Demon Team: Design Phase T1TURNTURNTURNBootlegger's Bounty: Bootlegger's Bounty is a smooth liquor with a malty, smoky, lightly citrusy flavor. It comes in rectangular black glass bottles no bigger than a flask and has a small, vibrant red card connected to a red and gold string wrapped around it's neck. The liquor itself is actually a brew concocted by our alchemists and acolytes infused with some essence of Evil, a hint of corruption, and happens to be extremely flammable when struck by magic. On the outside of the little envelope are the words "Bootlegger's Brew" in black ink. On the inside of the envelope is a series of demonic runes meant to impose a gnawing desire to satisfy one's, well, desires. Bootlegger's Brew is priced for the working man, but it's availability is purposefully restricted to create a false sense of rarity in the brew that will hopefully lead to it being more sought after and something one opened with friends as opposed to downing it alone. Although there's no problem with that either.
Bootlegger's Bounty: Easy: (4+3)+1=8: Unexpected Boon
Let's get the bad news out of the way first. Several of your cultists died of massive alcohol overdoses after they broke into the warehouse storing bottles of Bootlegger's and managed to drink half the stockpile before falling into a coma. However, there are always more where they came from, especially with the new "Bootlegger Club" bringing in members.
Yes, when you told the Draughtsmiths to develop a liquor that humans would enjoy, they may have gone a bit over the top. Bootlegger's Bounty is, at its base, a passable alcoholic beverage. Not bad for the work of amateur distillers, but certainly no masterpiece. However, the intrepid Draughtsmiths said to themselves "Well, if we can't make the liquor enjoyable to everyone, how about we make everyone enjoy the liquor instead?", and subsequently developed a fast-acting, low-energy, almost imperceptible mutagen that rewires the imbiber's brain to think that the taste of Bootlegger's is like ambrosia from the gods. The first shot of Bootlegger's has a mediocre taste, but within seconds the aftertaste compels a second shot, then a third, and a fourth and fifth until it's sunrise, you're lying face-down in the mud, you've lost your trousers, and you cannot wait for your next chance to taste a drop of Bootlegger's.
At this point, adding the corrupting aspect seemed almost unnecessary- the desire for Bootlegger's alone would surely drive humans to drastic action in pursuit of another taste. But the Draughtsmiths did not rest on their laurels, and managed to infuse Bootlegger's with Evil that is perfectly tuned to corrupt the mind of the consumer, but in an almost imperceptibly gradual fashion, such that even someone who only drinks it once will grow gradually more Evil over the next month (drinking it more intensifies the process).
It will also, as requested, catch fire if exposed to a burst of magic. You aren't entirely sure how much intense the magic has to be to trigger the effect. Some testing with Acolytes throwing magic missiles at bottles of Bootlegger's show that a low-power missile will not trigger it (merely knocking the bottle over), but that requires a deliberate decrease in intensity. Unfortunately, the effect is quickly diminished upon consumption- while someone struck by a magic missile within a few minutes of downing a bottle does suffer from some
hilarious injuries, within about half an hour there is no reaction.
Your cultists have already secured ways of selling Bootlegger's on an informal, under the radar sort of way. This will provide a welcome source of income, but that's not all. Some Bootlegger's addicts are so hopelessly enamoured with the stuff that to get more they will do
literally anything. Signing their souls away to a Demon being among the less radical actions. Your missionaries have made a point of approaching these people and inviting them to the "Bootlegger Club", promising them more booze in exchange for joining a few brainwashing sessions. Trial runs have already proven remarkably successful, especially when combined with artificial Bootlegger's shortages, which you can of course induce at will.
Bootlegger's Bounty is remarkably easy to produce, and with some of the income from sales directed to the construction and upkeep of a dedicated distillery, it can be considered
Common. The
Bootlegger Club will automatically augment proselytising missions, and may be considered an
Uncommon recruitment tactic (not everyone has the poor impulse control necessary to become a BC member).
Mutagenic Mist
The mutagenic mist is an aerosolised, more potent form of the CMD. It is spread in battle by acolytes who carry tanks of the evil infused academical liquid and use their magic to disperse the mist across the battlefield. The effects are still largely random with a few exceptions; noticeable mutations are far more common, the effects manifest quickly and the victim is inflicted with extreme aggression. This last trait is where all our effort went. This more stable mutation drives the victim to kill, often mindlessly. Our cultists embrace this willingly. It is a state of pure desire and release for them. The summation of their faith and it is their eagerly awaited reward. But this mist doesn't just effect our cultists it effects enemy forces and the local wildlife, turning an ordered battlefield into an orgy of murder and insanity.
Mutagenic Mist: Normal: (2+2)=4: Below Average
Modifying CMD itself in any reliable fashion soon proved impractical- it has no consistent structure to modify. However, the Draughtsmiths were able combine it with a second, more deliberately concocted substance, that induces the effects you were looking for; namely an increased susceptibility to mutation, and heightened aggression. Unfortunately, the effects are only temporary, as the increased-susceptibility aspect is achieved by a quick assault on the body's natural form-memory, weakening it for a period- but also preventing other mutation effects from altering it, meaning that when the effect wears off, the body 'remembers' its previous state and will revert back. Effectively, this means that after a battle, survivors will be back to normal.
