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General Category => Role Playing Public Radio Podcast => : clockworkjoe August 22, 2012, 01:06:33 AM

: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe August 22, 2012, 01:06:33 AM
Fortunes of War

Opening: The Great Empire is in turmoil. The western provinces rebel and foreign kingdoms make trouble along the borders. General Xin, a renowned tactician, was charged with suppressing a rebellion in Jing Province, the farthest and wildest province of the twelve. The rebellion was started by a cadre of army officers who were ordered to lead their bands of commoner soldiers north to participate in the defense of Yuyang. However, they were stopped halfway by a severe rainstorm and flooding. The harsh laws of the Great Empire stated that anyone late to show up for government jobs will be executed, regardless of the nature of the delay. The officers realized that they could never make it on time and decided to organize a band that would rebel against the government, so they would die fighting for their freedom rather than by execution.

Because of the nature of the rebellion, many common soldiers joined, which led to a shortage of manpower. Xin was forced to recruit mercenaries, who were common in Jing province, as it was the center of trade between the Empire and many other foreign kingdoms. The campaign lasted several months, but gradually Xin’s army forced the rebels into a valley. Fearing the rebels could possibly escape before he could trap them, Xin ordered the servants, baggage, supply trains and other slow elements of the army be left behind and force march into valley. A scout’s report encouraged Xin to take this risky approach.

Four black crows were spotted on the general’s banner at dawn, an ill omen. Several officers advised Xin to take a more cautious approach, as the army would be highly vulnerable as they entered the valley. Xin ignored them and ordered the army into the valley.

The rebels were lying in wait at the valley’s entrance, hidden among high cliff walls. They waited until the last of the army had entered and then tumbled boulders down the exit, trapping Xin’s army. Xin was the first to die, struck by a volley of arrows. An officer rallied the army and ordered them to retreat into the center of the valley, where they would have a fighting chance. The army’s banner was abandoned in the chaos.

Before the ambush, Xin’s army was vastly stronger than the rebels but the ambush had evened it out. The rebels had few supplies and had suffered for months from low morale, poor equipment, and infighting among the officers. The ambush gave the rebels a second wind and they chased after Xin’s remaining army with a renewed ferocity.

The two armies slammed into each other in the valley, the rebels fighting for their freedom, the mercenaries fighting to avenge their dead general and their lives. To list the acts of valor and heroism of that day would take a day and a night. Officer’s Chen’s last stand. The Seven Brothers Wu testing their famed Spear Castle against the Horse Maidens. The Exalted Death of Monk Sakha. The duel between Guang, Favored Son of the Great Empire and the Wolf Ronin. All these acts of heroes and legends, destined to be forgotten by what happened as the sun faded into dusk.

A horde of the Warriors of the Grey Sky had used the rebellion to launch their own invasion of the Great Empire. They found the battle and their famed mounted archers had cleared the path out of the valley to wipe both forces out. Exhausted, neither army could do much to stop the slaughter. The remaining rebels and loyalists banded together to fight off the horde but they were doomed. The last rebel officer alive, a man named Sheng, did not want to see the Great Empire fall to the horde so he told a few remaining mercenaries of a secret exit out of the valley, on the condition that they warn the Great Empire. Sheng made each mercenary swear a blood oath to each other to keep each other alive in order to make sure the normally selfish mercenaries would work as a team.

The mercenaries managed to escape and went back to the remaining servants of the army. They took command and ordered them east. In order to keep the horde from killing them, the mercenaries posed as merchants. A few weeks later, they arrived at the capital and dutifully told the army of the horde.

The nobles and bureaucrats of the Great Empire do not like hearing bad news, especially from mercenaries. Furthermore, the court soothsayers declared Xin and all who served under him as cursed. No army would take the mercenaries now, even General Tzu’s new army, which is tasked with defeating the Grey Sky Horde.

You are Xin’s Crows – the cursed remnants of his army.  Your only chance of fulfilling your destiny is to become traveling merchants, selling to Tzu’s army.  While you cannot fight in an army, your reputation makes you an intriguing curiosity – a sideshow. They will tolerate you for the duration of the war, as reminders of Xin’s defeat. Once the war is over, you must return home with whatever fortune you have earned.

---
Character Creation Rules to follow in next post
: Re: Forunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe August 22, 2012, 01:08:01 AM
Rules
Fortunes of War uses the following systems:
•   Iron Heroes: the core rules and character creation. Optional rules from Mastering Iron Heroes will be used.
•   Fantasycraft: Extended weapons list, reputation rules,
•   Reign: Company rules

Be sure to look at the errata for Iron Heroes found on this web page http://ironheroesfaq.pbworks.com/w/page/9827528/FrontPage

This PDF summarizes the relevant changes http://ironheroesfaq.pbwiki.com/f/IHRevisionSummary.pdf

I would recommend printing out any errata of your character's major abilities.

Character Creation rules

Attributes:  You start with a core of 10 in all six ability scores. You have a pool of additional points that you may spend to improve your scores. Each point you spend increases a single ability by 1 point until that score reaches 15. For each point above 15, it costs 2 points to improve an ability. For each point above 17, it costs 4 points to improve an ability by 1.

In addition, you can pick one of your scores as a weakness. In such a case, you drop that score to 8 and cannot spend points to improve it at this time. In return, you gain 2 bonus points to spend on your abilities.

Player characters start with 24 points to spend on their ability scores. You cannot purchase a score higher than 18 in this way.

If you don’t want to allocate them manually, you can use one of 3 arrays:

Standard Ability Scores: 16, 16, 14, 14, 12, 10
Focused Character Scores:  18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8
Jack of All Trades: 14, 14, 14, 14, 14, 14

Companies: Each PC has inherited a portion of the supply train from Xin’s army – which includes supplies, some cash, carts, and servants.  Each PC starts with 2 to 4 points in their company. A company has 5 qualities:
•   Might: Military strength – number of guards, their level of training, and so forth.
•   Treasure: The economic health of the company – not just current cash, but cash flow, investments etc.
•   Influence: What a company knows or can learn and how persuasive it is. Social and political pull.
•   Territory: Land and holdings for the company – this also measures the quality of the company’s supply train and logistical ability.
•   Sovereignty: The inner strength and loyalty of your company. This must be at least 1 each game session or the company will dissolve. Note that you can leave it 0 at the start of play and temporarily raise it for each game session.

A quality is rated from 1 to 5. A company may have a 0 in any quality other than sovereignty.

Temporarily Raising qualities: Once per session, a character can raise a company’s quality by 1 with a skill challenge. This can be a speech to raise influence, a training session for guards to raise might or any number of possible actions. A character can raise another company’s quality. This raise only lasts the current game session.

Raising a quality by 1 requires only 1 character. Raising a quality by 2 requires 3 characters – 1 to raise it by 1 and then 2 to raise it a second time. Raising a quality by 3 requires 5 characters and will permanently lower another quality by 1 for all involved companies.

Using a company
: A company can perform actions as directed by the character. Each action is based on two qualities plus any appropriate assets or modifiers. Roll according to ORE rules and if a match is made, the action is successful.  Every time a quality is used, it suffers a -1 penalty for the rest of that session.  (A penalized Sovereignty does not force a company to dissolve)

Side missions: Any number of characters can perform a side mission to give a bonus to a single action. In general, a side mission can add a bonus of +1 to +4 on the action rolled.

Assets: An asset is a unique advantage enjoyed by your company. They provide bonuses in certain circumstances.

Category asset: Provides a +1 bonus in a broad area – for example, quality horses provide a bonus on any action related to mobility – raiding an enemy or moving supplies to the frontline.
Narrow asset: +2 bonus on a specific type of action or only when certain prerequisites are made. For example, a cadre of ninja acolytes provide a bonus on sabotaging rival companies or a holy artifact that gives a bonus on any action where it can be ceremonially displayed.
One time asset: Gives a +3 bonus on an action but can only be used once – for example, a mole inside an enemy company or a favor from a powerful general.

Improving qualities: A character can improve qualities in one of three ways:

Combining companies: A peaceful merger between two organizations
Conquest: Taking over a company by force, coercion or subterfuge.
Reward: A character can improve a quality through getting specific rewards.

The rules for improving qualities are in the Reign book and are too complex to summarize here. I will say, in general, it will be very easy to raise a quality from 0 to 1, moderately challenging to raise it from 1 to 2 and very difficult to raise a quality to 3. Raising a quality to 4 or 5 will be nearly impossible.

Starting Builds
: Each of Xin’s Crows has a unique background, so their skill levels will not identical. Each player can choose one of three starting builds:

Balanced: The character is a standard level 3 character and owns a 3 point company.

Company focused: The character is level 2 and owns a 4 point company with 1 asset.

Martial focused: The character is level 3 and owns 2 point company. The character gains +2 to a single attribute (the attribute may not exceed 18), 2 bonus feats and +1 bonus to his primary mastery rating.  The character receives 3 bonus glory points for his martial goal.

All characters receive the Faithful Friend mental trait for free. All are considered friends with each other and receive the bonus when play begins.

Class: Any base IH class is accepted, barring the Arcanist.

Goals: All characters must pick two goals for their character: a monetary and a martial goal.

