We’ve hit October and that means one thing: it’s time for all things horror with Halloween just around the corner.
So to celebrate all things spooky, we are giving you 50% off on all our horror-themed products over on DriveThruRPG. From now until Halloween you can grab Z-LAND, Haunt, and the two Ruined Man adventures all for half price!
So click on the banners below to start your Halloween season off to a good start!
In this post we’re showing you faction advancement, and how to increase your faction’s Skill and Specialisation Levels.
Faction advancement comes in three forms; and we’ve already shown you the first. The members and specialists will be the main driver in your faction’s advancement. Each time you recruit a new member, one Skill or Specialisation will be increased, and another will decrease. It won’t add anything to your faction, but it will change it. The specialists on the other hand, will add a lot to your faction. If you get a Manager, you can bet good money that your faction’s Skills will increase.
The other two ways that your faction will advance works much in the same way as character advancement. The only main difference will be whether you are advancing a faction Skill or Specialisation. Regardless of which one it is, just like character advancement, it will happen between each session so that it doesn’t interrupt gameplay.
Specialisation advancement works just like character advancement. At the end of each session, if certain criteria are met, your GM will give you some EXP. You can then spend that EXP on the Specialisations that you actually rolled in that session. You can also trade 1 Level from 1 Specialisation to another, but it must be from a Specialisation you didn’t roll, to one you did.
For each criteria below, you will get 1 EXP:
So there’s a lot that can give you EXP, and if you’re lucky and get all of them in a single session you’ll get a whopping 10 EXP to play around with.
Skill advancement is a bit more nebulous, as the Skills don’t really show what your faction can do, but rather what your faction is. As such, Skill advancement (other than through the changes brought about by members) is entirely handled by the GM. Each session your GM will make a judgement call for each of the five Skills to see if what the faction has done that session has been good for that particular Skill, neutral, or bad; and he will either add 1 Level to the Skills, subtract 1 or leave it alone.
For example, if the faction (and players in particular) have gone around and bullied whomever they saw to get their way, the GM might feel that this hasn’t been good for their faction’s Notoriety and so at the end of the session will increase the Notoriety Skill by 1. However, if through all this bullying, the players got a new money-maker for the faction, the GM would also increase the Wealth Skill by 1. In the same session, with all the bullying going on, the players insulted the wrong person who turned out to be the local noble of the lands, who decided to confiscate some of the player faction’s weapons as punishment. This was disastrous, so the GM decreases both the faction’s Reputation and the Might Skills by 1. The faction members are more angry at the local noble than the players, so the GM doesn’t touch the faction Treachery Skill.
Each session, the GM can do this for all five Skills to advance the faction based on what has happened.
However! There are two Skill that have an extra rule: Notoriety and Treachery. If there is a Notoriety or Treachery event going on and it is not finish by the end of the session, then the Skill gains 2 Levels. If the Event is finished successfully, then that Skill is decreased by whatever the Event Roll was that started it all (so if you rolled a 39 for which treachery event to happen, the Treachery Skill will be reduced by 39). If however, the players fail to stop the Event and it all ends in tears, if the faction is still left standing, the Skill in question is increased by 10.
And that’s it for Advancement. Next time we’ll show you how to turn your own party into a faction.
———-
Remember that you get to choose what we work on after the Brotherhood faction Mod has been made, so CLICK HERE to vote!
A shot in the night will lead to repercussions in the day.
Missed out on the previous episodes? CLICK HERE to catch up on all the apocalyptic action.
Get your hands on the Z-LAND corebook now by CLICKING HERE.
———-
If you want to chat about Z-LAND with other players and the developers, then come join our Discord server!
Today we’re taking looking further into the world of Islia, a sample world from Gates, the upcoming game from Stormforge West. So without further ado, here’s James:
This part of the world is north of Nenmaa and South of the Stone-Carved Mountains.The vast majority of the land is a large boreal forest. The southernmost point of the woodlands is a large plain which bleeds into Nenmaa and eventually converts into a desert. The Central Woodland is a difficult place to live. While it is beautiful and vast, it is also filled with all sorts of monsters, evil creatures, and dangerous tribes of goblins. The only people wild and tough enough to tame this land is the wolf-like and centaurian Lourulf.
The Lourulf have over a hundred different tribes which wander the boreal forest of the Central Woodlands. They are nomadic in nature, and consistently scrabble and fight for territory. Travelers to the Stone-carved mountains who must pass through the Central Woodland often seek out tribes of Lourulf to guide them.
The animals of the Central woodland tend to be large and healthy. There are true rumors of several animals spotted that are much larger than they would naturally be. Moose which stand twenty feet tall. Bears that knock over trees. Eagles who make nests the size of a large house. These are just a few of the examples.
