Earthdawn: Adventure Log 12 - It Begins in Flames

This is the twelfth Adventure Log in an ongoing series about Earthdawn.Introduction and Index.

The Grim Legion has always been an element that I cannot help but introduce into every Earthdawn game in some fashion or another. Each time I make them different, particularly with regard to what is printed, just to keep them mysterious and interesting. But mostly mysterious. This particular game is no different on all accounts.

I'm going to keep the specifics of what they are up to here under wraps because it is a major theme that I have been slowly working on. Also a significant source of questions that have no answers, and I very much enjoy watching that particular player struggle with puzzles when he knows he doesn't have all of the pieces, but still tries to fit things together. The various puzzles I have given him over the years could fill a blog.

In this particular game, the Grim Legion has significantly less presence over Barsaive as a whole. They tend to operate in smaller groups, some with a complex version of a Group Pattern that is tied to a greater Group Pattern. The nature of how that works is a closely guarded secret. Their primary function is still to hunt Horrors across Barsaive, complete with a healthy side of moral ambiguity - the ends justify the means.

There is no doubt that they had done good by eliminating threats, not just Horrors, but at the same time, they have little regard for those that are hurt along the way. In their minds, they simply would have been victims regardless and if the Legionnaires are willing to give their lives to protect the people of Barsaive, then the people of Barsaive should be willing to give their lives as well. This also extends to taking the resources that they need - if it were not for their actions, there would be no one to produce these resources.

Not all of the Grim Legion are quite so callous, some are generous with all that they have, taking their Oaths very seriously (the nature of these Oaths is a closely guarded secret). Others may seem to be little better than criminals, but even they are still driven towards the overall goal. Ultimately, each Group is semi-autonomous and operates in a fashion they see fit, even if directed by a central authority.

While all of their efforts seem to be directed at eliminated Horrors, a task which they are incredibly effective at, there are indications that they may have other goals they are slowly working towards. Not all of their activities seem to be motivated by Horrors and their many Nethermancers have a great deal of interest in some of the research conducted in Wyrm Wood during the Scourge.

Adventure Log – 12 It Begins in Flames

Recorded By: Honeysuckle Sunspray of Glenwood Deep

Date: 01 Strassa – 07 Strassa, 1507 TH
Group Name: Mismatched Steel

Group Members

Elmod the Nethermancer
Honeysuckle Sunspray the Windmaster
Jak'Tak the Weaponsmith
Ontheros the Horror Stalker
Sogun the Messenger
Ting the Swordmaster

New Year’s party time! Elmod and Sogun start off the new training. Ontheros has returned to Bartertown on his hunt for Horror tainted items that may be showing up during the festival(1). I have started training Thistle(2) so that he can fully embrace the ways of the Windmaster. Bartertown is being occupied by a number of different mercenary groups and Sogun has been hired by the Fist of Thystonius(3) to uncover information about the other mercenary groups. Ting has been approached by Tarr, who offered her a chance to do what she does best: create mayhem, and rob a drug den that is a plight on the city. The catch is that she can’t cause casualties(4); I’m not sure if she can do that. Elmod and I were both requested at different times to meet a mysterious figure at the Juggling Shadowmant where we too were offered positions to assist in the robbing of the drug den. Ontheros and Jak go out to help Maguk(5) (world’s largest troll) with other things happening around the city.

Heist night! We were given this creepy grease paint stuff to put on our eyes (ewww). It turns your eyes black and then allows you to see in the dark(6)! I’ve never been able to see in the dark before, it’s so exciting. With much flourish Ting and some thugs burst onto the scene and successfully rob the building of money and drugs. At the same time, Sogun said he had to deliver a message to the head of the consortium that happened to be dining with Maester Bleys. Jak and Ontheros were heroes that night and saved people from the burning building. Maguk and the rest of the patrol took care of heckling Swordmasters who were accusing the patrol of starting the fire (the nerve of them)(7).

Given some time to look at the drugs that Ting stole, Elmod and Ontheros discovered that they were Horror tainted! This drug is called krokodil(8) and it super icky. This had been the last drug house in the area and people had begun making this stuff on their own. Maester Bleys has charged us with finding whoever is teaching people how to make this junk(9).

I continue my mission to capture messages written in or’zet code. Elmod finishes his training and is kidnapped by goons that want to know about his mentor. Have no fear! We are able to rescue Elmod before any real harm is done to him.(10)

Elmod uses his scary magic to talk to the spirit of an ork that died because he was using the drugs and we found that Margin, a curio shop owner, is the one that is selling the drugs and teaching people how to make them.

