®
Journey to the lands of the undead in this expansion for Iron Kingdoms: Requiem
Creator of the Iron Kingdoms Matthew D. Wilson
Editor Chet Zeshonski
Chief Creative Director Matthew D. Wilson
Graphic Design Director Andrew Hess Graphic Design Andrew Hess Cover Art Carlos Cabrera
President Sherry Yeary Director of Publications Michael G. Ryan Project Managers Charles Foster III RPG Development Manager Matt Goetz Game Development Matt Goetz, Loren Lower Additional Development Travis Marg Continuity Matt Goetz, Jason Soles Writers Steen Comer, Matt Goetz, Orrin Grey, Chris Handley, Christopher Miller, Randy Newnham, Tim Simpson
Illustrators David Aravena, Carlos Cabrera, Dhaniels Castillo, Chippy, Eric Deschamps, Hardy Fowler, Mariusz Gandzel, Nikolay Georgiev, Ryan Gitter, Johan Grenier, Jake Gumbleton, Imaginary Friends Studios, Batu Ince, Saranit Klinklaykun, Aleksey Kovalenko, Daryl Mandryk, Luke Mancini, Russell Marks, Nezt, Justin Oaksford, Marek Okon, Néster Ossandón, Mateusz Ozminski, Grzegorz Pedrycz, Dave Rapoza, Klaus Scherwinski, Brian Snoddy, Rabael Tereul, Andrea Uderzo, Svetlin Velinov, Franz Vohwinkle
Playtesters Devin Haley Antonio, Tony Crawford, Daniel Dainwood, Marcelo González, Juan Martín Irigoyen, Gabriel Montes, Boris David Pereyra, Jesse Rosen, Peter Sigur, Fernando Ariel Wagner Kickstarter Producer Charles Foster III Sculpting Director Ron Kruzie Kickstarter Miniatures Sculptor IrekZieliński Studio Coordinator Stuart Spengler Engineers Stuart Spengler, Juha Jokinen Proofreaders Michael Kessler, Michael G. Ryan Social Media and Community Support Adam Oligschlaeger, Loren Lower, John Swinkels
We would like to thank the 3,253 backers who were bold enough to venture into the Iron Kingdoms and bring the Nightmare Empire, Scoundrel’s Guide to the Scharde Islands, and the Tales from the Blackwater Cantina to life. May your powder stay dry and your aim be true in all your upcoming adventures. Visit: www.privateerpress.com Privateer Press, Inc. 21220 87th Ave. S.E. • Woodinville, WA 98072 Tel (425) 643–5900 For online customer service, email [emailprotected] This book is printed under the copyright laws of the United States of America and retains all of the protections thereof. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks herein including Privateer Press®, Iron Kingdoms®, Immoren, WARMACHINE®, Cygnar, Cryx, Khador, Pro tectorate of Menoth, Protectorate, Retribution of Scyrah, Retribution, HORDES, Trollbloods, Trollblood, Circle Orboros, Circle, Legion of Everblight, Legion, Skorne, Grymkin, gun mage, warjack, warcaster, warbeast, Witchfire and all associated logos are pr operty of Privateer Press, Inc. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is purely coincidental. No part of this publication may be stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form without written permission from Privateer Press. Duplicating any portion of the materials herein, unless specifically addressed within the work or by written permission from Privateer Press, is strictly prohibited. In the event that permissions are granted, such duplications shall be intended solely for personal, noncommercial use and must maintain all copyrights, trademarks, or other notices contained therein or preserve all marks associated thereof. Product information is subject to change. That there circle with the C? It means copyright. It's a lawyery way of sayin' "keep yer hands off our booty!"
