Today's post is the last of the character creation posts (for now). I'm sharing the kits I created to bring firearms into the Skies of Mor-ladron (SoM) and the complications I am adding! As usual, if you want to view the official kits and complications, you can do so on Forge Steel.
Kits
In Draw Steel, kits give you weapons and armor. Instead of going into an armory to buy a longsword and plate mail, you choose a kit. Kits provide flavor and some guidelines on weapons and armor. For example, they might say you have a light weapon and medium armor. As long as your armor and weapon fit in those categories, then the details can be whatever you want them to be.
One of the things I've been noodling on is making a list of city/town kits with specific gear that would be allowed inside a town. Most urban places wouldn't want civilians walking around with giant swords on their backs. I am thinking about having my players choose from a town-approved list of kits that they could automatically switch to when they enter a city or town. These would be kits with no or light weapons/armor. I'm still not sure about this—it's definitely something I'll talk to my players about. There is such a thing as realism taking away from fun. What do you think? Is that type of kit something you would want in your game?
For now, I have a few firearm kits to share. If you have any other ideas for kits that might fit in SoM, let me know!
Arquebusier
Few can fire a long rifle with such accuracy, but it's second nature for you.
Equipment: You wear no armor and wield a two-handed firearm.
Speed Bonus + 1
Ranged Damage 0/0/+4
Weapon Distance +10
Disengage Bonus: +1
Signature Ability: Headshot
Keywords: Ranged, Strike, Weapon
Type: Action
Distance: Ranged 12
Target: 1 creature
Power Roll + Agility:
- 11 or lower: 3 + A or I damage
- 12–16: 5 + A or I damage
- 17+: 12 + A or I damage, dazed (EoT)
Cannoneer
You are a one-person siege engine.
Equipment: You wear heavy armor and wield a handheld cannon.
Stamina Bonus +9
Stability Bonus +1
Weapon Distance +5
Ranged Damage 0/0/+4
Signature Ability: Thunderous Shot
Keywords: Attack, Ranged, Weapon
Type: Action
Distance: Ranged 10
Target: 1 creature or object
Power Roll + Might or Agility:
- 11 or lower: 3 + M or A
- 12–16: 5 + M or A, push 1
- 17+: 12 + M or A, push 2
Effect: Double damage to objects
Pirate
You've perfected the close-quarters combat that happens when boarding another's ship without an invitation.
Equipment: You wear light armor and wield a one-handed firearm and a light weapon.
Stamina Bonus +3 per echelon
Speed Bonus +1
Melee Damage +1/+1/+1
Ranged Damage 0/0/+4
Ranged Distance Bonus: +5
Disengage Bonus: +1
Signature Ability: Point Blank
Keywords: Ranged, Strike, Weapon
Type: Action
Distance: Ranged 10
Target: 1 creature
Power Roll + Agility:
- 11 or lower: 2 + A damage
- 12–16: 4 + A damage
- 17+: 10 + A damage
Effect: If you target a creature adjacent to you, you do not suffer a bane on this attack.
Gunslinger (firearm version of Rapid Fire kit)
Why only use one firearm when you have two hands?
Equipment: You wear light armor and wield two firearms.
Stamina Bonus: +3 per echelon
Speed Bonus: +1
Ranged Damage Bonus: +2/+2/+2
Ranged Distance Bonus: +7
Disengage Bonus: +1
Signature Ability: Two-Shot
You fire both your guns at once, striking multiple targets within range.
Keywords: Ranged, Strike, Weapon
Type: Action
Distance: Ranged 12
Target: 2 creatures or objects
Power Roll + Agility:
• 11 or lower: 4 damage
• 12–16: 6 damage
• 17+: 8 damage
Complications
Complications are an optional feature of character creation. They offer both a benefit and a drawback, which, in theory, should balance each other out. I say "in theory" because I'm sure the official ones are balanced, but who knows about the ones I came up with—I guess we will find out in play!
