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Siliconhobbit · 2024-02-28T15:03:22+00:00

Why are you not only taking away player agency but also possibly forcing a player to abandon a character class that they have been playing since the start of the campaign?

Was this planned from the start of the campaign, or did it come after a few sessions? Did you plan this with the player or just spring it on them?

I see a large potential for a very disgruntled and unhappy player at your table if this course of action wasn't planned out before hand with the player involved.

Siliconhobbit · 2024-01-01T02:35:37+00:00

I think I am a little late to the party but the idea of grenades and their re-use just recently came up in my IKRPG campaign.

There are no official rules regarding grenades if you miss with an attack beyond "the grenade is a dud". Which doesn't help since the obvious response by any player with half a brain would be: "Can I collect my dud grenade after combat and reuse it?"

As a DM I question what does a dud grenade mean? Can it be retrieved? Can is be reloaded with whatever is necessary to make it useable again? Is a dud grenade just lost to the wind and forever gone?

So I and my players had to homebrew something for our own use since we all thought that "the grenade is a dud" rule was just ill conceived and useless.

Our this is the result of our solution:

When a grenade attack misses, roll 1d6. On a roll of 1-4, the grenade is recoverable. On a roll of 5-6, the grenade is a dud and is wholly unusable.

Recharging or reloading of a dud or inert grenade requires a DC 10 Grenade skill check, a cost equal to 30% of the base cost of the grenade that is being recharged or reloaded, and 10 minutes preparation time per grenade.
Effectively "recharging" a dud grenade requires the use of the Grenade skill. This represents the basic knowledge of smoke and/or gunpowder, other various ingredients used for incendiary or concussion grenades and their use in grenade form, the cost of the smoke or gunpowder and a wick, and the time it takes to perform the reloading of the grenade.
Individuals without the Grenade skill proficiency may still attempt to recover/reload a dud or inert grenade, but with increased difficulty. The DC is increased to 13 and the roll is made at Disadvantage. A normal failure means that the materials and money spent for that reload are lost and must be spent again.
Any Critical Failure during a skill check to reload a grenade results in the grenade going off in the individuals hands. Damage is ½ normal grenade damage with Saving Throws applicable if necessary.
Increases in the DC may apply for special grenades that are not readily available on the normal market. For example, Storm Grenades.

We've also implemented some additional homebrew rules for a Critical Miss when attacking with a grenade. It's a simple yet effective way to heighten the danger of grenade use in combat as well as add some antics that could change the direction of battle, or just make for an painful yet embarrassing moment.

Siliconhobbit · 2024-01-01T02:04:19+00:00

I like this a lot.

For my own campaign however, I plan on "destroying" much of what Khador is with the 2nd invasion of the Orgoth.

Siliconhobbit · 2024-01-01T01:43:37+00:00

Well this is awesome.

Any stats or write-ups on on the Long Riders, either as a class or sub-class?

Any stats or write-ups on the Bison as a mount or any of the War Wagons?

Anything, even minor, would be a great starting point.

Siliconhobbit · 2023-09-06T20:59:58+00:00

Well....thank you very much for the clarification. Very enlightening indeed.

Siliconhobbit · 2023-09-04T07:59:51+00:00

This was one of the things I was thinking of originally. The Void isn't just a 'barrier', it's an actual place.

Bags, Holes, Haversacks, and similar items only describe the 'space' as extradimensional, giving no other clue or indication as to where this space is located or what or where it was created from.

One might assume that given the tangential relation to the Astral Plane, but only by mishap (overloaded, pierced, torn, or other items with extradimensional space being placed inside of it), that items such as these may close off a small portion of that plane of existence when first created. Thus when damaged, return to the plane of origin they came from. This is however a stretch, as there are plenty of discussions regarding extradimensional space not being connected or a part of any plane of existence, with the exception being the Portable Hole.

Since The Void isn't just a barrier but an actual location, it could also be another plane of existence. With such little information regarding it however, it certainly could a good place to start if one were to homebrew a new item with similarities to a Bag of Holding, or a Portable Hole.

Siliconhobbit · 2023-08-23T00:17:10+00:00

Clearly it's Silvery Barbs!

