gilbo
2019 Group
Posts: 1,446
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Post by gilbo on Dec 17, 2018 20:32:23 GMT
So just to clarify - is this D&D 5e we are talking about?
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Post by brumguvnor on Dec 18, 2018 8:25:02 GMT
yup.
and your first task in the militia is - go out into the wild and capture a monster that can be enslaved by the Cabal. And don't come back without one - or YOU will be the one enslaved.
And another thought - mages however powerful they are don't usually have the ability to cast healing spells or create food and water: so the Cabal is going to have to make nice to an order of clerics: perhaps bribing them with some of their power, or even their own spell-storing stone, with permission to go amongst the poor and do good works, as long as the elite get their healing when they need it.
I am also thinking that with this level of power sloshing around there would be a lot of magic items... - especially things like enslavement collars and other fun items like that...
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Post by Kristian on Dec 18, 2018 13:41:57 GMT
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Post by brumguvnor on Dec 18, 2018 14:01:27 GMT
hmmm - a lot of the background reading I have done mentioned Eberron as a solid magepunk setting - I will go check that out and let you know.
Certainly, a bunch of mages with access to a lot of power are definitely going to think about creating warforged...
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Post by Kristian on Dec 18, 2018 14:58:45 GMT
It has lightning trains and airships ...so yeah, very magical
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Post by brumguvnor on Dec 18, 2018 15:01:04 GMT
airships? - sold!
and I mean that literally - I am gonna go buy that Eberron stuff - looks amazing!
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Post by brumguvnor on Dec 19, 2018 8:22:53 GMT
I like the idea of warforged a lot - much more intelligent than the average iron or stone golem: they would probably be created to act as the officers for the golems: give 'em a few magic items for increased protection and some decent magic weapons and they'd be pretty formidable.
I'd say that none of the warforged created so far have awakened to full sentience... - yet.
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Post by Kristian on Dec 19, 2018 13:01:32 GMT
I don't think there is a physical book out for it for 5E yet (just 3.5 & 4) ...only that pdf 'playtest' version (which they are charging $20 for ). And yeah, I've always wanted to have a go at playing a warfoged (perhaps one that's a bit too literal ...and finds 'meat people' a little confusing ).
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Post by brumguvnor on Dec 19, 2018 14:23:14 GMT
I thought you would like the warforged option.
Also - looking at the rules on golem creation... - I cannot see anything (especially if I invoke GMs fiat and rule-of-cool) that would forbid golems that you control from within... - basically fantasy powered armour.
I think the basic entry level version would only animate when you are in it - and only the top of the line, elite-guard level would be able to act independently without a pilot as well.
And no: you can't get one as starting equipment! - NPCs on the other hand...
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Post by brumguvnor on Jan 2, 2019 9:41:58 GMT
I've been having lots of ideas of nasty things to do to you fun adventures to have...
Definitely thinking of a sandbox style game here, instead of an over-arching plot. And as much as possible, I will be following RAW - or "rules as written" with the only major change being the specific magic item invented by your clan that allows spells to be cast into it and then "traded up" and converted into higher level spells.
Here's the current summary: You have been born into the House and so far have not displayed any magical ability. This just means that you will serve the House in a different way - most likely through martial endeavors. You have all just turned 16 and are ready to be inducted into "cadet" level of House membership, which is the first level of service and training: next level is squire and final level is companion.
The House HQ is a large, extinct volcano caldera that has been extensively modified and built up over the 50 years of the House's existence. In the middle it is green and warm, with a lot of intensive food production, with a wall around the edge of the crater and many towers dotted around this edge. This high in the mountains this central area should be far too cold and have far too thin air to be comfortable - it is clear that there is a lot of magic at work. The towers all have different uses and functions - the most obvious being the Tower of of the archmage himself. One tower, set apart from the rest contains a small temple of clerics, who do not have permission to venture into the main caldera but are there for healing and other functions only clerics can offer.
There are a lot of airship docks around the edge (of course there's gonna be airships in a magepunk setting!). Also the HQ was quite deliberately chosen to be smack in the middle of a howling wilderness, populated by monsters and dinosaurs, and with the Great Forest, home to the feared Circle of Druids almost totally surrounding it. The only way in or out is by magic or flying - the caldera that is the HQ is easily 5 or 5 thousand feet up.
