Warband - Chaos Party for the Grim, Dark Broken Lands.

Over on G+, I have been hammering out house rules for playing in a distant future setting with power armor and saw-bladed swords. Basically a group of Chaos warriors tromping around and adventuring OSR style. The rules are coming along nicely, and I hope to test drive them soon using hangout. (This has totally killed my work on Normandie lately - stupid ADD).

Here are the twenty questions answered for my WARBAND sandbox:

1. What is the deal with my cleric's religion?

This is the “Grim-Dark” future, on a planet tainted by the Chaos of the Void, you follow the Gods of Change. Chaos is your master. There are many gods to choose from, some are actually gods! Some are self-made power mongers and live on your planet. However there are no clerics as players. So don’t worry too much about it.

2. Where can we go to buy standard equipment?

The starting boom-town of MORTGLUM

3. Where can we go to get Power Armor custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?

You will need to find a Tek-Priest of the god MEKANIK. They work wonders with their ability to craft suits of power armor, custom fitted for any size. They also craft many fine weapons of death and destruction for the Chaos Lords.

4. Who is the mightiest sorcerer in the land?

The Dun-Witch that dwells in the western hills upon the shores of the Lake of Voices is the most powerful Sorcerer in the Broken Lands. She demands a high price for any who request her services.

5. Who is the greatest warrior in the land?

Spitfire Rattlebones  has that distinction, he resides in a mighty fortress near the Mountains of Fire and Ash. 

6. Who is the richest person in the land?

Lord Ashmark of the city OSIRIAX has that honor. He is the current Magistrate and controls all trade and taxes in the city.

7. Where can we go to get some magical healing?

Old Sawbones in Mortglum can provide basic healing (at a reasonable rate). I would suggest investing heavily in medi-kits for emergency healing. For the removing of curses, you will need to visit the Dun-Witch or reach a high enough level yourself.

8. Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?

Again, the Dun-Witch or reach a high enough level yourself

9. Is there a guild my Sorcerer belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?

Yes, there are Orders & Covens for Sorcerers. Though they are corrupt and full of vile, envious, sorts jealous of your power and willing to trick you into giving them all they need. It is a dog-eat-dog world and as Norm said, you are wearing milk-bone underwear.

10. Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert NPC?

Your best bet is the city of OSIRIAX.

11. Where can I hire mercenaries?

Well, you have your own retinue to start with in WARBAND, but you can always hire on new meat at most towns and OSIRIAX. There are orders of mercenaries that act much like a guild and offer reasonable rates, though professionalism and quality may vary.

12. Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from Johnny Law?

Are you kidding? This is CHAOS! This is the wild-west with chainswords and bolt guns. You are the LAW!

13. Which way to the nearest tavern?

Step on it to Rotgut’s Saloon, owned and operated by Rotgut since M39.87. The finest (well the only) tavern / hostel in Mortglum.

14. What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?

There is the Slothrog roaming the mountains south of Mortglum which the Dun-Witch would pay handsomely for its carcass.

While not technically a monster, the warrior Spitfire Rattlebones has become a thorn in the side of Lord Ashmark, who would pay dearly to see the end of that noted warrior.

15. Are there any wars brewing I could go fight?

There are always wars brewing between warbands, and petty lords in their fortresses of stone. This is the Broken Lands, you will find war and plunder at every turn. Let’s not forget the Black-Elves that have recently been sited creeping from their hidden lairs in the north.

16. How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?

Of course, the city of OSIRIAX hosts many spectacular games in the grand arena.

17. Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?

Sure, Orders & Covens are the go to for this sort of affair. Watch your back.

18. What is there to eat around here?

Well, there is always slug-meat, orana fruit (and orange-banana hybrid), steel-grass seeds (used for bread), milk from the sloth-goat. All of these yummy treats and more.

19. Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?

No. But there may be later.

20. Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with Type H treasure?

Did I mention the Slothrog earlier, that dude is one bad mother… I’m just talking ‘bout Slothrog.

A new class for my Normandie campaign

On a night in early summer, a terrible storm erupted over the realms of Normandie and a great show of lightning filled the air. There was a great roar as of dragons heard flying overhead and suddenly strange men were seen falling from the sky...

I present to you the Warriors of Currahee class for the Normandie camapaign.

These strange men are a sub-class of Fighting-Men. These warriors originated from an alternate realm where mankind wages war on a global scale with terrible machines of war.

Falling from the sky during a dark night of terrible lightning, they entered the Blessed Realms of Normandie in ones and twos.

Each Warrior of Currahee begins the game with a specific set of equipment that he has managed to bring with him from his realm. Some of this equipment is determined by random dice roll as the fates were fickle during their air drop of June 5^th 1944.

Each warrior begins with the basic kit of: Battle dress uniform (boots, socks, trousers, under-shirt, shirt), web belt, canteen, first aid kit (1 use to restore 1d6 damage), Helmet w/ liner, gloves, canvas backpack, rain poncho w/quilted liner, and 20’ nylon rope. 

You can find the full rules for the class here, and in my download section...

A couple of high powered magic items for Normandie

Ancient Armor of the First Men
This rare, magical armor of the First Men provides excellent protection as well as increased physical strength. The wearer of this armor has AC 0, and receives a +3 Strength bonus when rolling for damage. This armor is rare and very valuable, it can be sold for 10,000 gold or more.

Lightning Sword of the First Men

This rare long-sword crackles with blue-electrical energy. The sword strikes with a +3 to hit, and rolls 2d6 dice for damage. Another artifact of the First Men, this sword is worth 5,000 gold or more.

Vampira the Wight Queen

Vampira the Wight Queen

The peasants near Xemes tell of a terrible evil that haunts the marshes north of the castle town. She is known as the white queen, or the wight queen. Cows and flock animals have been known to go missing as well as a peasant or two.  Windows and doors are barred at night, and children are told to never forage into the woods for fear of the Wight Queen.

Vampira the Wight Queen is an immortal undead First Man. She has been isolated in her hold for hundreds of years. Content to fleece the local population to sate her desires. 

The First Men of Normandie

The First Men

The First Men, also known as the Nephilim were giant (7 to 8’ tall) humans that once ruled the continent of Europa. They were harsh rulers, and servants of Chaos. After many years of oppression, and their own fall into decadence, the human tribes of the Keltoi and Gauls overthrew their masters and drove them from the lands. Many think they sailed west past the Misty Isles of Brittanica, however many think they were simply killed or perished.

Some few First Men still exist in isolated pockets and practice their foul magicks for the Chaos Lords. It was the First Men who created the foul Brood, chaos tainted beast-men that haunt old ruins and deep forests of Normandie.

First Men (Nephilim)

# Appearing: 1

AC: 5

HD: 6

Damage: 2-12

Move: 12

Some (25% chance) First Men are able to cast spells as a 5^th level magic-user.

The Brood

The Brood are foul chaos tainted beast men originally created as servants to the Sorcerous First Men. They are goat-headed humanoids who thrive on bloodletting and torture of humans. Some are carriers of pestilence and disease.

The Brood

# Appearing: 2-20

AC: 8

HD: 1

Damage: 1d6

Move: 12

When attacked by a Brood, there is a 25% chance that his weapon is covered in filth and pestilence, if the roll is less that 25 on d100, the target must make a saving throw vs. poison or be infected with a pox. The pox will reduce the character’s CON score by 1 immediately and then 1 CON per day until the character’s CON reaches 0 (and the character dies), or a Cure Serious Wounds is cast upon him.