New Salem Character #24: Major Arcana

Major Arcana (Benito ‘Benjamin’ Sforza) 

Pyramid Tier: 0    Experience level: 6

Affect/Gimmick: Tarot Cards, Riddles; his look is an 18th century military officer/warlock at an imperial court. 

Gang?: the Minors;  some people who act as advance agents for him in terms of finding clients, and some who will assist in doctoring individual people's tobacco/drinks/etc. for the effect, and some who act as muscle for him (Swords) 

Status: Major Arcana is an internationally known and feared serial killer, one without a particular territory and one who announces his intentions (more or less) creating a reign of terror when he appears in the city. 

Powers: 3

1. Astral Projection: He is capable of a form of Astral Projection as per the rulebook, which he uses to scout out people and targets. PR 12 per 1 hour use. People to whom he makes himself visible or audible have to consider magic credible to be able to see him.
2. Special Requirement: Needs cards (ideally tarot cards, but he can make do with a pack of regular cards) to make his Astral Projection work, and he has to have a spread out in front of him to be focused on. He also HAS TO leave tarot spreads at the first killing of any 3 killing cycle that show the past (this death), the present (what he's working on) and the future (third killing).
3. Mind Control Item: This is a combination of post hypnotic suggestions and drugs applied through various methods (gas, injection, ingestion) concealed in and about the target that make them act in specific and self destructive/harmful to others fashions. The GM can determine when, or if, this could be allowed in combat. 3 charges per appearance.
4. Heightened Endurance A: +14
5. Poison/Venom Item: these are less specific versions of his near magical drugs that attack as Emotion Control and are delivered as gas/contact poison/darts as need be. The specific emotion can be tailored to the moment and comes with illusions A (all senses), and are highly programmable by Arcana in advance. 6 charges per encounter.

Weight: 210      Basic Hits: 5    Agi Mod: +0

S: 13        E: 28        HP: 31

A: 13        I:  17        Pow:  71

C: 15                        Move: 54

Accuracy: +1

Damage Mod: +2

Reactions Mod: +2

Carrying Cap: 942    HTH: 1d8

Inventions: Thee are tied into the specific chemicals and their delivery methods, and don't need to be addressed here.  

Background/Origin: Benito "Benjamin" Sforza was a biochemist until his work led him to muddle with things outside of his awareness. The hallucinogenic madness that claimed him saw him stagger into a street fortune tellers shop and accept anything she told him about himself and his "destiny". Then he murdered her. Still, the event seems to have opened parts of his mind, expanding his pharmacological knowledge and giving him near magical powers with his tarot deck.  

Since that time he has been operating as a hired killer, and a general purpose crazy person. His sprees are always 3 people per city, so anyone who hires him to kill does so knowing two random innocents will meet their end as well. 

New Salem Character #23: The Sphinx

The Sphinx (Felix Catt)

Pyramid Tier: 0    Experience level: 5

Affect/Gimmick: Egypt, Cats, Riddles. He's a classic riddle villain, and needs to share his genius with the world. He's also a roaming villain, not tied to New Salem particularly. 

Gang?: Sometimes. Depending on the gig, he sometimes has a small group of thugs or a crew of professional thieves, who are always referred to as his Pride. 

Status: He's a known villain, experienced, smart, not yet captured, and while the Syndicate doesn't care for him, they also don't really care too much about him. He's not targeting specific people in the city over and over, so they're better off just reimbursing if it hits him and not engaging. Of course some of the more egotistical nodes might get their hackles up if he makes them look like idiots.  