MCDM offers 100 complications to choose from. I evaluated them and came up with eight that don't fit in SoM at all and 17 that I could re-flavor. The rest were good to go as-is. Below, I list my eight brand-new complications, then the 17 re-flavored ones. After that, I included a list of the rest of the complications so my players could go to one place to roll for a complication if they wanted. You can see all of the official complications and what they do here.
New Complications
1. Photosynthesis
You were blessed by the celestial of Silvialis, and now you get your energy from the sun.
Benefit: As long as you can see the sun for at least an hour a day, you do not need to eat food. While you can see the sun, you are treated as having +1 recovery
Drawback: At night and when you cannot see the sun, you have -1 recovery. Whenever you are within 5 squares of a lightstone, your body siphons its energy, causing it to grow dark.
2. Stowaway
You stowed away on a delver's ship. Luckily, they found a great treasure soon after you were discovered, so they took you in, gave you a bit of the treasure, and treated you like a good luck charm. That is, until you left them to strike out on your own.
Benefit: You start off with a 1st echelon trinket.
Drawback: The delvers constantly hound you to join back up with them and blame you for their streak of bad luck. They have an uncanny ability to show up at the worst times.
3. Realm Hopper
The fabric of reality always seems thin around you. You constantly pop in and out of this realm, usually when you mean to.
Benefit: As an action, you can create a tear and step through it, leaving this realm for another. Doing so removes you from the encounter for one round or a brief moment.
Drawback: Once per respite, the Director can spend 1 malice to force you to take this action or prevent you from doing so.
4. Lone Survivor
You were part of a powerful criminal Hilean gang until a group of smugglers wanted to retake the package they sold you. They went on a killing spree, murdering your entire gang. Either by luck or cowardice, you survived.
Benefit: You gain the hide skill.
Drawback: You have a bane when interacting with any of the criminal gangs on Hilean, as they view you as a coward, turncoat, or just bad luck.
5. Blackstone Device
You either worked at Blackstone and stole one of their creations for your own, or you are a very ballsy thief.
Benefit: You have this Blackstone Device:
Flamebelcher
A rune-covered backpack connected to something resembling a flared firearm. The runes glow a deep red when activated. You gain the following ability.
Flamebelcher
Keywords: Area, Weapon
Distance: 5 × 1 line within 1
Target: All creatures and objects
Power roll + Might or Agility:
- 11 or lower: 2 fire damage
- 12–16: 4 fire damage
- 17+: 5 fire damage
Effect: The area is covered in sticky fire until the start of your next turn. Whenever a creature enters the area for the first time in a round or starts their turn there, they take 2 fire damage.
Drawback: Blackstone will stop at nothing to hunt you down and recover their device. Each time someone sees you use it, someone connected with Blackstone will appear within 24 hours to try and capture you and take it back.
6. Sky Whale Food
While sailing, you were swallowed by a sky whale and survived inside its belly for an extended time before escaping.
Benefit: You have acid immunity 5.
Drawback: You suffer a bane on all power rolls when you can see a sky whale.
7. Fungorian Raised
You were raised by fungorians. They loved you as one of their own, but you've picked up on their mannerisms and find dealing with the other ancestries a bit confusing.
Benefit: You learn Fungorian, and you can telepathically communicate with creatures within 10 of you if they share a language with you and you know of each other. The receiver of your telepathic communications can choose to respond telepathically.
Drawback: You have a bane on Presence tests made to interact with humanoids.
8. I Know a Magus!
You used to work for or around the tower magi in Empyrean. One took a liking to you and answers your questions from time to time.
Benefit: As a respite action, you can contact the magus and ask them to perform a research project for/with you. They have +4 to reason, and they double the result of their roll.
Drawback: If you ask them to do something that takes longer than one respite, they will ask you for a favor in return and will not complete any more projects for you until you complete that favor.
