Sunspotter

I think you're coming at it from the wrong direction. while the outcasts have the main theme of "everyone else" which makes it hard for them to make a centralized book for (hence mason's confirmation that they're sort of stratafied wherever it fits) Even though the Thunders are infiltrators, they all answer to one central authority; Misaki's dad The Oyabun. even though they're everywhere, their identity as a faction is solidly rooted in the three kingdoms (I have a long running theory that every TT master represents an asian country, with Lynch and McCabe being Hong Kong and Shanghai) Ergo, it wouldn't be hard to make a TT book, it would just need to focus on Three Kingdoms Pursuits. My guess would probably be Adventurer (if malifaux's got pulp subthemes, wild adventure in asia minor is as pulp as pulp gets) Ancestralist (Ghost eater was a good start, but Yan Lo has always had major Ancestral sub themes that would take a whole pursuit to cover) Bozoku (Gang member, for the TT brothers) Courtesan (it'd probably be a social pursuit with an assassination subtheme) Dealer (Double Entendre, thy name is lynch) Majo (Oni/Blood Magic user) Monk (With seperate paths for each of the river devotions) Railworker/Foundryman (It feels like there's more to the foundry than we're seeing) Samurai (duh) And the last class could easily be some sort of elementalist or eastern mage and the widely awaited 11th class, Shounen Protagonist As far as advanced Pursuits, TT archer, Katanaka Sniper, Student of Many Styles (for monk), A samurai enhancement AP (think lone swordsman), and a street boss AP are all obvious choices, but quite honestly, if you closed your eyes, opened any malifaux book to the Ten Thunders section and put your finger down on the page, it would probably be justified as an advanced pursuit. The book could also integrate diferent styles of Martial Arts, either in similar function to magical theories, or in further depth through Skill-enhancing talents. it could also serve to give us a window into just what the Three Kingdoms are like Earthside. I could say a million different things that could be added, but the idea has quite a bit of potential to expound on a very mysterious faction.

I don't know about the TT (While i'll be disappointed if they never get one, I'm apparently committed to writing the thing myself) But I beleive it was mentioned somewhere that the original book was essentially supposed to be the outcast book, with the various jobs being easily linked to mercenary professions. I'd also think if they really wanted to do outcast stuff, the faction is so fragmented due to it's rather literal hodgepodge nature that it would almost have to be entirely Advanced Pursuits to get the fated acting as a member of a specific group contained within the faction.

Hey everyone, I've been trying my best to do a more consistent updating schedule, and updating a thread at least once a week. I'm using this as a limiting factor as well, because when i get into a writing groove, I can dump out a good 12+ pages of rules text, which is why I'm also doing it rotating. I think someone would kill me if I just dumped off all my content for my augment thread in sequence with 4+ unique limbs and 12+ loose enhancements floating around finalized in my head. this being said, I may or may not add yet end up another thread after my next batch of rotations. To anyone who thought they saw a pattern in my thread creation (which is a group I know has at least one member, myself) gremlins are not involved. It would be about unique equipment such as weapons or Grimoires, and even particular stuff like clothing and mounts that would require a talent investment to unlock it's full potential. whether or not this thread will come into fruition depends on a few things (not the least of which is my eternal fear that the mods will one day go old testament on me) but this does let me segue into teasing my first big project that will definitely find it's home here on the player creations forum. It's not anything to do with standard pursuits. I'm not going to lie and say I haven't made some, but if I'm worried about stepping on toes with Advanced pursuits posting those would basically be doubling down and grinding my heel without being sure where it lay. It actually has a planned date a decent bit under a year out. It will be long. it will have plenty of stuff in it. it will change the way you think about TTB if you use it. Above all these other things, I can confirm one fact. It will be dumb. So, so dumb. The fear of death has always driven humanity. Malevolent actions, no matter they may seem to an outsider, can almost always be leveled against that basic fear to become justifiable in the mind of the actor. Should we all choose to become slaves to our most deeply rooted fear, then it is nothing more than the most basic of instincts that drives us forward. Terror does no great favor to our intellectual propensity after all. It should also be noted that even the most irreverent dreams of immortality can in turn drive people to unspeakable acts. Debasement of the self, the subjugation of others, all means become necessary to that end. A freedom from the most inevitable of fears. The mere construct of morality is but a house of cards, ready to be toppled with wanton disregard when the promise of life eternal dangles tantalizingly in front of us. The piercing chill of a cold iron slab across our backs became nothing more than a passing unpleasantry. nor did the deep sting of a needle within us carry any more significance than a one of a bee. Eternity was at stake. We dare not find our way blocked by childish things like fear. It was a test. To see if we could conquer ourselves. To see if we stood worthy of joining what we came to pray in moonlit reveries were our peers. For should you awaken, bound helplessly to one madman’s table, be thankful. Through terror and hysteria, you are being inducted unto an irreverent brotherhood. Great scholars of all time, ensured to be there for all time. When you join us, in your heart of hearts, you shall understand what it is to have transcended you fears. To be bound by nothing, and for the first time in your legacy, be granted true agency. The Transcendentalists Deep within the quarantine zone, as many of those who wish to stay hidden remain, there lays an unassuming parlor house. It seems inconsequential from the outermost view, but those who are given the privilege of entrance may believe themselves to have traveled through time. It seems nothing less than a parisian salon. It would be unsurprising to see Voltaire or Locke lounging about the gilded rooms, doling out the secrets of enlightenment to any ear willing to give consideration. Those that do inhabit the airy space of chaise lounges and absinthe fountains seem perfectly suited to the high-minded environments. They have the parlor and beauty of the court darlings of bygone eras. The conversation is lively, debating near every concept that has dare to pass through the lips of man, and even some that would be infinitely taboo anywhere else. In every court however, there is a king. That man is a greying old codger, his sunken eyes hiding behind copper rimmed spectacles. His is a withered is frame, covered by an ancient threadbare suit and propped up against a mahogany walking stick. The only truly remarkable about him is the resounding tone of his voice, seemingly untouched by time since his tender years of thirty. His name is Leeroy Mathews, an introduction he gives to every new visitor. He is a scientist. A philosopher. A scholar. A prophet. A god. The gentle french accent in his voice betrays his origins, but he simply neglects to mention it until he is certain the newcomer would be accepting. After all, Adrian Jean-Claude Willamette should not be a living man. It has been two hundred years since the enlightenment. His time has passed, yet he has not. The secret, he claims, to his agelessness, came to him in a fevered dream. He carried his aged body over across the french alps, gathering up rare mountain herbs to concoct an impossible remedy to a universal ailment. However very one of his compatriots refused the tincture once they found the most essential ingredient to the concoction was the utter destruction of a human soul. One by one his compatriots passed in their advanced age, and Adrian quite honestly expected the same. The reaper never came to knock on his door though. He used his time at first to educate the younger generations on the theories of their forebearers. Year after year, they became more scarce in attendance. They seemed to prefer more worldly pursuits over the understanding of being. He couldn’t much blame them either. The continent at large was becoming a place of worldly endeavors. However, every once in a great while, a younger student came to his doorstep, seeking the words left unwritten between the pages of history. Adrian knew this was a curiosity now so rare, it merited preservation by absolutely any cost. Yet again he made a trip to make more of his formula, and yet again, he was met with refusal. Louis, his latest student, was yet another great mind set to be lost to the ages. With that thought, Adrian snapped. It wasn’t difficult to put the boy to sleep with a dose of sedatives. From there, the procedure to inoculate him against death was as simple as a shot to the arm. When he awoke, he was absolutely furious, fleeing from Adrian’s study. The aged immortal was still content though, as he knew another great mind would be preserved for the ages. However ethically questionable, he knew he’d done a good deed. Upon the half decade however, a curious thing happened. There was a knock on the door. Louis had returned, not looking a day older than when he’d left. His skin was even a bit more on the fair side compared to the codger’s memory. What truly surprised Adrian however was that he’d brought another along with him, one curious to learn about the finer points of enlightenment. Oh how he would learn. The breach, the powder wars, so many things came and past, claiming so many lives and so much potential. However, it was always seen fit that Adrian’s little club should find and lay claim to those intellectuals whose loss would be a great sorrow to humanity. Upon the second re-opening of the breach, A move to malifaux was a nearly unanimous decision. With the near unilateral efforts of the guild to funnel the world’s best and brightest between worlds, it was decided that they should do their best to find minds worthy of preservation on this newest frontier. Besides, how would it be fair for an individual to be excluded from possible membership by what plane of existence they happened to be on? Goals of the Society The Transcendentalists wish to gain ultimate knowledge of philosophy through the unrestricted debate, and occasional practice of those paradigms. This is all done in the hopes that one day, a perfect world will be created. The society assures that it’s debate never grows stagnant by somewhat regularly adding members. One of the many lines of debate are of the benefits and detriments of various magical theories. While being a caster is not necessarily a requirement to join, non-magical members are a definite minority. One universal constant however, is a discussion on the alteration of the self, and the possible achievement of perfect form. The further one advances the society’s eternal debate, the more the member advances in the unspoken rankings of the society. If one debates well enough, one may even be blessed with a counterpoint (or even more thrillingly, support!) from Adrian himself. It is somewhat common for members to test their theorems through trips outside the quarantine zone, both to test their line of thought in a practical environment, and to keep a watchful eye out for the next recruit. Joining the Society Let’s just say that rather than the fated finding the transcendentalists, the society will most probably end up finding them. Induction is usually announced by the realization that the fated cannot move, followed by a rather surprisingly traumatic ordeal in which the fated is kidnapped, given an injection of the immortality serum, then brought in for tea, debate, and introductions by the nutjo… err, philosopher princes that kidnapped them. The reasons for becoming a target for induction include novel or strongly held philosophies, high intelligence, or the realization that the fated would most probably liven things up around the place. It’s impossible to get out once you’re in given the while immortality deal. That being said, only through the debate and discussion within the society’s good graces will the full implications of the fated’s condition manifest. Advanced Pursuit: Transcendentalist Requirements: -The fated must have one mental attribute of 4+ -The fated must have either a non-negative charm, or a mental attribute of 5 -The fated must have 3+ ranks in two either magical or academic skills, but both cannot be magical. -The fated must have made contact, Unknowingly or not, with another Transcendentalist (an enjoyment of tea and fine liquor is not required, but the fated is in for a rough eternity without one.) Steps: 1 La Vie Eternelle 2 Debat Anime or La Magie de la Theorie 3 La Vie Eternelle est Drole 4 Comprendre l' Auto 5 Equilibre sur le fil du Rasoir La Vie Eternelle The fated has become, willingly or not, a member of the Transcendentalists. From this point forwards, the fated ceases to age, their complexion simply becoming more palid as time goes on. The fated may still die by means other than age. Debat Anime The fated has joined in with the society’s debates on philosophy, and found them excellent practice for arguments with outgroup individuals. The once each day when speaking to an individual, the fated may choose to take the same academic skill flip twice, keeping all modifiers to the original flip. The second flip may not be cheated. The fated then adds the margins of success generated by the second flip to the original flip. La Magie de la Theorie The fated has joined in on the society’s magical debates, and has swapped more than a few notes on the art of Aracana in it’s various forms. The fated may request a grimoire from an individual, which may have a number of Magia and Immuto up to the Fatemaster’s discretion. If the fated accepts, their magical theory is changed to match the original owner’s as long as the fated is using that grimoire. La Vie Eternelle est Drole The fated’s experience with eternity has allowed them to dip further into death than before, and still come back. If the fated has died, they may be resurrected by magical healing for up to ten minutes after the fact. During this period, the fated’s body cannot be used by any ability that would destroy or render a corpse useless. If the fated has ever died and returned, the fated gains on all necromancy duels, and duels to resist the effects of necromancy Comprendre l’ Auto As the fated’s body ceases to age, they come to understand the quirks of their more static form, and how it plays out in their lives. The fated will automatically be able to tell when an outside force is affecting their perceptions. In addition, the recovery period for any sort of alterative surgery will be halved, as the fated realize the exact differences between their changed form, and how to adjust Equilibre sur le fil du rasior The fated has straddled the line between life and death so efficiently, they no longer care which side they stand on. The fated is living or a construct, they may become undead as well. If the fated is undead, they may choose to become living as well. If the fated has been augmented, they may choose to become a construct as well. Whenever the fated is targeted by an attack or ability, they may choose what they are counted as for that ability, excluding or including any number of types. The fated may also take talents as if they were stitched, living, or invested if they have the corresponding attribute. And that's this week's little peek onto the theoretical crazy of the quarantine zone. Up next week, more zombie madness with Dr. West.

