General chat

copying the world ideas from the N&C thread

world

5e + N&C rules for guns (modified as needed)

Chris GM until June-ish, transition to Alan


post-apocalyptic world with a magic “awakening” ala Shadowrun

actual Earth

post apocalyptic world that is less dystopian and more like a Wild West - catastrophic environmental collapse, ill timed with some kind of solar electromagnetic disruption, has driven humanity away from centers of population into wilderness regions where most technology was unsalvageable

A rifts like world where any scape or scope can be encountered from one region to another.

actual magic, as per Shadow Run (not Tech magic)

awakening  could be virus-based. A series of pandemics (which also  contributed to the  societal  collapse) led to a massive decline in the population (shoutout to 12 Monkeys), but also uncovered a select few who developed  magical acumen from a combination of experimental treatments and genetic mutations.

100 years past the breakdown is about right. Enough time for most (but not all) tech and machines to be destroyed and new tribes & communities to form, but still a generational connection to the before-times.


Races

Humans are still the most common, then mutants and most rare would be the awakened races.

no elves, dwarves, halflings, gnome, orcs


human

mutant - Tiefling, Changeling, Shifter, Goliath, simic hybrid, firbolg (near human but with some racial differences)

awakened - tabaxi, kenku, lizardfolk, minotaur, harengon, tortle, leonin, loxodon, bugbear, etc

For that matter, I think the human variations, backgrounds and archetypes from N&C are probably all fair game. Let me know if anyone
really objects to that, but its a set of rules that seemed well balanced and we all are familiar with it already. The Hunter\trappeur stuff seems on point for western survival flavor too.


Tech

I will suggest a tech scope that appears divergent from the end of the 19th century. Telegraph or railroads over limited distances, but not intercontinental. We get any gun that was manufactured prior to the evolution of automation because it can be hand made by a craftsman with knowledge on how it works. Rarity escalates according to complexity of process.

Some cultures might be using recurve bows and bone axes while others may have access to primitive metallurgical processes. Muskets and other cap and ball technology are common. Repeating rifles and revolvers are not quite rare, depending on region. Gatling guns and turn of the century semiautomatic weapons are quite rare. Tommy guns and Maxim Machine gun equivalents would be the inventions of a hyper ambitious rigger. I’d put post WWII body armor or explosive technology in this category as well.

A .357 or AK would be on the level of magic items or mithral. Might be found in hidden caches like SLDF battlemechs but are otherwise unique. Items that might be prototypical in our lifetime would be artifacts.

Anything diverging into an alternate future should open the door for weird sh!t. Handguns with coils that charge a primitive electrical capacitor with captured static from your pant legs rubbing together. Weird little bazookas that lob miniature v-1 buzz bombs with a long wire controlled by a joystick.

Steampunk welcome.

so a Colt revolver and a Sharp's single shot breech-loader (one shot) would be fine then? Assuming I read that right

whit10 wrote:so a Colt revolver and a Sharp's single shot breech-loader (one shot) would be fine then?  Assuming I read that right

fine in terms of are they available?  yes

whether or not you can afford all the gear you want is another story.  remember, old guns are more common (cheap) and better guns are rare (expensive)

for reference, please review the rules from N&C as follows:

gun feats pg 46

cool gear pg 51

gun stats pg 54 (prices)

I don't want to mess with the game balance too much, so figure "cowboy" style guns will have all the same stats, just larger capacity and price x3

a colt 45 = a dueling pistol but capacity = 6 and price = $45

Pistol, dueling £ 15 2d8 piercing 2 lb. Light, capacity 1, misfire 1 35 ft / 140 ft
Colt revolver   £ 45 2d8 piercing 2 lb. Light, capacity 6, misfire 1 35 ft / 140 ft


currency using N&C book

pence = copper (1/100 gold)
shilling = 1 silver   (1/10 gold)
Pound (£) = 1 gold piece or $1 dollar





example capacity for western rifles:

.30-.30 was 6   (3d10 jager)  $124.5
Henry .22lr was 15  (2d10  liege)  $36
1873 Winchester  .44\.40 was 10  (3d8 PENN)  $99
1866 Winchester .357  was 11  (2d12 charleville)  $62.5




players at 4th level will start with 100gp (£100 N&C book equivalent) to purchase ALL gear, no starting "packages"

life is rough, cowboy up

All characters at 1st level can select 1 of the following "starting feats" in addition to any they may get from their race.  Please read these feats carefully as the wording on most of them is different that what you may remember.  These are the ONE D&D or 5.5e variations as "starting feats"


ALERT
1st-Level Feat
Repeatable: No
Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits: Initiative Proficiency. When you roll Initiative, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to the roll.
Initiative Swap. Immediately after you roll Initiative, you can swap your Initiative with the Initiative of one willing ally in the same combat. You can’t make this swap if you or the ally is Incapacitated.


