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Amberleigh

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2 hours ago, Amberleigh said:

While i think about it, what do others do when vreating their own npcs? which dont really share an archetype in the rulebook or expansions?

Depends on how important they are to the story really. If it's a big bad then I usually build a character of my own and secretly level it up as a normal character as and when the Fated do... which implies the character is off doing things in the background when not directly involved with the Fated. 

 

If it's a grunt of some sort then I usually take a look at what might be closest and modify from there. Even if there is no archetype that could be used there are racial templates. You can start with one of those. A human is a human and a gremlin is a gremlin after all.

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1 hour ago, sycorax said:

Depends on how important they are to the story really. If it's a big bad then I usually build a character of my own and secretly level it up as a normal character as and when the Fated do... which implies the character is off doing things in the background when not directly involved with the Fated. 

 

If it's a grunt of some sort then I usually take a look at what might be closest and modify from there. Even if there is no archetype that could be used there are racial templates. You can start with one of those. A human is a human and a gremlin is a gremlin after all.

Thank you. I need to Flip up my Beggar King aka Burtrum Cox in that case, I think ill be sending him down the path of the herald of obliteration, after being a Necromancer for some time

 

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15 hours ago, sycorax said:

That's pretty much identical to what I did the first time round. Word of warning when using Obliteration... removing Fated from reality on a regular basis kinda kills the mood of the players when they can't respond that easily. 

I wouldnt in that sense, I may be harsh but I'm not cruel :P, I would remove them all from reality and write a session where they are all in obliterations domain and have to escape. That way I can play around with world building, as well as have a very memorable final boss.

 

Thanks for the warning though :)

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One of my players brought up a very good question. He says that the way the on the pursuit is worded that you get to advance any skill in a certain category plus one of the options I present him. For instance a dabbler would get one magical skill increase in addition to any one other skill I present to him

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The way that I understand that is the following...

You present to the fated three skills of which they may choose one to advance. With the 'on the pursuit' talent they may add any magical skill to that pool so that they have 4 to choose from.

 

As a house rule I personally do not offer those player advancements ( as they spiral to epic power levels too quickly in my experience), I award them experience per session. I also dont suggest skill advances, I let the fated decide themselves on how to spend their experience points.

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56 minutes ago, Amberleigh said:

I wouldnt in that sense, I may be harsh but I'm not cruel :P, I would remove them all from reality and write a session where they are all in obliterations domain and have to escape. That way I can play around with world building, as well as have a very memorable final boss.

 

Thanks for the warning though :)

I'm not sure there is an Obliteration's domain as such. His prison was destroyed, so that leaves only the Void, where the models buried by his herald's crew presumably end up. And Obliteration himself resides within Tara's hand, but also has control over the Void, so he could be everywhere there, and nowhere at the same time, the Void being his "mind palace" and a literal place in another dimension at the same time...

Sorry for chiming in) As someone who picked Tara's crew for their lore and as a lover of all things weird, mindbendy and Lovecraftian, I would love to see what setting you end up with - if it ends up feeling like I tend to imagine it while also being interactable and interesting for your players, I would be very much impressed.

Good luck with this project!

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19 minutes ago, CaptianEinsteinAlucard said:

One of my players brought up a very good question. He says that the way the on the pursuit is worded that you get to advance any skill in a certain category plus one of the options I present him. For instance a dabbler would get one magical skill increase in addition to any one other skill I present to him

Yup. Choice of the 2 you present to the fated plus all skills of the type stated in the pursuit. 

At least that's how I read it and play it

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9 minutes ago, L3gion said:

I'm not sure there is an Obliteration's domain as such. His prison was destroyed, so that leaves only the Void, where the models buried by his herald's crew presumably end up. And Obliteration himself resides within Tara's hand, but also has control over the Void, so he could be everywhere there, and nowhere at the same time, the Void being his "mind palace" and a literal place in another dimension at the same time...