I didn't know two words from mason could get me to hype levels unseen by man before, but here we are

While I can in fact understand the desire to run penny dredafuls for the amazing story, pre-made encounters, and awesome little insights into the world of malifaux, I'd suggest that in time, you analyze the ones that are out there in order to start crafting adventures in malifaux of your very own! Also I can't help but echo Amp's suggestion, local playgroups can accumulate extra cards like crazy, so if you have access to those, or any of malifaux's core books, you can essentially treat those as a king-sized bestiary. same thing goes, if a player has any of the books for Mali 2.0, they serve as excellent jumping off points for not only potential encounters, but the vignettes serve as great examples for how the world of malifaux plays out day to day. past that, the best advice one GM can give another is that improvisation is the king of Roleplaying. players get into character by thinking of how their character might react to the world, and a fatemaster's equivalent is getting into the mindset of how the world might react to the characters. Either way, best of luck with your group!

On the one hand, this could probably help. On the other, it probably won't considering I usually write and develop on -2 hours of sleep On the third, inexplicable hand, grafted onto my tailbone, I wish I had some way of getting to georgia so I could justify an attempt at throwing my hat into the ring.

Hooooo boy. So, I’m finally back in the full swing of writing and brewing, and now that I’m back at my wheelhouse thread, I’m getting to a unique augment that’s been brewing in the back of my head for quite some time now. The story didn’t really form immediately after, but once I had the idea, I knew it wasn’t going away until I wrote it. The story and the augmentation ultimately became inseparable in my mind. I always do my best to come up with the kind of individual that would have each augment in some sort of headcanon, Carter and Toby were both fully formed in my head before making it to paper, and the subject of this upcoming story is too. Full disclaimer. I am going to put my best foot forwards in regards to this story. I want to portray Dani as humanly as possible, even in a more fantastic setting like malifaux. I don’t want to offend anyone, nor do I want to make this come off as some cheap grab for “diversity”. This is going to be my story, written as I want it to go. It’s being run by a few individuals only because I want to make sure it’s as good as it deserves to be. If you have any subjects you’re sensitive to, please, check the spoilered box below. It does contain some story spoilers, but It also contains some of my rationale behind everything. There was a certain chill that Dani couldn’t shake from the moment the Malifaux express passed through the breach. The stagnant air of the cabin hadn’t changed so much of a degree, but for a split second, her breath swirled in front of her. It couldn’t be repeated, nor did the rest of the cabin even seem to react. She’d heard stories of individuals...changing on the ride to Malifaux. Perfect. Just another thing to add to her plate. It was no secret what happened to those that practiced magic the guild didn’t approve of. In fact, the symbol of that fate bore morbid fruit through her east facing window. It was easy to think one was clear of that possibility by never so much as touching a grimoire, but Malifaux always seemed to have it’s own plan for people who dared to step foot in it. She kept her head low as she carried her steamer off the train. Even in the slightly humid air her overcoat was pulled tightly over her shoulders. It didn’t especially help to warm her up, but it at least added a gossamer illusion of safety for her trek into the city. She wasn’t going to let some bizarre incident put a damper on her new life. This was a place she could actually live for herself, far away from anywhere her naegling parents might try to find her. As Dani walked through the downtown streets, she could feel the small book of scrip shift about in her pocket. She knew it wasn’t wise to carry that much at once, but she figured it wasn’t liable to fly away on the walk between the train station and the bank. As good as the pickpockets of Malifaux were said to be, she figured none of them could reach through solid leather. Nothing about the luxury of the area made her feel out of place. In fact, the gilded facades were vastly too familiar to be comfortable. Another chill ran up her spine. She remembered the argument with her parents. They didn’t care how she wanted to spend her own money, the only thing that they cared about was the family image. How she wore her hair was already an almost daily point of contention, but being in spitting distance of a cabaret? Sacrilege! Charlie was already out boozing and treating bordellos like hotels when she was at college, but no. He wasn’t available, her being a twin meant she had to be the good son her father wanted. The worst part was that they were always the ones footing his bills. If they had enough to make sure he was living in the lap of luxury, fine. Since that was how they wanted to play it, then there was more than enough in the “family” account to top off her own savings, and a particular train ticket to boot. She’d already had the bank wire her own account ahead of her, but she knew the transaction was between the two, they still might be able to reverse it across the breach. That’s why she knew she’d have to move the scrip manually. Each and every red cent was headed to the bank, save for what she needed to lay her head for the night. But then she overheard music. A cabaret show. The tune was audible from a theater close by, and it was a good one at that. Jaunty. Energetic. Almost nostalgic. Dani figured she could justify floating a little bit of her liquid assets if it meant maybe feeling at home for the first time in a while. The clerk at the bank till almost seemed perplexed by the size of the deposit, but cracking the seal on the telegraphed records put it quite nicely into perspective. Only a few minutes later, and everything was set to go. The ease of it all put a real spring in her step. She didn’t even have to stress her surname once to get things done; maybe that meant things were going to turn out different here. The tables at the Golden Ram were some of the best she’d sat at in ages. Nothing but filigreed class and velveteen daydreams. The kind of place a well-to-do citizen could wile away the hours in a paradise of theater and music. It felt bittersweet to be in a place like this. The last show she’d sat down for was a stone’s throw from Oxford. Al decided to treat her right after graduation. He wanted her to have one more night where names didn’t matter. He wasn’t a Caine there. She wasn’t the heir apparent to a construction empire. They were just two well-paying customers, sipping honey wine and calling back to the Master of Ceremonies. She didn’t even know how he convinced her to get all dressed up and painted, much less managed to get her on stage. She thought the crowd would laugh, but they were stunned. He wanted them to hear the same siren song he heard through his dorm floor every afternoon. The corseted waitress broke her out of her nostalgic reverie with a glass of mead. She was back in reality. Where Al was gone. The ten foot oaf disappeared off the face of the planet, along with the class Valedictorian and a smattering of other Oxfordians. The rest of her friends. All she had to go back to was a manor house of chains in the shadows of Baton Rouge. It wasn’t fair. She wanted to be happy for the time they had together, but she wondered why they didn’t take her with them. Maybe she shouldn’t have told them everything. They were nothing but supportive every step of the way, hell, Al was the one who stood with her to get her first good party dress. But they could’ve gone to Malifaux first… Knowing everyone, they’d be worried about the city eating her alive. Of course they couldn’t tell her where they were going. If she knew for sure, she’d have been on the next train after them… But the possibility of finding them… She couldn’t find the energy to be happy. That chill was back, crawling up through her veins. Everything felt so muted. She shouldn’t be alone. It wasn’t right. As she tried to hold back her tears, her breath froze in the air. She should be happy, but everything was going wrong again. If someone noticed, she could be face to face with the guard. She put her glass down on the table, trying to catch her and head towards the exit, but nearly doubled over from panic. Sitting in a foggy crystal glass, tossing flickering reflections over the table, was her drink. Frozen over. Dani staggered out of the club, barely holding herself together. She could tell it was supposed to be hot, yet she felt frozen to the core. Someone had to have an answer as to why this was happening. The first man to answer her, from a king to a pauper, she was going to listen to no matter how bizarre it sounded. Then truth trod along in the form of a scraggly old beggar, the guild guard dragging him by his wrists towards a checkpoint. “Ya look cold boyo! I’ve seen that chill before, Y’gotta freeze yer outers if y’ever want yer innards ta warm up too! North! The mountain! go before December if ya want an answer!” And just like that he was gone, dragged cackling to parts unknown. It wasn’t much to go on, but the certainty with which he spoke shocked her. The map from the train station showed a town called Ridley, and above that, a mountain range. The mere thought of it caused her breath to puff up again. A matter of months was out of the question. Not three hours later, and she was on the next train northbound to Ridley Station. The trek wasn’t easy. She’d bought every amenity she could, but it wasn’t keeping her warm. A ground sweeping parka and boots. A first class sleeper ticket. Even a half a bottle of the finest brandy she could find did nothing to warm her up. Not even hot meals were filling her anymore. The whole journey, she prayed the fogging windows in her car were just due to the temperature outside of it. She spent a solid week in Ridley, searching for someone to take her into the mountains. Most looked at her like she was insane. Those that didn’t very kindly explained the threat involved with going up to the mountains; if the cold didn’t kill you, chances are some frozen maneater would in it’s place. Yet she was numb to everything but her pursuit. She tossed aside rumors of a metal-armed steamfitter, or a doctor that could bend flesh to his will. She could pursue all that once she had her answer. Once she could suppress the chill in her heart. Paydirt came with the Ridley Geological Survey. They were headed into the mountains to investigate reports of soulstone deposits, and were accepting all able hands. A muffler and a set of goggles, and Dani was on her way, almost indistinguishable from the rest of the crew. The farther north they traveled, the colder Dani got. It wasn’t the temperature though, there was no difference between the high winds flowing off the mountains and the warm southern breeze. It was all inside of her, and she felt like she was freezing solid. Supplies were running low, but Dani couldn’t find it in her to care. Whether or not she ate, she felt as hungry as the day before. The longer they treked along the mountain spine, the higher they went into the ridge, the more she felt the temptation to simply throw off her parka. The wailing mountain winds were starting to warm her, despite a good portion of her compatriots nearly dying of frostbite from an improperly closed tent. The night watch