Steel Wolves - A Mercenary Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Mark Sweetman

Sentis / Dark - the battle for the mask can involve as many or as few of the Wolves as you see fit. I'll tailor the challenge to suit those involved.

Kaavel - if you're still interested in the golem suit... it might be a very good idea to go and see the gnome.

Did anyone loot the Wolf wonderous figure from Cort?... or anyone want to ret-con that they did and seek to engage with the presence within it?

Definitely wouldve grabbed it and the Bag of Tricks he had. The Bag of Tricks I think should go to Grusk. Mostly because Im sure he'll have any number of ways to make us laugh with its usage. I'll leave engaging the Wolf statuette to our leader...especially since Sentis already has an appointment with a spirit.

Do I have enough leftover chitin to do Kaavel's suit in it too?

Probably not enough to do a full suit for Kaavel, and he's still got a ways to go before he'll get a functional full golem suit.

Besides... you don't want everything to end up being lime green do you?

Kaavel likes grays.

Well, kinda, yeah. It has sort of become a uniform color for us.

How much do I have left?

I'd think you've probably got enough for another couple of items (breastplates or similar sized).

Its become the uniform color for the unit. Blaze won't wear the colors, preferring to wear colors more in line with his goddess when able.

Well, we can always paint the chitin. It will take laquer just fine.

I was thinking it might be nice to have a company insignia at least. A grey wolfshead or something.

Well, I can't exactly wear armor, without wasting a feat.

But we absolutely should have an insignia. Wolfshead works.

I'll put together a stencil to put it on cloaks, tabbards, shields or whatever.

Dark grey wolf's head on what color background? Red? Green? Black?

Why don't we stick with a darkish green, since that seems to be our color.

I just wonder if it will be a problem showing up on whatever chitin items we have.

Grey wolf's head on forest green. Got it.

I can come up with a way to make it stand out. Put something in the laquer to make it metallic or light-catching. The good thing about being an alchemist is that things like making goofy paint are basically a class abiity.

Alchemy to mix some kind of special paint: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

All good, just wanted to point it out.

Round abouts how much gold do we each have?

before we left to slay ankhegs we had 7204 gp to divide 6 ways

= 1200 gp 6 sp 6 cp each

since then we've accumulated

a wicked barbed spear ??
+1 returning trident
Composite Shortbow +1 - appears obsidian - Strength bonus variable dependent on wielder, and it creates it's own arrows (that deal 1d8, rather than 1d6)
leather belt if worn grants Stability as per the dwarven racial trait, and allows you to ignore difficult ground caused by rocky terrain. 1/day can use standard action to 'attack the ground' with a stomp - that then generates a mini earthquake. Effectively an AoE trip against adjacent.
Rod - A simple mottled brown wooden rod affixed with copper bands that bear a patina of corrosion.Fuller description on this page
Tube - A hollow clear tube that seemingly holds a liquid flame.

The big one for the suit? Yeah. Unless Doc decided to keep it.

The big returning trident was going to become a returning projectile for the main gun of the pack wagon (that could also double as a weapon for Kaavel's suit)

Assuming that's ok with everyone, of course.

Looks about right Sentis - with a single clarification that the returning trident is size large.

Seems like a good use for the trident, Doc. Dark is mostly good on gear, simply needing to upgrade what he already has, so he'll just take his share of the coin.

I too have no desire or use for any of that gear.

Did we ever figure out what the flame tube did?

As an addenda I'll add:

Isn't Sentis going to try and activate the wolf figurine of power?

Isn't Doc going to point the rod at Grusk and press the button that hath not been pressed?

Isn't Blaze going to release the sentient being from confinement?

Did we ever figure out what the flame tube did?

Sniped me - see my post ;)

Dark stops in at the armory, looking to upgrade his bow, as he doesn't have enough to add magic to his blade. The rest of the money he secures until such time as he has enough to do more upgrading.

Selling his shortbow for 15 gp and buying a MW Comp (+2) Longbow for 600 gp.