First printing: September 2022. Printed in China. Nightmare Empire....ISBN: 978-1-234567-89-7.......PIP 488
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TABLE OF CONTENTS The Nightmare Empire Awaits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Chapter 1 The Nightmare Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Nightmare Empire & Environs . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Cryx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Scharde Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Broken Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Continental Corridor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Konesta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 New Icthier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Life in the Nightmare Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Factions & Societies of the Nightmare Empire and Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Chapter 2 Character Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 New Essence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Bogrin & Gobbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Human . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Revenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Satyxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Scharde Ogrun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Specter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Scharde Trollkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Classes and Subclasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Blood Witch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Raider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Raider Archetypes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Subclass Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Bard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Cleric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Fighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Gun Mage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Gunfighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Mechanik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Monk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Paladin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Ranger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Rogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Sorcerer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Warcaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Multiclassing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Adventuring Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Four Star Syndicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Mercarian League Traders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Royal Navy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Seahunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Smugglers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Slaughter Fleet Raiders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Chapter 3 Magic of the Nightmare Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spell Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Iron Lich Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Becoming an Iron Lich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
160 163 172 173
Chapter 4 Gear & Necrotech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Necrotite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Adventuring Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Trinkets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Necromechanika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Chapter 5 Steamjacks of the Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Bonejacks & Helljacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Naval Steamjacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Appendix: NPC Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Church of Toruk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 The Cryxian Fleets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 The Death Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Defenders of the Broken Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Satyxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 A Pirate’s Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Appendix: Character Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
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INTRODUCTION
THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE AWAITS
F
or centuries, it has haunted the coastline of the Iron Kingdoms, crouched like a patient predator atop the rocky crags and jagged shores of the Scharde Islands: an empire where the dead outnumber the living, ruled by a god incarnate. Though it has stalked the peoples of the mainland for hundreds of long years, the Nightmare Empire remains an impenetrable mystery to most—and almost none are aware of its true nature or purpose. More than a thousand years ago, the Dragonfather Toruk descended upon the island of Cryx and made it the foothold of his empire. From there, he set into motion a plan spanning the ages—a plan with but a single goal: the destruction of his renegade progeny, the other dragons of Caen. To this end, he created the first of his lich lords and set about building an unstoppable army of the living dead. It was an army intended to crush the kingdoms of the mainland and use their resources for the Dragonfather’s true war. When the Orgoth arrived in western Immoren, Toruk’s plans were delayed but not derailed, and as the invaders were driven from the shores of the mainland, the armies of the Nightmare Empire seized their moment and claimed countless Orgoth secrets and artifacts to bolster their already potent forces. Over the years, the conflicts of other nations have served only to make Cryx stronger, supplying corpses and vital necrotite to the Nightmare Empire’s war efforts. Cryxian necrotechs have watched fanatically as the Iron Kingdoms grew from the ashes of rebellion, reverseengineering their own twisted necromechanikal devices from every advance made on the mainland and using their dark arts to extract secrets from even the dead. While the Iron Kingdoms grew, prospered, struggled, and fought, the Nightmare Empire flourished in their shadow. Then came the Claiming. If the Orgoth invasion had been a temporary setback to the Dragonfather’s plans, the Claiming promised to be a disaster, for Toruk’s dark kingdom thrived on the very souls that the infernals had come to collect. For the first time, the forces of the Nightmare Empire fought shoulder-to-shoulder with their counterparts from the mainland, the dead marching to war alongside the living. Yet even this proved to be only a temporary détente rather than a lasting peace. In the days since the Claiming, Cryx has been quiet, but it is the calm of a patient hunter, not the slumber of the sated. Toruk’s grand scheme continues to unfold, and the dead once again amass their armies of walking corpses and hellish machines. In the islands and on the inhospitable shores that make up the Broken Coast, pirates ply the waters and vicious beasts stalk on land or beneath the waves. Life is not easy in the Nightmare Empire—and death can be even worse. Yet there are those who live and even thrive here. Toruk’s kingdom rewards those whose cruelty and ambition mirror his own, and there are few other places where rewards on Caen can last beyond the grave. Whether serving the Nightmare Empire or fighting against it—or simply trying to survive its machinations—the Scharde Islands, the Broken Coast, and points beyond are home to a wide array
of independent spirits, from pirates and privateers to the traders of the Mercarian League and the navies of the Iron Kingdoms. Some are still among the living; many others number among the dead. But in the Nightmare Empire, the dead don’t always stay dead…
USING THIS BOOK
For the first time, this book will peel back the curtain and take players and Game Masters into the Nightmare Empire of Cryx, which has been a thorn in the side of the Iron Kingdoms since the setting was first introduced many years ago. Designed for use with Iron Kingdoms: Requiem, which brought this award-winning setting to the fifth edition of the world’s most popular roleplaying game, Iron Kingdoms: Nightmare Empire gives players and Game Masters all the tools they need to run or play games set in Cryx and the surrounding islands of the Broken Coast—or simply use the terrifying forces of the Nightmare Empire as antagonists. With a never-before-seen range of character options— including the ability to play as one of the Nightmare Empire’s teeming undead or even become a dreaded iron lich—there’s something here for every player and every campaign. Nor is this only for those who wish to venture into the forbidding islands of Cryx; new options for sailing the treacherous seas of the Iron Kingdoms setting, exploring uncharted islands, and embarking on adventures beyond the horizon give access to not only the darkest corners of the Iron Kingdoms but to some of the brightest—including the distant southern continent of Zu.
