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Giant Robot Fists, for Non-Robots


Sunspotter

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  • 7 months later...

 

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.

 


If you’re sensitive to subjects involving gender dysphoria and transition, or Cannibalistic implications, but still want to use the augment, you can Ctrl+F !?! and it’ll take you straight to the Grave of December augment. The writeup of the augmentation itself contains neither, and you should feel free to refluff it if you would rather not breach the topic of the CoD in your game.

Dani, the character in the story, is trans. If you’re wondering why the hell I’d put the subject of the cult of december in such close proximity to this, the biggest thing that stuck in my head after reading more about the cult’s tenuous history of gender-based power struggles, was just what would happen if someone who didn’t fit the standard mould would feel december’s call.

Under no circumstances should it be assumed that I’m trying to conflate the two different forms of identity issues presented, rather they’re intended for direct contrast. Someone coming to fully accept their gender identity, and that it should hopefully be accepted by those around them, is a very positive process. That being said, I’ve been told it’s much like greif, in which denial may become a factor. Self-acceptance should never be conditional. I want to make it clear that Dani’s identity has always been her own, while the touch of december is something clearly forced upon her.

Also, Rasputina’s response should hopefully be understood in the context that she would also understand what it’s like to be something outside of a system eager to reject, that she would accept Dani’s identity once she fully understood it, perhaps to the point that she’d wish to help in what ways she can. That acceptance doesn’t make the acts the cult commits any less abhorrent, but just like good people can do bad things, bad people can have some good in them too.

Also, with fully realized shapeshifting magic being a thing in setting, I don’t believe it’s too much of a stretch for someone like Dr. Mueller to exist.

TL;DR: Acceptance good, eating people bad.

 

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

 

!?!

:tome:tome 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 :tome 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 :+fate 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)

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  • 1 year later...

4k veiws... Good god.

so uh... I'm not dead, I've just been writing a lot. like, a lot a lot. like, hundreds of thousands of words across various projects, including something that'll hopefully impress some people who may or may not see this post. I have things in the works. I don't have the 2e core book, because unfortunately, my art bag with the splats has gone missing, again, and i was hoping to get it back before making the investment. I'm still waiting on ToS with bated breath. There will be an actual post to justify this post of me gawking in short order.

TL;DR:

http://alexanderlozada.com/iasip/?IlNvb24oVE0pIg==

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  • 9 months later...

So… uh… the intro to this post had to be scrapped.

It had to go, it was written when I started this, originally an anniversary post meant to commemorate the second anniversary of this thread.it’s approximately… *checks watch* way the hell too late for that.I’ve been an absentee, for sure, but I still care about this place. Still care a hell of a lot about Wyrd, and it’s awesome games. Still psyched about the other side, even if I don’t have the money to fulwfil all my abyssinian dreams (to the surprise of nobody who reads this thread). Still wanna try for a dev position at the big W, but still have competition anxiety. And yes, to anyone who’s wondering, I’m totally buying Above the law. Here’s to hoping for some new guild constructs!

This time though, I’m not sparing you the sap. You guys are awesome. You guys are (apparently, by the slow rise of this thread’s view count) still using this stuff. I want to give you more content as best I can, and be the kind of homebrewer who deserves this kind of attention. Thank you mason and the whole TTB team for making this system, and producing awesome supplements. Thank you to every single person who’s even considered using this content. Thank you. All of you. Especially you reading this. Keep being awesome.

And now, it’s time for a catalogue post.

 

:tomeAugment: Piledriver (60 Sc)
Have you ever wanted to SPLIT A ROCK IN TWAIN? How about HAMMER A NAIL IN A SINGLE DRIVE? Have you ever wanted to PUNCH someone in the FACE, only to have it EXPLODE like a RIPE WATERMELON??? Have we got the solution for YOU!!

The affixed gains a Piledriver, a hydraulic tool meant to apply a massive amount of force in an instant. For exactly what purpose is irrelevant, as weaponized or not, the tool can be used to destroy just about anything.

This Augment is Pneumatic. When activated, the piledriver applies an impossibly large amount of force, extending the pile out one yard. It is only stopped if it takes more effort to move the fated back than continue to push through the material. If the material does not give way, the fated flips over the top card of their fate deck, and is knocked that many yards back.

As an attack, the Piledriver gains all benefits and triggers to Pugilism or Martial arts  the fated has.

