Last night got to run the first part of my Fool's Errand campaign, though time constraints meant for a short gaming session. As ever there was one or two things that I didn't account for, though thankfully didn't have to wing things that much. Regardless heres the session report followed by some thoughts.
An Offer You Can't Refuse
Our adventure begins with a pilot called Arnie and his companion Brick the...err...Brick, receiving a visit from some brutes decently dress in second-hand suits. Our duo have summons from a local crime boss known as 'Ferret', though he would be most disappointed if his invitation was declined. Not wishing to disappoint (and wishing to avoid some interesting bruises) the duo accept Ferret's summons and are escorted to his office in a warehouse by the local airfield. Ferret greets them when they arrive and explains he has a job for them, a simple fetch and retrieve kind of job.
But it ain't that simple.
The item is a box located in a bank vault and there are possibly other people after the same item, oh and the bank is in a ghost town out in the Wulflands. Other problem is that if they headed to the town right there and then they would arrive only a short while before nightfall, spending a night out in the Wulflands isn't exactly a good idea. Arnie did point out that neither he or his heavyweight comrade are safecrackers, Ferret introduced his own locksmith in the form of a short lass called Karla. Things got off to a good start when Arnie made a comment about babysitting, Karla responded in kind and stated she could handle herself.
Our trio set off via aircraft to a point just east of the Wulfwall, a line of fortifications separating the Wulflands from the rest of Alyeska, where they setup camp for the night so that they had more daylight to take advantage of the following day. After an uneventful night they completed the rest of their journey and found the town without too much trouble, a circuit round the town showed it was abandoned with no sign of life. They then landed at what they took to be the town's airstrip, Arnie positioned the aircraft after landing so that it was facing along the runway so help save time later when they took off again.
Moving into town they saw many signs of neglect, wooden buildings rotted and partially collapsed. Even some of the brick buildings had sagging roofs and broken windows whilst the streets were cracked with weeds, there was also some wildlife in the form of birds and rabbits. The bank itself was easy to find, being one of the larger brick buildings and located in the town square, it also showed signs of neglect and its doors swung freely in the breeze as debris littered the interior. The vault thankfully seemed to be intact and Karla got to work opening the door (three successful Lockpicking rolls, last of which got a raise) and had it open within half an hour. Inside there was the box as Ferret said there would be, plus bags of paper money and bank bonds. Though the paper crumbled as Arnie picked some up, so the bags were considered to be worthless and left.
Just as our trio were getting ready to leave movement was spotted outside, an impressive Notice roll from Arnie revealed some men trying to sneak up to the bank in one of the nearby alleyways or side streets. A quick search of the bank turned up a back door which the trio left through and found themselves in an alley, though the men quickly discovered this and were soon on the trio's tail. A short Chase then took place on foot through the alleyways and streets of the town, one of the men fell to gunfire whilst a second got an impressive strike from Brick's knuckleduster (29 damage!). Gunfire on both sides proved to be ineffective during the short pursuit (the thugs giving chase often rolled too low to get an Action Card), Karla failed both times she tried to 'Force' the thugs with a distraction and Brick almost came a cropper when he ran into a wooden barrel (Minor Obstacle complication).
Before long they were back at the airstrip, slightly outnumbered by the thugs (5 vs 3) but still in procession of the box. The leader of the thugs attempted to convince the trio to hand over the box but Arnie, fearful of what Ferret may do to them, refused even when the thug boss offered double the coin that Ferret had offered them for the job. With a sigh the thug boss called out "shoot 'em!" and gunfire broke out a second time, the scant cover offering little protection for our trio as Brick went down almost instantly under the volley of fire but without a permanent injury. Karla was next to go down, but the trio had managed to thin down the thugs slightly in return.
Then Arnie spotted something.