There is a single tree in the Central Woodland which towers above all others. It is seen by anyone above the treeline and can be seen with a spyglass from atop the Stone-Carved Mountains. This tree is known as the Otskai which means both beginning and end. It is told by Lourulf story tellers to be the first tree of the Central Woodland and to be the last tree to fall. It is a sacred tree that, some say, has a spirit of its own.
Several of the Lourulf tribes use the tree as a point of pilgrimage. When a Lourulf of one of these tribes reaches adulthood, they travel to the tree. Upon arriving, they carve their name or personal symbol. The carvings reach approximately 15 feet up the tree, which makes it difficult for a Lourulf to reach. There are many large stones around the tree that are used to make a makeshift stair to reach, but the stair is always dismantled. The journey is dangerous. Many monsters and dangerous animals roam the area around the tree, protecting it seemingly by instinct. However, what is more dangerous is the Guardian Tribe. The Guardian Tribe, which is how they are introduced to other races, is a group of Lourulf who live at the base of the tree. They attempt to stop anyone from reaching it. Not out of protection, malice, or hate, rather it is a practice of allowing only the worthy to carve their name into the tree.
The Guardian Tribe does not kill, but they will maim. If they do wound a fellow Lourulf to the point where it is dangerous to return to their tribe, they will escort them back to their tribe. Once the Lourulf seeking the tree places a hand on the tree, the Guardian Tribe halts their efforts. The methods of bypassing the Tribe do not matter, each way shows a different skill and talent. Some simply charge forward and rush through the differences, using brute strength to push to the tree. Others distract the guards, convince them to let them pass, bribe them, sneak through, or even hire mercenaries or adventurers to help them through.
Quest Hooks:
There is a rumored monster that wanders the Central Woodland. A large, hairy beast which walks on two legs. It is not strange for monsters to live and roam in the Central WOodland. However, this one is strange in that it is only rumored to exist. There have been many sightings of this creature, called Sasquatch, but no proof. It is widely regarded as a legend, a hoax, and a tale to tell around a bar.
However, the sasquatch does exist. In fact, it is an entire race of creatures. A small race, with less than 50 members, but they exist. They almost never leave their village, but when they do they act with utmost stealth. The large, furry humanoid is surprisingly stealthy. Able to avoid being seen from less than 5 yards away. The village is situated in the treetops of a certain part of the forest, and it is constructed in a certain way as to be able to be moved. If someone were to find it, it could be moved overnight. An entire army could walk under this village and not notice its presence at all.
To access the village, one must simply climb a tree connected to it and hope the sasquatch archers do not strike you down. The village is a peaceful place made of wood bridges (disguised as leaves) connecting simple huts together. The Sasquatch have no rulers, but instead live in a hive-mind like society. Each has a slight psionic connection to the others. This psionic connection extends to other creatures as well, but where the sasquatch can communicate with each other and sense each other’s feelings, other creatures merely have their perception shifted. A skilled Sasquatch can stand five feet in front of a human, and the human might not even register something is wrong.
Quest Hooks:
Long before the Lourulf claimed this land, there was an unnamed civilisation which held dominion over the land. Little is known about them, but they were known to be a serpent-like race which has since died out. When this civilisation existed, the Central Woodlands was a steaming swamp and the Stone-Carved mountains were nearly half the size they are now. They left only a few traces of their existence, but they did leave behind something. The Serpent’s Maw.
During an Elven archeology expedition in the Central Woodlands, an entrance to a vast underground structure was discovered. It appears to be a skull of a giant python, its mouth agape. Down its gullet is a tunnel which leads deep into a winding and twisting maze. At first, the Serpent’s Maw appears to be skeleton. It is constructed of bone. Soon, it becomes apparent the Maw is man-made. Explorers have yet to head deep into the Maw yet, but those who have explored have returned with strange, otherworldly treasures.
Quest Hooks:
In this post we’re stepping it up a notch and showing the Specialists, members who will do as much for your faction as you will.
Specialists are members that take an active role in leading your faction in a specific manner. They aren’t the rulers of your faction, but they certainly are head and shoulders above the rest, and they have a certain set of skills that can guide your faction in specific direction.
Before you can get Specialists, however, you need to get some Specialist Quarters. These are base acquisitions that you can purchase with your faction’s Wealth Skill, and we covered it when we did Base Building. This is because a Specialist isn’t a lone wolf that goes about things in his own way; he needs the support and infrastructure of the faction in order to get his job done. The Specialist Quarters become the office, workshop, design space, classroom, whatever the Specialist needs in order to carry out his duties.
