Previous thread Since the dawn of time, the armies of Heaven and Hell Have waged an endless war. Drawn to the conflict was the Charred Council, an entity bound by ancient laws to preserve order and balance. It held that any great power, unchecked, threatened the very fabric of the universe. In time, Heaven and Hell came to honour the Council and its laws, for none were beyond the swift and terrible justice of the Council's enforcers - a fearsome brotherhood known as the Four Horsemen.
Amid the turmoil, the first humans emerged. The Council foretold that these weak, but cunning creatures would someday be integral to the Balance. Thus a third kingdom was named - the Kingdom of Man. By order of the Council, a truce was forged between Heaven and Hell. The great pact was bound by Seven Seals, to be broken at the appointed time - when Man's kingdom stood ready for the Endwar - a battle that would bring balance, and determine the ultimate fate of the three kingdoms.
But the Third Kingdom was betrayed. The Endwar was begun before the Seven Seals were broken and humanity, still ill-prepared for the Apocalypse, was obliterated. In the ensuing conflict it was Hell that ultimately triumphed over Heaven, some say thanks to the direct intervention of the Horseman War. Now the Earth is the Destroyer’s Kingdom and home to the demons of hell, monstrous creatures of the Abyss, and other, stranger beings. Heaven’s army, the Hellguard, who were exiled from the White City for their part in the Endwar, continue their doomed crusade, hoping that the last of the White City’s shame might die with them. And, in the ruins of the Earth, the last, desperate humans cling to survival on the periphery, knowing that Man will not see out another century.
The Apocalypse touches the realms far beyond earth: The Kingdom of the Dead is overrun by billions of lost souls but suffers under a ruler who cares little for his subjects; The Forge Lands teeter on the brink of destruction, threatened by the engulfing power of the Abyss beyond and unholy Corruption within; and from the Shadows ancient beasts and mad lords emerge to exploit the chaos. At the centre of creation The Charred Council sees all; it still sends forth its most fearsome agents to find those responsible for destroying the Balance and punish them, be they Sons of Man, Lords of Heaven, or the Dregs of Hell. Perhaps the Horseman still stand with them, perhaps they do not. Few would dare ask, even if they knew where to find them...
Evan Cruz
Campaign ideas and plot hooks. Could use some work. >Set after The End War >Other Humans survived The End War like The Hunter, others could have made deals with different Demons (including Vulgrim, Samiel or the Chosen), Angels (like Uriel), or one of the many Old Ones (like Ostegoth or Ulthane), allowing Heroic Human characters. >All the Horsemen appeared during the end war and were accused of starting it early. Stay have since gone on the run to prove their innocence and may have even split up to cover more leads / make harder to track.
The Charred Council are recruiting capable and power warriors from across the realms, Angel, Demon, Old One, Undead. >Hunt down the traitorous Horsemen. >Find this mysterious Destroyer, determine how it was able to turn the Horsemen against the balance and lead the hordes of the Abyss to crush the armies of the White City. >Patrol Earth, stop the depredations of the Demons and unceasing fury of the Angels, find any surviving Humans and protect what's left of the Third kingdom.
Carter Watson
List of known realms: >The First Kingdom: Heaven, including the outpost of Lostlight. >The Second Kingdom: Hell, including the outpost Shadow's Edge. >The Third Kingdom: Earth. >The Veil, realm of the Crowfather. >The Abyss, primordial darkness from before creation, home to countless monsters. >The Far Fields, realm of the Horsemaster and Phantom Horses. >The Forge Lands, realm of the Makers and their Constructs. >The Kingdom of the Dead, realm of the Dead Lords who shepherd the deceased to be cleansed of their past lives so that they may return to the Well of Souls, also home to a variety of Undead. (may include Argul's Tomb, but it greatly resembles Crowfather's Veil) >The River Styx, A place existing between the Three Kingdoms, the Styx is a river filled with wrathful souls that became lost rather than making it to the Well of Souls and thus to the Kingdom of the Dead. >The Charred Council's Realm, from this unknown place the Charred Council uphold the balance and send their enforcers to carry out their will.
