Professor Xane Rourke's page

Professor Xane Rourke wrote:

snip

The was an RPG produced by GDW called "Space 1889" that occured in the age of steam, spaceships were invented by Thomas Edison with his "Either Impeller", there was no method for producing gravity, and the only planets of interest were Venus, Earth and Mars. But I guess that's not what you'd call "steampunk" is it. It was more of a Wellsian, Jules Verneian setting.

True, I would definitely consider Space 1889 to be steampunk, I actually picked up the Space 1889 Savage Worlds book recently as well.

A Steampunk based SpellJammer would be interesting as well.

Some mad Alchemist figured out how to infuse gravity into the airship itself, so the ship themselves generate their own gravitational fields. It could be a Lode Keel, built from solid lodestone.

As a byproduct it also maintains it's own atmosphere due to the magnetic lines of flux it creates. Incorporate a Bottle of Air into the design for fresh air and voila.

Or it can easily be done with magic item design. They would effectively be near artifacts, owned only by the most powerful on a planet for space faring ships.

Hahahahaa, awesome.

Taisper nods to Adon. "Of course, friend! I will lend healing aid wherever I can." Channeling healing powers directly from Abadar, Taisper mends the barkeep's wounds instantly.

Then, hearing Belthic's entrance and subsequent display of extreme generosity, bows respctfully. "Thank you sir! What an adventurer you must be! Just back from so great a quest."

examines the coins "These be lead painted gold, and the ring doesn't work in the Mana Wastes y'derned fool, prolly just turn your finger green from the brass."

Adon wrote:

I didn't expect this to move fast, but I did expect a little movement per week. Are we still playin'?

Yah that's a really LONG weekend...since he doesn't post on weekends, if we get no post today, then we're dead in the water for a full week.

*bump for sanity's sake*

I didn't expect this to move fast, but I did expect a little movement per week. Are we still playin'?

Yah that's a really LONG weekend...since he doesn't post on weekends, if we get no post today, then we're dead in the water for a full week.

"Drop these braggarts, but don't kill them, let them stand trial for murrrrder...."

are there patrons in every square?

Xane attaches his cold iron bayonet to his rifle, then tip the table in front of him to get some cover.

Xane fell asleep in his ale, and is put off that others think he fell over drunk.

"Get your hands off me, I be not as think as you drunk I be." Xane nearly slurs. just as the insurgents attack the bar keep.

"JOSEPHUS! NO!!!

I was thinking that I was there before the others arrived, drowning his sorrows. Rather than having 7 strangers all walk into the bar at the same time...

The professor sits at his own table, sulking. After losing his position in the Collegia Technologica due to "dangerous experimentation resulting in the death of a student". The barmaids and the bartender know the whole story, as Xane has been drowning his sorrows and running his mouth.

Gear mostly purchased
Skill selected
need to pick extractions and finish character sheet.

Very Well, Alchemist it is.

I just noticed that Tolbert was an Alchemist, I'll play something else then.

Maybe NOT the professor, An Alkenstar Ranger also probably.

EXCELLENT! I'll look over what we need and get a character started.

I'll go ahead and play an alchemist.

Oh, well thank you Me'Mori.

What are the creation rules? If that's OK I take the spot, or did you have other alts available.

OMG I'm missing an Alkenstar game???

Let me know if there are any openings please

Ray guns are too generic, IMHO. What I would want I think is an extrapolation of what happens when technology and magic mix, and what weapons come out of that mingling of technologies. Are there Rods of death that are powered by dragon hearts? Are there eldritch devices that are used like ships canons? Are there tropes that can safely straddle Sci-fi and fantasy at the same time, with perhaps a feel of the age of exploration?

Where does a Wand of Fireballs come from? That's what happened with the generic 3.5 hand-wave magic item creation rules...

Remember my idea was an Owen Deathstalker type of world, where rayguns were POWERFUL but very limited. That's why I said 1/encounter....these are just my ideas

Feel free to develop your as you wish

Don't make it Sci-Fi so much as true fantasy in a space setting. Modify Monte Cook's Chaositech minus some of the nasty bits involved. Use crazy_monkey1956 format for how to make it a Fantasy setting in space. Don't bring in true tech or guns, as Kor-Orc Scrollkeeper already stated, guns and other modern/high tech items don't really work well in d20 format. I say this being a fan of Star Wars d20 Saga.

If you're going to have high-tech, just make magic weapons, armor, and other things, more prevalent in a Space Fantasy setting, though they might not be on the 'ground' they are in 'space'.

Guns as they currently are don't work well...