Monetary goal: This goal can only be achieved through wealth.  This goal will be judged on a sliding scale. Even if your final treasure is 1 when the war ends, your character can achieve some partial success in that goal. A 5 in treasure is the ultimate measure of success.

Martial goal: This goal can only be achieved through feats of strength/prowess. In general, it will be a challenge for a level 10 character. Depending on the goal, a high Might quality may help achieve the goal.

Cohort: Each PC has a cohort – an aide de camp that may replace the PC if the character dies. It is not necessary to stat the cohort out but please give them a name and description.

Reputation: Each character starts with Renown 1 and 30 reputation. The rules for spending reputation are in Fantasycraft.  In general, 30 reputation can permanently improve a quality from 0 to 1 or buy one or more assets.

Glory Points:


A character who performs a heroic act, worthy of legend, may gain glory points. These glory points can be kept and used during the game or saved for the final mission. In general, a PC that gains a glory point may choose to save it for the final adventure and gain 2 glory points for that adventure.  The GM can assign from 1 to 5 points of glory for any act.

All PCs start with 3 glory points.

As a character gains glory points, he can spend them for the following benefits:

•A bonus on an attack, skill check, or saving throw.
•A chance to remove deadly effects or counter spells that target him.

Spending Glory Points: At any time, you can spend a glory point to gain a bonus on any attack, skill check, ability check, or saving throw. You can spend 1 point per roll. If you decide to spend the point before rolling, add 1d10 to the result. If you decide to spend the point after rolling, add 1d6 to the result. In other words, if you wait to see whether your attack hit or your check succeeded before deciding to spend a glory point, your maximum bonus will be smaller.

You also can spend glory points to remove conditions and effects from your character. When you spend the points, you stop suffering from the effect. However, any damage it has already inflicted upon you remains. For example, if you fail your saving throw against a giant snake’s poison, you suffer the initial ability score damage as normal. You then can spend glory points to remove the poison. The initial damage remains, but you don’t suffer the poison’s secondary effects.

Condition/EffectPoints to Remove
Disease 2
Poison 2
Paralysis 4
Fear effect 6
Mind-affecting effect 8
Death 10

There is one exception to this rule: You can spend 10 glory points to try to avoid death. In this case, you gain one of the following benefits (your choice):
• If you suffered hit point damage from an attack (as opposed to a spell) that killed you, the killing blow automatically misses instead.

• If you fell victim to an effect that allowed a saving throw, your save automatically succeeds instead. Note that you still might die if the reduced damage is high enough.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe August 22, 2012, 08:11:51 PM
a few notes:

Sovereignty will be the easiest quality to raise in gameplay, especially if your character makes oaths and promises to the servants in the company. Living up to those promises is another matter...

Glory will be rewarded for combat and martial actions.

Reputation will be rewarded for social, economic and political success - i.e. be the best merchant, cleverest, etc.

The campaign is divided into two major sections: The war is made up of six adventures. Each adventure will on average level your character up and give you a chance to improve your business - raise a 0 or 1 quality by one or get an asset - maybe raise a 2 quality to 3.

So the 'ideal' character will be level 9 and have a company with an average quality of 2.

The second half of the campaign will be fulfilling each PC's destiny. All challenges will be set for level 9 or 10 characters and companies with 2 qualities or better. You will feel any deficiencies you have.

: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord August 22, 2012, 10:14:34 PM
Here's my character:

Vo Ninyon (Harrier)

My Fen-father was one of the heretic lore masters rounded up in the last Great Inquisition. He lectured that in texts long ago forgotten with fire, it said the Womyn of the Valley were servants to a Queen that was a man. He said that all was backwards in that ancient time, that it was men that hunted for the house, that there were many wives for only one husband. This Queen (he was named Qwing or some such nonsense) has so many wives he didn’t know what to do with them, so he trained the strongest among them to be his bodyguards. He cast them from his bed and subjected them to the lessons of the hardship until they were killers.

We students had many questions. Why would he wish the most attractive of his wives from his bed? If he must be Queen, why was he not gelded like those few others permitted high vocation? If he hated these womyn, why show them such devotion through trial? Did he think death at their hands would permit him to the Sky's Hunt?

Fen-father said that it was just the way of things back then, just as things are the way they are now. Unquestionable. We girls were still baffled, but he ended by saying that the bodyguard womyn cut the male Queen down and set things right with the spirit of the World. He spoke no more of it after that day, put off by our reaction persistent confusion, but I never forgot. I’d always figured it was a lie, but I could never fault him too much for it. It is in the nature of a man to lie; they are weak to the whispers of the Father Mischief from whence they were pulled. He was an otherwise nurturing Fen-father, modest of dress and obedient to his Matrons. He was allowed his eccentricities, for a time.

After the sisters from the Coven cut-off his hands to prevent him scribing more madness, they dragged him to the Trying Rock where we waited. The head Justicatrix held out the knife to me and my fen. She said, “Cut the lies from his mouth.” She waited, certain one of us would be womyn enough…

It was I who sliced out his tongue. The Coven priestesses moved to pitch him over the side, but I waved them off and kicked him myself. I watched him fall into the pit of youngers, each made rabid with two days and nights of chewing war weed. They beat him into a useful man before he passed, and I was sent on my first hunt the next day.

Years later, when the Slaver Raids were at their worst, I remembered that Fen-father. We killed those strangely-colored men badly in those days, burned them in their ships and sliced them to pieces from the canopy as they traipsed drunkenly through the underbrush. But we only mobilized after many ships had already landed and sent parties down the Valley. After all, what damage could a few boys playing dress-up ever do? We figured it would be short work to teach their shameful, coward Queens that real womyn must be sent to war.

Yet no sooner could my war party clear the beach and begin pursuit of the earlier invaders than more ships would appear on the horizon. It was like slaughtering bulls for a feast. They would pour from the belly of their fat craft like dumb animals, even laughing at the sight of our fearsome Kraal formation. They dared approach with swords sheathed, and amorously mewling in their nonsense language until the moment spear met throat. We tried to kill as few as necessary—no glory found in slaughtering boys—but their persistence begged for the lessons of the Trying Rock. We obliged.

Though I dared not give such blasphemy voice, I wondered if these fools came from a land infected by the Fen-father’s madness. I tried to imagine a whole culture beguiled by Father Mischief and convinced the Grand Mother loved the weaker half. The tragedy of such a culture was dizzying to think of, and I found myself more sympathetic than ever before with the brutal work of the Coven.

When I returned home, I found my farm smoldering. I thanked the Grand Mother I’d taken my oldest, Ashanti, on the campaign as war shadow. But all else was lost. They’d burned all they had not stolen, and the tracks of those not led toward the prisoner’s convey ended in bloody remains.

They had killed my youngest, Mirwill. He’d always been a bitch-boy at heart, and he’d died with a knife in his hand. My first husband Lok was gone. Dragged away with the others. The slavers were gone with their prizes, days ahead and bound for the river. There would be no way to catch them before they found their surviving brothers on the sea.

I was told this. I was told I could trade for other husbands. I was told to be grateful I still had a daughter to carry on the line. But I left the next day anyway. I would know Lok’s scent again, would fall asleep to his songs.

It was taboo to mingle war bands from other villages, blasphemy to sail beyond the sight of the motherland, but we all went anyway. We could not affront the honor of our mothers by allowing our men to be violated in some foreign land. The look in our eyes told the Coven’s customs chief this, and we left the dock with salutes rather than flaming arrows.

We found one of their bloated ships as we crossed the forbidden sea, and I, foolish with rage, ordered the attack immediately. We soon discovered it was not even a slave vessel. The foreign Queens had sent more men to die for them, and these were of an even more perverse nature. They masqueraded in war vestments. The disgusting things screamed the battle cries of berserker womyn.

We sisters of vengeance, bled them deep, but there is no room to maneuver on the deck of a burning ship. We lazily accepted our blows like prideful studs in need of a good slapping. Then only I remained.

Like the snake that envenoms its hawk mid-flight, our tiny ship tangled with its raptor and dragged it downwards in a doomed spiral. Bleeding, clutching my flotilla of wreckage, I could not think of my shame or my fallen sisters…only that Lok’s ship was not the one sinking beneath me.

I awoke on another cursed craft, choked with the bad humors of men. These did not attack, but instead dared to patronize, treating me as if I’d long ago donned the shackles of age. It was a sickening sweet dismissal, a subtle refusal reserved for unruly boys. It hurt worse than any wound I’d received in battle.

And when we landed in Jing province, I found a world gripped with such madness—a world where everything holy was profaned, where weakness was celebrated and strength ignored. My sisters were nowhere to be seen, and the native’s matrons hid themselves from sight and remained mute. In the city, I saw them subjected to depravities unimagined by the Valley’s lowliest field stud.

Fen-father had been right.

I fell to my own shame and fear. I fled into pride and manly cowardice. I fought and I drank until the conniving boys that survived my wrath paid me to do both for them. I wandered the strange land in a daze, alternately ridiculed, reviled, and, after the blades flashed, feared.