Aerosolising the combined concoction required a bit of tinkering, but with magic on their side, the Draughtsmiths were able to make the liquid easily dispersible through the air, which combined with a simple pump lets users spray clouds of the stuff onto the battlefield. Unfortunately, using magic to disperse the mist would've required more development time; the pump was the best your cultists could put together, which does render the clouds a bit anemic. It does mean use is not confined to Acolytes, though.
Testing shows that the concentration of the mutagenic compound drops off quickly as the mist dissipates, rendering the effective range of Mutamist Sprayers a few meters at most, and dependent on wind conditions. More effective dispersal methods would allow for higher concentrations and greater projection, improving the range.
Mutamist Sprayers are provided with a cloth to tie over their face, to slightly mitigate the effects of their own mist on themselves, but this is not especially effective- a minute or two of spraying is the most they can manage before dropping the equipment and charging into the fray.
Mutamist Sprayers will make a more chaotic place of the battlefield, to be sure, although perhaps not as effectively as you hoped, given their short range and auto-susceptibility. They are
Uncommon, with a small unit size (and will typically divide themselves further to cover more ground).
It is now the Revision Phase. You have two revisions.
Magoc: The diabolical leader of your faction, a being of immense power. There is very little they cannot do. Needless to say, they are Unique. Their Power is currently 20.
Mundane Units:
Armed Cultists: Being equipped with only a rusty dagger, a spear, and a wooden shield, combined with their lack of training, mean these are not elite warriors- they'd lose a one-on-one fight with a real soldier-, but they're cheap and plentiful. Like regular cultists, their dedication makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. Common
Cultist Archers: Cultists who have some experience with a bow are valuable assets in combat, harassing the enemy from a distance. They aren't sharpshooters, and their bows are designed for hunting, not piercing armour, but they're better than nothing. Like regular cultists, their dedication makes them more resilient mentally than civilians. Uncommon
Mutamist Sprayers: Cultists carrying a tank of mutagenic liquid on their backs, connected by hose to a pump-and-nozzle contraption that sprays the substance over the battlefield, creating clouds of mist that induce random mutations in those exposed to it, as well as vastly boosting aggression. The range is pretty anemic, though, and the effects are temporary. Uncommon
Acolytes: Cultists who have begun their exploration of the magical arts, studying under the Demon. They can cast any Common spells (unless noted otherwise). Their physical strength leaves something to be desired, but their mental fortitude is even greater than regular cultists. There are not many Acolytes in a unit. Uncommon
Teachers of Magoc: Acolytes who specialise in the use of the Language of Inception. They primarily accompany missionaries and aid in late-stage conversion with their scrolls of dark scripture. Rare
Summoned/Mutated Units:
Misfits: A small band of mutants. What kind of mutants? Who knows! Cultists who consumed CMD and spun the wheel, ending up with some sort of beneficial mutation. Not much stronger than regular cultists, but kinda freaky, so that's fun. Rare
Spells/Rituals:
Magic Missile: Known by many names, the simple technique of blasting your opponent with raw Magic/Good/Evil is a tried and true method of making things go away. Efficacy increases with caster's mental might, and decreases with the target's. Common
Magical Equipment:
Chaotic Mutagenic Draught: A random assortment of alchemical ingredients, infused with Evil, chucked together and processed into bottles of unusual liquids (usually brown, though). Consumption can have one of a wide range of effects, from nothing at all, to death, to moderately serious mutations. Used by infiltrators to cause havoc. Uncommon
Bootlegger's Bounty: An Evil-infused liquor produced by the Draughtsmiths. The taste is said to be sublime, to the point where many become addicted after a single shot. Comes in a trademark black bottle with red label, very classy. Sales are used to fund the cult's projects. Common
Infiltration Techniques:
Proselytise: Cultists go forth and spread the Evil word, finding those sympathetic to their cause and slowly winning them over. Not the fastest way of gaining converts, as baseline cultists are not expert missionaries, but it keeps the cult growing. Common
Bootlegger Club: A recruitment method specifically aimed at addicts of Bootlegger's Bounty, promising a stable supply of the liquor to reel in new members. Very effective. Uncommon
Language of Inception Graffiti: Demonic runes, drawn in blood, subconsciously impart their message onto those who view them. Painted on the walls of human settlements, they subtly steer the population towards evil. Uncommon
Infrastructure:
Draughtsmith: An eclectic laboratory where a handful of fledgling alchemists develop a variety of potions to augment and stabilise demonic mutations.
DARRIN (Combat)Rice Terraces:
0/4 |
4/4Mountain Passes:
2/4 |
2/4Dry Plains:
4/4 |
0/4LESIMOR (Influence)Scholarly Towers:
?/5 |
1/5Lawless Capital:
?/5 |
0/5Fortified Frontier:
?/5 |
0/5XA-NAM (Combat)Light Jungle:
0/4 |
4/4River Crossings:
2/4 |
2/4River Delta:
4/4 |
0/4DOLGOTH (Influence)Wartorn Wastes:
?/5 |
1/5Ostentatious Capital:
?/5 |
0/5Trade City:
?/5 |
0/5
Author
Topic: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Strategy Phase 10 (Read 42722 times)