The Endless Legions: Mayhems

The Endless Legion is the seeming mass of demonic beings that aren't powerful enough to claim their place within the meritocracy that is demonic nobility. A large portion of it is effectively a caste system enforced by which species a demon is- it's a rare imp that survives long enough to overcome the weakness of its birth.

One such species, used as troops by the nobility, are Mayhems, named because of the chaos of limbs and weapons that ensues when they enter a melee.

Mayhems look a great deal like a normal human, at least until they reveal the two extra arms that are generally hidden inside the chest cavity. At this point, it becomes obvious that their spines and arms are elongated (SM +1, arms have SM+2, a reach of C-2), and that they can use all fours arms to attack separately. Once they reveal their arms their height increases to almost seven and a half feet tall.

The spine of a Mayhem is exposed and can be attacked from the front. When the spine is crippled, the upper torso breaks free of the legs, reducing the Mayhem to crawling about on four arms to move around. This effectively gives them the horizontal disadvantage, making it impossible for them to move and hold more than a single weapon at the same time.

 Mayhems frequently use weapons with extended melee reach to enable themselves to attack foes who cannot close in to attack without risking a thicket of sharp death.

Mayhem

ST: 13            HP: 13           Speed: 5.5
DX: 13          Will: 10          Move: 5
IQ: 10            Per: 10           Weight: 200lbs
HT: 9             FP: 9              SM: +1
Dodge: 8        Parry: 10       DR: Only skull and spine

Fright Check: -2 (Experienced monsters hunters quickly acclimate to fighting these)

Claw (14): 1d+1 crushing. Reach C-4.
Grapple (15):  No damage. Gains +2 to ST per extra arm used to choke/strangle, up to +4.
Spear (14):  1d+3 impaling (1d+4 if held by two hands). Reach 1-3 (One-handed), 1-3,4* (two-handed)
Long Spear (14): 1d+3 impaling (1d+4 if held by two hands). Reach 2-4 (One-handed), 1-4,5* (two-handed)
Halberd (14): 2d+10 cut. Reach 2-4,5*.
Halberd (14): 2d+9 imp. Reach 2-4,5* May get stuck.
Halberd (14): 1d+4 imp. Reach 3-5*

Traits: Claws, blunt; Extra Arms 2 (Long 2; Extra-flexible, Switchable); Extra Attack 3; Injury Tolerance (No Vitals; Independent Body Parts (Upper Torso Only; No reattachment)); Night Vision 5; Striking ST 1.
 Feature: Spine can be targeted from the front, different crippled spine effects

Skills:
Brawling-14; Climbing-18; Polearm-14; Spear-14; Wrestling-15

Allowing allies to take advantage of Feint

So, the combat in my game is starting to get slightly stale for my tastes, and I've always been slightly irked by how much better deceptive attack seems compared to a feint- the improved turn economy of deceptive attack is highly desirable.

A feint, done right, draws your opponent into a state of weakness so that you can then smash in their face, taking advantage of it.

My thinking is, a good enough feint might open up a hole in an enemy's defense so glaring that even allies can take advantage.

Proposal:
Any feint that imposes a penalty of -3 or more to a defense roll can be taken advantage of by allies, not just the combatant who originally used feint.

Why is Ireland such a hotspot for supernatural activity, anyways?

My players have been asking this question for a while now. Ireland in 1641 doesn't appear to have any real reasons to have such an influx of demons, neutral spirits, and other supernatural creatures. Now, I actually have an explanation for this.

Angels.

Yes, you heard that right, Angels. More specifically, Metos, but it ties into all of them.

The campaign world exists in a multiverse where a predatory corruption bounces from universe to universe, attempting to transform each of them into some version of hell. Hell, for campaign purposes, is a universe that has fallen to demonic corruption and now threatens Earth. The two universes (Hell and the one the players are trying to save) are intersected somehow, allowing travel between them.

Travel from Hell to Earth and back is difficult. The majority of demons are incapable of traveling to Earth without risking a permanent demise, although especially wise/old/strong specimens have learned to project avatars of themselves to Earth to reduce the risk of their excursions. Losing an Avatar might be painful, but it doesn't cause any permanent damage at least.