Plan time! We need to get Margin to reveal that he is the one involved with the drugs. Jak and Elmod volunteer to go in and use the code word to get Margin to sell some drugs. Without much fuss Margin is captured and turned over to the authorities(11) in Bartertown. With Margin gone, Ontheros says that there are Horror tainted items in his shop. So in a style that is uniquely us we break everything in sight and find some Horror tainted coins that need to be destroyed(12).(13)

(1) The festival is a New Year tradition that Maester Bleys organizes as a martial counterpoint to the artisan festival that happens half a year from then. It's a lot more fun than most of the dwarfs will admit. Also, many orks that are easy on the eyes.
(2) Thistle the "Prickly" is associated with Adventuring Groups: Miscellaneous: The Briars; I wish I was making this up.
(3) Mercenary group, veterans and adepts, making a Name for themselves and particularly belligerent. Competent and whatever they lack in competence is compensated with aggression; though they are not as good as they think.
(4) That is an interesting insight into Tarr - warrants further investigation.
(5) A member of Maester Bley's mercenary Group/police force; see entry cataloged under: Adventuring Groups: Miscellaneous: Mismatched Steel - 004.
(6) Investigate what this "creepy grease paint" is.
(7) And now we know the origin of that incident.
(8) We've been getting a spotty reports of this stuff from around the province. We need to know more; it sounds like very bad news.
(9) For all of his issues, Maester Bleys has cracked down on drugs in Bartertown recently.
(10) What is this all about?
(11) This word should be in quotes.
(12) This is very bad news. We need to get control of that cesspool outside the gates.
(13) Received and edited by Ela Pono.

*     *     *

Overall, this session went very well - at least from where I sat. There was a lot going on and this adventure log only touches on quite a bit of it. To be perfectly fair, it would be difficult to record everything in detail and play at the same time. Also, some of the important details may not have seemed like it at the time. Many seeds planted long ago started to bear fruit and others were planted.

In the background of what was "really" going on was a festival to introduce some characters and color into the world. Part of it was to get people invested a little more in what was going on and make things seem more vibrant. Also to show that there is always a bigger fish (this was not directed at the players) - particularly in the form of a obsidiman Warrior brotherhood, The Immortals.

One of the major events was the escalation of conflict between the two groups vying for control of Bartertown. The players have thrown their lot in behind one of the factions, but are starting to find out some of the reasons they have been obliquely warned about him. His dedication to the community is absolute, but in a "ends justify the means" way.

The robbery on the drug den involved all of the characters in some capacity, which worked well. It was also a flash point for relationships within the Group: characters began to realize what exactly they were getting themselves into. It was also something of a setup: the entire thing went sideways, an opium den burned, many died within it and it was something of a PR fiasco. One side got to be the hero and the other was blamed for causing it.

That was just the beginning of some the dark places that events were starting to explore. During the robbery, they stole some opium suspended in alcohol. While investigating, they gave some of that to a junkie for information. By gave, I mean administered because he was going through withdrawal and suffering from burns. It was a very intense scene at the table. The ends justified the means.

During all of this, a plot that has been at the edge of things forces itself to the forefront: that one of the characters (Elmod) may be involved with Horrors in some fashion he does not understand. The goons are the Grim Legion and this was a chance to rebuild some Group cohesion that had been fraying. Everyone came to Elmod's rescue and he also go a chance to show off a little. After a series of body blows, this was a victory they could rally around, even if it involved one of their number abducted and tortured.

The drugs introduced in this session are part of a much larger plot that was put into motion much earlier. It is part the complete banal horrors of life that normal Namegivers inflict on themselves and there is no panacea for, and part the insidious way that Horrors can insinuate their influence into society completely undetected.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 12 - Beastmaster

This is the twelfth Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

Like most Disciplines, the Beastmaster is about self-discovery. It is through learning about themselves that they can begin to understand the world around them. By seeing the world clearly, they are able to understand the purity through which animals live. Once this understanding has been reached, the Beastmaster can once again look inward and peel back another layer on who they are and with this new discovery and sense of self, look outward once more and begin the process again.

All of this requires understanding, selflessness and a strong sense of self. Above all, however, is patience. Beastmasters must live in two worlds, that of Namegivers and that of animals. The rules of these two worlds are often inimical, as Namegiver society as diverged from the purity in which animals live. Animals experience life without a filter, it is raw, violent and beautiful. It does not feel guilt, anxiety, or self-conscious. There are lessons there, but a Beastmaster cannot ignore what they are: a Namegiver. They must balance these two worlds and live in both - they can deny their true nature no more than a tiger can give up its stripes.

The lessons of the animals, that the weak must often die, for they cannot take care of themselves and will be prey, that discretion is the better part of valor, indeed that valor and honor are entirely foreign concepts - there is only the dead and the fed. These lessons do not necessarily translate well to Namegivers. Though bringing lessons that societies value, such as compassion and defending the weak, to animals often have merit. At least in the eyes of many a Beastmaster that does not seek to ignore who they are.

Clearly the path of a Beastmaster is not an easy one and not one that Namegiver society finds it easy to deal with as a whole. Just because the ork woman from the bush says that the espagra is tame doesn't mean that anyone will believe her. The presence of their animal companions makes interaction with Namegiver society that much more difficult, but means that the Beastmaster will have to work that much harder to maintain them. There is little greater reward for most of this Discipline than having their animal companions win a place in Namegiver society, and have those same Namegivers win their companion's trust. To have each see the other in a new light, to spread that understanding, bit by bit. That is truly the Beastmaster's purpose.


