Warglory, trial by fire

[Shirocco]

((Ok. I'm not sure what the idea with the blunt implement was but far as i can tell, you aren't going to kill the tank. More to the point the main game's moving onto it's next mission. Finishing up now.))

Slowly the tank creeps backwards up the street. Repeated attempts to breech it's armour with K rounds prove futile - most of them bounce off, the one that penetrated achieved nothing and with two left the gun fails. A K round broke the firing pin, leaving it jammed and useless. However, while the tank crawls away and one of it's escort infantry also escapes there are two key things that you realise. One - you held your ground, stopped the tank and forced it's retreat. Two - you have survived. Mission succesful!



Skull is buried where he fell. Though he died foolishly, there are none who doubt his courage.

Gem is critically injured. Though his fellows do eventually return and bandage him he falls prey to infection and dies three days later.

Hands, Twitch, Eyes and Box-top are all there when Battallion sends a platoon of tank hunters out guided by Fangs expecting a pile of bodies. They're surprised to find you. The concensus is you were tenacious but lucky; your defence action was very sloppy but better than they expected because when things were grim you stuck at it and refused to give up. You're taken back to battalion and given a hot meal.




Ipphli, mainiac, Blockhead, and Ridai - I'm offering you guys a chance to play in Warglory. PainintheEar, Frigs and Mr. Bookworm - thanks for playing.

Those taking it on can expand their Trial characters or roll new ones as follows. There is room for one radioman if someone is game to try the job; everyone else will be riflemen. If someone has a good background story to support it i'll allow a machine gunner as well. While radiomen can call in artillery strikes that leave the ground shaking for minutes afterwards, and machine gunners can lay swathes of fire that turn troop clusters into dogmeant, taking either class means taking a green character with no experience. Those taking riflemen get a hardy survivor with the seasoning of experience and the equipment to show for it.

Character Creation

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Character creation is already part done if you're keeping the Trial by Fire character - though you can change his nickname if you want. Alternately you can roll a new one. Experience and kit options will be posted tommorow in the main thread, which i will link shortly.

Pick a name, then a nickname (typically something everyone else lumped him with when he did something stuipid like Slip, Wax or Stinky).
Comming up with a loose background is recommended but optional. I don't need a novel, it's as much as you feel like writing. Those keeping their characters have part of this pre-determined, as you fought in and survived the Great War.

For skills I borrow from D&D. You have 40 skill points, no more than 10 in any one thing. Hide and move silent are bundled together as the Stealth skill while spot, listen and search are all under the Awareness skill. It costs 5 skill points to learn extra languages, radiomen get a bonus language for free.

Kit options are discussed in recruitment threads. The most flexible characters are the riflemen. All characters receive upgrades if they survive a mission, the options are determined by the character you chose and sometimes by how it was played.


Playable Races

For race i suggest just rolling a dvergr of the Nagaard people, as this is a Nagaard mercenary army. Other options are below, including dvergr of other tribes and even humans for the brave player.

Of Men

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There are many human nations, as men are now the most wide spread race across the known worlds. They are too short lived to learn their own magic but are quick learners, so work through ritual and bargains to cast the spells of others. Perhaps because they do not fear them, all other races are prepared to speak with at least some men. The following are involved directly or indirectly in this war.

Because men are viewed as weak among dvergr any who make the grade to join their mercenary armies (apart from being men of rare quality to begin with) are treated harshly and trained very hard. Truth is everyone gets that, but when men survive it they come out particularly hardened.

Human characters gain +4 in melee and have breastplates. They run much faster than dvergr and their long arms give +2 on throwing weapons.

Nacarfi: The battle is taking place in one of their colonies. Nacarfi are a people of a border state between the more temperate north and arid south in the core human world; they have a long history of mixing with all human nations and an eclectic culture results. They are deceptively wide spread, with colonies on many worlds - though not originally by their choice, as they were regularly taken as slaves in times past. Most of the colonies became independant years ago, but some of the home land still find themselves far abroad, where their love of dance, music and spices can make them easy friends. They are sometimes viewed as thieves, especially by their Houten neighbours.