Sorry for chiming in) As someone who picked Tara's crew for their lore and as a lover of all things weird, mindbendy and Lovecraftian, I would love to see what setting you end up with - if it ends up feeling like I tend to imagine it while also being interactable and interesting for your players, I would be very much impressed.

Good luck with this project!

I’m sure I can pull together something suitable should the need arise. Burtrum Cox, my current main Villain, is who the fated are pursuing, I’ve already mentioned that he is everywhere and nowhere and that he appears in one place then another in a blink of an eye. He is described as a wanted ressurectionist as he is the leader of a cult of necromancers known as the Cult of the Crow (I know not very original)

This does leave me with a wide variety of ideas that I can use to create him, is he a Necromancer or something else entirely? Is he actually a Tyrant in man’s clothing? Or is he a collective of people with the same name?  Is he one of triplet’s quadruplets or more etc? All the fated know is....

He is known as the King of Beggars and the figurehead of the Cult of the Crow, His name, as a little fortified community knew him, is Burtrum Cox. He has the ability to be everywhere and nowhere at once or seems to? He can be in the same area at the same time which is impossibility. Or is he simply Aionus?

As you can see even though we are several sessions in the information about the villain is unreliable

I’m having a break from writing and I’m running a one shot followed by a night in Rottenberg to give me some breathing space.

 

 

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1 minute ago, Amberleigh said:

 

I’m sure I can pull together something suitable should the need arise. Burtrum Cox, my current main Villain, is who the fated are pursuing, I’ve already mentioned that he is everywhere and nowhere and that he appears in one place then another in a blink of an eye. He is described as a wanted ressurectionist as he is the leader of a cult of necromancers known as the Cult of the Crow (I know not very original)

This does leave me with a wide variety of ideas that I can use to create him, is he a Necromancer or something else entirely? Is he actually a Tyrant in man’s clothing? Or is he a collective of people with the same name?  Is he one of triplet’s quadruplets or more etc? All the fated know is....

He is known as the King of Beggars and the figurehead of the Cult of the Crow, His name, as a little fortified community knew him, is Burtrum Cox. He has the ability to be everywhere and nowhere at once or seems to? He can be in the same area at the same time which is impossibility. Or is he simply Aionus?

As you can see even though we are several sessions in the information about the villain is unreliable

I’m having a break from writing and I’m running a one shot followed by a night in Rottenberg to give me some breathing space.

 

 

Sounds cool) Mystery befits great villains. Please, don't let him lose it - I am still mad at the "Wonder Woman" movie, because I loved the villain up until the exact point when he grew some armor and started throwing junk around-__-

I actually started thinking recently if there is any connection between Obliteration and the Grave Spirit (and also Lady Justice, maybe?). I have only read a couple of "Malifaux" books, various forum posts on lore and a bunch of Chronicles so far, so I am not sure if it is answered anywhere, but... Wherever Obliteration appears, zombies follow. We know that Death Marshals go through some weird, presumably necromantic training that doesn't let Ressurectionists raise them from the dead, but Karina can do that, and she is associated with Obliteration. Also, Death Marshals gained the "Void" characteristic in one of the erratas... I don't think this is an original point, but it does provide a few ways to make the world of Malifaux (and your villain) even more complex and mysterious. Especially if you continue your "zero-straight-answers" policy)

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1 minute ago, L3gion said:

Sounds cool) Mystery befits great villains. Please, don't let him lose it - I am still mad at the "Wonder Woman" movie, because I loved the villain up until the exact point when he grew some armor and started throwing junk around-__-

I actually started thinking recently if there is any connection between Obliteration and the Grave Spirit (and also Lady Justice, maybe?). I have only read a couple of "Malifaux" books, various forum posts on lore and a bunch of Chronicles so far, so I am not sure if it is answered anywhere, but... Wherever Obliteration appears, zombies follow. We know that Death Marshals go through some weird, presumably necromantic training that doesn't let Ressurectionists raise them from the dead, but Karina can do that, and she is associated with Obliteration. Also, Death Marshals gained the "Void" characteristic in one of the erratas... I don't think this is an original point, but it does provide a few ways to make the world of Malifaux (and your villain) even more complex and mysterious. Especially if you continue your "zero-straight-answers" policy)

Funny thing is, my fated are probably going to become death marshals lol so Obliteration might be an interesting choice

He wont lose the mystery, im opening up things bit by bit, until he has been apprehended or permanently killed. Which will be a very interesting conflict.