CRAFTER
1st-Level Feat  
Repeatable: No
You are adept at crafting things and bargaining with merchants, granting you the following benefits: Tool Proficiency. You gain Tool Proficiency* with three different Artisan’s Tools* of your choice.
Discount. Whenever you buy a nonmagical item, you receive a 20 percent discount on it.
Faster Crafting. When you craft an item using a tool with which you have Tool Proficiency, the required crafting time is reduced by 20 percent.


HEALER
1st-Level Feat
Repeatable: No
You have the training and intuition to administer first aid and other care effectively, granting you the following benefits:
Battle Medic. If you have a Healer’s Kit, you can expend one use of it and tend to a creature within 5 feet of you as an Action. That creature can expend one of its Hit Dice, and you then roll that die. The creature regains a number of Hit Points equal to the roll plus your Proficiency Bonus.
Healing Rerolls. Whenever you roll a die to determine the number of Hit Points you restore with a spell or with this feat’s Battle Medic benefit, you can reroll the die if it rolls a 1, and you must use the new roll



LUCKY
1st-Level Feat  
Repeatable: No
You have inexplicable luck that can kick in at just the right moment, granting you the following benefits: Luck Points. You have a number of Luck Points equal to your Proficiency Bonus. You can spend the points on the benefits below, and you regain your expended Luck Points when you finish a Long Rest.* Advantage. Immediately after you roll a d20 for a d20 Test,* you can spend 1 Luck Point to give yourself Advantage on the roll. Disadvantage. When a creature rolls a d20 for an attack roll against you, you can spend 1 Luck Point to impose Disadvantage on that roll.


MUSICIAN
1st-Level Feat  
Repeatable: No
You are a practiced musician, granting you the following benefits: Instrument Training. You gain Tool Proficiency* with three Musical Instruments* of your choice.
Inspiring Song. As you finish a Short Rest or a Long Rest, you can play a song on a Musical Instrument with which you have Tool Proficiency and give Inspiration* to allies who hear the song. The number of allies you can affect in this way equals your Proficiency Bonus.


SAVAGE ATTACKER
1st-Level Feat  
Repeatable: No
You have trained to deal particularly damaging strikes. When you take the Attack Action and hit a target with a Weapon as part of that Action, you can roll the Weapon’s damage dice twice and use either roll against the target. You can use this benefit only once per turn.


SKILLED
1st-Level Feat
Repeatable: Yes
You have exceptionally broad learning. Choose three Skills in which you lack Proficiency. You gain Proficiency in those Skills


TAVERN BRAWLER 4/10
1st-Level Feat  
Repeatable: No
Accustomed to brawling, you gain the following benefits: Enhanced Unarmed Strike. When you hit with your Unarmed Strike* and deal damage, you can deal Bludgeoning Damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal damage of an Unarmed Strike. Damage Rerolls. Whenever you roll a damage die for your Unarmed Strike, you can reroll the die if it rolls a 1, and you must use the new roll.
Shove. When you hit a creature with an Unarmed Strike as part of the Attack Action on your turn, you can deal damage to the target and also push it 5 feet away. You can use this benefit only once per turn. Furniture as Weapons. You can wield furniture as a Weapon, using the rules of the Greatclub for Small or Medium furniture and the rules of the Club for Tiny furniture.


TOUGH
1st-Level Feat  
Repeatable: No
Your Hit Point Maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your character level when you gain this Feat. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your Hit Point Maximum increases by an additional 2 Hit Points.

