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View Full Version : DM Help Witchfire: Need Help/Ideas 4 a Iron Kingdoms Game



dukeofwolfsgate
2014-03-18, 11:41 PM
I'm planning on using the Iron Kingdoms setting from Privateer Press for a 3.5 campaign soon and need some help fleshing out the smaller/medium encounters and side quests.

For those of you who don't know, the Iron Kingdoms setting is a fantasy/steampunk world that the creators term as "full metal fantasy".

I'm using the Witchfire Trilogy adventures as the basis for the long term story and adventure, but want to give the players more side quests and monsters to interact with.

I'm also hoping for cool treasure ideas, as my games don't have "magic item shops".

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Another_Poet
2014-03-19, 12:30 PM
I love IK, and ran a long successful campaign set in Five Fingers. I've never played (and avoided reading) the Witchfire Trilogy.

Some general notes.

First, the setting is amazing but the rules are clunky. I would consider how you can simplify them (especially: crafting mechanika, using firearms) so that your players will get into the setting more. One thing I always regretted is that most of my players didn't want to spend a lot of time learning these annoying complicated extra rules, so they rarely used firearms and never crafted anything.

The pain of healing is an awesome mechanic, as is the reduced spell list, but make sure your players understand them and know what they're getting into.

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I'm also hoping for cool treasure ideas, as my games don't have "magic item shops".

I'm not sure that will work so well. I mean the whole point of the setting is that humanity learned how to mechanize magic and can mass produce mechanika magical items on such a scale that entire armies wield +2 shockswords. Any medium size town would have an alchemist (or multiple, in competition with each other) and any large city would have multiple mechanika workshops where mechanika items can be purchased, recharged or upgraded.

And you know... the Witchfire trilogy takes place in one of those large cities. In a country that happens to field the world's best Mechanika-equipped army.

Of course, "true" magic items are rare, and might not be purchasable on the open market, but mechanika is cheaper anyway. I would expect - and encourage - players to visit mechanika shops and stock up like crazy. It's not only fun, it will teach them about the setting.

(Note also that wizards don't gain new spells known every level, unless they have a guild, library or association that can teach them the new spells. These arcane associations would be a natural hub for trading magical items.)

Anyway...

You asked about side encounters. There are lots of options, but feel free to peruse the partial campaign journal of my old IK campaign, which includes stats for lots of lower to mid level encounters, some using iconic IK creatures and some completely of my own devising.

Archived campaign journal (http://privateerpressforums.com/archive/index.php/t-1346.html)

Feel free to steal anything, including NPCs like the Brokeback Priest.

I personally would go a little easy on the cultists of Thamar, as they would be relatively rare in the setting and you already have religious cult threads going on. A very appropriate Cygnar-based sidequest, however, could be a rumor of Cryxian pirates attacking a small coastal town within easy traveling distance. That could lead to a skirmish with pirates or the undead; or it could even be a fake rumor started by a Khadoran scouting force to lure out Cygnaran responders and ambush them.

I hope this is helpful.

dukeofwolfsgate
2014-03-19, 05:04 PM
Thanks for the link, Another_Poet! Your campaign sounds really fun, and I've only read the first in-game week!

As for the magic item shops advice, I do intend on them getting to purchase Mechanika related parts and items, but my players are used to going to the local Adventuremart and picking up everything from healing potions to +4 cold iron greatswords at base cost. That style of DMing has never sat well with me as either a player or DM.

I like the idea of a secondhand/pawnshop where they could pick up old Mechanika weapons and armor, but in my mind I see newly crafted stormblades as something you could only get through military service or large scale contract through a manufacturer. There also might be some retired arcane mechanics who craft the odd item now and then... If the PCs can find said retirees. Sidequest idea!!!:smallbiggrin:

All in all, your advice and examples are much appreciated!:smallsmile:

Another_Poet
2014-03-19, 05:36 PM
Thanks for the kind words :smallsmile:

Yeah, I see why you want to break them of the habit of expecting to find anything & everything they want. I made sure there was never a "get anything you ask for" type of outlet, but I spent a lot of time on the inventories of different vendors to make sure there was an interesting (if limited) variety of mechanika available. I think your approach sounds reasonable.

It does occur to me that a big part of warfare in Western Immoren is the use of mercenaries, so there would certainly be places where relatively small groups of adventurers could legally purchase quality mechanika.

In part, the availability will be controlled just by cost; IK has a very different cost arc than regular D&D. Lower level mechanika items, like +1 to +2 stuff, tends to cost more than the PHB price for an equivalent magic item. It's pretty hard for a 2nd level character to afford a +1 mech sword. But higher level stuff, like +3 and above, is way cheaper than PHB magic item costs. By mid levels IK characters are expected to be heavily outfitted with a growing number of items, and high level characters are walking warehouses with their only concern keeping it all charged.

Of course, costing all that out is its own headache; I've heard it suggested that a simple fix is to say "all Mechanika costs 20% less than PHB prices, and all True Magic Items cost 20% more than PHB prices." That will save a lot of bookkeeping, although it does destroy that power arc II just mentioned above.

I'd also consider making all classes proficient with firearms, because otherwise no one is likely to invest the heavy GP prices in actually using firearms. That always made me sad.

I definitely agree that finding illicit arms dealers or craftsmen will make a great sidequest.

Will you keep a campaign journal when you start the adventure? I don't think my dream of playing in a Witchfire game will ever come true, so I may as well spoil it by reading :smallsmile:

dukeofwolfsgate
2014-03-19, 10:49 PM
I plan on keeping at least a basic campaign journal once I start the game, but that may be 2-4 weeks from now if all goes to plan. I'll leave a link to it here once we start playing.

Right now my group is just wrapping up an L5R game that has spanned almost two years of weekly play.

As an additional request: did you, Another_Poet, or any other readers have 3.5/Pathfinder stats for things like Stormblades, Fellblades, etc. for villains and NPCs to wield?

Another_Poet
2014-03-20, 12:43 AM
Aren't most of those in one or other of the IK books? Actually, knowing IK they're probably not. Jeezus.

I'll check my rather extensive collection of IK files etc. I also have a large Excel sheet I made that can compute the total crafting cost, weight, etc of any Mchka item you want to build. It's a litttle wonky but a lot faster than actually digging through the book.

If I don't post back here Thursday it likely means it slipped my mind... don't be afraid to remind me. I don't want to leave you hanging.