New Crobuzon to HERO

[Chuk]

Dude, you have to do the Scabmettlers. (If I get a chance, I might.)

[Curufea]

It's been boring at work this week

I have not yet started the actual statistics using the rules yet - I'm kinda busy at home, and looking up the BBB at work would be noticed...

Now that I've finally finished reading the third book (public transport is a must for folk wanting time to read stuff), I can go back to the first book and start filling in blanks.

This messageboard is rare in that there is no time limit on editing old posts. However - as the subject areas fill out, and before this thread gets too big, I will be putting it on a webpage on my site.

Speaking of my site - currently there are no 5E resources on it, apart from a dead Space Hero campaign and an old 2 or 3E campaign based on Western Shors. So not really worth visiting yet

Chuk Dude, you have to do the Scabmettlers. (If I get a chance, I might.)

Definitely. But I'm wondering about the type of game - the thread on low-level games has got me wondering about the overall level of a New Crobuzon game. But I guess it dosn't matter too much if you use packages - it only varies the starting values, and you can chose to start low.

Scabmettlers would be fairly similar to Cactacae - with Armour (although I see the Cactacae with Damage Reduction and Regeneration as welll). Scabmettlers would require extra time, and need to damage themselves to get the armour.

There are a lot of powers in New Crobuzon where you need to damage yourself to use them - draw blood, etc.. Not sure how that mechanic would be represented in the rules though. Possibly as an OIF expendable, must cause 1 body damage to self?

[Lightray]

Over on RGP.net, someone posted an artist's rendering of Perdido Street Station:

http://members.shaw.ca/csafruik/art/6205.jpg

And the thread at RPG.net, to see other pictures posted there:

Perdido Street Station

[Curufea]

New Crobuzon
Suburbs
Western Suburbs

• Barrackham
• Canker Wedge
• Chimer
• Creekside
• Dryside
• Gallmarch
• Gross Coil
• Howl Barrow
  Noted for its homosexual, transvestite and theatre community. The Pretty Brigade who fought valiantly for the Collective during the return of the Iron Council came from here.
• Kinken
• Litchford
• Raven's Gate
• Rim
• Riverskin
• Saint Jabber's Mound
• Salacus Fields
• Sangwine
• Sheck
• Skulford
• Smog Bend
• Sobek Croix
• Spatters
• Spit Hearth
• Tar Wedge
• The Crow
• West Gidd

Eastern Suburbs

• Abrogate Green
• Aspic
• Badside
• Bonetown
• Brock Marsh
  The academic suburb of New Crobuzon. Full of physiks, biothaumaturges and artists of all sorts. New inventions are a weekly occurance, and with luck - it won't run wild.
• Chnum
• Dog Fenn
• East Gidd
• Echomire
• Flag Hill
• Flyside
• Griss Twist
• Kelltree
• Ludmead
• Mafaton
• Mog Hill
• Murkside
• Nigh Sump
• Pelorus Fields
• Petty Coil
• Pincod
• Saltbur
• Stoneshill
• Sunter
• Syriac
• Syriac Well

Buildings

Perdido Street Station
Location: The Crow
Image: http://members.shaw.ca/csafruik/art/6205.jpg
The rail hub and central government building of New Crobuzon. This massive building sits in the centre of the city. Both the sky rails and the land rails have their termini here. The ambassadorial suites are also housed here (including The Weaver and the Ambassador of Hell). It is the tallest building in the city, topped by a spire.

The Ribs
Location: Bonetown
The ancient bones of a long forgotten monster rise the height of the tallest buildings in the inner suburb of Bonetown. The bones are thicker than trees and harder than stone - many times older than the city which surrounds it and grew to encompass them. No one knows how old they are, what type of creature they were from, or what killed it.
Magic and technology continually fail to work in their vicinity. Many believe the area to be at best cursed, or haunted.
Treat as a continual supression field.

