Monday, April 27, 2015

The Pantheon Major of Autica: Part II, the Old Gods.

Picture credit: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Landscape-With-Hats-488175297
The Old Gods______________________________________________________
These are the divine beings native to Autica, either created by Mot, or intrinsic to it's very being, they are some of the most powerful entities on the planet, rivaled only by the New Gods. Nothing better represents Autica's struggle between the natural world and the march of progress better than these colossal beings.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

The Pantheon Major of Autica: Part I, the New Gods.

Picture credit: A Trip to the Theater, by Peteamachree

Below is a brief overview of the God's whose followers make up the majority of Autica's faithful, or who hold a similar amount of sway as those with the larger followings.

This list is divided into three articles, the New Gods, the Old Gods, and the Transients (or Minor Gods).

The New Gods_____________________________________________________
Built by the Second during the Origin War, these colossal machines soon surpassed the intelligence of their creators, improving their bodies with technology of ever increasing complexity. To this day, little of the New God's wondrous tech has been decoded and fully understood, and what has is closely guarded in the immense libraries of the Church. Only three New Gods were ever created, two of which are listed here.

Emissary Balance Changes 1.0

Picture credit: http://van-oost.deviantart.com/
Upon conclusion of the first play-test, it became apparent that the Emissary needed a few tweaks, listed below. The original article has been updated to reflect these changes.

Weapon Damage:
(The Emissary's guns were under-performing damage wise, so they received a minor buff to damage.)

Emissary Pistol: Damage increased to 1d8 (Was 1d6)
Emissary Rifle: Damage increased to 1d12 (Was 1d10)

Guide:
(Guide received a redesign. Instead of using Guide to correct for missed shots, it was primarily used for the damage bonus, which wasn't the use case I was looking for. So, it's been split into two components, and the Emissary now has a new resource called Guide Points. In addition, added a passive damage component to smooth out damage, now ideally shots will still feel impactful, even when you're out of Guide uses.)

Taken from the Emissary Article:
Guide____________________________________________________________
Starting at 2nd level, you are able to beseech your God to guide the path of your bullets. Whenever you make a ranged attack with your Armament, add your Wisdom modifier to the damage done. You also gain the following feature:
 
Guide Points:
You gain 2 Guide points, and you gain more as shown on the Guide Points per Day Column of the Emissary table. You regain all spent Guide points at the end of a long rest.
You may spend your Guide points with the following two options:

 . Guided Strike: Whenever you make a ranged attack with your Armament  you may spend 1 Guide point to add 1d6 to the attack roll. You can choose to activate this ability after the DM has told you if the attack is a hit or a miss, and if the extra 1d6 brings your attack roll over the target's AC, then the attack is considered a hit.

 . Condemn: Spend 1 Guide Point, and choose a target that can see and hear you within range of your Armament. You condemn that foe to death in the name of your God. Once per turn, when you hit with a ranged attack using your Armament, your attack deals an extra 1d8 Radiant or Lightning damage (Your choice). This damage increases as you gain levels, as shown on the Condemn Damage column of the Emissary table. You may only have one foe Condemned at a time, and you may not use the Condemn feature again until the current target is no longer afflicted. Condemn lasts for 10 minutes, or until the target is dead or incapacitated.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Savant


Picture credit: http://steampunkscholar.blogspot.ca
 "Here, hold this. Now, put that bit over there. Yes, by the little whirrer. No. No, not there. The LITTLE whirrer, Goddamnit no! Well, of course if you put it there it's going to do that."
- Last words of Savant Mary Venmodez.
(As dictated by a scorched apprentice.)
Thick, black smokes rolls across the battlefield, flashes of light appearing as a woman throws explosives into the fray.
Blueprints in one hand, and an arcane tome in the other, a dwarf mutters incantations over a set of small crystals, before gingerly placing them in a box.
Eyebrows smoldering, a gnome grins as his creation lurches and shudders to life. Metal fists crush a band of goblins as their master looks onwards.
All these people are Savants, mechanical masterminds and academic rogues, drawn to the wondrous power promised by the march of progress sweeping Autica.

Steel and Fire.
Savants fight with everything from explosives and magical artillery, to swordplay under obfuscating smoke, but far and away the most recognizable weapon in their arsenal is their Golem, an animate amalgamation of machinery and arcane magic, bound entirely to the will of it's creator.

Every Savant crafts a Golem unique to it's creator. These towering creatures serve as menial labor, carrying and working larger components that the Savant might have issue with themselves, as well as serving as bodyguards, using their impressive bulk to dissuade potential attackers, and to quickly dispatch more committed foes.

Mad Geniuses.
Savants dabble in the many disciplines of magic, along with whatever secrets they can learn (or steal) from the tightly kept libraries of the Church of Ito. This peculiar blend of primitive technology and arcane magic is seen as dangerous and impure to the more accomplished arcane academics, and blasphemous by the Church. As such, Savants tend to either work alone, or in collaboration with other like-minded scholars.

Some manage to find employ teaching and conducting research in the cities, while others work as simple handyfolk in smaller villages, while working on pet projects in their spare time. The only place where their work is not given queer looks is the military. The practical uses of their inventions overshadows any moral quandaries employers may have, and so many Savants find work in military installations, or as mercenaries or adventurers.

Those Savants who follow the adventurers path typically see the world as one big workshop, just begging to be tested and improved upon, seeking new and interesting knowledge wherever it lies.

Savant Spell and Gadget Lists.

Picture credit: http://kotnonekot.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-workshop-345150584

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Class Customization Options.

Picture credit: http://jonasdero.deviantart.com/art/Land-Of-Skyrim-329803112
This article contains additional options for class customization, including new archetypes, and modifications to existing ones.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Races of Autica: The Warforged, and the Shifters.


The Warforged____________________________________________________
"The modern Warforged suffers an interesting dilemma. With bodies made for fighting, what do they do in a city no longer at war? Inevitably, there can only be so many mercenaries and so many bodyguards and bouncers. Eventually one of the brutes is going to end up pounding a lump of dough with the zeal of trained soldier, and the strength of a bear. I only worry the day when they decide to turn those talents towards the good people of this city."
-Sir Tufford, on the Warforged in Greyhearth.
(A politician notorious for spreading
anti-Warforged sentiments)

Created by the New Gods as soldiers for the Origin War, the Warforged are a people without a cause. With intimidating physical countenances, and strength to match, many humans are unwilling to work with them anywhere but in battle. As such, many Warforged find employ in Northedge's armed or police forces, acting as shock troopers or brutal enforcers. Those that cannot find employment in the army, or in peaceful establishments often turn to a life of crime in Greyhearth's rotten underbelly. Warforged such as these are prized as bodyguards and "tax collectors". 

The majority of Autica's Warforged live in Greyhearth, and the surrounding provinces. Some choose to wander the world, looking for a place where their talents are celebrated instead of feared, but all return to Greyhearth at some point in their lives, as it holds the key to their existence deep within the city.

Nestled far under the metropolis of Greyhearth, lies a secret place, the exact location of which all Warforged guard with their lives. This place is the Forge, the only place left in Autica capable of creating new Warforged. It is constantly manned by the Iron Collective, a team of Warforged blacksmiths and engineers that work tirelessly to keep the forge running, and fight to keep outsiders from learning it's secrets. The process of creating a new Warforged can take as long as two to three years, but more commonly takes between one and two. As such, the Warforged population is comparatively quite low. This creates a camaraderie among Warforged, who will often go out of the way to avoid conflict with those of their own race.

All Warforged must return to the Forge one every five or so years for repairs that can only be done with the specialized equipment there. This is the chain the binds together this race of stoic guardians.