THE QUICK
Even before the arrival of the Dragonfather, the Scharde Islands were a lawless realm of pirates and predators—and in that regard, very little has changed. This book begins with a detailed history of the Nightmare Empire: how it began, how it has grown, and how it has changed in the wake of the Claiming. Holding up a mirror to the history of the mainland, the Nightmare Empire shows a secret side of many defining moments in the history of the Iron Kingdoms. From there, players and Game Masters will find detailed descriptions of the islands and cities that make up not just Cryx itself but the entirety of the Scharde Islands and the Broken Coast. From Cryx’s war industry in Dreggsmouth to Cygnar’s shoreline defenses and everything in between, not to mention an exploration of the Continental Corridor, an island chain extending from the southern edge of Cryx along the trade routes to distant Zu.
…AND THE DEAD
A wealth of character options open up the Nightmare Empire like never before. From choices for playing as various kinds of undead to new classes, gear, backgrounds, adventuring companies, and rules for the terrifying helljacks and bonejacks commanded by Cryxian warcasters, the second half of the book offers everything players and Game Masters need to join the ranks of the Nightmare Empire or to strive against it. INTRODUCTION
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THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
W
hen the blackships of the Orgoth first made landfall in western Immoren, they found a hellish empire to match their own already waiting for them. While most citizens of the Iron Kingdoms don’t know it, Cryx was the first nation to encounter the Orgoth and the last to rout their armies and sink their ships as they departed the mainland. For the people of Cryx, the Orgoth brought less to fear for them than they did for those kingdoms on the continent, for the Nightmare Empire, as it was already known, had been a place of death and dark magic—and things worse than either—for centuries. Even before the coming of the Dragonfather, the Scharde Islands were a lawless realm of desolate archipelagos, jagged cliffs, impenetrable foliage, and hidden reefs concealed beneath crashing waves. Such an inhospitable place proved a perfect lair for pirates hoping to prey on sea trade with the mainland, and before 1000 BR, the largest of the Scharde Islands was home to fourteen self-styled pirate kings, who carved up among themselves what would eventually become the Nightmare Empire. Yet their doom already lurked on the mainland and had since the days when the world was young. According to those who worship him, Toruk has been alive since the birth of Caen, and there is little evidence to gainsay this belief. Certainly, the Dragonfather has dwelt in the world longer than any other living thing and, indeed, there is reason to believe that he and his progeny may not be alive at all, at least not in any way the people of western Immoren understand. Centuries before his conquest of the Scharde Islands, Toruk created others like himself by splitting the indestructible crystal heartstone called an athanc that is the core of a dragon’s being. These he intended to be his loyal children, but they were too much like their progenitor, and they rebelled against their father in a cataclysmic battle that shook the ancient world. For ages untold, Toruk stalked the mainland to correct his mistake, finding and slaying his rebellious offspring and consuming their athancs to reabsorb their power. Finally, in 1000 BR, the remainder of Toruk’s brood had had enough. Made up of the strongest and most cunning of Toruk’s children, these survivors formed a short-lived alliance to attack their father and hopefully destroy him. They were unsuccessful, but the battle was fearsome. The skies above western Immoren boiled with draconic fire, and blighted blood rained down to wreak terrible changes upon the landscape and the creatures that lived there. For the peoples of the nascent Iron Kingdoms, it seemed that the world must be coming to an end. When the conflict was over, Toruk still lived but, for the first time in his eternal life, he had been defeated. The Dragonfather was driven from the mainland, and he settled upon the rocky crags of the largest of the Scharde Islands. There, he found the makings of his Nightmare Empire already primed and waiting. Initially, the pirate kings were reluctant to relinquish the grip they held upon their empire. They refused to bow to Toruk’s will, underestimating the power of the being that had
come to their island. Toruk saw their potential, however, and so, rather than make an example of them all, he showed them an example of his own might, consuming the largest and mightiest of their vessels, the Atramentous, in a single gout of his blighted breath. In that moment, the feared Atramentous became something more than a pirate ship: it became a deathless ghost ship, eternally loyal to the Dragonfather. The pirate kings saw the might of the dragon, and all but two of them bent the knee to their new master. King Threnodax and King Moorcraig alone remained defiant, steadfastly refusing to bow to the will of the Dragonfather. It was Threnodax whose fleet had included the grim Atramentous, and it was that ghostly ship, now repurposed to serve the will of Toruk, that descended upon his fortress in Darkmoor in