In a weeks time you will be taken by airship to a location in the surrounding wilderness where a goblin tribe has been causing problems. You need to come back with a magic user of some kind that can be "persuaded" into "donating" spells to the "greater good of the House." You will be given your choice of weapons, armour and equipment and 1 magic item of "common" level. Also, you will be ritually inducted into service - which mainly involved having a magical tattoo put onto your left upper cheek. This is a permanent visible sign of your allegiance to the House... - and a last-resort measure as it can hold 4 HP you can use any time you want. (you can fill it at any time - it takes 5 HP to fill, with the 1 extra being "House Tax" - and I will assume everyone does that well in advance of the game starting.)
Warforged are a new addition to the ranks of the House, and for this group one has been assigned as their mentor. At the moment the warforged are sentient but have not yet got free will... - however, by a strange co-incidence the one assigned to your group is the first one created by the House, and perhaps achieving free will is just an aspect of them maturing enough....
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Post by pericles on Jan 2, 2019 15:13:16 GMT
I've had another idea for the magepunk game... - and its pretty much how it all came about to start with. All it takes is for one mage to invent a ring or whatever of spell storing - with a couple of enhancements... 1 Anyone can cast any spell into it. 2 You can take 3 level 1 spells cast into it and convert it into one level 2, 4 level 2 spells and convert into a level 3 and so on. (perhaps more suitable for converting spell slots into higher level free slots, and not specific spells) So - you get a Mage Clan and every mage member must cast - say - 1 spell of every level they can into the spell storing ring every day: the head of the clan then gets a LOT of free spell slots per day and can also easily trade them up into higher level slots. In fact, it wouldn't take many mages contributing slots for the head mage to be able to get a wish spell every single day... I am going to break ranks If this is the mechanic and you are unable to start with a magic class your character will be two effective levels below non-magic users in the party. You have also ripped the guts out of the most powerful feature available to a Bard i.e. Magic Secrets at 6th level in the College of Lore. As it stands I do not see how magic users can be played. You can fix the balance by the following two measures 1) allowing characters to "re-incarnate" at second level forgetting class features such as armor and weapons but not skills and become a magic user. 2) give all magic users notional extra spells to pass into the ring at the start of each day. The second measure adds to the sandbox. Player characters never see the extra spells and we can apply for a guild licence to hunt down rogue magic users outside the system. Bonuses accrue for bringing in the rogue alive who will then donate all their spells each day to the benefit of the guild. Using the suggested mechanic you do not disadvantage anyone and the background remains intact for when you want to bring out Guild Enforcers who have superior rings containing the donated spells.
If you want powerful clerics with a different mechanic to the mage rings you could use holy artifacts which accrue worship from ordinary non-magical followers. Each act of worship (daily prayers, ritual prayers of greeting each time you meet someone etc) channels a small amount of divine spell energy into the High Clerics holy battery.
You do realise that both mages and clerics at the top of the guild do not need to be high level just very good politicians able to use magical devices.
Heading for the airport. See you when I get back in two weeks time.
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Post by brumguvnor on Jan 2, 2019 15:37:42 GMT
OK - first of all this magic item is the founding secret of an entire clan: at level 1 do you really think you will have access to it?!
You seem to assume that every magic user will have to cast spells per day into the Archmages Ring regardless of their location or circumstances. Do you really think someone could create this item - and then this huge mages clan - by denying their underlings access to spells when their lives depend on it?
