Steam Punk Setting
Perrel Seeds
Named after Lynn Perrel, these are the seeds of the Perrel tree.
These trees only grow in the centre of craters. They are fire resistant and very hard to damage. The bark is used as armour plating, though is both more durable and more expensive than steel.
The seeds of the tree are a deep red in colour and are semi translucent, resembling a gem. They are fist sized and can have shards of them cut or chipped off. The are about as hard as normal wood. The seeds however burn to the touch and are magnetic. They are so hot that special equipment is required to handle them. Adding water to them results in steam, making steam power the main source of mechanical power. It takes roughly 2 weeks of constant submersion in water for the seeds to lose their heat entirely, but after 3 days they can be picked up with a bare hand. Due to the seeds magnetism, electronics are almost entirely undeveloped.
Prospectors and Tycoons often explore areas hoping to find craters which they can stake a claim in and eventually turn a profit from the harvest of the seeds.
4th City and its vassal cities
POPULATION: 6,555,000
4th City
POPULATION: 4 MILLION
District A (“The Tree”)
Located at the centre of the city. Contains both the residents of the richest families (all of which have at least a little mutation) as well as the senate house.
ALL senators are members of the richest families and are elected by adult members of the richest families. The Senate house is located within the hollowed centre of the tree, while the residences are located in the canopy.
Access to the tree is restricted to the families and those directly under their employ with an access pass.
The shade cast by the canopy of The Tree covers most of the city. This combined with the shade from the crater rim, creates a perpetual dusk over the city. Only the areas near the rim get sunlight.
Most of the buildings in The Tree are either built into, or out of the Tree itself.
The Families
The Families are only allowed to marry within tree dwelling families. They are the oldest families of the city and a few were founders of it.
Due to inbreeding and living in the tree for so long, mutation has occurred within all the tree dwellers. A new family has not been allowed into the tree in the last 150 years.
They are rather similar to aristocratic families of historic Europe.
The Senate members have the power to appoint Moderators and new tree dwellers.
Moderators
Moderators are managers of specific districts who report to the senate, act as judges, and appoint Sheriffs (who then pick their deputies). Moderators are often Nouveau Rich people who The Families like, or disgraced members of The Families.
District HR
Wealthy non-tree residential area located on the crater rim.
Many houses are made from old battlements from the days past when the city needed greater protection. Thus many houses resemble bunkers and castles, but many more are newer and are similar to typical large houses located within a city.
This area is where most of the nouveau rich live.
Nouveau Rich
The Nouveau Rich are people who have become rich from hard work. Many are factory, Tree, and land owners. Others include skilled Treetalkers, lucky Prospectors, retired adventurers, and wealthy merchants. They are similar to factory owners, oil barons, and rail road tycoons of the industrialist era.
District R
Here is where anything can be bought or sold. The things sold here include slaves, animals, weapons, and drugs. Although it does technically have a Moderator, the area is run by organized crime. Sheriffs and their deputies are often no more than enforcers or yes-men of the mob.
There is a small section of District D where the residences and small businesses of The Roots stops and R's moral greyness intrudes. In this area known as D (often for deviant, desire, or dumbstruck) alternative entertainment is the theme. Here anything, even things too “exotic” for R can be enjoyed. Little is for sale, but if you have the money, almost anything is for rent.
Like the “newer” buildings in The Roots, most of the buildings are made out of stone, brick or adobe.
District H
District H is the red light district. The people living here are almost always involved in the sex trade in some way. Some are prostitutes, some pimps, and others are just unlucky. Many of the prostitutes are people who were down on their luck and just needed a bit of extra cash. They came to H as a last resort but wound up staying there one way or another. A few are unlucky enough to have been born or sold into the trade.
District B
B is the sewer system of the city. It is built around a large natural underground river. It is the waste removal system of the city, garbage and waste water are both dumped into the river. All water used within the city is water that has been taken from B and heavily filtered. B is huge, the river (and several of the man made diversions from the river) are large enough to accommodate very large ships. The absolute poorest people of the city live illegally in the sewers, they are known as The Anonymous. They make homes out of the garbage that is dumped into the river. Maintenance workers who tend the sewers use armed boats to defend against Sewer Pirates. They tend only the most important areas of the District, such as the intakes for the water filtration plants, and leave The Anonymous alone because it would be more effort than it's worth to clear them out. The Maintenance workers also often function as guards defending the important areas from saboteurs, pirates, and any Anonymous hoping to make a buck. The Entrances to B are locked and guarded with an access pass being required to enter it or exit it. Due to this restriction, very few of The Anonymous ever leave B. Sewer Pirates come and go through the less used (and less guarded) entrances using access passes that they have looted from dead Maintenance workers.
District AN
Technically part of the city, but outside the crater. The land is almost entirely agricultural with the occasional summer home of a wealthy person (most commonly the Nouveau Rich). There are minor streams and rivers which run throughout the district that are used for irrigation.
Houses in AN are typically made from the trees cut down in the clearing of farmland.
The Roots
The Roots is the area of the city directly surrounding the base of the tree. It is named as such because many of the building in the districts surrounding the tree are built into, on top of, or out of the tree's roots. Most of the buildings not made from The Tree are made out of stone, brick, or adobe.
Aside from The Canopy, this is the oldest area of the city. It contains a large market which is the commercial heart of the city's legal and less morally objectionable businesses. Many of the lower class citizens live here as well in boarding houses, apartments and tenements. They often work either in the stores, or commute to the District G where they work in factories. Due to the pollution from G The Roots are always covered in a light smog which occasionally deepens to a shroud that greatly reduces visibility. These conditions noticeably lower the life spans of the residents of the area, though those who travel there to work or shop are largely unaffected.
District G
The industrial heart of the city. Located directly across from HR, it casts a crescent shaped smog across The Roots. Here there are hundreds of factories producing all types of goods to be exported or sold in The Roots. Most of the city's working class residents work in this district in one factory or another. They are paid little with the threat of unemployment stopping them from demanding greater wages. Rich businessmen who live in HR are often the owners of the factories and rarely visit them relying on trusted managers to ensure productivity. Very few people live in G and those that do are the poorest of the non-Anonymous. They often run inexpensive businesses that cater to the workers (barbers, prostitutes, diners, etc.). This district also contains the Guilds.
The Guilds
The Guilds are several formal gatherings of scientific minds. They range in subject from academic subjects (philosophy) to more practical ones (steam power). There are often multiple guilds that cover the same topics, these often see each other as rivals. Often these rivalries are reflected in aggressive advertisement campaigns from the factories that support each guild. The current rivalry is Steam Power Vs Clockwork. Occasionally the Guilds or Factories hire saboteurs to disrupt their rivals productivity and research. The guilds are located here because the land is cheap which lowers membership fees, and because those that have practical application are close to the businesses that often fund them (the factories). The Guilds are also the only source of education that is not informal. The best guild members from the academic guilds are hired as tutors for the children of The Families.
District F
A relatively small district located at the base of the tree. This District used to be considered part of The Roots until roughly 100 years ago. At that time a now famous store (called The Red Hat) opened catering specifically to the Nouveau Rich. The extensive profits made by this inspired other nearby business owners to adopt the same theme. Slowly this spread throughout the district. With District N at one end, and The Tree at the other, F is one of the wealthiest Districts due not only to its content but also due to the fact that F is one of the few districts that Family Members occasionally travel through.