Discipline Violations

These are best employed not as a stick, but as a chance for the player to take a deeper look at what it means to follow their Discipline. The primary violations for Beastmasters are around their treatment of animals, and specifically their animal companions. Mistreatment and sacrificing them, training and selling them to cruel masters, these are all certain ways to get into trouble, but also relatively uninteresting; what player is going to choose this Discipline and engage in that behavior?

More interesting areas to explore, to me at least, are how the Beastmaster relates with both animals and other Namegivers. They must live in both worlds and cannot deny who they are. How others treat animals around them and what they do about abuse, or even potential abuse, when they see it. These may cause some conflict and soul-searching as to how far the Beastmaster is willing to go. To what degree with they let others live as they will, versus protecting those that cannot protect themselves.

Talents

Initiate
Talent Options: Avoid Blow, Climbing, Sense Danger, Tracking, Wilderness Survival

First Circle
Discipline Talents: Animal Bond, Claw Shape, Creature Analysis, Karma Ritual, Unarmed Combat

Novice
Talent Options: Acrobatic Strike, Borrow Sense, Frighten Animals, Great Leap, Haggle, Silent Walk, Sprint

Second Circle
Discipline Talents: Dominate Beast, Durability (7/6)

Third Circle
Discipline Talent: Animal Training

Fourth Circle
Discipline Talent: Thread Weaving [Beast Weaving]

Journeyman
Talent Options: Animal Companion Durability (6/5), Blood Share, Call Animal Companion, Empathic Command, Lion Heart, Poison Resistance, Search, Tiger Spring

Fifth Circle
Discipline Talent: Heal Animal Companion

Sixth Circle
Discipline Talent: Animal Talk

Seventh Circle
Discipline Talent: Animal Possession

Eighth Circle
Discipline Talent: Frenzy

The Beastmaster certainly has some indications that it is a combat-oriented in its Discipline Talents, between Claw Shape, Durability (7/6), Frenzy and Unarmed Combat. However, the sad truth is this Discipline is not terribly combat capable on its own. Even though you can spend Karma on Claw Shape, your damage is always going to lag behind pretty much anyone with a weapon, between access to Forged Weapons and Thread Items. Particularly generous GMs may allow you to use an attached weapon in conjunction with Claw Shape, but I wouldn't count on it.

Frenzy happens to be one of the very best multi-attack Talents available and Beastmasters get it as a Journeyman Discipline Talent. This can be a pretty big deal, but against moderately armored foes it may be a lot of nothing. Defensively they have even more issues. Beyond their above average Durability, there is not much here. They don't even have a great deal of options to spend Strain with. In all, it is something of a disappointing package.

Indeed, the bulk of their Discipline is focused around animal companions, more-or-less as advertised. In theory this can be awesome; Earthdawn is populated with an astounding variety of creatures that would make bad ass pets. Who doesn't want a skeorx to snuggle up with at night, or a dancing brithan? Simply traveling and finding and training new companions is full of adventure hooks in and of itself. As long as you don't mind the occasional (to constant) pokemon references.

There are a few downsides to this, however. The first is pretty obvious: these beloved pets will not really improve with you. While you can turn them into familiars, you have to spend your Legend Points to improve them, meaning that you will be falling behind simply to take advantage of what your Discipline is supposed to be doing. While you can keep gaining new companions, there are some practical limitations to traveling around with a savage menagerie. So your pets are meant to help you out in combat, but they won't be very good at that for terribly long and are in constant danger of dying. While you can use them for scouting purposes, that is a lot of investment in Talents to accomplish that in a fairly roundabout fashion.

While the Discipline has a number of charisma Discipline Talents, they have virtually no options for interaction outside of animals. This could be a significant problem for some players looking at charisma-focused adepts.

Mechanically it is a difficult place to be as all of these critters can also give the Beastmaster a significant number of actions in combat. Anyone who spent time with a druid in 3.X D&D may know this feeling well. To not take advantage of this is to ignore the vast majority of their Discipline. Before taking this Discipline, I would recommend that you talk with your GM and the rest of the Group to see if it would a good fit and how you would potentially overcome some of the weaknesses. If you are going to be happy with this Discipline regardless of any of these issues, then more power to you. I've simply had a number that had buyer's remorse that reached a zenith around Journeyman and trying to find the right mix of House Rules became onerous for everyone involved.

Reading over this, I realize that it sounds like I am very down on this Discipline, which is not quite true. Though I'm not changing what I've written. The Beastmaster requires better communication with the GM because much of what they can do will be in the GM's hands. If you and your GM don't agree on how the Beastmaster should play out, then I strongly suggest you find something else. Otherwise, there will likely only be frustrations and recriminations down that road.