the dead of night and slew countless of his vassals, with each fallen mortal adding to their undying numbers. Moorcraig, meanwhile, sought refuge behind the walls of his castle, but stone and soldiers were as nothing against Toruk’s blighted power. The other twelve pirate kings survived, but they did so irrevocably changed. As they swore their fealty to their new master, Toruk transformed them, much as he had the Atramentous, slaying them with his fiery breath and shaping them into the first of his lich lords—the deathless rulers who would govern the day-to-day operations of Toruk’s empire in the Dragonfather’s stead. On that day, the Nightmare Empire was born. More than 1,600 years have passed since then, and Cryx has remained a blight upon the coasts of Immoren ever since, with Toruk’s draconian reach extending into every aspect of politics, war, commerce, and exploration throughout the Iron Kingdoms. Cryx has served as more than a mere threat to the mainland, however. It has also acted as a buffer, a check not only upon the invading Orgoth but upon the machinations of Toruk’s brood, who still lie in wait, hatching schemes against their father. While most inhabitants of the Iron Kingdoms are wholly ignorant of the inner workings of the Nightmare Empire— seeing it only in the form of the ships laden with terrifying necromantic engines of war that raid their shores—Cryx has a history as rich and strange as any nation in western Immoren, and one that has repercussions for the rest of the continent, even and especially when they are entirely unaware of it themselves.
THE ORGOTH INVASION
Long before the first of the blackships made landfall on the Broken Coast, the construction of Toruk’s Nightmare Empire had already begun. The first dozen lich lords were granted access to occult secrets previously known only to the Dragonfather, giving them power over life and death heretofore not enjoyed by any other beings on Caen. Under the command of these fearsome beings, the forces of Toruk became masters of all life—and death—on the Scharde Islands, overwhelming scattered villages, stamping out anything that might challenge the dominance of the
CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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The Lich Lords
Few of the original dozen pirate kings remain in Toruk’s service, but the number of lich lords that serve him has almost always remained twelve. When one is finally slain or destroyed, a new member of Toruk’s circle is elevated to fill the vacant position, and it is not unknown for a would-be successor to slay the lich lord whose role they wish to usurp. Toruk neither encourages nor discourages this internecine conflict, allowing those who would serve him to rise and fall by their own strengths and ambitions. Each of the twelve lich lords has dominion over a particular aspect of life, death, governance, and war within Cryx, with many of them focused on the Nightmare Empire’s war efforts. As different lich lords rise and fall, these roles may change somewhat, but always the Dragonfather ensures that his servants are up to the tasks he sets for them—or else they are replaced with someone who is.
Dragonfather, and building a new empire according to the blueprint their master handed down to them. Through the great powers that Toruk granted these underlings, the empire grew by way of necromantic rites of reanimation and soul extraction. While countless mortals still live in the shadowy cities and choking jungles of the Scharde Islands, even today, Cryx is a nation ruled by the dead. When the earliest of the Orgoth ships arrived, the invaders built the first and largest of their fortifications, the castle of Drer Drakkerung on the northern island of Garlghast. Toruk let them come. Only once did they make the mistake of sailing in force against the main island of Cryx, and in that moment the Dragonfather disabused them of their ambitions, taking to the skies for the first time in centuries and sending every ship that sailed against his empire burning to the depths of the Meredius. Yet, at that time, the forces of the Dragonfather did not crush the Orgoth interlopers. Instead, Toruk bid his lich lords wait. Let the Orgoth control Garlghast Island, let them prey upon the peoples of the mainland. Watch and bide the time. And so Cryx remained neutral in the conflict against the Orgoth, as the invaders conquered and enslaved most of western Immoren, putting the people there to the lash and subjecting them to dark magics the likes of which they hadn’t seen since the days of ancient Morrdh. As the seeds of rebellion began amongst the people of the mainland, the agents of the Dragonfather avidly watched that, too. By observing the forces of the rebellion that drove the Orgoth back inch by inch, Cryx was able to learn the secrets of manufacturing everything from cortexes to the hulking colossals themselves—twisting them into new forms to create helljacks, bonejacks, and even thralls utilizing these same principles. Nor were the spies of the Dragonfather content with mere observation. When a great mind died on the mainland—a tactical genius, a particularly clever engineer or mechanik, an arcane savant—the forces of Cryx were there to rob the grave and plumb their soul for its secrets, adding them to the storehouse of arcane and martial lore already available to the forces of the Nightmare Empire.
