[Private] Thread for Steampunk Game Masters

[lostcheerio]

Steampunk for the Players Steampunk Premise in Brief: Doomsday Cultists plan to puree a prognosticating cryptid and use the resulting unguent to predict and then amplify upcoming disasters. Prime directive: Escape headquarters and get the cryptid to town where it can blend in and be safe. Bonus directive: Find and destroy the artifact that connects the cult to their dark god. Steampunk Premise in Detail Welcome to the charming village of Toffingwatch, a Victorian town where cemetery picnics and fern collecting are all the rage, everyone rides steam-powered tandem bikes, and the legendary Larvarvus haunts the edges of any spot that will soon host a disaster. First spotted back in '37 only an hour before the great fire at the Toffingwatch Textile Mill claimed the lives of so many industrious children, the Larvarvus has henceforth been spotted before myriad smaller accidents. Most residents believe the Larvarvus to be a malicious figure that wrecks havoc, but a minority has realized its appearance is a warning to look alert and stave off doom. He is helping. And, he can predict the future. High above Toffingwatch, the Irondawn Diagnostics Kompound perches on a barren mesa atop a lush green mountain. Ostensibly a cutting-edge medical facility researching unguents that "stir up the liver, balance the humors, and cure female ailments," IDK is a cover for a cabal of doomsday cultists. Enoch Irondawn, their leader, is a benevolent-seeming member of the town council, but secretly is working to cause chaos and mass deaths to summon Akhiogh'ma, the Eater of Worlds. Enoch believes correctly that the cryptid his followers have captured can predict the future; he posits that if he purees all the creature's bilious organs and other bodily effluviums, he can manufacture an unguent that will allow him to see the glorious future of his own disaster project. As a convenient side effect, he will eliminate the danger of the cryptid delivering one of his inconvenient warnings. Players can choose to be the captured prognosticating cryptid or a moth-like mimic cryptid that's gone undercover on a rescue mission. Alternatively, players can choose to be one of Irondawn's children or a rogue agent who has decided to disrupt the experiment and free the captive. If you would like to peruse the pregens on offer, they are in spoilerbuttons below. If you want to create your own character, don't open them, as unused pregens may be adopted by the GM as NPCs or enemies. Be the Captured Psychic Cryptid   Larvarvus Larvarvus Like all the males of his kind, Larvarvus lives among humans unseen. His psychic abilities allow him to never be where any human eyes are turned. Unfortunately for him, the chaos magic wielded by cultists disrupts this ability, which is how Larvarvus was caught in the first place. Skills: Quick-minded and quick-fingered, a nimble thief and excellent hider, Larvarvus loves collecting human artifacts like dolls, hats, and watches. Mouthless, he can communicate psychically with any sentient being within thirty feet. Special Knowledge: Can see disaster coming in the short-term future and work to change fate. Thoughts on people: Cute but hapless. They cannot see the future. He wants to help. Be the Infiltrating Mimic Cryptid   Aromatika Aromatika Shapeshifted into a Perfectly Normal Cultist Aromatika in her Natural State As female of an insectoid species, Aromatika is longer, taller, and stronger than her male counterparts. She's a fierce combatant, but she prefers to hide in plain sight by shapeshifting. Strength: She can appear to be any innocuous object of about her size if she is in shadow or low light. Once a day, she can morph into any being of a similar size that she has previously seen. Visually, her mimicry is perfect. Weakness: Nailing the voices, personalities, and mannerisms of those she mimics can be a challenge, especially since her understanding of the humans she lives among is limited and shaped by her own species and culture. Be the Irondawn Heir   The Daughter Doctor Elspeth Irondawn Doctor Irondawn's youngest child is a disappointing female whose birth ended the life of her mother. She has done everything in her power to win her father's attention, following him into the study of medicine and Great Old One worship with equal vim. But completing medical school taught her to value life, and as she comes of age, she feels the first stirring of rebellion against her father's wicked ways. Strengths: An excellent healer, her deep understanding of the human body also allows her to do quick-jab disabling blows to key nerves. Weakness: She is a try-hard still at war with her desire to please her father. The Son Otto Irondawn Raised as the Irondawn heir apparent and charged to end the world should his father fail, but also steeped in the idea that his father would never, ever fail, Otto feels both beholden and extraneous. Part of him wants to undermine the plot so he can ascend and be the chosen World Ender, and part of him wants to honor his dim memories of his stout-hearted, loving mother, Aaliyah, and her counter-teachings. Strengths: Otto is well versed in chaos magic and he, more than anyone, has a handle on where the artifact has been hidden. Weakness: Spoiled, entitled, and insecure, Otto can be manipulated. Be a Rogue Cultist   The Rebel Amelia Meng Never a true believer, Amelia has infiltrated the Cult of Akhiogh'ma to stave off Armageddon. Her lofty, long-term goal is to destroy the cult and their artifact, and she knows the future of humanity itself is at stake. She can't be distracted or blow her cover to save one sweet little round hat-wearing adorable Cryptid! Can she? Strength: She lies as easy as she breathes and is excellent at making and administering various poisons by slipping them into food or drink, jabbing the victim with the needle hidden in her boot-tip, or straight up painting it onto a dagger and jamming it right on in there. Weakness: Not a soft heart. It's something else. Shut up. The Anarchist Phineas Meritt A self-proclaimed agent of chaos, as a youth, Phineas thought summoning a Great Old One sounded like the ultimate lark. But now that he's been been promoted from general rabble rousing to a full blown cultist, he sees the scope of Doctor Irondawn's ambitions. He's having second, third, and fourth thoughts, especially about making sentient beings into salves. He's also fallen wildly in love with Elspeth Irondawn, and for the first time he, too, can see a future. One he wants. Strengths: Reckless and bold, Phinneas thinks so far out of the box he might not even see the box is there. Weakness: Reckless and bold, Phinneas thinks so far out of the box he might not even see the box is there. Motto: Go big or go bigger.

