Morgan's Iron Kingdoms Gearbooks (FMF Ruleset)

[Morgan_Coalburn]

Hello and welcome to the newest incarnation of Morgan’s Gearbooks threads for the FMF (2d6) ruleset, collecting homebrew ideas for mechanika, alchemy, mundane equipment, spells, magic items, creatures, and all other kinds of inventiveness.

There are links to previous editions of the Gearbooks PDFs in my profile, so if you would like to have a nicer compilation of these ideas, you’ll find them there.

That being said, enjoy reading and posting crazy ideas, enjoy posting nitpicky commentary and feedback, and I’m looking forward to all of your contributions.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

The full rules for installing upgrades in suits of warcaster armour can be found in Gearbooks 1-3.

Squad Transference Link

Mechanikal Warcaster Armour Upgrade
Cost: 300 gc
Effect: While a suit of warcaster armour fitted with a squad-transference link is running its arcane turbine at full steam, a different warcaster can bond to the device. During their activation, that different warcaster may then spend any focus points on this warcaster, who is wearing the suit of warcaster armour fitted with a squad transference link, as though they were their own focus points, as long as both warcasters are within each other’s Control Areas.

Morgan’s Notes: These devices are often installed in the suits of junior warcasters so they can bolster the power of the warcaster serving as their instructor, and are especially popular with mercenary outfits or other units who expect to have to stray far from supply lines, as the device allows them to pool their remaining resources in an efficient and versatile fashion when they start running out of warjacks.
Equally often, if more rarely encountered because of the rarity of the warcasting talent, pairs of senior warcasters outfit both of their suits with these devices and bond to each other’s squad transference links so they can better support each other’s flanks at a moment’s notice when battlefield conditions dictate it.

Power Requirement: 2
Installation: Installing a squad transference link requires two hours of labour followed by a successful INT+Mechanikal Engineering roll against a target number of 14.
Fabrication: The material cost of the squad transference link’s parts is 100 gc. It takes two weeks to construct the device. Fabricating a squad transference link requires the Inscribe Formulae ability as well as a successful INT+Mechanikal Engineering roll against a target number of 14.

Comments welcome, as usual.

[lcarowan]

I can confirm, the links to the PDFs do show up in your profile. That is greatly appreciated. As are your years of contributions (it’s got to be a decade now?) to all sorts of cool stuff for IKRPG.

[Gabrieljusti]

The pdf links work, and by what i saw of them(40ish pages from volume 1) i liked quite a bit, im impressed

[Nyarlathotep333]

You sir, are the real hero here! Thanks for all your work on this.

[Kapoteeni]

@Morgan_Coalburn

Right now this is just for testing if the topic will simply be flagged down again right away.

You’re just so productive that the simple algorithms on the Discourse forum mistake you for a spam-bot and ban you according to the Nine Harmonics which forbid creating an imitation of a thinking mind.

To those of us whose souls still inhabit a shell of mortal flesh, your contributions are incredibly valuable. Linking the PDFs to your profile is a great idea, keeps them easy to find.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

Nah, I’m just a purveyor of tools. The players are always the real heroes.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

Bit of a repost, but I put this onto the old forums just before they closed down, and it’s been an idea that has been stewing for quite some time before I arrived at this format, so I’d like to repost it here for commentary:

Adaptive Strike

Mechanikal Runeplate
Type: Melee Weapon, Ranged Weapon (ranged weapons without RNG:SP and with AOE: - only)
Cost: 300 gc
Rune Points: 2
Effect: While a weapon equipped with this rune is powered, the character making an attack with this weapon rolls an additional die on the attack roll and must then remove one die of their choice from the result, but retain the number rolled. If the attack hits, one of the die results of the damage roll against the character directly hit by the attack must then be replaced with the die retained from the attack roll.