didn’t help ease her her feelings that something was wrong. It didn’t matter that the Yamisaka was winterized, it wasn’t like she could shoot it anyways. She saw all the horrors that the people in Ridley told her about. Walking ice, coming to life and prowling the edges of the camp, but nothing dared to approach. She swore she saw the eyes of predators, glinting in the night. Studying her every move. The only solace she found was that this was some sort of permanent camp. The pickaxes had long since come out. Supposedly, the deposit they sought was right under them, and intermittent blasting slowly formed a cave for shelter. The tables were turning again. Now, Dani was the only one who’s breath wasn’t showing. All the insulation that was supposed to be keeping her safe felt like it was strangling her. Then the call rang out. All the workers in the camp flooded into the dig site. If there was any sort of opportunity for her to try opening up her coat, then she may as well do it while everyone was clamboring over the find. It was obvious even from the entrance. A light blue, crystaline stone, pulsing with energy. A beating, frozen heart. Even so much as looking at it made Dani shiver in her boots. She’d found what she was looking for. Without thinking, she wandered through the crowd. She needed a closer look with every fiber of her being. But then the shouting started. “By god son, Close your coat! You’ll freeze to death in here!” In no time at all, a row ran through the crowd. The miners were beyond furious, and she couldn’t tell exactly why. What they were saying made no sense. “The ice witch did this! We were fooled from the start!” “She snuck in one of her patsies into the expedition so she could keep an eye on us! No wonder we never got attacked, she was behind our lines the whole time!” “Grab the stone, but make this bastard pay first!” Dani stumbled back in horror, being pushed towards the stone by the crowd. She was crying, and her tears fell frozen to the ground. This was it. She was going to die because she wanted answers. To understand something she couldn’t control. It was so cold. She wanted it to end. She wanted to freeze solid. There was one last thing she could think to do. She threw off everything she thought was there to protect her. The coat. Her gloves. Her wool cap. even the lead lined vest she’d snuck under the whole affair. Her hair used to be a dirty blond, as it fell into her vision,she saw something had bleached it white as the snow falling outside. They would know who they killed, but there was one question left before she went. She’d get the answer. It might even kill her before they could. With one outstretched hand, Dani touched the stone. First there was silence. Then in the howl of a blizzard, chaos erupted. The first few rows of the mining crews hadn’t just stopped moving when she held the stone, they’d been completely frozen into statues. Others behind them tried to knock their way through, but pillars of ice erupted from the ground separating her from the living crew. Through the bulwark of crystalline glaciers, she saw men and women in blue fur cloaks, and prides of horcats ripping the living miners to pieces. She was separated by glass from a human slaughterhouse. Dani feared herself at that moment. She knew that she should be horrified by what was taking place before her. Yet she couldn’t feel anything if she tried. The pillars dissolved away, leaving her standing face to face with a small company of the blue robed figures. It wasn’t hard to think that she was next, but instead, they nodded at her to follow. when she tried to remove her hand from the stone, it instead popped out of the wall, like a gem falling out of a socket. By the moment, any remaining feeling drained from her left arm. The trek led them into the night, finally arriving at a brutal looking temple hidden in the crook of the mountains. Deep within its sanctum was something Dani didn’t expect. a woman, no older than thirty, lounging upon a throne of ice. Her gaze alone saw the girl shivering in her boots again. What may have been seen as respect when the woman stood was simply her knees giving out from under her. “Child. For reasons I do not understand, December has seen it fit to touch your soul in a most peculiar way. The aether around you courses like a blizzard, and when his heart was threatened, you lashed out with his might.” Rasputina’s voice resounded with an echo of force, her words reverberating through the icy walls of the temple. “So you know why this is happening? Please, teach me how to control this! Tell me what I have to do, I’ll do anything you need me to…” Dani desperately blurted out, her voice cracking slightly from stress. Beyond anything else, desperation was showing in her eyes. “Not in all ways. Only my handmaidens have been so blessed as to receive a fraction of the power you have. Those of your kind that wish to follow in their ways must undergo… changes to follow in their wake” Rasputina’s eyes narrowed to slits. The more she observed her supplicant, the more a disconnect between body and soul became apparent. “Please then, let me become your handmaidens Miss! I know I might not be the most becoming amongst them, but I’ll do whatever it takes… Please, just help me control whatever this is! I beg of you…” How she spoke of herself… it clicked immediately. The peculiar looks shared amongst the assembled cultists were brought to rapt attention as Rasputina lifted Dani to her feet. As the ice witch lifted the soulstone, the younger girl’s arm dissolved to powder. “You were not yet ready to wield the power of this stone darling. You haven’t even eaten your first true meal yet. I know though, the perfect fool to slake your hunger has already been ordained. There is a man named Doctor Mueller in Ridley. He is a magician with power over flesh and blood. Long ago he promised a service to me, but has since refused many times. Now, the fool comes back to seek forgiveness. I have no problem merely handing you to his favor for his more… standard services. This will be on the condition that he is your first feast. Then, when you return, truly... becoming as you put it, I will return the stone to your posession in a form you can control more easily. Then, and only then, shall you shall begin the rites to join the silent ones.” Dani knew she should object. That she should accept any fate than what this woman was offering. But something, deep in her stomach, seemed to get her over the last branch of the offer quite easily. This may be the first proper meal she’d had in days. A smile crossed her face. Finally, for the first time in weeks, her heart started to warm. - TELEGRAM FOR JORDAN LYCARD MR. LYCARD -STOP- I REGRET TO INFORM YOU OF YOUR SON DANIEL’S PASSING -STOP- DANIEL WAS LAST CONFIRMED LEAVING FROM RIDLEY WITH THE FAILED GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TEAM TRYING TO FIND A SOULSTONE DEPOSIT IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS -STOP- NO CORPSE HAS BEEN RECOVERED, THOUGH I HAVE IT ON GOOD WORD THAT IT NO LONGER EXISTS -STOP- WHILE IN RIDLEY, I HAD A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH A STRANGE GIRL WITH WHITE HAIR, AND A GREAT FROZEN CLAW CONNECTED TO NUMEROUS DEATHS AROUND THE AREA -STOP- SHE WISHED TO ISSUE YOU THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE UPON HEARING OF YOUR RELATION -STOP- “WHO YOU HAVE SIRED, YOU HAVE FAILED. WHAT SCRAPS OF DANIEL EXISTED HAVE LONG SINCE BEEN EATEN AWAY. I HAVE CONSUMED HIM, AND GROWN STRONGER FOR IT.” -STOP- I HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT THE VERACITY OF THIS STATEMENT -STOP- I SHALL RETURN FROM MALIFAUX FORTHWITH TO COLLECT THE PRE-ARRANGED PAYMENT -STOP- I AM SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS -STOP- DETECTIVE MERIWETHER WALTERS !?! Unique Prosthetic: The Grave of December While almost every single one of the augments found in malifaux are made from mechanical components, not all are touched by metal. The only common component common between all augments is a soulstone conduit of some sort, both to power the construct, and link it to it’s user. The grave of december is for the most part, a product of it’s unique soulstone. The heart of december naturally frosts itself over, and if left for too long, will become the starting seed in a mighty glacier. However, this process was introduced by the introduction of a runestone, giving the now-living ice all the instruction it will need. If the heart of the user isn’t already frozen solid, the tendrils of ice digging into their form will do that work on it’s own. This prosthetic replaces an arm, and will be as strong, if not stronger than the former limb. If the limb is to be modified, only those familiar with the construction of the limb can modify it. (Prosthetic: Clockwork Full Limb [Ice-based]) (Enhancements: Enlarged Limb Rending Claws (Executioner’s Claws) Integrated Boiler Unique Components [2] (Free slot)) This augment may be advanced as a pursuit Step 1: Glacial Heart Step 2: December’s Aegis Step 3: Winter’s Fist Glacial Heart: The fated gains the frozen heart talent. All attacks made with this limb or weapons held by this limb give the slow condition when damaging. If the fated already has the frozen heart talent, they gain a number of wounds equal to the number of times they would have gained the frozen heart talent past the first, then move to the next step in this pursuit immediately. December’s Aegis: Whenever the fated causes the slow or paralyzed condition to an enemy, they gain the following condition: Boreal Armor+1: Whenever the fated is damaged, reduce the damage taken by the value of the Boreal Armor condition, to a minimum of one, then reduce the value of the Boreal Armor condition by exactly one. If the fated would gain the burning condition, reduce the value of value of the Boreal Armor condition by that much, then prevent the burning condition. The fated gains the following manifested power Touch of December: Acting Value Intelligence+Sorcery AP:1 TN 13 Range: 8 Yards Effect: Target ally gains the Frozen Heart Talent until the end of the round. You may increase the TN by +2 any number of times. If you do, that ally keeps the talent for that many extra rounds. Winter’s Fist: This limb may be counted as a grimoire for the fated. It contains the following Immuto and Magia: Magia: Elemental Strike, Elemental Retribution, Berserk Fury Immuto: Blast, Increase Damage Special: The Ice immuto is automatically added to all spells cast through this grimoire once, without raising the TN of any spells. When Berzerk Fury is cast through this grimoire, the target’s attacks cause the slow condition, and the target gains the Frozen Heart talent until end of round The fated Gains the following Ability: Ice Mirror: the fated may draw line of sight for spells including the Ice Immuto through any friendly character or object with the Frozen Heart talent that they can see within 10 yards. Increase the target number for all spells cast this way by 1. Those spells may not declare triggers. The fated may control any number of Gamin through the Ice construct ability, though for every construct controlled, add +3 to the ability’s TN. Ice walls and pillars summoned by this character count as if they have the Frozen Heart talent. Attacks the fated makes against paralyzed targets gain to the damage flip. (As a short aside, I realize that the cast value for the previous augments was fixed. That was intentional, as I wanted to make sure I didn’t lock out non-casters. this particular augment has proper formats, because it’s assuming the character was a silent one first. If it’s desired, I could go back and do my best to fix the previous augments to proper standardization)