There are some things to like in the Beastmaster's Initiate Talent Options and there may be some decisions taking place regarding what will be dropped:

• Avoid Blow - If you've read a few of these, you will know I'm not a fan of this Talent as anything other than a Discipline Talent. That still hasn't changed. If it is selected, it will need to be improved every Circle.
• Climbing - While neat, there isn't much to recommend this as a Talent over a skill, particularly with more attractive options available.
• Sense Danger - This is always a useful Talent for at least one character to have and doesn't necessarily require constant improvement, but it will certainly help (particularly since the characters you will want to use it against the most are also likely to have the highest Spell Defense).
• Tracking - Generally very in theme for Beastmasters and a popular choice. The Talent also has some advantages over the skill. Another Talent that someone should probably have, though there isn't a lot of benefit for more than one character to have it.
• Wilderness Survival - Given that this is already provided by Half-Magic, it will take serious dedication to make this selection worth it. Though the Talent is better than the skill, the skill is free.

Novice is where the hard choices regarding Talent Options begin for most Beastmasters:

• Acrobatic Strike - I generally prefer this Talent over Avoid Blow for a Talent Option and they tend to work against each other if you are tempted by both. With Acrobatic Strike active, the already potentially difficult Avoid Blow Test will become that much more difficult to succeed at because the threshold for it to work has just increased, and you cannot spend Karma on it. This Talent will require continual improvement and a good initiative, so keep that in mind.
• Borrow Sense - It isn't uncommon for a Beastmaster to be a scout for their Group and this Talent certainly supports that. It helps to have a variety of animal companions to pick and choose from for this.
• Frighten Animals - It costs a Karma and may rely heavily on GM discretion as to when it will work (what is an animal precisely). If you encounter considerable animals, cavalry, or scorchers, this is going to be extremely effective. Otherwise, if may be useful, it may not and it is hard to predict.
• Great Leap - One of my favorite Talents. It gives additional mobility, which is always good, strongly reinforces a lot of what the Beastmaster is about, and moves you in the direction of Down Strike (if your GM approves of combining that with Claw Shape).
• Haggle - Beyond tending towards a good charisma, this is just a strange choice for most Beastmasters. If someone else has this Talent, I would pass. Otherwise, I can only guess you will know if this Talent is right for you.
• Silent Walk - I don't think I've ever seen a Beastmaster that doesn't eventually get this Talent, and with good reason - it plays to a lot of their strengths and is very in theme for the Discipline.
• Sprint - There is a Karma cost, but it can fit with the Beastmaster themes very well and provide additional mobility. A plus is that it requires minimal investment to be useful, a downside is that it costs a Karma (in 3ER, this is less of an issue, but Beastmasters tend to go through a lot of Karma).

Journeyman Beastmasters are going to find a lot of good Talent Options at this tier:

• Animal Companion Durability (6/5) - If you have an animal companion that frequently accompanies you into combat, you are going to want this. Otherwise, probably not.
• Blood Share - Not cheap at the cost of a Karma, similar to the Cavalryman, this may be a very important Talent for any Beastmaster with animal companions that engage in combat. Though with Heal Animal Companion as a Discipline Talent this may be somewhat redundant. The exception to this is transferring damage from the adept to the animal companion, which is something I have never actually seen in practice, believe it or not.
• Call Animal Companion - Most Beastmasters are going to want this, unless you have animal companions just because they are cute and fuzzy and never really leave your side.
• Empathic Command - Much like other Talents of this tier, this is a pretty good selection. There just happen to be a lot of good Talent Options.
• Lion Heart - A generally good Talent that requires little investment and may often be useful.
• Poison Resistance - Unless poison is a common feature in your game, this is likely to be the only easy decision in this tier. I know that I just do not use poison very often and players tend to load up on a lot of anti-poison healing aids once they have one bad encounter.
• Search - As Beastmasters tend to do the scouting, this Talent is very useful for them. It's simply another difficult choice to make.
• Tiger Spring - If you have Acrobatic Strike, you are going to want this. Otherwise, you may be able to find a Talent that you need in this tier.

Races

There are a number of different races that can bring different benefits to the table for this Discipline. The decreased toughness of elves is compensated for to a certain extend, and the dexterity, perception and charisma increases can work well. Versatility and improved Karma for humans opens up a number of options to address some of the deficiencies (whether combat or socially) of the Discipline, as well as better Karma to throw at Claw Shape and Unarmed Combat (hoping for those armor defeating hits). Orks bring some pain with a bonus Step to strength and better Karma, in addition to using gahad to their advantage. Though they have penalties to both of the "important" attributes, their Karma should make up for that. A t'skrang's tail attack will see support from Unarmed Combat as a Discipline Talent, but won't benefit from Claw Shape (it's specific to hands). Beyond that, they don't have much to offer, but there is no real downside. The surprise winner out of this is the windling; normally their size is a significant downside to a combat character, but it is barely relevant here (only the strength penalty having an effect). They will be more reliant on animal companions overall, but can plausibly have access to better pets with their improved charisma and Karma.

