Gears of Empire
Page 5
Drillworms- These nightmarish creatures plague the undercity of Uroborous and infest the dark and forgotten places in the industrial catacombs of Relish. There is nothing known as to their origins, though it is maintained by most that they could not have evolved on their own. Each drill worm is on average of 9 feet in length and 7 inches in diameter, with a segmented body that bears hard protrusions that seem to act as armor in addition to helping the creature move through its metal and concrete environment. The aspect of the worm that makes it such a terrifying foe is that instead of a discernible head the worm’s head is a steam driven drill. The steam comes from whatever liquids the worm is able to immerse itself in, usually sluice pools of industrial run off, or the liquid insides of its victims. Its body heat keeps the engine running, burning off the liquids it ingests to keep the drill running. These creatures are incredibly fast and aggressive, and are able to fight regardless of the light levels in the immediate area. Whether the worms are creations of science gone wrong, or the inventions of magic and alchemy, no one knows. These creatures are destroyed on sight by the Guttermarks in Uroborous and hunted mercilessly by work teams in Relish. Medium size, Hit Dice: 4d8+3, Initiative: +2 (Dex), Speed: 40ft, burrow 30ft, AC: 16 (+2 Dex, +4 Natural), Attacks: Slam +5 melee, Damage: Slam 2d6+3, Reach: 9ft by 9ft/9ft, Special Attacks: Sustained damage (if damaged last round, does 1d6+3 but cannot attack again this round), Special Qualities: tremor sense, blind fighting, Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2, Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 10, Skills: Intuit Direction +4, Jump +6, Listen +6, Terrain: any underground, Organization: Solitary, Neutral Alignment.
Grave Guards- These men and women serve the Lychking as both clerics attuned to his power and as warriors. Treat NPC Grave Guards as human clerics or multi-classed cleric/fighters with levels that make them comparable to the PCs in the campaign.
The Wormwood Races
Skaas- The skaas are the most intelligent and magically adept of the mutant races. They are very tall and lithe, long of limb and frail of constitution. They are usually between six and seven feet tall, though this height causes them to look very inhuman, because they tend to not have muscle or mass that is proportionate to their height. They tend to have fine features and pointed ears, though have dark red eyes and claw like hands that often disrupt their winnowy beauty. They excel at the magical arts though are vicious and cruel fighters when pressed. Though permanent members of society’s underbelly, they tend to have more lucrative professions and more opulent lifestyles within that underworld than do their railith or hurdu counterparts. Skaas Racial Traits: +1 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence, -2 Constitution, base speed 40ft, +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft, favored class is highest-level class possessed by character.
Railith- Blind from birth, these individuals have developed their other senses far beyond that of most other living beings. The symbol of their race tends to be the blank faceplate that most of them wear over their featureless visage. While they have no eyes or nose, they can still eat with the mouth that is located at the base of their neck, though must usually ingest a diet of liquid or nutrient rich paste. Their bodies are elongated in typical mutant fashion, of all the mutant races their physique most resembles that of a human, though with slightly longer limbs and somewhat more musculature. They excel at violence much like the hurdu, though rely upon martial training instead of instincts. Though they tend to lead lives of mercenaries, guttermarks, or thugs for some faction or merchant, they are much more intelligent that hurdu. In many ways they exist at the evolutionary midpoint between the skaas and the hurdu, because they are stronger than the skaas and smarter than the hurdu, though weaker than the hurdu and not nearly as intelligent than the skaas. Railith Racial Traits: May not make Spot checks or any other checks that rely primarily upon sight, as blindness is a racial trait. +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, base speed 25ft, +10 racial bonus on Listen, gets Blind fighting, Combat Reflexes, and Lightning Reflexes feats for free at 1st level, favored class is Fighter.
Hurdu- They are the most brutal and unpredictable of the mutant races. They have the elongated bodies typical of the mutant races, though have much more musculature and size than the skaas or railith. The typical hurdu is seven feet tall, though they have been known to stand upwards of eight and a half to nine feet. They are covered with an extra thick hide and have bony protrusions at all of their major joints, making them appear quite asymmetrical. Their heads are also particularly sloped, with a hard and thick forehead, elongated teeth and jaw, and sunken beady eyes. They are typically ill tempered and quick to fight, though they are loyal to those they call friends. While not known for their intelligence, they are capable of speech and abstract thought, which is what separates them from their more monstrous gath relatives. They have a unique racial quirk in that they are all tinkerers after a fashion, and will not fight with a weapon that they have not made themselves. Though they will make an exception when it comes to survival, they only carry weapons of their own design. Most hurdu weapons are too unwieldy for other beings to use, as they are typically large and elaborate bladed or bludgeoning weapons that are too exotic or heavy for non-hurdu users. Hurdu Racial Traits: +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, base speed 40ft, +2 racial bonus on Craft (weapon), gets (1) Exotic Weapon Proficiency for free at 1st level, favored class is Barbarian.
