A new Idea for a game

[MilitiaJim]

It seems like this group is out looking for some trouble...   

[Iprophet]

And you're more than likely to find it.

[Catodon]

We need a Daniel Jackson type to talk our way out of trouble (or at least some of it)

[paddyfool]

I promise not to edit these any more after this (until he levels, anyway):

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Pech Vanguard Captain 3 / Soldier 1 / Monster Hunter 1

Attributes:
Str 14, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12

Stats
BAB: +4
Fort/Ref/Will: +5/+7/+6
Defense: 18 (21 w shield)
DR: 4
Init: +7
Lifestyle: 3 (2 panache, 1 prudence)
Legend: 5
Wounds/Vitality: 8 / 56
Renown: Military 1
Reputation: 20

Skills:
Athletics 1 (1+2-2)
*Crafting 10 (8+2)
Impress 9 (8+1)
Intimidate 2 (1+1)
Investigate 4 (2+2)
Medicine 3 (1+2)
Notice 6 (5+1)
Resolve 11 (10+1)
Ride 10 (8+4-2)
Search 3 (1+2)
Sense Motive 5 (4+1)
Survival 9 (8+1)
*Tactics 13 (11+2)

Notes: ACP: -2, Enlightened resolve (pech) 5+career level, enlightened tactics (captain) 6+career level, appearance mod +2, paired skills (Resolve and Impress), ride focuses (Riding Mounts, Land Vehicles, Water Vehicles), craft focuses (Metalworking, Carpentry, Cooking)

Proficiencies / tricks
Hurled proficiency and forte; Blunt proficiency and forte; Black powder proficiency; Edged proficiency
Trick: Pick on the big guy (+2 insight to dmg vs larger opponents; 4 / combat)

Interests
Languages: Hugelsprach, Steam-talk
Studies: Drakes, Dragons, Bulwark

Feats
Misdirection basics (Vanguard): +1 to crit range vs specials
Personal Lt feat (Captain 1): See Iprot below
Contempt (1st): Make a free attack against a standard character.  May use a # of times = to starting AD.
The Extra Mile (Captain 2): 1/adventure, choose 1 teammate who has died during a standard scene. If you have the teammate’s body at the end of the scene, he Cheats Death with a Petty fate.
Quick Draw (3rd): May make 2 free handle item actions / round
Shield Basics (Soldier 1): +4 gear bonus when bull rushing with an armed shield.  Also, gain a stance:
  Phalanx Fighting (Stance): Each adjacent ally gains a +1 bonus to Defense and Reflex saves. This bonus increases to +2 when you wield a weapon with guard +2 or higher. The maximum bonus a character may gain from allies in this stance is +4.

Species/Specialty/Class abilities not already included above
Pech: Hearty Appetite (benefit from first 2 food and 2 drink consumed each day)
Vanguard: Basic Combat Expert (considered to have 2 more basic combat feats)
Vanguard: Charming (1/session, may improve Disposition of any 1 non-adversary NPC by 5)
Vanguard: Stand together (+2 morale to defense & all saves when at least 2 adjacent chars share species)
Captain Core: 1/scene as a free action, may grant teammates one of your basic combat feats as a temporary feat until the end of the scene
Captain 3: Battle Planning I (No prisoners! and Steady now!)
Monster Slayer Core: Cut Deep and True (Each time you spend an action die to boost an attack check with a bow, thrown, or melee attack, the attack also gains the keen quality equal to the action die result.)
Monster Slayer 1: Getting the Scent (Spend 1 day of downtime to gain +2 to Track checks & spell defense 20 vs a category of monsters covered by a study, or +5 to Track checks & spell defense 30 vs a specific monster covered by a study.)

Gear
On person
Small Pechcraft partial hardened leather with light fittings (helmet and armoured cavalry boots): DR 4, Fire resist 3, ACP -2, 19lbs, 115s
Small-scale tower shield: 6lbs, 30s
Superior Grip Keen Sabre: 3.75lbs, 100s
Superior Finesse Keen Cavalry Flail: 7.5lbs, 40s
Military Pistol: 3lbs, 85s
Powder & shot: 0.25lbs, 10s
Flash bomb (x3): 1lb, 20s
Greek fire: 1 lb, 20s
Whistle: 0.1 lb, 2s
Pipe: 0.1 lb, 5s