Entirely This. No matter how well you write, edit, proofread, or otherwise, sometimes your brain just forgets how to English.

Part 5: In which someone tries to turn a zombie into Shiva

So… Uh... http://alexanderlozada.com/iasip/?U3Vuc3BvdHRlciBjb21wbGV0ZWx5IGZhaWxzIHRvIG5vdGljZSB0aGF0IFVuZGVyIFF1YXJhbnRpbmUgZ290IGRyb3BwZWQgYW4gZXRlcm5pdHkgYWdv Yeaaaahhh… Part 4: In which things are on fire and it's probably your fault

This is one of the malifaux lore things I actually have the answer to! Metal gamin do have ties to a specific subfaction, more specifically, Mei Feng and the Foundry. They're apparently made of some form of living metal that functions very similarly to organic tissue ,hence why they have smooth bodies and defined musculostructure. It's very heavily implied that only the foundry knows how to make Metal Gamin, and only Mei herself knows how to make Rail Golems (which, i beleive at one point, it's implied that she can make on the fly, but lies to the union about the difficulty in their production in order to exploit the M&SU for resources) Other gamin are apparently tied to malifaux's inherent magic, which is why the gamin subtype exists. essentially, the way to look at it is that at some point, Mei found the proper "metal" immuto, and has fiercely guarded the secret to it ever since. Otherwise, as far as the sewers go, good on you. it's always cool to see what sort of insane terrors people come up with for the special hell that is the malifaux city sewers

You don't need to be ashamed for long periods of absence dude, real life gets in the way At least that's what I keep telling myself

“Wow, I really should get to finishing this, GRF is getting close to 2k views, and I kinda want to mark the occasion” http://alexanderlozada.com/iasip/?IlN1bnNwb3R0ZXIgcHV0cyBvZmYgd3JpdGluZyBtb3JlIGNvbnRlbnQi I’m actually back! And in the interim, I’ve absolutely devoured Into the Steam. It’s an amazing supplement, and you should totally pick it up. Like seriously, If you like any of my threads and don’t already have it, get it. it’s amazing (and to help, the upcoming pursuit brings up something from the book too, so you might want to pick it up if you’d want to take the upcoming pursuit to it’s full conclusion) It also brings to bear a bit of a fundamental difference between how augmentation is handled in the base game, and how I’ve been handling it with my little homebrew escapades. I may very well go through my thread soon and edit in number of slots each augment takes up. I could imagine very interesting interaction when they’re brought together (Hello Crushers+Enlarged limbs with Combat integration) but I personally don’t foresee anything so fundamentally broken about it that I would need to slap a big warning over anything, I just see them as more options for people on the forums that would want to expand their augmentative repertoire. So, in the intervening before I add in the next update to Giant Robot Fists, I’ll see if anything might need some extra augment space taken up, or perhaps some extra pre-requisites for some alters. This is going to be a bit of a ghost process to be honest, so I’ll probably do most of the editing without making any sort of obnoxious announcements. I’ll probably put up an edit flag at the end of the thread just In case anyone doesn’t like what’ll basically amount to some rather basic errata. Otherwise, after having a little bit (Note: a good majority of this intro was written months ago) of time to think on how I’d do this particular story, and one that’s coming up very soon… looking back on this I hit more than a little bit of a mental roadblock. I mentioned this is the first platform I’ve ever felt comfortable posting my stuff on. Even still I can feel rather insecure about my writing (and after re-reading, seeing the kind of errors that come from doing said writing at 4am) and I made quite a legitimate effort of practicing, especially leading up to the next story I’ll do. Quite seriously, I worried myself into submission over how it’s going to be written because the story’s going to be dealing with something that would go south quickly if I walked in unprepared. I have an editor now (acquired because of the aforementioned practice), and granted, while he’s with me on a totally unrelated project and this is just a 1-man labor of love, I’m still going to run it past him to make sure I don’t somehow screw the pooch by accident, because it could end up as a problem from either direction Also, I don’t want to make this feel to bloggy. If you guys want me to start putting update stuff under a spoiler, I can. Same goes for anything else if it would be needed. All that said, I know people still do read these threads, so I still want to continue to posting homebrew for people to enjoy! I could not sleep, for I had dreamt of horrible things. They were all different places, but the same circumstance. No matter where I was, or what I tried, some horrible thing was after me. I knew not what it was, It’s terrible form never witnessed, Impossible to catch in even the briefest reflections, but the fear… it was so real, so visceral, that I dare not do anything but run. I had always awoken before it caught me, jumping up in my bed, Drenched head to toe in a sheen of icy, fear-laden sweat. It was always at some unholy hour of the night as well, the moons perfectly visible from my bedside window. I had no restful sleep, and in time I failed to bother trying. I slowly became a shut-in, letting what tired, dreamless sleep I could beckon take me when it could. Close to slumber’s end though, the dream repeated. But now, it seemed to inch closer every time I collapsed. I sought the council of the best doctors in malifaux, and not one could aid me. Some gave signs of dreaming to look out for, but vastly more suggested I seek an Asylum. A choice few tried radical methods like hypnotherapy, but no matter the theory applied, I found the dream returning in full force come nightfall. I contemplated a vastly less medical solution at many points, but prayed that in time the nightmare would pass. It never did. Nightly, I could feel the creature’s fetid breath ooze down my neck. I consigned myself to my fate. Then came that fateful night, my limp form splayed across my reading chair as the same nightmare playing itself over once again in my head. I ran as fast as I possibly could, but still could hear the discordant screech of claw against concrete. This time, without warning, I was pinned down against the cobblestones. The fall brought no pain, but still the gut-wrenching roar the beast produced rattled my skull as I tried to catch a desperate glimpse of my pursuant. Its fell claw ground violently into my mangled arm, which burned with agony as my own lifeblood traced a desperate escape path. The almost alien limb was silver grey like a stormcloud reflecting the sun, matted with strands of straw-like fur. It terminated into wicked daggers, curved and chitinous like the bill of a hawk. The last thing I could remember from the dream was the searing pain of fangs, sinking into the flesh of my neck. I awoke with a start, a fresh drop of blood trickling down from my lips. My parlor mirror informed me I’d somehow bit my own tongue in my slumber, a rare dot of red falling from my lips to stain my shirt. I simply tried to return to rest, trying to focus on anything more than what my mind was fixated on. Even still, my final thought before slumber was the disturbing realization of how much I enjoyed the coppery flavor in my mouth For once after that hellish ordeal, I awoke relaxed and rejuvenated, narry a dream in my memory. It was easy to figure that my torment was over, so I spent the day canceling my various scheduled evaluations. Clearly my psyche had worked out whatever knot it had been working on, and I could expect my overall state to improve forthwith In fact, the next night I almost felt rewarded, I had an absolutely wonderous dream! This time, I was something beyond the scope of my deepest fantasies. I coursed through the streets with a raucous fury, taking to the rooftops whenever it pleased me. I absolutely soared betwixt the buildings, crashing down with the impact of a meteor only to launch back to my full gait. Why, I was positively superhuman, how piteous that this was only a dream. I figured that it may require attention, but the beautiful sense of catharsis I awoke with kept me from paying much attention to the wonderfully tangy taste lingering on my palate as I went throughout the day. I couldn’t even care less about whatever the newsboys were blathering on about, this was sure to be my time to seize back any ground I had lost during my less brilliant moments. It almost felt like the world was rewarding me too, I’d gone from the nervous little doe I’d been acting like for months to a rapacious wolf, absolutely bursting with charisma. It seemed like not a single soul could resist my charm; I’d even picked up the subtle acknowledgments of more than a few high-society lasses. For once, in months, I walked home anticipating my slumber as opposed to dreading the attempt. Yet more glorious dreams awaited me over the next few nights, Malifaux city was my playground, and I was it’s undisputed ruler. I raced wantonly through the slums, a veritable typhoon of furious motion, leaving a mighty wake behind me. Any that dared to spoil my nocturnal rapture were dealt with forthwith. Many times, i even had the convenience of quietly returning