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Hi I had an idea for campaign for a while and after the recent and brutal death of my last game (side note darkness gamin can be deadly) but the idea I was having I was not sure if it would work.

Essentially since Malifaux seems to be where all earths myths and legends are real I wanted to try something a bit grand, so Atlantis plot, the idea being scouts had managed to track rivers heading out the bayou of the east to find an ocean and of course run into the gibbering Horde, however discover some clues to another city out at sea. 

The little snags I am hitting are more creative but still thought you guys could lend a hand: 

  • What style  to use for Atlantis, currently leaning to a dark Greek or Polynesian but worried that maybe too jarring 
  • I want Atlantis to actually be populated since I think it would be an interesting Dynamic to have them discover another power similar to the guild but just unaware of each other  but I have no idea how the guild would react to this new discovery.
  •  Also trying to work an organised group that is not suddenly a huge threat is turning out to be tricky, reason I was leaning to Greek was so I could have them as just a city of cultist worshipping their "Gods/Tyrant" who had no reason to leave because nothing presented itself, now with the discovery of the rebuilt Malifaux they maybe curious to move outwards again. 

So yeah, ideas, Criticisms and thoughts welcome.

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1 hour ago, Amberleigh said:

Well I've flipped a fate and Burtrum Cox has the following fate...

As you walk the lonely road, 

She is unknown to your memories,

and your blood will run black.

Only in death will the pilgrim be free,

and obliterations touch will be gentle.

 

Well that works for a Obliteration themed villain! 

Works on many levels with many interpretations.  Perhaps She from step 2 could be referencing Tara or Karina, or maybe a female neverborn in reference to the 3rd line

Only in death will the pilgrim be free could reference the cult you've developed, or perhaps his ideology

 

So much to work with there

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11 minutes ago, Jinxs said:

Hi I had an idea for campaign for a while and after the recent and brutal death of my last game (side note darkness gamin can be deadly) but the idea I was having I was not sure if it would work.

Essentially since Malifaux seems to be where all earths myths and legends are real I wanted to try something a bit grand, so Atlantis plot, the idea being scouts had managed to track rivers heading out the bayou of the east to find an ocean and of course run into the gibbering Horde, however discover some clues to another city out at sea. 

The little snags I am hitting are more creative but still thought you guys could lend a hand: 

  • What style  to use for Atlantis, currently leaning to a dark Greek or Polynesian but worried that maybe too jarring 
  • I want Atlantis to actually be populated since I think it would be an interesting Dynamic to have them discover another power similar to the guild but just unaware of each other  but I have no idea how the guild would react to this new discovery.
  •  Also trying to work an organised group that is not suddenly a huge threat is turning out to be tricky, reason I was leaning to Greek was so I could have them as just a city of cultist worshipping their "Gods/Tyrant" who had no reason to leave because nothing presented itself, now with the discovery of the rebuilt Malifaux they maybe curious to move outwards again. 

So yeah, ideas, Criticisms and thoughts welcome.

I like the idea, It would put some of your world building skills to the test.

Atlantis is mainly Greek myth but like all of malifaux mash it up with some other mythologies. Maybe add some norse mythology in there a little roman just play around a bit.

 

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2 minutes ago, sycorax said:

Well that works for a Obliteration themed villain! 

Works on many levels with many interpretations.  Perhaps She from step 2 could be referencing Tara or Karina, or maybe a female neverborn in reference to the 3rd line

Only in death will the pilgrim be free could reference the cult you've developed, or perhaps his ideology

 

So much to work with there

I know, :D

It will be an interesting to build upon. I was thinking Tara, but there are plenty of potential candidates for step 2. 