I fought a war undreamed of since the prophecy of Grand Mother’s Final Hunt. Men died by the scores to defend some alien honor, and a few even surprised me by dying well. After days of greedy slaughter, the usurpers came, descending from the peak of a valley that looked like a hell-blasted mirror of my own. And while my employers and foes both reacted with fear at their sight, I found myself finally cleansed by rage. I recognized these standards: the slavers had come.

Lost in my blood-fit, I did not die in that day, escaping the horde with a pack of other sell-spears lucky or hard enough to survive. They swore themselves to each other, and torn momentarily from their perverted values by the testament of my gory blades, bide me do the same. I was repulsed to think of making a Blood Sisterhood with these men, but that was the thinking of a man. I would no longer be too prideful to dodge the blow, nor too weak to return for victory.

I made a vow to steep myself in the spirit of Mischief possessing this land and bend it to my purpose. I would be debased until Lok was found…until I could return home and ensure no sister ever again had to set foot in this savage place.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe August 22, 2012, 10:29:45 PM
I will reward good character back stories: Caleb gets +2 glory and a unique asset: Keen - your forces kill with enthusiasm  - +2d whenever you roll Might against a company with a lower permanent might
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Salkovich August 22, 2012, 11:58:56 PM
Holy shit.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason August 25, 2012, 02:02:19 AM
Damn, Caleb. How am I supposed to follow that up?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe August 25, 2012, 03:50:43 AM
CAMPAIGN STRUCTURE

The war will have 6 adventures. Each adventure is meant to give each PC the following rewards on average:

1 level of experience
3 quality raises

A quality raise does one of the following

Raise a quality by 1 if the quality is 1 or less (i.e. can raise a quality up to 2 but no more)
Gain an asset
3 quality raises can raise a quality by 1 (up to quality 4)

Of course each adventure will not have equitable distribution of rewards

The adventures

1.   The Capital City: start the business venture, first impressions, establish contracts, prepare for war.  Main goal is to find a market niche or two.
2.   Adventure 2
3.   Adventure 3
4.   Adventure 4
5.   Adventure 5
6.   The final battle with the Grey Sky Horde: Victory or loss – time to move on.

The Capital City: Market Niches


Businesses provide the quality raises. Without a business, the character gains no quality raises for their company.

Each business type has certain quality requirements in order to be profitable.   A company can only support 1 business if the quality matches the requirement. However, a company with a greater quality number can sponsor multiple companies.

Quality 2 can support 2 businesses with a 1 requirement. Quality 3 can support 4 businesses with a 1 requirement or 2 with requirement 2.


Vice:  Supply drugs, gambling, women, and other vices to the soldiers – tolerated as it keeps morale up. Incredible demand but fierce competition- newcomers will be attacked by at least one gang. Hard to keep up with army when far from city. If the business becomes too profitable, the army officers get angry and cause trouble.

Requirements: Influence 1, Might 1, Treasury 1. Territory is necessary when beyond the reach of civilization. Sovereignty helpful to keep followers from skimming profits.

Demand: 20 raises.
NPC Competition: 18 raises among 6 NPC companies.  Any newcomer will be attacked by criminals. Any defeated NPC company will be replaced after 1 adventure.
Note: Any company that gets more than 3 raises per adventure will be punished by army officers. If the demand goes above 20, all vice businesses are punished.  This punishment can be avoided or stopped with a successful side mission or asset usage.

Food, common: The rations provided by the army are not good, to say the least. Many supplement their rations with food provided by vendors. This is a safe but low paying business.

Requirements: Territory 1 Treasury 1. Territory goes up when the army leaves civilization.

Demand: 6 raises.
NPC Completion:  8-adventure number among that many groups – many small vendors but no large competitors.
Note: Hawkers and other means can be used to increase demand.

Food, luxury: Officers enjoy high end food. A small but highly profitable market.

Requirements: Territory 1 Treasury 1, and Gourmet connections Asset. Territory goes up when the army leaves civilization.

Demand: 7 raises
NPC completion: 5 raises held by 1 NPC competition.
Note: Only skilled presentation of food can increase demand.

Guards/Protection racket: A highly dangerous but potentially profitable business. Xin’s crows cannot serve in any army but they can protect other merchants and extract payment from cowering soldiers and servants. Push too far though and risk execution by the army’s officers.

Requirement: Might 1. Influence 1 to engage in a protection racket.

Demand: 1d4 raises for normal guard duty.
Protection racket: Up to 6 raises can be extracted from the fearful.

NPC competition: 3 raises among 3 NPC companies.

Note: Every raise of profit extracted by protection racket requires 1 point in influence. It is possible to risk and extract more out of it but that requires a company action (i.e. rolling dice) failure indicates severe criminal punishment.


Amulets, charms, healing and fortune telling: Soldiers need healers, soothsayers and shamans to tend to their wounds, ease their minds and give them the confidence they need to fight. A highly variable market.

Requirement: One appropriate asset (fortune teller, healers, contact at the local monastery etc)

Demand: 1d10 raises

NPC completion: 6 raises among 3 NPC companies


Military equipment: Most of the gear is provided by the quartermasters, but soldiers often demand aftermarket specials to give them the edge in a battle. The army may need special orders on occasion too.

Requirement: All qualities must be at least 1.

Demand: 10 raises

NPC competition: 8 raises among 2 NPC companies.

Note: The army will only give raises equal to the average quality of a company unless there is an appropriate asset (contact in army officer, blood relative to an officer etc)

Special order: The army will have 1d20 worth of raises per adventure for special orders but this amount is kept secret. The selection process is secret as well.

Any other ideas for business/markets?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord August 25, 2012, 10:19:15 AM
Dude, do whatever! I'm just psyched to be playing fantasy seriously for once.

And you get free perks for writing stuff up! My company now really enjoys beating on people weaker than them. I'm sure that will come in useful.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord August 25, 2012, 10:31:25 AM
Ross--Maybe a mail service for the footmen? You'd need some sort of horse related asset, but you could make money running messages back and forth between the marching horde and city. There could be military contracts for that as well.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe August 25, 2012, 01:50:52 PM
messenger service is a vital military duty - thus you are not eligible for it. However, sending letters to home could be a side business - very limited market though since most of the soldiers and their families are illiterate. The officers might want to try it though. It will be a novel i.e. new business.

Requirement: Territory 1, scribes asset

Demand 1 raise

NPC Competition: 0
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe August 25, 2012, 05:28:42 PM
some business things to note:

The game assumes that you normally peacefully divide up demand among all competition. While you may badmouth them and promote yourself, they do the same so the market is shared equally among all competitors. If you want to make more profit, you need to increase demand and/or reduce competition.

Increasing demand is typically a company action and can be done through any number of methods.

Reducing competition can be done by several methods: taking over NPC companies, destroying NPC companies (socially or physically) or negotiating with NPC companies.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe August 25, 2012, 11:25:46 PM
LEVELING UP

Each adventure will have a single specific goal. Any player that accomplishes the goal gains a level. Failure to meet the goal means the character does not level up.

If the goal requires a group effort then every player character gains a level if the goal is achieved, regardless of their personal contribution.

The goal for each adventure will be stated at the start or near the start of the adventure. All characters will be aware of what the goal is.

The first goal is to establish a business that services Tzu’s army in some capacity.

Personal goals: Each character may describe as many personal goals as they desire. Each personal goal should be an ongoing task or code of conduct– one that can never be completely finished. For example, protect the weak from bullies or convert others to my religion would be good personal goals.

Characters will have chances to fulfill their personal goals during gameplay and they may seek out additional opportunities at any time (in other words they can go looking for trouble)

Fulfilling a personal goal will be an encounter appropriate for a character of level (2+adventure number) – it may be a fight, a skill challenge, or a social encounter. If the character wins the encounter, regardless of how it was achieved, then the character gains a reward. No one else gets a reward unless their personal goal was also fulfilled.

Characters may use their companies to help fulfill their personal goals. This takes a company action.

Rewards: The reward for a personal goal varies but in general it will have one or more of the following:

Glory
Reputation
Company asset
Bonus skill points
Bonus feats

Opportunity cost: A character can fulfill one personal goal per adventure without penalty. If the character fulfills more than that, his company suffers. The exact penalty will vary but a character may lose business to competition, suffer a temporary penalty on a quality, or be unable to raise a quality through skill challenges or side missions. 

Side Quests: Every once in a while, a side quest will become available for one adventure – this is treated as a personal goal but all characters may fulfill it for a reward. For example, a traveling sensei may be able to train characters that impress him.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: FuzzyDan August 26, 2012, 11:11:34 PM
Dammit.

I was gearing up to join in on this game, and then my D&D group (not a current RPPR affiliate) has decided that the Wednesday night block is going to be their preference for us to do epic tier.

Otherwise I was going to be an older, semi-retired tactician who was more focused on enjoying his older years and the wonders of life's simple pleasures, but must now get back in the mindset of an old War Hawk to rebuild his family's status and glory for the sake of his nephew (the cohort, since his son died in the aforementioned battle).
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord August 27, 2012, 07:11:30 PM
Is nobody going to write up a character background? Seriously? Just me?

Great. Now I'm that guy...