to my home, bookending the last moments of my dream with the inverse of the first exciting seconds of my next day in waking life As time continued, I became more brash in both my newfound lives, waking and non. By day I found myself winning the hearts and minds of near everyone I met! I’d become a living saint, my patron virtue being sheer animal magnetism, I’d become an uncontested alpha in every societal circle I bothered to dip my toe into. By night, I had free reign of a city that couldn’t put the slightest effort into stopping me. Those guardsmen who didn’t have the good sense to run off to some unrealized corner of my mind simply found themselves painted to the walls. brutal red parabolae had begun to act as both my calling card, and a sanguine illustration of my trail. I even took some rare time to admire my newfound form in a glassy pool, Lupine as I’d suspected, but a slightly twisted aire to it. I’d found myself so satisfied by the top of the week, I used a spare note of scrip to purchace a full paper rather than listen to the chirping announcement of the newsboys. What caught my eye was the headline, some terrible thing had been loose in the city for quite some time! The photo was something to behold as well, for a moment, I had to reconcile that the photographer had not merely reached into my mind and plucked out my memories of nights before. This was quite the development, one I had to test… No, one that I was eager to. The thought that all my actions had somehow been real was beyond exhilarating. Days earlier, I’d have expected myself to react in utter horror at my potential deeds. But now, the new world these dreams had thrust me into, my monstrous power almost seemed fitting. As I slept, I made sure that I would leave myself some sign of confirmation. A simple X. Somewhere, anywhere, it would be all I needed to see with my own eyes, the closer to my daily route the better. Given the time to do so, I left them all over the city like a beast possessed. The annoying stings of bullets informed me of a new dispatch of guild guards more than a few times throughout the evening. Outside of their rude methods of getting my attention, they served as pleasant distractions, breaking up the monotony of my fact finding mission. In all the chaos of the evening, I’d wandered surprisingly close to my own neighborhood. The patrols had become entirely misinformed of my position, the shouts of search parties now echoing from the slums, so I figured there would be no harm in sneaking back in through my balcony like I had nights before. I stopped before my parlor mirror to carve one last X, waiting and watching as the sun crested the horizon. Surely enough, my vision became hazy as if I had begun to fall back asleep. This time however, I was determined to see the whole truth with my own two eyes. My form began to dissolve like a winter cloud, the same powdery snow coming in at the edges of my vision. Soon enough, It was my true form that stood before the mirror, my same lupine grin persisting through the whole transformation. I couldn’t remember how long I’d spent in my parlor, idly celebrating the force of nature that I was gifted enough to gain control over. If only I’d simply turned to face my attacker sooner, who knows what wonders would have awaited? As I pondered the possibilities, I recalled the very first steps I was given in an effort to fight off those supposed nightmares, and couldn’t help but laugh at my own ignorance. The answer had been staring me in the face on several occasions. In fact, my own had been the face staring. A Good Doctor had insisted I look for it as much as possible on my very first visit. You see, Mirrors never work in dreams. The Cult of Yore More of a slapshod pack of monsters than an officially organized group, the Cult of Yore is a group of Werebeasts that catch the scent of their prey through dreams. In their human form, their abilities can manifest as an almost bestial intensity in their personal affairs. By night the more animalistic side takes over, and the various members of the cult take to the streets to sniff out more prey. When a member fully embraces their status as a Cultist, they frequently gain the ability to transform of their own free will, rather than relying on the time of day to decide their form for them. Members of the cult are vastly more likely to find the extent of their skills by feeling them out, as the member who inducted them could be hundreds of miles away. As the member gains power, the ultimate challenge of being a cultist emerges; The delicate dance to make their forms seem as two distinct entities, so that the sins of the beast may never be tied to the man. There is no formal structure to the cult, no rites of membership or dues, and certainly no process to quit. It’s only true existence boils down to two major factors. Members of the cult can identify each other by smell, and those members that do almost always find themselves driven to fight for dominance. Survival for the loser in these fights is a question, not a guarantee. If survival is given, it will almost always be on the condition of servitude. It should come as no surprise that the cult is always recruiting. Advanced Pursuit: Cultist of Yore Requirements: -The fated cannot have more than 1 negative physical aspect -The fated must fall asleep at 1 wound, or fallen unaware at night and start the dreams -The fated must have killed a creature that shares a characteristic with them, of their own HT or greater -The fated must have an Intimidate Skill of 3+ Steps 1 Form of the Hunt 2 Conquered Self 3 Primal Cultist 4 Hunger for Flesh 5 True Monster Form of the Hunt At night (the exact point is up to fatemaster discretion) the fated takes on a lycanthropic form, often linked to one of the native beasts of malifaux. This new form will always have two fully functional arms (they may not be entirely hominid accounting for natural attacks), though the form of propulsion is based on the beast (A wereboar might have back hooves, whereas a wererattler may have a long, slithering torso) In this form, The fated’s physical aspects rise to meet the aspects of the beast their lycanthropy is linked to, while any stats above the value of the beast remain higher. In this form, the fated also gains a number of bonus wounds equal to their steps along the cultist of yore pursuit. If the damage taken in lycan form is lower than or equal to the number of bonus wounds, they do not transfer to the fated’s native form. The fated also gains the Beast characteristic, and any natural attacks their beast would have. It should also be noted that the fated is not initially themselves while they take a lycan form. While they may tangentially recognize allies, enemies, and common markers of society, their inhibitions shift to that of a beast. While a shifted fated may not instinctively attack the closest thing to them, they must take a TN 13 willpower duel to stop themselves from doing an action against their instincts. (EG: Not attacking a guard patrol menacing them) Conquered Self The fated finally gains control over their Lycan form, becoming entirely lucid while shifted. The fated also gains the following action. (1) Bark at the moon: You may discard a Twist card to change forms for a number of hours, up to the number of steps you’ve taken along the Cultist of yore pursuit. This causes a horror duel against all enemies within Line of Sight with a TN of 10+ your ranks in intimidate Primal Cultist The fated’s forms slowly start to bleed together in subtle ways. In human form, they gain one skill their patron beast has that they would not otherwise have. They may also reflip up to one social duel per person per day, taking the new results. In Lycan form, the fated gains the traits of their patron beast, and may use any manifested powers that they could use in their human form without the use of any focus objects, such as a grimoire. Hunger for Flesh The fated’s bestial fury drives them to commit acts that for many, would otherwise be unconscionable. The fated gains the following action, which may be used in any form: (1) A feast of Carrion: The fated may choose to consume any number of corpses within 3 yards. Those corpses are destroyed, and the fated makes a healing flip for each corpse destroyed this way. If this action is taken in Lycan form, and more than two corpses are destroyed this way, Draw a card. True Monster The fated has so thoroughly become intertwined with their lycan form that changing between forms has become no different than changing clothes. The fated may take bark at the moon as a (0) action. They may still take it as a (1) action, and if they do, the fated may immediately take a free charge action against any enemy that failed the horror duel. The fated may choose to gain 1 trait from their lycan form in their human form, and their lycan form gains any unique limbs it would otherwise lack (Extra arms, Claws, stingers, Humanoid arms, Ect) From this point forward, the fated may also take ranks in the Twisted pursuit (Into the Steam, Pages 246, 247). All changes caused by the twisted pursuit only affect the fated’s Lycan form. [As an Aside, Fatemasters may allow Invested to use the Cultist of Yore Pursuit. If they do, the invested might choose a Construct instead of a beast, might consume Scrap instead of corpses, and Might gain access to the mechanical pursuit (Into the Steam, Pages 248, 249) from true monster. instead of Twisted.]

