IC hereThis game is a slightly modified version of 5e. It wasn’t going to be a dnd version at all, but it has a better system than I’d likely come up with on my own.
Some lore can be found
here and
here.
This game is low magic, in a sense. Magic the players can access is based on the Words, the words that were spoken to create the world. The World will not listen to you (i.e. you can’t use magic) without using a Primordial totem. You, as beings that are no longer innately magical, can’t power it either, and must use magic fuel such as Primordial bone-marrow dust to power it.
You’re restricted to classes and specialisations that don’t have DnD magic, but you also all know magic. How does that work? The number of Words you know at the beginning of the game is your int bonus, and int will help you learn new Words. Wis will help you get those words right when you write them. Better materials will also help you out.
Make sheets on mythweavers, Words known will be told after you’re accepted. Level 3. Races... I think all humans, unless you can give a good argument why not or suggest some kind of conversion. Certainly there's no immortal elves running around.
Standard point buy, or I will roll for you if you're feeling brave.
Arquebus: 20gp, 1d10 piercing, ammunition (range 40/ 160), loading, heavy, two-handed
Musket: 40gp, 1d12 piercing, (range 40/160), loading, heavy, two-handed
Rifle: 120gp, 1d12 piercing, (range 200/ 800), loading, special, heavy, two-handed
Bayonet: 8gp, 1d6 slashing, light, finesse, can be attached to firearms
Pistol-musket: 40gp, 1d10 piercing, (range 20/ 80), loading
If loose powder and shot are used to reload firearms, an action must be taken to reload them. If catridges are used, they count as merely Loading.
Rifles can be reloaded quickly or slowly. If reloaded quickly, they count as a musket. If slowly, they take an additional action to show the increased time taken to wrap the bullet, but gain advantage on the next shot.
Powder: 1gp for a flask with 10 shots of powder in it.
Fine powder: this particularly fine powder is 20gp for a single shot, but grants advantage on the next shot.
Shot: solid lead balls. 1gp for 10.
Small shot: see above, but smaller, for handguns. 1gp for 10.
Cartridges: powder and shot in a paper cartridge that can just be rammed into the barrel. 20gp for 10.
Crossbows and bows are much rarer now, with the advent of firearms.
Where you would have a light crossbow, you may instead have an arquebus, and heavy crossbow a musket. Similar for shortbows and longbows. While you may still take these weapons, the ammunition for them is sure to be much rarer, and thus more expensive to obtain. The cost to buy the weapons is doubled, to reflect their rarity. This is the age of gunpowder.
Muskets and arquebuses are simple weapons, with rifles and repeaters martial weapons.
Armour: this is a civilised age, and with the power of firearms, few wear armour. You can wear a full suit of mail, but it’ll get you odd looks, and might draw the attention of the Church: similarly with large weapons such as lances and glaives.
You may want to equip yourselves as you feel the situation demands: if you're expecting a fight, armour might suit you nicely, or if you want to pass as a Ducal guard or Churchman.
The rough era you can use to ballpark technology is around 1800-1820 Britain.
The City:
Sleangate is a city in two. The Island portion is, well, on an island, ringed by the old city walls. Access to the Rich District can be by boat, the Tall Bridge, or the modern Swing Bridge. The University Ward can be crossed into via the Tall Bridge. Generally, the Island Wards are more much opulent, with less crime, more guards, and more Church general presence.
The Holy Ward: This houses the Cathedral-Fortress of the Church. Expect to see a lot of bronze, gold, and tall, spiky, and very sturdy architecture. Houses Churchmen, their blessed beings, and particularly devout souls and businesses. The old city walls mean the only entrances to this Ward are through gates in the University Ward.
The University Ward: this houses Sleangate University, and many academically inclined businesses, buildings, and researchers. The Medical Department has also set up a hospital here. It has the Tall Bridge to the X Ward. The old city walls mean the only entrances to this Ward are through gates, through the Holy Ward, across Sarham’s Bridge, or from the Rich District.
The Ducal Palace: The Duke of Sleangate is not a man interested in his city’s affairs. As long as things continue to run and he gets his taxes, he is happy to keep hands-off, something that has contributed to the city’s growth.
The Rich District: This is the home for the rich and powerful. Beware, for the Ducal guards keep a strong
watch here, and the Church itself has shown appreciation for its donors by stationing Churchmen here.
The Landside city is much larger, and much of it is of little interest in particular. Notable locations include:
The Factory Ward: In the northern side of the city, close to the Kraken Ward and with a dozen railway lines leading out the city to the north. This hosts the huge factories that process the ore and churn out thousands of swords, guns, machine parts, and a recent invention of canned food. It also hosts the countless, pale-skinned workers who man the whirring machines.
The Kraken Ward: this is connected to the University Ward via Sarham’s bridge. Here the processing of the Krakens takes place, into oil, meat, and ivory. The workers live here, along with many sailors who don’t live on the Docks themselves. Aliz Tannerson has a home here, where she studied the unusual properties of Kraken-oil.
The Docks: The great docks, where the Kraken-ships bring in their vast prey. The home of sailors, whores, and dockworkers, it’s a rough and ready place. A good place for a drink… and a barfight. Connected to the Rich District through the Tall Bridge and the Swing Bridge, which allows ships to pass - one through height, the other through clever machinery and a pivot.
The Slums: Entering here is a good way to die: desperately poor and violent souls reside here in great numbers. Even the monsters lurking in the dark haven’t overly quietened the Slums at night. Go armed and carefully.
The Sealed Ward: A ward containing by the old city walls. When a terrible plague struck Sleangate in the past, the gates to this Ward were barred so the plague could not escape. Sixty years, and nothing human still lives in the Sealed Ward, yet the gates were never reopened. Perhaps they fear the plague lurks still in the mouldering bones of the deceased.
Tarnolk Cathedral: The primary base of the Church in the Landside city, it is much more Cathedral than fortress, but thick walls are thick walls…
The Market Wards: If you want it, it can probably be found here, but be careful not to stray into the Slums.
The Church:
The Church is the undisputed religion among the civilised world. It worships the seventeenth God, who alone decided to save humanity from their foolishness. As a consequence, it has a great deal of wealth and power.
The Church is the only source of Church magic: this is obtained by ritual self-sacrifice: inflicting pain on oneself up to loss of entire body parts. It’s mostly to do with the manipulation of bronze, which is the sacred metal of the seventeenth God.
As the Gods are above even the Words, the language of creation, they have no names that humans or even Primordials could say, and so are referred to by number. If someone just says “God”, they are almost certainly referring to the seventeenth, who, by removing innate magic from humans, prevented the end of the world.
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Topic: Blessed Bronze: 5e-ish pbp game 3/4 OOC - It has begun (Read 9283 times)