Steampunk for the GM Setting Overview for the GM Toffingwatch is a Victorian village in the mountainous northlands of an alternate England. The tech is driven by steam power or counterweighted clockworks. Spirtualists, mediums, Eldritch horrors, hell-gates, and fairy hunters abound. The mountaintop is a barren mesa where the earth has been scorched away by the cult, but just below the compound, the hilly landscape is lush and green and lovely. During the rescue, the adventurers may head out away from IDK and into the woods for cover. There they must negotiate the dangers of wildlife, rivers, and precipitous drops, all while trying to escape their pursuers, and reach the haven of the town. Once in the town, the cryptids can safely shapeshift and disappear. It is hoped. In each location, there's a chance the heroes might find the artifact that links the cult to Akhiogh'ma, the Eater of Worlds. If they can find it and destroy it, they might free more than just the cryptid.   Corporate Headquarters Established by Enoch Irondawn’s father, IDK presents as a corporation devoted to discovering healthful salves and elixirs. The first floor has a tidy reception area, clean-looking labs with glass walls, and display cabinets full of efficacious products. Visitors are discouraged by the long trek and the strange wildlife in the woods, but intrepid souls are treated to a quick tour and a sample of Irondawn’s Surefire Sick-Headache Remedy (thick red sugar-water with the smallest pinch of cocaine) and sent packing ASAP. But just up the hidden staircase to the upper levels, the cult is researching much more sinister “products” all designed to cause enough mayhem to summon their god and end the world. Right now, all focus is on using the cryptid’s bodily effluviam to see the future. Step one: remove all the cryptid’s organs. Step 1: Purée. Then conduct various experiments to determine if ingestion or topical application is more effective… Conference Room Sure, this looks like an innocent conference room, presided over by a bust of IDK’s founding father, Enoch Sr., but why is that glaring light overhead, and why are there pegs and ropes jutting up from the table’s surface, and why do strange surgical instruments line the windowsill? Here in the conference room, the cryptid has been lashed to the table. Now, the great experiment will begin. Artifact tracker: It is rumored that the cult's powerful artifact is hidden in the bust of Irondawn himself. Could it be the key to disabling the infernal machines of the cult and its minions? Wild Woods Should the cryptid escape the building and make it across the barren mesa, the near vertical wild woods await! The steep hill is cut by deep misty ravines and rivers—-most deep enough for Enoch Irondawn to use as a fast road to pursue in his steam powered submarine. Artifact Tracker: Some say the cultists have hidden their dark artifact in one of the pine trees, and that its location can only be revealed in moonlight. Town Toffingwatch is a quaint Victorian town, but with more fairies and gears. Here a multitude of mimic cryptids live unseen, and an equal number of prognosticating cryptids hover at the edges of the townfolk’s vision. Once inside the borders, rest assured mimics and predictive alike will rush to enfold and secret away the escapee—and they will know to be much more careful about chaos magic in the future!

Monsters   Monster: Steam Jet Spewing Robots Steam Jet Spewing Robots Exactly what they sound like, these enemies have no soul, no anima, limited intelligence, and can hold a single mission in their memory banks. Perhaps they are found in the woods, with the instruction “Guard the perimeter of the Kompound,” or maybe on the submarine, where they must “protect the founder.” Perhaps their mission is simply “kill the PC.” Artifact Tracker: With skill and the right materials, the robots can be tinkered and retooled to perform tasks for the PC. Even "find the artifact" or "attack the founder." Minion: The Man in the Yellow Hat with the Clockwork Face The Man in the Yellow Hat with the Clockwork Face Rumors in the cult suggest this is actually the desiccated, re-animated corpse of Irondawn Sr, his brain replaced with weighted clockworks, still doggedly on mission to bring about the end of the world. Certainly he stinks of decay and formaldehyde… Artifact Tracker: Some cultists have argued that the safest place for their most precious possession would be right inside the yellow hat. BBEG: Doctor Enoch Irondawn in a Submarine Doctor Enoch Irondawn in a Submarine Doctor Irondawn should appear in his sub at the last river crossing—with the bell tower of Toffingwatch visible above the treetops. Artifact Tracker: If the cult's artifact has not yet been discovered, it might be on Doctor Irondawn's person, or hidden inside his submarine.