There was a sentient being? I obviously have forgotten this...link?

All dots are present - it is up to you to connect them :P

Unless I missed something, not being magical, but also not alchemical and suggesting we get it to somebody with Knowledge(Planes) does not automatically equal a sentient being....

Correct - not automatically... but mayhap you might try and find someone with appropriate skills :P

I know it might be hard to believe, but I don't actually want to hurt Grusk.

What would I tell his mother?

@ Darkbiter - instead of buying one why not claim the Composite Shortbow +1 - appears obsidian - Strength bonus variable dependent on wielder, and it creates it's own arrows (that deal 1d8, rather than 1d6)?

As an addenda I'll add:

Isn't Sentis going to try and activate the wolf figurine of power?

Isn't Doc going to point the rod at Grusk and press the button that hath not been pressed?

Isn't Blaze going to release the sentient being from confinement?

Wasnt sure when would be a good time do this. Before or after I chance my soul on the mask?

@ Darkbiter - instead of buying one why not claim the Composite Shortbow +1 - appears obsidian - Strength bonus variable dependent on wielder, and it creates it's own arrows (that deal 1d8, rather than 1d6)?

Range and the fact that he primarily a melee fighter, and thus not as likely as some of the others to use a bow. If no one else wants it, he'll take the magic shortbow, but he won't be the first to try to claim it.

I'd love to take it, but I am not proficient in anything beyond simple weapons.

Btw, Doc, that last line literally had me laughing out loud!

Honestly, I was laughing when I wrote it. I know it's a good line when I can crack myself up. :)

I'm a little confused what we need to do to prepare for Sentis' mask exorcism. Are we going somewhere?

The way I understand it we'll have to go see the shaman. He'll prepare the 'battle field'

Sentis is going off to see the Shaman, the wonderful Shaman of Kalabuto.

There is not any preparation required on behalf of the squad - Sentis (plus any who choose who accompany him) are basically going to go through an exorcism type exercise where they seek to quell the evil spirit that is currently within the mask.

Ok, so in my head, the wagon looks like a wolf who's paws sit at the hub of the wheels. The driver looks out of a viewport in the wolf's chest. The head is the front weapons array. The rear weapons array sits on it's back where a saddle might go on a riding dog.

The belly area is the main hold where supplies and passengers ride. Open windows in the sides are rigged to a lever that drops plates down to seal the hold. Between the windows are closed arrow slits that open by foot-pedal. This allows those inside to open arrow slits to fire out and close them automatically while they reload.

The back end is a hatch that opens as a normal set of double doors (with arrow slits), and drops down as a ramp hatch.

Current weapon system ideas-

Returning Trident Launcher:
Mounted on rear weapons array. Can fire once per round using the user's ranged attack modifier. Range Increment 20' Damage 2d6+X (don't know what the mechanism's STR mod. is yet) Reloads automatically as free action at the beginning of the round.

Ankheg Grapple Launchers:
Mounted in chest. Fireable from driver's bench (also removable for exterior hand firing). Can fire once before needing to be reloaded (takes 2 full rounds). Uses user's ranged attack modifier. Range Increment 20' Damage 1d6 piercing + entangle (as net, replace lead rope with chain, anchored to wagon). Once deployed creatures can be reeled in at a rate equal to the results of an opposed STR check (difference = feet moved). Mechanism pulls with a STR of 24.

Mortar:
Same as Doc's hand-held model, only with a longer barrel for long range indirect fire. Mounted behind Trident Launcher on rear weapons array. Can fire grenade-like weapons with a range modifier of 50'. Standard action reload. Can be reloaded from below in the hold.

Grapeshot Cannon:
Fires 50 packed sling bullets in a 40' cone. Fireable as a standard action from the main weapons array. 1 round reload. (not sure of damage)

Eye-Bolts:
Fires large-sized crossbow bolts from the eyes of the front weapons array. Fires as a standard action using user's ranged attack bonus. Reloads automatically (takes 1 full round for the mechanism to finish reloading) from a 10 bolt magazine (system fires 2 bolts at once, so it can fire 5 times before needing reloaded manually). Manual reload takes 4 rounds. 120' range. 2d12 damage.