Revised Complications
9. Cursed Blessing
Exiled Priests of the Church of the Lady captured you, then began a ritual to turn your body into an undead spirit in attempts to mimic the Lady's blessing. The ritual failed, but your body became infused with corrupted magic, turning you partially incorporeal.
Benefit: Once per turn, you can move through a solid mundane object no more than 1 square thick. If you end your turn inside the object, you take 5 damage and are shunted into the space where you entered the object.
Drawback: Your body is more susceptible to negative energy. You have corruption weakness 5.
10. Storm Born
You were caught in a major storm when you heard a whisper telling you to let the wind take you. You listened, and now you are one with the storm. You have lightning immunity 5, and whenever you have at least 5 Victories, you gain the ability to produce wings made of lightning.
Benefit: Storm Wings
You possess wings powerful enough to take you airborne.
While using your wings to fly, you can stay aloft for a number of rounds equal to your Might (minimum of 1 round) before you fall prone. While using your wings to fly at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd levels, you have damage weakness 5.
Drawback: When you are reduced to 0 Stamina, you explode with thunder and lightning. You and each creature within 5 squares of you take lightning and sonic damage equal to twice your level. You can’t reduce this damage for yourself in any way.
11. Balanced Scales
You have always had the strength to defend yourself, but oddly, you have had to do so a lot more than the average person.
Benefit and Drawback: At the start of a combat encounter, you can gain 1 additional heroic resource. If you do, the Director gains 3 Malice.
12. Demon-Bit
As a child, you survived a demon attack—but they left you with a toothy scar and the occasional fit of bloodlust.
Benefit: Whenever an ally within 5 squares of you is reduced to 0 Stamina, as a triggered action, you can move up to your speed and make a free strike.
Drawback: If you start your turn next to at least one creature while dazed, you must use your action to make a melee free strike against an adjacent creature.
Special: You can’t take this complication if you can’t be dazed.
13. Hippogriff Rider
You travel with a rare breed of hippogriff that you stole from the Empyrean stable masters. Perhaps you were once a hippogriff trainer or Empyrean noble yourself, or maybe you stole it on a whim. Traveling with a hippogriff comes with its share of inconveniences and dangers, but they’re a small price to pay.
Benefit: While outside, you can spend a minute to summon your hippogriff (see the Humans entry in the Monsters book), which acts as your mount. You can dismiss the hippogriff as a free action. The hippogriff won’t go inside, and it won’t accept anyone but you as a rider. If the hippogriff takes damage or dies, you can restore it to full Stamina as a respite activity.
Drawback: People who know of your crime fear interacting with you since they worry the Empyrean stable masters will come after them by association. You have a bane on tests made to influence anyone who knows of the Empyrean stable masters and who has seen you with your rare hippogriff. Such people might report you to the stable masters, who can come looking for you.
14. Fungorian Variant
You lived as a fungorian, but when you died, children did not spout from your corpse. Instead, you felt pulled to another corpse nearby. By taking that body, you were able to continue living. You are still unsure why this happened.
Benefit: You are a fungus inhabiting a humanoid body. Your host body follows all the normal rules for a character and is considered alive. At any time while your host body is alive, or for 24 hours after it dies, you can move to a dead humanoid within 10 squares as an action and use it as your new host body, provided the body belongs to a playable ancestry. When you do so, your original host body dies. Your new host body gains all your statistics except for those related to your former body’s ancestry, such as size and ancestry traits, which you instead gain from your new host. When you inhabit a new host body, you start with 1 Stamina and can immediately spend a Recovery.
Drawback: You have fire weakness 5. Additionally, you have a bane on tests made to read humanoid creatures’ emotions and body language.
15. Lost Your Head
You were executed or beheaded on the field of battle, which is typically fatal, but you’re able to survive your decapitation due to a latent psionic ability.
Benefit: You gain the following ability.
Share Head
You don’t have a head, but can psionically borrow another.