I think ive got some work to do hehe

 

Any other suggestions are welcome. Ive got a good 4-5 sessions (weeks) to build up a little more story. If you have run/read a night in Rottenburg im picking up the story arc from there.

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25 minutes ago, Jinxs said:

Hi I had an idea for campaign for a while and after the recent and brutal death of my last game (side note darkness gamin can be deadly) but the idea I was having I was not sure if it would work.

Essentially since Malifaux seems to be where all earths myths and legends are real I wanted to try something a bit grand, so Atlantis plot, the idea being scouts had managed to track rivers heading out the bayou of the east to find an ocean and of course run into the gibbering Horde, however discover some clues to another city out at sea. 

The little snags I am hitting are more creative but still thought you guys could lend a hand: 

  • What style  to use for Atlantis, currently leaning to a dark Greek or Polynesian but worried that maybe too jarring 
  • I want Atlantis to actually be populated since I think it would be an interesting Dynamic to have them discover another power similar to the guild but just unaware of each other  but I have no idea how the guild would react to this new discovery.
  •  Also trying to work an organised group that is not suddenly a huge threat is turning out to be tricky, reason I was leaning to Greek was so I could have them as just a city of cultist worshipping their "Gods/Tyrant" who had no reason to leave because nothing presented itself, now with the discovery of the rebuilt Malifaux they maybe curious to move outwards again. 

So yeah, ideas, Criticisms and thoughts welcome.

I'd actually attempt a Polynesian/Hawaiian/general south pacific theme... because reasons. 

Horomatangi is a big beastie in The Other Side game for the Gibbering Hordes, but in TTB Core, it's said he goes through a breach and terrorises New Zealand years before the first breach... who's to say that it doesn't work the other way around.

History shows that native Hawaians were intrepid explorers, possibly even circumnavigating the globe. Why couldn't they meet some Maori on a journey through a random breach and end up settling an island in Malifaux's ocean. 

They could end up worshipping the tyrant Meridian as a form of sea god, akin to Poseidon. 

Could be a really cool and very different take on Atlantis like that. 

 

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3 hours ago, Amberleigh said:

Well I've flipped a fate and Burtrum Cox has the following fate...

As you walk the lonely road, 

She is unknown to your memories,

and your blood will run black.

Only in death will the pilgrim be free,

and obliterations touch will be gentle.

 

Well! If this isn't Fate, I don't know what is)

A possible interpretation: Mr. Cox has an insatiable lust for knowledge, perhaps forbidden one, that has driven everyone who cared about him away (maybe including the "she" in the second line, who may have changed her life completely and may or may not encounter Mr. Cox in one of the scenes. Or not). If I'm not mistaken, blood turns black when it lacks oxygen - perhaps he has undergone a certain macabre transformation (due to meeting with Tara and failing to impress her, maybe? Or as a result of some ritual that he had conducted). His desire for knowledge has rendered him completely inhuman, both physically and mentally, to the point where the only thing that can stop his descent into madness is death. And, at the end of his lonely road, he finally meets Obliteration... which can go any way that suits the story - a "gentle touch" by Obliteration can very well be the Tyrant waving off an annoying vermin not worthy of His attention, or promoting him to one of his heralds. Or the guy is simply swallowed by the Void, when death frees this particular pilgrim. It's up to you to decide)

P.S.: it seems to me that you are quite attached to your villain, which is completely understandable. But heed my advice: don't be. Fate (Deck) is a fickle mistress, and players can display miracles of ingenuity when it comes to dealing with problems. I can see someone pulling a Joker and ruinning a climactic fight with the villain, soo... If I understand his character correctly, I would say that it is better to avoid direct head-to-head confrontation with him altogether, if possible.

