Morgan's Iron Kingdoms Gearbooks: FMF Grimoire

[Morgan_Coalburn]

The following entry is a repost from the old forum on a different way of crafting thralls:

@Morgan_Coalburn

Burdened Runes [Thrall Modification]

Thrall Crafting Technique
Description: These modified thrall runes are simpler in nature than the Telgesh script usually employed to raise this type of undead, allowing thralls to be crafted significantly faster and with greater ease. The price the necromancer pays is placing limits on the thralls’ abilities similar to those suffered by many “naturally” occurring restless dead.

Special Rules: There are two ways burdened runes can be utilised when crafting thralls. The first is simply adding burdened rune upgrades to a thrall crafted in the traditional manner, and the second is using burdened runes exclusively, creating what is called a burdened thrall.

Using burdened rune upgrades: A thrall crafted using the standard thrall crafting rules from IKUA, pp. 70-75, can receive any number of upgrades in the form of burdened runes, and the necromancer may even mix standard thrall runes with burdened runes, and may even use different types of burdened runes. The rune point cost of each individual burdened rune thrall upgrade is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1, which also reduces the target number to create the thrall as well as the required time and the cost of the inks.

Crafting burdened thralls: When beginning by inscribing the basic animation runes required by the thrall type as burdened runes, the rune point cost of the thrall’s animation runes (see IKUA, pp. 72-73) is halved (rounding up), with the usual effects on target number, required time and cost of inks needed to perform the procedure. However, all additional upgrades inscribed on a burdened thralls must also be burdened rune upgrades, and the thrall suffers from a single burden, which can potentially become a crippling weakness.

Drawbacks: A thrall crafted using burdened runes suffers from a form of deathly burden (see IKMN, p. 79). If the basic thrall was crafted using the standard methodology, only the burdened runes are hindered when the deathly burden is in effect. If the thrall is a burdened thrall, it is affected in a more comprehensive manner similar to other “naturally” occurring undead suffering from deathly burdens:

• Bane – Burdened upgrade runes do not function against characters and obstacles wielding or wearing the specified material; damaging the thrall with the specified material disables all burdened upgrades’ effects for one round. Burdened thralls are rendered stationary if they are damaged by the specified material.
• Barriers – Burdened upgrades cannot be used across the specified type of barrier. Burdened thralls cannot voluntarily cross those barriers (but could be thrown or carried across by other characters).
• Bound – Burdened upgrades can only be used while the thrall and any target character is in the designated area. Burdened thralls cannot voluntarily leave the designated area, and are rendered stationary while they are outside it.
• Obsession – When the target of the obsession is present and visible, the thrall can only use burdened upgrades on the target of their obsession. Additionally, burdened thralls cannot voluntarily move away from the target of their obsession or allow it to leave their line of sight (e.g. by changing facing); though they can be commanded not to pursue when the target of their obsession moves away or out of their field of vision.
• Sunlight Powerlessness – Burdened upgrades stop functioning in sunlight. Additionally, burdened thralls roll one less die on all rolls, including stat rolls, skill rolls, attack rolls and damage rolls.
• Temporal Animation – Burdened upgrades only function either during daytime or nighttime. Burdened thralls are rendered stationary either during daytime or nighttime.

Comments welcome, as usual.