Dwarfs may find the charisma penalties rough and have nothing mechanically to recommend them over orks. Obsidimen and trolls are particularly left out by the Beastmaster with charisma penalties and no benefit from their increased size (which is generally good for 2 more damage Steps). Their poor Karma may be a problem as well for a Discipline that relies on it to the extent of the Beastmaster.

Equipment

Unless you have Acrobatic Strike, initiative isn't particularly important to a Beastmaster. Which means that, while counter-intuitive, heavy armor is an excellent way to make up for their defensive deficiencies. In fact, a shield as completely compatible with Claw Shape, though creates something of a bizarre aesthetic.

Weapons are an interesting question and entirely based around if your GM allows you to use attached weapons in conjunction with Claw Shape. The majority will probably say "no", in which case weapons are probably for show, though elves seem to be partial to Warrior's Scarves regardless.

Earthdawn: Part 22 - Play Aids 2

This is the twenty-second part in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

In my previous post on the topic of player aids, I compiled a number of the player aids that I had introduced in my game to help organize the information and minimize the amount of time spent looking in books for relevant text. The primary tool for that is the binder and there have been a few requests to see more of what I include in the binders that I put together for my players. That will be the topic for this post with lots of pictures to provide some inspiration and help for others. The picture on the right has all of the note cards kept in the pouch spread out and you can also see the dry and wet erase pens. If you have any questions, post them in the comments and I will be happy to try and address them.

Here is are two pictures that have more detail of the note cards. I use white cards for equipment, in no small part because it easier to put art on the backside for Thread Items; which I am lucky enough to have a player willing to help out on that. Red cards are related to blood, whether tracking Wounds (whenever a character takes a Wound, they get to record it and the scar it leaves for posterity), or Blood Charms. Consumable items are yellow (and generally healing related) because it was the color left over in the scheme. On the right you can see this character's Thread Items and an NPC (in purple) that was encountered during the previous session.

Here you can see the back of the pouch with the note cards stored and the combat cheat sheet I make for each character. It is very limited in what information it contains to mostly what is relevant during combat. The intent is to focus attention and not have information spread all over the place, making options pretty clear. It also gives spaces to track damage, Karma, and whatever notes are important. Such as what to buy with Legend Points at the end of a session.

I use the expanded character sheet with all the pages - just not everyone gets all of them. They are filled out electronically because I'm something of a penmanship snob and spend enough time reading illegible scrawl in lab notebooks at work. While not the most functional character sheets, there is a lot of information spread out, I like the look of these quite a bit.

Recent additions to the group no longer get the equipment sheet, so this is a legacy. Instead I handle all of that through note cards or actual coins. As I've mentioned, I much prefer having physical objects for these because of the additional dimension they bring to the game.

Here is an example of a new character's equipment list instead of a page. It takes longer to put together and takes up more space, but it also requires less time to get details on what is included. Adding and removing equipment in this cannot be any easier. As I have mentioned, I just like the tactile aspect that this brings to the game.

I haven't actually added the additional sections for the newest Thread Item as it was acquired in the last session. So that's going to happen in the next couple of days.

These are the sheets that have all of the ability information on them, including Half-Magic, Talents, Knacks and skills. This cuts down on a significant amount of time hunting through the books to try and track what exactly a Talent does, or the tables referenced (those are included as well, this character just doesn't have any). Since not everyone has a Player's Guide, this helps in that regard as well - you always have access to the information you need, right at your fingertips, with minimal effort. Since the threshold to read all of your abilities is functionally zero, there is a great deal more familiarity with them, whereas in other games it may be lacking simply because you have to get the book, find what you're looking for (which may be a feat if you're not familiar with the layout already), and not get distracted by the art. These also have all of the House Rules included in the text, so they are more useful in that regard.

Step Tables, Result Levels and Combat Options, oh my! I tried making my own for those and gave up because I found out official ones existed. There are a few reasons I still use the old Result Levels despite mostly updating to 3ER and this handout has more than a little to do with it. The standard deviations is the other part. I also use the 1E Step Table because I simply don't have enough d12s to go around, not since I liquidated my collection after I stopped running The Everlasting. I correctly predicted that how Increasing Your Legend worked was going to be a big source of questions, so I created a sheet to clearly explain all of the costs and how it all worked. There are still a number of questions regarding this, but I'm confident it would be a continual issue without this.

The other piece to Increasing Your Legend.

The last page is a thorough explanation of Karma and how it works. This includes all of my particular House Rules, so it prevents some confusion.

Earthdawn: Adventure Log 11 - Fighting Against Time

This is the eleventh Adventure Log in an ongoing series about Earthdawn.Introduction and Index.

The primary Thread Items that the players have been finding up to this point, and mostly go unmentioned, are the Bands of Fortune. They really should get their own write up, but I am almost entirely cribbing them from the books - some of the Ranks have been altered slightly, additional Ranks have been added, and the history changed completely.