Some Wulvers had been drawn by the sound of gunfire and set upon the thugs, tearing two of them limb from limb. With the thugs now otherwise occupied Arnie dragged both of his companions and the box onto the aircraft and hastily started her up. Only the thug boss remained facing down the Wulvers as the aircraft's engines spluttered into life, fire from the boss' machine pistol managing to cripple one of the beasts but that only delayed the inevitable of him being ripped to shreds. By now the plane was rolling down the runway and picking up speed, the Wulvers gave chase but soon enough the plane's tail came up and its wings started to bite the air. Before the beasts could get within a hair's breath the aircraft was already climbing up into the wild blue yonder, Arnie breathing a huge sigh of relief before easing off the throttles and settling the plane down into a cruising speed.
Both Brick and Karla were Incapacitated, but thankfully they weren't bleeding out and neither of them got permanent injuries. They still had the box and thus could complete the job for Ferret, but first Arnie wanted to get his companions seen to and had set course for the nearest town east of the Wulfwall. Because of time constraints the session finished there, but I'm quite pleased that we managed to finish Act One of Fool's Errand within two or three hours.
Thoughts
Stated earlier that there were one or two things that I hadn't accounted for when I wrote the adventure series; the players choosing to run.
I was expecting the players to stand their ground and use the bank as an improvised fort, but players are always doing things you don't expect. Still it gave me a chance to use the Chase rules earlier than was planned, one of my players said it was certainly a bit different compared to the normal combat that they were used to. But I will have to try to use the Chase rules a bit more often now in my games, obviously where it makes sense to do so.
My other observation was how much of a struggle it ended up being for the players, after all there was only two player characters and the GM controlled Karla against 7 thugs of which one was a Wild Card. The players had the Advantage over the thugs for much of the Chase, but the range penalties hampered their shooting by a noticeable amount. The thugs for their part had to contend with my pair dice rolling, though when they got the chance to shoot they almost wiped the floor as proven by how quickly they felled Brick and Karla in open combat.
On the whole I'm quite happy with how the adventure ran and the players seemed to have enjoyed it, though when it comes to writing it up properly I will have to factor in the consideration that the players may choose to flee rather than stand and fight.
Wednesday, 25 January 2017
Wednesday, 18 January 2017
January 2017 Update
We're a few weeks into 2017 and already plans for the year are beginning to take shape.This week's post mainly concerns convention appearances, primarily trade stands and perhaps events I may run during the convention/show.
Diceni
It is a bit disappointing that Diceni will not be running this year, though it is understandable that a number of factors meant the show organiser wasn't able to run it this year. Still, its set to return next year and its a good opportunity to take some time to plan out possible changes.
UK Games Expo
We're back baby!
Had to skip last year's UKGE, so looking forwards to returning to what is the biggest convention for Utherwald. Again we'll have a trade stand over the three days that the Expo runs, though tempted to run Frozen Skies related one-shots but we'll see.
Though I am hoping to have something pretty big for UKGE, but thats dependent on a few things and I cannot give any details until we're much closer to May time.
NORCON
The second big event of the year for Utherwald, now expanded to a two day event in October. Though here it'll just be a trade stand.
Exilicon
The third and, quite possibly, final event of the year for Utherwald is Exilicon in Cambridge. Once again there'll be a trade stand, may do other events like the presentation I did last year. More details when I get confirmation of dates.
Diceni
It is a bit disappointing that Diceni will not be running this year, though it is understandable that a number of factors meant the show organiser wasn't able to run it this year. Still, its set to return next year and its a good opportunity to take some time to plan out possible changes.
UK Games Expo
We're back baby!
Had to skip last year's UKGE, so looking forwards to returning to what is the biggest convention for Utherwald. Again we'll have a trade stand over the three days that the Expo runs, though tempted to run Frozen Skies related one-shots but we'll see.
Though I am hoping to have something pretty big for UKGE, but thats dependent on a few things and I cannot give any details until we're much closer to May time.
NORCON
The second big event of the year for Utherwald, now expanded to a two day event in October. Though here it'll just be a trade stand.
Exilicon
The third and, quite possibly, final event of the year for Utherwald is Exilicon in Cambridge. Once again there'll be a trade stand, may do other events like the presentation I did last year. More details when I get confirmation of dates.
Wednesday, 11 January 2017
The Iron Road
Prior to the arrival of aircraft, another form of transport was expected to be king in Alyeska; Railways.