Whatever! I'll own it! I'll write up a gawdamned family tree for my character! I'll tell you her measurements! I'll draw portrait after portrait at the game table!

You'll see...you'll all see...
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: +1 Hat August 28, 2012, 07:33:03 PM
I live!

Also, words cannot explain how much I'd love to play in this. Unfortunately, I have a class on Wednesday night. Damn you, responsibility!
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Setherick August 29, 2012, 12:35:45 AM
Like all RPPR campaigns now, I don't get to play. But here's an NPC that is based on the character concept I would have played.

Lucius Julius Agrippa or Wàirén (Hunter)

As a boy in my home country leagues to the west of the Jing Provinces, I had been trained in all of the martial formations and tactics that made our forces the strongest in the world. Or so we had thought.

My father had been a great military leader and statesman. He wished for nothing more than a son who would rise to equal stature. But no son of his would be given an advantage, he explained to me before I was old enough to really understand the meaning of the words. So despite my training, when I was a teenager, he had me conscripted as a common foot soldier so that I would learn the true meaning of combat before leading my own troops into battle.

 While serving in my first military campaign, my legion lost our baring and traveled much farther east than planned. Despite the unfamiliar terrain, we won a few minor skirmishes with foreign armies. Among the soldiers confidence in our leaders, our tactics, our country, could not have been higher. We thought ourselves invincible. We were destined to rule all.

We encountered the forces of General Xin at the edge of the Great Empire. Xin was young. He had not yet commanded the forces at the Battle of Red Cliff, he had not yet defeated the Warlord Cao Cao.

Our front ranks grew increasingly arrogant the more we learned of this man who pretended to lead against our forces, and Xin made a thousand of young men pay the price of their arrogance in blood. Fighting on known terrain and using tactics we had never encountered, nor could counter in combat, Xin defeated us soundly.

Defeated and broken, I was taken as a prisoner to the Jing Province. For years, I worked alongside farmers, but I did not forget my training nor did I forget my father’s wish. I considered my options and listened to all the political and military news that made its way to us. When stories of Xin’s conquests reached our village, I reveled in them as bringing greater glory to the Empire as any other villager.

The young boys in our village did not know the meaning of allegiance and glory however. When rumors of the rebellion reached our village, several boys went to join the rebels. The old were disheartened. They had listened to stories of Xin’s glory.

As soon as I heard that Xin needed mercenaries, I appealed to him to take me into his forces, to teach me the superior tactics that he had employed against my countrymen. I learned of others who had done the same.

Unfortunately, I never got the chance to fight with the man I had come to admire since he was ingloriously cut down by the bastardly rebels. My fealty to my new country, though, has earned me the respect of my village, and we are building our own militia force. I am training them with a fervor I had not felt since my first days a foot soldier. We are loyal to the Empire, but we must remain wary unless Jing Province falls.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason August 29, 2012, 07:15:26 AM
I've been working on my back story and it got a little out of hand.  I'll need time to finish it up, but here's Part I

From the personal log of Ja'Qim al-Kehlat

I do not consider myself to be a good man, nor an evil one.  I make no excuses for my past, nor will I apologize.  I do what I must in the name of our Mother, Néshara—She who carried us from darkness into light and sustains us with her every breath.  Her voice guided my hand long before I knew Her words.  Indeed, She had been with me from the beginning, observing and directing events around me so I might go to Her.

My earliest memories blend together in terrifying nights and uncertain days.  I remember the unbearable stench of soiled garments and discarded linens; the coarse, ragged fabric rubbing my skin as I lay in a fitful sleep of hunger and fear; my mother gently rocking me, her reassuring humming lulling me back to sleep; the sounds of wild dogs fighting over leftover meat, the muffled sobbing of nearby children, and the quickly silenced sound of some poor soul pleading for mercy or help; and the ever-present coating of human waste accompanying the alleyways I called home, while others slept comfortably on feathered pillows and warm beds just on the other side of the walls. 

My mother would speak of better times, when she had worked with needle and thread in her parent's store.  Her mother had been a seamstress of some renown before her passing, while her father, a moderately wealthy merchant, sold rare herbs and spices to the nobles.  Sometimes my mother would stare off blankly, reliving those days, I believed, or perhaps longing for her fortune to change.  But these were wasteful dreams.  Unable to accept the dishonor she brought on his house, her father cast her out.  Her rape had stolen more than her purity and innocence; it had undone her father's schemes of marrying her off to further his business endeavors.  Thus, she found herself shunned, alone, and with child.

Despite the terrible circumstances fate forced upon her, my mother endured.  For the first year or so, her modest skills with the needle brought in some coin, while her knowledge of herbs from her father earned her a fair reputation among the poor.  However, fate would not relent.  Refusing to lose even a small measure of their profits, her competitors spread false rumors of her consorting with demons from the desert.  Moreover, many believed me to be the spawn of that dark union.  Threatening and cursing her, they forced my mother onto the streets.  The streets proved less than kind to her.  Begging rarely afforded her any sustenance and stealing seemed to risky, so she gave what little food she could to me.  Each day I watched a little more of the life seep from her bony frame.

Because I never knew a life of privilege, I adapted quicker to a life of begging for scraps, but more often than not, I took whatever I could pocket.  Thieving came naturally to me.  I figured if they had so much, they could easily share their wealth with those in need.  I alleviated their carts and stores of the excess, so they would not feel guilty when food would grow old.  I saw myself as doing a public service.  Of course, they disagreed and gave chase when they caught me.  I eluded them with ease and would distribute my bounty to our little homeless community.  And this worked for a time.

Unfortunately, my skills as a thief matured too late to save my mother.  By the time I was twelve, her health had deteriorated from malnutrition, insomnia, and finally ended with pneumonia, but I knew the actual causes of her predicament.  The disease had been a merciful release to a consigned death from her father and her rapist.  I had seen my grandfather many times from afar, and her rapist once.  My mother had pointed to a noble of a minor house—a sweaty, round man—and absently said, “That is your father.”  There had been no anger or malice in her voice.  She seemed almost disinterested, despondent perhaps, as if she were simply stating a matter of fact.  Or maybe she had already passed from this world long ago and her shade lingered.

Surprisingly, my grandfather had been a remarkably easy target, especially for my first kill.  His daily routine took less than a week to memorize; his locks were old and easy to pick.  As he slept soundly in his silk sheets, I tied him up and gagged him.  I poured his precious spices around him and dowsed him with lamp oil.  Lighting a torch and running its bottom across his face, I woke him with a greeting, “Hello, Grandfather.  You chose your spices over your own daughter, so I'm sending them with you.”  I hurled the torch on top of him and left.

Being a noble, her rapist proved more difficult.  Guards patrolled the grounds frequently, sometimes with hounds.  His routine varied from night to night, but he kept the same chambers every night, and sometimes drank in excess.  I followed him to the tavern frequently, tailing him for weeks.  Once he appeared deep in his cups, I made my way to his manor.  After sneaking past the guards, I patiently waited for him to return to his room.  In the late hours of the night, he swayed into his room, and without disrobing, fell onto his bed.  I quickly rolled him over, tied him to the bed and gagged him.  I wedged a chair against the door, so we would not be interrupted prematurely.  Then I turned toward the matter at hand.  He had indeed drank his fill, for I had to slap him several times and dump the contents of his chamber pot on him before he awoke.  At first, he seemed disoriented, but eventually he struggled against his bonds and tried to call out despite the gag.  I silenced him with a wave of my dagger and a glare.  “You raped my mother.”  I slid the dagger between his legs, splitting open his trousers.  “They you a noble, but your actions say otherwise.”  With a quick tug and flick of my wrist, I castrated him.  He howled beneath the gag.  I pulled the gag aside.  The scream echoed briefly throughout the manor before I forced his manhood in place.  “Choke on it, Father!”  I pressed all my weight on top of his face, holding his mouth shut.  Guards shouted from the other side of the door, but they received no response.  I watched the rapist's eyes roll back, and yet I still pressed myself over his face.  The guards began ramming the door open.  I remained fixated on my target until he finally stopped thrashing.  The chair cracked, the door burst open, and I leaped out the window.

I had no escape plan.  I had only planned the murder—the retribution for my mother.  Fleeing frantically, I twisted through passageways, knocking over carts and barrels in my wake.  The guards came after me with a ferocity and determination I had never witnessed.  But Néshara had been watching, and She had sent her servant to save me.  A cloaked figure snared me in a tight grip and pulled me indoors as I rounded a hovel.  “Shh, little one, Néshara will protect you.”

End Part I
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason September 01, 2012, 09:12:41 AM
Part II

The next five years I spent studying among my brothers and sisters in a hidden temple, learning the sacred tenets of our Mother and recognizing my venerable purpose in Her service.  The temple, a sanctuary from the hazards of the insatiable desert and the stifling oppression of Man's world, had been built in a majestic oasis, protectively nestled between two large mountains.  The natural cracks and surrounding weathered rock formations bore a striking resemblance to elegant female legs and feet, a clear manifestation of our Mother, and a not-so-subtle reminder that while Her shadow may shield us from the world, we are servants to Her will, owing our lives to Her grace.  I knew peace for the first time.  No longer would I need to fend off hunger or steal from others to survive.  And my peace lasted for a time.