District N
The business district. This area contains importers, exporters, law firms, investors and other such businesses. This area caters to both the Nouveau Rich and The Families. Almost no one lives in the district because of the high cost of land.
District TG
Similar to AN, TG is located outside of the crater. TG is a military academy and outpost. Originally located on the very edge of the City's land it was the largest outpost of the frontier. With people flocking to the defenses of the outpost, TG has become essentially a small city. Due to AN's expansion TG is now located inside of AN several miles from the current frontier.
Troubleshooters
Troubleshooters are individuals who are hired by some party to perform a task for them. These tasks are rarely large scale (those are generally reserved for the Mercenaries). They may be hired for anything from escorting a small caravan, arbitrating a land dispute, or assassinating an individual.
Transportation
There are two main means of mass transit.
The first is only available in the crater. It is the Movator. Basically a giant clockwork raised footpath that weaves around the city. A small fee is paid to use the Movator whenever it is boarded. Large animals and vehicles are not permitted on it.
Travel outside the crater is largely handled by the railroads. They are all trains pulled by steam engines. There are various train companies that compete against each other, some of which own their own rail lines, while others license lines from larger companies. Despite the corporate espionage among the train companies, They all use 1 of 4 stations that are connected to the city. There are stations on the edges of districts G, R, HR, and M. Station R is in somewhat disrepair because the company that financed the Rail Line connected to it ran out of money.
Individual transportation is handled in several ways.
First are common mounts. Gallopers are 8 legged equine animals with internal ears and short hair. They are faster than a horse. Pedes are basically oversized centipedes that are skilled at navigating difficult terrain. Kayfsees are like ostriches that are slightly larger, have more feathers and are great jumpers.
The transports used by the rich are the clockwork horse, the steam carriage, and normal carriages pulled by one of the above mounts.
Wardogs, Bear sized Mastiffs and horse sized Greyhounds are used by soldiers and scouts, respectively. Mastiffs are fiercely loyal, and on the few recorded occasions of outright battle there have been several instances of Wardogs with dead riders guarding their rider's body.
Bicycles are common among those too poor to afford even a common mount.
Currently both Airships and steamcycles are being developed by a number of Guilds.
Lakeview
POPULATION: 2 MILLION
Lakeview is the only known population centre older than 4th City. History (which at this point is closer to legend) states that Lynn Perrel was not born in the region around the crater that 4th city dominates. It is said that she traveled with her family for many months but never saw any humans except for bandits, other nomads, and 3 cities. Perrel and her family never entered any of the cities because they were turned away. The exact reason isn't known but there are many theories as to why they were barred from entering.
It's unknown from which direction she came, but many scholars postulate that Lakeview was one of the cities she encountered on her travels. Lakeview's age isn't precisely known but the fact that when prospectors originally discovered it, there were already humans living within. These people had not discovered how to use Perrel Seeds, nor had they taken any refuge within the tree. They all lived in small metal houses on the floor of the crater, which likely only survived the elements thanks to the protection afforded by the tree and crater. They did however have a strong military presence making use of bows, clubs, swords, and other weapons which did not require chemical or complex mechanical components.
Initially the people were unfriendly at best, most often hostile, even though they spoke the same language. Initial contact often resulted in death on both sides. Eventually a truce was brought into order and a dialogue was open. Slowly over time new technology was introduced along with new people. However, Khattem, and Doggone are viewed as evil spirits and automatons are viewed as objects. There were no Khattem or Doggone in their city, but the city's history gives an explanation in that they were systematically killed to ensure good weather. Any who might have survived fled.
Now Lakeview is fairly large city specializing in exporting water related goods, Berry Lake berries, and acting as a trading post for those who travel further south. It is also the second largest known city.
Junction
POPULATION: 500,000
Junction is the third largest city, and was the first city outside of a crater. It was formed when trains began seeing widespread use, particularly with the Train Race 200 years ago. The Train Race was about two Businessmen who made a bet about who could travel the farthest in one year. The Race started at the furthest point developed up to that point, the future site of Junction. The winning businessman, Edward Honour, made it to just North of what is now Fork. The loser, Samuel “Slick” Pratt, wound up bankrupt and destitute because of the competition. Roughly 50 years later, Honour was inducted into The Senate, and The Tree, for his commercial accomplishments.
Junction is formed around the facilities required to maintain a multitude of Trains. Not only does it act as a stopping point for refueling, it also has the largest number of mechanical technicians specializing in trains and the facilities to accommodate their work. Almost everyone in the town has some part of their life tied into the trains.
Pond
Pond is technically a staked claim but is close to being a city in and of itself. Originally staked by Edward Honour, many though the renowned businessman had made a mistake. It indeed seemed to be that way at first. The problem was that the tree he had staked was located in the low lands, this caused the crater to fill with water. The water filled crater made setting up proper equipment to harvest the seeds impossible. A large portion of his fortune was wasted trying to harvest the seeds in innovative manners. He even had a rail line built to the crater to transport equipment more readily.
His success came when he noticed that several of the workers on break would dip into the water and stay near the crater's edge. When asked why they did this, they explained that they found it relaxing. To their surprise, Honour asked if he could join them, and of course they said yes. He found that the water of the crater was unusually warm, and was indeed quite soothing to the muscles. He hypothesized that the seeds naturally falling from the tree sank to the bottom and the warm water would rise heating the pond.
He quickly realized the possible monetary rewards within such a phenomenon. He had his workers stop finding ways of getting the seeds, and start building deluxe homes. When the first was built (in record time, thanks to the workers getting regular bathings in the crater) Honour sent a message to the Perrel family requesting that they come and enjoy his “Hot Pond.” One of the family did indeed come down and word quickly spread to the other families, and later the Nouveau Rich.
Now, Pond is a thriving vacation town catering to the wealthiest of society. All The Families and many Nouveau Rich have homes their that they visit when they need a refreshing dip in the Hot Pond. The Honour Family still owns most of the land around the crater, as well as the rail line that goes to it.
Sam's End
POPULATION: 1,000
Sam's End is the farthest point that Samuel “Slick” Pratt reached in the Train Race. After spending all his money trying to beat Edward Honour, Slick Sammy, as he was known, was a destitute and broken man. He died a penniless beggar living on the street of the town named after his failure. The original population was mostly comprised of workers Pratt had hired to build his line. When Pratt ran out of money, the workers wound up with no way home. Pratt barely escaped a lynching.
There are few redeeming features of Sam's End, the town wasn't planned, so there aren't many resources to exploit. The largest exports are gravel and stones which the citizens of the city pull from the nearby riverbed with their bare hands. Most people who decide to live or work in Sam's End are desperate people trying their last option at making a living. This has given rise to the phrase “Sam's End is your end if you stop there.”
Rocton
POPULATION: 10,000
Rocton is furthest town from 4th City. It was founded around the large iron mines that produce its main export and provide jobs for the whole town. Since it's founding Rocton has surpassed all other towns as supplier of iron ore for the factories, and mills of District G. The ore is shipped by train straight to G, stopping only at Junction or Fork for refueling.
