Ampers&nd

At the UK nationals I played with one non-wyrd proxy (Big Jake was unreleased so a WWEx indian stood in), 4 heavily converted wyrd based proxies (Gunsmith from wendigo victim, Myranda from TTb kit and Hamelin's spunkcloud bits, Ice Dancer from acolyte, Howard from performer/arachnids, all kinds of stuff), 12 'official' proxies/alternate sculpts (3x monkeys, cooper, 2x mannequins, lola, mercury, lizzy, Luther, Johanna, 2x carnival coryphee), 3 heavy conversions of the original model (Raptor, Killjoy, firestarter) and just 3 models that were straight out of the box standard sculpts (2 Acolytes and the arcane effigy). At the biggest Malifaux tournament in the world I used 3 models out of 23 that weren't converted or proxied. The organiser was good with this. All of my opponents were good with this. no one complained or asked me to swap out (though I took the models in case they did) Despite allowing these proxies the event was still a GG event. It seems to me that the issue you really have here is with that specific organiser rather than the rules as a whole- it even says in the GG document: It really does come down to the TO's decision, and that's the way it should be. Wyrd want to sell product- that's their business, so they are going to want people to play with their stuff at the tournaments they support- no problem. But they also understand that every meta, every area and every social group have their own issues that need to be dealt with, so they allow TO's to change the document if they want to, it's all up to TO discretion. (that's why we get crazy single master or 100ss pool events for a non-proxy based example) My next crew will be pretty much 100% converted in the characters and antagonists from 'journey to the west' there will probably be a couple of proxies in there (The turtle is in there to start with). before I attend a tourney I'll send a message to the TO as you describe, if he says no I'll play something else, that's how it works. I've yet to have it happen having never played a GG event where I didn't use some sort of proxy or other. TL:DR I kind of feel you're angry about something that isn't really happening?

Yep, I do agree with you that is one of this systems downsides (I wouldn't say broken, but definitely one of the negative points) in Through the Breach there is effectively one level- the starting one. Without character levels whilst there is progression in lots of ways there is no simple way of scaling this. Monster manuals are great for this in most systems, but in TtB you effectively have only a few levels (peon, minion, enforcer, henchman, master) and the leaps between them are huge at times (three minions will die easily, three enforcers will probably kill a fated, 3 henchmen will end the game). TtB takes much more prep than pretty much any other large scale RPG i've played- others can take as much if the GM/FM wants to put in the time, but TtB is a bit needy in that regard in that often you have no option but to get heavily involved, it's one of the reasons my sessions only run once a month (supposedly) the prep is too much for real life and weekly sessions. perhaps as well as the suggested destiny steps database on here we could create a list of scaled bad guys to see what FM have experienced for themselves? (for instance Stitched together are a great minion threat, my players loathe them, so they are used sparingly) something i should have asked before- do you have into the steam? if your mercenary has a good rifle from the almanacs already, the extra weaponry and upgrades in there are all a great step up. the triggers as well are a slightly side-on boost to equipment (ie- the weapon doesn't change but a trigger can change it's profile and make it very different)