Strevoy: Men of a more northern climb, the Strevoy were for the longest time planesmen. Long called Svaad by the dvergr, they were united less than two centuries ago into a vast empire are in the throws of revolution all across their vast and diverse land. They can be fatalistic people but are hardy survivors, the northern end of their lands forever buried in snow. Strevoy are more wary of the fae than most men for they have great trouble with them in their home land. Most fear fairies, some bargain with them. They have an uneasy truce with the fae because of their ancient fear that without them the world roots - the ways between worlds - would close up, and the Strevoy homeland has several of the manworld's majoy roots in it's borders. With revolution rocking their empire, many have fled as refugees to the far colonies and into other nations. For the time being, mercenaries make good money with the Strevoy.

Houten: A small mountain-locked homeland belies the great trade empire that are (or was) the Houten. They are politically a strange animal, having an elected leadership with three heads. Religiously open minded and militarily a bit dislocated, the Houten lost much in the Great War of ten years ago. They now hold a core of high value worlds and seek an ally with Strevoy to reclaim what they lost, and have ended up embroiled in it's civil war. There is talk of conflict within the Houten's own ranks, and it would hardly be their first revolution if it proves true. A faction arises there that calls for strong leadership behind one man, but it is largely unknown beyond the Houten's own borders. In peace they are a highly individual people, considering identity important and bickering over petty things, but are likeable and rich in personality.

Of Dvergr

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Dvergr dwell in the world of Harthglome; a barren globe of air and cyclone with walls and sky of rock. It is a harsh place of bitter cold, all weather turning on a point in the centre that glows brilliantly after the Great Storm's climax when the wind stops and blizzards settle, letting a brief thaw before dimming and starting the slow build to crescendo again.

Dvergr, like most life in Harthglome, dwell for the most part below ground. They farm and hunt and survive often with no direct contact with their world's attempt at a sun. They are a grim people, aggressive and stubborn. It's no surprise to anyone who has seen Harthglome that dvergr range so far from it through the world roots. As a people, they are known for three things: Craft, war, and will to live. Dvergr are tougher than 10 men, strong as four, and born to the magic of illusion. Most dvergr start developing a skill for it by their first century, and by old age can be exceedingly powerful in this art. Sunlight utterly ruins illusion magic and wracks dvergr with pain, slowly turning their skin to dust and eventually they become stone. They are as near to blind daylight as men are at night, but have flawless (and near colourless) night sight.

All dvergr troops get +2 melee from intensive training, prior experience or great personal drive. This stacks with the following.

Nagaard melee +6 at night, no magic. No penalty in day.

Others melee +6 at night, illusion magic. Melee +1 in day, -1 shot die, -2 skills, shoot up to Mid range.

Djupr melee +6 at night, full magic. Melee -4 in day, bargained magic only, -5 skills, -3 shot die, shoot up to Short range

Nagaard: Nagaarn is the dvergr war-god, a merciless deity who accepts no compromise. The Nagaard are his people. In ancient times they were exiled to the surface and suffered terribly with each passing of the year, when the world was bathed in light. This changed them. They gained day sight, lost their fear of the light and became the hardiest survivors of the dvergr. The light exposure has stunted their magic, Nagaard have a weak grip on illusion by old age if they're lucky. Even today their society is nomadic, with few holdfasts populated year round. Their place on the surface and inevitable poverty made them mercenaries, able to deny passage of other tribes across the surface. Their eventual sun tolerance made spreading across other worlds easy, made them ideal as fighters to beat or hold opponents in the day so their fellows of other tribes could end it in the night.

If there's one thing Nagaard know, it is how to fight! They have been involved in every war brought upon the dvergr and most of the ones they started. This is a Nagaard mercenary army, and though they use archaic weapons and outdated machines they fight with a ferocity that can give pause to trolls... and love it every step of the way.