The Glasshouse
Location: Riverskin
The Cactacae (or Cactusman) city-within-a-city. A huge metal and glass dome that covers severeal city blocks. Temperature inside the Glasshouse is equivalent to a desert. Only Cactacae live inside, but outsiders can visit on very rare occasions.

New Crobuzon University
Location: Mafaton

Rivers
New Crobuzon sits on the joining of two rivers. The Tar from the northwest and the Canker from the north meet near the centre of the city to form the Gross Tar, that exits in the southeast. The rivers meet at Strack Island.

Bridges
Bridges that cross the river Tar

• Odner's Bridge.
  Raven's Gate to Chimer.
• Hadrach Bridge
  Creekside to Rim.
• Drud Crossing
  Smog Bend to The Crow.
• Stentorus Bridge
  Smog Bend to Gross Coil.
• Mandrake Bridge
  Lichford to Gross Coil.
• Barrow Bridge
  Howl Barrow to Kinken
• Nabob Bridge
  Riverskin to Sheck
• Pigment Bridge
  Riverskin to Petty Coil
• Cockscomb Bridge
  Flyside to Petty Coil
• Sheer Bridge
  Griss Twist to Brock Marsh

Bridges that cross the river Canker

• Khadoh Bridge
  Canker Wedge to Dryside
• Coins End Crossing
  West Gidd to East Gidd
• Barguest Bridge
  Brock Marsh to Ludmead
• Danechi's Bridge
  Brock Marsh to Bonetown

Bridges that cross the river Gross Tar

• Rust Bridge
  Griss Fell to Kelltree
• Barley Bridge
  Syriac Well to Echomire
• Grand Calibre Bridge
  Broken (was between Badside and Dog Fenn)

Railway Stations
All tracks originate from Perdido Street Station. There are two types - Trains which use the land based rails, and Pods which use the Skyrail.
Trains / Railway

• Verso Line
  ->Rim->Creek Slum->Chitin->Low Falling Mud->Chimer's End
• Sink Line
  ->Outer Crow->Skulkford->East Sink->Lich Sitting->Fell Stop->(ruined station in Rudewood)
• Sud Line
  ->Spit Bazaar->Sly->Salacus Fields
  ->Spit Bazaar->Sly->Petty Coil->Saltpetre->Trauka->Syriac Rising->The Downs
• Dexter Line
  ->Gidd->Barguest Bridge->Ludd Fallow->Station Junction->Kelltree
  ->Gidd->Barguest Bridge->Ludd Fallow->Station Junction->Mog->Dark Water->Abrogate Green
• Head Line
  ->North Crow->Dryside->Hog Leaving->Flag end->Terminus

Pods / Skyrail
->Canker Wedge
->Tar Wedge
->Saint Jabber's Mound
->Sheck->Ketch Heath
->Flyside->Barrackham
->Chnum->Mog Hill

[TheQuestionMan]

DAMN!!! That's great

[Curufea]

Character ideas

Earlier this year I was involved in a New Crobuzon campaign using the Amber rules that inspired me to start writing up the setting for Hero. If ever there were a book series that was ideal for a roleplaying setting - it would be New Crobuzon (even more so than Lord of the Rings). Here are our characters from that game-

Mordred
A Gentleman Vampire who's safe haven appears to be a Gentleman's Club (in the Victorian sense) but is actually the home base for several vampires, including his master and his rival. He has all the traditional vampire abilites, and , unlike every other character, resources.
My character, Garett met Mordred (and most of the others) while attempting to steal a book on weather control for The Khepri.

Garett
Okay - this one's not an original character at all, and I'm kinda ashamed he was mine. Straight out of Thief 2, including the arrows and the mechanical eye. But I can't help it - I like thieves, and this guy is the best.

Brother Cyclops
A homeless beggar and supplicant to one of the many churches in New Crobuzon. This unfortunate fellow was probably caught in a Torque storm at some time. He has high levels of regeneration - but this is offset by his constantly opening and closing wounds. He is unstuck in time and occasionally in his less-lucid moments can give out vital information. He can teleport and has been known to manipulate time - ie if there is a staircase built in a building in the future, he can climb it in the present. Brother Cyclops is hunted by one of the most skilled Biothaumaturges in the city for various reasons.