Angels are also from another universe, one that managed to stave off the corruption and achieve a horribly high level of Ultra-tech. Using this technology to transform themselves into terrifyingly powerful androids- and later, pure machines- they took the fight to Hell.

Needless to say, the various religions of the world have no clue about this.

The Angels are limited in number. The vast energy required to create just one could kill stars and blacken solar systems of light. Only five are active on Earth. Metos, the strongest, is fully capable of destroying entire planets, but that only serves to temporarily stem the tides of Hell.

The Angels don't have the means to create more of themselves to the same degree of power that they already possess. Hell is always expanding, always creating more troops, many of which are truly expendable.

It's a real Zerg Vs. Protoss with humans caught in the middle situation. (Disclaimer: I'm a massive Starcraft fan).

Metos is the most powerful Angel, the one capable of crushing planets and killing stars. It's his presence in Ireland, in a state of rest over a particularly powerful ley line that is the origin of the numerous incursions into Hell. His presence has weakened the barrier between the universes, allowing more free travel between the two.

This isn't completely unique to Metos either- most of the angels are strong enough that they similarly start to strain the underpinnings of reality that make it harder for things to cross between dimensions.

Sometimes the worst enemy of a group of PCs is real life.

Agency 17 is over for now. A combination of grad school, work hours changing, going full time and life emergencies caused too much scheduling headaches to continue trying to gather everybody together every week.

Maybe it will return if things settle down, but these things tend to not happen.

In other news, I lost the files for three of my PC's character sheets for the Monster Hunters game I'm running IRL. Thankfully, I'd printed off sheets for everyone a week prior, so I can recreate them without too much fuss.

NPC List for Demon Hunting in the 1640's

This is hopefully going to turn into a record of NPCs for my Monster Hunting campaign. This list has been cross-posted at Strolen.com.

 

 Galway, Ireland

Murchad Ua Brian:

Son and Regent of Earl Rory Ua Brian, Murchad is the highest ranking noble currently within the city of Galway. Murchad is a military man, commonly cited as one of the best soldiers in the entire nation. He remains a bachelor despite the consternation of the Catholic Contingent within Ireland. Aware of the supernatural, Murchad is a Dhamphir bastard who is not his father's trueborn son- a fact that he jealously hides at almost any cost.

• One of the strongest fighters in Ireland
• Capable administrator and leader
• Cold, calculating and analytical
• In Game Event: Was captured by Bishop Saul O'Hara and had his vampiric lineage revealed, causing widespread rumors and distrust in his capabilities to rule.

Rory Ua Brian:

The Earl of Galway, Rory is a strong Catholic supporter who is currently in Dublin attempting to deal with the problems presented by Protestant settlers. There's a high likelihood he may end up very high in the command structure of any army that attempts to revolt against English rule. Rory is aware of his son's supernatural nature and has raised him as his own anyways.

• Benevolent
• Failing heart
• Effective politician and orator

Lars the Undertaker:

Lars has been the undertaker of Galway for longer than anyone can remember. All estimates are that he's well over 80 years old and he shows no signs of slowing down.

• Is horribly deluded about the nature of undead
• May be unaging/immortal
• Isn't lying when he says nothing undead/spiritual has risen out of his graveyard
• Gives one of the PCs access to bodyparts and bodies upon request.

James Corwin

Local monster hunter. Corwin stands to inherit a barony in England upon the death of his father, who is currently convalescing in the countryside. Corwin is an avid hunter of the the supernatural, even spending a ridiculous amount of money on a prototype breach loading rifle. Corwin aggressively buys and sells 'Indentured Servants' (effectively slaves), having a special fondness for Lycanthropes.

• Protestant and wealthy
• Is frequently contracted by Iscariot for jobs
• Sends his Lycanthrope manservants out to hunt monsters without regard for their safety
• Jealous of other monster hunting groups, especially Magnus von Tyrsson (A player character)
• Is best friends with Asmund, a Norse Mummy.
• Tried to shoot Sir Sinclar (Another Player Character) while he was in the middle of a duel.

Father James Michaels

The local head of Iscariot for Galway, Father Michaels is known to be on the outs with the Catholic church in general- except for his strange capabilities when facing supernatural threats. Fond of drink, women and gambling, Michaels usually delegates his sermons to a deacon, and frequently misses mass.