Guardia
POPULATION: 2,000
Guardia is the stereotypical frontier town. It was formed, like most frontier towns, around a saloon. The saloon has since been sold, bought, burned to the ground, and rebuilt at least twice. The population of the town is hard to judge because there are few permanent residents, many are just passing through on their way to bigger and better things. Because Guardia sees so many explorers, prospectors, and adventurers in general, it is well equipped for all their needs.
Guardia is also one of two towns with a lumber industry, cutting down trees from the nearby Southern Hills and processing the wood before shipping it off to 4th City.
Marshflow
POPULATION: 3,000
Like Guardia, Mashflow is a frontier town. However, where Guardia is near unexplored forested hills, Marshflow is near a vast plains that many farmers decide to try to make a living on. Therefore much of the equipment available here is used for building a family farm.
Marshflow is also one of two towns with a lumber industry, cutting down trees from the nearby forest and processing the wood before shipping it off to 4th City.
Fork
POPULATION: 8,000
Fork was founded by a steamancer turned businessman. Serina Wilhelm figured that she could turn her scientific knowledge into business know how. She did extensive research into the growth patterns of the region and where the best place to buy large portions of land would be. She decided that the best place would be just south of where Edward Honour had finished his rail line. Soon there would be need for a train refueling point so that train lines could be built further south. Her town would be the new Junction.
Wilhelm bought as much land as she could in her predicted area, built several train refueling stations (even though there wasn't a rail line yet) and several other buildings that she deemed necessary for a town centered around trains. All she had to do was wait.
It would be 20 years (4 after Wilhelm's death to illness) until there would be enough demand for iron to build a rail line that reached further south. Wilhelm's family is now one of the Nouveau rich, and are currently trying to get the Church of Commerce to declare her a saint for her commercial foresight.
St. Lynn
POPULATION: 15,000
Originally named Riverwater, St. Lynn was formed as a trading community. Frontiersmen from the surrounding area would travel to the town to sell their wares whether they were slaves, furs, or produce. With the founding of Rollinsville, Riverwater saw a surge in population growth. It was renamed St. Lynn because it was felt by The Perrels that a city growing as it was at the time was a fitting tribute to their ancestor.
St. Lynn is still mostly a trading town with many markets where many different products and services can be found.
Rollinsville
POPULATION: 12,000
Rollinsville was founded around the mining industry. The city is renowned for it's production of minerals, ores, and rocks. Julia Rollins was the one who founded the city when she was contracted by the Steamancer's Guild to find them a sufficient source of iron so that they could experiment with the proposed science of clockwork. Rollins was successful with the discovery and extraction of iron ore as well as other natural resources of the area.
The one natural resource of the area that she never exploited was the plentiful lumber of the Lonely Woods. When she was asked why she wouldn't allow any of her employees to fell trees from it, she said that it “wasn't right” and gave no further explanation. Some say she was superstitious, others think she was visited by forest spirits, but those in the business world suspect she was in fact a “tree hugging lesbian liberal.” Because of Rollins refusal to use lumber, all the buildings in Rollinsville are made of stone, or brick.
The Dip
The Dip is a large valley between the Dry Hills and 4th City. A river named The Dipper runs through the valley. Three large ponds mark the length of the Dip, which are suspected to be craters, but the absence of a tree is a mystery.
Edge
POPULATION: 3,000 CIVILIANS AND 10,000 MILITARY PERSONNEL
Edge is the only town of note between 4th City and Mosque. Because of The Families distrust of The Crusaders and their faith, Edge is a highly militarized town. Officially this is because of bandits in the Dry Hills, but both sides know that the bandits have moved further south in the face of the growing military presence. The Crusaders controlling the only pass North and letting very few people past doesn't help their relationship with 4th City.
The Evermarsh
The Evermarsh is a massive marsh that stretches from Giant's Shelf in the East to past Marshflow in the West. According to The Crusaders it extends some 20 kilometers North of Mosque.
The Evermarsh gets its name from the fact that even with telescopic assistance the marsh still appears to extend forever. What scientists, prospectors, and treetalkers find oddest about the marsh is that with the flatness of it a tree would stand out like a Khattem in Lakeview, and yet none can be seen within the marsh, even with scientific assistance. This, however, has not stopped prospectors and explorers from entering it.
The Evermarsh contains many dangers. Aside from the obvious danger of the strange creatures that reside within the marsh, there is also the marsh itself. The grounds is extremely soft, often being mud. It is far from uncommon for gear, and transportation to be lost to the mud. It is also not unheard of for unwary explorers to be swallowed slowly by the mud. Another common danger is the sheer size of the marsh. Occasionally explorers get turned around within the marsh and wind up going in circles because there are no distinguishing features. These dangers make the pass that Mosque guards extremely valuable for exploration.
Giant's Shelf
Giant's Shelf is a large ridge. It is roughly 50 metres of vertical rock. This large natural barrier, combined with the control of the southern pass belonging to The Souldrinkers, has stopped exploration of the east.
Lonely Woods
The Lonely Woods are the largest and densest forest of the region. Despite the size and age of the trees, there has been no lumber industry to speak of making profit off the forest. The closest town is Rollinsville and many residents take Julia Rollins belief that taking from the woods is wrong to heart. Most who venture into the woods aren't from Rollinsville, mainly prospectors and tycoons. These types venture into the woods because there are 3 clearly visible Perrel Trees somewhere within the forest. Unfortunately many who enter the woods are never seen again, and those who do escape often have been out of food and water for several days. The survivors almost never speak about their experience, but those that do, do so in a hushed tone and speak of shadows with substance; creatures that would turn and pull you but be impossible to see. Of course these stories just add to the beliefs of the Rollinsville residents.
Hell
POPULATION: UNKNOWN
Hell is the fortress of the mercenary company The Souldrinkers. Hell is between The Great Pond and the Lonely Woods controlling access to the East. Like Mosque in the North, very few people are granted access through the pass.
Hell was not founded by people from 4th City. All the people that formed the town were nomads and bandits. They originally came together as a place where they could sell their wares without being watched by the authorities. The bandits continued to use Hell, as it came to be known, as a base of operations, venturing forth from it to plunder.
Things began to change when a bandit of The Souldrinkers gang, named Brett Spimpner, realized that a profit could be made from extortion within Hell itself. It worked for a while, until the other gangs and clans realized that they could do the same thing. Then a gang war began (which led to the phrase “All Hell breaking loose.”) which resulted in an unknown number of deaths but estimated to be in hundreds. The fighting only stopped when action was taken by 4th City.
The 4th city authorities had known about Hell for quite a long time. However it had been deemed unprofitable to try and route the criminals, even with the savings from fewer bandit attacks AND the profits from the tree's seeds. When it was heard that the bandits were fighting among themselves an army was sent to quash the criminal haven once and for all.
Word of the coming siege reached Spimpner, however, and he realized that in the state Hell was in the army would crush them with ease. Luckily for him, even with the rail line to Rollinsville it would still be weeks before the military's might could be brought to bear. He was able to gather the heads of the 4 other gangs of note and convince them to band together at least until the siege was over.
There was little preparation time to be had, but the most was made of it. Since there were little raw materials most of the prep time was used in training the motley crew of “soldiers.” Spimpner made sure that his most trusted men were the ones doing the training and that discipline was the most important lesson.