I think Mason and several others did give positive suggestions if you go back and re-read them rather than dismissing them out of hand, but that said i'll recap it and offer a few bits of advice myself. first I'll deal with encounters- page 190 in the fatemasters almanac give some basic guidance you can use between each session to see what sort of encounters your players can handle- it also does say as you state to start with something basic and tweak it as you go along. This isn't an unusual idea in a roleplaying game, these aren't static computer games where the idea is to line up against a set challenge and 'beat' it, this is story-based game where the outcome is an advance to the individual fated's destiny. If the encounters are too hard and the fated cannot progress, they may as well not be playing at all. Similarly too easy and they may not feel they are taking part in a game. i use the following methods in addition to the advice on flips in the almanac- I'll give examples in parenthesis where it's relevant) Step 1) Write basic encounters to fit the story for this session, select the antagonists and choose how many/where they are. (for this encounter against 3 fated it will be one necromancer (henchman with graverobber profile and summon abilities), one samurai with minigun, 2 ten thunder archers and 3 ten thunder brothers dressed as death marshalls spread out over a period of time) Step 2) Take a look at the fated attending this session- what is going to challenge my fated, is it going to be too easy? simple fixes are- Lots of high damage/low attack fated- increase no of minions, decrease no of enforcers. (for me its a simple every fated combat skill above 5, every combat talent such as flurry, and every manifested power= +1 minion) Lots of high damage weapons- add incorporeal opponents or opponents with armour. Lots of high skill ranged attacks- add bulletproof or more cover in the encounter area. Lots of high skill Melee attacks- add terrifying or manipulative attacks. black blood or counterattacks abilities. Lots of high skill magical attacks/abilities- add counterspell auras, wards and abilities that negatively affect spellcasting. Lots of tricky triggers or abilities- give triggers and abilities to the antagonists that are in direct opposition to the abilities of individual fated. (looking at my fated I notice that the strongest ranged fated were not attending this session, so this could mean the heavy ranged style of the early encounter could prove problematic and a bit harsh on my fated, so I drop both the archers and decide to add more enemies as I see fit. I'd already taken into account the fated's high damage output by outnumbering them, I'd also given both the samurai and the brothers armour 1. There is also a casting fated with a particularly nasty trigger/immuto combo so i need to watch that- the necromancer and samurai were given an ability to disallow enemy triggers against them. Finally I take into account the very high melee ability two of my fated have, with decent Df but poor Wp. I look through the books and see that a Wanyudo would be a great counter to this with Wp based attacks and incorporeal to neuter their damage output, this compensates for the lost archers without just being a turkey shoot) Step 3) run the encounter- give players target numbers and triggers for antagonists but not abilities or general stats. If it starts to swing one way or another then add/take abilities from models as needed but make sure this fits the story (in this case the samurai's armour was stripped from him by a spell as he was causing a lot of damage. As the brothers died the necromancer resurrected them from a distance as punk zombies, though this took particular suits so he required card points to cast it- this limited the amount of summons so I didn't have to tweak it. The Wanyudo performed perfectly, being a hard to avoid and stop threat that forced players to co-operate to stop it.) Step 4) takes notes and use this to plan later- what challenged the players, what made them genuinely afraid? was there something they very much enjoyed in the encounter or did they walk through it without breaking a sweat? use this for planning your next encounters and keep in mind any new skills or talents your fated take at the end. (the biggest takeaway for me here was that Wp based attacks freak my players out, so a few more of those would be coming in the near future) You mentioned before that the heavy lifting was all on the FM to ensure encounters stayed balanced, yes, yes it is. It has to be because they are the only person in the room that knows the whole story. maybe the fated are supposed to lose this one. maybe they need to take a kicking make the next encounter more horrifying. maybe they need the early encounters to be easy to lull them into a false sense of superiority. The FM knows this, and is responsible for seeing the story through as much as possible- it's about the players after all, not the NPC's. part 2- loot progression; now I'm not going to be as much help here, simply because the best roleplaying games I've ever played have almost 0 loot progression- star wars, Lot5R, gurps, Inquisitor, vampire and a few others. (At the end of an 8 year star wars campaign my character was wearing the same armour as he started with and carried the same gun, I'd had options to change, but they worked and story wise i wouldn't change them). Those with dedicated loot progression I have played seem more stilted and linear- I know this is what some people like but I don't, so Ive got limited advice. that said- I like your fixes, I think the limited starting kit and price increases will work fine for what you are trying to achieve. It sounds like your players started of a bit too highly tooled up as it is, so it may be that you need them to get robbed/outlawed/bankrupted etc for a 'reset switch' moment (I did this to my boys recently, they are currently living in Nicodem's spare tower) For the toolkits I would possibly consider changing their rules and giving several qualities of skill kit- apprentice(1), journeyman(2) and master(3). Each level of kit can only be used by a fated with a skill level that matches the toolkit level, and give better benefits as you progress. costs should be the equivalent of a legacy firearm/standard firearm/custom firearm, as for those players they are as crucial to their playstyle as a sword is to a mercenary. You could simply start the drudges with any pneumatic they like, but NOT the pneumatic skill initially (freshly implanted or simply unused) then give them the opportunity to increase the skill after the first session- this means initially they won't be able to cheat any attacks with that item, and this should balance out any benefits that it gives over other players. I'd also like to restate my initial suggestions of giving loot and rewards that aren't based on immediate use in encounters, books of history or lore for academics, rare items and magical ephemera, unusual ammunition or weaponry customisations (that they'll need an expert to fit). and so on. Give them something to spend their scrip on outside the straight up fight- rent, ammo, food, replacement clothes for when theirs are inevitably ruined by rogue necromancy vomit. If they do want better weaponry then use the custom weapon rules in into the steam to create some genuinely unique weapons. ask Bertmac on here about his 'equaliser' (or how to break the game in one very expensive gun that I've had to give negative triggers too, including a broken wrist..). as to saying 'So if and when some of the TtB players get upset at not getting rewards, I should just tell them screw off this game isn't for you' unfortunately this is real advice, as harsh as that sounds. I hate D&D. with a passion I normally reserve for utter scum and stubbing my toe at night. Hates it. loathe entirely. I'd rather play 'who's got the sharpest claws' with Grizzle my cat (hint: it's usually Grizzle). my solution to this- I just don't play D&D. when my group switches to it's D&D rotation I take a break and get some more wargaming in until we switch again. This is not a judgement on the game- I understand that it was the roleplaying game that kept it all going, that started so many people on the hobby and that has a whole world of depth and nuance that I just don't get. The game isn't a bad game- it's just a bad game for me. Unfortunately this could just be the situation you are in. If your players can't see gaining the patronage of lucius and having a night in the star theatre on the house as an adequate reward for a favour done, then maybe TtB isn't the game for them. The other alternative is to keep the setting and story and just switch to a system you do like (we did this with star wars so i didn't have to switch to the D20 system, it's a bit of work for the GM but he'd rather keep the group together and stay with D6 then play space D&D) anyway, hopefully some of this massive wall is useful!