The Captain
I've unfortunately forgotten the characters name. He's an ex-Militia captain who has been grafted to some kind of magical artifact - or was wearing one while he was caught in some kind of Torque event. The Shadowcloak could even be a Grindylow item. It allows the manipulation of shadows and the use of them for transport. He was also the main reason we had a series of demon-possessed hunting us. He has no memory of who he is or why they may be after him, he just appeared on the streets - naked except for his cloak.

The Khepri
I'll put the names in when I find my character sheet again
The Khepri in our group was a secondhand bookseller who operated out of a cart/trailer that was hauled around the city by her bodyguard/servant - a Remade centaur type (I think they used Bull parts). The Khepri herself is a Remade, but has been able to hid the fact that the Biothaumaturges had put her head on a male's body. She could infact speak, but always hid this skill. Eventually she made a deal with the Biothaumaturge who was hunting Brother Cyclops (because he found him an ideal experiment subject) and have her head placed back on a Khepri body.
We never knew where either body was procured from.
This Khepri often employed my character, Garett for various things.

The Reporter
A freelance reporter for the independant (and illegal) Runnagate Rampant. He was the main investigator in one of the subplots about the building of a navy to go to war with the Grindylow (Our game was set sometime between the first and second books). His apartment was often used as a safe house by us, until we started needing protection as well, and we moved to Mordred's club. This reporter, however had uncanny abilities to persuade others and coerce them into doing things.

[Curufea]

Okie dokie,
I've created a website for it - which offers more possibilities than a messageboard

http://www.curufea.com/games/crobuzon/

[Curufea]

<h2>Khepri Package Deal</h2>
<TABLE BORDER="0"><TR><TH><h3>Abilities</h3></TH><TD>&nbsp;</TD></TR><TR><TD>-1 STR</TD><TD>-1</TD></TR><TR><TD>+2 DEX</TD><TD>6</TD></TR><TR><TD>-1 CON</TD><TD>-2</TD></TR><TR><TD>+2 INT</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TD>+3 EGO</TD><TD>6</TD></TR><TR><TD>+2 PRE</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR><TH><h3>Powers</h3></TH><TD>&nbsp;</TD></TR><TR><TD><STRONG>Compound Eyes</STRONG></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>Enhanced Perception +2 with Sight <BR>Increased Arc of Perception - 240 degrees - Sight<BR>Infrared Perception<BR>Rapid Sight</BLOCKQUOTE></TD><TD>2<BR>5<BR>5<BR>3</TD></TR><TR><TD><STRONG>Osmotic Olfactory Sense Glands</STRONG></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>Analyse Sense - Smell<BR>Enhanced Perception +2 with Smell </BLOCKQUOTE></TD><TD>10<BR>2</TD></TR><TR><TD><STRONG>Khepri-Spit</STRONG></TD><TD>&nbsp;</TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>Through ingesting colourberries and paste, <BR>can produce organic ceramics</BLOCKQUOTE></TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR><TD><STRONG>Chymical Mist</STRONG></TD><TD>&nbsp;</TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>Khepri communicate through exuding <BR>various chymical smells</BLOCKQUOTE></TD><TD>0</TD></TR><TR><TH><h3>Disadvantages</h3></TH><TD>&nbsp;</TD></TR><TR><TD>Distinctive Features: Khepri<BR>Non Concealable, Prejudicial</TD><TD>-20</TD></TR><TR><TD>Physical Limitation: No vocal chords<BR>All the time, Greatly</TD><TD>-20</TD></TR><TR><TD>Physical Limitation: Compound Eyes<BR>Difficult to read, or view details at close range - requires Concentration 0 DCV</TD><TD>-10</TD></TR><TR><TH><h3>Total Cost of Package</h3></TH><TD>-10</TD></TR></TABLE><P>Khepri communicate with a mixture of chymical sprays and headleg sign language. Some Khepri who wish to communicate with non-Khepri also use a form of sign language that can translate into Ragamoll, and carry around a board on which to write messages for those that don't know sign language but can read.</P>

[Curufea]

couple of quick updates-
First off - Happy New Year! It is 12.30 am as I write (now off to bed)

Secondly - I've put the map of the city of New Crobuzon, scanned from the book, up on my website.