One Specialist Quarters is only good for one Specialist. They don’t bunk up and they don’t share offices. However, once you have a Specialist Quarters, you can choose any Specialist you want; and you can have as many Specialist Quarters as you can afford, and you can also have more than one Specialist of a given type (eg two Quartermasters).
Specialists come in 3 flavours: Managers, Mentors, and Minders. Managers are tied into the Faction Skills and they make sure your faction is performing as best as it can. Mentors are tied into the Faction Specialisations and they boost the performance of a specific Spec. Minders are the miscellaneous pile that takes care of the faction in one way, shape or form.
Getting a Manager on board will immediately make your life easier and your faction better. Each Manager will either raise or decrease a Skill’s Level (depending if it’s good or bad), and this will happen during every Upkeep (in between sessions). So if you have a Quartermaster and you’re lucky, your faction’s Might Level can increase every session like clockwork.
Quartermaster: During Upkeep, GM rolls 1d100. If the result is less than 60, the faction’s Might Level is increased by the first digit of the result (1-9 being a 0). If result is 90 or greater, the Level is decreased by 1.
Lobbyist: During Upkeep, GM rolls 1d100. If the result is less than 60, the faction’s Notoriety Level is decreased by the first digit of the result (1-9 being a 0). If result is 90 or greater, the Level is increased by 1.
Spokesman: During Upkeep, GM rolls 1d100. If the result is less than 60, the faction’s Reputation Level is increased by the first digit of the result (1-9 being a 0). If result is 90 or greater, the Level is decreased by 1.
Sergeant : During Upkeep, GM rolls 1d100. If the result is less than 60, the faction’s Treachery Level is decreased by the first digit of the result (1-9 being a 0). If result is 90 or greater, the Level is increased by 1.
Shopkeep: During Upkeep, GM rolls 1d100. If the result is less than 60, the faction’s Wealth Level is increased by the first digit of the result (1-9 being a 0). If result is 90 or greater, the Level is decreased by 1.
Each Mentor is attached to a specific Specialisation, and they allow the players to spend their own Sigils on the faction members Skill Checks as if the players were rolling themselves. This gives the faction a safety net, and gives the players some control over their faction’s destiny.
Coach: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Athletics Skill Checks
Enforcer: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Coercion Skill Checks
Instructor: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Combat Skill Checks
Tradesman: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Craft Skill Checks
Chauffeur: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Drive Skill Checks
Tutor: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Mental Skill Checks
Diplomat: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Negotiate Skill Checks
Lookout: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Perception Skill Checks
Sage: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Special Skill Checks
Scout: Players can spend Sigils to reroll or give a +25 bonus to faction members’ Stealth Skill Checks
Each Minder does something unique, but each one is geared towards making up for a weakness in the faction. Whether that is actually going out to find recruits, getting missions, or even reducing the costs of base acquisitions. They are the unsung heroes of the faction, but without them, the faction definitely isn’t doing as well as it could.
Recruiter: During Upkeep, GM rolls 1d100. If the result is greater than the faction’s Might Level, a prospect is recruited.
Liaison: During Upkeep, GM rolls a Reputation Skill Check. If successful, Liaison brings a job opportunity to faction during the next session.
Taskmaster: Handles all faction member missions, and missions gain a +10 bonus to the Skill Check.
Architect: Reduce the cost of a base acquisition by 1, to a minimum of 1.
Physician: Spend a Sigil to reduce the severity of a Might Wound by one step.
Treasurer: Spend a Sigil to reduce the severity of a Wealth Wound by one step.
Bouncer: Spend a Sigil to reroll either the Strength or Flaw of a prospect.
Back when we did Base Building, the Prophets didn’t have any money left over to buy Specialist Quarters, so unfortunately for them, they won’t start the game off with any. In saying that, when they do have enough Wealth do get a Specialist, the first one they are going to lay their hands on is a Physician. It’s dangerous work that they do, and they need all hands on deck all the time. They don’t have the luxury of waiting for members to recover, so a household Physician will get them back on their feet in no time.
And that’s it for the Specialists. Tell us what specialists you want to get and how you want to use them; and if you have ideas for more Specialists, we’d love to hear them.
Next time we’ll show you Faction Advancement and how to level up your faction.
———-
Remember that you get to choose what we work on after the Brotherhood faction Mod has been made, so CLICK HERE to vote!
The survivors continue to search for safety, but trouble brews as tensions rise.
Missed out on the previous episodes? CLICK HERE to catch up on all the apocalyptic action.
Get your hands on the Z-LAND corebook now by CLICKING HERE.
———-
If you want to chat about Z-LAND with other players and the developers, then come join our Discord server!