The siege lasted one month. It began with the army slowly climbing the side of the crater and trying to get to the rim. These were often bloody in nature because the generals had not expected any organized resistance at this time and felt that any platoons who didn't reach the rim didn't achieve this out of cowardice. So more men were sent up.
Eventually the generals realized this wasn't working and ordered the military engineers to devise a solution. Several different methods were tried, many of them being inexpensive troop formations. The most successful by far was when a locomotive was modified to drive while off rails. Veterans were then mounted on the train engine and sent up the crater. With nothing that could seriously damage the train, the residents of Hell found themselves with an actual fight on their hands.
Some of the bandits broke and tried to flee from the swirling melee happening atop the rim. The confusion above allowed the army to send more soldiers walking up the rim with only the occasional shot at them. The battle would have been lost at this point were it not for Spimpner. When he heard about the mess on the rim, he rushed there with his best enforcers and entered the fray. He yelled battle cries and rallied the troops. Any who fled he cut down himself, and soon after the bandits got the idea.
This battle lead to The Souldrinkers now imfamous battle cry. The story goes that while taking a break after being stabbed in the leg, Spimpner asked the other men who were wounded if they were hungry. Many replied that they were. He told them that if they lost today, the army would be the only ones eating, and that they would be eating in the homes that the Bandits had made for themselves. Their women and slaves would be forced to make meals for a bunch of army poofs.
So he asked them “Who is eating tonight?”
The bandits replied “WE ARE!”
“Where are you eating?”
“IN OUR HOMES!”
“TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL!”
Following that rousing speech many of the wounded men got up and raced to the battle as fast as they could. Word spread of Spimpner's inspiring words and soon all the bandits were yelling the same words. This new found unity turned the tide of the battle and the army was forced from the rim. Shortly after that the siege broke with a truce negotiated between Hell and 4th City.
Many expected that the gang wars would resume as soon as the army left, however, Spimpner had fostered loyalty in the bandits by fighting on the front line alongside them. When the other gang leaders tried to command the bandits to fight Spimpner's Souldrinkers, many of those bandits killed their bosses and joined The Souldrinkers.
With all of Hell united under him, Spimpner knew that he now had a force to be reckoned with. He continued training them and used profits from their banditry to improve the equipment and facilities available to Hell's residents.
Spimpner kept the truce, and his successors have as well. Any banditry they do is done East of Hell where there are few 4th City citizens. They even protect the nearby farms and villages from bandits in return for food and other goods. Most of their profits though come from selling Perrel seeds (which they mostly use to buy goods and services to increase their military power) and lending themselves out as mercenaries. The Souldrinkers are exceptional soldiers known for their discipline and and unsubtle tactics.
POPULATION: UNKNOWN
Little is known about Mosque or its founders, The Crusaders. It was built in a crater located in a pass between Giant's Shelf and The Ever Marsh. This strategic location has halted all travel North from 4th City. The only people allowed past are those who are truly converted to The Crusaders' religion, Eternal Vigilance. Those people are rarely seen again and those that are refuse to speak about what is in the North.
The Crusaders live by the teachings of their religion, but they have no qualms about selling their services as mercenaries. Though they are picky about the contracts they take. Rarely do they use extreme force, preferring to negotiate with and convert those who oppose them. Most of the work they do as mercenaries are as a security force, defending caravans and prospectors from bandits and nomads. They are well known for their expertise with melee weapons, which saw a decline in use after the discovery of gunpowder and the application of steam power for weapons. With the increase increasing likeliness of a close quarters battle with The Crusaders, 4th City has issued bayonets to most regiments, and even had a few trained in the use of swords and spears.
Although they have never had open war with 4th City, the city does not trust The Crusaders, or the missionaries they send to various towns in the region. This distrust has lead to a military buildup in Edge. The soldiers there are quite bored and restless. The only action they see is the occasional attack from nomads, bandits, or wild life. This boredom leads to them misbehaving and keeping the MPs busy.
The Roost
POPULATION: UNKNOWN
The Roost is home to the mercenary group known as Hawk's Flock. Hawk's Flock are the only mercenary group formed from people born citizens of 4th City. This has put them in a situation of greater trust with The Families than the other mercenary companies.
The Roost was founded by a woman named Eliza Hawk, a veteran of the Siege of Hell. After she left the military she decided to try her hand at prospecting. She was fairly successful, discovering a crater and harvesting the seeds responsibly. What changed was when she was propositioned by a Family member (who is unknown) to kill a tycoon that was trying to blackmail them. Tired of seeing death in massive quantities she refused the offer. Shortly thereafter her husband was found dead from knife wounds. It is said that on that day Eliza died and only Hawk was left. Legend has it that she swooped in silently and killed the Family Member.
Impressed with her abilities she was later contacted by the tycoon she had been approached to kill. He hired her to wipe out a competitor, and she began the long spiral downward. She soon formed a college of assassination called The Collegiate for Specialized Military Operations. Initially many of the graduates returned to 4th City as military assassins, scouts, and snipers. This changed when Hawk found herself fighting off an attacker trained at her own college. She won the fight and immediately created Hawk's Flock, a mercenary group comprised entirely of graduates from her college. She then used the Flock to eliminate or retrieve every last graduate of her college.
She eventually died a paranoid and lonely old woman. A knife and pistol were both found under the blankets of her deathbed.
Southern Hills
The Southern Hills are one of the most heavily forested parts of the region, second only to the Lonely Woods. The Hills have a great many species of wildlife within them. This creates a great area for hunters and trappers. In addition to the lumber and fur industries of the area, the hills themselves are full of ores of various kinds. With the popularity of gold increasing, prospectors have started staking gold claims. The only problem with the area is that many nomads use the Hills as a temporary rest point and see the land as sacred.
Dry Hills
The Dry Hills are located between The Dip and the Lonely Woods. This area gets little rainfall and most of the rain it does get flows into The Dip. The area is quite rocky and full of uneven terrain that only Pedes can navigate with a rider. The inaccessibility of the area has made it a perfect staging point for bandits. Unfortunately for the bandits, they are stuck between Hell and Edge, two heavily militarized areas.
The rocky nature of the area makes it excellent for the mining business, particularly those specializing in stone. This has been taken advantage of in the town of Rollinsville to the South. Further exploitation of the area has not occurred because of the heavy bandit presence.
Berry Lake
Berry Lake is located in the South, right next to Lakeview. It is named Berry Lake because of the distinctive Red berries that grow only in the area. Since they have only be found in the area they are considered a delicacy by many. This has resulted in a competitive claiming of land that the berries grow on.
The Great Pond
The Great Pond is the largest body of water in the region. It stretches as far as the eye can see and no reliable reports as to its size exist. Exploration of this sea is hampered by the rough terrain to its west and Hell's Pass to the North.
Perils
Perils are the agents of The Senate. Selected individually by The Senate, they are almost always proposed for the position by current Perils. They have unlimited access to all 4th City information, and only answer to The Senate or one of its members. They ensure that the peace is kept in the city and that The Senate is well informed about the going ons in the region.