I praised Néshara with every waking moment, thankful for Her divine intervention.  Spending most of my days in silent contemplation, I often reflected on my former life.  Although my actions appeared unseemly to some, I accepted they were borne of desperation, vengeance, and the rash reactions of youth.  However, I began to acknowledge Néshara's role in my life, past and present.  Certainly, many did not survive infancy or their first few years, especially for those born and raised without sufficient shelter, nourishment, or care.  My mother had sacrificed her health and life so I might thrive in those conditions.  Her gift was Néshara's gift—a mother's love.  In addition, my response to her death had been influenced by Néshara, for She knew of the unforgivable crimes against my mother.  Moreover, our most holy of laws decrees any harmful act against a female, whether in body or mind, is punishable by death.  In our eyes, the female form is the earthly representation of Néshara, and must always be honored.  Therefore, these men not only harmed my mother, they defiled our Mother.  While my mother's death ensured my life, her sacrifice needed balance, and the long-unanswered crimes of rape and betrayal needed a willing advocate for Her will, so I unknowingly became Her hand in my unquenchable desire for revenge.

With increasing clarity and a calm heart, I accepted my duty and pledged an oath to be Her agent in this world.  Not long after my decision, the Order of The Mother's Last Embrace, a shadow sect within the temple, witnessed my dedication, determined my worth through additional trials in my daily lessons, and recruited me into their ranks.  Their training proved arduous and more challenging than any I had ever experienced.  Over the course of many months, I endured more than the other recruits.  I survived  poisons, beatings, drownings, stabbings, and being bound to a pole, exposed to the desert for countless days.  Keeping Néshara foremost in my thoughts, I persevered while others crumbled beneath our trainer's hands, some renouncing our Mother.  Their deaths came quickly once the words left their mouths.  My trainers eventually yielded to my unwavering faith, embracing me as their brother.  Then the real challenge began as my trainers honed my skills of stealth and guile, transforming me from mere street thief to Néshara's swift hand of justice, Her knife in the dark. 

For years, I served our Mother, eliminating those who stood against Her.  I became a favorite of the High Matron, who would call on me for the more demanding tasks, whether it be a particularly sensitive target, a ruthless enemy, a crafty rival, or satisfying her in bed.  I obeyed her assignments as if our Mother spoke them directly into my ear.  Nobles, merchants, thieves, murderers, and cult leaders silently fell before me.  The High Matron's moans of pleasure quenched both my base sexual desires and fulfilled my oath of service, appeasing Néshara through my devotion.

While enemies filled my nights, my days consisted less of silent study and more of discussion with my peers, Ra'if chief among them.  We often pondered our Mother's teachings as we completed our daily assignments.  Although Ra'if and I belonged to the same order, he was more a scholar, than an assassin, deadlier with the pen than I with the blade.  Recording the names of Néshara's dead enemies, he chronicled our history.  He also translated a variety of ancient texts, ranging from forgotten philosophies and scriptures of our faith to those of lost civilizations.  We bonded over our dedication to our service, and the crucial, albeit controversial, belief that our service came by choice, rather than by Néshara's divine will.  For Ra'if and myself, service from free will offered an unshakable affection and allegiance to our Mother, one that could only be gained through loyalty, and could never be replicated through forceful obedience.  However, many of our sisters, the High Matron among them, believed  this to be heresy.  Women were made in Néshara's image.  Being men made us inferior.  I could never accept this, but I was content.  And my contentment lasted for a time.

My last assignment came from the High Matron.  A younger priestess had threatened her position, conspiring with enemies of Néshara to kill the High Matron.  I knew what this meant, killing a woman, especially a priestess of Néshara.  My life would be forfeit after I completed my charge.  Nonetheless, I did as I was bid.  Sneaking into her room late that night, I found the priestess sleeping peacefully in her bed.  So young, I thought, and so gorgeous.  Serene in her slumber, why would she try to kill our Holy Matron—she who is Néshara made flesh?  I moved forward, steeling myself for what must be done.  Truly Néshara has blessed her, for I have never seen such beauty.  And then, a voice spoke to me.  “She is not to die, Ja'Qim.”  I spun, but no one was there besides myself and the priestess.  “Look closer, my child.”  I examined the room carefully, my eyes drawn inextricably to the nightstand.  A rose and a note from a suitor lay gently upon its surface.  I read the name of the suitor and froze.  “Yes, Ja'Qim.  He is the one your High Matron has had her eye on for some time.  I did not speak this young one's name.  She is pure.”  Breathing heavy, I left the room in a state of shock.  Not only had I been betrayed, but I heard Her speak to me.  I knew not what to think.  Néshara only spoke to the High Matron . . . and never to men.  Did She speak to me, or have I gone mad?

Ra'if found me sometime later to inquire about my target, and reluctantly, I informed him of my failure.  I told him the High Matron intended for me to kill her romantic rival, and once the priestess had been dealt with, I would be killed immediately without any inquiry into the matter.  He closed his eyes, and I thought for a moment he would turn me over to the order for punishment.  Instead, he told me about his suspicions over the past year.  Ra'if believed the High Matron was using her station at her own whims, exerting her power to eliminate those who spoke out against her, solidifying her authority and gaining vast quantities of wealth. 

Without waiting to hear the rest, I foolishly stormed off to confront the High Matron.  She was not in her chambers, but her attendants informed me she had been called to an emergency meeting with the other Matrons and should not be disturbed.  Ignoring the guards at the doors to the council's meeting, I burst through the doors and shouted, “You dare defy our Mother with your own personal agenda?”  The High Matron stood to object, and the guards attempted to seize me, but I sprinted ahead, drawing my dagger.  “She was innocent!  You dishonor your station and our Mother.  Why?”

She glared at me.  “I am not the one whose honor is in question, Ja'Qim,” she said smoothly, eying the dagger.  “You interrupt a closed session and dare bear a blade against me?”

“I am not your pawn!”  I lunged forward, but she slipped out of my way.  In one fluid motion, she used my momentum against me, twisting my arm and pinning me to the ground.

She leaned forward, pressing her weight against me.  My arm popped, and I groaned, losing hold of my dagger.  “You should have killed her, Ja'Qim.  I might have been lenient in your punishment,” she whispered.  “Now I will enjoy drawing out your death.”  She motioned for the guards, who took me away.

Days passed.  I had been subjected to a deeper, more profound level of pain than ever before.  The High Matron delighted in torturing me, prolonging my pain, killing me, and then bringing me back.  I had failed, and she had won.  Even worse I had failed Néshara.  But before despair completely took me, I heard muffled sounds from my jailers and saw the cell door open.  Ra'if quickly entered and unlocked me from the manacles.  Calling me a fool and a few choice words, he helped me out of the cell.  I recall little after that as I kept slipping in and out of consciousness, but some distant part of me knew that Néshara had not abandoned me.  I could almost hear Her humming to me softly, like my mother did when I was a child. 

More days passed.  We fled the temple and the land we knew, getting as far away as possible.  As I gained my strength back, I asked Ra'if how he had managed to free me.  Looking back toward the way we had come, he told me others had helped in my escape, but trailed off before he finished.  I winced and said a quick prayer, knowing they were with our Mother now.  I wanted to return, to strike against the High Matron, and to wrest control of the temple from her corrupt hands.  But the thought was completely absurd.  We would never stand a chance, at least not now.

Soon we found ourselves in a foreign land, short on supplies, and out of gold.  Finding gainful employment proved difficult.  However, we eventually joined a band of mercenaries, hoping we could earn enough gold to sustain ourselves in the days to come.  And that worked for a time.

End Part II; Let the campaign begin!
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 01, 2012, 10:11:37 PM
Jason gets +3 glory points and the asset Defiant Tradition - +1d bonus on Sovereignty rolls if your company is under attack from an outside force.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord September 04, 2012, 08:13:26 PM
Vo's Business Plan

Vo retreated down the alley, away from the noise of the so-called “Great” City. She preferred the screams and offal of the battlefield to the senseless, squalid cacophony of this place; at least a killing field offered some excuse for the unpleasantness. It appears the male architects had yet to realize they could build out as well as up. She was not surprised.

She’d discovered this sheltered path between buildings after she and the rest of the blood-sworn had been kicked into the streets as thanks for warning the Empire of the doom galloping towards them. Perplexed by their ingratitude and incensed at her removal from the army’s payroll, she’d wandered the muddy paths all night until the quiet of this place had struck her. It was the one spot quiet enough that she could hear her own voice, free from the chore of breaking the groping hands of unruly husbands in the market.

But her days of contemplation were growing short. The army would move soon and take her livelihood with it. How would she afford a ship home, not to mention one formidable enough to deter the slavers from her shores? Moreover, how could she ever hope to free Lok when the superstitious toms had threatened death if she fought the Grey Sky? She was a woman; her soul rested in her spear. How might she thrive without it?

Again, manly pride was caught gnawing at her strength. Even the youngest girl learns only the obstinate and arrogant left their bodies in such a position as might receive a blow. She vowed her mind would be no different. She would be like the Goddess Spirits, not all-powerful but all-knowing. She would be lithe and flow around the obstacles. She would slice at them from every direction save the one in which the killing blow waited. She would bleed out this strange land until it couldn’t stand but to be quit of her.