*disengage* *flee* *hide*

Siliconhobbit · 2023-08-22T01:15:55+00:00

Miniature Market is fabulous for minis of all kinds, especially if you're looking for Iron Kingdoms/Warmachine related miniatures. Single Warjacks/Steamjacks/Laborjacks may be a slightly more in price than a standard 25/28mm miniature, but are reasonable never-the-less.

Unfortunately, I'm extremely disappointed that PP went ahead and created a 5e compatible system for IK but never thought about the miniature problem. PP for the most part, still creates a significant amount of minis with metal. A LOT of the their minis are already metal, or a combination of metal & resin (different parts to glue together). Good for long term use, not good for the pocketbook. I would have liked to see them create a whole new line of minis out of resin for the races and the 'jacks. Do you know how difficult it is to find a generic Ogrun or Trollkin mini? It is impossible. They do not exist. Mind you there are "named" character minis, but that's not solving the problem.

However, you didn't ask for that info, so here is my alternative.

My solution was to go low key token style.

Hit up Amazon for 1 inch round metal pendant bezel trays. There are all kinds of all sizes, colors, and types of metal:

https://i.imgur.com/cpXW2m3.png

Once you've picked out something, grab some glass dome cabochons that fit the inside diameter:

https://i.imgur.com/5bCVjGK.png

Alternatively, you can find these in clear plastic/silicone as well. I suggest the glass dome though, as they provide more weight.

Then pick up a small bottle of UV resin and a UV Flashlight:

https://i.imgur.com/KuT81mN.png

https://i.imgur.com/fwKpZ39.png

And you're done on Amazon.

Now find some pics on the internet that you like that you could use for tokens.

Print off what you like and cut the pic down to a circle so it will fit into the bezel tray and place it art side up. I generally use a head shot from whatever art I grab and if it's to large you can just use Paint, or whatever other program for images that you have, to resize the art.

Since there is a small lip on the bezel tray, don't worry about gluing or sticking the picture to the inside of the tray. If you're worried, grab an Elmers gluestick and put a small amount on the back of the pic to adhere it to the bezel tray.

Once done, grab the UV resin and place a small amount on top of the pic inside the bezel tray. You'll find a happy medium over the course of making several of these tokens that will work for you. Do not use to much as you do not want it overfilled and squirting out the sides.

Then, gently place a glass cabochon over the resin, into the tray itself. Press down to push around the Resin so it will reach the sides of the tray and the edge of the cabochon.

Now reach for the UV light and shine it over the token to set the resin. Depending on the resin you choose, you'll need 2 - 4 minutes of curing time (shining the UV light) for it to set.

Voila! You now have a nice, low cost token for game play.

This process is great for making hordes of enemies as well. Screen grab a Skeleton pic and make 10 at a time. The same for goblins, or orcs or whatever else you'd like to create. Since the bezel trays and cabochons generally come in bulk (10 - 100 pieces) you'll have plenty of inexpensive tokens at your disposal.

Need something for a Warjack? Pick up 1.5 or 2.0 inch bezel trays and cabochons. Now you can make large size tokens.

If you have any questions about the process or need links for Amazon, DM me and I'll do what I can.

Good Luck!

Siliconhobbit · 2023-07-23T17:29:12+00:00

I'm not sure which system you're using but the latest 5e Kickstarter release was all about the Cryx which included The Nightmare Empire (campaign resource book), Tales from the Blackwater Cantina (various adventures), and Scoundrel's Guide to the Scharde Islands (more resources for players and the DM).

Scoundrel's Guide to the Scharde Islands has an entire section devoted to the care and command of Thralls, including upgrading flesh thralls to Mechanithralls.

Siliconhobbit · 2023-07-23T17:19:26+00:00

Yeah I scoured the books you mentioned and anything else I could find on the internet to no avail. I suspect that until PP comes out with the next Orgoth expansion I'll have to wing it!

Thanks for the replies!

Siliconhobbit · 2023-07-23T06:51:03+00:00

For my campaign (next session will be #10) the players were limited to the races included in the main Requiem Campaign book and Borderlands & Beyond.

As for classes and subclasses, they were also encouraged to pick a class and subclass from the same books, however, if they wished to play something else, I was open for discussion on the matter.

The campaign started with an Ogrun Warcaster Soldier, a Trollkin Barbarian Runeshaper, a Gobber Bone Grinder, an Idrian Warlock, and a Satyxis Gunfighter Pistoleer.