The Church of Science
The Church of Science is the second largest religious group of the region. They believe in the attainment of knowledge and the betterment of mankind through that knowledge. Occasionally, though, sacrifices must be made to obtain that knowledge.
The Church believes that the Earth is round, and was formed after a giant explosion that created everything. They view their beliefs as scientific theories that simply have yet to be proven as the truth; there is no “magic” to their history.
The Church of Commerce
The Church of Commerce values betterment of humanity through the betterment of self. They are the largest religious group in the region, and often have some sway with The Families. Many of the members of the religion base their success on the teachings they learned from The Church. However there are many more who have little money to show for their faith. Because much of the congregation are extremely wealthy, The Church is one of the single wealthiest entities of the region, rivaling even a few of The Families.
The Church of Commerce believes that the world was created when God made it in such a haste that it burned hotter than the sun for a whole day and needed a night to cool. However God made that night last many years to ensure that those on his newly created world knew that they would have to take care of themselves. Mutants were the first to realize they would get no outside help and so formed society. Then the humans saw how well mutants did and imitated them making their own lives better. Finally the Khattem and Doggone followed suit.
Eternal Vigilance
Eternal Vigilance is the religion that The Crusaders brought with them to the region. Missionaries are sent out into the region from Mosque to convert those of other faiths. Those who are converted make a pilgrimage back to Mosque, and then somewhere to the North.
Followers of Eternal Vigilance are expected to give all of their worldly wealth, except for what they need to survive, to their local temple. This turns many off from the church which promises eternal peace and happiness with God after death. Those who do not convert will be sent to an abyss where they will be tortured for the rest of eternity. Anyone who sacrifices themselves for the greater good of the church will immediately join God's side with 72 virgins to please their every need.
The followers of Eternal Vigilance believe that God created the world in 6 days and then rested on the 7th. He tested humanity to see if they were fit to receive his gifts, some were worthy, others were not. He sent his son to humanity as their saviour to teach them God's ways. Humanity repaid the kindness by executing God's son. His son returned 3 days later and told humanity that he would return once more to see if humanity was ready then. Many years later His son returned and was called both a charlatan and the saviour. This split caused a great war, and so His son decided humanity was not ready. He would return once more and only once more. If humanity was not ready then, then humanity would never be ready. Now the followers spread the word of the coming Judgment and that humanity must be prepared.
Unknown Power
Unknown Power is the scientific term for the unexplained ability of some creatures to manifest abilities that function outside of the laws of physics. Some scientists feel it is untapped power of the human mind. Some believe it is the harnessing of the ambient energy left over from the creation of the world. The Church of Commerce believes that it is a God given ability to help that individual help themselves. Followers of Eternal Vigilance view it as an empowerment given to them by the Master of the Abyss. No one knows the actual cause...
Unknown Power can do many wondrous things. There have been reports of people who can read minds, control other people, mend damage to the body or machines, create flame and ice from nothing, and many more amazing feats.
Unknown Power is considered by some to be the source of the sentience of certain automatons because two automatons made under the same conditions, with the same materials, and using the same design will not necessarily both be sentient. The most curious development in recent years has been the appearance of automatons, both sentient and non-sentient, who could wield Unknown Power. Those that were non-sentient generally caused a great deal of inadvertent destruction and had to be euthanized.
Nomads
Nomads are the people who wander the region and never stay in any one place for long. They travel the land and stop at preordained places with no explanation as to why they stopped there, or at that time. They rarely speak to non-nomads, except when that person has something the nomads want. Some are hostile to non-nomads while others frequently trade.
The one common feature of Nomads is their garb. They all wear heavy cotton or wool shawls no matter the weather. They also wear strange helmets which are handed down from one family member to another, a great honour, or constructed as a bonding ritual between two individuals. These helmets have two knobs somewhere on the helmet, which scientists think are used for filtration of water in possible dry climates. The helmets also feature distinctive vision slits which give the Nomads an inhuman appearance. Despite Nomads infrequent use of 4th City technology, many of them have steam or clockwork powered prosthetics.
Prosthetics
The Siege of Hell was the last major military engagement of the 4th City military. That battle cost the lives and limbs of many soldiers. Most of the soldiers lucky enough to survive with only a missing limb became invalids and dependents of their families. Others simply languished in the gutters of the cities and towns. A few, however, banded together and used the money they had to contract one of the Guilds to design and produce replacement limbs for them. The result was a rudimentary prosthetic consisting of a small boiler that powered simple joints. In years to come, the inclusion of clockwork would improve prosthetic technology greatly. Unfortunately, most prosthetics are expensive and few people who need them receive them. This high cost has made prosthetics a symbol of wealth, with the wealthiest and most fashionable citizens getting enhancements to their existing body parts, or going so far as to have their natural body parts removed and replaced with prosthetics.
Enhancements to existing body parts can be purchased at any time using the normal rules for purchasing gear. A basic prosthetic can be gained for free at 1st level for free as backstory for a character, but any upgraded prosthetics at 1st level or prosthetics gained later must be purchased normally. Luxury versions of enhancements and prosthetics can be purchased, but increase purchase DC by +1 and have no in game benefit.
Races
Human: 1 extra feat at 1st level. 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
It is unknown when humans first existed, or where they came from. What is known is that almost all the current human residents of the region were born in the region. Any immigrants (of which there are few) are soon swallowed up in the melting pot of 4th City society. Humans hold most of the middle management positions of the 4th City government, while they make up much of the Nouveau Rich.
Humans make up roughly 30% of the population. Common everywhere.
Mutant: A player may select a number of Mutations with a total MP value equal to or less than 10. They must then take a number of Drawbacks with a total MP value equal to or greater than half the total MP value of their selected Mutations.
All Mutants are descended from one of The Families. Most mutants were taught from birth to regard non-mutants as lesser beings who were not given God's gift of authority in the form of their biological uniqueness. Almost all upper positions of the 4th City government are held by Mutants, with humans making up the rest.
Mutants make up 5% of the population. Somewhat common in crater cities. Rare in non-crater cities. Very Rare in rural areas. Uncommon in wilderness.
Doggone: +2 str, -2 dex. Scent. Track Feat for free. +2 to Listen. Bite for 1d6 damage.
A bipedal canine. Although technically eligible for any positions that humans are eligible for, very few Doggone hold positions of power. Those that do are often entrepreneurs who made a name for themselves and are now one of the Nouveau Rich. Although Doggone and Khattem generally do not get along they have been known to agree on things that concern both of them. Both of their old cultures believe that before history every natural race existed but were unaware of the world around them. Then the sky decided it would share its knowledge with the creatures below and gifted them with a knowledge that burned brightly. This knowledge allowed creatures far and wide to stand up on two legs so that they can embrace the sky and thank it for its gift. Despite the prevalence of the three human and mutant religions, many Doggone still embrace the sky at sun up.
Doggone are generally quite welcoming to strangers and friends alike. They believe that every person is part of The Great Pack and so should be accepted as family. They are very loyal individuals but never forget a slight. If they are wronged they tend to hold a grudge for many years, even over seemingly small things, and they make their dislike well known by yelling profanities at the offender in their native tongue.