I can't really add anything to Shadowopal's comments here, other than to agree with them! It comes down to the sort of game your players want to play, and the sort of players you have. I've never played in a group like my fated before, having been used to more simple systems with the same betters stats/better loot pay off that you describe, but my guys are weird.. One session they just had a 'business meeting' and as a group spent all their money building and running a saloon/brothel, and are happy to continue spending scrip in this way on out-of-game benefits and wealth. They are also weird at looting- last game one of them was happier with a fancy suede hat than with the weapons... Try giving them interesting loot, if not powerful- soulstone ammo, valuable books, gremlin hooch, Guild guard badges or union membership papers are all things I've left lying around (whether they found them or not) <also for reasons I am unsure of I can't like Shadowopals post, or else I would!>

clearly it exists to stop me reaching across the table and tidying up the fate deck that my players deliberately leave in a mess because my OCD will want to tidy it and then they'll all get to draw a card...

Whilst I don't think it needs it in any desperate way, this would be a great helps to lots of people, I also absolutely agree with this post- getting those destiny steps in can be a real pain if you are trying to tell a longer story!

I disagree with that a bit. The amount of combat is very much dependent on the FM, of all the characters that started in my group I would actually say the most 'powerful' one is the players that has so far taken two non-combat pursuits (overseer then infiltrator) his particular skillset is such that any time I design an encounter I have to take him into account. the other players constantly mock him for his supposed OP-ness but in reality he plays his pursuit and character really well. I've ran sessions with no combat, and sessions with mostly combat, and it's rarely come down to a fated's pursuit as to how successful they are, more to their choice of skills, everyone should take at least one combat skill to 2 at creation- it's a bad place. another non-combat fated i have in my party is a Pioneer who just happens to be very good with a shotgun. That said a lot of social skills can be underused unless you design for them deliberately. as for classes only aligning with certain factions you have a point there, but necessity makes for strange bedfellows even in the miniatures game- any faction can hire Anna Lovelace (a resurrectionist) or Hannah (probably a Dabbler) or one of the Crossroads 7 (god knows what they are but they are definitely magic users) and it's fine. My players have strong tied to Nicodem, but also Gremlins, Arcanists and the Neverborn.

i like it, I can already reverse apply it to my current party with my notes and it gives the party a clear indication of where they stand. I'll definitely be using it or a variant of it.

I do let my fated sandbox in every session, usually either before the prologue or after the epilogue, once they ended up playing a different session as the sand box went in an unexpected direction but I was prepared enough to have alternates ready! I like a favour system, you earn favours with npc's, obviously some more trustworthy than others. More interaction can lead to a more direct patronage, less can cause a vendetta. Good thinking.

exactly right:)

sounds like it could be interesting.

you never lose talents for changing pursuit. You'll start the new pursuit at 0 but anything already gained is yours to keep.

one talent and 2-3 xp a session is usually fine (plus destiny steps etc) remember you can give players limited options to upgrade)

fluff wise quarantine zone probably adds the most, mechanics wise into the steam is great. Bayou is good with both. I like the bayou book but I think into the steam is the most 'must have' due to triggers, weapon customisation and more in depth explanation of manifested powers

hi- I think from your description you've nailed pine box spot on, the card the fated flips is used for the suit, and it comes down to whether they get both the suit and a low number as to whether or not they get in the box. This makes special attacks like pine box very situational (especially as players can cheat non-negative defense flips to block the suit) but boxing fated would be a little boring for them anyway;) it also gives them something to do with those low fate cards in their hand, cheating a two of masks in means they'll fail the duel but avoid the box. For the executioner I don't believe card points could be used to pull off that trigger (as he is an enforcer he gets 2 card points, but these are used for discard abilities rather than to add suits. There aren't many situations where that trigger is going to kick off, so if I wanted to use it I would give the Enforcer one of the suits built in, this makes him a massive threat though so don't go overboard with it.

I think a few weeks earlier would have saved me some effort;)

the system itself is unfortunately open to min-lazing characters, its up to fm's to keep an eye out and balance things out where possible. for players so inclined I absolutely agree certain pursuits are almost must-takes early on.