I have always been a fan of these kinds of group items - they give everyone something to bond over. It becomes a shared point of history between everyone as they are working to the exact same goal. Through them I can also reveal a larger story that connects everyone together in an obvious way. These are some of the elements that I am using to tie into the overall meta-theme, fixing the mistakes of the past. This particular set of items is powerful for their costs and the Ranks, but fun and generic, which means they are good for everyone and since everyone (hypothetically) has equal access, there aren't any balance issues to be concerned about. Well, other than dealing with players that have impressive access to Karma.

Each of the bands is being introduced slowly and the Group has been invested in tracking them all down, so each character gets one. There have been hiccups with that particular bit, one intentional on my part, others unintentional (players unable to make the game). A cast change adds another twist. Part of the fiction that I introduced for them is that they will twist events to bring all of them together, which will frequently go very poorly if you happen to be on the short end of that pull.

There is one prominent NPC that has one of the bands (in the form of a formal sash of some kind), who they cannot help but really like, not matter how much they discuss murdering him and taking it. Some of those discussions got pretty serious. That NPC (Arthu Paen'drag) keeps meeting up with them during the course of events, with increasing levels of violence surrounding the events - always in the background, however. All of this is pointing to the inevitable conclusion of that NPC's arc, which I would hope has been sufficiently foreshadowed that it won't come as a surprise.

Adventure Log – 11 Fighting Against Time

Recorded By: Sogun the Messenger of Ayodhya

Date: 23 Doddul – 30 Doddul, 1506 TH
Group Name: Mismatched Steel

Group Members

Elmod the Nethermancer
Honeysuckle Sunspray the Windmaster
Sogun the Messenger
Ting the Swordmaster

We spent most of the day with the tailor and death moth wings(1). Ting seemed to complete her look of being a pirate with her dashing hat and bandoleer while Honeysuckle decided for something a little more refined and elegant with a blouse. Elmod went with the more practical route and got a vest to hold his alchemy tools and other creepy things a Nethermancer would need. I choose to honor tradition with a horkla.

While I was seeking something of a more personal manner, Elmod was once again proving indispensable by researching a few of the items that the Group had picked up along their travels. After my morning endeavors I took some time to visit my brother Omasu(3). It’s not very often we obsidimen find ourselves in the same town as a brother. So to not stop in to chat would have been very rude.

There seems to be some kind of Swordmaster tournament in town. I’ll have to go early in order to get a good seat because if Ting hasn't already signed up, I’m sure she will. As I wait for the tournament to begin I can’t help but notice that the guards seem to have a rather unusual manner about them. Some shops are patrolled while others are not. I’m sure it’s nothing but it might be worth investigating later.

Currently there are 40 Swordmasters entered in this tournament. The decor for the tournament is a rather garish display of color something I would expect from t’skrang rather than the dwarfs(4).

The Group bets heavily on Ting. I would have though such high stakes an unwise practice if I haven’t seen her fight before. Her opponent practically dwarfs her with his size. As the fight begins Ting seems to be outmatched in both strength and skill. As her foe moves closer to snatch his victory with a final blow, I catch a small smirk from Ting. For some reason I couldn't help but think of a cat playing with a mouse just before it finally kills it. Ting finally stops playing coy and ends the match with a decisive and skillful slice through her opponent. Leave it to Ting to not only best her foe but to play to the crowd as well.

Honeysuckle and I have been noticing a lot of disappearances around town lately. Mainly the people that have recently participated in the Swordmaster tournament. While out trying to track down one of the missing Swordmasters our young “tiruplaxi”(5) stumbled across a dead body in an alleyway. Which seems to be something that could prove quite useful to a Namegiver like Elmod. Elmod used some creepy magic to relive the death of our new friend. He learned that our dead dwarf was involved in some kind of slaving ring. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the whole Swordmaster tournament was some kind of slaving hoax. It turns out that a few of the Swordmasters that claimed to be from Jerris, were in fact slavers from Vivane(6).

Before they could leave with their captives, we manage to put the pieces of their plot together and track down their airship and free the slaves(7).(8)

(1) See entry cataloged under: Adventuring Groups: Miscellaneous: Mismatched Steel - 009.
(2) I don't know what someone who travels with a friend of Fastoon Julari Makanth Phunkot would consider creepy.
(3) Omasu is kinda a big shot and this might shed some light on why he is chummy with this lot, that and his strange association with Maester Bleys. I'm certain that Zamrica would go on and on with this one...
(4) Because dwarf color schemes are the opposite of garish.
(5) No one has any idea what this means. Maybe some obsidiman thing?
(6) I had to walk away after reading this. It fills me with incandescent rage. Also, that is incredibly risky. Therans had to have someone operating within Bartertown already to set anything like that up. Maybe I can convince the dwarfs to actually do something about Bartertown for once.
(7) This makes me happy in a way that is difficult to articulate. Strange.
(8) Received and edited by Ela Pono.

*     *     *

A considerable amount of time was spent figuring out what clothes to make out of the death moth wings. Really, it was quite a while. This was entirely intentional on my part since one of the player's was absent, so I removed their pieces of the plot and I needed some padding to fill out the session and keep the pacing for the back end.

