I'm planning on replacing the Drow with the Skaven in my DnD game I've got going at the moment. Mainly because I think it would make the game much more interesting and, quite frankly, how does the unsuspecting adventuring party prepare for something like the Skaven (DM, did I hear that right? The dwarf king wants us to destroy a large, rickety-arse bell and a fucking laser cannon!?)?
I've got the mechanics down, where each combat has a certain stress mechanic which means that the Skaven keep on coming until the party kills and injures enough of them to scare them off. This should hopefully create the feel of the Skavens overwhelming numbers better than going "Hey guys, here's 100 fucking clanrats bursting out of this bolt hole. Have fun".
I'm also slightly tweaking the misfire chance, so that when the party tank decides to be cocky and bum-rush the Ratling gun the first time he sees it, he only gets horrifically maimed before the gun jams instead of getting sprayed all over the god-damn walls. I'll have to change it later to balance it out with my retardedly lucky rouge who will probably cause every single weapon the skaven have to spontaneously explode as soon as he sees it.
And because the lore sources I have aren't particularly clear on it, I also need to work out how the Dreaded Thirteenth Spell (The one that turns people into Skaven) will work. Because at least one of them will stand around in front of the maniacally laughing rat-man as he jams countless, luminous green coins into his mouth, just to see what happens. Do they retain all their faculties and should be treated as being under a baleful polymorph effect, or do they just become feral beasts that lash out at anyone nearby?
However, I'm going to need some help with the personalities and style of the Skaven. I'm struggling to get into the mindset where you can be completely paranoid about everything and being absolutely correct about it. Also, how arrogant should the average Skaven be?
Simple polymorph would be a lot easier on the players, angry skaven would be a lot more entertaining. Really up to you to judge what your players would prefer
Nicholas Nelson
Think of it this way; Skaven aren't paranoid, arrogant, bug-fuck crazy, backstabby pricks because they're Skaven, but rather because they are ALWAYS looking to get ahead in society, and understand that every other Skaven is trying to do the same. If pushing your sire into a vat of acid and claiming divine providence from the Horned Rat himself gets you noticed by Clan Pestilens, then you'll do it as quickly as possible, as to prevent your sibling from doing the same and stealing the opportunity.
Another thing to remember, Skaven have ridiculously high metabolism, and experience life in a sped up fashion. Even humans appear as slow, sluggish brutes to them. This combined with their INSANE mortality rate pushes a clanrat to achieve as much as he can as quickly as possible.
Noah Reed
Cont.
I know they believe that they are THE superior race, and that each individual believes that he is THE pinnacle of this superior race. Although this will help greatly when it comes to handwaving away why the Skaven haven't conquered the surface world due to massive race wide incompetence, I have trouble comprehending a race where every man is a faction unto himself.
I'm also wondering on how heavy I should lay down the Skavens speach mannerisms. For example, I'm imagining that a lone, cornered Skaven might respond with:
"Please noblest of noble heroes, spare poor poor innocent Molder rat yes-yes? It was the evil-foul Clan Skrye that wanted to kill-slay you lovely, lovely man-things. Let me help-assist you man-things, take-take the first left and then head straight down until you reach the cross roads yes-yes. You take right turn and it lead you to most safest of safe tunnels, yes-yes. You can trust-trust Clan Molder, yes-yes. Clan Molder is ally-not food to all man-things yes-yes."
Am I thinking along the correct lines with the speech here?
Anyway, any hints or tricks would be greatly appreciated.
Caleb Walker
Yeah, that appears pretty good for speech. Do note though that, all though skaven live in a horrific society and hate most of eachother, they hate other races even more so than eachother. In essence, the only way you get separate clans actively working together in a way that won't immediately benefit them, is if they're teaming up to fuck over some other races.
Joseph Cook
Honestly, I think it being a simple polymorph would be quite funny in a thematic way.
"Here stands Jurgen Stoneheart, mighty champion of the Urhger tribe of the savage Bardox mountains. At the age of twelve he slew the mighty Beast of Thral that (Bippitty Bopetty Boo)... and now he's a clanrat."
"This is Sylvanus Evermoon, the beautiful high-elf enchantress of the Shimmering Isles. Her long, purple hair glistens in the twilight, just like her smooth, porcelain skin. Indeed, beauty is only skin deep, as her warm, hypnotising smile hides a dark secret. For you see, she (Raucous squeaking)...and now she's a clanrat."