I mentioned them in another comment and it occurred to me that I actually had most of this small group of antagonists written up already, so I thought I'd share. The Stone Corpses The Ten Thunders are not the only criminal syndicate in the Three Kingdoms, although they are by far and away the largest and most successful. Smaller crime families are spread across the kingdoms, waging a dual war against the oppression of the guild and absorption by the Thunders. These clans are slowly being eradicated, but enough survive in the corners of the map that it will be some time yet before they are wiped out forever. The Stone Corpses are one such clan. Formed initially from the gravediggers, butchers and corpse-carriers of the kingdoms underclass they grew into a sizable institution before attracting the wrath of the Thunders Oyabun. The underground war between the two mismatched clans was going unsurprisingly badly for the Corpses until the guild’s deepening involvement in the Kingdoms began drawing the Ten Thunders resources away. This interruption allowed the smaller clan to retreat and lick its wounds in the Burakumin hovels and graveyards that spawned it. Such defeat would have wiped most clans from history but the Corpses managed to eke out their existence in the underclass for years, avoiding direct conflict and proving to be a thorn in the side of the Guild and Thunders both. This resilience and ability to work from the shadows paid off in a way that none could have imagined as a new patron has emerged for the hidden clan- The previous Governor General. Unable to successfully infiltrate or even conclusively prove the existence of the Ten Thunders in Malifaux, agents of the Guild had been frustrated at every turn by the crime syndicate. The Governor General sought to bring a new perspective to the hunt, and in an attempt to ‘fight fire with fire’ he sent emissaries to the corpses with an offer; he would transport many of their people to Malifaux, away from their sullen existence in the kingdoms, and they in turn would help him destroy the spreading plague of the Thunders. This suited the elders of the Stone Corpses as they believed the Thunders grasp on Malifaux could surely not match the stranglehold they had in the kingdoms, and with the guild backing them they could possibly even take the war on the thunders back home in time. The first months of this project gave more intelligence on the thunders movements than the last few years of Guild investigation which pleased the governor, as did knowing that should the Corpses go too far (or even eventually succeed) then the Governor could disavow all knowledge of prior agreements, and hunt them down with his own resources. Of course this agreement being so secretive meant that few aside from the Governor knew of it, and now he has passed on it falls to Secretary Matheson to decide whether the new Governor needs to know about this hidden resource at all? Organisation. Formed from Burakumin and other underclasses, the Stone Corpses shun the titles of the noble families of the east, with no samurai or Oyabun these criminals tend to use plain words to describe themselves. Brothers and Sisters- These make up the vast majority of the clan. Often hidden in plain sight as butchers, gravediggers and other menial workers in the three kingdoms and little kingdom. Although not as accomplished at warfare as their Ten Thunder Counterparts, they are nonetheless adept spies and sometimes even assassins. Stone Hands- The warriors of the clan, these bear enchanted tattoos on their torso which gives them enhanced resilience, and are martially as gifted as any Ten Thunder Warrior. In smaller towns they will wear their colours and tattoos openly, hoping to cow the civilian population into subservience. Stone Fists- The elite Guardsmen of the inner circle, these are usually ronin and other highly skilled warriors, who have been cast from their own clans in shame and dishonour. With multiple tattoos across their skin they are hugely resilient, and can strike with inhuman strength when needed. Stone Shapers- These are minor spellcasters with little real knowledge of what they do or why it works, following instructions that have been in the clan for centuries they daub the warriors of the clan with sacred tattoos that are supposed to give them supernatural benefits. Since coming to Malifaux these simple enchantments have become much more powerful. Stone Carvers- The heads of the Clan, Stone Carvers were unconvincing mages back on earth, and rarely had the resources to challenge the Thunders. On Malifaux however the pervasive magic (and influence of crossing the Breach) has given new life to their previously theoretical abilities. Most of the time is spent dealing with matters of importance and planning for