Dead worlds: >Eden >Kothysos >Ravaiim
Know methods of traversing the worlds: >The Tree of Life/Death (exists in every realm except for earth) >Serpent Holes, can potentially connect to every realm, requires powerful entity to manifest them (Vulgrim, Azrael, Samael, Crowfather, Archon Lucien, The Charred Council)
Connor Ramirez
Possible characters concepts: >Angel >Demon >Maker >Maker-Construct >Undead >Abyssal Creatures >Human that has somehow survived the Apocalypse >One of the many types of unnamed Old Ones (Crowfather, Ostegoth, Kargon)
Brandon Myers
>humans
Do you think they would be able to use magic? I think that might balance them some.
Ryan Ramirez
There are rules for Mortal Heroes (in the deluxe version of the rulebook, check the pdf share thread) to have vancian spellcasting. I was actually kicking around a character concept of a Mortal Hero that bargained with some... thing for magical ability to survive the Apocalypse. I also want to make a character using the Martial Strifes, possibly an Old One or maybe even an ascended mortal. Wandering the wasteland of the Destroyed City, dispensing justice to whatever he come across.
Kayden Wilson
Man shouldn't be too far fetched a concept. Draven was human once and every bit as capable in life as he was in death if the legends are to be believed. Hunter also seemed to be able to use his skills with firearms to combat weaker demons at a range.
William Cooper
Its even easier with an undead human. It may take lifetimes to master the sacred art of punching someone's head clean off, but luckily that just isn't a problem any more.
I was thinking stirges for the griever's swarm, but they seem a little weak. Suggestions?
Thomas Reyes
Why not? There's enough punching weapons floating about, and practically everyone ends up in the Kingdom of the Dead eventually so there's bound to be at least a few wise old masters. Don't forget all the ghosts as well. Most of the named ones are magical creatures with ghost weapons that clearly still work somehow. If you're so attached to your blades that you carry echoes into them in the afterlife and they're still effective, the next stage of enlightenment is realising that it was never the weapon which caused harm but the will behind it. There is no sword.
Plus its so much easier to do a heartstopping punch when you can just phase straight into someone's chest.
You could always make the Giant size ones the default, but keep them flying in large groups. Give some of them elemental damage/resistance
William Wright
>Plus its so much easier to do a heartstopping punch when you can just phase straight into someone's chest. Can get tricky against literlally heartless enemies.
Nathan Hernandez
That's why you need to learn the secret forbidden healing techniques to learn how to grow somebody's heart from scratch, then explode it.
Christian Clark
Do it anyways? War and Death both had quite a few enemies that they could just press circle to instakill, among them those flying bugs. Maybe look into something like Mook design from Feng Shui or something?
Samuel Price
...
Jeremiah Brown
Swarm (Mob) AC: 8 Move: 40’ flight Hit Dice: 12/24/36 Save: 14+ Attack: +1 Damage: 1d4+4 Morale: 6 Effort: 4 Blood Like Water, Small 1/rd, Large 2/rd, Vast 3/rd. Even insects, the most resilient of all earthly life forms, did not survive the Apocalypse unscathed. There are no more bees, or moths, or dragonflies -- only the infernal Swarm. These monstrous locusts buzz above the wastes in thick clouds. Individually, they are faceless clumps of carapace and wing, delicate yet surprisingly lethal. At least half of their mass is a stinger, forked and dripping venom. Their poison does not kill, but it tars at the skin, and that is its greatest torment. They are the The Griever's offspring. Typically bound to the Sky Word.
Chase Wright
Working on undead. I'm thinking they shouldn't share the invincible defense non-magical attacks like angels, demons, and abyssals have, regardless of hit die. Maybe only for 10+ HD undead not counting mobs?
David Jackson
Also thinking of changing the invincible save to half damage.
Joseph Gomez
That could be a good idea to differentiate them from the creatures of heaven and hell, particularly the basic reanimated skeletons, zombies and the like. So long as the more unique ones, like the larger-than-human Undead and the more peculiar kinds like the female spirits with swords for hands can put up a good fight it should work pretty well.
Jack Peterson
What do you think about changing all of the enemies invincible to non-magical attacks to half-damage? Mainly to let them be usable earlier.
Logan Johnson
Its an idea that needs testing, basically, but I think my gut tells me that it would be a good idea if we ever intend to have "normals" on the same playing field as the more overtly supernatural types. Modern "Human" level non-magical attacks are going to lose, ultimately, but particularly brave and foolhardy types should still have a shot.