- these are the rules for starting the game: no one has ever said anything about what you do when you get to level 2. - no one can take magic at start so no one is at a relative disadvantage - the ring of spell storing and upgrading is a unique, artifact level device, created by the founder of the clan for his exclusive use as a blatant maguffin to justify the magepunk genre and it is very, very, very, very unlikely that the players will ever get the chance to see it - let alone try and steal it, let alone use it. - the requirement to cast spells into the ring applies whilst you are in the HQ : do you really expect to have to trek back to the HQ every day to cast a spell into it? - the requirement to cast spells into the ring applies whilst you are in the HQ - do you seriously imagine you will need to defend the HQ or get into any form of combat that would require you to cast spells inside the HQ with an artifact of this level sitting around?! - the roles and responsibilities of mages in the clan are very different to non-mages which is why you are starting out as non-mages: after that there are no rules applying and you can take a magic using class as long as you are happy with the additional responsibilities that will apply to them. - - note the "say" there: that was when throwing ideas up in the air: as and when you become a magic user AND are still a member in good standing of the clan you will find out that you need to cast 1 spell per day at your highest level into the master ring per day you are in the HQ. And again: only when you are in the HQ so that in any combat that happens you will not be at a relative disadvantage... - and even if you were a high level mage and required to defend the HQ from an attack of sufficient level to actually pose threat, do you not think with this level of magical power sitting around that they'd be passing out "wands of insta-death" like candy?! - apart from the "Archmages ring" and the changes made in society because of it (that is - a centralisation of power into a hierarchical structure reminiscent of megakorps in cyberpunk) I have already said that it will be RAW or "rules as written" as much as possible: I am NOT going to be inventing a magic system on the fly again: far too much stress... - so I really do not want to start giving mages extra spells or allowing people to forget class features. If you want to take a level of mage at level 2 then you can multiclass into that straight away (can't remember if you can do that in RAW - but it is a change I am willing to allow). If the idea of being a L1 fighter and L1 mage doesn't appeal due to their opposing optimised builds then start with a level in monk, barbarian or ranger: or play a fighter with a very high IQ and on your first mission take an item that makes up for your relative lack of strength. - the political benefits you get from being a mage in this clan will far outweigh the requirement to cast a spell per day into the Archmages Ring whilst in the HQ. - this is a very magic-item heavy setting, with magic and magic items in particular taking the place of technology and cyberware in a cyberpunk setting: I have already mentioned how at level 1 you get free choice of a magic item of common level on your first mission, which is FAR more powerful than a single spell.... - remind me - what level do you need to be at to create magic items? - and create a custom one for each mission you go on?
You will definitely get good stuff from bringing in other magic users who will be milked of their power - see the proposal for the first mission - but as mentioned above: apart from the Archmages Ring this is as RAW as possible... - so: nice try on blagging extra spells, but RAW applies and you will be rewarded with either magic items for your use, or upgrades to your clan tattoo...
I will look up the rules for that Bard spell when I get in tonight... - but at level 6 you are not going to be casting it anytime soon...
And finally: seeing as this is a game with "punk" in the title, you'd better believe there's gonna be a character called Tannhauser there! - in fact - he has been your "tutor in the physical arts"... - as in - the harsh taskmaster who has tried to get your sorry arses into shape so you might have a chance to survive your first mission...
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gilbo
2019 Group
Posts: 1,446
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Post by gilbo on Jan 2, 2019 16:16:20 GMT
I have never played a fighter so I fancy that for a change, probably going to Eldritch Knight at level 3.
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Post by brumguvnor on Jan 2, 2019 17:55:10 GMT
so... - thinking about it some more (it's amazing what cycling can do for your headspace...) - there's no reason not to allow magic users at level 1, but with the following restriction: you can not serve any other master.
So... - no paladins, warlocks or clerics as they blatantly serve other masters... - and after that nasty business with the druids a few years ago, those tree-huggers can feck right off too.
So: you can start as a wizard, bard, or sorcerer, or ranger, barbarian, monk, rogue, or fighter - anything except warlock, paladin, cleric or druid. And there's no race restrictions either: swear fealty to the Clan? - then you're in!
As a magic user you would know that you literally cannot serve another master; that going into the Archmages Hall to cast your daily spell into the ring is very scary - mainly because of what guards the ring, and that the archmage is absolutely, definitely not so stupid as to require you to come back once a day on a mission outside of the HQ to cast a spell into the Ring.
You also know that the Clanmark can either contain a small reservoir of health (the 4 HP mentioned above) or can act as a ring of spell storing containing one spell of your highest level... - and that one person can only ever have one Clanmark (but inerestingly, the Clanmark does not count against the number of magic items you can attune - so you can have 3 still), but that it can be re-inked, embellished and made more ornate and powerful as you rise in the favour of the Archmage. And that casting spells into the Ring is one way to gain this favour - but a much surer way is capturing other spellcasters and compelling them to do the casting on your behalf. You know for a fact that a score is kept...
You also know that there is a lot more magic in the Clanmark than what is apparent...
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Post by brumguvnor on Jan 2, 2019 17:59:07 GMT
And you do realise how much power would accrue to the person who first created this item, and as such they would make the absolute first priority getting themselves to IQ 20 - and would therefore find it almost effortless to: a) set their underlings off against each other with their political games b) set things up so that a coup from within is extremely unlikely...
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