About 2 months ago, I concluded a demo/trial adventure for my first attempt at playing a clockwork/Magitek-themed D&D adventure.
You can find the adventure report here:
The adventure ended up with 3 fundamental elements that were to shape the story to come:
- Baron Falkenstein attempt to be the sole developer of advanced technological weaponry was foiled by an enemy agent stealing plans under the nose of our heroes (who had other fish to fry)
- A powerful psychic artifact was recovered from a mysterious mechanical villain who wanted to use it to possess the world’s only other sentient machine, the warrior-priest Holy Clank
- The artifact was used by Holy Clank to infuse all auto-clanks with the various Divine and Nature spirits roaming the world since the Dawn Wars…
I had to stop the game for 2 months so I decided to go ahead with my initial plan and fast forward the timeline some. Here’s where my campaign setting looks like for our Gears of Ruin mini-campaign.
…7 years later.
The arrival of sentient machines in an already explosive political situation plunged the whole world into global wars among economic, religious and opportunistic alliances. The auto-clanks (humanoid machines) ended up obtaining their emancipation at a horrendous price of twisted metal and blood. They took the name “Warforged” as to never forget how they won the right to exist as free beings on this hostile world.
They now occupy surface-based city-states built around the Baron’s former mine-foundries.
The Baron, having lost much of his technological and military edge, was the first to recognize the Warforged claims of sentience and freedom, allying with them against most of the rest of the world. He remains to the day, the strongest humanoid faction to control the skies of Sikarra.
(snort, I still find that one funny)
Under the leadership of the Wrath of Melora (Eric’s Deva Avenger) and Vorian (Mike’s Gith Monk), several fighting monasteries and other surface settlements rallied under a single banner into a large, neutral alliance named “The Defenders”. That alliance’s defense force is supported by the newly tamed and war-trained Melorian beasts.
(Yeah! Bio-war engines and hydrogen-producing organic airships.)
Some efreets lords of the Elemental Chaos have started unleashing various trans-planar plans during the war to turn most of its outcomes to their advantage. Thus, several airship-cities and Goliath mountain citadels are now flying the colours of the Merchant Princes of the City of Brass.
The war seemed to have taken a turn toward rapid resolution when the Warforged announced their intention to form an alliance with “The Defenders” (to everyone’s surprise) and demonstrated the effect of a doomsday weapon in their possession: an explosive device capable of destroying all clockwork power sources in a very large area. This “demonstration” brought down the efreet’s largest armoured flying dreadnought in less than one hour.
That was 1 month ago…
…many hope that the war will be over within the next few days.
Meanwhile…
Our heroes have spent the last 7 years performing various diplomatic, military, exploration and spiritual missions. (I’ll let them fill me in next week). With the war coming to an end, they are brought together again as tenuous peace processes are constantly threatened by the vile interests of the Elemental Chaos’ Merchant Princes. Beyond diplomacy and doomsday weapons, the world needs its heroes back.
Will they be up to the task again?
A Clockwork D&D 4e mini-campaign for 6 16th level PCs. I’m so excited!
Next Chapter: Deadman’s Gate
As always i’m highly anticipating your latest campaign reports. They are always very entertaining and full of juicy ideas for me to pilfer for my own campaign, not that i would ever do such a thing. Thanks Chatty.
Scott
.-= Scott´s last blog ..Gears of Ruin Interlude: The Warforged Wars =-.
As I once told Dave, for a blogger offering his writings for free, getting ideas borrowed/stolen is the equivalent of making a solid sale.
(Ring) You need a bag with that?
Thanks for the kind words Scott and congrats on building a solid series of posts on fluffing it out.
That sounds awesome. I also really, really like the idea of having mini-campaigns instead of one large epic campaign. Hmm. I may actually have to consider doing that next semester. It lets characters play in one level, then have a level-up splurge in between levels, then play an entirely new level of game.
.-= Andy´s last blog ..Hiatus =-.
@Chatty, My thoughts exactly, although borrowed is a much more elegant word, haha
Thanks, i’m currently in bothering the gmae constantly with ideas on how to get bigger and better, hopefully something will stick and there will be many more articles to come. Oh, and no bag necessary.
.-= Scott´s last blog ..Gears of Ruin Interlude: The Warforged Wars =-.
I can’t wait to read what you have in store for your games. I have enjoyed reading all of your game reports and your posts on prepping for a game and just simply coming up with ideas for your games.
Your more recent game posts have given me much inspiration for the game I am starting to come up with.
Oh wow. That is most excellent. I love reading quality world building while I am in the middle of my own. (And your adventure recaps and analysis have helped me hone my encounter design advice for a friend who is also running 4th edition.)
.-= Michael Phillips´s last blog ..Tactica Talarius 1 of ? =-.