"Rolf Grimbeardson was a dwarfs dwarf and an engineer extraordinaire. Even from a young age, his inventions were well-known within his home-hold and many have yet to be surpassed to this day. Feeling stifled by the constraints of coming from such a modest mountain hold, Rolf needed to break-out spread his radical teachings of rapid innovation to the rest of his kind. His greatest achievement was (Loud, uncontrollable chittering)...and now he's a clanrat."
It's just so...anti-climatic. I feel there's a special charm to that.
Hunter Perez
Yeah, that's why I wanted them to replace the Drow. Skaven may be more chaotic, but at least they feel more like something that would come from the Underdark. That, and seeing my players faces, who have no knowledge of Warhammer Fantasy whatsoever, discover what the Skaven are actually capable of, is going to be absolutely priceless.
Thomas Brooks
>the dead cute rats at his feet
Lucas Hall
Enemy units that are turned into clanrats are put under the control of the skaven player so I guess they don't retain their previous memories and personality. That being said, the first option is much funnier.
If you are looking for additional inspiration and a description of how Skaven society could actually function on an everyday basis despite the constant scheming and trickery you might want to check the Children of the Horned Rat supplement. It has an extensive description of a typical Skaven settlement.
Con Save to avoid being turned into shaven, followed by a Will save to avoid being under the casters control.
Parker Williams
I of course meant Skaven!
Brandon Torres
The party being forced to put up with an angry, kleptomaniac and stinking little Skaven until they find a remove curse spell sounds hilarious.
Grayson Rodriguez
Read Headtaker for inspiration. It's got a pretty good depiction of how Skaven work, in between brief Dwarf interludes.
Asher Cox
damn right. he killed two small innocent cartoon animals
Adam Carter
I never noticed that when I first picked the picture. This may be how I illustrate the darker side of the Skaven to my players.
That or have them use their own pups as flails. Whichever is the most appropriate at the time.
Zachary Peterson
I could make it so if they pass the Will save, they become shaved Skaven from the sheer stress of the experience. I don't know if this is a better or worse fate than going full rat.
Blake Rodriguez
But..but rats user.Don't tell me you can look into their beedy little eyes and not feel a burning desire to avenge them.
James Cook
Maybe the two little rats were poisoned by heartless humans or dwarfs and that skaven has armed himself to avenge them?
Morning bump and another question. How common are the more mundane machines and technological weapons of the Skaven?
Is it more like the table top where each army has about five weapon teams, as well as something a bit more special like a lightning cannon or a DOOMWHEEL? Or is it more like Vermintide where you innocently stick your dwarfy little nose around the corner and get instagibbed by two Ratling guns; only to be saved just in time for the Gas Rat Surprise Party?
Also, where should the Brass Orb send my party members if they fail the iniatiative save. Obviously since it's still technically DnD, I can't just send them of to the land of madness and freindly tentacles that is the Warp/Realm of Chaos. I was thinking of making a random chart for all the realms, both good and bad, but I think it might instill bad habits; since if they end up in the third level of heaven the first time, they might bitch when they end up in 1946th level of the abyss the second time.
Although admittedly it would be a very Skaveny thing to happen.
>"Yes-yes, those idiot-fools have been sucked to their doom-doom. Mwahahahaha"
>"Most vilelest of vile vermin, I am afraid-scared that they have gone-gone somewhere else."
>"What-what, speak up servant-emergency ration."
>"It appears we have sent them to the bright-roomy place."
>"Damn-damn, this third time this month, yes, yes. Waste of the precious Warptokens this-this"
Tyler Edwards
It depends on which clan you are facing. Skryre or a Skryre-aligned clan would have better weapons and their warrens would be equipped with high-tech infrastructure like drilling machines or power generators. Smaller and poorer clan would be unable to afford those things in large quantities.
Jacob Thompson
It should probably depend on the clan and the size, but I'd say giving your players hints of the clan they're up against is probably a good idea - debris, noise and tunnel qualities giving an indication of what's ahead (IDK how useful these would be to players who don't know the clans) >Noxious pools of... something, religious-looking carvings and a horrible smell >Larger tunnels, more regular rats than usual, piles of waste and scraps of fur, occasional roars echoing >Tunnels seem mechanically carved, little bits of scrap, oil and scorch marks, a faint noise of machines >It's just really fuckin' dark, and the tunnels are smaller and windier
I'd say more like the army, though every Skaven colony should have at least one machine, even if it's just a ratling gun (odd isolated outposts with just a gun, a couple of soldiers and the servants/slaves gives a kind of British Empire vibe), but honestly I'd mainly base it on who's there, how much warpstone there is there, and how much fun your players are having fighting slaves and clanrats
Ryder Green
Thanks guys. I really like the descriptions for the tunnel entrances; since even though my players have no fucking clue what a Skaven really is or what any of the clans are, it does give a very good introduction to what they are in for. By the way, is the last one describing a standard Skaven tunnel or one held by Clan Eshin?