I suggested a Sword and raygun style, say the raygun works like a single ray scorching ray with recharge times. (like eternal wands)
I would make them 1 per encounter.

If they're based on the magic item rules, they become expensive, and based on an existing format. They become more expensive than wands because anyone can use them as a spell trigger item. Make them all work within the existing magic item creation rules.

No black powder, because well, fire doesn't work in space, and breaching the hull of the ship is a bad thing.

Blast Rifle (Fireball)
Red Ray gun (scorching ray)
Hold-out frost pistol (ray of frost)
Black Ray Rifle (ray of enfeeblement)
Deathray (Finger of Death)
Disintegrator (take a guess)
Dragon rifle (dragon's breath spell)
Force Pistol (modified Magic Missile requires ranged touch attack)

Since everyone would have at least a hold-out pistol, it wouldn't be unbalanced really, especially since ray of frost is only 1d3.

Oh, and obviously pistols/rifles etc would generally be limited to damaging/debilitating spells.

Then again, a Positive energy pistol would be a weapon versus undead but could also be used for healing...hmmm...

Professor Xane Rourke wrote:

Zobeck is a good clockwork supplement and it's already been located in the River Kingdoms in Golarion. [unofficially of course.]

Oh... Oh my. Thanks very much for pointing this one out to me! I suddenly wish I hadn't blown all my money on New Vegas. Consider $10 of my next paycheck spent!

There you go!

I like the supplement, it's pretty cool! I got the Zobeck Gazeteer,
It contains Clockwork magic and makes kobolds a very playable race, as the Kobolds of Zobeck are more civilized. Could call them Zobolds.

The Green Ronin Advanced Bestiary also contains some great templates for creating clockwork style creatures, including "metal", clockwork, war machine and a couple others.

Prolly have to get a PDF copy, the print version might be hard to get ahold of, one of my favorite books.

Sighhh Alkenstar... My love. I wish the chances of seeing a supplement for it weren't so slim! There is mention in the Campaign Setting of clockworks being developed outside of Alkenstar, and there's the Clockwork Citadel (or was it Cathedral?) in Absalom too, so there's some development going on in the Inner Sea.

On top of what folks in modern Golarion are developing (but less of a concern for me), there's the sci-fi level technology scattered all across Numeria and the old Azlanti/Shori electro-thaumaturgy and aeromatic infadibulum. And then there's the inevitables we're about to get in Bestiary 2 come December, and Axis seems like a pretty advanced place... Enough for a supplement? Beats me.

Zobeck is a good clockwork supplement and it's already been located in the River Kingdoms in Golarion. [unofficially of course.]

Hmm, my forms are not being utilized...time to enable alternate methods.

*Fills out the foot print signature authorization forms*

Sebastian wrote:

Will anyone here give me a hug?

Yes, just sign this hug contract please....

Let me look in my briefcase, ah yes, I have the slaughter forms here...

IN Triplicate, don't forget the filing fee...

Will anyone here give me a hug?

Yes, just sign this hug contract please....

Now, kindly sign the check, and I will give you some tea.

Now let's see what nasty little things we can think of...hmmm....

A sword that when it strikes a critical inflicts massive damage as the blade turns into razor-sharp ribbons. (critical x3)

A ballistic spear, that extends to impale the victim. (critical x4)

Whirling finger razors ala Big Trouble in Little China (?)

A harpoon like weapon that impacts, the barbs get stuck in the victim, it separates like nunchaku, then jerks them off balance as it retracts mechanically. (free trip CMB on a hit.)

A parrying dagger that is mechanically a sword breaker, you ca give up one attack to attempt to parry, if successful you get a free sunder attempt.

Oh, another one, a clawed hand mace that grabs on when it hits. (free grapple?)

OK I'm reviewing the Class
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The customizations are interesting...not sure if I like them that much though.

Customizing a singleshot rifle to be able to manyshot seems a bit wrong.

If you're going to have that, you need to break out the different firearms and say what customizations will work on each one.

A Six-shooter can take different customizations than a long rifle.
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If you're going for the town marshall feel, you should focus more on the quick draw aspect. Make Improved Initiative/Quick Draw required feats, and then give additional initiative bonuses perhaps.
OK I'm reviewing the Class
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I would bring canny defense more in line with one of the existing AC modifying mechanics rather than making a new one.

New piece of Armor:
Leather Duster. (same as armored kilt.)

A Man in Black, this is a class developed specifically for the Mana Wastes, where magic no longer works. Golarion has a built-in firearms system, so your lack of campaign familiarity is tainting your objectivity.