On Iprot
Small-scale superior armour-piercing cavalry harpoon: 4.5lbs, 30s
Smith's kit: 12lbs, 15s
Cook's kit: 10 lbs, 10s
Carpenter's kit: 10 lbs, 15s
Grooming case: 2 lbs, 8s
Tent: 15lbs, 10s
Blanket: 3lbs, 5s

Coin (stake): 0 silver

Attacks
Sabre: +6 to hit, 1d10+5 lethal damage, 19-20, Superior, Finesse, Cavalry, Grip, Keen 4
Flail: +7 to hit, 1d8+5 subdual damage, 20, AP 2, Keen 4, Superior, Finesse, Cavalry
Pistol: +8 to hit, 3d6 lethal damage, 18-20, Load 7, unreliable, Cavalry
Hurled: +9 to hit, various.

Background and description:
Rollo Whiskyfoot originally grew up on the run, the son of pech craftsmen living in hiding in the land under the dragons, but did not stay there long.  Travelling over to the steam nations as a young lad, he was amazed by their technology, yet also concerned at their vulnerability and instability as nascent nations.  Adept in combat and a natural at making a good impression, he took a commission with the armed forces of Bulwark, where he was stationed among the outlying villages that fed the city.  He made a particular study of tactics, and of the greatest potential enemies of the people he helped to protect, and occasionally to lead - the dragons and drakes who continued to persecute them.  His flair for riding into the thick of trouble or off on rescue missions earned him the nickname "Sir Rollo", which he was happy to let stick.

While outnumbered in defence of one village against saurian raiders, his pony cut from under him, he truly believed his number was up; and it might have been, had a battered, corroded and moss-lined construct not come out of the forest to the village's aid.  Fighting alongside, Sir Rollo and Iprot were just able to carry the day, although it came at some cost to the latter, who stumbled and fell, the light dimming from its eyes, towards the close of the fight.  To repair Iprot was beyond Sir Rollo's own skill, or that of any he could find in all Bulwark; and so he forfeited his commission and travelled to Chataya, where he was indeed able to find craftsmen of sufficient skill to help him restore Iprot to function.  Once there, Sir Rollo took a reservist position in Chataya's own armed forces, and sought employment in outlying parts of the land around, guarding caravans or hunting down dangerous beasts.  He appreciates the culture and grandeur of the great city itself, and still spends some time there, but deliberately keeps his skills sharp in case the war he knew should sweep beyond Bulwark and arrive at the gates of this new civilisation.

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Ironhound Prototype (Large Beast Construct Walker/Burrower — 75 XP): Str 16, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8; SZ L (2×1, Reach 1); Spd 40 ft. ground, 10 ft. burrow; Init II; Atk III; Def IV; Resilience IV; Health IV; Comp I; Skills: Acrobatics IV, Athletics III, Intimidate IV, Notice I, Resolve II; Qualities: achilles heel (electrical), banned action (swim), cagey I, fatal falls, feat (Elemental Heritage metal, Special Construction brass), improved stability, interests (Hugelsprach, Steam-talk), menacing threat, superior jumper II, veteran II.
Attacks/Weapons: Trample II, Bite I, Slam I × 2

Ironhound Prototype (Large Beast Construct Walker/Burrower — 75 XP): TL: 3 (1+2)
Str: 16/+3; Dex: 12/+1; Con: 14/+2; Int: 10/+0; Wis: 12/+1; Cha: 8/-1;
Init: +3=2+1(dex)                     Melee: +5=2+3(str)    Fort: +4=2+2(con)
Health: +6=2+2(con)+2(size) ~ 60/21   Ranged: +3=2+1(dex)   Ref: +1=2+1(dex)-2(metal)
Def: 13=10+3+1(dex)-1(size)           Comp: +1              Will: +3=2+1(wis)
Size: Large (2×1); Reach: 1; Speed: 40 ft. ground, 10 ft. burrow;
Skills: Acrobatics IV (Dex) +8 = 7+1; Athletics III (Str) +9 = 6+3; Intimidate IV (Wis) +8 = 7+1; Notice I (Wis) +4 = 3+1; Resolve II (Con) +8 = 4+2+2 (metal)
Qualities: achilles heel (electrical), banned action (swim), cagey I, fatal falls, feat (Elemental Heritage metal, Special Construction brass), improved stability, interests (Hugelsprach, Steam-talk), menacing threat, superior jumper II, veteran II.
Attacks: Trample II [1d10/19-20], Bite I [1d10/18-20], Slam I × 2 [1d8/20]
NB: edged resistance 5 (elemental heritage); spell defense 20 (special construction)