You're a great writer man, I know you can do some awesome stuff, even with something that's probably going to be a good bit more on the visceral side

So, good news and bad news... Yet again... Bad news is that my computer probably just suffered a head crash. I usually don't want to give theses threads unnecessary bumps, but my primary source for editing all my stuff turning from a working machine to a beeping hunk of plastic is something I feel is noteworthy. If this really is it's death knell, all I can say is Rip in pepperoni you garbage tier toaster. Sooooo now I'm now relegated to an IPad. Good news being that this thing has a physical keyboard, and as small as it may be, I have a platform to edit my stuff. I didn't lose everything, as I thankfully had the foresight to migrate my most edited docs from my hard drive to my Google account since I was tired of losing my progress in editing to occasional ram overflow. So the second I can get into my drive, I can make a post, and it's going to be here.

I always love to see more work on the player creation forum, makes me feel a lot less like I'm trying to monopolize the place and/or waiting for Mason-Senpai to notice me please don't ban me for calling you senpai Mason... Otherwise, I really do agree on the idea of both a guild and TT book, they're both factions that beg for additional information and rules, not to mention a quick flip through either faction gets you a full ten+ class ideas in seconds. I'd love martial and ki arts for the thunders, not to mention it'd be nice to see a department layout and manifesto for the guild.