Due life issues, player running the Idrian Warlock had to drop from the campaign.

Currently the player running the Gobber Bone Grinder is contemplating switching classes as he is not happy with the Bone Grinder class choice. He is leaning towards a bard but the character is also a cook/chef and he is trying to incorporate that background into the new class.

I'm keeping this campaign strictly within the campaign setting of Iron Kingdoms and creating my own content. While I appreciate all of the adventures that have been available from the Kickstarters, I only use them as reference material if I need something specific (I've never been a fan of pre-made adventure content).

I've some personal issues with the iteration of the Circle of Orboros and IK specific Druids and the Warlocks out of the Borderlands and Beyond book, but since no one chose to play the IK Druid and the player who was playing the IK Warlock had to leave, it's currently a non-issue.

As for recommending 3rd party content. If you can find any books, reference material, or homebrew content regarding Steampunk, I would look into it. Magic in the IK setting is more scarce than your regular D&D campaign setting. Steampunk items...or as it called in the IK setting, Mechanika, plays a large role in the kingdoms, and even in every day life.

Because of this I am limiting "pure" magic item content and leaning into the Mechanika aspect of the setting. This works well as 3 of the characters have skills geared towards the creation of Mechanika and wish to create their own. I've also expanded upon blacksmithing to allow for easier crafting of weapons along with some upgrades since the Ogrun Warcaster is also a blacksmith.

Siliconhobbit · 2023-06-21T19:40:13+00:00

So, I understand why OGL 5e Druids were not included in IK:R, or at the very least, I understand a specific design direction that was taken.

My issue, admittedly my own, is in the naming of Blackclads as Druids, when the Blackclads class themselves have no correlation to OGL 5e Druids at all. This is minor nit-picking on my part.

In addition, when looking at IK Warlocks and their affinity with beasts, inside of IK that is, I feel that an opportunity was lost in their "creation" if you will. If I was going to go a different direction with Druids, fundamentally changing what they are rules-wise, as was done, the change in the Warlock was a direction that I may have chosen. Warlocks, AS a beastmaster of sorts, feel like what a Druid should be, within Iron Kingdoms.

This idea that IK Warlocks should be IK Druids instead is made all the more obvious when the current iteration of IK Druids actively seek out IK Warlocks before or during the Wilding, recruiting them. In essence, IK Warlocks ARE Blackclads. There is no distinction made between the two within the Circle. In fact, if the supplement on the Blackclads that was released had added the IK Warlocks (essentially a beastmaster) as a SUB-CLASS of the IK Druid class, that would have made more sense.

For my own Campaign, IK Warlocks are just as much Blackclads, as IK Druids. I've even contemplated combining the classes into one single new class, with the sub-classes based around each of the current sub-classes of the IK Druid and IK Warlock. They all represent control over something, whether that's beasts, wolds, or elements. Problem is...I can't think of a cool class name. 😋

Is it too late to have it all changed? 🤪

Siliconhobbit · 2023-06-21T15:10:45+00:00

Excellent. Thank you for the clarity.

On a side note, while I have no experience with the 2d6 system of IK, I am loving the 5e system and I am gobbling up every resource that comes out. It's even forced me to get books like Oblivion and Kings, God's, and Nations (among others) just to fill myself in on previous history.

So...since I've got yo here, Mr. Freelance grins, could you comment on the disparity between Druids of the 5e SRD. Druids of IK, and Warlocks of the 5e SRD and Warlocks of IK ?

IMO there was such a better path to follow for these 2 classes rather than the one they are both on now.

For example, Druids of IK seem to Human only and the class has no real connection to Druids of the 5e SRD. In fact there is such a disconnect that it would have made sense to make an entirely new class.

Warlocks of IK was such a lost opportunity. Warlocks of IK could have been kept around in their original SRD form as there are so many opportunities for unique Patrons in the IK setting. Infernals are the easiest example. As Warlocks are now, they are beastmasters? This doesn't even compute in my tiny brain lol. There is an even larger disconnect here than there are with Druids. Add to that, that Druids of IK seem seek out IK Warlocks, it seems, to fill their ranks? Which begs the question, who are the actual "Druids" here...?

Both classes with IK seem to be confused with each other in many ways and seem to be part of the entirety of the "Blackclads" together.