Bjartr: Dvergr of the hammer-crafts. Dvergr have a reputation as the finest craftsmen across all the worlds; amoung them, Bjartr are the great. They call the central mountains home, have strong trade and military ties with all the others, have colonies off world that never fell in the Rise of Men and are the leading political force of Harthglome. Their money buys the power of the others, the craft puts the tools in their hands, and their wisdom provides the leaders they need. They are philosopher warriors at heart and have been ruled for more than a two thousand years by the one titled Sindri in his golden hall.

Bjartr craft is highly prised. The finest weapons and armour come from their factories and their workshops. The best of all are made in Song Hall, an ancient place of smith-monks where things of legend are made to the song of hammer blows. You will find few of them in this mercenary army, but while most of them are clever and generous enough to make friends a few seem to forever be the butt of jokes amoung Nagaard.

Djupr: Bjartr philosophy is for the most part common sense; the Djupr, or "Deep" people have a different view on things. They dwell furthest from the surface of any Dvergr tribe, far down in the deep rock where a world root forms in their oldest city. They have less sun tolerance than most dvergr but are extremely sensitive to magic; a Djupr can expect to develop the Canny, their illusion skill, by their first half-century. Religiously they are occult; secretive and hidden, they study the magics of other races. Djupr are said to bargain with trolls, forbidden by the Bjartr since ancient times, but they deny such things and discredit accusers. They make their money through trade in the rare gems and ores that turn up in their deep mines, along with other wonders that defy explanation.

Djupr are hired as specialists in this mercenary army. There are very few of them. They must forever walk about completely covered up for fear of the sun, and on this world they curse the brightness of moons at night. Not even a cellar or inside a building are they free of this effect.

Rada: Known as the set, Rada were once many tribes but now are a nation. They work with other dvergr in many colonies off world, but the spiritual heart of their people remains in Harthglome. Their homelands are the western end of the great sphere, where ore is still rich despite millenia of mining. The Rada are slow to anger for dvergr, and highly organised. They are accused by others of making procedures for everything but nobody calls them unreligious; they are the people of Starfa, god of trades and cunning. When poverty strikes and all are hungry, Rada eat well and pretend they have not.

The Rada have a natural distrust of men, especially Nacarfi, and they hate fae more than most because they understand them not at all.

Fjarri: Dwelling far from the other dvergr of Harthglome and in colonies elsewhere, the Fjarri are as much benefactors as they are victims of geography. A lot of Harthglome's water runs through their tunnel-maze in the Thaw and it affords them an abundance of life rich underground lakes and the Hverth-Blatr sea. They have more food than most and it allows the Fjarri to be many. There are three tribes within their people who still bicker to this day, but are ruled by a fragile council of elders. The Fjarri are not technically a soverign state but they are hard to control, so pay a light tithe and apart from occasional assertion of Bjartr authority they largely keep to themselves. Fjarri place great importance on etiquette and good manners, as it's the only way to keep blood feuds breaking out at a moment's notice.

As unruly and unstable as the Fjarri territories are, Fjarri themselves appear polite and well mannered; however they love a good fight and a good meal even more.

Lastly, traits. These are intended to reflect character personality in game rules by applying bonuses and penaulties in equal measure. I suggest only one, you can take more if you're game or none if you arn't.

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Killer’s eyes (+2 for melee attempts. Must always attempt to melee if enemy is within 5 meters)

Purposeful (Always does Steady shooting, but shot die is reduced by 2 rather than 1)

Victim of Bureaucracy (He’s from the artillery. Sure enough he doesn’t hear too well (-5 awareness, trouble hearing orders) but knows his way around mortars, field guns, and other heavy weapons (+10 on checks related to their use) and has a better than average grasp of angles (+2 on grenade throwing)

Wealthy background (starts game with an equipment upgrade, but everyone keeps stealing from him and playing pranks. Whenever he reloads or trys to throw a grenade, roll a D6 – on a 1 the grenade or magazine is missing, empty or a dud. Try again next round.)