Additional features

Everburning Hooded Bullseye lantern eyeballs:
Set inside openable and closable "hoods", a pair of focus crystals with "everburning torch" cast on them turn the wolf's eyes into a pair of literal headlights.

Deployable golem armor:
The interior of the wagon is apx. 15x20. The golem armor takes up 10x10. If there's any chance of it being able to "squeeze" when not in use that could be reduced to 5x10. If that's the case it could be easily deployed out the back of the cargo ramp.

Grusk-launcher:
The wolf's head tips back and the jaws open wide. A chute drops down over a spring-loaded platform and launches someone from the belly of the beast out onto the battlefield. Doc recommends magical aid in landing. Grusk-Launcher also potentially a delivery system for extra-large indirect payloads, or for amazing practical jokes.

These are the basic ideas I had. I'd love additional ideas.

Voice, the final results are yours. These were just my ideas and some attempts at mechanics.

Heh - big list :) Will get to it tonight after work.

Doc - given that the ankheg carapace is essentially lime green and relatively flat - do you see the external accoutrements being made of that chitin? - or would they be wrought iron additions?

A quick quick review before bed.

What are the overall dimensions that you're thinking (more height wise) as a box? and do the weapons platforms sit outside of that?

I'm assuming that the draught animal is connected via standard tackle? anything in particular for the poor beasties pulling the pimp wagon?
Based on sheer size, I'm thinking you're beyond the abilities of a normal unaugmented bullock at this point.

Returning Trident Launcher:
Ok in theory, is the turret enclosed or open?

Ankheg Grapple Launchers:
I'm a little confused as to where these face. If they are chest mounted they are forward facing? And from the earlier description it looked like the driver's position was fully enclosed with only a viewport to look through? Or are these essentially firing out the front side corners of the wagon?

Mortar:
Need to think on this a little - a 50' range on things like tanglefoot bags would be quite powerful. Given the indirect fire nature... would you be open to a degree of inaccuracy here?

Grapeshot Cannon:
Need to cross check to firearms in UC - but should be doable.

Eye-Bolts:
Need to double check damage vs size and firing arc. If these are fired out the eyes - then the arc that is able to be fired on is going to be quite constrained. Assuming that the head swivels side to side? - though then the front of the wagon starts getting very busy with mechanisms... especially with the concept for Grusk launchage.

No issue on the lanterns.

The wagon should have the same dimensions as a Huge (long) creature. That's 15/20. Height wise it's about 15 feet tall, but because it sits a ways off the ground there's not actually 15' of space inside. It's about an 8 foot interior ceiling.

I've actually spent most of the night sketching out the basic design of the wagon, as close to scale as I can manage.

I'm going to try to figure out a way to get it online to show everyone. Sadly I am without a scanner right now. I'm going to have to get creative.

See if your local library has one perhaps and load it onto either a flash drive or directly on the internet.

That's one of my plans. The other is to take a picture of it with my phone and email it to myself.

We'll see what I can come up with tomorrow.

Weekend being weekend henceforth the lackage of postage.

DM VoV will be flying out of Malaysia and back into Australia on 28th September and will be visiting family for a couple of weeks through to the 15th of October. While I should still be able to check in periodically it will likely cause a few interruptions and my posts may involve a little more brevity than usual.

I'll definitely try to keep things ticking over in thread, but it's highly unlikely to be daily.

Good time to level us to 9 ....

^ Word!

No need to be greedy; level 6 would be perfectly sufficient

I haven't been getting game updates in a few of my games. I'm trying to make a point to check games even when they aren't showing updates, but if things are moving along and I seem strangely absent, please send me a PM.

Ive been having threads just disappear off of my 'focus' list. They're not 'hidden' either and I have to post to get them to pop back up.