Though eclipsed by the raise of air travels, the railways made a mark on Alyeska's history and still plays a valuable role to this day. Whilst everyone agrees that aircraft can fly cargo almost anywhere throughout Alyeska, the railways can carry almost anything. There are some cargoes that are better suited to carriage along the iron road than through the air.
The Grand Trunk
The greatest example and most important piece of railway in Alyeska is the Grand Trunk, a 'main line' that begins in Gravenburgh and runs through Morrdun before passing through the Wulfwall and terminating in Fort Ragnar on the coast of the Wulflands. Surprisingly passenger services are run along the entire length of the line, though in reality not many people will travel via rail to Fort Ragnar due to the dangers of the Wulflands. Alot of passenger trains terminate at Fort Albert on the 'civilized' side of the Wulfwall, the sole reason for the handful of passengers trains that do brave the Wulflands do so for political reasons to appease the reaming civilian population of Fort Ragnar.
There are another of branch lines that split off from the Grand Trunk, though alot of these are industrial in nature using mining and logging camps thus tend to see freight rather than passengers. Indeed the greater portion of traffic on the Grand Trunk is generally freight, a good portion of which is military related carrying supplies and munitions.
Other Lines
Aside from the Grand Trunk there are other railways in Alyeska, most of these are in the Outlands and don't reliably carry passengers. Again these are mainly industrial, serving mining and logging camps. The Tay River Railway connects Gravenburgh to the town of Tay River, located on the southern shore of Wicked Antler Lake in the Outlands. Purpleflint, a town on the northern shore of the same lake and capital of the Outlands, also has a railway line but that one is largely used for ores to be shipped to the town and loaded onto river barges to be taken to the coast. There are plans to construct a line that goes round the lake, but nothing has been done to achieve this yet.
Though eclipsed by the raise of air travels, the railways made a mark on Alyeska's history and still plays a valuable role to this day. Whilst everyone agrees that aircraft can fly cargo almost anywhere throughout Alyeska, the railways can carry almost anything. There are some cargoes that are better suited to carriage along the iron road than through the air.
The Grand Trunk
The greatest example and most important piece of railway in Alyeska is the Grand Trunk, a 'main line' that begins in Gravenburgh and runs through Morrdun before passing through the Wulfwall and terminating in Fort Ragnar on the coast of the Wulflands. Surprisingly passenger services are run along the entire length of the line, though in reality not many people will travel via rail to Fort Ragnar due to the dangers of the Wulflands. Alot of passenger trains terminate at Fort Albert on the 'civilized' side of the Wulfwall, the sole reason for the handful of passengers trains that do brave the Wulflands do so for political reasons to appease the reaming civilian population of Fort Ragnar.
There are another of branch lines that split off from the Grand Trunk, though alot of these are industrial in nature using mining and logging camps thus tend to see freight rather than passengers. Indeed the greater portion of traffic on the Grand Trunk is generally freight, a good portion of which is military related carrying supplies and munitions.
Other Lines
Aside from the Grand Trunk there are other railways in Alyeska, most of these are in the Outlands and don't reliably carry passengers. Again these are mainly industrial, serving mining and logging camps. The Tay River Railway connects Gravenburgh to the town of Tay River, located on the southern shore of Wicked Antler Lake in the Outlands. Purpleflint, a town on the northern shore of the same lake and capital of the Outlands, also has a railway line but that one is largely used for ores to be shipped to the town and loaded onto river barges to be taken to the coast. There are plans to construct a line that goes round the lake, but nothing has been done to achieve this yet.
Wednesday, 4 January 2017
Creature Feature: Scavvers
We're kicking off the New Year with a new Creature Feature!
This week we'll be taking a look at a critter that can be found all over Darmonica, one that is widely as nuisance vermin. In the coming weeks I hope to get a posting schedule sorted, basically structure what I'm going to be posting each week. Monthly updates and planning notes/session reports of my Frozen Skies campaign will probably form the backbone of this with a mixture of new monsters, locations, setting notes, etc.
