Iron Kingdoms

[Project_Mayhem]

So, I'm dropping into an Iron Kingdom's game in a day or two. I know it essentially uses D20 with added steam-punk, and anything tech related will presumably be handled by the DM. Just wondering if there are any major mechanical (pun sort of intended) differences that might affect a low level character?

I don't know what the rest of the group are yet, but I thought an interesting character might be a technophobic barbarian style thing - everyone else is using guns an=d he sticks to his big axe :thog:

[Nebo_]

There can be negative effects to healing called healing backlash - try not to get hurt.

[Project_Mayhem]

Yeah thats the kind of stuff I meant, thanks.

Ouch. Maybe a melee class might not be the way to go

[Leon]

Necromancy is bad, does bad things to you and marks you as a user
Conjuration can attact unwanted attention of things that have great interest in souls (Souls are important in IK)

Pain of Healing is only really bad if you are of a differing Religion and/or alignment to the caster (if your a Menite and the party healer is a Morrowan = you are screwed) you can still try it but there will be repocussions

Low tech can be good - a bow or crossbow can keep on plinking away when a pistol or rifle is reloading (for Crossbows - checkout Twin Bolts or Gearbows for something different)

At a low level you probly wont be dealing with much Mechanikal gear but its there and is easier to obtain than "pure" magical items

Checkout Cleft weapons for a more threat with your big nasty axe (Greataxe at 19-20x3, stacks with Keen or Imp Crit)

Dont be afraid to Upsize your weapon - Big Weapons abound (if Warmachine and Hordes are any example) - See PP Forums for the Warcleaver + Monkeygrip discussion

Give some thought on your cultueral background as Humans have different bonuses and pentaties depending on where they come from in the kingdoms, the 2 types of elves are reclusive Xeonophobes for the most part, Ogrun & Dwarves work well together, trollkin are good tough types with a Racial variant for sorcerers and Gobbers get everywhere doing everything - the MN1 has some of the more exotic races that you could play depending on what the GM allows (most are at least +2 LA and many have RHD)

[Project_Mayhem]

ahh, that clears some stuff up, thanks. I'm definately considering the low tech route then. Depending on what the other PCs are probably a ranger, druid or barb. Cleft sounds goood.

[Feralgeist]

they made goblins GOOD, with a bonus to hide check depending on how naked you are (chamelon-esque skin) and resist against poison or something

[Nebo_]

Well, now I'm about to start an IK game, too. I have no idea what to play - and since this thread is already here I might as well ask for ideas.

[Nostri]

The one thing about playing a druid in an IK game is that if your playing a human druid you are most likely a member of the Circle. Which is essentially like every other druidic organization out there, except that because the setting is in the middle of it's industrial revolution they have more in common with eco-terrorists then tree hugging hippies. Also it's a fairly common tale amoung most humans that the Blackclad (druids of the Circle) eat babies, steal children, blight crops, sabotage machinery, etc... So my suggestion is if you do play a druid be something other then human.

Rangers don't get spells anymore (unless you DM changed that) instead they a very slightly increased rate of favored enemy and favored terrain. I think their general combat ability went up a bit too.

If you decide to play a sorc there are two things to remember. The first is that you do not have any kind of dragonic heritage. Sorry but in IK dragons are corruption incarnate and the closest you could get would be to tainted by one. Think taint from Rokugan or UA. Also in some small villages there are still witch hunts for people that cast arcane magic because awhile ago a group of people called the Orgoth brought "war-witches" over with them and proceeded to destroy and conquer the entire part of the continent that the game takes place on.

One last thing you should know is that ressurections don't really happen in this world. The main "good guy" church will only rez you if your 10th or higher and even then there's only a 1% chance per character level that they'll cast raise dead. This stems from the fact that unless everything goes absolutely perfect there's a decent chance that raising someone from the dead will burn the cleric's own soul out as an exchange. Oh, and while healing magic is fairly rare there are alchemic potions of healing (among other things). Alchemy is a much bigger thing in IK then it is in D&D, it's actually part of how they make most of the 'magical' items.

[Attilargh]

See TV Tropes' (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IronKingdoms) entry on IK for some basic background information.

I'm afraid I've got too much source material to be able to answer general questions. About 800 pages of IK Guides plus a stack of No Quarters is a lot.

[Nebo_]

Rangers don't get spells anymore (unless you DM changed that) instead they a very slightly increased rate of favored enemy and favored terrain. I think their general combat ability went up a bit too.


I disagree. Rangers got the short end of the stick in IK.

[herrhauptmann]

Out of curiosity, you're not playing the Witchfire series are you?