• Ridiculously lucky
• Very good at seeing the big picture
• Good with money despite his debauchery
• Has fathered 10+ children
• Been on more than a few monster hunts that went Sideways
• Genre-savvy

Mother Rebecca

Mother Rebecca is the librarian of the Iscariot Library within Galway, a good resource for information on the supernatural.

• Never helps anyone find books in the restricted section of the library (which composes 95% of the library)
• Is most likely an Angel
• Dislikes Magnus
• On surprisingly good terms with Father Michaels.
• Unemotional and efficient

Warden Nolan

The head jailor for the Iscariot prison within Galway, The Warden has worked tirelessly for forty years to ensure that the prison remains secure and that no potential escapes succeed. Nolan wields his power with an iron fist over his domain, being fully willing to clash with Iscariot if their wishes run counter to his goal of keeping his prisoners contained.

• Was once human, and has been warped by the ceremony that created him as Warden.
• Very Single-minded and unwavering to his mission
• Not a strong believer in rehabilitation

Ultana "Twit" Mercer

A rival to Siobhan's (A PC) design on James Corwin, Twit is a local Irish/English noblewoman who has wealthy parents in both countries.

• Amoral, devious and sadistic
• Totally willing to resort to hired thugs
• Genuinely likes James Corwin
• Totally in the dark on the supernatural.

Asmund

James Corwin's best friend and confidant. Asmund is about six hundred years old, being born right at the end of the Viking Age. Asmund is a formidable warrior, helped along by the fact that he is in truth a Draugr, returned from the grave to exact revenge on the man who originally killed him almost six hundred years ago.

• Apolitical, lives on the fringes of society and remains uninvolved whenever possible
• Frequently hunts with James Corwin
• Does a good job of blending into society so as to avoid suspicion
• Not adverse to murder or other crimes, but doesn't have any particular compulsions to commit crimes
• His soul is linked to his axe, which he always carries with him.
• Numerous supernatural capabilities- increased strength, durability, weight and so on.

[Bishop Saul O'Hara]

Current religious head of Galway. Was part of a conspiracy with Barrister Selmy. See full submission for details.

Barrister Jarlath Selmy

A Barrister who moved to Galway a few years ago, Selmy is in fact a demon who has set into motion a plan to take over Ireland and eventually invade Scotland and England at the head of an undead/demonic horde.

Harvey Macfinn.

A well respected hunter originally from Scotland. Harvey is generally serious and reserved, not getting to know others easily. This is due to his curse as a Loup-garou, the most deadly extant form of lycanthropy that exists. Every full moon Harvey turns into an unstoppable killing machine- a curse that he desperately hopes to have broken at some point.

• Believes he is responsible for the death of his family during one of his transformations
• Moved to Ireland to escape people who were getting close to learning his secret
• Hunts monsters whenever he can to help attone for his actions.
• Extremely capable archer

The village of Letterfrack

 

Father Smith

The local priest. Devout, pious, and utterly unsuited to any kind of leadership or command role outside of church affairs. Cowardly.

Blacksmith John Smith

Local blacksmith, Catholic Englishman who moved to Ireland to escape debts. Husband of June, father of Henry, Hugo and George.

• Strong sense of duty to his community
• Prior military duty
• Strong but starting to decline in agility as he grows older
• All three of his sons are capable fighters, although green and a little overconfident.

Gael Oak

Herbalist and midwife. Friends with Niamh, wife of Muiread (Player Character Alchemist).

• Questionable knowledge about fairies
• Decent cures and tonics
• Local busy-body, gossip and snoop
• Has a very public affair with a married man

Monstrous

Dracula (Yes, that Dracula):

Supposedly killed by Magnus, in truth he still lives. Dracula is widely rumored to be the originator of all vampires, as well as the strongest specimen alive. Due to rumors of his death being greatly exaggerated, Dracula is currently laying low and forming plans while he's likely to be uninterrupted. In his absence a power vacuum has developed, which threatens to cause war among the ancient vampires. Those in the know fear such a war could cause a great deal of collateral damage.

Abaseth the Tailor:

A [Bone Stitcher] who has been summoned to Ireland by Barrister Selmy, Abaseth currently goes along with the Barrister's plan because it is convenient. Once working with the Barrister is no longer convenient, Abaseth intends to use his body for multiple experiments he has in mind.