Today we’re taking looking further into the world of Islia, a sample world from Gates, the upcoming game from Stormforge West. So without further ado, here’s James:
The Western Wilds were named not for the wild of nature, but for the wild nature of people. It is a land constantly at war. The men of the Western Wilds constantly build castles, keeps, and fortresses to hold a small amount of land. It is a land full of several dozens of small kingdoms where at least three kingdoms rise and fall a year. This makes for a fluid and ever changing political landscape. This unstable land makes it difficult to educate anyone, so few people can read and write.
The wars fought in the Wilds are violent, but they are less deadly than many of the wars elsewhere. Magic is used to heal the wounded, and even rival kingdoms feel a kinship with each other. Two men from the Wilds who meet in a faraway land will greet each other as comrades, even if their kingdoms hate each other politically. Even Kings have high opinions and respect with one another, sometimes meeting in peace for a fine meal while the two kingdoms are at war.
The Wilds are located in the western continent, south of the Fair Isles. It is ruled by humans, but kingdoms or orcs, goblins, and other creatures occasionally arise.
At the most western point of the Wilds, is a stretch of land several hundred miles long. This place was a bountiful and wealthy kingdom a long time ago. This kingdom had a powerful mage in its court which cursed the land. The curse meant that any invading force would be cursed while inside a castle that is not their own. This curse befell bad luck and hauntings on those in a castle. Guests are immune to this curse, but the moment they are no longer welcome they are affected by the curse. However, when the kingdom fell, its conqueror moved in. Soon, the new conqueror realised they could not use the castle.
Rebuilding a castle out of the same materials used for the old castle did not seem to work and destroying the castle was too difficult to be worth doing, so they built their own. The next kingdom to conquer this land was faced with the same dilemma. They could not use either castle, so they built their own. This process repeated over many generations, filling the land with castle after castle. Now, it is a graveyard of crumbling castles of different ages. One could stand from the top of a tower and count three or four other structures in view. Not all of the abandoned structures are castles, of course. Some are fortresses, others are inns that are unable to be entered, old houses, farmhouses, and even a over a dozen lighthouses on the shore. If the building could be destroyed easily, then it is.
There are three small kingdoms that rule in the Land of the Castle Graves at the moment. They are at war, as most kingdoms are. They often try to use the existing structures tactically in their skirmishes. Finding ways to trick the enemy into using the castles, only to be afflicted by the curse.
Quest Hooks:
The Nameless City is a misnomer. The City actually has several names. At least four. However, these names consistently and constantly change. This city was once a city-state ruled by a now extinct people. It was called Khawell. One day, every member of the city disappeared. The city’s inhabitants left behind no signs of murder, mass migration, or any other legitimate cause. They simply disappeared.
The City-state was powerful because it controlled a key strategic point as well as being situated on an important trade route. Now, the Nameless City is situated at the border of four kingdoms. Each of these kingdoms want control over the city. None can hold it, as the walls have over a dozen breach points. Instead, it has become a battlefield. Lives are constantly lost in this city, but no kingdom will give up for fear of one of the others claiming it permanently.
Rumors of a constant, slow war held in and around a city have spread throughout the world, and many bandits, mercenaries, and assassins migrated to the city to make a profit from the war. It is a dangerous wilderness inside a city filled with cutthroat bandits, ruthless soldiers desperately holding ground, and assassins offering their services to kill key commanders.
Quest Hooks:
Caidor is one of the oldest and largest kingdoms of the Western Wilds. Its territory stretches for several hundred miles, and its capital is located in the southern point of the Wilds. What makes this kingdom particularly interesting, is that it is ruled by a king who died over a decade ago. The king is not a ghost nor undead. Simply a corpse on a throne.
The reason for this is a mixture between tradition, laws, and greed. In Caidor, it is law that only the heir of the king may take up the throne. The king may declare a an heir if no children live. The current king, who is dead, had no heir and claimed none. Stating “This kingdom is now, and forever will be, mine.” The King was never removed from the throne officially. Thus, by the letter of the law, he is still the ruler. By Caidor law, the advisors to the throne, of which there are three, make decisions when the king refuses or is unable to do so.
Thus, the three advisors rule over the kingdom. They know the ridiculousness of their rule. But they would rather have power on a technicality than no power at all.
Quest Hooks:
So for this post, it’s all about the members; what they are, how they affect your faction, and how to use them.
A faction member has two traits, and mechanically speaking those two traits is the sum total of the member. With the faction Specialisations acting as the member’s skills, these two traits sets him apart from the rest. These traits are the member’s Strength and his Flaw. Other than showing a bit of personality to help the GM roleplay that member, the traits have huge mechanical significance. After all, a faction really is just its collection of members. If they are all good at something, the faction is good at something; and the reverse is equally true: you can’t have a combat faction if none of its members are good at fighting.