Powers: 3

1. Animal/Plant Powers - Mammal. He has several cat powers, mostly from just really acting like a cat. Sometimes he appears to have cats-eyes but not always. No one knows why/how.
1. Heightened Strength C: +8
2. Heightened Agility C: +8
3. Heightened Charisma C: +9
4. Heightened Senses: Catlike balance and nightvision. 
2. Lightning Control Item: This is as book, except that each of the component powers comes from a different piece of gilded hardwood on its surface "Egyptian tech". These are far more advanced than any traditional electronics (even if when you cut into them they appear to be electronics) and they are genetically coded to Catt (though in theory his offspring can use them). Assume 20 charges. These include 
1. Kopesh-topped spear: +3 to hit, +1d4 damage with a carried lighting control attack, or can fire lightning bolts to 22" range, each 2d8 damage
2. Egyptian Bow & Arrows: 44" range, +4 to hit, HTH +1 damage and the arrows carry a special attack to short out electronics, 44% chance. 
3. Control Scarabs: toss onto electronics for the usual control chances as per the rulebook. 
4. Pharaoh's Nemes: the headdress of the rulers of egypt, his looks kind of like a mane and also gives him Lightning Control defense. 
3. Heightened Charisma A: +12
4. Low Self Control: Has to leave riddles about his next crime; of course those riddles set people up for the wrong answer, but he still has to a) play fair and b) leave them.  

Weight: 230      Basic Hits: 5    Agi Mod: +0

S: 23        E: 14        HP: 50

A: 21        I:  23        Pow:  82

C: 22                        Move: 59

Accuracy: +4

Damage Mod: +4

Reactions Mod: +4

Carrying Cap: 1389    HTH: 1d10

Inventions: He will build specific tech for each crime, usually 1-2 pieces of one use tech. At one point he had a flying chariot, and he may bring that back at some time as needed. 

Background/Origin: Felix Catt claims that as an Egyptologist he found a hidden room inside the Sphinx that revealed to him secrets of Egyptian Technology*. This is likely all balderdash, but hey, it's a weird world. What is known is that he is a world class genius with electrical engineering, riddles, and Egyptology. He used to hold a post at Yale, but even they couldn't put up with this much eccentricity. 

*Stolen from Detective Comics 508

Emirikol Class Modifications

An advantage to 3E’s robust, modular system was that things were really easy to modify for the milieu. I took the Aristorcrat as presented in the DMG (page 38) and added the following, culled from powers Chris Aylott’s Dynasties & Demagogues.

·       Estate Income: In addition to a high starting currency (6d8*10 GP at 1^st level or an inheritance of +150 GP if you multi-class into aristocrat) and receives a monthly income of 15 GP per class level.

·       Patron: the Aristocrat can select a patron (with that patron's consent). When the Aristocrat evokes his patron's name he gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate or Perform (Oratory) with people who would recognize the name. The aristocrat must follow his patron's orders: disobeying severs the relationship (unless the aristocrat makes amends). Severing a relationship removes this ability until the character gains another level of aristocrat.

·       Capable Servants: at 2nd level the Aristocrat develops a network of servants, giving a +1 circumstance bonus on Appraise, Gather Information and Knowledge checks when he can get his servants to do research for him (+2 at 6th level, +3 at 10th, +4 at 14th and +5 at 18^th). The The results of the check come in 1d12 hours, but don’t require the PC to spend any time.

·       Word of Honor: at 4th level the Aristocrat can establish bonding handshake agreements between himself and another party in which both sides have obligations. Both the aristocrat and his partner make Diplomacy checks, the outcome of which is the DC of the other’s Will save to violate the agreement, which ends it for both parties.

·       Leadership: Aristocrats gain this feat automatically at 6th level.

·       Authority: at 8th level the Aristocrat gains a +2 on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Perform (Oratory) and Sense Motive checks with his followers. This increases by +1 every 4 levels thereafter.

·       Raise Troops: at 10th level, once per year the Aristocrat can double his number of followers for one month or for a specific, pre-stated goal (whichever comes first). His followers’ level ratios remain unchanged. This increases to x3 at 15th level and x4 at 20th.

·       Aura of Authority: at 18th level any character who can see and understand the Aristocrat must make a Will save (DC 25+ChaMod) to voice disagreement or disobey direct commands.