Piledriver (pugilism or pneumatics,+2 vs. Defense)
The fated deals 4/6/8 damage, which cannot be prevented by any means but soulstones.

:new-Pulse: Firelock system (+40 Sc)
The Piledriver’s Pneumatics system is replaced with a chambered, powder based system. If this is used, then this system can no longer gain benefits based on pneumatics, and instead has a Three-chambered Revolver-Style cylinder.  The piledriver now takes a (1) action to reset after each firing, and a (3) tactical action to reload the cylinder. The cartridges cost 3SS a piece, and can almost always be purchased at the same limbfitter the original augment was obtained from.

:new-Pulse:Head Splitter (+20 Sc)
we knew what it was for. Get knockin’
 

The chisel of the pile driver is recut, specialized to cut through flesh, but mostly bone. All critical effects generated by this weapon are raised by one category, and all delivered to the head are severe. If the target dies, all enemies in line of sight must pass a TN12 horror check


:maskAugment: Corrective Gyroscopes (45 Sc)
Always wanted to WALK A TIGHTROPE? How about leap ROOFTOP TO ROOFTOP with the greatest of ease? Want an INSTANT CURE FOR VERTIGO? ALWAYS know which way is down with our inovative tech!

A pair of corrective gyroscopes are installed in a limb, most often in the legs though the placement is irrelevant. These gyroscopes are far more precise than the inner ear, allowing the fated to always know what way down is. In addition, whenever the fated succeeds on a Grace-based flip outside of combat, they gain :+fate to the next grace-based flip.

:new-Pulse: Combat Integration (+25 Sc)
The fated :+fate to the first grace-based check during combat

 

:tomeAugment: Bladed Legs (55 Sc)
MAKE AN IMPACT! It can’t be stated enough how much poise is valued in the world of HIGH SOCIETY, and how better to prove your GRACE than to walk upon pinpoints that could make a BALLERINA JEALOUS?

This augment requries a grace of 2 or higher to install, or the fated will be unable to control their movement. The fated can climb incredibly steep slopes and wall run for 5xgrace in yards without requiring a grace check. Martial arts attacks made by the fated deal damage on disengaging strikes.

:new-Pulse: Dancer’s Skiens (+10 Sc)
Attacks by the fated gain the following trigger
:mask Pirouette: after damaging, the fated may push 2 yards

:new-Pulse: Combat Integration (+25 Sc)
The first martial arts attack by the fated each turn gains + :mask


:tomeAgument: Drag Line (40 Sc)
NEVER LET GO UNTIL YOU WANT TO! Using the latest in ELECTRICAL TELEMERY, we can allow your limb to MIRACULOUSLY EXTEND, and WONDROUSLY RETRACT!

This augment allows the fated to extend and retract a limb, often an arm, up to five yards, and can carry the weight of the augmented. The limb remains articulated while extended, and remains as dextrous as normal.

:new-Pulse: Combat integration (+20 Sc)
The fated gains :+flip on grapple checks

:tomeAugment: Sponsons (25 Sc+ Special)
Never fear FULL HANDS! With the right tools, you can have whatever tools you need RIGHT AT YOUR SIDE!

A location on the fated gains either a tool or weapon that functions without the need for direct interaction. It is controlled as if it was another limb, sometimes articulated, though with a very limited range of motion if it has any. The cost of the item is integrated into the cost of the sponson.
 

:tome:tomeAugment: Scorpius [powered] (+100 Sc)

A hundred madmen must have come up with the concept at differing points, so I suppose Mr C’s design makes him no different in that regard outside of his usual flawless execution… hell, with him askin’ about that chironian buisness, i suspect it may have driven him a bit mad too. Just know that I expect you to train with it. I’m not going to have a trail of idiots leading back to me, pinned to the walls of the quarantine zone with severe head trauma.

This augment is a Single-purpose device, A pneumatic launch and retract system with a bladed end designed to bite into it’s target, and heavy bracings to the surrounding body to compensate for the shock of the sudden movement. Originally designed for the augmentation of mobility, it has proven strikingly efficient in combat given it’s design.

This augment takes up two slots.