Examples: Firing a mechanikal rifle equipped with the adaptive strike rune at a Khadoran warjack, Morgan rolls 6, 4 and 1 on the attack roll. Knowing that Khadoran 'jacks are not nimble at all but have thick armour, Morgan retains the result of 6, leaving an attack roll of 4 and 1, which is just enough for even a poor shot like Morgan (POI+Rifle 5) to hit his mark. When making the damage roll, Morgan then rolls 5 and 2, and switches out the 2 for the result of 6 retained from the attack roll, increasing his chances of punching through the 'jack’s armour.
If Morgan had instead been fighting a Stalker, a very nimble but poorly armoured Cryxian bonejack, Morgan would have instead kept the result of 1 from the attack roll, enhancing his chances at hitting his elusive target by keeping the results of 6 and 4, but then he would have had to swap out one of the dice from the damage roll for the result of 1 he retained from the attack roll.

Comments welcome, as usual.

[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.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

Thank you for your appreciation. It’s not quite a decade yet, though.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

An idea born from a certain bloody computer game:

Serrated Edge

[Melee Weapon Modification]

Cost: +20% base weapon’s cost (bladed weapon only)
Attack Modifier: base weapon’s attack modifier -1 (see below)

Description: Giving a bladed weapon a serrated edge means slashes with it will more likely inflict painful, if somewhat superficial, injuries on creatures not wearing armour, though the weapon will also more easily snag on actual armour, making it more difficult to actually cut deep.
Special Rules: When making attacks against a living character who does not get an ARM bonus from worn armour, this weapon does not inflict an additional attack roll penalty and gains +1 POW.
On a critical hit with this weapon against a living character who does not gain an ARM bonus from worn armour, the attacker may spend a feat point to cripple the aspect damaged first by this weapon’s damage roll for one round (If the target character does not use a life spiral, they suffer -2 STR for one round instead).
Special: Double-edged bladed weapons can have one serrated and one non-serrated edge, though this does not affect the cost of making the weapon. Switching between the edges requires the wielder to adjust their grip by using a quick action.

Comments welcome, as usual.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

Skorne Crafting Times and SL Cost

Original Entry: MIKG2, p. 139

When determining how quickly Skorne equipment can be fabricated using the Crafting skill rules, use the following table:

Roll Result	Progress
8 or less	No progress
9-12	1 sl x skill level
13-16	2 sl x skill level
17-20	3 sl x skill level
21+	4 sl x skill level

When the work is performed by willing labourers rather than slaves (e.g. an extoller working on crafting a sacral stone rather than a slave stoneworker), the character’s work progresses substantially faster (though not as much as most would expect; Skorne slaves are usually very aware of what happens to obvious slackers):

Roll Result	Progress
8 or less	No progress
9-12	1.5 sl x skill level
13-16	3 sl x skill level
17-20	4.5 sl x skill level
21+	6 sl x skill level

Morgan’s Notes: The Skorne Crafting Times and sl Cost table in IKRPG2, p. 139, does not take the skill level of the worker into account. It should also be considered that most slave labourers will probably not have skill levels above 2, and the majority will have skill level 1.

The above table can also be used to convert sl cost and gc cost. When doing so, it’s probably a good idea to use the sl cost of actual slave labour, rather than the work of free labourers.

Comments welcome, as usual.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

Ok, I have decided to simplify (as well as clarify) the conversion between Skorne sl equipment cost and the standard gc cost, as assuming the greater skill of professional rather than enslaved craftsmen really deals with most issues already:

Skorne Crafting Times and SL Cost

Original Entry: MIKG2, p. 139

When determining how quickly Skorne equipment can be fabricated using the Crafting skill rules, use the following table:

Roll Result	Progress
8 or less	No progress
9-12	1 sl x skill level
13-16	2 sl x skill level
17-20	3 sl x skill level
21+	4 sl x skill level

Morgan’s Notes: The Skorne Crafting Times and sl Cost table in IKRPG2, p. 139, does not take the skill level of the worker into account. It should also be considered that most slave labourers will probably not have skill levels above 2, and the majority will have skill level 1 .

The above table can also be used to convert sl cost and gc cost for gear from IKRPG and IKU by assuming 1 sl equals 5 gc.

