Tis what all you fledging Skyship captains have been waiting for, rules for using Skyships in your games of Frozen Skies/Savage Worlds.
Use the Chase rules as found in the Savage Worlds Deluxe rulebook as normal, though use the Piloting skill as rolls concerning Skyships. Group crew rolls also work, each success and raise adding +1 to the captain's Piloting roll and a -2 penalty if they roll a 1.
Skyships also suffer damage like normal, though if they go Out of Control they do not suffer a Flip result (they suffer a Slip instead). On a Roll Over result the Skyship still performs a Slip but lists rather than roll over. Roll collision damage for everyone inside, those out on deck must make Agility rolls to avoid falling overboard unless they happen to be wearing a parachute.
Wrecked Skyships simply sink, typically at a rate of 6d6 minutes. It'll also drift 1d6" and the GM can roll 1d12 for direction. Characters can jump off a sinking Skyship long as they have a parachute.
Now, onto a sample Skyship...
B-Class Frigate
The B-Class frigates first saw service halfway through the Great Darmonican War as a replacement to the earlier A-Class that was in service at the beginning of the War. The B-Class were particularly good as raiders, typically operating in packs of three to provide mutual support to one another. If they managed to capture a prize one would take it under tow whilst the other two would act as escorts.
They have now steadily been replaced by the newer C- and D-Class frigates, as such many B-Class frigates have been assigned either to remote outposts or relegated to patrol duty.
Acc/TS: 3/10, Toughness: 13 (2), Crew: 10
Notes: Heavy Armour
Weapons: Deck Gun (Range 70/90/315; Damage 4d8; ROF 1 action to reload; Medium Burst Template; AP 25, Heavy Weapon), .50 cal machine gun (Range 50/100/200; Damage 2d10; ROF 3; AP 4, Auto, May not move, Heavy Weapon)
Wednesday, 30 September 2015
Wednesday, 23 September 2015
Skyships of Alyeska
A sort of follow-on from a couple of weeks ago, this week we're taking a look at Skyships in Alyeska itself.
With Alyeska being a frontier land you can imagine that Skyships aren't exactly common here, there are few trade consortiums active in Alyeska mainly due to the storms that near-constantly wrack the Mhór Farraige (or Great Ocean) and the Continent's more local problems. The Skywrights Guild are presently the only ones to successfully and regularly operate a Skyship between Alyeska and the rest of Darmonica, thus providing the only reliable lifeline to the Continent. However many accusing the Guild of greed and hiding a secret route through the storms the Guild's Skyships do still suffer damage during the crossing, so at the moment the Guild crossing is only twice a week and their Skyships can regularly be seen docked for repairs. The Guild also owns and operates much of the facilities for handling Skyships in Alyeska, save for the one owned by the Commonwealth's military for its Skyship Squadron and one or two independents.
The Guild, in effect, has a monopoly.
This is due to the Guild keeping much of the knowledge of the technology behind Skyships a secret and the stranglehold they have on Liftorium or 'Lift Gas' as its known. Not only is Lift Gas needed in order to make the Skyships work, its effectiveness as a lifting agent gradually deceases each time it is charged and de-charged. It comes to a point where it ceases to work altogether after steadily requiring more and electricity in order to produce viable lift, ideally Lift Gas needs to be replaced before this point. The Guild has ensured that it is virtually the sole supplier of Lift Gas, chiefly by buying out the various mines and refineries needed for its production. There is a black market in Lift Gas, usually whats been siphoned from someplace and often of dubious quality.
At present there are only a handful of Skyships active in Alyeska, most of these are cargo ones operated by the Guild on behalf of the Aerial Corps. There are one or two operated by pirates or independents, though these aren't seen that often due to the resources required to keep these Skyships in the air. Finally there are the three frigates operated by the Commonwealth military named, Battleaxe, Brilliant and Broadsword respectfully. These Skyships form the Alyeskan Skyship Squadron and one can be seen on any of the following duties at any one time such as patrolling the Wulflands, patrolling the Alyeskan coastline and on station over Gravenberg.
With Alyeska being a frontier land you can imagine that Skyships aren't exactly common here, there are few trade consortiums active in Alyeska mainly due to the storms that near-constantly wrack the Mhór Farraige (or Great Ocean) and the Continent's more local problems. The Skywrights Guild are presently the only ones to successfully and regularly operate a Skyship between Alyeska and the rest of Darmonica, thus providing the only reliable lifeline to the Continent. However many accusing the Guild of greed and hiding a secret route through the storms the Guild's Skyships do still suffer damage during the crossing, so at the moment the Guild crossing is only twice a week and their Skyships can regularly be seen docked for repairs. The Guild also owns and operates much of the facilities for handling Skyships in Alyeska, save for the one owned by the Commonwealth's military for its Skyship Squadron and one or two independents.