the future, though they are also responsible for developing new Tattoos for the Stone Shapers to apply to the clan members. A new branch of the Carvers has recently begun investigating the potential of Necromancy, the brothers and sisters position as gravediggers and corpse handlers providing a steady flow of material, and the whisper itself has begun changing the way this offshoot of the Carvers think about spirits and their place in the world. Stone Corpse tattoos What began as simply ways to mark the clan in its infancy soon became charged with the power of tradition and ritual, powerful forces in the 3 kingdoms. The tattoos provided a small measure of protection and guidance for the brothers and sisters that wore them , and this small magic soon elevated the Stone Shapers and Carvers to positions of power, where they have stayed since. Since crossing the breach the tattoos abilities have become almost as powerful as they were supposed to be on earth, and the Carvers have been adding new tattoos with the ingredients native to Malifaux. Any character with the ‘painted man (x)’ talent may have a number of tattoos applied to it equal to the value of the talent (x). These tattoos must be applied following the rituals designed by the Stone Corpse Carvers, and require different ingredients to function. Once applied they usually last for at least a day before they need replenishing. Stone Corpse Tattoos Name Ability/talent Trigger Appearance Requirements Time taken/ duration Stone hand Hard to Wound Df(r) toughened hide: after resolving this character gains Armour +1 until its next activation. A grey stone hand print on the torso, chalky and coarse in texture. Cremation Ash (human), Necrotic Fluid, chalk. alchemistry 2, enchanting 2. 15 mins/24 hours Hatsuon Manipulative (12) Wp(m) inconsequential: after succeeding this character seems unimportant and may not be questioned again on the same subject. A labyrinth across the face, subtly done so only visible to mystical eyes. Sanctified oil, Cremation ash, (Neverborn). Black blood Ink. alchemistry 2, enchanting 2. 1 hour/24 hours Zhi Ren Bad Karma: (Ml, Ca and Sh triggers may not be declared against this character) Df(r) Good Karma: after succeeding this character may make a 0/1/2 healing flip A smeared black handprint across the back, with a similar white handprint beneath it. Cremation ash (human, both male and female), chalk, Sanctified Oil, alchemistry 2, enchanting 2. 30 mins/24 hours Wanyudo unceasing Df/Wp(c) The cycle is complete: after resolving If this character dies in the next 5 minutes, it returns as a stitched. A blue wheel on either shoulder with a grey face in the wheels centre. Cremation ash (Undead), necrotic fluid, blue dye, grave dirt, alchemistry 3, enchanting 2. Necromancy 2. 1 hour /48 hours Jian Threading the Needle Sh(m): Perfectionist: After failing this character gains the focus+1 condition. A winged red eye on the forehead or cheek. Cremation ash (Neverborn), fresh blood, red dye, small feathers, alchemistry 2, enchanting 3. 15 mins/12 hours Yuan Gui Counterspell Df/Wp(c) Spirits vengeance: After failing this model may push 2” towards the attacking model. A series of white angular patterns stretching across the shoulders and back. Ashes of a funeral shroud. Chalk. Salt. Necrotic fluid. alchemistry 2, enchanting 2. Necromancy 2 1 hour mins/24 hours Suea Saming Flurry Ml(r) Frenzied strike: After damaging this character must declare this trigger if able. make a 1Ml attack against another character in range. This attack cannot declare triggers. Black tiger pattern stripes on the arms and legs. Cremation ash (beast, preferably a predator) Necrotic Fluid, black ink. alchemistry 2, enchanting 2. 30 mins/24 hours Di Fu Ling Sure Footed Sp(m) Shifting ground: After failing this character may discard twist card or suffer a wound to immediately take the test again. The legs from the knees down are covered in intricate dark patterns of black and brown. The character must be barefoot. Grave dirt, Cremation ash (any), Sanctified oil, black or brown ink. alchemistry 1, enchanting 2. 