When Lynn Perrel and her family arrived at the crater that is now 4th City, the Doggone of the crater were the first to welcome them. They accepted them as part of The Great Pack as was their custom. They helped Perrel establish herself within the crater, and with her scientific experiments that eventually led to steam power. This is all considered lies by The Families who know that when Perrel and her family arrived the crater was empty of all life. Eventually the Doggone did arrive but they simply tried to mooch off of Perrel's success, claiming that they had a right to it as part of The Great Pack.
Doggone make up 20% of the population. Fairly common in crater cities. Somewhat common in non-crater cities. Rare in rural areas. Uncommon in wilderness.
Khattem: +2 dex, -2 con. Low Light Vision. +2 to Listen, Spot, and Move Silently. Retractable claws that do 1d4 damage in each hand.
A bipedal feline. Although technically eligible for any positions that humans are eligible for, very few Khattem hold positions of power. Those that do are often entrepreneurs who made a name for themselves and are now one of the Nouveau Rich. Although Doggone and Khattem generally do not get along they have been known to agree on things that concern both of them. Both of their old cultures believe that before history every natural race existed but were unaware of the world around them. Then the sky decided it would share its knowledge with the creatures below and gifted them with a knowledge that burned brightly. This knowledge allowed creatures far and wide to stand up on two legs so that they can embrace the sky and thank it for its gift. Despite the prevalence of the three human and mutant religions, many Khattem still embrace the sky at sun up.
Khattem are generally seen as aloof. They do not often associate with others, even those of their own race. Once they do decide that an individual is worthy of their affection they make it very clear that they enjoy the other person's company by touching them and rubbing up against them. This occasionally makes some individuals uncomfortable, and has lead to a persistent rumour that Khattem are extremely promiscuous.
Khattem make up 20% of the population. Fairly common in crater cities. Somewhat common in non-crater cities. Rare in rural areas. Uncommon in wilderness.
Steamaton: +2 str, -2 int. +1 Natural armour. Immunity to poison, disease, nausea, energy drain, and paralysis. No need to eat or breathe. No natural healing. Susceptible to abilities that affect metal.
A steam powered automaton. Steamatons come in many shapes and sizes, but most are roughly human size and shape, but with a generally stockier build to accommodate their boilers. Despite being steam powered Steamatons have clockwork brains that are automatically wound by their boilers. They see themselves as different form the “Steamers” that they “evolved” from. Steamatons first appeared roughly 70 years ago when the Steamaton known as 573V3N asked his owner “Where did I come from?” His owner answered the question, which was quickly followed by another and another. “Steven” (as he began to call himself) was returned to the manufacturer as a defective model and was scraped and recycled into an oven. The Corpse of Steven is seen as an extremely important symbol of Steamaton heritage and is kept in a shrine in G for public viewing.
After that incident it was not long before more and more Steamatons began appearing. There was a Senate meeting that was to decide the fate of the Steamatons. They were likely all going to be scraped, until the first Clocker appeared during deliberations. If both Steamatons and Clockers were scraped the economy would take a huge hit that it might not recover from. It was decided that for the sake of society they would be allowed to exist.
Despite their sentience many people still consider Steamatons objects and since they were built for manual labour many of them can't defend themselves as skillfully as Clockers can. This view pervades into The Senate as well and so Steamatons are not eligible for government positions, but that has not stopped a few from making themselves into Nouveau Rich. Most however are just as happy to do the manual labour they were designed for.
The attitudes between Clockers and Steamatons varies from individual to individual, but they generally fall under one of three categories. During the early days of sentient automatons and since then many manufacturers have claimed that their automatons are better than automatons of the other type. This leads some automatons to believe that they are superior to their counterparts. This “racism” is promoted by the manufacturers as a means of completely deniable corporate espionage. The other attitude is one of kinship. Some Clockers view Steamatons as mentally impaired siblings who need to be watched over. Steamatons generally do not resent this attitude for various reasons. The final attitude is one of indifference, another automaton is just another individual.
Steamtons make up make up 10% of the population. Fairly common in all cities. Somewhat common in rural areas. Rare in wilderness.
Clocker: +2 int, -2 cha. Immunity to poison, disease, nausea, energy drain, and paralysis. No need to eat, drink, or breathe. No natural healing. Susceptible to abilities that affect metal.
An automaton powered by clockwork. Clockers consider themselves above the clockwork machinery that they “evolved” from. They were designed for repetitive tasks that required a sharp mind, typically things like data entry and finances. The first Clocker appeared roughly 3 years after the first Steamaton. It began call itself “One” after an altercation at its workplace. One had been performing data entry for 3 days straight, stopping only to wind itself. On the third day it saw a group of humans who had the same job as it get up from their desks and go for a break. At the time there were fears about what would happen to society since the Steamatons had appeared. Manufacturers developed clockwork automatons claiming that they were better at mental tasks than old steam powered ones and would not ask questions. So One's employer/owner was dumbstruck when One stood up and informed him that he was going on break as well.
The news of this development traveled fast and quickly reached The Senate. 3 days later they had ruled that automatons who questioned their own existence or showed a sense of self preservation were considered “living beings” and to be treated as such. One was extremely lucky for it had been on the run from most of society for those 3 days. One is still alive, but its older clockwork has been irreparably worn down and is now senile. It still gets visits from scholars and “young” Clockers who want to know what it was like in the past, though it can be quite difficult to get the desired knowledge from One.
The attitudes between Clockers and Steamatons varies from individual to individual, but they generally fall under one of three categories. During the early days of sentient automatons and since then many manufacturers have claimed that their automatons are better than automatons of the other type. This leads some automatons to believe that they are superior to their counterparts. This “racism” is promoted by the manufacturers as a means of completely deniable corporate espionage. The other attitude is one of kinship. Some Clockers view Steamatons as mentally impaired siblings who need to be watched over. Steamatons generally do not resent this attitude for various reasons. The final attitude is one of indifference, another automaton is just another individual.
Clockers make up make up 15% of the population. Common in all cities. Uncommon in Rural areas. Rare in wilderness.