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CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
Eventually, the Orgoth were driven from the mainland after two centuries of bloody fighting. As they departed, the Orgoth initiated what was known as the Scourge, destroying all they could of their fortresses and weapons so that none would fall into the hands of their foes. In 201 AR, the last of the blackships departed the mainland of western Immoren, and the people of what would become the Iron Kingdoms sent up a ragged cheer, believing they had thrown off the yoke of their oppressors for good. None on the mainland knew that the drama was far from over. The defeated Orgoth did not retreat far, mustering their forces once more at Drer Drakkerung. There, the armies of Cryx were ready for them. After centuries of relatively peaceful cohabitation, the agents of the Dragonfather struck with a force that the Orgoth could not anticipate. Five of the lich lords themselves spearheaded the assault, bringing with them armies that numbered in the tens of thousands. Fleets of ships blackened the seas, while the results of decades of necromechanikal innovation poured forth from holds to do battle with the arcane might of the Orgoth. The resulting conflict is said to have boiled the seas to froth and caused blood to rain from the sky. Ultimately, however, even the once-mighty Orgoth could not stand against the might that Cryx had been carefully nurturing over the past two hundred years. When the warwitches of the Orgoth realized they had lost, they invoked a final conflagration, intended to destroy not only the forces of Cryx but all they had left behind in Drer Drakkerung. This terrible release of power wiped three of the lich lords out of existence altogether and left behind little of the physical forms of two others. It destroyed the great Orgoth castle, with fires so hot that stones ran like water. Yet even though Toruk had lost three of his greatest lieutenants and almost the whole of his military might, it was nothing short of a total victory. Purging the last of the Orgoth from western Immoren was the least of what the forces of the Dragonfather achieved on that day. Not all of the Orgoth were wiped out, and those who survived were eventually shown the wisdom of bowing to the power of the dragon. Hence, the arcane knowledge of the Orgoth warwitches was added to the vast stores of occult might that Cryx already commanded. Even the dead of the Orgoth contributed, as necromantic powers, deployed over decades, coaxed secrets from the souls and bones of those who had perished. Perhaps the greatest tool in the arsenal of Cryx to come from vanquishing the Orgoth, however, was the secret of constructing their feared blackships. Already a nation of considerable naval might, the addition of the blackships to the fleets of Cryx rendered them all but unparalleled upon the waters of the Meredius, and for centuries to come, the Black Fleet of Cryx would be as feared by the mainland as the ships of the Orgoth ever were.
A SHADOW WAR
The relative peace that reigned on the mainland after the signing of the Corvis Treaties in 202 AR was short lived. For the next nearly four hundred years, the nations of the
so-called Iron Kingdoms would vie with one another over theology, land, resources, and power—and in so doing, develop new weapons of war that Cryx’s necrotechs watched greedily, adapting them to the unique technology of the Nightmare Empire everywhere such a thing was possible. This gave rise to a dizzying array of necromechanikal constructs for which Cryx is known today. Helljacks and bonejacks of all shapes and sizes, certainly, but also mechanithralls in configurations almost too numerous to count—diabolical engines of war, combining the very worst of necromancy with fiendish engineering. Despite these developments, throughout those long centuries, open conflicts between the Nightmare Empire and the mainland were rare. Again, the hellish patience of the Dragonfather and his lich lords came into play. Rather than committing their forces to open war, they waited while the growing nations of the Iron Kingdoms fought among themselves—but Toruk and his followers were not idle. They waged shadow campaigns of influence and espionage, sending spies to infiltrate the mainland and extend the reach of Toruk into places it could not otherwise go. These spies had many jobs: they worked to destabilize nations and stoke the fires of conflict, as well as to bring back new technological developments to the island nation, to be broken down and incorporated into hellish new war machines. At no other place on the mainland did the Nightmare Empire’s reach extend farther than into the Ordic city of Five Fingers. Already known as the “Port of Deceit,” Five Fingers was a nearly lawless den of piracy and forbidden arts, making it a perfect haven for the agents of the Dragonfather to make forays into the other kingdoms. Even during this time, however, the armies of the Nightmare Empire continued to develop. Naval skirmishes with Cygnaran ships were frequent, and covert operations were often made possible by small assaults on coastal communities. All of these attacks were merely diversions of one kind of another. Some were meant to provide cover for operatives, others to mislead the forces of the Iron Kingdoms regarding the size and strength of Cryx’s armies. Secrecy had always been one of the most powerful tools in the arsenal of the Nightmare Empire, and during these years, it was put to precise and meticulous use.