Second hander (Your weapon is a hand-me-down and probably older than you are. +5 bonus on repair & maintenance due to loose and worn components, but -5 on weapon failure rolls for the same reason.)

Alcoholic (Even for dvergr you drink heavily, slipping spirits in your water canteen and bottles in your bergen. All skills and saves suffer a -2 penalty except stealth. Near constant disciplinary action from one officer or another means you find things in the APC in half the time (you packed it), your weapon is excessively maintained (+5 on misfire rolls). You’ve also become very shifty (+2 on stealth checks) and rather good at getting things you weren’t meant to have (+4 on scrounging).

Superstitious (follows superstitions by carrying charms and other odd behaviour, giving +2 on all saving throws. Is also obsessive/compulsive, making him a time waster – most actions take %50 longer. Will check suspends for one turn or action.)

Magic

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There are three common powers dvergr develop around their first century of life. Whether it's determined by your ancestors, by parenting or by luck is a timeless debate with no clear answer but you only manifest one of them. Roll a D3 - a 1 gives Unseen, 2 gives Presence, 3 gives Fear. Djupr players should PM me for more options.

Unseen: When you don't want to be noticed you blend in. Like one of the crowd or a rock by a stream eyes just glance over you without really taking notice. To use this ability you must zone yourself out, totally emptying your mind of thought. In this state you can take only simple actions, to maintain this state in combat is a D20 15+ every turn. You must be out of combat for at least a minute to enter it again.

So long as it lasts focusing on you takes an act of will (D20) and stealth gains +10 with a reroll. Enemies who fail it just can't focus on you and can't attack you directly, their eyes slide off and other things occupy their minds. The more you do that would normally attract attention, the easier you make the D20 check for the enemy to be aware of you. Once your illusion is beaten the same enemy becomes immune to it for rest of the night.

Presence: You can affect how others perceive you. Like a scale you can affect how threatening you seem, appearing anywhere from terrifying to helplessly vulnerable with no physical difference in your appearance - it is as intangible as an aura, a power that lies to the brain. To use it you enter the mindset of something your target expects to find and play upon it, be that a foe of terror they cannot hope to defeat or a last survivor praying for your life. Those who see you have a D20 check to ignor this effect or fall victim to it and it only works at short range (<100 meters). A terrifying perception can break enemies in close combat very fast, while a vulnerable one can bait them into traps or holding longer in battle than they should.

When active you are a hard one not to notice, a -4 penaulty applies on stealth. The more far removed you make your Presence to what the target expects the more likely they are to see through it - to terrify a squad of draftees faltering in a melee is easy compared with frightening those same men after they've gunned down several of your squadmates and are standing strong behind cover.

Fear: You can influence the 6th sense of other people. That prickling of the neck, the eyes watching that are felt but unseen, the last second's reflex when someone approaches from behind. You can use this power at up to long range (<500 meters) and while the target may ignor the feeling (D20) if they heed it you can make them look away, pause, or hesitate.

While it is usually too dull for confusing opponents in battle, in close combat you can attempt to use this power to distract the opponent at a lethally inopportune time (automatically beat opponent if they fail check), but if the power fails utterly (opponent natural 20) the positions are reversed and you are defeated.


*Footnote: These are quite experimental. The magic system in Warglory is brand new so i'll likely be play balancing this as we move along.

[Blockhead]

Cool, definetly continuing little Hands' career, it'll be a hell of a camp-fire story. Anyways, I'll probably PM you with my updated character at a later time.

[Ridai]

I think I'll pass.

[Ipphli]

I'm in. Will send an updated character later today.

[mainiac]

I was going for the crazy idea of rushing the tank, bashing the gun barrels until they stopped working, then storming the cabin at gunpoint. Crazy idea and I guess Twitch's nerve just failed and he let it pass.

Twitch is gonna stay on as a rifleman with 10 points in stealth and awareness and 5 in survival, heal, handle animal and craft. No traits.

[Blockhead]

On second thought, I'm going for the Radioman . New character, here I come!