1 hour/2 weeks Stone Corpse Profiles: Stone Brother/Sister Minion(5), living, Burakumin Might 2 Grace 2 Speed 2 Resilience 1 Charm 0 Intellect 1 Cunning 3 Tenacity 1 Defense 5 (10) Walk 5 Height 2 Initiative 5(10) Willpower 3(8) Charge 6 Wounds 5 OOOOO Skills:, Evade 3, Navigation 2, Notice 3, Melee 2, Stealth 4, Scrutiny 2 Face in the Crowd: Sh attack actions against this character suffer [-] if it is within 3 yards of other characters it does not consider enemies. Disguised: This character may not be the target of a charge action. Painted Man: This character may have a single Stone Hands tattoo applied to it. (1) Tools of the trade (Melee) AV: 4 (9) Rg: y2/// Resist: Df Target suffers 1/1/2 damage. (m) Honour means nothing: after failing push this character its Wk in any direction. (c) Not just for digging: after damaging the target character gains the stunned condition. (1) Scatter! (Evade) AV: 5 (10) Rg: y2 Resist: Sp This character and up to 2 target Burakumin within 3 yards push up to their Cg value in any direction- this move must not end them within engagement range of an enemy character. (0) Marked Man (Stealth) AV: 7 (12) Rg: LoS Resist: Notice/Cunning Target character gains the condition ‘Person of Interest’ until this characters next activation: Any Burakumin character with LoS to this character may take a walk action every time this character takes a walk action. Stone Hand Minion(5), living, Burakumin Might 1 Grace 2 Speed 2 Resilience 1 Charm 0 Intellect 1 Cunning 2 Tenacity 1 Defense 5 (10) Walk 5 Height 2 Initiative 4(9) Willpower 3(8) Charge 6 Wounds 5 OOOOO Skills:, Evade 3, Navigation 2, Notice 3, Melee 2, Stealth 2, Archery 3. Hidden plates: This character has Armour +1 Organised Crime: This character does not flip a card to randomise for Burakumin when using the Long Bow attack against a character engaged in Melee Painted Man: This character may have a single Stone Hands tattoo applied to it. (1) Scavenged Tanto(Melee) AV: 4 (9) Rg: y1/// Resist: Df Target suffers 1/2/3 damage. (m) Honour means nothing: after failing push this character its Wk in any direction. (c) Filth of the grave: after damaging the target character gains the poison+1 condition. (1) Hunters Bow (Archery) AV: 5m (10) Rg: y12~ Resist: Df Target suffers 2/3/5 damage. (c) Filth of the grave: after damaging the target character gains the poison+1 condition. (m) Honour means nothing: after failing push this character its Wk in any direction. (0) Marked Man (Stealth) AV: 5 (12) Rg: LoS Resist: Notice/Cunning Target character gains the condition ‘Person of Interest’ until this characters next activation: Any Burakumin character with LoS to this character may take a walk action every time this character takes a walk action. Stone Fist Enforcer(7), living, Burakumin Might 3 Grace 2 Speed 2 Resilience 1 Charm 0 Intellect 1 Cunning 2 Tenacity 1 Defense 5 (12) Walk 5 Height 2 Initiative 5(12) Willpower 4(11) Charge 6 Wounds 7 OOOOOOO Skills:, Toughness 2, Evade 3, Thrown weapons 3m, Notice 2, Melee 3, Stealth 2, Intimidation 2, martial arts 3. Hidden plates: This character has Armour +1 Organised Crime: This character does not flip a card to randomise for Burakumin when using the Hurled Dagger attack against a character engaged in Melee Painted Man: This character may have up to two Stone Hands tattoos applied to it. (1) Scavenged Daito (melee) AV: 6 (13) Rg: y2/// Resist: Df Target suffers 2/3/5 damage. (r) Jagged edge: the damage flip gains [+]. (c) Filth of the grave: after damaging the target character gains the poison+1 condition. (2) Run Through (melee) Push this character up to 4 yards in any directoon, then perform a (1)ML attack, afte resolving the attack and triggers, push this character up to 3 yards in any direction. (1) Hurled Dagger (Thrown weapons) AV: 5m (12) Rg: y8~ Resist: Df Target suffers 2/3/4 damage. (m) Finish the weak: after damaging push this model it’s Wk toward the target character. (m) Honour means nothing: after failing push this character its Wk in any direction. Stone Shaper Enforcer(7), living, Burakumin Might 0 Grace 1 Speed 2 Resilience 1 Charm 1 Intellect 2 Cunning 3 Tenacity 3 Defense 4m (11m) Walk 5 Height 2 Initiative 5(12) Willpower 5(12) Charge 6 Wounds 6 OOOOOO Skills:, Art 4, Alchemistry 3, Centering 3, Evade 2, Enchanting 3t, History 2, Literacy 2, Notice 3, Stealth 4, Scrutiny 2, Teach2, Toughness 1 , martial arts 3. DF (M): Chemical concoction: after resolving this character may gain the Poison +1 condition, if it does so it then gives all other characters within 3 yards the condition Poison+1 Face in the Crowd: Sh attack actions against this character suffer [-] if it is within 3 yards of other characters it does not consider enemies. Painted Man: This character may have up to two Stone Hands tattoos applied to it. (1) Leg Sweep (martial arts) AV: 5 (12) Rg: y2/// Resist: Df Target suffers 1/2/4 damage and gains the prone condition. (m) Roll Clear: after resolving push this character its Wk in any direction. (1) Hasty additions (Enchanting) AV: 6t (13t) Rg: y2 Resist: Wp Target model gains one additional Stone hands tattoo for one minute. (t) Now go!: target character may push it’s Wk in any direction. (m) Serve the cause: Target character takes 2 wounds and gains the condition Fast. (2) Elemental weapon (Enchanting) AV: 6t (13t) Rg: y1/// Resist: Wp Target character gains the following condition for one minute: Spirit Strikes- this characters attacks ignore armour and hard to wound.