The Guild, in effect, has a monopoly.
This is due to the Guild keeping much of the knowledge of the technology behind Skyships a secret and the stranglehold they have on Liftorium or 'Lift Gas' as its known. Not only is Lift Gas needed in order to make the Skyships work, its effectiveness as a lifting agent gradually deceases each time it is charged and de-charged. It comes to a point where it ceases to work altogether after steadily requiring more and electricity in order to produce viable lift, ideally Lift Gas needs to be replaced before this point. The Guild has ensured that it is virtually the sole supplier of Lift Gas, chiefly by buying out the various mines and refineries needed for its production. There is a black market in Lift Gas, usually whats been siphoned from someplace and often of dubious quality.
At present there are only a handful of Skyships active in Alyeska, most of these are cargo ones operated by the Guild on behalf of the Aerial Corps. There are one or two operated by pirates or independents, though these aren't seen that often due to the resources required to keep these Skyships in the air. Finally there are the three frigates operated by the Commonwealth military named, Battleaxe, Brilliant and Broadsword respectfully. These Skyships form the Alyeskan Skyship Squadron and one can be seen on any of the following duties at any one time such as patrolling the Wulflands, patrolling the Alyeskan coastline and on station over Gravenberg.
Wednesday, 16 September 2015
State of the Press September 2015
Been a while since I've done one of these.
Conventions
Not scheduled to attend any further events this year, aside from maybe some Frozen Skies one shots for playtesting (keep an eye on the Facebook page for details).
Next is going to be....interesting.
The girlfriend and I are expecting our first child in February, which is understandably going to have an impact on things. After some discussion we decided that, mainly, due to logistics we won't be attending UK Games Expo next year unless anyone has any bright ideas. Its a bit disappointing since its our biggest event.
We WILL be attending Diceni in Norwich and ExiliCon which is slightly further afield in Cambridge, both are one day events which we know don't present any problems with logistics.
There are also a couple of other events we're looking at, but its dependant on various different factors.
Funding
Slowly getting some funds sorted and got the artwork for Frozen Skies rolling again, though more on that in a moment.
Been looking again at Crowdfunding and the various different options on offer, increasingly I've been drawn to Patreon. Its Crowdfunding that works a little like a subscription service, you pledge however much you normally would like Kickstarter and this is effectively a subscription fee that gets paid on a regular basis. I'm looking at doing this for the blog posts and have a choice of whether its paid per post or per month, though I'm leaning towards it being a monthly payment. Ultimately any earnings from this will be put towards Frozen Skies.
People's thoughts and comments will be most welcomed on this.
And finally...
Artwork
I mentioned artwork earlier.
So heres a WIP snapshot of the latest piece, a Windryder and their Dragonhawk mount.
Conventions
Not scheduled to attend any further events this year, aside from maybe some Frozen Skies one shots for playtesting (keep an eye on the Facebook page for details).
Next is going to be....interesting.
The girlfriend and I are expecting our first child in February, which is understandably going to have an impact on things. After some discussion we decided that, mainly, due to logistics we won't be attending UK Games Expo next year unless anyone has any bright ideas. Its a bit disappointing since its our biggest event.
We WILL be attending Diceni in Norwich and ExiliCon which is slightly further afield in Cambridge, both are one day events which we know don't present any problems with logistics.
There are also a couple of other events we're looking at, but its dependant on various different factors.
Funding
Slowly getting some funds sorted and got the artwork for Frozen Skies rolling again, though more on that in a moment.
Been looking again at Crowdfunding and the various different options on offer, increasingly I've been drawn to Patreon. Its Crowdfunding that works a little like a subscription service, you pledge however much you normally would like Kickstarter and this is effectively a subscription fee that gets paid on a regular basis. I'm looking at doing this for the blog posts and have a choice of whether its paid per post or per month, though I'm leaning towards it being a monthly payment. Ultimately any earnings from this will be put towards Frozen Skies.
People's thoughts and comments will be most welcomed on this.
And finally...
Artwork
I mentioned artwork earlier.
So heres a WIP snapshot of the latest piece, a Windryder and their Dragonhawk mount.
Wednesday, 9 September 2015
Alyeskan Skyships Committee
In a previous post I talked a little about Skyships and vaguely stated how they worked.
Now its time to actually nail down the designs!
There are two primary inspirations behind the Skyships in Frozen Skies, namely the Iron Grip series of video games....
...and the sadly defunct webcomic Alpha Shade.