Given the amount of social interaction in the swashbuckling milieu this really boosted the class to PC levels, and two of the players immediately adopted it (mostly to get the network of capable servants).

I also tweaked Sorcerer to fit the setting more: the sorcerer now got 4 skill points per level, and I added a few new class skills to show fencing training (balance, intimidate, tumble) and a proficiency with a single martial weapon. This was when I saw sorcerers as obsessively focused fencing/spellcasters rather than the more standard ones that Bec envisioned, but the changes really were critical for the setting.

Likewise, fighters got tumbling and balance as class skills, as well as 2 extra skill points for not having the heavy armor option. Again, driving home setting with minor changes. Jim used his to generally improve physical skills till he gt to a +5 or 5 ranks in them, while Tom was more methodical and aimed for those 5 ranks and synergy bonuses whenever he could. It didn’t unbalance play.

Dave insisted that his Bardic Spells were Dramaturgy, and we went through and tweaked some of the lower level spells to have some stagecraft aspects (cure light wounds was drawing the wound onto a cloth, leaving a blood red cloth that simulated blood; detect secret doors gave a ‘sense of the stage’ or a general awareness of the entire space he was in, etc.)

There being so many little levers to push for flavor changing any one or two of them is not going to break the game in 3E. And the rules only have to apply to your table, so universal balance isn’t needed.

New Salem Character #22: the Cat Who Walks Through Walls

The Cat Who Walks Through Walls (Lamont Washington)

Pyramid Tier: 0    Experience level: 1

Affect/Gimmick: 1970's Blaxploitation Hero, akin to Shaft or Dolomite. He may be out of style with today, but he's a badass from another decade. Important are the shades, the big hat, and the leather gloves.

Gang?: No. He's not established enough for that.  

Status: He's a very small fish with a very specific niche, but he can surprise people with his unusual power. He's also using the name of an established villain from another era, which might earn him respect or derision.  

Powers: 2

1. Speed Bonus Device: +40" tunneling speed (so 40" total). The actual speed is 40" divided by the structural rating of what he's tunneling through, up to SR 13 (which is 3" speed). This comes from specially tailored chemicals that melt a path for him through solids, so it has some secondary abilities
1. He can make a touch range chemical powers attack 4 times per day for 2d8 damage, but he almost never does this because it melts the flesh off the target and that's not the kind of cat he is. 
2. He can spend one action turning on a Chemical Powers defense for the fight (taking one of his attack charges), but he can't use this with his Ice Powers Device.
2. Ice Powers Device (Modified) - Foam Gun: This larger than normal pistol (with hose connected to a pack under his jacket) attacks as Ice Powers at 7" range, coating the target in rapidly hardening air-permeable chemically inert foam. The foam is assumed to be Structural Rating 1 and have chemical powers defense, so it's very hard to burn or freeze. He has 22 charges. 
1. For damage, roll 1d12 and use that for base damage. Anything that would be HP of damage is then reduced by half, but doubled when it comes to cubic feet of foam coating the target. This doubled damage is also done to the targets Movement Rate for this round. In order to keep this flexible in use it disintegrates pretty fast, losing 1 cubic foot between turns. Each cubit foot reduces target carry cap by 50 lbs. due to both weight and bulk. If the target's moment is reduced to 0, or their carrying capacity is overloaded, they can't move until they break free of the foam. 1 charge per attack. 
2. He is assumed to have 80 ADR of 'foam armor' at the start of the fight, which is him shooting incoming attacks out of the air with the foam gun. His reflexes will dim and he has to worry about supply as the fight goes on, which is why the ADR drops. Any melee attack blocked by the armor leaves the weapon (or the opponents fist/foot) coated with 1 cubic foot of foam
3. He can create foam walls, slides, basic geometric etc. of varying sizes and shapes as needed, using 1 inch of movement per cubic foot. The foam is watertight and buoyant.  It also deforms under pressure and can be used to make 'airbags' in a pinch.
3. Phobia/Psychosis: Obsessed with learning who killed his uncle. 