Comments welcome, as usual.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

Quick-Aim (Revised after comment on Iron Kingdoms Discord)

Mechanikal Rune
Type: Ranged Weapon
Cost: 300 gc
Rune Points: 2

Effect: While the mechanikal ranged weapon equipped with this rune is powered, the character wielding this weapon can spend a quick action to gain a +2 aiming bonus to their next ranged attack roll with this weapon in the current activation.
The aiming bonus provided by this rune is not cumulative with the aiming bonus a character gains by forfeiting their movement, but like the normal aiming bonus it can be further enhanced by gear like scopes and bipods that only provides benefits for aimed ranged attacks (see IKRPG, pp. 272-273). Additionally, the aiming bonus gained via the quick-aim rune also allows abilities like Arcane Precision (see IKRPG, p. 157) or Sniper (see IKRPG, p. 167) to be used. Any restrictions to these pieces of equipment and abilities still apply (e.g. characters only being able to use the Sniper ability on the first ranged attack each round).

Morgan’s Notes: Although the quick-aim rune can benefit weapons with RNG:SP too, this is usually not very efficient, as the character wielding such a weapon would need to spend a quick action for each separate attack roll (though they could also decide to make as many quick actions as they can and then get the aiming bonus only on those attack rolls they wish to benefit from aiming).

Comments welcome, as usual.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

Marrow-Drinker

Bone Grinder Fetish

Description: Usually made from the mouthparts of animals known for extracting even the most minute traces of nutrients (e.g. the beaks or teeth of carrion-eaters), this fetish can be used by a bone grinder to quickly extract portions of the vital essence of a carcass and store them so they can be fashioned into a bone grinder fetish later, when the bone grinder has the time to do so.

Special Rules: A character with the Bone Grinder ability can use a full action to stab a marrow-drinker into the carcass of a creature that could provide material for a bone grinder fetish. The bone grinder then makes an ARC+Alchemy skill roll and records the result (Bone grinders with the Brew Master ability (see IKU, p. 157) can re-roll the ARC+Alchemy roll, but must abide by the second roll); additionally, a carcass that has had its essence siphoned off this way becomes unsuitable for crafting any other bone grinder fetishes.

Later, a bone grinder may use the marrow-drinker to craft any bone grinder fetish that could have been crafted from the carcass the marrow-drinker was stabbed into, as long as the target number for crafting that fetish is equal to or lower than the result of the ARC+Alchemy skill roll made for the marrow-drinker. A fetish crafted this way can be made from any material that resembles the material normally used, as its real power comes from the marrow-drinker rather than the materials, which is also why these fetishes are sometimes called effigies instead. The marrow-drinker is always destroyed when it is used to craft a bone grinder fetish:

Morgan’s Notes: Let’s say the gatorman bone grinder William has found the carcass of a horse and would like to craft the moresel fetish (see MIKG2, p. 97) from it, but he just doesn’t have the time to butcher the animal right now. Instead, he takes a marrow-drinker from his pocket and jabs it into the carcass, scoring a total result of 14 on his ARC+Alchemy skill roll.
Later, William sets out to craft a moresel, but realizes that he didn’t drain enough of the horse’s essence to craft the fetish, which has a target number of 15, one more than the result of William’s ARC+Alchemy skill roll.
Pondering his options, William instead decides to craft a chomper charm (see MIKG1, p. 255), which only has a target number of 14. Crafting a chomper charm would normally have required William to have extracted the horse’s jaws and teeth, but as he can draw on the horse’s essence stored in the marrow-drinker, he can craft the charm from any available jaws and teeth instead. Now the only thing poor William has to do is find out what kind of seasoning could help him force down all that grass he’s going to be eating…

A marrow-drinker can only contain the essence of a single carcass. A bone grinder can also pass a marrow-drinker on to another bone grinder; additionally, a bone grinder touching a marrow-drinker can use a full action and make an ARC+Alchemy roll against a target number of 12 to sense how powerful the essence stored in a marrow-drinker is, and whether it can be utilised for crafting the bone grinder fetish they have in mind.

Creation: Creating this fetish requires the carcass of a small-based or larger carrion-eater known for consuming the last scraps of a carcass (e.g. bone-eating vultures or other beasts known for cracking open bones to get at the marrow), and which must not have suffered significant damage to the head (as would be indicated by a roll on the Injury Table that suggests eye damage, for example). Creating the fetish requires the bone grinder to remove the mouthparts (e.g. the beak or molars) and carefully clean them, which requires two hours of labour as well as a successful INT+Alchemy or INT+Lore (Extraordinary Zoology) skill roll, whichever is lower, against a target number of 15. On a failure, the bone grinder can make one more skill roll after another thirty minutes of labour.