With Iron Grip the reasoning behind their airships is that the setting has a much higher level of Argon in the atmosphere, thus producing denser air and more static but frequent storms. Its basically zeppelins that they're using, but the denser air apparently means that they can built to be much larger and carry much more weight. Alpha Shade though never goes into any details, though there might be something in the printed collection but I've never had the chance to read it. As a result its anybody's guess, but it is a fantasy setting.
For the Frozen Skies Skyships I'm thinking maybe a cross between the above, at least for style and function. I've mentioned that Skyships use a gas called Liftorium to produce lift, which is normally lighter than air like Helium or Hydrogen. The idea that I'm currently running with for Liftorium is that it can be 'encouraged' to become even lighter. Skyships would have gas bags or 'cells' filled with Liftorium, though just barely enough for the craft to float. The gas cells have electric cables connecting Tesla Coils, when powered the coils produce an electric charge that energies the Liftorium which has the effect in making it a much lighter gas. Another idea I'm looking at is that degaussing can potentially screw up Liftorium's electric charge, so it could be used as a weapon in aerial warfare.
Now over to you guys for your thoughts and ideas.
Now its time to actually nail down the designs!
There are two primary inspirations behind the Skyships in Frozen Skies, namely the Iron Grip series of video games....
...and the sadly defunct webcomic Alpha Shade.
With Iron Grip the reasoning behind their airships is that the setting has a much higher level of Argon in the atmosphere, thus producing denser air and more static but frequent storms. Its basically zeppelins that they're using, but the denser air apparently means that they can built to be much larger and carry much more weight. Alpha Shade though never goes into any details, though there might be something in the printed collection but I've never had the chance to read it. As a result its anybody's guess, but it is a fantasy setting.
For the Frozen Skies Skyships I'm thinking maybe a cross between the above, at least for style and function. I've mentioned that Skyships use a gas called Liftorium to produce lift, which is normally lighter than air like Helium or Hydrogen. The idea that I'm currently running with for Liftorium is that it can be 'encouraged' to become even lighter. Skyships would have gas bags or 'cells' filled with Liftorium, though just barely enough for the craft to float. The gas cells have electric cables connecting Tesla Coils, when powered the coils produce an electric charge that energies the Liftorium which has the effect in making it a much lighter gas. Another idea I'm looking at is that degaussing can potentially screw up Liftorium's electric charge, so it could be used as a weapon in aerial warfare.
Now over to you guys for your thoughts and ideas.
Wednesday, 2 September 2015
Plot Points, Sandboxes and Tales of Savagery
Recently picked up and started reading through 50 Fathoms, widely regarded to be the best Plot Point Campaign around. Whilst it has been useful with ideas to help develop Frozen Skies I feel I should state how I see the setting working.
I've been asked a dew times whether Frozen Skies will be a Plot Point Setting.
Short Answer: No, not really.
Longer-ish Answer: Frozen Skies is really intended to be more of a Sandbox Setting where the players are free to do what they want with their craft of choice in Firefly style adventures. Their ultimate goal is to have enough coin to keep flying/driving/sailing and perhaps even enough to retire on.
That said there may be a handful of Plot Point Campaigns (indeed one is gradually taking shape in the recess of my mind), though whilst these probably will have an effect on the world they are purely optional as far as the GM is concerned. End of the day its the idea that the Plot Points represent bigger things that the players can it caught up in, indeed the one thats currently being brainstormed could shift the balance of power in Alyeska amongst other things.
Of course there will be more adventures much more like Firewater & Ice which whilst not much of an effect on the world if any, generally intended to be something a bit different for the players to do. It could be stuff like a bank job, a jailbreak or lost treasure.
Hope that helps to clear things up a bit.
I've been asked a dew times whether Frozen Skies will be a Plot Point Setting.
Short Answer: No, not really.
Longer-ish Answer: Frozen Skies is really intended to be more of a Sandbox Setting where the players are free to do what they want with their craft of choice in Firefly style adventures. Their ultimate goal is to have enough coin to keep flying/driving/sailing and perhaps even enough to retire on.
That said there may be a handful of Plot Point Campaigns (indeed one is gradually taking shape in the recess of my mind), though whilst these probably will have an effect on the world they are purely optional as far as the GM is concerned. End of the day its the idea that the Plot Points represent bigger things that the players can it caught up in, indeed the one thats currently being brainstormed could shift the balance of power in Alyeska amongst other things.
Of course there will be more adventures much more like Firewater & Ice which whilst not much of an effect on the world if any, generally intended to be something a bit different for the players to do. It could be stuff like a bank job, a jailbreak or lost treasure.
Hope that helps to clear things up a bit.