Also do you have any advice on Brass Orb locations I can send unfortunate clanrats, mind flayers and the occasional beholder or lich to? I'd say players but the lowest dex they have is 10, so I'm not sure there is a particularly high chance of losing someone to it.
I don't want to just go "And they were never heard from ever again". Partly because it's a lame way of doing things, but mainly because I picture a gang of random-arse skaven just magically appearing in an Angels bathroom whilst he's on the crapper to be pretty fucking hilarious.
Michael Hill
Not the same user but the last one is obviously clan Eshin. It would probably be very labyrinthine with lots of dead ends, traps and hidden nooks and crannies. Expect groups of gutter or night runners to stalk and observe the players before jumping from a secret side passage to ambush them. Do you want to keep your Skaven as antagonists or do you want to try running a campaign with Skaven PCs at some point?
Hudson Watson
Skaven are the best thing from Warhammer Fantasy. They're the perfect villain race, capable of being the either true villains or just mooks being bullied into working for them by something more powerful.
Tyler Foster
If all my players decide to just sit around and gawk at the crazed grey seer with neon-green laser beams shooting out of his eyes, I don't think I'll have a choice about whether or not there'll be Skaven PCs.
I intend for them to be antagonists, but the group is fairly green and they've thrown me a couple of curveballs already.
I did the ol' "Go into the inn's basement and stab some rat routine" and do you know what they did? They talked the rats into leaving the basement voluntarily.
I've also been a bit easy on them to ease them into the whole role-playing thing. Unfortunately this means I've had to get a bit...creative with keeping important NPCs safe. The cleric and fighter decided, for one of their very first actions, to try and mug the village blacksmith in his own shop. Now he should have just twatted them right then and there, but I let them off with a warning. The rouge and wizard are also plotting on the murder of the innkeeper for being stingy for the reward for clearing out the rats (He wasn't happy about a pack of Giant Rats rampaging through his establishment).
Pic related is the current state of the inn.
The rouge asked me if there was anyone who could give him some sort of sneak-thief jobs, so I gave him one. I also gave this NPC a ring of delayed retributive fireball as a precaution. 20 minutes later he was dead and, because the ring on his hand started glowing, they cut it off and through it out of the alley; almost blowing up the cleric and fighter.
The cleric turned to me OOC, looked me in the eye and said:
>Did the wizard just throw a literal hand grenade at me?
I have a few more stories, but we've only had two sessions so far so there isn't much more to tell.
So I want the Skaven to be antagonists, but if things continue the way they are; I honestly can't say if it will stay that way.
Jaxon Myers
They sure are. I'm just kinda sad that I looked over Fantasy when I was growing up. because looking back through the old rules on 1d4chan, it looks like they were a blast to play as; as well as having some pretty neet fluff.
Noah Thomas
>some rate >through >so far so
Sorry guys, long day at work today; so a few little mistakes like this are bound to slip through.
Nolan Roberts
Don't skaven, even lowly slaves, go into a berserk rage if they are cornered with no chance to escape? It's not like they expect to be shown mercy.
Ryan Diaz
From what I can tell, a Skaven will fight tooth and claw against any foe if they are cornered AND with a way out. This is because, as I understand it, a Skaven's sense of self-preservation is so strong that it completely over-rides anything else. So if given the chance between flight and fight, the Skaven will always flee. Always.
As soon as that spark of hope is gone, a Skaven will do whatever it can to escape the situation. It's one of the main reasons Skaven haven't taken over the world yet. At heart they are all cravens and as soon as one turns tail and runs, they all run. If cornered with no hope of escape, it'll either curl up into whatever a rat-man's version of the foetal position is, or make a mad dash for freedom through whatever gap presents itself.
Jackson Campbell
Yeah, was meant to be Eshin, and I agree with , you want traps, secret passages, that sort of thing there