The primary goal for this session was to develop the events in Bartertown more, specifically the deep animosity between what are becoming the two dominant factions. There was considerable foreshadowing for the looming conflict and what is coming, but also for greater events and where some loyalties may truly lie. There was a lot of subtle maneuvering, from the existence of the tournament (to upstage the rival tournament), using it to gather slaves (not just any slaves, but ones that would support a particular group), dire warnings (not recorded here), and sides being picked. A great deal happening in the background.

It was also a chance for many of the players to show off a little bit. The Nethermancer spent some time researching the various Thread Items that had come their way. Despite what the log records, the fight was actually incredibly close and fell the way it did due entirely to luck, but that is what the dice are there for. Never underestimate the troll Swordmaster that uses "you're smaller than me!" as a taunt. The Group leaned more on contacts than in the past, following leads and gathering information to put all of the pieces together. The actual assault on the airship at the end took some considerable planning, that mostly fell apart because only the windling can fly. In all, they also got to feel like heroes at the end of it, which is going to be important given some of the events which will soon transpire.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Discipline 11 - Liberator

This is the eleventh Anatomy of a Discipline in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Overview

The Liberator is the most specific Discipline in purpose within the world of Earthdawn. They exist to free slaves. Everything about the Liberator is based around that idea. It is the entire reason for this ork-only Discipline. While they may engage in normal adventuring, that should be viewed more as a break between leading slave rebellions, rather than the other way around.

Each adept may approach how to infiltrate and operate differently, based on their Talents and what their Group may provide, but they will be drawn to areas of oppression where they can make a difference. Some Liberators may also involve themselves in local or regional politics, particularly with regard to equitable treatment (especially for orks).

While they ostensibly work for the betterment of all Namegivers, other orks are often their primary concern, or at least favored companions. It isn't an uncommon sentiment that only other orks can truly understand; a combination of their racial history as a slave race and their gahad which drives them. Of course, any Liberator will be strongly dedicated to any companions, regardless of race. 

Before a Liberator joins any game, it is best to ensure that everyone at the table is comfortable with what that will mean for the focus of the game. Which is to say, if the game wasn't about slavery before, it will be now. Otherwise, the conflicting desires of the players could have serious consequences for everyone's enjoyment.

Discipline Violations

These are best employed not as a stick, but as a chance for the player to take a deeper look at what it means to follow their Discipline. Freeling slaves and disrupting the slave trade are the primary concerns of a Liberator, so much that very little else even matters. Missing any opportunity to strike a blow against these institutions would be a severe problem for any Liberator, but also possibly a point of contention for their companions.

That fanaticism towards their cause is unavoidable, but can arise at the most inopportune times. Perhaps a delicate negotiation is taking place and it is revealed one of the involved parties is a unrepentant slave owner. How is a Liberator to deal with this situation? Learning how their actions affect their companions can be a difficult lesson.

Talents

Initiate
Talent Options: Acrobatic Strike, Avoid Blow, Disguise Self, Silent Walk, Unarmed Combat

First Circle
Discipline Talents: Freedom Search, Karma Ritual, Lock Picking, Melee Weapons, Shackle Shrug

Novice
Talent Options: Conceal Object, Fireblood, Heart of Freedom, Heartening Laugh, Surprise Strike, Throwing Weapons, Tiger Spring

Second Circle
Discipline Talents: Durability (8/6), Free Mind

Third Circle
Discipline Talent: Shout of Justice

Fourth Circle
Discipline Talent: Thread Weaving [Freedom Weaving]

Journeyman
Talent Options: Dead Fall, Disarm, Heal Slave, Leadership, Lion Heart, Resist Taunt, Second Attack, Temper Self

Fifth Circle
Discipline Talent: False Shackles

Sixth Circle
Discipline Talent: Hoard Blows

Seventh Circle
Discipline Talent: Mind Blade

Eighth Circle
Discipline Talent: Power Mask

Between Freedom Search, Shackle Shrug, Free Mind, Shout of Justice, False Shackles, Hoard Blows and Power Mask (Mind Blade could be thrown in here as well with good justification), over half of the Liberator's Discipline Talents are geared exclusively towards their stated purpose (freeing slaves/leading slave rebellions). Granted you could find other uses for some of these Talents, but they are few and far between. What this means is this is the most focused Discipline in print on a single task, putting even the Horror Stalker to shame by a wide margin.

They will have issues with defense and damage in a traditional adventuring Group, as well as simply finding things to do outside of their niche. While engaged in that hyper-specific niche, there is a vast array of ways to employ their considerable Talents. Outside of that, they will likely have more interesting options outside of combat than within - which is something of a change of pace when you consider their very high Durability rating.

All of this is a warning to anyone considering to play a Liberator. It can be very challenging when most of your Talents continually go unused if playing in a traditional adventuring campaign. If engaged in a protracted war against Thera and slavery in general, then you may very well have considerable options at your disposal and when discussing plans it is stated "we have a man inside," that would be you.

