[Recruiting] Cold Iron adventures in Blackmarsh

[ffilz]

I'm starting to consider whether I'd like to try running a second Cold Iron campaign here. I am starting to look at using Cold iron to run campaigns in Rob Conley's Majestic Realms setting that he is starting to bring into shape now that he has detached himself from Judges Guild's Wilderlands of High Fantasy. He is building the setting using ideas from his own take on the Wilderlands, and the bits he published with Goodman Games as Points of Light. The center of his first efforts is the Blackmarsh setting. This would be Cold Iron rules running in something more like it's default implied Pseudo-European Medieval setting.

Does that sound interesting to folks?

It's probably still a ways out but if it's of interest, starting conversation now would help me direct my efforts to prepare things to be ready to run.

Check out Samurai Adventures (Cold Iron) for some insight to the system and my GMing style.

My hope is that this would be an open sandbox campaign, though I will have some "adventures" ready to go, or at least rumors that can be developed in more detail if players decide to chase them.

Cold Iron is proving to be quite amenable to play by post so far.

The Cold Iron rules:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nyO ... share_link

Robert Conley's Blackmarsh setting:

https://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2011 ... eased.html

[jemmus]

I'd be interested. What character classes are in medieval Euro Cold Iron?

[ffilz]

I'd be interested. What character classes are in medieval Euro Cold Iron?

Like Samurai Adventures, all characters have a fighter level. Casters are magic users and clerics (including druids). I'm just starting to familiarize myself with the setting to start creating religious orders/cults. Also, everyone will have an expertise level covering non-combat skills. From all of this will arise special character types like paladins, rangers, druids, rogues, and anything else the setting inspires.

[Rex]

I might be interested depending on how clerics and/or druids are handled.

[ffilz]

I might be interested depending on how clerics and/or druids are handled.

Cold Iron is class and level based with a twist. The twist is that the character classes really are broad skill areas that advance together. So every character has a Fighter Level (even if it's 0). Magic Users have a Magic Level and Clerics a Cleric Level. There is also an Expertise Level that provides for non-combat skills.

What do you want to know about Clerics in Cold Iron? Some basics:

Magic in Cold Iron uses mana points for casting, Clerics also have Spell Points which work a bit differently. Mana Points (MP) regenerate based on how many you have remaining (so they grow back like compound interest - mathy but players don't need to engage with the math much especially with my Google Sheets character sheet). The MP regen can also be used to maintain ongoing spells if they have a low enough maintenance cost (spells range from MP/turn, to MP/minute, to MP/hour, to some even less, the MP/hour spells are the ones that can be maintained.

Spell Levels match Caster Level (as opposed to D&D's method of roughly a new spell level every 2 class levels). Spells are memorized and when there are higher level versions of a spell, memorizing that spell includes memorization of all the lower level versions (which may be a matrix in some cases where two or more spells are merged in a higher level spell or where a spell has multiple dimensions of improvement). A caster may cast his level worth of spells over the course of two turns so lower level spells are faster to cast. Spells also don't automatically succeed (and may have a save in addition), with lower level spells being easier to cast. Taking extra time can improve the success rate. Being injured, especially while casting is a penalty.

Cleric and Magic User spells come from the same list, with a handful of special Cleric spells. Clerics don't get the full list, instead getting spells based on the domains/associations of their cult, but in exchange, they get some spells a level earlier than Magic Users (they also get some a level later). Many Cleric cults include the White Magic association which grants most of the special Cleric spells including healing spells that are way better than anything a Magic User gets (unless the Magic User is very high level, and then Clerics that have White Magic as one of their primary associations get the Magic User healing spells a level earlier...). They also get some undead specific spells.

Druids are something I need to do some reflection on, the standard Cold Iron spell list doesn't actually have many nature oriented spells.

Magic in Cold Iron tends to be pretty individual, with a limited number of area effect spells. Magic Items fall into four broad categories, potions, weapons and armor, charged items, and permanent items. Charged and permanent items also come in four varieties, ones that only affect the item itself, ones that only affect the user, ones that can affect anything the item touches, and "wands" that cast at range. Other than potions and magic weapons and armor, all other magic items require the caster to supply the MP. They also don't always succeed. Magic items all cast spells from the spell list. I do sometimes include "GM Specials" which have even included D&D magic items (that work just as described in D&D, and may not require the user to supply MP).

If you want to delve more: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nyO ... share_link or ask questions.

If there's at least one more potentially interested player, I'll open a specific thread.