Scavvers
Scavvers are small humanoid creatures with pale grey skin, big pointed ears and a scrawny build. They are natural tinkerers and are drawn to machinery, mainly found in urban areas but they been spotted in mining camps as well as old battlefields and aircraft crash sites. Scavengers second to none, they are considered a nuisance for their tenacity to steal parts which makes them especially unpopular in factories and workshops alike. In the eyes of the law they are officially considered vermin, some areas (if they're highly industrial) will place a small bounty on them.
Being cowardly creatures they would rather flee than face a fight, though if cornered or if they have numbers on their side they will fight like cornered rodents and will gang-up to bring down larger foes.
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d8, Stealth d10, Repair d8
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
Special Abilities
*Claws: Str+d4
*Size -1: Scavvers stand barely more than 3' in height.
This week we'll be taking a look at a critter that can be found all over Darmonica, one that is widely as nuisance vermin. In the coming weeks I hope to get a posting schedule sorted, basically structure what I'm going to be posting each week. Monthly updates and planning notes/session reports of my Frozen Skies campaign will probably form the backbone of this with a mixture of new monsters, locations, setting notes, etc.
Scavvers
Scavvers are small humanoid creatures with pale grey skin, big pointed ears and a scrawny build. They are natural tinkerers and are drawn to machinery, mainly found in urban areas but they been spotted in mining camps as well as old battlefields and aircraft crash sites. Scavengers second to none, they are considered a nuisance for their tenacity to steal parts which makes them especially unpopular in factories and workshops alike. In the eyes of the law they are officially considered vermin, some areas (if they're highly industrial) will place a small bounty on them.
Being cowardly creatures they would rather flee than face a fight, though if cornered or if they have numbers on their side they will fight like cornered rodents and will gang-up to bring down larger foes.
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d8, Stealth d10, Repair d8
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
Special Abilities
*Claws: Str+d4
*Size -1: Scavvers stand barely more than 3' in height.
Wednesday, 21 December 2016
The Shrouded Days
As we enter the Winter Holidays, figured its a good a time as any to delve into Alyeska's equivalent known the Shrouded Days. The Shrouded Days are tied to the Midwinters Festival celebrated across the rest of Darmonica, in some respects they are considered to be the local Alyeskan observation of Midwinters.
Also, a reminder that there will be no post next week (28th Dec).
Whatever you celebrate this time of year, Happy Holidays!
The Shrouded Days
The name 'Shrouded Days' is given to what is effectively a polar night in Alyeska, though only northern areas get 'dark' whilst more southern regions tend to get at least a little bit of daylight. They can last anywhere between a few days to a month or more depending on how far north you are.
The beginning of the Shrouded Days is marked by the Exodus, a number of people will leave the north to winter with relatives who live further south. Those that stay typically move into the biggest building in their settlement where heating fuel and rations had been stockpiled in the weeks leading up to the Shrouded Days. Midwinters is marked as the halfway point during this period of darkness, typically involving present giving and a big meal to pick up spirits. The first sunrise is known as Dawnfest, a celebration is held to herald the end of the Shrouded Days and to welcome the new year.
However the Shrouded Days isn't without its dangers, particularly for more northern settlements. Outlaws can take advantage of the near-deserted ghost towns, either as a place to hideout the winter or to pull of a heist when theres very few people around. To this end the Royal Alyeskan Air Police usually deploys an officer or two to help keep settlements safe in addition to the townsfolk organising a militia of a sorts to regularly check each building in the settlement. That said its not unheard of for some settlements to be found abandoned come Dawnfest...
Also, a reminder that there will be no post next week (28th Dec).
Whatever you celebrate this time of year, Happy Holidays!
The Shrouded Days
The name 'Shrouded Days' is given to what is effectively a polar night in Alyeska, though only northern areas get 'dark' whilst more southern regions tend to get at least a little bit of daylight. They can last anywhere between a few days to a month or more depending on how far north you are.