THE SCHARDE INVASIONS
As the Orgoth had learned to their dismay, the forces of the Dragonfather knew well that there was a time for subtlety and a time for direct action, and sooner or later, the time for action against the mainland drew nigh. Beginning in 584 AR, raids against the Cygnaran coast grew in both frequency and ferocity. The Cygnarans referred to these attacks, which continued until 588 AR, as the Scharde Invasions, and it was the first time the mainland got even a taste of the true power of this growing empire. Even these attacks proved to be diversionary, however. Organized by Lich Lords Daeamortus and Terminus, these deadly feints against the mainland kept Cygnaran forces occupied while other Cryxian operatives established permanent bases on the continent. This most critical of
The Long Game
Though ruled by a living god and populated largely by the dead, in many ways Cryx is a nation like any other. It nurtures its industries, builds up its military reserves, and even engages in trade, of a kind, with neighboring kingdoms. Its people work and eat, live and die and (often) live again. But unlike the other nations of the Iron Kingdoms, which seek their own strength and prosperity, everything that happens in the Nightmare Empire happens for one reason alone. While Toruk’s lieutenants and generals may all have their own schemes, ambitions, and machinations, for the Dragonfather, the entire nation of Cryx is but a tool in a gambit that spans centuries. Every strike against the kingdoms of the mainland, every sortie upon the high seas, every conquest and every expansion is calculated with one very specific end in mind: the destruction of Toruk’s rebel brood. To the Dragonfather, these upstart dragons are the only things on Caen that can challenge him, and they are, as such, the only things he is truly concerned about. The lives of even the longest-lived mortals are mere flickers to a being such a Toruk, who has watched mortal empires rise and fall while he patiently plotted. Though it would shock the rulers of the Iron Kingdoms to learn it, the conquest of their nations has never been the goal of the Nightmare Empire. If Cryx lays siege to a city or throws down the defenses of an entire nation, it is always and only in pursuit of one singular, far-reaching goal—that of hunting down and destroying all of the other dragons on Caen, so that Toruk is once more untouchably ascendant over all. If the Nightmare Empire has to burn the rest of the Iron Kingdoms to accomplish that goal, so be it.
missions was entrusted to the iron lich Asphyxious—not yet one of Toruk’s lich lords but ambitious and eager to prove himself. Logistics had proven to be the greatest hurdle in the ongoing mission of the Nightmare Empire, and Asphyxious was tasked with the goal of establishing a base of operations on the mainland that was capable of supplying the armies of the Dragonfather with not only soldiers and provisions but with engines of war in the form of helljacks, bonejacks, and others. This he established beneath the Thornwood, working in secret and under the cover of the so-called Scharde Invasions. The task was not an easy one. Besides remaining undetected by the kingdoms of the mainland, Asphyxious was forced to make sometimes uneasy alliances with the cephalyx, a mysterious species of subterranean slavers whose extensive underground tunnels proved vital in establishing Asphyxious’ hidden base beneath the Thornwood. This stronghold not only allowed Cryx to participate in battles deep in the mainland and strike unexpectedly at targets that were heretofore unreachable, it also gave the forces of the Nightmare Empire access to vast resources they could not otherwise have claimed. From this base beneath the Thornwood, Cryxian scavengers picked the battlefields of the Iron Kingdoms clean of the fallen dead and scouted new sources of necrotite, the strange mineral formed in places of CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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pain and death that the armies of the Dragonfather burn in place of coal. By 588 AR, Asphyxious had established a powerful foothold on the mainland and the Lich Lords Terminus and Daeamortus curtailed their raids. The Cygnaran military declared victory in the Scharde Invasions, though the true purpose of the strikes would not become apparent for several years. In 604 AR, Khador invaded the kingdom of Llael. Cygnar went to the aid of their allies, and much of the fighting took place in and around the Thornwood, the thunder of cannons shaking the very walls of the secret stronghold beneath. From below, the full might of the Nightmare Empire’s armies was able to strike at the kingdoms above in their moment of weakness, revealing for the first time the scope of the terrible engine of war Cryx had been developing for centuries. This was the true end of the so-called Scharde Invasions.