The fated gains the following actions:

1: Scorpius Sting (Pneumatics or Small Arms) Range: 3 Yards :melee  or 12 yards :ranged
The target takes 3/4/5 damage, and after succeeding, the fated may either pull into base contact with the target, or pull the contact into base contact with them. The fated may only take the Scorpius Sting action once per turn

 

2: Scorpius Flight Range: 20 yards

The fated targets a point within range, and fires the scorpius to penetrate. Once it does, the target may either choose to snap back and retract the blade back to their arm, or bring their arm to the blade, pulling them along for the ride.if properly fired, the fated may also swing from that point.

 

:new-Pulse: Re-enforced Pneumatics (+30 Sc)

The Fated may take the Scorpius flight action as a 1 action, and may take the action while airborne after a TN13 grace check

 

:new-Pulse: Smash Gear (+20 Sc)

When the Scorpius sting action misses, the fated may make a second attack flip. If the second attack succeeds, the target becomes prone.

:new-Pulse: Jade lotus alteration (+70 Sc)

The fated gains the following trigger on the Scorpius sting action

:ram:mask :Flying Lotus technique: after damaging The fated may take a charge action against the target of the attack.

(with integrated boiler)

:new-Pulse: Scorpius Integration (+80 Sc)

the scorpius sting action may be taken up to twice per turn, and may be fired at it’s full range while in close combat, which doesn’t trigger disengaging strikes.

 



:crow:crowProstesis: Extra limb (Special, Doubled)
It’s CLEAR you WEREN’T SATISFIED with the GIANT METAL DEMON CRAB, and that your limb count was INSUFFICIENT! We still don’t know how HOFFMAN hasn’t HUNTED YOU DOWN yet, but until then, how about EVEN MORE LIMBS TO FIT??

This is not one singular prosthesis, but covers a wide range of options available to potential fated. At any given point, a prosthesis can technically be grafted on, even to another prosthesis, but the recovery time is immense, as the patient has to deal with an entirely new part of their body.

While common thought is the addition of an additional arm, grafted in proximity to the shoulder, truth be told an excess graft can be added anywhere. After installation, the prostesis may be augmented as normal, according to it’s typing. (for example, no more than two augments may be added to a partial limb extending from the elbow)

Both the pricing, and the recovery time for what the normal augmentation would be are doubled.


And that's a wrap! Because i'm going to try being intelligent this time around, i'm not making any promises about when the next post in Wierdos is going to be. hopefully the time table is within a month, but well... as can be seen above, this was supposed to be out 8 months ago. I also think i've got another thread wrangled into an idea for a theme, and if all goes well, I should also have a homebrewed PD out some time in the near future. I'd give away the themeing for the two i have in the works, but well... let's just say one is a bit more subtle than the other. Also, 3E is probably only going to accelerate the rate at which i can come up with ideas for this thread, so don't expect me to slink into the darkness anytime soon.

Though, one thing that may be coming in the future, quite specifically to this thread, is an update to the Powered system. after all, if Malifaux is willing to radically alter it's rules in certain aspects, why can't I? I find the idea of a simple Yes/no system somewhat unsatisfying, especially with how fun things can get with the right kind of resource management system in place. I've also got two more slated, one dealing with specific augment cross-references, so integration can happen with more than just the boiler, and another with unique limbs that aren't quite legendary enough to require their own story behind them (a comment that probably won't stop me from tossing 1-2 paragraph stories behind each, mind you) Want to know what happens when you get knuckle draggers with enlarged construction? How about a limb that will let you stir up some primal fear for anyone in the room who's familiar with anime? You'll just have to keep watching!

But until then:
 

Edited by Sunspotter
for some reason, the forum change decided this post was black on black
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wow, it's hard to believe that this thing already hit 5k...
 

So... part of me wants to celebrate with a double post here (of actual content mind you) but i think i might just power through another round as quickly as humanly possible.

but in the mean time: Wendsay morning (oh no it's already six AM) previews

A bit of a preiview on this thread. The Integration, Powered, and as i'm calling it, "Rare" updates. Integration will contain no new augments, and will be exclusively ways to integrate or possibly even alter (though i'm rather on the fence with the current version of the theme, it may be it's own update) existing ones, maybe along with a few of the ones from the books (unless that's a problem) It is also going to be a way to make some of the extant ones worth taking on legs, though i'm going to give this a wild guess and say you'll probably want have both legs in on the deal. One enlarged clockwork leg may end up cramping your style more than expected.