With her spear point, she drew her goals in the mud so that the deaf Spirits might know her intent. A Horse represented the Grey Sky riders that needed to die to reunite her house. A crude Ship held her hope of home and peace in the Valley.

Beneath that, standing in the way of her ascension, she depicted her struggles. A Coin went beneath the ship—one of those pieces of useless tin these madmen used instead of barter. She drew a Crow beneath the Horse, as the Empire’s maddening superstition forbade her from striking them directly.

Vo pondered, gnawing absent-mindedly at the butt of her spear. What could she bring to bear in this battle? She stood like this for many minutes, rousing only to shoo away beggars that threatened to shamble through her plans.

Drawing right at her feet now, a tiny Spear appeared—her prowess in the blood pageant was not to be discounted completely, even limited as it was. Next to it she placed a much larger Hammer.

The blacksmith Lao Man was quite skilled, one of the few she’d met here with the nurturing, soft hands befitting a man. When not forced to forge the crude cleavers demanded by the Empire’s footmen, he could craft weapons and armor as beautiful as they were pragmatic. His work had been the reason she’d chosen to warn him and his apprentices of the impending defeat right before her final push for freedom. Saving their lives had earned her the loyalty of his men’s swords and access to their friends, at least temporarily.

So how might she use these assets to strike against the Crow and the Coin? Lao would need metal to ply his craft, equipment, labor…yet they all had barely escaped the horde with blade and hide intact. How to bridge the gap between her goods and her reward? How to remove the Crow that blocked her Spear?

She could kill and take what she needed. It was a shame to end a man young enough to be a useful husband, but what was to stop her? Wait…what was to stop her indeed?

Vo smiled. She’d been thinking like a man: rigid, in a straight line, unyielding until broken. Eagerly, she scrawled her flanking maneuver in the mud.

Her spear would fly at the Coin--not the Crow--and slice off a small morsel to feed the Hammer. While they turned her prize into something not stained with blood, she would make her “crime” known to the other merchants; she was the one who could take, and was therefore the only one capable of stopping it. Their fear would bring tribute and stir the flames of Lao Man’s fire to life.

But no! Vo plunged her spear into ground in disgust. She was using sanity and logic to predict the actions of madmen, completely untrained in thought and obedience. She could plunge javelins through a company of their finest and still they would not recognize her as Queen. She’d choke on wave after wave of their dead as their pride ever-hungered for gratification. They’d never understand the wisdom of their betters.

These toms were stupid to the point of self-destruction, more prideful than a Joining Eve’s nightmare. First hand, Vo had seen their stubbornness lead armies into an obvious trap. She’d been scorned by their willingness to let the presence of birds on a perch and some bad news dictate military tactics. They were a superstitious, cowardly fen of boys, so prideful they were unwilling to ascribe their faults to anything less than a God….

That was it…the weapon she had been missing. Tentatively, Vo scratched out the Crow blocking the path to her enemies and redrew it next to her spear. A carrion bird has no message nor master; it merely goes where it may feed. She need only feed the Crow until it perch on her shoulder. The bird was the rein, and their superstitions the bit. With it, her Hammer was not a bauble for trade, but a divine gift. Her rule would not be a woman’s word, but a wrathful mandate thundering from on high.

Crow, Spear, and Hammer would take Coin, ransoming it for Ship. Then, together, they would kill the Horse and its rider.

(http://i.imgur.com/WbX5q.jpg)

She snatched up her spear and rushed towards the market, weaving through the stalls and criers like the gleeful Spirit of Grace itself. Lao had to know there was but one more trinket to forge before his artistry could thrive, and his men had to be assigned the first task of their blood debt...

Vo needed someone to feed to the Crow.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 04, 2012, 08:24:31 PM
+5 reputation for Caleb's awesome plan
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: crash2455 September 04, 2012, 10:12:28 PM
This shall be the greatest game never played.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 04, 2012, 11:51:14 PM
This shall be the greatest game never played.

WE PLAY TOMORROW NIGHT


(http://i.imgur.com/1PY2k.gif)
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Setherick September 05, 2012, 09:18:10 AM
This shall be the greatest game never played.

WE PLAY TOMORROW NIGHT


(http://i.imgur.com/1PY2k.gif)

I can't wait. I especially want to see how you play my character. ;)
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord September 12, 2012, 11:20:22 PM
Quick note to help Ross calculate quality raises for companies:

Vo rolled 2X8 to gain market share in armaments.
Vo currently has 6X8 market share in the Crow amulet racket.
Vo has a 4 dice gambling operation from the Monkey King.
Before raises, all qualities are currently at two dice

I have one asset (Keen) and an additional title (The Undying Crow).

I've spent all my reputation on a Masterwork Spear. I have 6 glory unspent.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: PirateLawyer September 13, 2012, 01:24:54 AM
Vo has a 4 dice gambling operation from the Monkey King.

There's an NPC in this game named after Wolfgang Baur's alter ego?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 13, 2012, 03:14:23 AM
Caleb you had a market share of 3 in Vice and 5 from the Crow Amulets - I had that noted.

Gan is the Pirate King not Monkey King

Aaron rolled a 2x6 for his increase market demand roll

I'm blanking on Jason and David's rolls.



: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason September 13, 2012, 01:04:57 PM
I had a 4x7 on my Herbalist/Healer.  I believe David got a 3x3.

My Qualities before adding last night in are as follows:

Might 2
Influence 2
Treasury 1
Territory 1
Sovereign 3

I am also in charge of the Protection racket even though we didn't get to explore that last night
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: PaperGangster September 13, 2012, 07:44:57 PM
This is David, and I did indeed roll a 3x3.

Originally, I was pursuing both common food and exotic food.  I am considering guard duty, or attempting to supply some resource/material that the Quartermaster also sells.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord September 13, 2012, 08:34:33 PM
Sorry about the wrong dice thing. Where do my two dice go that I started with. Is that unattached to any market?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 13, 2012, 10:47:52 PM
Sorry about the wrong dice thing. Where do my two dice go that I started with. Is that unattached to any market?

Do you mean the 2 points in company qualities you started with?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord September 14, 2012, 06:53:59 PM
Yeah, I meant the 2 points in qualities I started out with. Do those never get invested in a market?

Do I have dead weight in my portfolio?!
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason September 14, 2012, 09:30:01 PM
So how many raises to our qualities do we get?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 15, 2012, 03:08:40 PM
NEW ASSET AVAILABLE

You all know you must travel through the desert in the next leg of your journey. You can buy the following asset before the next adventure begins:

Desert Supplies:

Bonus: Each unit of desert supplies (extra rations, desert clothing, camels, water etc) allows you to act without penalty in the desert. If you do not spend at least one unit of desert supplies, your company will lose qualities from the journey. You also need one unit of supplies to conduct business as normal. You may get additional units to attempt company actions or go on special missions in the desert.

So to summarize, if you don't buy at least 2 units, your company will suffer.

Each unit of supplies costs 1 raise. You may buy as many units as you wish - there is no cap, nor do they count against your cap on assets.


Market shares for Vo (Caleb) in adventure 2

Vice
Demand: 20 raises.
NPC Competition: 18 raises among 5 NPC companies and Vo.  Any newcomer will be attacked by criminals. Any defeated NPC company will be replaced after 1 adventure.

Requirements: Influence 1, Might 1, Treasury 1. Territory 1 in the underground kingdom. (Territory 2 will be necessary in the desert) Sovereignty helpful to keep followers from skimming profits.

Note: Any company that gets more than 3 raises per adventure will be punished by army officers. If the demand goes above 20, all vice businesses are punished.  This punishment can be avoided or stopped with a successful side mission or asset usage.

List of NPC competitors

1. Red Tails gang
2. Black Knives gang
3. Sister Yan's cohorts
4. Demon-eaters gang
5. The Unspoken

Results: Vo did nothing to change the market and neither did the competitors. Vo gains 3 raises from Vice.


Crow Amulets (NEW MARKET)

Demand: 5 raises

Competition: 2 NPC companies and Vo.

Requirements: None for this adventure but it will require territory 1 in the desert, and then will raise further as the army moves further west.

List of NPC competitors:

1. The Quartermaster
2. ???

Results: Vo did nothing different but 2 new competitors entered the market. The Quartermaster and Vo each get 2 raises and the third competitor gets 1.

Military Equipment:

Requirement: All qualities must be at least 1.

Demand: 10 raises plus 2 from Vo's actions = 12 demand

NPC competition: 8 raises among 2 NPC companies.

Note: The army will only give raises equal to the average quality of a company unless there is an appropriate asset (contact in army officer, blood relative to an officer etc)

Special order: The army will have 1d20 worth of raises per adventure for special orders but this amount is kept secret. The selection process is secret as well.

List of NPC Competitors

1. The Quartermaster
2. The Unspoken

Results: Vo enters the market with her company but her average quality is 2 so she can only get 2 raises from the army. She will be eligible for bidding on special orders next adventure. The other NPC companies eat up the rest of the market.