Zepar the Seducer:

An incubus whose affections strike women barren. Zepar is jovial and friendly, with a bad habit of seducing Catholic Irishwomen because he finds it amusing.

• Supernatural good looks and charisma
• Subtle mind control powers
• Skilled combatant
• Most other denizens of Hell consider him childish and insignifcant
• Not actually evil, despite his nature
• Seeks a way to escape the curse of deviltry
• Son of a powerful Archdaemon
• In-Game Event: Tried to kill Siobhan, got captured, interrogated and had his corporeal shell killed by the Party.

Busy in meatspace

Life's been fairly hectic the last few months. Job training has consumed a large portion of my free time, and although I've been able to continue Agency 17, there have been weeks without sessions.

It kills my motivation to write when we go almost a month without playing.

So here's a wrap-up on my recent gaming going-ons:

Agency 17:

• Recruited two new players. Both are located in the UK/Scotland, meaning they're playing at like 3-4AM.
• Have had only 3 sessions since the last blog post. Real life events really ground the momentum of it to a halt.
• On the fence about continuing the session reports.

New Orleans Monster Hunters

• Virgil's player from Agency 17 is running a 400 point MH campaign set in New Orleans
• I'm playing Earl, a reformed demon under the watch of a Morgan-like (Dresdenverse) figure who will lop off his head if he transgresses and starts killing innocents.
• I was allowed to muck around with the demon template's power offerings with more or less free reign, which ended up with Earl having a human alternate form, intangibility and invisibility all as alternate abilities. These allow Earl a great deal of utility.
• I've also taken a flat 5-damage no wounding corrosion innate attack that follows up on Earl's claws to help shred DR, signature gear to get his hands on a Very Fine (Accurate) Barrett M82A1, and Targeted Attack for Neck (with claws) and Skull (with rifles).

1640s Monster Hunters

• 400 point MH campaign set in 1640s Ireland during the English Civil War and the Irish Rebellion of 1641.
• IRL group with six players.
• Currently the campaign I'm most jazzed about- my IRL friends are playing and I would really like the campaign to be successful.

Parry Missile Weapons as a Technique

For the new Demon Hunters campaign I'll be running, a player with Enhanced Time Sense has expressed interest in being able to parry musket shots with a rapier, using parry Missile Weapons (PMW).

Considering he has dodge twelve, getting an equivalent parry score verses a musket would require Parry Missile Weapons 28 (28/2-2=12). Remember, parrying a bullet is a -5 penalty to parry, and parry is Skill/2+3 for Skill/2-2 when trying to parry a bullet.

Getting a skill to 28 is prohibitively expensive, on the order of 76 points for a DX 10 character, a price that barely drops with increased DX or levels of Enhanced Parry/Combat Reflexes.

So I propose making PMW a technique:

Parry Missile Weapons
                                        Hard
      Default: Cannot be used at unimproved default,  Unarmed or Melee Weapon Skill -5
      Prerequisites: Unarmed or Melee Weapon Skill, cannot exceed prerequisite skill +4.
This Technique allows a character to parry thrown or missile weapons with a ready melee weapon. If you are wearing wristbands or gloves with DR 2+ or have at least this much natural DR, you can also parry with your hands. Your Parry Score is (Technique Skill/2+3), rounded down- based on this technique, not the underlying combat skill that this defaults to.

Modifiers: +4 vs large thrown weapons (axes, spears), +2 to parry small thrown weapons (knives, shuriken), no modifier to parry arrows, -2 to parry smaller low-tech missiles (crossbow bolts, sling stones, blowpipe dates). Enhanced Time Sense and other appropriate advantages (e.g., Precognition) allow you to parry bullets at -5.

With this technique, a fighter with ETS can pay ten points to be able to parry bullets at a -3 to parry. Those without ETS will still enjoy much better parries against large thrown weapons (parry +4), arrows (parry +2), and smaller low-tech missiles (no modifier to parry).

For many characters with decent statistics, dodge will likely remain a better defensive option, and this technique really only benefits characters with high skill with their weapon to begin with- although stacking it with Combat Reflexes and Enhanced Parry certainly makes it even more powerful.