The powered update will probably see this thread's first erratas, and will probably see the integrated boiler taking up more slots. In addition, it'll probably care about power capacity, so multiple different sizes and capacities of generator/boiler/other will be on offer. this thread is basically "bling my fated" anyways, so it might also offer ways to get the integrated options without taking up extra capacity, but absolutely screwing you if the main power source is taken out. for anyone wondering with the phrasing at the beginning, yes, i am currently considering one that works on poison. no i kind of don't expect it to end well.

The rare update is going to be a bit on the longer side, and will contain 3-5 augments that are rare, but not rare enough that i can't imagine a scenario where a second couldn't be made.with a similarly high cost. they will probably end up with a short, 2-4 paragraph story for each one, if only to imagine what sort of circumstance made it happen. I'm saving the Steamborg legs one for at least a second edition of the post for the sake of my own sanity. it's publishing may or may not indicate the exact moment where i jump the shark in this thread. general talents are being considered, but may not make the cut.

Also, as i believe i specified in an earlier post, i do have a "Legendary" one of a kind augment for each elemental Immuto in the book. unless this garners a response in the meantime it'll probably hit between the Integration and Powered updates, and it'll probably be the Wind one, a set of paired legs with some wondrous properties.It may also have a shorter pursuit, since i kinda like those.

[Ninja teaser]
Strange that a harp of a thousand strings should keep in tune so long

next up in Wierdos is probably Cult of Iron, an augmentation based AP that was one of the original 3 that egged me enough to make the thread, two of which have already been published. Still, this may be pushed back for the sake of quality and whatever twisted, weird story i might be attempting to weave with these threads. the replacement would be the [devname] Powder Kegs, an Advanced pursuit that i will admit will only get a decent name an hour before it's posted to the forums. I mean come on, crazy people who worship explosives in the 1900s. the name quite honestly applies itself. Past that i've actually got a surprising number of these guys on the backburner, waiting for a bit of jiggering that will give them unique mechanical (and mason help us all perhaps even) story based properties.

[Can these even really be called ninjas if i'm pointing the out? i'd feel awful if i didn't, but i'm not exactly going to make another post and bump the thread]

Due to me being a huge stickler, Cult of Iron has been pushed back for the Truth of the Powder, possibly further due to the nature of me trying to weave a bit of an overarching story in these threads. to keep the previews rolling, i wanted to introduce the electrically gifted Thunderbolt clan somewhere between. they've been mechanically fleshed out for quite some time, but their fluff has been quite elusive to pin down until very recently.

Zombies... i'm not going to lie. a bit part of me is wondering how long i'll be working on this thread. half of me wants to just go totally zany with the designs (stuff like attaching lion heads to the end of a larger zombie's fists, or the always daisuki-able tentacles) while the other half wants to get into some truly unique creations (hard enough to justify in the leitmotif of the thread, but still doable, with one in particular that i just flat out have no idea which thread it'll end up being added to. let me just tell you it nearly got it's own head at one point, but doing that would just make me feel dirty when i usually stay within my neat little containment zones) but both have led me to ponder the longevity of the thread itself. i don't want to tank my quality in the name of content, so stopping has crossed my mind, but i do at least want to get to the point where a few of the contingent characters would be getting monster profiles. at that point, it can just sit.

[totally not a ninja edit, I swear]
So because i didn't want to bump this thread for nothing, i figured i might as well edit in a bit of fun info that will at least give the thread a few more swings at it, so it probably won't drop rotation until a new thread is added after the next proposed one. I've planned out a few different updates in the planned style of the updates to the Aug thread, where everything has a generalized theme. so that means for once, Zombies gets to introduce something. The first one is going to be the "Plagued by hunger" update, which will introduce a few updates organized around a central theme (in this case, a more necromantic take on the many plagues of malifaux) along with some attachments that stitched fated may want to consider, brand new talent-styled "abberations" that reflect the changes brought on by horrible magics, and a new assistant for the wacky doctor west. Followed by that will be the Xenobiology update, full of strange creations based on the wonders of nature, (or at least what you'd consider wonders based on the perspective of a almost entirely mad scientist) followed by the Abomination and Necrosupremacy updates, which just sound like correct names with what's brewing up behind the scenes.

...]sighs deeply in homebrewer] someone reacted to the thread so i may as well mention it.