I'm flat out honest before most sessions "Dom tonight is your destiny step, turn up chump" (although I'll usually have a back-up written just in case. I tend to write/modify sessions to fit a destiny step in a way that fits with the player's next destiny step. for example: One of my fated Xiu had an initial destiny step of 'when you sup upon your pride and dance with cadavers" Before the game I read out a short section detailing what they had done recently (build a gentleman's club for the most part, Lyle had hunted etc) and that the town was relatively quiet for a change. The sun had been blazing for several weeks without respite so tempers were starting to get frayed and it would only take a small problem to cause fists and glasses being slung around in the saloon. If a real problem were to emerge then who knows what would happen. We had already established in earlier sessions and character creation that Xiu is an agent of the foundry, she is from a relatively distinguished family earthside and can be somewhat haughty with others. This streak of Pride gave me a first touch on the destiny step, I just had to put her in a situation where she had to restrain her pride. I did this by introducing a new criminal clan made up of Burakumin and lower caste workers, this clan was new to malifaux and was intent on strong-arming the nearby townships for protection money. The confrontation between these thugs and Xiu could have blown her cover as a TT agent, especially if she had risen to the bait of them poking and prodding her. we had some really nice role-playing around it before they issued an ultimatum and moved off to threaten someone else. That was it for the Prologue, I had established the sort of session it would be with implied violence from the thugs, started toward the destiny step with the forced sucking up of pride and gave the players a fair indication of what they were expected to do this game (if they had been dense a 'deputation' from the town would ask them to help to make sure). (Xui went and found the rest of the miscreants and filled them in and off they went, as violent and unsubtle as usual. The criminal gang was called the 'Stone Corpses' so after the eventual melee found Xiu ducking and weaving against a beefed up Enforcer she could also be said to have danced with cadavers, destiny step achieved)