Prestige Classes
Guttermark- These undercity mercenaries are skilled in close quarters combat, subterranean architecture, and the brutal skill of survival in the dark sewers and underground ruins of Uroborous.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements:
Base Attack Bonus +5.
Skills: Knowledge (dungeoneering) (+2) or Profession (architect) (+2), Move Silently (+2), Survival (+2).
Feats: Blind fighting or Track
Class Skills: Climb, Concentration, Craft, Disable Device, Hide, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spot, Survival, Swim, and Use Rope
Skill Points/Level: 3 + Int Modifier
LevelBase
Attack
BonusFort
SaveRef
SaveWill
Save
1+1+2+2+0
2+1+3+3+0
3+2+3+3+1
4+3+4+4+1
5+3+4+4+1
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Guttermarks gain no additional proficiency with any weapons or armor.
Blind fighting or Track: At 1st level the guttermark gains either the Track or Blind-fighting feat, depending upon which one was previously possessed as a prerequisite for the prestige class.
Improved Stonecunning: At 3rd level the guttermark gains the Stonecunning ability possessed by dwarves (see page 15 of the Player’s Handbook), or, if the character already has the ability, then the bonus goes from +2 to +4 on checks to notice unusual stonework or undercity architecture, such as structural damage, traps, sliding walls, new construction, unsafe stone surfaces, shaky ceilings and the like. This bonus also applies on Search checks made to detect stonework traps. Again at 5th level the guttermark, if they only received the +2 bonus at 3rd level instead of the +4, now get the +4 bonus.
Conductor- These enigmatic creatures are the masters of the railways, using their technological skills, magical and pscionic prowess, and secret knowledge to further their hidden agendas and advance their plans for creating a new world.
Hit Die: d4.
Requirements:
To qualify to become a Conductor, the character must first go through the apprentice program described above, the length of this apprenticeship and whether or not it is necessary to go through this story line in-game is determined by the game master. The smoothest transition into this prestige class is for the game master to require the character to have all the experience required to purchase the prerequisites before entering the apprenticeship. This is a very powerful class, and should be difficult to attain.
Skills: Knowledge (pscionics) (
+4), Knowledge (arcana) (+4), Knowledge (train lore) (+4), Craft (train & rail making) (+4), Use Magical Device (train operation) (+4).
Spells: Able to cast 2nd-level arcane spells.
Pscionics: Able to manifest 2nd-level powers.
Class Skills:
The Conductor’s class skills are Concentration, Craft (train & rail making/repair), Decipher Script, Knowledge (pscionics), Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (train lore), Psicraft, and Spellcraft.
Skill Points/Level: 4 + Int modifier.
LevelBase
Attack BonusFort
SaveRef
SaveWill
Save
1st+0+0+0+2
2nd+1+0+0+3
3rd+1+1+1+3
4th+2+1+1+4
5th+2+1+1+4
6th+3+2+2+5
7th+3+2+2+5
8th+4+2+2+6
9th+4+3+3+6
10th+5+3+3+7
Class Features:
The Conductor character has the ability, at the discretion of the game master, to use its psychic connection to the rail system to divine secrets from the psychic emissions of the train and its passengers. This is one of the many ways in which the Conductors at times manage to stay one step ahead of global events. The character boards any train at any station, silently poses a question, and must ride the train for a full day and night. At the end of the trip the Conductor must make a Knowledge (train lore) check against a difficulty determined by the game master (the difficulty should be equal to the specificity of the question). If the character meets or exceeds the target number, the character’s question will be answered. Usually these answers come in the form of hallucinations, phantom voices quoting riddles, or dreams. While the answer received must often be pondered over before the information is clear, a successful Knowledge check will ensure that the answer will be useful and accurate. For example, Kelkis Morturi wants to know who killed the beggar whose body was found in an alley near the Lychgate station. Morturi mentally hurls the question into the psychic network that is the rail system, and boards a train outbound from Mar-Keth. After riding for a day and a night, having passed through Uroborous, Morturi steps off the train in Relish with the knowledge that Yagmar Bloat was the murderer.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Conductors gain no additional proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day/Powers Known: When a new Conductor level is attained, the character gains new spells per day as if it had also attained a level in any one arcane spell casting class. It gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if it had also gained a level in any one manifesting class. It does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of either class would have gained (bonus metamagic, metapscionic, or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). If a character has more than one arcane spell casting class or more than one manifesting class it must decide to which class it adds each level of Conductor for purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.
Items of Power
Slyphstone- This is the most valuable substance in the world. It is the physical manifestation of Wormwood’s power, believed by many to be the pure elemental form of whatever powerful substance that forms the Wormwood Star. Overexposure, which is difficult to gauge, to the material will often result in the development of stigmata at some point in a person’s life. The stone radiates potent magical energies, and is used in much of the current technology. Firearms fire concentrated rounds made from it, streetlights filled with it burn forever in the streets of most cities, clockwork zombies are animated with slivers of the stone mixed into their bodies, the trains and railways are full of the material. Deposits of the material are scattered about the expanse of the wastelands, though most of the slyphstone in circulation comes from the deep core mines of Relish. Small amounts come from Bet-Arda, but must also go to the refineries in Relish to be converted into a useable form, as the natural raw state of slyphstone is far too volatile. This is why the largest firearms available using slyphstone are pistols, as anything larger would simply explode, implode, or leak the harmful Wormwood light.