Friday, 28 August 2015
Classified, Declassified, Unclassified
First off, apologies for the lateness of this post...its been a hectic week with various things going on.
Regardless without further delay, time to get on with this week's post!
Been brainstorming ideas recently about life in the Iron Collective, already talked about how everyone is viewed as simply being a cog in the machine that is society, how the traditional family does not exist and children are taken by the state, etc. Well this week we're going to talk a bit more about this.
The Collective's education system is built around continuously assessing a child as they develop in order to determine what role they are best suited for, it begins from the moment they are taken in by the state until they become a teenager during whats called the 'Primary Phase'. Upon turning 13 they were put into what is called the Secondary Phase, based upon assessments done during the first Phase they are entered to specialized academies to do the trade training for the role that has been determined for them. Somebody destined to be a soldier in the Iron Guard would enter a military academy, where as somebody destined to be a builder would enter a construction academy. Ultimately the trade that a person is trained for during the Secondary Phase is the trade that they will have for the rest of their life, there is virtually no way of changing it except for perhaps becoming what is called Declassified. Typically Declassification means you've committed a crime, it doesn't matter how severe as the punishment automatically includes losing one's Classification which is near permanent.
Then there is Unclassified.
Unclassification tends to come in two categories; those who have 'failed' the Primary Phase assessments and those deemed 'non-citizens'. Unclassified generally given to those who 'fail' their assessments, that is the assessment were not able to determine a role for the person for various reasons. When this happens the person either has the option of being shipped off to a work camp or what is effectively exile from society, it just depends on how good they are at outrunning the Iron Guard. Some Unclassified end up mixing with the Declassified in the criminal underworld, though mostly in the cities. Other Unclassified strike out for the fringes of the Collective, the border zones where the reach of the central authority is its weakest. It is generally the Unclassified who outsiders interact with as they tend to be the ones trading with the outside world despite the harsh laws against it. The non-citizen Unclassified are generally those who aren't in the system, mostly the Genchi on the Collective's fringes.
Regardless without further delay, time to get on with this week's post!
Been brainstorming ideas recently about life in the Iron Collective, already talked about how everyone is viewed as simply being a cog in the machine that is society, how the traditional family does not exist and children are taken by the state, etc. Well this week we're going to talk a bit more about this.
The Collective's education system is built around continuously assessing a child as they develop in order to determine what role they are best suited for, it begins from the moment they are taken in by the state until they become a teenager during whats called the 'Primary Phase'. Upon turning 13 they were put into what is called the Secondary Phase, based upon assessments done during the first Phase they are entered to specialized academies to do the trade training for the role that has been determined for them. Somebody destined to be a soldier in the Iron Guard would enter a military academy, where as somebody destined to be a builder would enter a construction academy. Ultimately the trade that a person is trained for during the Secondary Phase is the trade that they will have for the rest of their life, there is virtually no way of changing it except for perhaps becoming what is called Declassified. Typically Declassification means you've committed a crime, it doesn't matter how severe as the punishment automatically includes losing one's Classification which is near permanent.
Then there is Unclassified.
Unclassification tends to come in two categories; those who have 'failed' the Primary Phase assessments and those deemed 'non-citizens'. Unclassified generally given to those who 'fail' their assessments, that is the assessment were not able to determine a role for the person for various reasons. When this happens the person either has the option of being shipped off to a work camp or what is effectively exile from society, it just depends on how good they are at outrunning the Iron Guard. Some Unclassified end up mixing with the Declassified in the criminal underworld, though mostly in the cities. Other Unclassified strike out for the fringes of the Collective, the border zones where the reach of the central authority is its weakest. It is generally the Unclassified who outsiders interact with as they tend to be the ones trading with the outside world despite the harsh laws against it. The non-citizen Unclassified are generally those who aren't in the system, mostly the Genchi on the Collective's fringes.
Wednesday, 19 August 2015
Greed Is Good: The Coalition
If there is one single country that did exceedingly well out of the War it has to be the Coalition, flush with money earned from war profiteering. Yet it has only been in existence for a short period of time and it is finding that the outbreak of peace is hurting its bottom line.
History
Before the War the Coalition didn't exist, least not in the form it does today. It was once the United Provinces under the rule of King Francis IV, an anxious man constantly worrying about external threats to his country even though the true threat came from within. Whilst the King made every effort to stay on friendly terms with his country's neighbours, a group of merchants and industrialists were plotting to remove him since they viewed him as a barrier to making their country (rather them) prosperous. When the Great Darmonican War broke out King Francis declared his country to be neutral and placed restrictions on exports, basic foodstuff and some luxury goods were generally allowed but resources that would help a country's war effort weren't. Even though the King took these steps to ensure the safety of his country the plotters saw it as the last straw.