Keywords: Psionic, Ranged
Type: Maneuver
Distance: Ranged 10
Target: One willing creature
You can see, hear, and smell as if you were in the creature’s space.
Additionally, you can borrow their mouth to speak when you wish to do so. Your voice differs from theirs. This effect ends when you use Share Head on a different target, when the creature moves more than 10 away from you, or when the creature is no longer willing to share their head with you.
Drawback: Having no head, you can’t see, hear, smell, or taste except by using the Share Head ability. Additionally, you can’t wear gear that requires a head, such as helmets or hats.
16. Devout of the Lady
When you were young, you almost died in an accident or attack, and a priest of the Lady saved you. That drove you into the church and gave you a strong faith. You just can’t wait to tell other people all about it.
Benefit: As a respite activity, you can try to convert members of a community to your cause. Make a Presence test. The Director determines the difficulty based on the community’s receptiveness to your ideas. On a success, you convert one NPC into a follower, in addition to followers you acquire through Renown or other means. The Director determines the type of follower. Once you have converted an NPC into a follower in this way, you can’t try again until you gain a level.
Drawback: If you fail in your conversion attempt, one of your followers (either through this feature or your Renown) leaves you, their faith in you shaken. If you have no followers, your Renown decreases by 1. If you need to reduce your Renown and it is already 0, you instead experience a fitful respite and don’t gain any of its benefits.
17. Punishment Curse
Through ignorance, fear, spite, or selfishness, you refused to help someone in need. To teach you a lesson, a Celestial offered you what seemed to be a blessing—extra power to help you heal yourself in times of need, but harsh consequences should your need become excessive. You took the deal and now benefit from the blessing but also suffer from a curse.
Benefit: You have 1 additional Recovery.
Drawback: When you are out of Recoveries, you are dying, no matter what your current Stamina is.
18. Rogue Talent
You are the only survivor of a cataclysmic psionic event—an experiment gone wrong or some naturally occurring phenomenon of a far-off place. It left you with a psionic talent but also made you vulnerable to telepathic attacks.
Benefit: You gain the following ability, which you can use as a ranged free strike.
Telekinetic Grasp
You reach out with your mind to move a creature or object.
Keywords: Psionic, Ranged, Strike
Type: Maneuver
Distance: Ranged 10
Target: 1 creature or object
Power Roll + Might, Intuition, or Presence:
• 11 or lower: push or pull 1
• 12-16: push or pull 2
• 17+: push or pull 3
Drawback: You have psychic weakness 5.
19. Stolen Face
While you were delving an ancient ruin, sneaking around a noble's house in the dark, or just walking down the wrong street, you found an odd-looking mirror. When you looked into it, it took your face and vanished, leaving you with a blank expanse instead. Although you can imitate other people's features, you’d like to have your own back.
Benefit: You can spend 5 uninterrupted minutes to rearrange your face into that of another creature of your ancestry who you’ve seen before. You gain a double edge on tests made to impersonate this creature or to disguise your identity. You are unable to change your hair or other non-facial features.
Drawback: When you take damage, your face is blank, with no eyes, nose, mouth, or ears. Your face doesn’t return until you spend 5 uninterrupted minutes rearranging it.
20. Shadow Born
You were born or lived in the dead realm for a long time, and its darkness has seeped into your bones.
Benefit: When you start your turn in concealment, you gain a surge.
Drawback: You have holy weakness 5.
21. Careful Curse
When you were young, you did something reckless and unthinking that endangered a magus or cost them something dear. The magus cursed you, causing you to take your time and be always cautious and thorough, even to your own detriment. If you can’t shake this curse, it could be your downfall—or the very thing that saves you.
Benefit: Until you’ve taken your turn in a round, strikes against you take a bane.
Drawback: Your speed is reduced by 1
22. Searching for a Cure
Your homeland has been corrupted by some terrible monster, and you’re the only one who escaped the plague. The rest of your family still exists but in changed forms. People tell you the situation is hopeless, but you’re determined to find a cure.