So each time you get a new prospect and member, look on the table below for his Strength and Flaw and permanently increase the associate Skill/Specialisation of the Faction if it’s a Strength and permanently decrease it if its a Flaw. In this way, your faction’s capability will constantly be evolving as it gains new members, and the faction you start off with may look dramatically different to the one you end up with.
When you get new members into your faction, your GM will either choose or roll on the tables below to pick the Strength and the Flaw. When rolling, it’s a single roll that works for both tables. Whatever result you get for the Strength, reverse the numbers on the dice (96 becomes 69) and that shows you what the Flaw is.
You’ll notice that there aren’t just Specialisations and Skills here though, but also Criticals. When you get a Critical Something as a Strength, it means that not only is rolling on the Skill in a Check a critical success, but so is rolling a 1. Get another Critical Something as a Strength, and it means also rolling a 2 is a critical success. The more of these you get, the higher the chance of rolling a critical success. The same works for the Flaw. For each Critical Something you get as a Flaw, you work backwards from 99 (since 100 is always a critical failure), and they become critical failures as well.
The unique option on the tables are Lucky and Unlucky. These either increase or decreases your faction’s Sigil Threshold, and is in fact the only way it can be done. If you ever want to use Sigils for your faction, you better pray for Lucky members.
Roll – Strength – Specialisation/Skill/Critical
01-05 – Adventurous – Drive
06-10 – Agile – Athletics
11-15 – Content – Critical Treachery/Notoriety
16-20 – Brave – Might
21-25 – Cunning – Mental
26-30 – Deft – Craft
31-35 – Dependable – Critical Reputation
36-40 – Diplomatic – Negotiate
41-45 – Discreet – Stealth
46-50 – Formidable – Coercion
51-55 – Gregarious – Reputation
56-60 – Supportive – Critical Might
61-65 – Loyal – Treachery
66-70 – Lucky – Sigil
71-75 – Meticulous – Critical Wealth
76-80 – Observant – Perception
81-85 – Taciturn – Notoriety
86-90 – Thrifty – Wealth
91-95 – Tough – Combat
96-100 – Wise – Special
Roll – Flaw – Specialisation/Skill/Critical
01-05 – Sedentary – Drive
06-10 – Sluggish – Athletics
11-15 – Ambitious – Critical Treachery/Notoriety
16-20 – Coward – Might
21-25 – Inept – Craft
26-30 – Gullible – Mental
31-35 – Rude – Negotiate
36-40 – Unreliable – Critical Reputation
41-45 – Antisocial – Reputation
46-50 – Clumsy – Stealth
51-55 – Meek – Coercion
56-60 – Grouchy – Critical Might
61-65 – Treacherous – Treachery
66-70 – Slovenly – Critical Wealth
71-75 – Unlucky – Sigil
76-80 – Talkative – Notoriety
81-85 – Oblivious – Perception
86-90 – Foolish – Special
91-95 – Greedy – Wealth
96-100 – Frail – Combat
Ten of the options on each table has a Specialisation associated with it. If you get a member with one of those (eg Meek or Observant), not only does it increase/decrease your faction’s Specialisation, but if you ever use that character they will get a +15 bonus to using that Specialisation (for a Strength) or a -15 (for a Flaw).
With all that has happened to the Prophets, they are ready to rebuild so let’s see what their first new conscripted member looks like. With a roll of 80 their Strength is Observant, so not only will the Prophets’ Perception Spec increase to 41, this fellow will also get a bonus to using it. However, an 80 becomes an 08 so his Flaw is Sluggish, which means the Prophet’s Athletics go down to 29 and we won’t be using this guy when it comes to fast paced action. Looks like he’s going to be stuck on guard duty for a long time.
And that’s it for the Prospects and Members. Tell us what your members look like and how they’ve changed your faction.
Next time we’ll show you the special sort of members: the Specialists.
———-
Remember that you get to choose what we work on after the Brotherhood faction Mod has been made, so CLICK HERE to vote!
The first part to the final chapter of Season Two is alive! What will the chapter have in store for our survivors?
Missed out on the previous episodes? CLICK HERE to catch up on all the apocalyptic action.
Get your hands on the Z-LAND corebook now by CLICKING HERE.
———-
If you want to chat about Z-LAND with other players and the developers, then come join our Discord server!
Today we’re taking looking deeper into the world of Islia, a sample world from Gates, the upcoming game from Stormforge West. So without further ado, here’s James:
———-
Nenmaa is a vast desert located in the south western aea of the world. It is also the largest singular empire. Nenmaa’s control includes the southern half of the eastern continent. Nenmaa is an empire ruled by a Queen. Always a queen, a lineage of daughters. They have spread from their desert lands down to a large island to the south, and north into the Central Woodlands. They conquered the other desert peoples of Isla, uniting them under one rule.