Having effective control over the United Provinces' legislative body the Council, either by having their own members or having brought others, the plotters made their move. A Motion of No Confidence was passed against the King, something that the plotters won with a one sided vote and effectively removed the King from power. King Francis was made a broken man and spent the last few years of his life in a deep depression in exile moaning the lost of his beloved country. The Council, now free to run the country as it sought fit, set about deregulating industry and transforming the country.
Now known as the Coalition, the Council sent feelers out to the various combatants in the War and worked out trade agreements. The combatants would gain greater access to the Coalition's resources for their war efforts, however the shipments would be guarded by Coalition soldiers and sanctions would be made against those who tried attacking these shipments. After the Coalition made its points after it initial trade convoys were ambushed it was left alone, view as a necessary evil by the various powers involved in the war. The Coalition was able to build up a vast fortune, building up its industry to produce war materials. With the end of the War there was little need for the Coalition's products, as it profits fell the Coalition sought to shift its industry towards producing peacetime goods which slowed and stabilized the fall in profit. But the Coalition was not forgotten how the coin flowed during the War and it eager to see the return of conflict.
Present Day
The Coalition is a heavily industrialized nation, largely intact following the end of the War. No longer able to make vast amount of coin on war profiteering the Coalition has been forced to refocus its industry in order to keep the coin flowing. It has established a colony called Port Capital in Alyeska, where it has mounted expeditions into the Wulflands in search of Ancient Terran ruins. Elsewhere agents from the External Audit Department work towards igniting other conflicts, simply so that their masters can war profiteer again. Asset Retention Bureau operatives hunt down and recover stolen Coalition property and secrets by any means necessary, they are also tasked with gaining non-Coalition assets of interest by similar means.
History
Before the War the Coalition didn't exist, least not in the form it does today. It was once the United Provinces under the rule of King Francis IV, an anxious man constantly worrying about external threats to his country even though the true threat came from within. Whilst the King made every effort to stay on friendly terms with his country's neighbours, a group of merchants and industrialists were plotting to remove him since they viewed him as a barrier to making their country (rather them) prosperous. When the Great Darmonican War broke out King Francis declared his country to be neutral and placed restrictions on exports, basic foodstuff and some luxury goods were generally allowed but resources that would help a country's war effort weren't. Even though the King took these steps to ensure the safety of his country the plotters saw it as the last straw.
Having effective control over the United Provinces' legislative body the Council, either by having their own members or having brought others, the plotters made their move. A Motion of No Confidence was passed against the King, something that the plotters won with a one sided vote and effectively removed the King from power. King Francis was made a broken man and spent the last few years of his life in a deep depression in exile moaning the lost of his beloved country. The Council, now free to run the country as it sought fit, set about deregulating industry and transforming the country.
Now known as the Coalition, the Council sent feelers out to the various combatants in the War and worked out trade agreements. The combatants would gain greater access to the Coalition's resources for their war efforts, however the shipments would be guarded by Coalition soldiers and sanctions would be made against those who tried attacking these shipments. After the Coalition made its points after it initial trade convoys were ambushed it was left alone, view as a necessary evil by the various powers involved in the war. The Coalition was able to build up a vast fortune, building up its industry to produce war materials. With the end of the War there was little need for the Coalition's products, as it profits fell the Coalition sought to shift its industry towards producing peacetime goods which slowed and stabilized the fall in profit. But the Coalition was not forgotten how the coin flowed during the War and it eager to see the return of conflict.
Present Day
The Coalition is a heavily industrialized nation, largely intact following the end of the War. No longer able to make vast amount of coin on war profiteering the Coalition has been forced to refocus its industry in order to keep the coin flowing. It has established a colony called Port Capital in Alyeska, where it has mounted expeditions into the Wulflands in search of Ancient Terran ruins. Elsewhere agents from the External Audit Department work towards igniting other conflicts, simply so that their masters can war profiteer again. Asset Retention Bureau operatives hunt down and recover stolen Coalition property and secrets by any means necessary, they are also tasked with gaining non-Coalition assets of interest by similar means.
Wednesday, 12 August 2015
Armed Rovers: The Alyeskan Outriders
The threat of the Wulvers mean that a constant watch over the Wulflands is needed, primarily to keep tabs on the various roaming packs. At first glance aircraft would seem ideal for this role, however the Aerial Corps have a limited number of aircraft available for this role and the Wulvers have leant to go to ground whenever they hear an aircraft. These two factors mean that the scope of the Aerial Corps' anti-Wulver operations are limited to sorties of fighter-bombers or light bombers that occasionally roam the skies of the Wulflands looking for targets of opportunity to attack, other means are required to keep watch on the beasts.
