, striking enemies and traitors without warning, if these other teams are ever sighted their actions tend to be attributed to Lynch, Watts and Ryan, increasing their reputation and the legends surrounding them.
Creation/Composition
At least 3 of you need to be gun mages, I'm going to allow you either the Arcane Tempest or the standard Gun Mage. You will still be 'Arcane Tempest' just followed different training paths. In addition I'm going to rule that some Amethyst Rose have been "repatriated" to serve, if anyone would rather go the Llael route (it is up to you if your first loyalty is to Cygnar or Llael, but you will have to pay at least lip-service to Cygnar).
If anyone wants to be anything other than a gun-mage please run the concept by me, I could see the team using a secondary agent who (for example) doesn't pick up as a caster or a local guide etc. I do not necessarily encourage this option, but am leaving it in case anyone would rather not play a Gunmage.
*Replace a starting ability;
*Replace a starting occupational skill;
*Replace a starting spell;
Are available, but if you can call out what you're swapping as I may veto or further discuss any options that seem too wacky.
As suggested I will give you 10xp to start, and I will give out xp pretty quickly at least initially.
Background
It is up to you whether you are an original Black 13th, who survived for whatever reason (maybe you were on other operations, under review for misconduct or just lucky) or newer recruits from other units in an effort to rebuild. Character creation is the same regardless.
All characters will have to be Cygnaran or Llaelese. For this campaign it would make my life easier if everyone were human, but if you want to discuss something non-human you will at least have to be Cygnaran 'naturalized', which possibly allows Trollkin, Elves or Dwarves (or Ogrun if someone elects to not be a gun-mage).
Adventures
I am working on a fairly generic scenario to begin with, further down the line I would hope to run things based on what the team is good at and/or character backgrounds. Some adventures may favor one character more than others, but I'll try to change it around each time.
I do not currently have a plan for an overarching plot-line so unless something strikes these will be individual missions.
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Ok, here is what I've done so far... working on an arcane tempest gun mage/spy. My idea is for him to take the leader role. He'd be a more aged agent who has a cover identity of a bookseller. He is far more knowledgeable than a gunfighter.
Will we be taking the Unorthodox Engagement Team company? If so, each of us would receive the Find Cover ability and the leader (me if no one objects) would also gain Natural Leader.
Midlunder Gifted Arcane Tempest Gun Mage/Spy
168 lbs, 71", *, *, *
PHY 5 SPD 6 STR 4
AGI 4 PRW 4 POI 4
INT 5 ARC 3 PER 5
Languages
Cygnaran
Khadoran
Ordic
Military Skills
Pistol 2 (+6)
Occupational Skills
Command 2
Cryptography 1
Deception 1
Detection 2
Disguise 1
Forgery 1
Interrogation 1
Intimidation 1
Lore (*) 1
Sneak 1
Abilities
Battle Plan: Shadow
Combat Caster:
Cover Identity:
Craft Rune Shot:
Exceptional Potential: +1 INT.
Fast Reload:
Language (Khadoran):
Signal Language:
Spells
Rune Shot: Accurary
Rune Shot: Brutal
Rune Shot: Silencer
Connections
Cygnaran Military
CRN (Cygnaran Reconnaissance Network)
Feat Points: 0
Damage Spiral
PHYSIC
1-[][][]
2-[][]
AGILITY
3-[][]
4-[][]
INTELLECT
5-[][][]
6-[][]
Gear
90 gc
ammo bandolier
forged identity papers
knife, throwing
magelock pistol (with powder and 10 rounds of ammunition)
rune shot casting kit
spring blade
sword cane