Nenmaa is a empire built upon slavery. They do not enslave humans, but rather varrious magical creatures. Most of its power comes from 1001 Djinn bound into servitude. 99 to the city of Nemnei, 200 to keep the land safe, and 701 to expand the empire. 201 of the Djinn designated to expand have been killed, and the rest now realise they are mortal, which has slowed the expansion of the Empire. Other creatures have been magically bound to their servitude as well, including elementals, Lesser Sphinx, and even giants captured from the stone carved mountains.
Perhaps the most beautiful city in all of Islia, it is certainly the largest. Nemnei was constructed by the hands of 99 Djinn who can control the elements of wind, fire, and earth. All 99 helped construct the central palace, which formed the foundation of the city and became the capital city of Nenmaa. When the city was first built, 99 sections of the city, designed with spiraling roads which give the city the appearance of a flower from above, surrounded the palace. Now, the city is much larger with nearly 5 times that number. Each of these sections are large enough to be a city block and make up the several districts of the city.
The Djinn of Nemnei are constantly working to maintain and improve the city. They do not need to sleep, and can move vast amounts of earth, water, glass, and other objects with ease. One Djinn can clean and repair an entire block in one day. Each Djinn is given several blocks of the city to maintain, which they are compelled to do. When they are not maintaining, they are building. Currently, the Djinn are working on a complex sewer system for the entire city, thus the Djinn are harder to find as of late.
Nemnei is a center for trade and politics in Nenmaa. It is also known throughout the world for its beauty. Each of the blocks of the city were hand constructed by a Djinn. By their nature, the Djinn believe they are superior to others, even other Djinn. Thus, they constantly tried to make more and more beautiful crafts to prove they are better. Every street in Nemnei is crafted with tiles that are hand painted. The buildings are constructed of sandstone, colored glass, and seemingly impossible architecture. Trade in the city is plentiful, as craftsmen and tradesmen from all over the world flock to its wealth.
There are ten major districts in Nemnei:
Upper South Craftsman District: Originally this district was a place of wealth and prosperity. Most of its populace have worked in a metalsmiths factory. Unfortunately, a cursed sword was thrown into the fires, which caused a massive explosion. Now, it is a place where the poor and impoverished are forced to live. It is rampant with crime, filled with abandoned buildings, and is avoided by most locals. A tourist may not realise how run down this section of the city is, as it is clean and pristine. A result of the Djinn keeping the city clean.
Palace District: The Palace District is simply the Palace and its surrounding garden. The Palace itself is large enough to house a village, and on most days it does. Diplomats, ambassadors, scholars, and officials live and work within the palace. The Queen and the royal family lives in the palace as well.
Exotics District: This district is a trading hub for all travelers. It is filled to the brim with taverns, inns, merchant stalls, and gimmicks. All year round the Exotics District is handled like a festival, with live musicians playing on the streets, performers looking for coin, and food stalls set everywhere.
Garden District: The Garden District is where most of the cities Wealthy live. It is named thus because the large amount of garden life used as decoration, upkept by Djinn.
Lower South Craftsman District: The Lower Craftsman District has several factories which provide jobs for the middle class of the city. It is the largest and most populated district, but there is little for visitors to the city to do in it.
Temple District: Named for its large temple dedicated to the pantheon of Islia, it is a home for the faithful. There are several smaller, more focused temples in this district as well. The people who live in this District usually work in the temples.
Arena District: Two hundred years ago, the city had an arena which held gladiator style battles as well as public events. However, it was deemed cruel by the queen at the time and the gladiator battles were ended. Now, the district holds a zoo where it once held a prison for the beasts for battle. The main arena is used for various activities, including plays, circus, contests, and speeches. The arena itself is enchanted to enhance all sound within, which makes it perfect for these purposes.
Clay District: The Clay District is situated just outside the walls to Nemnei. Technically, this is not a part of the city. However, it is considered to be. The Clay District is a small village where those too poor to live in the city and those who are not allowed into the city live. Most homes here are temporary, with the only permanent buildings being inns for visitors who arrive at the city at night, when the walls are closed.
Barracks District: This is where the guards of the city live, train, eat, and realx. There is a prison here as well. Most of the people of this district are the family members of guards.
Tombs: Nemnei is a large city which has over a hundred deaths per year. Overtime, this influx of the dead would clog up any conventional cemetery. Thus, the tombs were built. This section of the city is the quietest. It is constructed of many large pyramid-like tombs which house the dead. The dead are placed in plots within the tombs. When full, they are sealed. Some families own their own tomb, but most go into communal tombs.