When discussing Talent Options for a Liberator, there are two ways of looking at things. The first is from the perspective of a Liberator fitting into a more typical adventuring Group. The second is from the perspective of a Liberator being laser focused on what their Discipline is all about. That perspective will strongly inform your Talent Option selections. Both views will be addressed and noted by (1) for an adventuring Liberator and (2) for a narrowly focused Liberator.

No matter which flavor of Liberator you are, there is something good in the Initiate Talent Options. (2) will almost certainly have too many attractive options.

• Acrobatic Strike - (1) and (2) A pretty solid choice for a Discipline that is overall lacking in defensive Talents. It will require constant improvement and a good initiative.
• Avoid Blow - (1) and (2) Overall, less effective than Acrobatic Strike, but it doesn't require a higher initiative than your opponent, nor making an attack. These make it slightly better for (2), but continual improvement is still a must.
• Disguise Self - (1) Fun and will add some more options for approaching problems, with minimal investment required. (2) This Talent may become more and more important as your Legend grows and infiltration becomes difficult. Can be very important.
• Silent Walk - (1) Everyone wants to go on the black-op and in the same boat as Disguise Self above. (2) Of incredible value for infiltration and information gathering. Yet another difficult decision.
• Unarmed Combat - (1) It requires constant investment to be valuable and is unlikely to see regular use. (2) The odds of having a weapon are pretty low and the odds of having a slave master unprepared to deal with an ork all about the face-punching are pretty high. It will require constant improvement, but almost certainly see use.

For (1) there are some good choices in the Novice Talent Options, but (2) will find another litany of difficult decisions.

• Conceal Object - (1) While this can go well with Surprise Strike below and the Liberator will find damage more difficult than some of their other combat ready companions, this may be of limited use. (2) Almost certainly to be of use all the time. This can help mitigate the earlier problems associated with not having a weapon on hand.
• Fireblood - (1) and (2) This is good all of the time for everyone.
• Heart of Freedom - (1) and (2) A strange Talent that gives anyone gahad, and makes an ork's gahad go to 11. You either like this, or you don't, however (2) will likely have better options to consider.
• Heartening Laugh - (1) If no one else in your Group has this, consider it since you will have a healthy pool of Karma to rely on. However, if there is a Swordmaster, give it a pass. (2) The odds are reasonable that there will be other Talents which will be more useful overall.
• Surprise Strike - (1) One of the few ways to improve damage for a Liberator, but difficult to pull off regularly (let alone more than once a combat). (2) Often the opening blow in a rebellion, or useful to keep an escape quiet. This will likely see use.
• Throwing Weapons - (1) and (2) There are probably better options than this, given the costs for continually improving it and what it brings to the table (not a lot). (2) may have some use for throwing rocks with it.
• Tiger Spring - (1) and (2) Going first is almost always a good thing and this can help with Acrobatic Strike and life in general. A staple Talent for any combatant.

(1) will find some good choices among the Journeyman Talent Options, but (2) will, as per usual, suffer from too much good stuff.

• Dead Fall - (1) If you have Disguise Self, Silent Walk, Conceal Object and Surprise Strike, this Talent will probably be what you are looking for. Otherwise, maybe not. (2) Another good Talent to have at your disposal when needed.
• Disarm - (1) Though it takes longer to get to, this is a better option than Unarmed for taking prisoners. It does require constant improvement, however. (2) Potentially a great way of simultaneously depriving your opponent of a weapon and acquiring one of your own, though some GM's may require a Knack for that kind of effect.
• Heal Slave - (1) A flavorful utility Talent that requires minimal investment. A good pick if you have an Option open. (2) Even more valuable, but there are so many other great Talents to choose from. Depending on how you like your drama, it may deprive (or enable) powerful moments where slaves die and your are helpless to save them - perhaps triggering your gahad.
• Leadership - (1) More appropriate for a Liberator than most Disciplines that get access to this Talent, it still may be of limited use. (2) Rallying the slaves to your cause will certainly be of continual use.
• Lion Heart - (1) Almost always a good choice that won't be regretted. It requires minimal investment and will always be active. (2) While a good choice, there may very well be others that are simply better. Also, there will likely be less powerful fear and intimidation effects to deal with compared to an adventurer encountering Horrors.
• Resist Taunt - (1) and (2) A somewhat curious Talent that has all the drawbacks associated with Avoid Blow and then some. The most notable of those drawbacks is that it uses Willpower, which is generally an ork's lowest and Social Defense is determined by charisma, which tends to be rather good on a Liberator (often at the cost of a higher Willpower).
• Second Attack - (1) and (2) One of the best Talents period. You are going to want this.
• Temper Self - (1) Simply a great Talent. This is an excellent selection. (2) Very good, but there is a chance something else may be more attractive still - having both Fireblood and Temper Self may be overboard when there are so many other good selections.

Equipment

There isn't much to say here. Acrobatic Strike is the only Talent that likes a high initiative, but above all else, a Liberator should be prepared for anything.