Background and description:
A great bronze beast of fearsome aspect, Iprot has been in the service (after a fashion) of Sir Rollo for some time now.  Created by the antisocial dwarven artificer Kurgos Darkhelm to guard his clifftop property, Iprot was not long in the world when Kurgos came into possession of a valuable item fabled to have belonged to a notable dragon.  Doom and flame came over the ocean on swift wings; while all about was in fire, Iprot leapt from a window of its master's house in its defense.  Its paws touching a scaled body, it tried to grasp the attacker in its jaws, but these met empty air and it fell down the cliff-face to the sea below.  By the time the battered construct had crawled along the sea floor to the beach and around to the only place it had ever known, there was nothing left but smoke, ash, and ruin.

Since its alliance with Sir Rollo began (of which more above), Iprot has proven itself a staunch support.  Seldom speaking, and usually doing so in Hugelsprach, Iprot is happy to follow Sir Rollo's lead in most things, and to let others assume it is nothing but a beast, understanding little of what is said and caring less.

Party roles: Rollo - tracking, ambushes, group buffs, talking pretty, making nice things and whacking people with a flail/throwing grenades around.  Iprot: transport, mook clearance.

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EDIT 1: All done, save the identification of a suitable steam nation for his remaining origin interest.
EDIT 2: Whoops!  Previously left out lots of the species & specialty abilities, including handy paired skills I'd forgotten about which meant being able to be a craftsman too (fits with defence of civilisation idea)
EDIT 3: Tiny tweak (forgot to add size bonus to Rollo's defence)
EDIT 4: Tweaks to iprot (adding in some classic unborn vulnerabilities, reducing competence to 1 as would have been built as a fairly single-purpose construct, signature skill increases, stat line changes)
EDIT 5: Tweaked the backgrounds to fit the setting details, completed Rollo's interests.  I think that's finally it!
EDIT 6: Added in a sabre as primary weapon, although I couldn't quite part with the fun of the flail option, so that's staying in too (sadly, the harpoon is gone, along with its cool trick, and the pistol is downgraded), wrote the "Sir" into his background.  And now that's finally it.

[Mister Andersen]

Okay, you've given us the basics of the setting -- what's the aim of the game?

[MilitiaJim]

1)  Find bad guys.
2)  Kill them and take their stuff.
3) 
4)  Profit!!!

[foproy]

you forgot step five, repeat.

[MilitiaJim]

I forgot downtime building of tools to make step two easier as well.   

[foproy]

I forgot downtime building of tools to make step two easier as well.   

that would be step five, step six is repeat.

[Iprophet]

You've all been gathered by the city council, whether by choice, chance or coercion, to investigate rumors of a Draconic Cult active within city limits.  The fine details are to be ironed out when you meet the council.  Beforehand, if any of you want to establish relations between your characters, this is welcome, though not required.

[MilitiaJim]

Kravchinsky is rather new to town, but has probably met in passing the other Saurian.

Side question:  What would be the price for a revolver action?  They became common for pistols shortly after the percussion cap, but never became popular for rifles.   I would like to make the rifle the revolver, unless the price is Very low.  And a rifle for a Saurian, especially one for use on the wing, will be subtly different in shape, though not function.

[foproy]

for laneot, the plan is an escaped slave, mostly traveling around.

[Antilles]

Right, that's spell selection done. For the sake of balance I've only chosen half of my max number of spells. Now all that remains is gear, story, name, and, y'know, picking which one to play.

[paddyfool]

Rollo and Iprot will be fairly newly arrived in town, and have drawn the attention of the city council by looking for work guarding and/or hunting things.  Probably no reason to suspect prior contact with the rest of the group.

Also, @Iprophet,

Rollo and Iprot are pretty much all done now (see above).  Are the backgrounds, gear etc. OK, and what would be an appropriate Steam Nation for Rollo's remaining interest?

[Iprophet]

Local time is 8:35 PM, on Tuesday the First.  I hope to have an .rtf and .jpg file to send to everyone by Saturday the Fifth at 11:59 PM.  These are to contain a summary of the setting, a world map, and a basic map of the city of Chataya.  I currently have the sheets of everyone saved but Antilles, and will be reviewing them on the morrow.  At present, I intend to pass out.