Benefit: Choose a type of monster, such as gnoll or vampire. You gain a +1 bonus on saving throws and characteristic scores to resist potencies against this monster’s abilities.
Drawback: You have started to turn into one of these creatures yourself. If you don’t find a cure soon… you’ll fall victim to the disease or curse. Work with your Director to determine the timeline of your disease taking effect. It should be something that could happen during the campaign!
23. Bomb Collar
You wear a rigged collar, placed around your neck by someone who wants to control you. You haven't been able to remove it, but you’ve managed to rig the collar so it explodes outward while keeping you safe.
Benefit: You gain the following ability.
Posthumous Retirement
You make your modified collar explode.
Keywords: Magic
Type: Maneuver
Distance: 1 burst
Target: All enemies
Effect: Your collar detonates, dealing fire damage equal to 5 plus your level to each target. Once you have used this ability, you can’t use it again until you spend 1 minute out of combat resetting the collar.
Drawback: When you use your Posthumous Retirement ability, the Director can spend 3 Malice to make your collar malfunction and damage you.
24. An Oath Taken in Earnest
You have sworn an oath. A flame burns in your soul, one that can burn your enemies—or you, if you fall short of your oath.
Benefit: While fighting on behalf of your oath, when you score a tier 3 success with a damage-dealing ability, you deal additional fire damage equal to your highest characteristic score.
Drawback: When you act against your oath or fail to live up to the high standards associated with it, you take 5 + your level of fire damage. This damage can’t be decreased in any way
25. From Another World
You are not exactly sure how you got here or where here is, but you are here now and can't go back there. You seem to have brought some of your power with you, though. So, you might as well make the best of it.
Benefit: Choose a damage type from acid, cold, corruption, fire, holy, lightning, poison, psychic, or sonic. When you use a signature ability, you can use your chosen damage type instead of the ability’s normal damage.
Drawback: You have a bane on tests made to know about anything related to the world you now find yourself in.
Unchanged Complications
- Advanced Studies
- Animal Form
- Amnesia
- Artifact Bonded
- Antihero
- Bereaved
- Betrothed
- Chaos Touched
- Chosen One
- Consuming Interest
- Corrupted Mentor
- Coward
- Curse of Immortality
- Curse of Misfortune
- Curse of Poverty
- Cursed Weapon
- Disgraced
- Elemental Inside
- Evanesceria
- Exile
- Famous Relative
- Fire and Chaos
- Following in the Footsteps
- Forbidden Romance
- Frostheart
- Getting Too Old for This
- Greening
- Grifter
- Grounded
- Guilty Conscience
- Hears Voices
- Hunted
- Hunter
- Indebted
- Ivory Tower
- Lifebonded
- Lightning Soul
- Loner
- Lucky
- Master Chef
- Meddling Butler
- Medium
- Misunderstood
- Mundane
- Outlaw
- Pirate
- Primordial Sickness
- Promising Apprentice
- Psychic Eruption
- Raised by Beasts
- Refugee
- Rival
- Runaway
- Secret Identity
- Secret Twin
- Self-Taught
- Sewer Folk
- Shared Spirit
- Shattered Legacy
- Shipwrecked
- Sibling’s Shield
- Silent Sentinel
- Slight Case of Lycanthropy
- Stone Cursed
- Strange Inheritance
- Stripped of Rank
- Thrill Seeker
- Vow of Honesty
- Vow of Duty
- Waking Dreams
- War of Assassins
- Ward
- Wodewalker
- Wrathful Spirit
- Wrongly Imprisoned
And that's it for character creation!
In the next post, we'll go back to some lore and world-building. I want to start a series digging into the isle of Stormspire and expanding on that. But the next post might also be more of an update on some smaller thoughts about the world. Come back soon and find out!