Quest Hooks:
In the vast desert that makes up the most of Nenmaa’s land, is a stretch of sand that has a silver quality to it. The sand is no more precious than normal, but it does contain high traces of a metallic-crystalline substance. However, the silver quality to the sand is not what makes the Dreaming Sands so dangerous, beautiful, nor fascinating. The Sands have a magical quality to them. Mirages in a desert are not unheard of, but the mirages of the Dreaming Sands is particularly real. Travelers have claimed to have come across entire cities they have never seen before, spending a night of excess and joy before awakening the next morning in an empty desert, just as hungry and thirsty as before.
These Mirages are rare enough to simply be rumors. However, they are real. They can range from anything from a tropical paradise, a small ocean of gold, illusory travelers who disappear, or even huge monsters which disappear moments before ripping a lone traveler to pieces. Because of these rumors, any fantastic stories of The Dreaming Sands are dismissed as false. This social property of the Dreaming Sands have turned it from an oddity in the desert to a perfect hiding place for criminals, monsters, and others who wish to stay hidden.
The Empire of Nenmaa used this desert to march an army to a small city state at it’s border. The rumors of an army in the desert were ignored, and the Empire was able to quickly and easily siege the city-state.
Quest Hooks:
This oddity has been recently discovered. While traveling from Nenmaa towards the Central Woodland, a young merchant and his caravan were befalan by a powerful sandstorm. They hid the night in their caravans, but were shocked to discover an entire, ancient city has been uncovered. Since then, archeologists, researches, scholars, and treasure hunters have been sending party after party to discover as much as they can about this unknown city.
The city is large enough to have 5000 or so citizens, and many of the citizens have been located. Throughout the city are mummified corpses of the past civilisation. They are arranged like they would have been in life. Children in the streets, families dining, and even a king at a large golden throne. No-one has yet discovered why they have died, become mummified, or how the city has been buried for so long.
The city has tunnels which lead underground in vast chambers which are very dangerous to explore. The civilisation had created golems which guard its treasures, crafted traps that ward off tomb robbers, and strange riddles to keep away the foolish. Even stranger, some of the mummified corpses continue to move deeper in the tunnels. The Queen of Nenmaa will pay handsomely for any treasures recovered, but few are courageous and dedicated enough to collect anything more than common household items.
Quest Hooks:
This time we’re showing off faction specialisations, which is all about using your faction and faction members in game.
Much like with characters in the Sigil System, Specialisations are focused form of a Skill that is used in a specific and particular way. What differs in the Brotherhood faction system is that the Skills are what makes up the faction, while the Specialisations are how the faction (particularly) the faction members interact with the world in all its various ways in game. There are ten Specialisations, but before we get there, let’s start at creating the Specialisations.
During faction generation, after you have rolled your Skill Levels, and after the historical events have added or subtracted from those levels, have a look a the list of Specialisations below and assign to each Specialisation the Skill Level of the listed Skill. In effect, the Skill Levels become the Specialisations
Athletics: Might
Combat: Might
Craft: Wealth
Drive: Notoriety
Mental: Wealth
Perception: Treachery
Negotiate: Reputation
Special: Reputation
Stealth: Treachery
Coercion: Notoriety
This is the only time that the parent Skills and daughter Specialisations will be connected. After this point, if the parent Skill Levels go up or down, the Specialisation won’t be affected, and vice versa. In this way, the faction’s Might can go up or down, but its Athletics or Combat will stay the same.
The Specialisations serve two main purposes in game. The first and most important is that they can form the “Skills” of your faction members. You can always go through the whole Sigil System character creation process for each faction member, but this is only really practical if you have a handful of members. No one wants to go through fifty-odd character sheets to find the one member they are looking for, and it will be even more difficult to remember who is good at what. Instead, you can simply use the Specialisations to act as the character sheet for all your members. You only need to remember ten levels and that’s it. When we get into the members next time, we’ll show you how you can do a little customisation to make each member feel unique, but even this won’t change the fact that if you need a member to go do something, you won’t have to worry about which of the dozens of members you have is the only one that can get it done. All that bookkeeping can go away and you can just use the Specialisations.
The other main use for Specialisations is to abstractly portray the way your entire faction does something. If you have a faction vs faction battle going on, rather than trying to manage a combat encounter with possibly a hundred people in it, you can simply use each faction’s Combat Specialisation, and the damage inflicted will be shown by the Might Skill’s number of Wounds. Or if you want to send most (or all) of your faction out on a stealth mission, rather than rolling Stealth two dozen times for each member on the mission, just roll once. Or if you have a building project you want your faction to undertake, or a research project, just roll Craft or Mental (respectively) and it gets done.