I believe you're talking about an Ebberon style airship where it's basically a boat with some sort of magical flotation device, and quite honestly, that's the way to do it in my opinion if you'd want that style. it would probably require a high lade-rating soulstone, (possibly even an artificial stone with a high capacity) to keep up the spell, but I could see it working out. in the setting where the Leviathan was a thing, I wouldn't see it being much of a problem, as long as you don't want it licensed by the guild. otherwise, Zeppelins are also certifiably a thing in setting, and there are some both figuratively and literally floating around, so there would probably be some engineers willing to help with the construction of a new one.

I'm super sorry for taking so long to get back to you, I really should be faster about this kind of stuff. I hope i haven't delayed anything And as far as the idea of creating limbs that don't replace your current set, I'd say you've got an awesome idea of what you're doing, but the first step is always to think of what you'd want it to do first, then how it accomplishes that function. I'd imagine it'd largely be the same stats that would go into creating a normal pneumatic/clockwork limb (which you listed). i'd say give some examples and I could probably talk about how I'd think it could be accomplished. otherwise, if you'd want, I could probably come up with some quick homebrew stuff for adding augments to a limb overlay, gauntlet, or something similar to that, and post it here! (And as a general thread aside, having read over the Into the Steam almost entirely now, i'm going to make yet another post later regarding the now expanded limb system, and what that means for this thread's content,and don't worry, it's not nearly as grim as that statement makes it out to be)

This was your original post. This was my response to your original post. If anything this what I think @hippodruid was referring to. I'd like to also restate my question with a caveat, disregarding the rest of the earlier portion that wasn't relevant to the central argument of the thread. What, in your opinion, would TtB gain if in the next supplement, the rules for contested flipping were introduced? if I'm understanding correctly, you believe it gives the individual NPCs more agency in the setting, or am I misunderstanding, and you believe the amount of statistical derivation created by having opposed flips is the central point. in the subsequent pages of debate, I believe a portion of the conflict is that your thesis has gotten muddled in the debate over various aspects and scenarios, so I wouldn't think it would be beyond the pale to ask for, so both sides could be brought to mutual understanding Also, this may be a total aside but @Omenbringer, I think that the biggest thing that keeps the fated from "feeling like a henchman" is that they don't get to do quite as much "weird stuff" that henchmen seem to have in game, such as having cool effects like Worker's Champion, or just having the ability to just LOLNOPE out of combat. I really don't think it's down to raw numbers, because in converting the rules of some 20th step fated to the big game, I ended up making up a new term, "Engines of War" for just how crazy devastating they can be, I'd be legitimately afraid to throw my master at some of them.

In countenance to that argument, what's your guarantee they'll be able to get up to Lucius, keeping that red joker in their hand? say they need to argue down a number of bureaucrats in order to even walk into his office, or fight against who knows how many guild guard, including (most probably) henchman like Queeg or Dashel? generally, a character gets that specialized in one thing, and if they're specialized in communication and argument, meeting the lord reagent punch to the face isn't going to be terribly conducive to their plans, especially because Lucius Matheson is going to know they're coming. So, assuming the particular fated character gets up to Lucius, red joker in hand, assuming it's not an argument with multiple TNs to convince the master of manipulation to do something utterly stupid, what do you think the chances are that there's not going to be able to even walk out, and that there's not going to be some gambit involved? the red joker is supposed to represent something incredible happening that would almost never occur, like getting the draw on Perdita, so it might be possible to get Lucius to think taking such an insane risk is a good idea. But what occurs after that? so they used a red joker or king to convince the man, and once he realizes that confession is in hand, why are they going to be able to leave the building? what's stopped McMourning from planting evidence in the intervening time of their plot at the fated's safe-house "Exposing" them as necromancers, and when they open the door to leave, a very pissed off Lady Justice (and a few dozen death marshals) are there to meet them? Maybe he noticed a flaw in their affidavit, and signed it because he wanted to watch them squirm trying to establish it as being binding to any sort of law? maybe he just realizes he screwed up, goes avatar, and proceeds to lay the royal smack-down on them? if they planned for all these possible scenarios and more, then they deserved to expose Lucius. To a point, having a high TN that's still beatable isn't going to be the end of the world, it ultimately depends on how it's handled. my question would be what exactly does having directly opposed flips cause the game to gain, other than more statistical derivation? there's already a passage in the main book that mentioned that it might work to run combat as if it was Malifaux, but that's up to FM discretion. your arguments hinge on a lot more mechanical information than I'd personally reveal, the whole "Lying TN" argument from earlier in the thread hinges on the fact that the players know the number in the first place, why is it relevant to reveal that information? I let players do stuff like roll to discern if totally true things are a lie, having some hidden information (or more specifically in some cases, players who can separate character and player knowledge). The problem is that there's one person who can answer your question, and he's no longer with wyrd, so the people in this thread are doing our best to answer. this is more directly reliant on design philosophy than anything, and I'm going to make my best guess. In Malifaux, both parties can flip because it's a Competitive game. both players are doing what they do to win, and flipping with a hand to cheat gives them that statistical control. personally, I prefer cards to dice because you can't escape low numbers, only plan around them if you end up flipping through the deck. In the same vein, Flips in TtB are one sided because it's a Cooperative game. the Fatemaster isn't playing to win against the fated, he's merely there to take the fated on a journey, and thusly, the decision was probably made in the vein that the characters are the ones that do the interacting. with the world by doing, and the fatemaster interacts with the world by making.