Hence the Alyeskan Outriders.
The Outriders were formed to undertake long-range reconnaissance patrols to gather intelligence on the movements of the Wulvers, typically by setting up so-called 'Watches' where a patrol would lay low in a camouflaged position to observe the Wulvers in a given area and radio their report to the HQ at Calharrow. Aside from this intelligence gathering role, the Outriders also conduct hit and run attacks on Wulver packs usually in conjunction with Aerial Corps aircraft or the Wulfbane Cammandos.
Organisation
HQ Calharrow exercises both administrative and operational command over the Outriders, reporting directly to the Commonwealth military's Alyeskan Command. Along with the nominal Headquarters Section, Calharrow is also home to signals, survey and workshop sections as well as a small military hospital. There is also the Outrider's Air Section based at Calharrow which uses light transport planes to transport key personnel, evacuate wounded and perform other liaison tasks. A Heavy Section, used to provide logistical support by transporting supplies to bases and setting up hidden replenishment points at pre-arranged locations, is also based at Calharrow.
Below HQ Calharrow are a number of Squadrons, each one of is lettered and made up of four patrols which are in turn numbered. Each patrol as five trucks typically arranged in the following order; Patrol Commander, Patrol Sergeant, radio & navigation, medical orderly, mechanic. Each truck is normally armed with a pair of machine guns, plus the personal weapons of the various members of the patrol.
Game Stats
Outrider
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Notice d8, Repair d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6, Throwing d4
Charmisa: - Pace: 6 Toughness: 5
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Marksman, McGyver, Steady Hands
Hindrances: Vow
Gear: Rifle (Range 24/48/96, Damage 2d8, RoF 1, AP 2)
Officer
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Knowledge (Battle) d8, Notice d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6,
Charmisa: - Pace: 6 Toughness: 5
Edges: Command, Hold The Line!
Hindrances: Vow
Gear: Pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6, RoF 1, Revolver)
Truck
Acc/Top Speed: 10/25; Toughness: 12(1); Crew: 1+4; Weapons: 2x Machines (Range 40/80/160, Damage 2d8, RoF 3, AP 2, Auto, Snapfire)
Hence the Alyeskan Outriders.
The Outriders were formed to undertake long-range reconnaissance patrols to gather intelligence on the movements of the Wulvers, typically by setting up so-called 'Watches' where a patrol would lay low in a camouflaged position to observe the Wulvers in a given area and radio their report to the HQ at Calharrow. Aside from this intelligence gathering role, the Outriders also conduct hit and run attacks on Wulver packs usually in conjunction with Aerial Corps aircraft or the Wulfbane Cammandos.
Organisation
HQ Calharrow exercises both administrative and operational command over the Outriders, reporting directly to the Commonwealth military's Alyeskan Command. Along with the nominal Headquarters Section, Calharrow is also home to signals, survey and workshop sections as well as a small military hospital. There is also the Outrider's Air Section based at Calharrow which uses light transport planes to transport key personnel, evacuate wounded and perform other liaison tasks. A Heavy Section, used to provide logistical support by transporting supplies to bases and setting up hidden replenishment points at pre-arranged locations, is also based at Calharrow.
Below HQ Calharrow are a number of Squadrons, each one of is lettered and made up of four patrols which are in turn numbered. Each patrol as five trucks typically arranged in the following order; Patrol Commander, Patrol Sergeant, radio & navigation, medical orderly, mechanic. Each truck is normally armed with a pair of machine guns, plus the personal weapons of the various members of the patrol.
Game Stats
Outrider
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Notice d8, Repair d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6, Throwing d4
Charmisa: - Pace: 6 Toughness: 5
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Marksman, McGyver, Steady Hands
Hindrances: Vow
Gear: Rifle (Range 24/48/96, Damage 2d8, RoF 1, AP 2)
Officer
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Driving d6, Fighting d6, Knowledge (Battle) d8, Notice d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d6,
Charmisa: - Pace: 6 Toughness: 5
Edges: Command, Hold The Line!
Hindrances: Vow
Gear: Pistol (Range 12/24/48, Damage 2d6, RoF 1, Revolver)
Truck
Acc/Top Speed: 10/25; Toughness: 12(1); Crew: 1+4; Weapons: 2x Machines (Range 40/80/160, Damage 2d8, RoF 3, AP 2, Auto, Snapfire)
Wednesday, 5 August 2015
On Matters Racial, Part Two
Follow on from last week's post as promised, more details on the Windryders and Genchi.