Available Starting Occupations
d20 Modern
Academic
Adventurer
Athlete
Blue Collar
Creative
Criminal
Dilettante
Doctor
Emergency Services
Entrepreneur
Investigative
Law Enforcement
Military
Religious
Rural
Student
Technician
White Collar
d20 Past
Cloistered
Cosmopolitan
Impoverished
Primitive
Servant
Slave
d20 Future
Colonist
Drifter
Gladiator
Scavenger
Transporter
Available Advanced Classes by book
d20 Modern
Soldier [Strong]
Martial Artist [Strong]
Gunslinger [Fast]
Infiltrator [Fast]
Daredevil [Tough]
Bodyguard [Tough]
Field Scientist [Smart]
Techie (Gadgeteer) [Smart]
Field Medic [Dedicated]
Investigator [Dedicated]
Negotiator [Charismatic]
Battle Mind [Strong]
Telepath [Charismatic]
Acolyte [Dedicated]
Mage [Smart]
d20 Past
Shaman (Treetalker, replace animal with plant) [Dedicated]
Scientist (Inventor) [Smart]
Explorer (Prospector) [Dedicated]
Frontier Marshal [Tough + Gunslinger]
Mesmerist [Charismatic]
Spiritualist [Smart]
Gangster [Tough]
d20 Future
Ambassador (Tycoon) [Charismatic]
Dreadnought [Tough]
Engineer (Tinkerer) [Smart]
Field Officer [Charismatic]
Helix Warrior [Strong]
Swindler [Charismatic]
Technosavant (Steamancer) [Smart]
Tracer [Dedicated]
Bughunter [Strong]
d20 Urban Arcana
Archaic Weaponmaster [Strong]
Street Warrior [Strong]
Swashbuckler [Fast]
Thrasher [Tough]
Wildlord [Strong + Tough]
Archmage [Mage]
Ecclesiarch [Acolyte]
Holy Knight [Weapon Master, Swashbuckler, Bughunter, OR Strong + Fast]
Psionic Agent [Fast]
d20 Apocalypse
Evolutionary [Any]
Available Advanced Classes by Base Class
Strong Hero
Soldier
Martial Artist
Battle Mind
Helix Warrior
Bughunter
Archaic Weaponmaster
Street Warrior
Fast Hero
Gunslinger
Infiltrator
Swashbuckler
Psionic Agent
Tough Hero
Daredevil
Bodyguard
Gangster
Dreadnought
Thrasher
Smart Hero
Field Scientist
Techie (Gadgeteer)
Mage
Scientist (Inventor)
Spiritualist
Engineer (Tinkerer)
Technosavant (Steamancer)
Dedicated Hero
Field Medic
Investigator
Acolyte
Shaman (Treetalker, replace animal with plant)
Explorer (Prospector)
Tracer
Charismatic Hero
Negotiator
Telepath
Mesmerist
Ambassador (Tycoon)
Field Officer
Swindler
Advanced Class or Combination of Base Classes
Frontier Marshal [Tough + Gunslinger]
Wildlord [Strong + Tough]
Ecclesiarch [Acolyte]
Archmage [Mage]
Holy Knight [Weapon Master, Swashbuckler, Bughunter, OR Strong + Fast]
Evolutionary [Any]
And that's everything.
I have read about 50%. I'll get the rest later.
I have a few questions though, what kind of equipment and weapons would be available in this setting?
Because I can really imagine an automatic steampowered crossbow, or something like that. But would guns exist?
I must say that this has inspired me to once again GM a steampunk campaign (last time we did it in D&D).
On a side note, this setting was inspired by a dream about the 4th city which is based off 4chan!
Also, feel free to use the setting if you want.
I might scale down the weapon tech a bit though, since one of the players isn't too keen on modern rpg'ing, and I fear pump action shotguns and revolvers might be too high a Progress Level for her to enjoy.
But I'm sure she'll enjoy weapons more if they're fluffed to be a steampowered bolt thrower (pump action shotgun) or clockwork reloading blunderbuss (revolver) etc...
But thanks for sharing this great setting, I'm glad to use it, that way I don't have to create one myself.
Another question that popped up; what's the scale on your maps?
As for scale... The closest thing to scale I made was that a trip from Rocton to 4th City takes 1 day by train. Also, the map is basically southern Ontario, but with North as South. The Evermarsh is Lake Ontario for instance. So those are my two best indicators of scale.
So there are a few hundred kilometres from Rocton to 4thCity?
New question (sorry, they keep popping up): In the OP, you said you left out the stuff about the Perrel Seeds. Would you mind posting it? I think they are a great idea from what I've read.
You misread, I said I left out the stuff about STEEDS. this was just me making a table for the three main types of steeds (which are already detailed) equipment. I basically used the cost conversion in Urban Arcana and took stuff straight from 3.0 Player's Handbook.
However, there's a little bit more about the seeds I think is missing from my posts. First is that recently they've been ground up and sold as a powdered drug which is snorted like cocaine. It's a HIGHLY addictive stimulant, when it was first introduced in game we met a weasily little man who we learned used to be a big bad mob enforcer but the drug had ****ed him up. Later we witnessed him getting some Seed from a drug dealer and then quickly slaughtering the dealer and his two guards with a shiv once he had been temporarily returned to his normal self.
The other thing is that if a seed is not properly taken from a branch then the it won't regrow later. Since this wasn't initially known the tree of 4th City is almost seedless. Every once in a while someone finds a tree and can make a finders fee. Treetalkers (who are often also prospectors) know how to properly take the seeds off, though its an entirely mundane process and could be learned by anyone, but the treetalkers are somewhat secretive about it since they have an effective monopoly.
Also, I don't think I emphasized enough that capitalism comes first in this society. The two best examples of this that have come up in my games are Widow Jean Roddenbury's Orphanage, and The House of Exotic Entertainment. The Orphanage is the ONLY orphanage in the whole region. It's in a Large house in The Roots usually with about 20 children. What really drives the capitalism home though is that Mrs. Roddenbury technically owns the children. She has certificates of ownership for each one, and when someone adopts a child she tries her best to ensure that the child is not treated like a slave despite their owned status. A quest came about when a burglar stole the certificates and sold the children to a factory. The House of Exotic Entertainment is a small theatre in District D run by a Jeremy Vandamar. Mr. Vandamar owns a number of very exotic animals. These animals are VERY well trained and the show they perform is one involving a willing and well paid woman. I'll leave it at that to keep it work safe.
If you do start running a 4th City game I'd be very interested to see what you do with the setting. Perhaps I'll incorporate some of what you do in my games.
Ahh, I like the depravity of your campaign. Perfect for what I had in mind.
And I'm definetely going to adopt this setting, with few minor changes (mostly the amount of Doggone and Khattem, which I'll reduce). I've already started statting up some numbers and stats for flintlock and caplock guns (I'm gonna go for more than Ruger Service Six with different crunch, because I'm a bit of a weapon geek, but I'm sure the PCs wouldn't mind having "a gun". I just like to vary weaponry).
I've also found an old list I made when I GM'ed D&D with a hint of steampunk, a 12 page list of various Steampunk Items (some of them are somewhat D&D'esque, and many of them require direct magical intervention in their creation - I guess I'll leave those one out though).
I'm still considering what type of campaign/adventure I wanna run. But I think I'll go for dark & gritty corporation stuff.
Btw, what do you call your money in that setting?
I'm thinking about calling my money Florins, just to give it a historical feel. But if you have something more appropriate...?
For your caplock and flintlock guns check out d20 Past, it has both of those if I remember correctly, and you'll want it in case your players want to use an advanced class from it.
Something I thought I'd mention about Khattem and Doggone is that there are half-Khattem and Half-Doggone as well, but mechanically they resemble one parent or the other.
In regards to the money, I thought about calling it something more interesting but I just went with Dollars for simplicity's sake. Not to mention that everything in the rules is in dollars and the players can more easily relate to it.
Here's a short list of the quests that have been run so far in my game, though not necessarily by me. The PCs are troubleshooters BTW:
-Bandits hold up a train by blocking the rails with boulders. The PCs then had to go to a nearby town to find something to move the boulders. The town was deserted except for a little girl hiding in a cupboard. They find a monster (http://korik1.deviantart.com/art/Mask-Spider-85679254) in the saloon and kill it. They take the girl to the orphanage.
-The orphanage is losing children because a factory owner keeps ending up with their ownership certificates. The party investigates. When they return with a factory's worth of children they find that some factory thugs have kidnapped 3 of the children (including the one rescued from the deserted town) and fled into the sewers (District B).