If you see the thread comin', better step aside A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died One fist of iron, the other of steel If the right one don't a-get you Then the left one will You write thirty-eight posts, what do you get Another year older and deeper in debt Oh Mason don't you call me 'cause I can't go I owe my soul to the through the breach fo(rum) this post is going to mark the first anniversary of this little thread, and normally, I’d have a few words, some crazy speech or something planned out, but in this case, I just want to write a shortish, to the point blurb. I’ll even put it under a spoiler this time. Yadda yadda boring emotional stuff On to homebrew! This time, I did want to give myself a challenge, and make as few arm specific augments as humanly possible, since I’ve been somewhat neglecting the other limbs of the human body, and I didn’t quite find any sort of connecting theme, the legend is at the top of the thread, so we’re going kinda retro for this anniversary post, so Cue the Lietmotif! Prosthetic: Mabel Jack (35Sc) Are you a BUSY INDIVIDUAL who can’t be bothered to decide between STRENGTH, SWIFTNESS, OR SEX APPEAL? With the Mabel Jack, Like a DISTINGUISHED DUELIST you can have an ARM for ANY OCCASION! Less of a prosthetic and more of a prosthetic enabler, the mabel screw is a specialized attachment system that allows prosthetics to be switched out with very high efficiency, even by unskilled users if needed, with no real functional difference to the use of the prosthetic. It allows the following Augment to be added to all prosthetic :Rams Augment: Mabel Screw (15Sc) This limb may be hooked up to a Mabel Jack at any time for a (3) AP action Superior retrofittings (10Sc) The Mabel screw does not count towards the number of augments on the limb Prosthetic: Silvermoon Pickup (45Sc) TIRED of TINNITUS? Has DEAFNESS been getting you DOWN? Don’t let your EAR ENNUI get to you! With our REVOLUTIONARY NEW DEVICE, you can HEAR with all the clarity of a HARE! This prosthetic, looking something akin to a headphone with a crescent-pattern mic grill, replaces the functionality of an ear, with about the same decibel sensitivity as a normal ear with other similar sensitivities. a small mercury-filled ampule with a rudimentary sensor replacing the inner ear so the fated doesn’t suffer any ill effects This Device may have up to two augments Augment: Advanced Gyroscopes (20Sc) Do YOU want to know WHICH WAY IS UP when FLIPPING THROUGH THE AIR? These revolutionary gyroscopes can help give you the BALANCE of an ACROBAT This augment corrects the fated’s balance, and can stay stable even when thrown about. The fated gains on any grace duels used to maintain balance. If an effect would knock the fated down, they are always able to catch themselves in a favorable position, and may right themselves more swiftly, or with a (0) action during the dramatic time. If the fated would right themselves as part of a movement, they subtract two yards from the final distance. Augment: Sensitivity Slider(15 Sc) Do you WISH you could TURN DOWN THE WORLD? Are those WHIPPERSNAPPERS too loud for your BRAND NEW EAR? Or do you want to hear a MOUSE BREATHING from ACROSS the ROOM? Either extreme is available to you! The fated may turn the decibel sensitivity of their new ear up or down greatly. If the device is turned down, the fated may choose to ignore any ambient noise, especially if would cause loss of concentration. In addition, while the fated is close to deaf, they cannot be Deafened by a particularly loud noise. If the fated turns the slider up, while even modest conversation nearby can become deafening, the fated can hear sounds as if they were up to a quarter of the distance away, and gain for any duels taken to notice sounds that would be otherwise obscured. Augment: Transceiver (25Sc) UNION MEMBER! Do you want UP TO THE SECOND news on CONDITIONS? How about ADVANCED WARNINGS of POSSIBLE COLLAPSES! Maybe you could even LISTEN to a RELAXING TUNE ON SHIFT? See your closest STEAMFITTER for details! This augment is what it says on the tin, a specialized Aethervox transceiver that feeds directly into the artificial ear. The transceiver is pre-set to union radio, but may be adjusted and deactivated non-invasively. Due to the average size of the equipment, this augment takes up two slots. Newer AND Shinier (10Sc) The augment now only takes up one slot. Augment: Launch Coil (50Sc) GET WHERE YOU NEED TO BE! With our new, Innovative TORSION-CONTROL COILS, you can OUTRUN a CHEETAH on MASSIVE DOSES of AMPHETAMINES During the dramatic time, the fated may activate their launch coil until the end of the round. If they do, the fated may push 2 yards in any direction after each walk action, and add an additional 4 yards of movement to their charge range. This Augment takes up two slots Paired equipment (20Sc+Special) The fated may only take this modification if both legs have the Launch coil augment. The Fated may push 3 yards after each move action, and may instead add 6 yards to their charge range Combat integration (15Sc, Requires Combat Ready Limb augmentation) Attacks made with this limb deal +1 damage while the launch coil is active, and may also take a walk action as a (0) action Leaping Piston (25Sc) The fated may activate the Launch coils an additional time before they must be recharged. When the fated Jumps, they may expend a use of the coils to jump up a number of yards up to double their movement. This jump may be vertical or in an arc, and ignores all impeding terrain if taken during a charge Prosthetic: Steamborg Re-Trunking (90sc) [Powered] YOU seem to be DEEPLY TROUBLED, and probably require URGENT CARE, preferably PSYCHOLOGICAL in nature. HOWEVER, you have sought a LIMBFITTER for this issue, and the answer is YES! He can in fact REPLACE your LOWER BODY with the GIANT METAL DEMON CRAB you’ve always wanted! This prosthetic completely replaces the pelvis and below of the fated , giving them a quadrupedal stride that takes a good amount of time to become accustomed to, after which the fated ignores all penalties for moving through severe terrain, and gains +20 pounds of carrying capacity. This new part of the body allows seven augments. Augment: Integrated Boiler (30Sc) Put a little FIRE in your BELLY! This new integrated steam system allows GREATER FLEXIBILITY in your AUGMENTATION OPTIONS A slightly more compact version of the steam boiler normally worn on the back to power large pneumatic rigs, this is simply build into the prosthetic in question, disallowing it from powering any other limb, but providing more than enough for it to operate as a self-contained unit. This limb counts as being hooked up to a boiler for the [Powered] trait Executioner Integration (10 Sc) The fated’s machine talon attacks gain the following trigger :rams Burning demise: After damaging, the target gains Burning+1 for each :rams in the final duel total Brace Integration (10 Sc) The fated may take the defensive stance action for (0), and without discarding any cards, and their carrying capacity is improved by another 20 pound Steamborg Integration (10 Sc) The fated Gains an additional AP at the start of each turn, which may only be spent on move actions And that’s a wrap! It’s been one hell of a year, and I’m excited for yet another awesome year of Malifaux, TTB, and whatever else Wyrd decides to throw at us (I am incredibly psyched for the other side) And as always…

It's amazing that you realize it, because that's almost the singular "newbie" mistake new GMs make

Hey! as a long time GM, I hope I can give some good advice for a fun system! 1] What general tips or tricks are there to building a self written adventure? Generally, the one tip I give to new GMs is to think of the story as a skeleton, with key points, and allowing the players to fill in the rest! I've always described RPGs in general as colaberative world-building and storytelling to people who aren't into the hobby. think of it this way: you, as the GM, are the plot, and your players are the characters. give them tips, and do your best to help guide them, but also try your best not to force them into the direction you'd want them to go, drop a few hints in the right direction, and they're sure to find it! the other great thing in TTB is that the character's destiny is built right in, so my suggestion would be to think of where your characters are, think of a direction you'd want them to go, and use a part of a character's reading as either a plot twist, or a subtle nod over the course of the session. ultimately, the greatest skill a DM, GM, FM, or Storyteller (or gods help you MM) is to be able to think on the fly, even when it comes to pre-built adventures. let your characters run wild, build the world up a bit, and the story lines practically produce themselves! 2] How many times can a person cast a spell? Are there a limit of spells per day like other RPGs? As said above, there's no limit of number, generally the target number is the thing limiting a spell (so as a word of warning, gear that reduces TNs is generally extremely powerful) 3] How do you deal with or create manifested powers? I beleive there's a guide in Into the Steam, otherwise, I say look at the miniatures game! they're based in the same engine, so they translate very well between systems. a fast chracter might get something like Wander the Earth, while an almost unstoppable brick of a human being might gain juggernaut. really, talk to your players about what they want to do, and think of what kind of powers might represent the direction they'd want to go in. past that, making a manifested power for a player can be a collaborative effort 4] At the prologue, how do you handle the "leveling up" process? I know you can pick skills for people to level up or get, but how is that done? Is there any formula you guys use to determine this? generally, it's based on an action that they perform over the course of the session. just keep in mind the things that happen, and you can probably come up with three things. my favorite trick is offering two they're built into and one "wing nut" skill, because the pursuit more often than not lets them pick a skill they'd want. For example, In a session defended himself from a neverborn attack with his trusty rail hammer, so that could give him an option for heavy melee. he later ended up staring a a whispering madness down, so he could get a point in centering. finally, he did end up ducking into a breeding pen while hiding from the eldrich abomination that chased the neverborn there, so he could always take that very first point in husbandry... 5] When using the one-offs [Penny Dreadfuls] without the pregenterated characters [whether they are provided or not] how do you handle leveling up and progression? As you would with any other session! they're basically meant to be sessions that are pre-written for your convenience. if you want to write your own sessions afterwards, pay attention to the general structure and pacing, and you can learn how to control them in your own sessions! 6] I know each session needs to focused towards advancing or defining a Fated's fate[destiny]. How do you go about this? There are two approaches, one is to have a small sheet with each of the fated's destiny written down, and if they end up coming to a point where you could see an easy hook for a step, at that point, you could use that minor twist to change the directions so that fated has to make some form of crucial action the other would be planning it beforehand, and altering the theme of the session after the destiny step, making cryptic nods to it. 7] Is initiative flips for dynamic events [combat] used from the central fate deck? Yep 8] How do you go about setting a target number? The FM guide is a lifesaver, but you'll find over time that as you watch how often certain characters succeed and fail with certain numbers, you can easily start to tweak them yourself 9] I've read over the section several times, but I"m still having trouble understanding Margins of Success/Margins of Failure. Any easier way to understand it? Brewmaster got this one perfectly Otherwise, my one tip, try to get inside the head of the NPCs, because if you're trying to think like them, the players will be able to respond in turn, and everyone will be more immersed. otherwise, here's to a long, successful TTB campaign!

I'd love to see this happen, currently the last thing I wrote out a TtB character sheet in was... Microsoft word. all the formatting was manual. it was a /s

Part 3: In which the Bad Ideas haven't stopped yet Thank to anyone who checked out the thread! any questions, clarifications, comment, don't be afraid to post! Also, for anyone interested in reading it, the story for Cumulonimbus is up in Robots, which is also going to be the destination of my next post. until next time!