Chisel lock pistol- The chisel lock is a magical firearm that gets its name from the firing mechanism that allows it to deliver a single blast of magical energy with every shot. The gun itself is only available in pistol form, as the slyphstone ammunition is too volatile in any amount larger than that of a pistol load. The weapon has the appearance of a black powder flintlock pistol, though has two important differences. The barrel separates from the firing mechanism, like any other breach loading or break action firearm, to expose the back of the empty barrel. The user then places the ammunition into the breach. The ammunition is a tough glass vial that contains a mixture of slyphstone shavings and enchanted oil held tight in the vial by a wax-sealed piece of cork. The user then closes the barrel and pulls back the hammer when ready to fire. The hammer is like that of a flintlock, only instead of a piece of flint that strikes gunpowder, the hammer is tipped with a sharp chisel blade, which when the trigger is pulled punctures the wax and cork seal on the vial. When the seal is broken the glass vial explodes outwards, sending a blast of raw magical energy screaming down the barrel and towards the target. Unlike most spells the magical projectile will not hit its target but for the skill of the shooter. Each city has its own style of chisel lock, though all use the same sort of ammunition, most of which either comes from the armories of Relish or are made on the black market by individual alchemists and weaponsmiths. The individual vials are difficult to break accidentally, and are typically carried in special pouches or slings designed specifically to carry such ammunition, so are padded to allow the user to fight and shoot without worrying about cracking the vials. As for game mechanics, the gun functions much like a crude magical wand, though can be reloaded at the user’s leisure. It is suggested that the damage of such a firearm be 3d6 magical damage per shot, though characters and NPCs with sufficient amounts of magical and alchemical knowledge and facilities could certainly make less stable yet more damaging ammunition.
Slyphstone Lantern- Slyphstone shavings, when mixed with iron filings and water, in varying amounts, can be made into ever shining light sources. While slyphstone lanterns are expensive and uncommon, they can be purchased if one has the right contacts and a deep enough purse. The most common use for such mixtures is to create streetlights in most major cities and to provide running lights for the trains. A slyphstone lantern emits a magical light that cannot be dispelled into an area of twenty square feet, this area of light can be reduced by pulling down the metal cover on the top of the lamp to dampen the light emission from the device. Like the ammunition for the chisel locks, if the lantern is broken somehow, the slyphstone will get everywhere, and may expose those near to a dose of mutagenic energy sufficient to cause stigmata, though this will be largely up to the game master.
Conductor’s Helm (Cicatrix)- When and Initiate has earned the right to become an Conductor, that being is given what has come to be known as the Conductor’s Helm, though it’s proper name amongst the trainmen is a Cicatrix. When the Initiate places the helm upon their head, small spines immediately protrude from the helmet and bury themselves in the skull of the wearer. These contact points then begin to pump magical energy into the wearer as the Initiate begins to undergo the transformation into a full Conductor. Once this process has been completed, the Cicatrix has several functions. Not only does it act as an amplifier for the Conductors pscionic and magical abilities (which is what allows for their Class Features), but also provides the Conductor with a potent magic resistance (+3 magic resistance modifier that can stack with other items and abilities). The helm also provides the Conductor with an uncanny awareness that extends beyond its typical senses, as a result they are incredibly difficult to ambush or evade (helm gives the wearer an additional +1 Listen and +1 Spot modifier).
…And far across the Great Sea…
…Far from the light
of Wormwood…
The Floating City
This technological masterwork is known as New Mooring. It is a city that is as large as an island, dwarfing many of the cities on the mainland. Like all other such places it has its slums and bazaars as well as its mansions and garish plazas. It has two economies, one is the internal exchange of goods and services amongst the locals, the other is the external elements that are in constant orbit of this strange place. The city has its own military of sorts, made up of a skeleton crew of city guards backed by a rag-tag militia of concerned citizens. Fire is avoided through the efforts of the militia, which double as fire teams, as well the treated wood and plastered adobe that are the fire resistant building materials in the city. The city’s government consists of a monarch who is elected by a democratic counsel. There are also Guilds aplenty and work is usually easy to come by, both legal and illegal. To the outside world New Mooring is a haven for corsairs, smugglers, and outlaws. The locals feel much the same, but with an eye for profit. In addition to pirates and thieves the city is a hub for inventors and freethinkers, for there are no sanctions against magic or tinkering. It is a place where anything can be discovered or bought. It is the mote in the eye of the world and most of the world’s adventures and conspiracies lead to or originate from this place.