Feel free to skip this section if you don't care about my april fool's day joke from last year because i forgot how to spoiler. only sin lies past this break.

I feel almost legally obligated to mention the 3e changes in students. New masters mean new students of prominence, and changes in faction as well as certain story events should require a bit of in-AU explanation in the best semi-comedic style i can muster. I'm trying my best to hold off on actually committing it to web until 3e is actually out. I've heard some bonkers things from the forums i trawl, which make me want to hold off until things are actually at least finalized. if you make a questionable decision of the magnitude that i somehow did, sometimes it's at least worth sticking to your guns as long as it's all in the name of good fun. More on this in later in the post.

Now, onto a pretty obvious topic, done in classic thread style
http://alexanderlozada.com/iasip/?Ik9oIGdvZHMsIHdoYXQgZnJlc2ggaGVsbCBpcyBzdW5zcG90dGVyIGdvaW5nIHRvIHVubGVhc2ggb24gdXMgbmV4dD8i

Not gonna lie, I've got a few, but i haven't worked on them yet because i'm not sure which one is coming next, and if i ever actually get banned, it'll be for flooding this forum with new threads. the only time one will drop is at the end of a new rotation (which, i will assuage some fears and point out will almost definitely never include Students) so that;ll be a floodgate, along with the sheer workload of writing that much varied content.

That being said, the next one is definitely coming by the end of this one. So it'll be Wierdos, Zombies, New Thread, and then back here for some fresh madness which i can guarantee will probably be the integration one. as to what that new thread is?

First off has been one i've mentioned in what i think is another thread, Which would be items that would either require pursuit steps or talents to reach their full potential. for the longest time i figured this would be the guaranteed #4 slot, but recent thought has led me to consider this may even be a while off unless it's requested. to be fair, Unique Magic Sword is the sort of thing i could actually say the Big W could easily get to before me, and that would mean it would have art... A thing I can't provide (well)

Another more recent one would be a story of intrigue, of characters that on their own, could probably inspire a mutli-session quest line to solve whatever issue they might be facing, or to bring them down if they happen to be a threat. the big reason i'd want this to be it's own thread would be that it would include full stat profiles for anyone mentioned, along with a story to set up just who they could be in the world of Malifaux. (expect a fair mix of reference, cameo, and originality with every release, possibly one of each)

And the final one would be a bit of an interesting one compared to the structure of my other threads, a bit of a fusion of the above mentioned one, and a cross-breed from weirdos. this would be a bestiary listing of smaller, obscure factions that wouldn't make it into the limelight of malifaux, but would constitute the sorts of fireside stories the fated would tell one another. This would also be the theme/framing device for the Lore provided.. it could possibly also include previous Weirdos entries, but in this case, you'd be Squaring up instead of Joining up. That being said, the inaugural would almost definitely be the Cult of Yore, with Moons and Clan Glint-Eye following close behind.

And now, for the most nuclear takes of all. There's going to be a Fan PD.

As to what, I haven't quite decided yet. each one has a theme based somewhere in a reference, though the obviousness of that reference will vary from "oh god FNaF ended already, We know. Robots powered by child souls and surrounded by treacherous intrigue practically screams Malifaux, but please stop beating the dead horse animatronic. chuck-e-cheese terrified you as a child we get it" to "Wait, this is based in something outside malifaux?" one of the latter category is the furthest along in development, and some dark part of my soul is already contemplating adding in a few "sidebar" entries for how to convert it into the world of Students. this was in consideration that the discordance of the reference made me want to drop it on April Fools, but certain... *ahem* recent developments have changed that.. That was also an incredibly inept transition to mention that I'm also toying with making one specifically for Students. I'd say it wouldn't be a reference, but to say that whole World building-based shitpost thread wasn't one big love letter to animes with crazy school councils (okay, and a little bit of Fillmore!) would be lying to both myself and anyone reading this.Something's going to make it's way here, and i hope someone gets the chance to genuinely enjoy it.


Now hopefully i drop some content here before we hit 6k.


but seriously, thank you. for the views, the readership, the reactions, to anyone who uses my work in their games, and to anyone taking time out of their day, especially if you got here. Thank you for the great times. Thank you for 5K. Thank you for 136 pages on Gdocs. thank you for 54,649 words (not counting my non-content posts). and really, with emphasis this time i sign off with my Sig. For real, you beautiful people;
 

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