Oh, and I should add that this is a home brew system from a college friend back in the 80s... It's old school. It's 80s style crunch. It was developed and played by engineering students. It's got some gnarly math, but players don't have to do the math (and some of it the GM doesn't even need to do).

[shaidar]

Sounds intriguing, but complicated.

[ffilz]

Sounds intriguing, but complicated.

It isn’t a rules light system but it’s not too bad. And with my Google Sheets character sheet character creation is pretty easy with the spreadsheet handling all the math.

[shaidar]

I'm certainly interested in trying out the magic system with some kind of mage, dice rolls withstanding.

[Rex]

It does sound interesting. I enjoy crunchy systems from the 80's (my most played system is HarnMaster) and math doesn't bother me (I am a scientist with a minor in math and statistics). That said I haven't really bothered to spend the time necessary to learn a new system in some time. I am interested though if you can get enough people, my free time will increase in mid to late December.

[ffilz]

This campaign will use the Cold Iron rules:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nyO ... share_link

In Robert Conley's Blackmarsh setting:

https://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2011 ... eased.html

More details after posts from the general recruiting thread are moved over.

[ffilz]

It does sound interesting. I enjoy crunchy systems from the 80's (my most played system is HarnMaster) and math doesn't bother me (I am a scientist with a minor in math and statistics). That said I haven't really bothered to spend the time necessary to learn a new system in some time. I am interested though if you can get enough people, my free time will increase in mid to late December.

I suspect it will be January before we're actually ready to roll between the upcoming holidays, another few days to a week for initial recruiting, and then starting to nail down character concepts and some frantic setting work on my part.

Once we're a bit more sure we have enough players (3 is at least enough to play), I'll get a game forum set up and a dice roller campaign.

Any thoughts anyone has on what they might like to play will help direct my attentions on expressing setting stuff in Cold Iron, with most of the work required for Clerics, Druids, and Rangers and Paladins if someone is interested in one of those. Magic Users run right out of the box but clerics require determining the spell list. I've got a bit of work to convert the Google Sheets character sheet I set up for Samurai Adventures to Blackmarsh (mostly getting the "European" weapons and armor table into it).

[Rex]

I am in. I would be interested in a Cleric or Ranger I think (more the woodsman type than spell casting type).

[ffilz]

I am in. I would be interested in a Cleric or Ranger I think (more the woodsman type than spell casting type).

Cool, I will be working on Rangers and Druids (Clerics of Silvanus) as one of the first things.

[shaidar]

That time frame works for me. I'm definitely up for a magic-user.

[ffilz]

Jemmus, what are you interested in? Both a Ranger and a Cleric/Druid would work nice. There will also be Paladins. Or just plain Fighters, either who super specialize, or have Expertise in some non-combat skills.

After I do a bit more work on Clerics, I'll share summaries of the religions which may inspire choices.

And really I can help direct towards almost any character concept as long as it fits in an old school monster fighting, treasure grabbing (not necessarily murder hobo - maybe more principled or working for a cause). I really don't do highly political, social maneuvering, or conspiracy campaigns and with the combat orientation of the system and magic that sets a certain tone.

[ffilz]

I've been chatting with Rob Conley about the Blackmarsh setting and I have some preliminary stuff on Clerics:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EoP ... sp=sharing

Druids are just nature Clerics, and Paladins and Rangers would have their magic represented by Cleric ability. I'm still working out some details, but there should be enough there to start a conversation about what religions for Clerics, Druids, and Rangers. Fighters are simple... Magic Users don't require any rule changes though Rob Conley splits spells into 10 different Arts and there may be an option for Magic Users to focus in an Art (Clerics automatically focus in their deity's Art). I'm still working out exactly what Focus means because in the Blackmarsh setting, Clerics have access to the full spell list with a focus on their deity's Art as opposed to original Cold Iron where a religion would grant a number of associations which would limit the spell list, with some of those spells being granted a level early and others a level late and the remaining spells available for that religion being at normal level.

But we can start talking character types and I can figure out what exactly I have to focus on to get things ready...

Also, if folks want to take a look at the character sheet implemented in Google Sheets:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

It turns out I had already done all the European weapons and armor (outside the fact that I'm actually up in the air as to what I really want to do with melee weapons other than swords and spears...).

[Rex]

I would lean to a Ranger of Silvanus.

[ffilz]

I would lean to a Ranger of Silvanus.

Yep, suspected that was likely... Validating my efforts to figure out some new low level Art of the Tree spells...

[shaidar]

Is it human only or are all races available?

I'd go for human or elf MU. If elf they'd be more wildernessy than the human. The human would have some of background in the military.

[ffilz]

Elf magic user will be just fine.