Edited by L3gion
edit: P.S.
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4 minutes ago, L3gion said:

Well! If this isn't Fate, I don't know what is)

A possible interpretation: Mr. Cox has an insatiable lust for knowledge, perhaps forbidden one, that has driven everyone who cared about him away (maybe including the "she" in the second line, who may have changed her life completely and may or may not encounter Mr. Cox in one of the scenes. Or not). If I'm not mistaken, blood turns black when it lacks oxygen - perhaps he has undergone a certain macabre transformation (due to meeting with Tara and failing to impress her, maybe? Or as a result of some ritual that he had conducted). His desire for knowledge has rendered him completely inhuman, both physically and mentally, to the point where the only thing that can stop his descent into madness is death. And, at the end of his lonely road, he finally meets Obliteration... which can go any way that suits the story - a "gentle touch" by Obliteration can very well be the Tyrant waving off an annoying vermin not worthy of His attention, or promoting him to one of his heralds. Or the guy is simply swallowed by the Void, when death frees this particular pilgrim. It's up to you to decide)

Blood also turns black with the blood disease of the neverborn ;)

I like your interperatation very apt and I may use some of it to flesh out the character some more perhaps even build a few scenes where the fated "almost" catch him just for him to be snatched away from them at the last minute. He could die and be reborn as a herald which ticks all the boxes. As he will level at the same rate as my fated he currently only has achieved one fate step. I think you nailed him right on the head there :D

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So I have been moving forward with the idea of Atlantis and currently went with a Polynesian idea, so far I have made a couple points still have so issues with ideas.  The overall lay out so far is that a group of Māori were lead by someone they believed to be Maui (who was in fact a neverborn who sneaked into the real world through a small breach in the oceans around the Polynesian islands). This Maui was luring the Māori into Malifaux with the aim of using them to create a new form of soldier via a ritual, however the Tyrant (created one since it was easier that forcing another one to be here) Tangaroa changed the ritual, instead of the Māori  becoming mindless war monsters for Maui to direct they became like Maui, Neverborn. 

The Tyrant Tangaroa did this because he refused to let one of his own create, the power to make or alter life is the realm of Tyrants not their servants. The newly made Neverborn were dubbed the Waha and settled the island chain that was supposed to make up the fangs of Tangaroa, Maui however left, some say he is roaming free in the real world but this is unconfirmed.

The problems I am hitting now is weather to have them as the usual natives that meet the more advanced people (in this case the guild) or have their early interaction with a Tyrant and possible easy supply of soulstone mean that they are actually further advanced but with lower numbers, it boils down what you if you were the player think would be more interesting, a large group of natives wild men riding sharks throwing spears and lighting (occasionally) or secretive manipulative quasi-priest scientist that use soulstone tech in a way not seen before (think they use it in a way similar to fusion power but with souls.)  

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On 19/08/2017 at 2:06 PM, Jinxs said:

So I have been moving forward with the idea of Atlantis and currently went with a Polynesian idea, so far I have made a couple points still have so issues with ideas.  The overall lay out so far is that a group of Māori were lead by someone they believed to be Maui (who was in fact a neverborn who sneaked into the real world through a small breach in the oceans around the Polynesian islands). This Maui was luring the Māori into Malifaux with the aim of using them to create a new form of soldier via a ritual, however the Tyrant (created one since it was easier that forcing another one to be here) Tangaroa changed the ritual, instead of the Māori  becoming mindless war monsters for Maui to direct they became like Maui, Neverborn. 

The Tyrant Tangaroa did this because he refused to let one of his own create, the power to make or alter life is the realm of Tyrants not their servants. The newly made Neverborn were dubbed the Waha and settled the island chain that was supposed to make up the fangs of Tangaroa, Maui however left, some say he is roaming free in the real world but this is unconfirmed.

The problems I am hitting now is weather to have them as the usual natives that meet the more advanced people (in this case the guild) or have their early interaction with a Tyrant and possible easy supply of soulstone mean that they are actually further advanced but with lower numbers, it boils down what you if you were the player think would be more interesting, a large group of natives wild men riding sharks throwing spears and lighting (occasionally) or secretive manipulative quasi-priest scientist that use soulstone tech in a way not seen before (think they use it in a way similar to fusion power but with souls.)  

I think perhaps a mixture of both. The elite and scretive group and the more primitive natives.

 

it gives you more option as a fatemaster :)

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