Final results for Vo: 3 raises from vice, 2 from crow amulets, 2 from military equipment = 7 raises total.

: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 15, 2012, 03:29:51 PM
Using Raises for reputation and titles

1 raise = 30 reputation

Raising a title costs 1 + the number of times you have improved your title.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord September 15, 2012, 03:45:18 PM
Vo will buy 2 raises in desert supplies.

She will spend 1 raise on "Foundries, Smiths, and Armorers" to upgrade Lao Man's smithing abilities. He will provide +2d when rolling to expand market share in armaments (I'm willingly sacrificing the as written bonus to Might rolls and making it market only).

She will spend 1 raise on the "Mole" asset and ensure she flips someone inside the Quartermaster's operation. His meddling in two of her businesses grows tiresome, and some poor sap in too deep for her at Mahjong is going to provide a one time +3d bonus for screwing up his operation on the sly.

The last 3 raises she will use to upgrade treasure from 2 to 3. That fleet of boats isn't going to come cheap.

So Vo now has 3 assets (Keen was already on the books), 2 desert supplies, and 2 in every quality save Treasure at 3.

...and I'm calling Pirate King "Monkey King" next time I see him, just to devil Ross.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 15, 2012, 03:57:13 PM
Results for Ja'Qim (Jason)

Markets

Guards/Protection racket:

Requirement: Might 1. Influence 1 to engage in a protection racket.

Demand: 1d4 raises for normal guard duty. I rolled a 4 for this adventure.
Protection racket: Up to 6 raises can be extracted from the fearful.

NPC competition: 3 raises among 3 NPC companies.

Note: Every raise of profit extracted by protection racket requires 1 point in influence. It is possible to risk and extract more out of it but that requires a company action (i.e. rolling dice) failure indicates severe criminal punishment.

List of NPC competitors:

1. The Red Tails gang
2. The Quartermaster
3. The Unspoken

Results: 4 competitors (3 NPCs plus  Ja'Qim) in the guard market results in 1 raise for each competitor.  The Red Tails Gang has 1 influence for protection racket. The Unspoken has 1 influence for protection racket. The Quartermaster does not participate in the protection racket market. Ja'Qim has 2 influence so he gains 2 raises from that.


Amulets, charms, healing and fortune telling:

Requirement: One appropriate asset (fortune teller, healers, contact at the local monastery etc)

Demand: 1d10 raises. I rolled a 9 for this adventure. Ja'Qim raised market demand by 4 for a total of 13.

NPC completion: 9 raises among 3 NPC companies

NPC Competitors:

1. The Unspoken
2. The disciples of Ji'an
3. The Monks of Fudan

Results: Each NPC company gets 3 raises. Ja'Qim gets 4 raises.

Final results for Ja'Qim: 1 from guard duty, 2 from protection racket, 4 from Amulets, charms, healing and fortune telling for a total of 7 raises.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 15, 2012, 04:57:30 PM
Results for David (forgot your character's name)

Markets

Food, common:

Requirements: Territory 1 Treasury 1. Territory goes up when the army leaves civilization. Territory will be 2 in the desert.

Demand: 6 raises plus 3 from David's company action and 2 from Aaron's action = 11 demand
NPC competition:  8-adventure number among that many groups  = 6 competitors
Note: Hawkers and other means can be used to increase demand.

NPC Competitors
1. Yuan family
2. The Consortium
3. East Empire Trading Company
4. Northern Villages traders
5. Peach Blossom Traders
6. The Trappers of the Underground Kingdom

Results: 8 total competitors (6 NPCs plus David plus Aaron) for 11 demand - All NPCs get 1 raise. David gets 3 raises. Aaron gets 2.

Food, luxury:

Requirements: Territory 1 Treasury 1, and Gourmet connections Asset. Territory goes up when the army leaves civilization.

Demand: 7 raises
NPC completion: 5 raises held by 1 NPC competition.

NPC Competitor:
1. The Quartermaster

Results: No change in market. Quartermaster gets 5 and David gets 2 raises.

Final results: 3 + 2 = 5 total raises for David.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 15, 2012, 05:00:35 PM
Results for Aaron

I am only aware of Aaron competing in the common food market. He gets 2 raises from that.

If you wish to compete in anything else, let me know. If you compete in a market some other PC is in, I may have to recalculate their market shares.


---
As you see, raising demand raises total market demand, not demand for your specific company. You get leftover demand if you did do any action to raise demand though.


: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 15, 2012, 05:09:07 PM
Some advice:

Caleb has done well because he has integrated working on his business with his adventuring - the spear throwing competition and so forth. He has also expanded into 3 markets, allowing him to grow quickly.

Jason has done well because the two markets he is in are doing very well so far - I've rolled high for those markets so far. That may backfire later on.

I will say this - next session, the other companies are going to react to you as well - they may try to bribe or scare off your employees - steal from you or band together to better compete against you.

: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Tadanori Oyama September 15, 2012, 05:47:02 PM
Good god. How much of this is Reign and how much have you made up?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 15, 2012, 06:25:26 PM
Company actions/qualities/assets are from Reign

The business/market share stuff I made up.

: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason September 16, 2012, 04:51:23 AM
I will be looking to eliminate the drug cartel and start muscling my way into vice next session. Which competitor is in charge of the drug market?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 16, 2012, 04:08:58 PM
I'm not going to divide the vice market further - the drugs, women, and gambling are all mixed up together. Vo has a gambling racket but it's not like she bars drug dealing in her gambling tents for instance. If you take any out of the competition, you will move into drugs. Note that you do not HAVE to remove a competitor - you can just enter the market if you want.

That being said, the Unspoken are the most powerful of the gangs and the Black Knives are the weakest.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason September 16, 2012, 08:00:53 PM
I really need to start working against The Unspoken.  They have their fingers in both of my markets.  Any suggestions?  I may follow Caleb's lead and flip someone low on their payroll.  Or would it be best for me to quickly eliminate the Black Knives?

As for my 7 raises, I'm raising my Territory and Treasure to 2.  I'm spending 2 on desert assets.  That leaves me 1.  I'm tempted to add an asset to my Healing/Charms/etc. market that will help us survive the desert climate.  Perhaps develop some kind of divining rod to find water?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason September 16, 2012, 08:12:15 PM
Crap!  I just realized I am maxed out on assets.  Defiant Tradition and Herbalist.  I think may spend it on renown, so I'll be Ja'Qim al-Kehlat, The Ever Vigilant Crow.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 17, 2012, 01:30:16 PM
You can choose to replace/upgrade the herbalist asset so that it provides a bonus on certain company actions. Right now it only lets you compete in the trinkets/healing market. Also, you could upgrade it so you can get a steady supply of poison, for example.

: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Tadanori Oyama September 17, 2012, 02:02:34 PM
It just hit me how completely strange the APs of this game are going to be.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: PaperGangster September 17, 2012, 06:57:25 PM
At the moment, I have:

1 might
1 Influence
2 Treasury
2 Sovereinty
2 Territory

If I understand correctly, I can raise Might and Influence to 2 and still have 3 Raises, or will it cost me four?
Either way, I plan to spend the remaining raises on desert resources (and if I have one left, a title; Lucius Valerianus Liberti Vitiosi has a nice ring to it)
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 17, 2012, 08:41:27 PM
It would cost 2 raises to raise Might and Influence to 2.

Are you buying 3 units of desert supplies or 2 units of desert supplies and a title?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: PaperGangster September 17, 2012, 10:10:06 PM
I think I'll go with two units of desert supplies and a title.  Title means more assets later, so it may help with my cunning plot to increase business next session.

: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason September 18, 2012, 01:41:21 PM
I thought it would cost 4 raises to increase might and influence both from 1 to 2. Am I wrong?

In my case, wouldn't I be able to sell trinkets, charms, and tell fortunes already since I have the asset for that company? I really don't want to sell poisons, but I would like to produce them for my personal use. Perhaps I can make a Survival check to find scorpions or snakes in the desert so Ra'if can make poison?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe September 18, 2012, 01:47:18 PM
I thought it would cost 4 raises to increase might and influence both from 1 to 2. Am I wrong?

In my case, wouldn't I be able to sell trinkets, charms, and tell fortunes already since I have the asset for that company? I really don't want to sell poisons, but I would like to produce them for my personal use. Perhaps I can make a Survival check to find scorpions or snakes in the desert so Ra'if can make poison?

As stated in the rules on page 1 of this thread: Raise a quality by 1 if the quality is 1 or less (i.e. can raise a quality up to 2 but no more)

I was suggesting you upgrade your existing asset. Yes, you are already competing in the trinkets market because of your asset. If you buy the poisons asset, then you gain a personal supply you can use.