Weight: 170      Basic Hits: 4    Agi Mod: +0

S: 13        E: 14        HP: 10

A: 13        I:  14        Pow:  54

C: 28                        Move: 40

Accuracy: +1

Damage Mod: +1

Reactions Mod: +1

Carrying Cap: 262    HTH: 1d6

Inventions: None yet, other than his devices

Background/Origin: Lamont Washington is the nephew of the Kermit Washington, the original Cat Who Walks Through Walls. The original had a device that let him enter a ghostlike state, but it disappeared when his uncle did. Lamont was the one who found the cache of his uncle's stolen monies and journals, but he just wasn't a good enough physicist to recreate the intangibility device. What he did do was use the money to get a degree in chemical engineering, eventually becoming the scientific brains behind BTB "better than biped" Shipping, which uses hyper-efficient, chemically inert spray foam packaging to move fragile goods around New Salem. They company is getting ready to go national. 

Which brought them to the attention of the Syndicate, and Edward Bear started demanding protection money, if not a cut of the company. Washington paid, but seethed, and realized that these men must have had something to do with his uncles death. Constructing his own method for being the Cat Who Walks Through Walls he's stealing the protection money he's paying out back from the Syndicate while trying to figure out which of them killed his uncle. 

He is woefully unprepared for that answer. But until then he's a cool cat burglar and syndicate front robber with a unique ability to get places. He's not a killer yet, but he is a crook, and he's got no interest in helping anyone else. If the Syndicate ever catches him, he might run to the PCs for help. 

Lore 24: Sudilitas, the last city - the history of Sudilitas

Jan 15: I suppose a history of the city is in order. It was three or four generations ago the Seekers of the New Dawn arrived on this land and declared the land fit to farm. They built simple structures and crude walls to muster some defense against Badders and others of the Holy Roan Empire, but fared poorly until the Peace Brigade came. 

Jan 16: The two groups saw an immediate advantage in partnering, and that was when the Brigade lay the foundations of Sudilitas as we know it. The defensive advantages of the new city let them hold off the Holy Roan Empire's feudal states, and Sudilitas became the Peace Brigades headquarters in this area. 

Jan 17: Art that point the height of the visible technology was swords and spears, bows and crossbows, windmills and water wheels for grinding grain. The Seekers accepted this level of technology, but argued and bickered over the Peace Brigades new seeds and fertilizers - what would harm the mother Earth, what would not - and accepted or rejected as they would. 

Jan 18: This changed when the Orlen appeared with the Dark Emperors books of lightning science. The Orlen were Restorationists, and the Peace Brigade sided with them. This led to intense discussion and politics before the Seekers split in two, with the more traditional of them - to be fair, the Moreaux not enamored with the Restorationist creed - left to farm outside Sudilitas territory. 

Jan 19: Relations between the departed and the city remained cordial. This was critical when their territory was attacked by a mass of of Reavers, the Friends of Entropy, intent on slaughtering them all and destroying their land. All fell behind Sudilitas walls to withstand the siege.

Jan 20: Still, the Reavers might have spelled the end for all of us save for the opportune arrival of the Ranks of the Fit. The Ranks broke the siege, scattered the Reavers, and hunted them down to the last so their Ergot could not spread. We then took political control of the area, as was our right. The balance of power in Sudilitas between humans, mutant humans, and Moreaux changed again. 

Jan 21: With the death of our emperor, Napoleon Ursus, blessed be his name, the Ranks have fallen back from our most distant outposts. This has left but a Company of we Black Sheep behind as an auxiliary force. We are too few to govern with Moreax in control, so a balance exists between the Company, the Peace Brigade, the Fulgurator/Restorationists and the Seekers. For now it holds.