While I've seen a few valid points, you seem to be against firearms in the first place. One of the balancing points of firearms to bows/crossbows, is that bows and crossbows don't blow up in your face.

In addition, firearms can't be made for strength. And TRUST me, a high STR archer can wreak havoc with a powerful bow, ever seen a Large Ranger with a 20 or 22 str firing a Powerful bow with improved crit?

In addition, Firearms are an exotic weapon.

Allow the Alchemist to add the component as the final catalyst to activate it. (Pour the diamond dust in the prepared infusion, shake, drink.)

The Professor has Professed!

I sure hope you guys do come to a lasting agreement, Wolfgang you do such great work...you'd be a great 3PP of Golarion material...especially if you ran with Alkenstar!!!

Bump, Alkenstar ideas have waned recently, we could use some more ideas here or on Montalve's Alkenstar forum.

I could see the officers using revolvers, while the main wall defenders might have bolt action rifles, and the older citizens would have their old firearms, muskets, flintlocks, etc.

Yes, let's get as much help on Alkenstar as possible.

The Vash the Stampede Monk idea sounds interesting.

I'll have to check out the Valkyria Chronicles

I love Steampunk, whenever we go to SD Comic-Con the Steam Punk Cos Players are always our favorite costumes, and we can't wait til we have the available cash to buy that kinda stuff...(even some of it for normal day wear heh.

Good ideas, not sure about the wrenches.

join us at the website, add more info.

No definitely requiring registration is the way to go, otherwise you end up with spams galore.

Here is the Table of Contents for Korvosa:
Introduction
Places
People
History
Secrets

But we need a Brainstorming section for sure.

Just make sure you get your PFRPG Community Use stuff in there....

Look at the Korvosa book for an idea of subforums.

Culture,
History
Government
Equipment
Alchemy without Magic. Alchymy?
Classes (including prestige classes.)
etc.

I have an idea for coinage...cog shaped coins...in various sizes.

I'll register when I get home from work...

quarter pirate (steam punk air pirates)

I was thinking more of a forum to do the discussions on.

or if one person had a blogspot then communicate via email and create googledocs.

oh oh, throw in some WWI influence there...doughboys in armored trenchcoats watching the trenches near the Manawastes!

Interesting....veddy veddy interesting...

Is this a steampunk setting?

Some of those are considered Steampunk rather than Cyberpunk with Fantasy elements.

(Runepunk and Iron Kingdoms)

Like I said, I'm planning to tweak Eberron into a Steampunk Setting...

I'll take existing characters into it through a portal, take the one where you can see a similar location, only different...

Yeah, I love Steampunk stuff, Reading Sterling & Gibson's The Difference Engine right now, I was reading Perdido Street Station, but the way Mieville wrote that is...wow, chock full and I had to return it before I could finish it...Soon as I finish Differnece Engine, I'm jumping to Moorcock's Nomad of the Timestreams.

Introduced my kids to Full Metal Alchemist recently, and I'm going to get Steamboy for them to watch soon.

Oh, and by the way fleece, You rule!

So here's my plan, I have to start slow in this conversion...time is a super commodity in my life...I'm always doing too many things...and with mission architect for City of Heroes just out...wooo...that's a major timesink currently...

Hehe, I remmeber the first time I saw Space 1889...At the old old location of Comic Gallery Escondido, 1989..I was a Senior in High School...

It's not Steampunk however, more of a Edgar Rice Burrough's Barsoomian type game. (started reading those recently)

Thanks for the link of info Fleece...

I have some of that stuff, Especially the Deadlands stuff...I LOVE Deadlands...great system...

The Cthulhu system sounds interesting, And a skill based magic system might be the way to go...I might also look at Thieves World's magic system...

I was actually looking at the 6th level spells, and the adept spell progression might be a great idea...

Reducing the base magic level also makes dragonmarks much more interesting and powerful...what if the only way to teleport is via dragonmark or 17th level caster...huge difference.

I love my Zobeck Gazeteer btw...great purchase...

Steam & Steel looks GREAT! I'll need to locate that...

You could also control magic by baseing the level of magic by the amount of tech thats around. Lots of tech very low magic, little tech lots more magic. This would also leed to a city having low magic and small hamlets having a lot.

That is definitely an interesting idea...

Thanks, that's not a bad idea...

I was thinking of basically using the bards spell progression for arcane and divine classes. This would create hybrid casters for everything.

I suppose it would be like an Iron Kingdoms/Eberron Game, only modified more...

7-9th level spells might be epic spells in this type of campaign...

Or they could be Grimoire style ritual spells...