it certainly makes them look tempting to players when they start out, but I think the talents in the first book are a bit more general and useful. As said before a few steps in the graverobber pursuit makes the necromancer pursuit much easier. I think if i started a whole new party and some players had the 0 skills and other sdidn't then there might be room for discussion on balance. (I'd probably increase the starting scrip of the FA pursuits)

should that @ not be &?

my fated started in the first run, so they chose a spread of basic pursuits (grave robber, pioneer, overseer, mercenary) but a couple of them have moved on, the overseer is now an infiltrator from steam, the mercenary is a ghoul from quarantine and the pioneer is a trapper from the bayou. I still like the basics for the most part, they are great jumping off points for new players without being too specific. I have a performer but he's only played one session which is a shame as I would like to see more of that pursuit. We had a new player in the last session and out of all 4 books he chose gunfighter, which I think shows the strength of the original almanac. that said I would like to see more of the forgotten pursuit as there's some great role play potential there, and id like to have a construct too.

on the first question I'd say no, as the damage is being caused by the trap not you (compare with a gravedigger- you wouldn't say damage caused by a summoned punk zombie was caused by him) on the second question ill need to check the book, but I cant remember there being a limitation, roleplaying wise id limit it to what materials/pre made traps are to hand.

Have added Sinnta's stats to the original post:)

I'd add an extra column after the skills for players to note trigger suits, I'd also consider adding a section where triggers and their effects can be listed:)