Plot Twist Table Roll a d6 after post #12. This plot twist can be introduced at any time, even right at the end. 1. Which Way?! The PC loses the cryptid they're trying to rescue. If they are playing the escaped cryptid, then one of the NPCs gets lost instead. 2. Romance Strikes! The Cryptid falls hopelessly in love with the PC. If they are the Cryptid, then one of the NPCs falls in love with them. This romance can be intense platonic devotion. 3. Alignment Surprise! The cryptid is actually evil! If they are the cryptid, then one of the cultists or a supposed ally is revealed to have the opposite alignment than the one they're presenting. 4. Change the Goal Posts! The town is not actually safe. Gotta make a new plan. 5. Tear-jerker Finale! In order to save the cryptid, one of the rescuers must be sacrificed. If the player is the cryptid, then one of the NPCs must die to save them. If this noble sacrifice is made before 47 posts have been written, the player can take over another character. 6. Dad? Is that you? The cryptids are connected in some unexpected way with the PC's backstory. If they are the cryptid, then they are connected in some unexpected way with one of the NPCs.

Complications Table Roll a d6 after post #24. This complication can be introduced at any time, even right at the end. 1. Hey Cutie, Where Did You Come From? A magical puppy appears. 2. Look Out Below! A deep pit opens. 3. This Should Do the Trick A mysterious key is found. 4. Suddenly Seymour A strange plant grows. 5. Elementary, my Dear Cryptid Sherlock Holmes or Dr. Watson arrives for a cameo. 6. A Face in the Clouds A storm rages, swelling the rivers and slowing the PC.

Encounter Table Roll a d6 after post #36. This encounter can be introduced at any time, even right at the end. 1. Beast - Unblinking Opossum 2. Plant - Cthulily 3. Construct - Nurse Rachet 4. Fiend - Impstagrammer 5. Person - Carmen or Diego, the Innocent Lost Cyclist 6. Elemental - Consumption Elemental   1 - Unblinking Opossum Unblinking Opossum Unblinking Opossums are animals the cult has caught, modified, and released to patrol the wilds that separate IDK from the little town below. They stealthily follow any humans they come across in the wild, transmitting simple information about location, movement, and actions. They can be spotted with a successful perception check, easily killed or frightened away, and upon a successful medicine check or sleight-of-hand, can be relieved of their brain-hat and goggles, at which point they might become very loyal to the PC. 2 - Cthulily Cthulily A hostile plant "cult"ivated to discourage looky-loos and randos, Cthulily is hostile to the PC. It has a movement speed of 10 feet per round, so it is easy to outrun, but it compensates by casting Eldritch Horror-ticulture. On a failed Wisdom save the PC has the Incapacitated condition, allowing the plant to creep over and attack with its tentacles or clawed roots. The save can repeated at the end of every turn, with advantage if the PC has taken damage. 3 - Nurse Rachet Nurse Rachet Automated Medic-Bot assigned to monitor the cryptid during captivity, Nurse Rachet is imprinted on the Cryptid and tracks it relentlessly. On a three roll, she catches up. She has a limited vocabulary and says things like, "There, there. Let me make it better," and "You may feel some discomfort," and, "Hold still, please. This is for your own good." She is armed with a syringe that can incapacitate the cryptid. She will attack if the PC intervenes. 4 - Impstagram-er Impstagram-er The Imp-stagrammar is an inquisitive tourist from the Hells who is here to document every exciting second of its trip. Downside? It Uploads all its pictures to Tantlinstagram. Some cult members have accounts, so if this happens, they can get a bead on a PC's location. The Imp can be killed or---like any devil---is open to bargaining. Mind the fine print. 5 - Carmen or Diego, the Innocent Lost Cyclist Carmen Diego Carmen or Diego, the Innocent Lost Cyclist Carmen and/Or Diego may be exactly what they seem---an innocent denizen of Toffingwatch who has lost their way while cycling. If befriended, they can offer the mimic cryptid easy cover or help speed up transport. They might also be another Cryptid out to save the captured one, a cult member, or a love interest for the PC. 6 - Consumption Elemental Consumption Elemental The Consumption Elemental was created by run-off waste from the cult's medication manufacturing plant. They float harmlessly unless attacked, at which point they fight to the death. If a PC or ally comes within 30 feet and fails a constitution check, they contract a disease and immediately lose 1 HP. Until the disease is cured, the PC coughs blood spatters into a delicate hanky. They also can’t regain hit points except by magical means and their hit point maximum decreases by 1 every 24 hours. The disease can be resolved by PCs with magical healing abilities, and Cultists and The Man in the Yellow Hat with the Clockwork face carry antidotes. On a successful medicine or nature check, the PC may find counteractive herbs in the wild.

[Fillyjonk]

HOLA DMs. Who else is Steam Punkin’ it!

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2

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