Physical Appearance
Whilst Humanoid and can pass for Human with a degree of effort, both the Windryders and Genchi have physical characteristics that set them apart from Humans as well as linking the two. They generally have green pointed ears, slightly prehensile hairless tail in matching skin tone to ears, 4-digits only on both hands and feet as opposed to Human norm of 5-digits. All thats required for either race to pass for Human is the right sort of clothing, the Windryders are typically dressed in thick furs out of practicability due to the cold climate of their home and so most folk presume that they are Human. The Genchi on the other hand can be found further afield and in warmer climates where lighter clothing are required, meaning its typically to see that they are not Human.
On the whole both races tend to be of a smaller build and shorter height on average to compared to Humans, both never have had anything close to the readily available food Humans had. Course in the present day the situation is even worse, the Windryders face a resurgence of Wulvers encroaching on their food supplies whilst the Genchi are bottom of the list with regards to the rationing that is still in force since the War. The Genchi in particular are getting even worse deal, they are frequently being accused of being thieves if the latest delivery of rations turns up short.
Culture
The Windryders have managed to retain their tribal ways over the centuries, they are nomadic hunter-gatherers and are typically grouped into family groups called kindreds. In remote places across the Alyeskan Outlands they have adapted old Ancient Terran ruins into habitable dwellings, typically only used to see out the worst of the weather such as blizzards during the winter months. These shelters are marked with Windryder runes, usually denoting which kindreds have used the shelter and critical information about the local area for other kindreds such as food sources, dangers, etc. Typically they don't take kindly to outsiders using these shelters, though they have on occasion invited outsiders who had been rescued from trouble by Windryders.
For the Genchi much of the tribal ways of their ancestors was brutally eradicated during their enslavement by the Ancient Terrans, so much of their culture they have had to rebuild from scratch. They have managed to retain the kindred structure of their Windryder cousins, this is most evident in so-called ghettos where most of the inhabitants all belong to the same kindred. Genchi Ghettos are typically the slum area of many cities, the Genchi are rarely able to earn above the poverty live due to them often being second class citizens. During the War the ghettos are particularly hit hard by bombing raids against various cities resulting in large numbers of Genchi losing their lives, today the surviving Genchi are bottom of the list for rehousing and have been forced to rebuild their bomb blasted homes best they can.
There is an offshoot of the Genchi dubbed the Skykin, the lure of the freedom of the skies of their Windryder ancestors is strong in their blood. As a result the Skykin Genchi have become nomads of the skies, residing in free roaming airships and making ends meet by bartering or offering their skills to various settlements. The Skykin have travelled widely, typically as a convoy of airships that carries an entire kindred. For extra protection the airships carry a motley collection of ramshackle fighters, which can be remarkably effective piloted by a race known for being agile.
Physical Appearance
Whilst Humanoid and can pass for Human with a degree of effort, both the Windryders and Genchi have physical characteristics that set them apart from Humans as well as linking the two. They generally have green pointed ears, slightly prehensile hairless tail in matching skin tone to ears, 4-digits only on both hands and feet as opposed to Human norm of 5-digits. All thats required for either race to pass for Human is the right sort of clothing, the Windryders are typically dressed in thick furs out of practicability due to the cold climate of their home and so most folk presume that they are Human. The Genchi on the other hand can be found further afield and in warmer climates where lighter clothing are required, meaning its typically to see that they are not Human.
On the whole both races tend to be of a smaller build and shorter height on average to compared to Humans, both never have had anything close to the readily available food Humans had. Course in the present day the situation is even worse, the Windryders face a resurgence of Wulvers encroaching on their food supplies whilst the Genchi are bottom of the list with regards to the rationing that is still in force since the War. The Genchi in particular are getting even worse deal, they are frequently being accused of being thieves if the latest delivery of rations turns up short.
Culture
The Windryders have managed to retain their tribal ways over the centuries, they are nomadic hunter-gatherers and are typically grouped into family groups called kindreds. In remote places across the Alyeskan Outlands they have adapted old Ancient Terran ruins into habitable dwellings, typically only used to see out the worst of the weather such as blizzards during the winter months. These shelters are marked with Windryder runes, usually denoting which kindreds have used the shelter and critical information about the local area for other kindreds such as food sources, dangers, etc. Typically they don't take kindly to outsiders using these shelters, though they have on occasion invited outsiders who had been rescued from trouble by Windryders.
For the Genchi much of the tribal ways of their ancestors was brutally eradicated during their enslavement by the Ancient Terrans, so much of their culture they have had to rebuild from scratch. They have managed to retain the kindred structure of their Windryder cousins, this is most evident in so-called ghettos where most of the inhabitants all belong to the same kindred. Genchi Ghettos are typically the slum area of many cities, the Genchi are rarely able to earn above the poverty live due to them often being second class citizens. During the War the ghettos are particularly hit hard by bombing raids against various cities resulting in large numbers of Genchi losing their lives, today the surviving Genchi are bottom of the list for rehousing and have been forced to rebuild their bomb blasted homes best they can.