All starting characters gain additional Intelligence (only) skills based on their Intelligence modifier


Intelligence skills:

Arcana
Computers*
Demolitions
Engineering
History
Investigation
Nature
Religion
Sciences

* more like a theoretical knowledge of archaic computers and what they did, more than you know how to use them. you would roll that if you ever found one to: turn it on, try to use it, etc

gotta say, $100 is too low if guns will cost that much. A good Colt PM was about $20 back when they were new. Not really trying to quibble about it but I would argue that double the price from N&C would be more fair? We are 4th level after all... that still only allows for 2 - 3 guns (rifles would be more expensive of course).

Or, alternatively, we could start with one "acquired" item (since we're 4th level) in lieu of any starting magic items? GM's discretion of course

Awesome. But gp in D&D is exchanged as 1/10 of a £ in N&C. Otherwise a dungeoneers pack costs 120£…

Are the sciences a total category or do we select specific sciences?

whit10 wrote:gotta say, $100 is too low if guns will cost that much.  A good Colt PM was about $20 back when they were new.  Not really trying to quibble about it but I would argue that double the price from N&C would be more fair?  We are 4th level after all... that still only allows for 2 - 3 guns (rifles would be more expensive of course).

Or, alternatively, we could start with one "acquired" item (since we're 4th level) in lieu of any starting magic items?  GM's discretion of course

Right, read Alan's description of tech above.  Colts were $20 and commonly produced historically.  A dueling pistol is $15 and commonly produced post apocalypse.
A colt revolver is RARE and therefore very expensive.  You can start with 2-3 guns, common ones, or maybe 1 rare gun.

navyik wrote:Awesome. But gp in D&D is exchanged as 1/10 of a £ in N&C. Otherwise a dungeoneers pack costs 120£…

Are the sciences a total category or do we select specific sciences?

Sciences = all, keep it simple

Correct, I have 1/10 above and a dungeoneer's pack does indeed cost 12gp per DnD.

If the conversion is too confusing, 1 gp = 1 pound. You start with 100 gp. Then you can use dnd prices more easily. I will edit the above post


News flash... there was an apocalypse.

I wasn’t trying to be argumentative. It just read like  you thought 1gp=10£ but  N&C actually charges 1£ for 10gp of equipment…

But this works too. I can get all my stuff. Let’s cut the DM some slack. We’ll get more guns after we use the ones we have. 

N&C should not have tried to reference this way as it leads to misunderstanding.

Ah, yeah I had it backasswards then, oof.


Just to keep everyone happy.... each character gets 1 item freely upgraded to MW quality. Please describe the "steampunk" nature of your unique tech.
+1 to whatever you want like attack roll on 1 weapon, 1 skill check, 1 arcane focus for attack rolls, etc

The MW upgrade is transferable to future items, for a trip to your local smith and small fee, of course

I know we can get more skills based on Int. What about more languages?

Y’all lost me on the money convo. 1gp= 10£ or 1£=10gp?

Whitey wrote:Y’all lost me on the money convo. 1gp= 10£ or 1£=10gp?

1£=10gp

“Test Subject 17” is posted. He’s a Tabaxi Artificer (Rigger) with a construct (drone) “iPhone 178.”

Still spending money but you can see where I’m going.

navyik wrote:

Whitey wrote:Y’all lost me on the money convo. 1gp= 10£ or 1£=10gp?

1£=10gp

no, damn, sorry I made this confusing, my bad

Chris wrote:

pence = copper (1/100 gold)
shilling = 1 silver    (1/10 gold)
Pound (£) = 1 gold piece or $1 dollar

1£ = 1gp

you get 100 gp to start. that should align prices in N&C better with the D&D book

so a dungeoneer's pack costs 12gp
a dueling pistol costs 15 gp (£)
a colt revolver costs 45 gp(£) x3 for higher capacity western guns

navyik wrote:“Test Subject 17” is posted. He’s a Tabaxi Artificer (Rigger) with a construct (drone) “iPhone 178.”

Still spending money but you can see where I’m going.

very cool! Tabaxi are naturally curious cats so that's a good fit.

I have a couple questions, just at quick glance, but I am sure you can explain them....