The beginning of the Shrouded Days is marked by the Exodus, a number of people will leave the north to winter with relatives who live further south. Those that stay typically move into the biggest building in their settlement where heating fuel and rations had been stockpiled in the weeks leading up to the Shrouded Days. Midwinters is marked as the halfway point during this period of darkness, typically involving present giving and a big meal to pick up spirits. The first sunrise is known as Dawnfest, a celebration is held to herald the end of the Shrouded Days and to welcome the new year.
However the Shrouded Days isn't without its dangers, particularly for more northern settlements. Outlaws can take advantage of the near-deserted ghost towns, either as a place to hideout the winter or to pull of a heist when theres very few people around. To this end the Royal Alyeskan Air Police usually deploys an officer or two to help keep settlements safe in addition to the townsfolk organising a militia of a sorts to regularly check each building in the settlement. That said its not unheard of for some settlements to be found abandoned come Dawnfest...
Wednesday, 14 December 2016
December 2016 Update
2016 is drawing to a close and soon we'll be in a brand new year, looking back I feel that I've made a bit of progress in getting Frozen Skies closer to release. This week's post is mainly about plans going forward and what to expect next year, and also a quick PSA that there won't be a post on the 28th December as I wish to take a break over the Festive period.
Frozen Skies
Hopeful to have a proper release for Frozen Skies by next summer, it'll be even better if I can get it done before the start of my convention season but for now I'm aiming for summer. Different parts of the book are going be done in a mixed order, the Setting Rules are effectively complete and uploaded for feedback. The other sections I plan to initially upload as Patrons Only content over on the Patreon page for feedback, but theres no guarantee that they'll appear on the blog. Though what I've been doing for the artwork will remain the same format, though being in a better place cash wise should mean artwork being shown off more regularly.
Also going to be doing something a bit different with the blog, I've had a few people nagging me about doing a Frozen Skies campaign and I've realized doing Actual Plays will help build interest. So once my present Savage Worlds campaign (based on Fallout New Vegas for those interested) I will do a Frozen Skies one and post up session reports every other week (which is when the game sessions usually run), this will give me a bit of breathing room to do the other posts which are likely to be monthly updates and other content such as locations, etc.
In addition I'll hopefully be on a podcast soon to talk about Frozen Skies, more details when I have them.
Events
My situation has improved a fair bit over the past year, so hoping to do more conventions and events next year. So listed below are the shows or conventions that you can expect to see Utherwald Press at;
Diceni - Norwich
UK Games Expo - NEC Birmingham
NOR-CON - Royal Norfolk Showground
Exilicon - Cambridge (TBC)
Dragonmeet in London is on the wishlist, as is Dragondaze in Cardiff but keeping my ear to the ground for other conventions in the East of England.
Frozen Skies
Hopeful to have a proper release for Frozen Skies by next summer, it'll be even better if I can get it done before the start of my convention season but for now I'm aiming for summer. Different parts of the book are going be done in a mixed order, the Setting Rules are effectively complete and uploaded for feedback. The other sections I plan to initially upload as Patrons Only content over on the Patreon page for feedback, but theres no guarantee that they'll appear on the blog. Though what I've been doing for the artwork will remain the same format, though being in a better place cash wise should mean artwork being shown off more regularly.
Also going to be doing something a bit different with the blog, I've had a few people nagging me about doing a Frozen Skies campaign and I've realized doing Actual Plays will help build interest. So once my present Savage Worlds campaign (based on Fallout New Vegas for those interested) I will do a Frozen Skies one and post up session reports every other week (which is when the game sessions usually run), this will give me a bit of breathing room to do the other posts which are likely to be monthly updates and other content such as locations, etc.
In addition I'll hopefully be on a podcast soon to talk about Frozen Skies, more details when I have them.
Events
My situation has improved a fair bit over the past year, so hoping to do more conventions and events next year. So listed below are the shows or conventions that you can expect to see Utherwald Press at;
Diceni - Norwich
UK Games Expo - NEC Birmingham
NOR-CON - Royal Norfolk Showground
Exilicon - Cambridge (TBC)
Dragonmeet in London is on the wishlist, as is Dragondaze in Cardiff but keeping my ear to the ground for other conventions in the East of England.