You are certainly welcome to gather supplies in the wilderness but that would definitely be a side mission in the desert - which would cost a unit of desert supplies if you wished to do so relatively safely. 
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason September 18, 2012, 03:49:04 PM
Ok well I did the math wrong, so here's my new breakdown:

Qualities
Might 2
Influence 2
Treasure 2
Territory 2
Sovereignty 4 (Asset: Defiant Tradition)

Renown 1

Markets

Guards/Protection

Trinkets, Healing, Charms, Fortune Telling
Asset: Improved Herbalist (Poisons)

Misc. Assets
Desert 2
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: PaperGangster October 09, 2012, 10:07:27 PM
Thought I would update the thread.  :)
As of last week's session (and the marriage into the Yuan family, the acquisition of the Nomad cook, and my new friend Yaffir the desert spice merchant) my company stats are as follows

Might 3
Influence 3
Treasure 2
Sovereignty 4
Territory 4

This is after my attempts to expand the luxury food market, the cheap food market, and my attempts to create a niche market  for better-than-cheap-food-but-not-luxurious-gourmet-fare.  My current assets (three, given my title as head of Yuan family) are a connection to a spice merchant in the capitol, Yaffir the desert spice merchant, and my chef.  The scribe, while of great use to me, is not technically an asset as much as he is a piece of equipment.  ;)

MY scribe!
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord November 14, 2012, 07:20:52 AM
Just as a reminder to Ross: you said that we would start with subquests tonight before the boats took off. I want to raise my Treasury to 5 using the Quartermaster's contacts (so I can buy a fleet to defend the homeland). I also want to raise either Might or Sovereignty to 5 in preparation for my assault on the Grey Sky Horde. I don't really care which (both are used for combat), but you said you hadn't figured out what subquest you wanted to use there.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Dom November 14, 2012, 10:46:17 AM
I really hope the preview APs for the Base Raiders Kickstarter include some Fortune of War episodes, I really want to listen to these.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe December 02, 2012, 05:40:39 PM
Caleb's PC:
(http://i.imgur.com/FAKMu.jpg)

Jason's PC:
(http://i.imgur.com/sbBSE.jpg)

Both get +2 rep and glory
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Tadanori Oyama December 02, 2012, 06:37:44 PM
Caleb appears to be ready to take on a group of vampires.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Dom December 04, 2012, 04:07:40 PM
Caleb appears to be ready to take on a group of vampires.
And Jason looks like he plugged into the Animus to kill some Templars.  ;D
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Tadanori Oyama December 04, 2012, 05:27:06 PM
I'm curious about it. She has a tattoo on her arm that matches so I assume javelins or stakes have becomes something noteworthy about the character.

Yeah, Jason looks pretty ready to kill things. Not exactly the kind of merchant I'd choose for apples or software but for killing stuff... yeah, he looks good.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: QuickreleasePersonalitY December 04, 2012, 05:59:15 PM
BY CROM'S LEFT NIPPLE!
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Jason December 04, 2012, 06:00:04 PM
Yeah, I'm like the merchant of death. No tongue shall go uncut!

As for Vo, one could say she has a stake in this business. Oh I slay myself...see what I did there?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Teapot January 04, 2013, 09:16:52 PM
Hey, I recognized two of the Three Kingdoms people in this. And the gang.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe January 15, 2013, 02:28:18 AM
We have decided that we must create a Fight-Promoter RPG - where you do everything around a big tournament fight except fight the battle. Take bets, pump the rumor mill for info, get the crowd on your side, and sabotage the other team.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: crash2455 January 15, 2013, 10:28:55 AM
We have decided that we must create a Fight-Promoter RPG - where you do everything around a big tournament fight except fight the battle. Take bets, pump the rumor mill for info, get the crowd on your side, and sabotage the other team.

Needs more Don King
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: PaperGangster January 15, 2013, 07:02:04 PM
Also need more announcers.
"Tonight's fight brought to you by Squid-onna-stick.  If it ain't wrigglin', it ain't FRESH!"
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe February 14, 2013, 08:04:16 PM
by coincidence I found a pic that looks a lot like Vo

(http://i.imgur.com/A3s2LuV.jpg)
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Cthuluzord February 14, 2013, 09:24:12 PM
Vo would wear more clothes than that, but that is pretty much the concept, otherwise.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: QuickreleasePersonalitY February 23, 2013, 09:34:29 AM
Vo would wear more clothes than that, but that is pretty much the concept, otherwise.

yesh, that one is just asking for frostbite (in summer) and bleeding out via extreme chafing...

my parents were involved with a commune -- they thought it was a neet idea -- and the commune started out being no clothes...they discovered pretty quick why people wear clothes...and its not modesty :3

i dearly wish i had been old enough to remember any of it...
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe May 12, 2013, 05:24:40 PM
yaaay first episode is up :D
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Gorkamorka May 12, 2013, 05:44:09 PM
How many session did it run for?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe May 12, 2013, 05:58:42 PM
idk lol

in the neighborhood of 12 i think
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Flawless P May 13, 2013, 02:41:54 AM
Can't wait to listen to this tomorrow morning.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe June 11, 2013, 11:57:11 PM
oh man, first new episode since November for some of you  8)
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: joecrak June 12, 2013, 10:19:59 AM
So I absolutely love the concept and background of this campaign, a few questions though.

Why the decision to use the Iron Heroes rules, and I suppose this follow up could serve for a topic on your podcast, what makes you want to try certain systems?

The description and some of your mechanics are incredibly similar to one of my personal favorite games L5R, and with some tweaking I could see all the PCs as ronin thrust into similar scenarios having to follow various armies into war with foreign lands, each member trying to comete for specific markets.

Any chance of you coming to an east coast con to run a game...please?
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: SageNytell June 12, 2013, 04:44:37 PM
oh man, first new episode since November for some of you  8)

No worries, been trucking through Know Evil again in the absence. Looking forward to crazy fantasy shenanigans though!

fake edit: "WHAT'S IN THE BOOOOOX"

Real Edit: Yes please come to the East Coast!
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: joecrak June 12, 2013, 05:12:38 PM
DexCon is coming up...just saying.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: clockworkjoe June 12, 2013, 06:14:38 PM
So I absolutely love the concept and background of this campaign, a few questions though.

Why the decision to use the Iron Heroes rules, and I suppose this follow up could serve for a topic on your podcast, what makes you want to try certain systems?

The description and some of your mechanics are incredibly similar to one of my personal favorite games L5R, and with some tweaking I could see all the PCs as ronin thrust into similar scenarios having to follow various armies into war with foreign lands, each member trying to comete for specific markets.

Any chance of you coming to an east coast con to run a game...please?

I ran an Iron Heroes campaign way back in 2005 that was incredibly fun for everyone involved. Since then, I wanted to run one more IH campaign.

I should try to to go the east coast again. Once Base Raiders is out, I'll look at my options. Ah, the life of a freelancer - it's all feast or famine :D
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Tim June 12, 2013, 06:46:33 PM

 it's all feast or famine :D

My understanding was that it was all famine or less famine.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: Setherick June 12, 2013, 08:24:34 PM
So I absolutely love the concept and background of this campaign, a few questions though.

Why the decision to use the Iron Heroes rules, and I suppose this follow up could serve for a topic on your podcast, what makes you want to try certain systems?

The description and some of your mechanics are incredibly similar to one of my personal favorite games L5R, and with some tweaking I could see all the PCs as ronin thrust into similar scenarios having to follow various armies into war with foreign lands, each member trying to comete for specific markets.

Any chance of you coming to an east coast con to run a game...please?

I ran an Iron Heroes campaign way back in 2005 that was incredibly fun for everyone involved. Since then, I wanted to run one more IH campaign.

I should try to to go the east coast again. Once Base Raiders is out, I'll look at my options. Ah, the life of a freelancer - it's all feast or famine :D

The 2005 IH was the absolute best game I've ever been in. It's such a shame that it didn't get recorded. Somewhere out there there is a soulless hunter still searching for a way to get a new soul.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: joecrak June 12, 2013, 08:26:43 PM

I should try to to go the east coast again. Once Base Raiders is out, I'll look at my options. Ah, the life of a freelancer - it's all feast or famine :D

If you come I'll be super grateful!


Not really a selling point....

Regardless i devoured the three episodes today and yesterday.  Love it, like all your games, and like many of your listeners no doubt, wish i was in it.

I feel no guilt in saying that I was kind of hoping Aaron's character would have bit it in the second episode, he would have brought it upon himself!

Caleb's plan in the latest was so amazing, I want to run an L5R game for you guys just to see him try and black mail everyone, especially the other players. 
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: PaperGangster June 17, 2013, 11:39:01 PM

Caleb's plan in the latest was so amazing, I want to run an L5R game for you guys just to see him try and black mail everyone, especially the other players.

Throughout the campaign, I got to watch the assorted Caleb plots, Caleb plans, Caleb schemes, and Caleb operations come to fruition.  Never once did I ever think to myself "That is insane; there's NO WAY that could work!" whenever he had an idea; instead, the thought was "Of course this will work.  Caleb came up with it."  But therein lies the magic of it; as long as we worked in concert with him, we were part of the plan and thus valuable allies to be used for the better success of the endeavor.

If we played L5R and the goal was to take us all out via blackmail, I think the safest course of action would be to start off the game by giving him the incriminating evidence and directly swearing fealty to him in order to be the last one killed; the only way to beat him is to become his lackey and join him.
: Re: Fortunes of War - the RPPR Iron Heroes campaign
: joecrak June 18, 2013, 03:35:19 PM
Well, maybe not the goal, but entertaining side stories.