-Giving chase the PCs hear cannon fire ahead and eventually come to a river sized tunnel with a pirate ship passing by. They spot the children on board, and spot the remains of the kidnappers nearby. They follow the ship to a pirate fort and spot the children being raised by elevator to the surface. They track the children to an auction house. The children have been sold to The House of Exotic Entertainment.
-The children find the business in District D but end up having a gun battle with the bouncer and then the cops, somehow talking their way out of it once everyone's stopped shooting. They come back later and attack again defeating the bouncer, two cops, and Vandamar's Displacer Beast. They discover that Vandamar just wanted the kids because he was getting older and wanted children. The children want to stay with him. They end up getting Vandamar in contact with the orphanage to help support it.
-One of the cops died from the battle, and so the police come in the night and throw the party into Deathrow Dungeon, the WORST Prison ever (it's co-ed, but there are no women...). The party eliminates a gang leader to get access to another part of the prison to pass on a message they were slipped. They find the guy they are looking for and give him the message and he helps them escape.
-The party investigate a child's disappearance. Foul play is suspected because the boy's father is a union organizer. They discover that the kidnapping went wrong, and the boy escaped and has been looked after by a homeless man who saw it go down.
-The party's been hired to guard some scientists from protesters who are investigating a strange door found in a tunnel. Goes fairly well until the party is wrongfully arrested by the paranoid shotgun and dynamite toting sheriff for instigating a fight. They discover that masked zombies (masks resemble the mask spider in the previous quest) are invading and infecting the townspeople. They hole up in the quarry for the night. They try to escape on a tractor with a flatbed and scoop. One of the PCs dies to the masked zombies. They lure the zombies into the saloon (which has natural gas lighting0 and discover a hatchery full of "eggs" (http://korik1.deviantart.com/art/Mask-Cocoon-85707882). Another Mask spider attacks them but they kill it and blow up the saloon with all the zombies inside.
-They decide to go on vacation after the traumatic events of their previous assignment. They go to Pond, take in a play, and go to view a demonstration of a scientist acquaintance of theirs. The demonstration goes awry and the party discovers they've swapped bodies. They find out that a rival of the scientist sabotaged the machine. They confront him and he'll give them back the missing piece if the two ladies of the party go to the ball with him and his brother. They make dance checks. They get the piece and return to their bodies.
-The party investigates a serial killer that the police have put a bounty on. They discover the killer is an oversized Clocker made in secret by one of the guilds. The inventor has stolen them away somehow and one of them is killing women (he's based off Jack the Ripper). They find the killer and destroy it with the help of the guild it came from and two police officers.
Next up they'll be hired to appease a senile governor who claims there are imps in the house who steal his bedpan.
Jack the Ripper is a good one. Fits perfectly in the setting.
We don't have d20 Past, but I'm pretty sure the rules we're using cover the basics, if not more than those in d20 Past.
We're looking at Fast, Soldier, Tracer, Gunslinger and Lawbringer, for at total of level 15. They wanted to try out some high-level stuff, so I thought what the heck, let's do it.
New question: How big are your Perrel Seeds (I'm considering making 'em ananas/mango/coconut-sized), and how pricey are they?
I honestly never thought about how expensive a seed would be. I'll take a quick look at d20 Modern and see what I think. I'd say that a single seed is DC 20, but a person can buy slivers (DC 14) and chunks (Half seed is DC 17) as well since not everything needs a full seed. On that note I'd say that a steam car probably uses half a seed, train 1 or 2 seeds, and then small appliances use one or more sliver (a sliver would be roughly 1/8" x 1/8" x 2.5").
I'm interested to hear how the setting holds up at high levels since the party I run is mostly level 4.
the DCs sound good. We're gonna use currency (as in, no PDC, but hard cash), but that's easily convertible using the table in the d20MHandbook.
Edit: and I'll be sure to tell you how things goes for 'em. Its my first time GM for such a high level (normally, we end up stopping at 12-13...)
The players were hired by a governor's son to pretend to investigate his senile father's claims of imps being in the house so that the governor will keep quiet during a week long business conference. Of course the imps turn out to be real and are in fact clockwork creations, I used the mechanical homonculus stats. Eventually the party staked out the governor's room where the item most commonly stolen (a bedpan that was forged out of an old family heirloom at the crazy governor's behest) normally resides. They also set up some bait since the imps had also been taking random metal objects. I expected the party to try both of these, what I hadn't counted on was them doing both at the same time. I had the imps go for the bedpan rather than the bait, so it worked out. One of the party almost died though because no one in the party has any medical skills nor equipment. After destroying the 3 imps and providing the client with proof that they exist, the party was replaced with much heavier security. Since the party had a lot of free time at first they wound up stealing a fair bit of the governor's stuff, mostly scotch and wine, but they did swipe one very rare book (a copy of Samuel "Slick Sammy" Pratt's diary). Since the mystery of who made the imps remains unsolved I'm going to use them for another quest and the start of a larger story.
Everything went pretty much according to plan, however, while talking with my players afterward (which I always do) they said that they felt there was too much waiting around and not enough stuff for them to take action with. This is very understandable since the imps were very good at hiding and it was a big mansion. The next quest with the imps will involve more investigating and less waiting.
Seed
Seed is a drug recently introduced to the 4th City. It is made by taking a perrel seed and grinding it into a fine powder. This powder can either be inhaled through the nose, or mixed with water and injected into the bloodstream. It quickly takes effect no matter the method of use and gives the user a burst of energy and strength. The effects wear off after an hour unless an unusually large amount is taken. After its effects are gone, the user feels intensely weak and cold, often shivering. A single use can cause an addiction, but repeated use is guaranteed to. Addicts are often withered, shaky, and nervous versions of their former selves. They lose muscle mass from not eating because they are weak or have spent all their money on Seed. They are also always cold unless they have recently gotten their fix. The nervous disposition comes from the lack of confidence that addicts feel unless they are using, and then they often feel nigh invincible.
Weapons
The region around the 4th City features a wide variety of cultures. With each culture comes a preferred style of fighting. The Templars and followers of Eternal Vigilance prefer to use melee weapons such as polearms, swords, maces, and axes. Nomads favour rifles and bows that can readily used for both self defense and hunting. Raiders and bandits use whatever they can get their hands on, though often use machetes for close combat after throwing javelins from their steeds or ambush positions. The Souldrinkers use shotguns for their raw power, reliability, and sturdiness. Hawk's Flock uses weapons that work well with their tactics of stealth and assassination. This generally means poison, rifles, derringers, and daggers. In areas controlled by the 4th City directly, revolvers are carried by many citizens, particularly in bad areas of 4th City, or in smaller towns. On the frontier rifles, and bows are favoured for the same reasons the Nomads use them, though shotguns are also often used to hunt fowl. The 4th City military has 3 weapons which can't be found anywhere else. The first is a weapon that uses steam pressure to launch impact explosives great distances known as a grenade launcher. The second is known as a rattling gun for the sound it makes as it expels hundreds of bullets per minute. The last is a gun that shoots a jet of searing steam and is called a back boiler.
Good to see that we have more-or-less the same idea of your setting, weapon-wise.