[Susano]

Khepri sound kind of disgusting... like the Chessmen of Mars.


The Garuda sound interesting. but then I like the idea of 4 arms.

Think of the possibilities...

Heh, the ASIAN BESTIARY will have a character sheet for the original Garuda -- the mount of Vishnu.

[Curufea]

I know nothing of the Chessmen - but if there are write-ups done for races/creatures/items that are similar to those found in New Crobuzon, please let me know.

For example - Vodynaoi are very similar to Deep Ones or Troglodytes. The name sounds Russian to me though...

[edit] And just to re-iterate the Garuda have 2 arms and 2 wings and 2 legs. Same as an angel or other winged humanoid.. Apologies for the misleading logic of calling them 6 limbed.

[Susano]

I know nothing of the Chessmen - but if there are write-ups done for races/creatures/items that are similar to those found in New Crobuzon, please let me know.

For example - Vodynaoi are very similar to Deep Ones or Troglodytes. The name sounds Russian to me though...

It is. Vodianoi, Vodyanoi, Vodyanoy, are Russian water spirits. They lurk in pools, streams, and ponds, and lure humans into the water and devour them.

[edit] And just to re-iterate the Garuda have 2 arms and 2 wings and 2 legs. Same as an angel or other winged humanoid.. Apologies for the misleading logic of calling them 6 limbed.

Well, technically, something with "2 arms and 2 wings and 2 legs," is a six-limbed creature.

[Curufea]

General campaign ideas:-

Most magic should have side effects that always occur. Usually some kind of drain on stats as well as the normal endurance for the power, but possibly also body damage.

Having a look through the 5th ed version of Fantasy Hero - there are many things of interest (as you'd expect).
Arcane Defence (AD) is something that should be included - but it won't be a figured characteristic. It's at 0 for all characters unless they have a very good reason for it to be higher (ie they were in a Torque storm). There would be some package deals that raised it - usually as a power. For example an Elementalist would be able to add AD against magic of their element (ie AD bought as a limited power only vs an element).
A player could buy Arcane Luck - which is similar to Combat Luck, and allows a very small amount of protection against magic. It seems to follow with protagonists in the books - who were only ever caught in the periphery of magical effects.

AD seems to be a good way to describe the otherworldly creatures in New Crobuzon. Rather than getting "desolid vs magic" as a perfect defence - because creatures such as the Slake Moth and the Weaver did take small amounts of damage from magic. So AD and possibly Damage Resistanc e. And creatures/items capable of dimensional magics (Weavers, Slake Moths, Striders, Grindylow Statue and Toro's Helmet) should have AD.

[Curufea]

More general ideas from FH-

Perks-
Contacts
1 pt - Priest, minor spell user, dissident member, scientist
2 pts - Abbot, professional spell user (e.g. biothaumaturge), dissaffected Militia member (e.g. Brennan), dissident cell leader, political party member
3 pts - Major spell user (e.g. Judah Low), Militia captain, movement leader (e.g. Toro), political party leader
4 pts - Mayor's assistant
5 pts - Mayor

Lordship
1 pt - Business owner
2 pts - Militia member
3 pts - Member of parliament
4 pts - Ambassador

Talents-
Arcane Luck - Similar to Combat Luck, but applicable to magic and using Arcane Defence.
Magesight - 5pts only allowed, unless its of your branch of magic only.
Shapechanging - not allowed (no one in the books does it)

Powers-
Healing (resurrection) - Not allowed, not even for vampires
Healing (inanimate) - possible
Multiform - Not allowed
Summon - Common power for spell users.
Summon (amicable) - Not allowed.

[Susano]

Note to self: Find these books.