Wednesday, 7 December 2016
Alyeskan Gazetteer: Fort Cathmore
In last week's post I mentioned about trading posts that are scattered across the length and breath of Alyeska. About how they're located along established routes and offer safe-havens, offering lodgings, warm meals and supplies to wary travellers. We're also a little overdue a Gazetteer post, so naturally the two seem to go together quite well.
Fort Cathmore Trading Post
Fort Cathmore is one of a number of trading posts still operated by the New Gwentia Trading Company, though the Company may eventually give up ownership in the near future. It is located at a crossroad where a gravel road cross the partially-paved MacGuire Highway that runs from Gravenburgh at its southern end to Tay River on the shores of Wicked Antler Lake at its northern end.
The trading post predates the Highway, having originally been founded by the Great Northern Trading Company to trade with the native tribes that inhabited the area. Overtime the trading post became a small settlement known as Fort Cathmore, acquiring a tavern, a blacksmith and a couple of homesteads. With the coming of motor vehicles and the Highway the blacksmith became a repair garage and the trading post gained a couple of fuel pumps for motorcars. The trading post itself now serves more as a general store and part-time post office, it is also connected to the telegraph line that runs to Tay River.
Today the trading post is managed by a Gilbert Bradshaw who has a indifferent relationship with Miss Holland the owner of the tavern and a less than friendly one with the Mason Brothers who run the garage. Miss Holland is content to run her tavern without inference and has always paid her rent on time. The Mason Brothers, Rowland and Antony, run their own motorbus along the Highway that completes with the NGT operated mailbus and Bradshaw is certain they siphon fuel from the trading post's fuel pumps but he lacks proof. Antony and Rowland have made their ambitions clear that they wish to takeover the trading post, though Bradshaw is worried just how far they'll go to achieve that goal.
But, as of late, Bradshaw has bigger concerns in the form of outlaws who have been attacking the NGT mailbus recently. Again he suspects the Mason Brothers but lacks anything concrete and the Royal Alyeskan Air Police haven't been able to get any leads despite routing a regular patrol through the area. Bradshaw is willing to pay handsomely if anyone could bring the outlaws to justice, he'll also pay a bonus if it can be proven that the Masons have a few dirty dealings.
Fort Cathmore Trading Post
Fort Cathmore is one of a number of trading posts still operated by the New Gwentia Trading Company, though the Company may eventually give up ownership in the near future. It is located at a crossroad where a gravel road cross the partially-paved MacGuire Highway that runs from Gravenburgh at its southern end to Tay River on the shores of Wicked Antler Lake at its northern end.
The trading post predates the Highway, having originally been founded by the Great Northern Trading Company to trade with the native tribes that inhabited the area. Overtime the trading post became a small settlement known as Fort Cathmore, acquiring a tavern, a blacksmith and a couple of homesteads. With the coming of motor vehicles and the Highway the blacksmith became a repair garage and the trading post gained a couple of fuel pumps for motorcars. The trading post itself now serves more as a general store and part-time post office, it is also connected to the telegraph line that runs to Tay River.
Today the trading post is managed by a Gilbert Bradshaw who has a indifferent relationship with Miss Holland the owner of the tavern and a less than friendly one with the Mason Brothers who run the garage. Miss Holland is content to run her tavern without inference and has always paid her rent on time. The Mason Brothers, Rowland and Antony, run their own motorbus along the Highway that completes with the NGT operated mailbus and Bradshaw is certain they siphon fuel from the trading post's fuel pumps but he lacks proof. Antony and Rowland have made their ambitions clear that they wish to takeover the trading post, though Bradshaw is worried just how far they'll go to achieve that goal.
But, as of late, Bradshaw has bigger concerns in the form of outlaws who have been attacking the NGT mailbus recently. Again he suspects the Mason Brothers but lacks anything concrete and the Royal Alyeskan Air Police haven't been able to get any leads despite routing a regular patrol through the area. Bradshaw is willing to pay handsomely if anyone could bring the outlaws to justice, he'll also pay a bonus if it can be proven that the Masons have a few dirty dealings.
Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Trail of Commerce
Though the main focus of Frozen Skies is obviously aviation, there are other aspects of Alyeska that may appeal to players and some have been mentioned previously. Though aviators and their aircraft are considered vital, there are those who consider themselves equally important if not more so at keeping the lifeblood of trade in Alyeska going. Theirs is a less glamorous life trekking across the frozen wastes, fending off beasts and raiders alike to help keep the flow of commerce open. These are men, and women, known as Free Traders.
New Gwentia Trading Co.
For a long time Alyeska was dominated by the Great Northern Trading Company, originally a fur trading business that gained a monopoly on all trade in Alyeska. Though the Great Northern ran into difficulties and had its assets seized by the Commonwealth, thus ending its long time monopoly and allowing independent traders to fill the void as the company ceased to exist. The Commonwealth formed a replacement called the New Gwentia Trading Co. (NGT for short), though it had limited power and influence compared to the old Great Northern.
The NGT's main function is to maintain some of the Great Northern's old trading posts, effectively small settlements in their own rights, and run general stores in various settlements across the Alyeskan Interior. The trading posts are located along established routes and offer safe-havens, offering lodgings, warm meals and supplies to wary travellers. Some of these trading posts are also service stations for motor vehicles, though this tends to be closer to the bigger settlements.
Another role of the NGT is contracting free traders, offering routes up for bidding and providing guards for hire. Contracts usually require yearly fees, but in return contracted traders can bypass Board of Trade fees and can claim compensation if they suffer losses. However there has been growing competition from startup truck companies who prefer to broker their own contracts with prospective clients.
Free Traders still hold sway over much of the Interior, their routes run from the few existing railheads to far-flung settlements. Admittedly slower than aircraft, a Free Trader convoy is able to transport items in bulk and is likely to remain a common sight for some years to come.
Adventure Ideas
A NGT/Free Trader based campaign is likely to take place on firm earth and feature long treks through the Alyeskan wilderness. Typically it'll be based around a two or three vehicle convoy, most likely Mule Tracked Carriers, defending said convoy against beasts and outlaws. Players could serve as guards or simply be passengers in addition to the possibility of running the convoy themselves.
Aviation could still feature, either aircraft coming to the aid of a convoy or being scouts for a free trader seeking a new route.
New Gwentia Trading Co.
For a long time Alyeska was dominated by the Great Northern Trading Company, originally a fur trading business that gained a monopoly on all trade in Alyeska. Though the Great Northern ran into difficulties and had its assets seized by the Commonwealth, thus ending its long time monopoly and allowing independent traders to fill the void as the company ceased to exist. The Commonwealth formed a replacement called the New Gwentia Trading Co. (NGT for short), though it had limited power and influence compared to the old Great Northern.
The NGT's main function is to maintain some of the Great Northern's old trading posts, effectively small settlements in their own rights, and run general stores in various settlements across the Alyeskan Interior. The trading posts are located along established routes and offer safe-havens, offering lodgings, warm meals and supplies to wary travellers. Some of these trading posts are also service stations for motor vehicles, though this tends to be closer to the bigger settlements.
Another role of the NGT is contracting free traders, offering routes up for bidding and providing guards for hire. Contracts usually require yearly fees, but in return contracted traders can bypass Board of Trade fees and can claim compensation if they suffer losses. However there has been growing competition from startup truck companies who prefer to broker their own contracts with prospective clients.
Free Traders still hold sway over much of the Interior, their routes run from the few existing railheads to far-flung settlements. Admittedly slower than aircraft, a Free Trader convoy is able to transport items in bulk and is likely to remain a common sight for some years to come.
Adventure Ideas
A NGT/Free Trader based campaign is likely to take place on firm earth and feature long treks through the Alyeskan wilderness. Typically it'll be based around a two or three vehicle convoy, most likely Mule Tracked Carriers, defending said convoy against beasts and outlaws. Players could serve as guards or simply be passengers in addition to the possibility of running the convoy themselves.
Aviation could still feature, either aircraft coming to the aid of a convoy or being scouts for a free trader seeking a new route.