There is an offshoot of the Genchi dubbed the Skykin, the lure of the freedom of the skies of their Windryder ancestors is strong in their blood. As a result the Skykin Genchi have become nomads of the skies, residing in free roaming airships and making ends meet by bartering or offering their skills to various settlements. The Skykin have travelled widely, typically as a convoy of airships that carries an entire kindred. For extra protection the airships carry a motley collection of ramshackle fighters, which can be remarkably effective piloted by a race known for being agile.
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
On Matters Racial
Had a decent response from the feedback survey I posted up last week, quite some interesting response. Overall people seem to be open to the idea of non-Human races in Frozen Skies, though they weren't so keen on them being playable races.Regardless I'll keep it going for another week, if you want to fill it out then the link can be found here; https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZJWQS2J
Now onto this week's post.
First off I wish to stress that there are NO plans for the Wulvers becoming playable characters, they're intended to be savage (if somewhat cunning) beasts.They're intended to be predator in the Alyeskan wilderness, a horde thats threatening to overrun the last bastion of Man on the Continent. Its possible that they may have a primitive culture, though its probable that they can claw their way up trees. They'll certainly rip you limb from limb if given half a chance.
Secondly, couple of non-Human races that probably will be in Frozen Skies but optional far as being playable characters are concerned.
Windryders
I've posted about these giant bird riding tribals before, even hinting at them being possibly non-Human since it was an idea that I was toying with. Physical details I'll cover at a later date, but the general idea was that the Windryders were around before the Ancient Terrans were. As the Ancient Terrans rose to power they raided Windryder camps for slaves, this is why the Windryders tend to be nomadic and mistrustful of outsiders. The ones that became slaves of the Ancient Terrans ended up forming an offshoot of the Windryders, namely the...
Genchi
After being slaves of the Ancient Terrans for countless generations, the Genchi lost much of their old Windryder ways and gradually formed their own distinct culture. They had a mechanical aptitude breed into them, so using mechanical devices as well as repairing and/or scavenging them comes naturally to a Genchi. Though the Genchi tend to be treated as second-class citizens and so are often found in their own ghettoes or doing menial factory work, though a minority have found work in the military as mechanics. A skilled handful have even managed to better themselves.
Making Characters
Below are templates created via the Savage Worlds race creation rules, these are useful as guidelines for making NPCs of the above races or could be used to create player characters if the GM allows it.
Windryder
Agile
Skyborn - d6 in Riding
Icy Home - +4 vs Cold
Outsider
Pacifist (Minor)
Genchi
Agile
Grease Monkey - d6 in Repair
Outsider
Now onto this week's post.
First off I wish to stress that there are NO plans for the Wulvers becoming playable characters, they're intended to be savage (if somewhat cunning) beasts.They're intended to be predator in the Alyeskan wilderness, a horde thats threatening to overrun the last bastion of Man on the Continent. Its possible that they may have a primitive culture, though its probable that they can claw their way up trees. They'll certainly rip you limb from limb if given half a chance.
Secondly, couple of non-Human races that probably will be in Frozen Skies but optional far as being playable characters are concerned.
Windryders
I've posted about these giant bird riding tribals before, even hinting at them being possibly non-Human since it was an idea that I was toying with. Physical details I'll cover at a later date, but the general idea was that the Windryders were around before the Ancient Terrans were. As the Ancient Terrans rose to power they raided Windryder camps for slaves, this is why the Windryders tend to be nomadic and mistrustful of outsiders. The ones that became slaves of the Ancient Terrans ended up forming an offshoot of the Windryders, namely the...
Genchi
After being slaves of the Ancient Terrans for countless generations, the Genchi lost much of their old Windryder ways and gradually formed their own distinct culture. They had a mechanical aptitude breed into them, so using mechanical devices as well as repairing and/or scavenging them comes naturally to a Genchi. Though the Genchi tend to be treated as second-class citizens and so are often found in their own ghettoes or doing menial factory work, though a minority have found work in the military as mechanics. A skilled handful have even managed to better themselves.
Making Characters
Below are templates created via the Savage Worlds race creation rules, these are useful as guidelines for making NPCs of the above races or could be used to create player characters if the GM allows it.
Windryder
Agile
Skyborn - d6 in Riding
Icy Home - +4 vs Cold
Outsider
Pacifist (Minor)
Genchi
Agile
Grease Monkey - d6 in Repair
Outsider
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