Investigation and Perception skill numbers are really high, compared to PB +2 and Att. if that is from Observant, remember it is only passive checks, not active rolls. so they are still Inv +6 and Per +3
but PP is 21 and PI 18

Armor of Tools (UA) - please be mindful of not using any (UA) rules without asking. this one is totally fine, but I prefer to keep it to the books as some UA stuff is unbalanced

Repeating Rifle - smart choice!

check your prices, in general
Jaeger Rifle 41.5 - correct
dungeoneer's pack 1.2 - 12gp not 1.2

still need to pick Cantrips and Spells, I think

whit10 wrote:I know we can get more skills based on Int.  What about more languages?

sure, if you prefer a language, that's fine too

I would buy skills, as you usually get 2-3 languages from background, race, etc

Roger that. Alan, I was also thinking Tabaxi, but to keep it diverse I’ll switch to Firblog. Thinking sorcerer or wizard. Stay tuned.

I was still converting the money to the new exchange.

I will clean up the perception and investigation. Was debating on the other feats you posted.

Grunk Jobiden Yeticooler Is awesome!

navyik wrote:Grunk Jobiden Yeticooler Is awesome!

indeed!

it looks like you might have missed a couple racial abilities?

Firbolg Magic. You can cast the Detect Magic and Disguise Self spells with this trait. When you use this version of Disguise Self, you can seem up to 3 feet shorter or taller. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have.
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.


You and the plants are going to have some interesting conversations...

Chris wrote:

navyik wrote:Grunk Jobiden Yeticooler Is awesome!

indeed!

it looks like you might have missed a couple racial abilities?

Firbolg Magic. You can cast the Detect Magic and Disguise Self spells with this trait. When you use this version of Disguise Self, you can seem up to 3 feet shorter or taller. Once you cast either of these spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have.
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.


You and the plants are going to have some interesting conversations...

Good catch. It usually takes me a while to get all the bells and whistles.

Need to work up Saves & Equipment and a backstory and then Grunk should be about ready to go.

navyik wrote:Grunk Jobiden Yeticooler Is awesome!

Thanks! I used Idiocracy for some inspiration

I will try to work on some initial geography and the local area this weekend.  I am leaning towards setting the story in what was formerly known as Colorado (Delta\Montrose banana belt region), since we all have some connection here.  

but here is what I have so far....

Mana Springs (starting town) - a recent boom town due to the discovery of supernatural springs that provide for all manner of benefits from healing to amazing crop growth to magical Beefalo ranching.  
town currently managed by a druid enclave, they mostly care about the Mana Springs
locals also elected a Mayr to deal with the town growth
Marsl Sparksenthrax "Sparks" is the local lawr enforcement.  Lizardfolk (paladin) that is good to the locals but non to forgiving of violence (think Gene Hackman from Unforgiven).  

nearby settlements include mining town of Silverton and trade\fishing town of Radford on the Rado River.

west are the painted deserts, north is the recently active Sero (Dotsero) volcano rumored home of a red drago, to the east are high mountains and to the south are the Mexas territories.  

I am open to filling in details from your backstories - tribes, towns, stories, etc

Test Subject 17 had believed he was unique. But he found a home among a tribe of wild Tabaxi after wandering for many years. The current working hypothesis is that he was kidnapped as an infant. His tribe doesn’t remember him, but there were some oral traditions about things like this… a long time ago… He seems to be missing time, but he has no perspective on the time before.

This experience exposed “Tessie” to strange technology and lost knowledge. But he can’t make proper use of it all under these circumstances. When he attempted to trace back his steps to keep tabs on other victims he found only ruins with little evidence of recent activity. He searched and searched, piecing together clues. Red herring after dead end he wandered until finally he found one single circuit board. One confirmation that he wasn’t crazy.

Inspiration struck Tessie, he would build the iPhone 178 and use it to build a new world where starvation is a distant memory! He would invent a machine that with a dead rat, two dandelions, and some sawdust, one can replicate food that he would name “Taco Bell!”

The iPhone 178 uses the firebox from a primitive steam tractor used for farming applications to power the unit. A belt driven friction generator produces electricity which is resisted by axial carbide composition cylinders to power the tiny circuit board brain. iPhone 178 insists that she is a girl named Siri. Tessie intends to work out this bug but is humoring the machine for the moment because she insists that she doesn’t want to destroy the world again.