In the uses for the Specialisations above, you can see that the Specialisations allow you the flexibility to abstract the details when you need to, or if you don’t want to do the bookkeeping; but they can also step out of the way if you do want to have a character sheet for all your members, or want to have those mass battles or group crafting sessions. They are what you need them to be.
Throughout this walkthrough we’ve been rolling for the Prophets’ Skills, and this is what we got:
Reputation: 10
Notoriety: 50
Treachery: 40
Might: 30
Wealth: 30
This means that their Specialisations look like this:
Athletics: 30
Combat: 30
Craft: 30
Drive: 50
Mental: 30
Perception: 40
Negotiate: 10
Special: 10
Stealth: 40
Coercion: 50
It’s not too bad, although not too good. In fact, the average for this is 32 which makes it completely average for a character and that in turn means it will do exactly what we need it to do. With 22 members, we can confidently use the Specialisations in lieu of character sheets and we won’t be giving ourselves too much of a disadvantage. Looking at the Specialisations we can also see what our faction will be good at. Drive and Coercion is at the top, which makes sense for a smuggling ring, and Perception and Stealth is tied for second place. For the type of people the Prophets are, this is exactly what we are looking for. We can send them on stealth missions and smuggling missions without worrying too much about them, and we can bully our way out of a fair bit should it come to that. All in all, quite pleased with how the Prophets’ Specs turned out.
And that’s it for the Specialisations. Tell us how your faction stacks up and how you plan to use them in game.
Next time we’ll show you how to recruit faction members and how they will shape your faction simply by being there.
———-
Remember that you get to choose what we work on after the Faction System has been made, so CLICK HERE to vote!
The island has been bombed, the bunkhouses are aflame, how will our survivors make it out of this one?
Missed out on the previous episodes? CLICK HERE to catch up on all the apocalyptic action.
Get your hands on the Z-LAND corebook now by CLICKING HERE.
———-
If you want to chat about Z-LAND with other players and the developers, then come join our Discord server!
It’s the d100 sale over on DriveThruRPG and that means that Z-LAND is getting a 15% discount! So if you haven’t managed to get Z-LAND, there isn’t a better time than right now.
So click on the fancy cover up above or CLICK HERE to head on over to DriveThruRPG and get your hands on Z-LAND: The Survival Horror RPG for 15% off.
This time we’re showing off the last of the faction Skills, the Wealth Skill.
When we walked you through faction generation and building your faction’s base, we showed you how you can buy acquisitions for your base with the Wealth Skill. This process isn’t just limited to the pre-game faction generation. As you play the game and increase your faction’s Wealth Skill Level, you can continue to buy acquisitions to build up your base and turn it into the palace or fortress that you want.
This is the major purpose of the Wealth Skill, but like all the rest it does have a function for the PCs. If the PCs are the leaders of the faction, or the leaders have allowed the PCs access to the faction’s funds, the the PCs can dip into those funds to help them in their adventures.
Just like with Might, a faction will have Wealth Wounds (the number of which is equal to first digit of the Wealth Skill Level). When a player has to do a Wealth Skill Check, the player can elect to give the fation a Wealth Wound and gain a bonus to his Wealth Skill depending on the severity of the Wealth Wound Inflicted:
Minor Wealth Wound – +5
Significant Wealth Wound – +10
Grievous Wealth Wound – +15
Wealth Location Destroyed – +40
If a Location Destroyed Wound is ever inflicted (either by choice or because it is the only Wound Slot available), then the Wealth Skill of the faction drops to Level 1 again.
Wealth Wounds “heal” and refresh just like normal Wounds, so after each encounter the Minor Wealth Wounds will refresh, meaning that if a PC has access to the faction’s purse-strings, they will always at least get a +5 to their Wealth Skill Checks
With a roll of 62, the Prophets’ Wealth Skill is 30. That’s a healthy Wealth Skill to start the game with. It means they have all three severities of Wound Slots and the players will be able to draw a decent +15 bonus to their Wealth Skill Checks if they need it.
And that’s it for the Wealth Skill. It’s a quick and easy Skill to use, but it will help you out far more than you think.
Next time we’ll give you a quick run-down of the faction Specialisations and you’ll see how to put the faction itself to good use in game.
———-
Remember that you get to choose what we work on after the Faction System has been made, so CLICK HERE to vote!
The “dust” has settle and now the evacuation begins in this the third part to the sixth chapter of Z-LAND.
Missed out on the previous episodes? CLICK HERE to catch up on all the apocalyptic action.
Get your hands on the Z-LAND corebook now by CLICKING HERE.
———-
If you want to chat about Z-LAND with other players and the developers, then come join our Discord server!