Wednesday, 23 November 2016
More Lurker Thoughts
The Ancient Terrans are a key part of Frozen Skies' background, primarily for the setting's history and as a source of adventure hooks. There is also the chance for players to actually meet some Ancient Terrans, known as 'Lurkers', though admittedly probably not in a friendly manner. Since the last post about them, I've had a few more thoughts regarding them.
Old Masters of Technology
One of the biggest things that the Ancient Terrans had going for them was their technology, some of it has been retrieved by modern Darmonicans like the Skyships have others are still far in advance of anything currently seen. Its plausible that the Lurkers would still use some of this old technology, least the devices that they can keep working since making new ones would be a tad...difficult.
One thought along this line is having the Lurkers' Life Drain ability actually be some sort of device, a sort of personal life replenisher that works by stealing another person's life essence. This can extend to other devices such as one that cloaks a Lurker in shadows and thus allow them to sneak up on somebody unaware, perhaps even some sort of holographic device to help unnerve and dis-ordinate potential...erm...'food'.
Lots of possible ideas to run with, plus it ties into the Weird Science Arcane Background that is already in the setting. Still running with the idea of 'futuristic' weapons such as raygun style laser weapons.
Old Masters of Technology
One of the biggest things that the Ancient Terrans had going for them was their technology, some of it has been retrieved by modern Darmonicans like the Skyships have others are still far in advance of anything currently seen. Its plausible that the Lurkers would still use some of this old technology, least the devices that they can keep working since making new ones would be a tad...difficult.
One thought along this line is having the Lurkers' Life Drain ability actually be some sort of device, a sort of personal life replenisher that works by stealing another person's life essence. This can extend to other devices such as one that cloaks a Lurker in shadows and thus allow them to sneak up on somebody unaware, perhaps even some sort of holographic device to help unnerve and dis-ordinate potential...erm...'food'.
Lots of possible ideas to run with, plus it ties into the Weird Science Arcane Background that is already in the setting. Still running with the idea of 'futuristic' weapons such as raygun style laser weapons.
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
The Wild Blue Yonder
Mentioned that cargo planes are quite common in the skies of Alyeska, plus its envisioned that alot of Frozen Skies groups will be based around a cargo plane of some description. Originally I was looking at using the stats for a C-47 Dakota from Weird Wars, though with the aircraft creation rules its probably a better idea doing one or two from scratch.
Crown Aircraft Co. 'Beagle'
The Beagle is a twin-engined, all-metal cargo plane that saw service in large numbers in the latter years of the Great Darmonican War. A few remain in military service a decade after the conflict, many more can be seen flying in civilian hands.
Acc/TS: 20/120; Toughness: 12 (2); Crew: 2-4; Climb: 0; Handling: -1; Notes: Heavy Chassis, Extra Fuel Tanks, Cargo Space x8
Crown Aircraft Co. 'Wolfhound'
A larger counterpart of the Beagle is the four-engined Wolfhound, which has tricycle landing gear that also helps to set it apart from the taildragging Beagle.
Acc/TS: 10/110; Toughness: 14 (2); Crew: 4; Climb: 0; Handling: -2; Notes: Bomber Chassis, Increased Torque, Wing Adjustments, Cargo Space x10
Crown Aircraft Co. 'Beagle'
The Beagle is a twin-engined, all-metal cargo plane that saw service in large numbers in the latter years of the Great Darmonican War. A few remain in military service a decade after the conflict, many more can be seen flying in civilian hands.
Acc/TS: 20/120; Toughness: 12 (2); Crew: 2-4; Climb: 0; Handling: -1; Notes: Heavy Chassis, Extra Fuel Tanks, Cargo Space x8
Crown Aircraft Co. 'Wolfhound'
A larger counterpart of the Beagle is the four-engined Wolfhound, which has tricycle landing gear that also helps to set it apart from the taildragging Beagle.
Acc/TS: 10/110; Toughness: 14 (2); Crew: 4; Climb: 0; Handling: -2; Notes: Bomber Chassis, Increased Torque, Wing Adjustments, Cargo Space x10
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