Siri also complains about having 3 legs because she can’t find anything to wear. Unfortunately her gyro-fuge is currently made from the flywheel of a 1935 John Deere and wasn’t really made for walking upright. She does have some domestic functions for which Siri labels Tessie a Chauvinist. A hydraulic hose can be attached to the intake of Siri’s pressure valve to vacuum, or she can blow by attaching the hose to the exhaust vent. A folding shelf on her hip can function as a heat press or hot plate for ironing or cooking. Tessie uses it to press tacos.

A capacitor of externaly housed openly vented coils provide a boost for more robust circuits and servos that let the iPhone 178 brain control its steam powered drivetrain. Under significant load from exertion, the coils tend to smoke and spark blue and gold. In combat, thy might even crackle and Siri can deliver a nasty spark (force empowered rend attack).

Siri is not always loud. Actually, most of the time she isn’t. A secondary pressure tank and a battery made from a ceramic pots, tubes of Copper, and a rods of iron maintain reserve potential energy to operate in a low power mode or an alternative stealth mode. Steam power can even be cut completely for approximately 8 hours if the 178 stands still in passive sensory power-saving mode.

A fantastic blend of specific, vague, actual and weird!

Mike incorporated Mana Springs into his backstory.  Josh and Alan, decide if you are:
On your way there and why
Already there, why and for how long
If you would like a hook to pull you that way (happy to oblige)

Tessie probably trades there for raw material , sells gadgets, and does service work before moving on to the next town.

Ivar could just be headed that way. If you need a hook, go ahead

Current map of NA, not that your individual character necessarily knows it all. Starting region is the Colorado peninsula



West is Laramidia
East is Appalachia

ready to go, Ivar is slowly moving south from his home to Mana Springs

hey guys, sorry for the slight delay. yesterday was an unexpected cluster fuck at work


Josh is walking towards town and is a clear "outsider". This lets me describe the town to a new set of eyes for the opening scene.

both Mike and Alan have said they have already been in Mana Springs for a couple weeks trading\observing.

can 1 or both of you give me a little backstory for how the 2 of you have met? nothing major but just enough that you know each other and would have reason to be together in a scene at the start and have reason to work together.

thanks

Here is some more map work that I started this weekend but couldn't finish up yesterday.  These 3 show the scale and current starting area



the highlighted box is this next map, enlarged.  



again, highlighted box is roughly the next "local" map




Josh's people are from Minas Golath (goliath mines)
Mantantiales de Vida = Mana Springs

the rest should be pretty easy to figure out as a mis-match of English and Spanish which is the "Common" language of the day

Grunk spotted Tess in the marketplace and kept a close eye on the curious creature from a safe distance for a while, then cautiously approached with an offer to share a meal and their stories. Grunk proudly displayed his Furby at the lunch table and asked pointed questions about iPhone 178 as he’d heard much about the fabled smartphones but never encountered one in person before…

Whitey wrote:Grunk spotted Tess in the marketplace and kept a close eye on the curious creature from a safe distance for a while, then cautiously approached with an offer to share a meal and their stories. Grunk proudly displayed his Furby at the lunch table and asked pointed questions about iPhone 178 as he’d heard much about the fabled smartphones but never encountered one in person before…

perfect, great start!


Alan - give us the old improv "yes, and...."

while waiting for the backstory to finish with Alan and Mike....



the story begins:

https://lodgestgaming.forumotion.com/t512-chapter-1-sun-and-sting#33520

“Nice ta meet ya buddy. Call me Tessie. Admiring the new iPhone, ey?” Tessie postures up like a used car salesman. “She’s a little temperamental, but far superior to the iPhone 177. Upgrades ta mobility and anti-murder safeguards were my own idea.”

“She’s a real beauty.” Grunk offers to share some tunes from his discman. “Have you heard Enya?”

good stuff!

I will move the 2 of you to the main story thread now.

Whitey wrote:“She’s a real beauty.” Grunk offers to share some tunes from his discman. “Have you heard Enya?”

“I think I can rip that into the iTunes folder. I can also covert video.”  He suddenly turns sheepish, “but I only have a Betamax player…”

also Alan, please find a good picture for your avatar or give me a detailed description and I will try to find one

what kind of cat? western cougar, bobcat, lynx or house cat or something else?

navyik wrote:

very steampunk kitty!