A marrow-drinker fetish retains its potency for d3+3 weeks.

Comments welcome, as usual.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

The rules for enchanting can be found in IKWA, pp. 48-59

Staff of Growth [Dedicated Magical Item]

Cost : Usually not for sale.
Skill: Great Weapon
Attack Modifier: -2
POW: 4

Description: Made from roots twisted around rune-engraved stones and topped with a polished orb of beryl, the staff of growth is a magical weapon wielded by some members of the Circle of Orboros that grants its wielder some of the abilities of the constructs known as woldwatchers, allowing them to fire blasts of elemental energies and cause short-lived vegetation to sprout from the bodies of those they slay.

Rune Points: 4

Special Rules : When wielded by a blackclad, a staff of growth is a magical weapon – both when being used to strike at a target in melee and when firing an elemental strike – and has an attack modifier of 0. Only blackclads can use a staff of growth to make elemental strike attacks (see below).
When used in melee, a staff of growth has Reach.
In addition to being used as a melee weapon, a staff of growth can also be used to make an elemental strike ranged attack. This attack has RNG 10 and POW 12. The attack roll for an elemental strike is made using the wielder’s POI. Blackclad warlocks can spend fury to make additional elemental strike attacks each activation.
When a living or undead character is destroyed by a melee or ranged attack made with a staff of growth, a 3” AOE is centered on the destroyed character. This AOE is a forest that remains in play for one round.
A staff of growth requires two hands to wield, both when making melee attacks and when making elemental strikes.
The character wielding a staff of growth in melee can spend a feat point to make a trip attack instead of a normal attack with this weapon. If the attack hits, the target character is knocked down instead of suffering damage.
On a critical hit in melee, a living target has a chance to be knocked out by a strike with a staff of growth. If the target suffers damage from the attack, they must make a PHY roll against a target number equal to double the attacker’s STR. If the roll succeeds, the target remains conscious. If the roll fails, the target is knocked out.

Prerequisite: Artificer, Craft (wold) 1, Lore (Orboros 3).

Fabrication: The material cost of the parts required to create a staff of growth is 270 gc (with the most expensive part that must be acquired being the flawless beryl orb at 225 gc). The pertinent skill roll for crafting the staff’s vessel is INT+Craft (wold); alternatively, INT+Craft (carpentry) and INT+Craft (stoneworking), whichever is lower, can be used.
Attunement takes 12 hours and requires a successful ARC stat roll against a target number of 16. Inscribing the runes takes four weeks and requires an ARC+Lore (Orboros) skill roll against a target number of 16.

Comments welcome, as usual.

[Morgan_Coalburn]

The full rules proposal for Skorne sacral stone enchanting can be found in the Gearbooks II PDF.

Tutelage [Skill]

Skorne Sacral Stone Shard
Vessel: Armour, Talisman
Ancestor: Level 1 in a non-military skill; ability to boost rolls for that skill (e.g. from having the Genius Cunning archetype benefit for an INT-based skill) or re-roll rolls for that skill (e.g. from having the Student of Kexorus ability for the Chymistry skill)
Potency: 2
Shard Points: 3
Effects: The Skorne wearing the talisman or suit of armour imbued with this shard gains a +1 bonus to rolls made for one non-military skill, as determined by the shard in question.

Comments welcome, as usual.

[Gabrieljusti]

Hello, i was reading your wounderfull gearbook, i got myself feeling like a fool, you see i converted a couple of years ago a Duelist warjack, but i based the conversion on a vanguard chassi(it was a beat up vanguard i got second hand) and i gave it a normal sword(not an estoc) and a (custom)dual cannon but in my defense i based it on this card

I will put pictures of the model if you want to see the conversion, why im posting this i dont know, just found it a funny anecdote

[Morgan_Coalburn]

I’d definitely love to see your conversion!

And I know how you feel, I felt the same when seeing the Crucible Guard Suppressor warjack’s pyrodraulic jets and them remembering the underarm alchemical sprayguns from Gearbook I that had been posted earlier than that…

[Gabrieljusti]

Here you go