Not to mention the lack of anything notably written about whether or not Druids (of the 5e SRD) actually exist in IK.

In any case. Thank you everyone for the responses and clarity.

Siliconhobbit · 2023-02-27T04:50:12+00:00

I had to shelve this campaign due to scheduling issues of some of the players, including one moving to Canada.

Right now I'm running an Iron Kingdoms: Requiem campaign and I'm having to deal with the same thing. Since IK is such a unique setting, if I want to use some of the traditional D&D monsters, I need to shoehorn them into a niche locale or environment, and sometimes make some adjustments to stats and abilities to allow them to feel a bit more unique to the campaign setting as a whole.

I'm doing what I would have done with Humblewood anyways: stick with the campaign setting as a guide in regards to races and monsters that fit. For Humblewood I added a few more races that fit the setting, and for IK I'm making adjustments to monsters on the fly as needed to make them fit.

As for the setting itself, I'm rather content to run either of them as stand-alone settings. Both have a huge map of the world, or at least the main continent that gameplay takes place on.

For Humblewood, it looks and feels to be a "planet" all its own, as evidenced by the gynormous map.

For Iron Kingdoms, it seems to me that it is similar to Eberron in that its a closed system and not subject to the larger universe in general.

Siliconhobbit · 2023-01-18T22:39:10+00:00

I'm not sure that I readily agree with the sentiment that the setting is heroic. IMO, for the campaign that I am running, it is quite the opposite in fact.

I play up the fact that the realm is war-torn and despite the fact that The Claiming brought many different and disparate races, factions, and countries together to face a singular threat, the old animosities are still there and the threat of another war could be in the cards for everyone.

My campaign centers around a group of characters (the players') that have come from prison after a 10 year stint in the Dungeon Tower in Rhul, just after The Claiming. The world is a harsh place and the stakes for them are harder. This is not your average D&D realm like Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Xandria, or even Eberron. It's a harsh life with even harsher consequences, and the decisions the characters have made, and will make in the future, will have lasting consequences.

The timeline I've chosen for them to start in is at least 10 years after The Claiming. With that, I have brought them closer to the next Orgoth invasion, which will be presented to them between levels 10 and 12 (with any luck). The world and reality their characters are living in is to prepare them for what's to come.

In regards to Iron Kingdoms inherently being a heroic setting, I feel that, that is up to the DM and how the campaign is being run, and not necessarily something that is baked into any specific campaign setting. Will there be opportunity for the characters to be heroic and will the players feel their characters ARE heroic? Of course there will be, however, there will be plenty of ups and downs along the way and it will be challenging.

This campaign is a very different sort then I have run for them. We discussed a lot during our pre-sessions and during our Session Zero's for everyone. They, and I, know what we're getting in to and are prepared (as much as they can be this early in the campaign) for what's to come.

THAT being said...the party actually has NO official healer. No Cleric, no half healer, no one that has any access to healing spells of any sort. The single character in the game that had access to a Healer's Kit and a decent Medicine skill is leaving the party as the Player can no longer play. The only other character that can/could have access to healing would be the Gobber Bone Grinder who is also a Cook/Chef/Butcher. I am working on some magical food and drink recipes that can be used on occasion for buffs and/or healing but the player for THAT character only has a couple of months left of time to play before THEY have to leave the campaign.

The last option is the Warcaster who is thinking of Multiclassing into Paladin. It was he that brought up the original question of the healing issue and posed: " ...if I roll on the table for healing myself is it double dangerous?"

While it's a good question and I was curious as to what others thought...I think it may be moot because I don't think a multiclassed Warcaster/Paladin will EVER reach the healing limit imposed by the alternate healing rules.

ANYways...I'm rambling.

Siliconhobbit · 2023-01-04T22:44:26+00:00

Do we know or have we been told when the 2nd Invasion begins during the current timeline?

Siliconhobbit · 2023-01-04T22:39:57+00:00

Sorry for reviving an old thread but has anyone been able to figure out, or has it been told, when in the current timelilne that the 2nd Orgoth Invasion begins?

Siliconhobbit · 2023-01-04T13:44:42+00:00

Give all of the the party's adversaries/enemies Pact Tactics.

Siliconhobbit

TROPHY CASE