THE DRAGON WAR
In the war-torn years that followed the Khadoran invasion of Llael, the armies of Cryx enjoyed many victories and suffered many setbacks, while the peoples of the Iron Kingdoms experienced horrors the likes of which they had never dared dream before. Asphyxious was elevated to the rank of lich lord, throwing down and destroying Lich Lord Daeamortus in order to take his place, while other Cryxian warcasters and
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generals rose through the ranks, becoming key players in the Dragonfather’s ambitions on the mainland. Ultimately, however, it was nothing neither the forces of Cryx nor the armies of the Iron Kingdoms did that precipitated the next major shift in the Nightmare Empire’s plans. Instead, one of Toruk’s rebellious brood resurfaced in a new and unexpected form. The dragon known as Everblight had previously been slain by the massed military might of Ios after emerging from hiding to obliterate the Iosan city of Issyrah in 390 AR. Yet the athanc of a dragon cannot be destroyed by anything short of another dragon, and so Everblight survived, albeit in a diminished form, and was transported far to the north, where he bided his time and built his strength, dividing his own athanc between numerous warlocks under his command as he created new spawn from his blighted blood and built up an army to challenge the forces to the south and, ultimately, his own father. The fragile alliance between Toruk’s offspring was shattered, as Everblight found and destroyed his sibling Pyromalfic, who was convalescing beneath the Castle of the Keys. By consuming Pyromalfic’s athanc, Everblight increased in power considerably and was able to form gargantuan new spawn. Yet even this was not the final straw that sparked what became known as the Dragon War. There was, it seems, another athanc in play, one that had
long been hidden far to the north. The agents of Cryx had been working covertly to recover it, but they were foiled by Cygnaran forces, who were able to secure the athanc and load it onto a train. Between Everblight’s betrayal and this new and tempting prize, the alliance between the dragons began to crumble. The dragon known as Charsaug sought to claim this athanc for himself, attacking the train carrying the heartstone. In all this confusion, Toruk saw opportunity. For the first time in sixteen centuries, the Dragonfather took wing from his palace in Skell and flew toward the mainland. Blighterghast, normally watchful from atop the Wyrmwall mountains in Cygnar, was distracted searching for the generals of Everblight, and Toruk took the opportunity to strike at his progeny, doing battle with the twin dragons Ashnephos and Charsaug in the skies above Cygnar. While Toruk succeeded in slaying Charsaug and consuming the dragon’s athanc, the tide of the battle was about to turn. Alerted to the Dragonfather’s presence on the mainland, the rest of the dragons of the alliance came to strike back. Bolstered by the power of Charsaug’s athanc, Toruk seemed poised to complete his long plan in one fell swoop, striking down Blighterghast even as that mighty dragon led the others against him. Blighterghast was fallen but not defeated, however. The Cygnaran forces, seeing that sometimes the enemy of my enemy is, indeed, my friend, rendered unlikely aid, giving the athanc they were transporting to the wounded Blighterghast. As he consumed it, his wounds closed, and he gained power enough to strike a terrible blow against the Dragonfather. With the rest of the alliance behind him, Blighterghast was able to once more drive Toruk from the mainland. Nor was the defeat a minor one. Toruk’s injury was grave, requiring the Dragonfather to convalesce in Skell, retreating even further from the day-to-day operations of the Nightmare Empire in order to tend to his wounds. In the vacuum of power left by Toruk’s further withdrawal from political life in Cryx, the various lich lords resumed their internecine squabbles, as balances shifted with the fortunes of war and new figures rose to prominence. Chief among those has been Deneghra, the former warwitch turned lich lord who was groomed for the role by none other than Asphyxious himself, perhaps Toruk’s most ambitious servant. Before the full import of the events of the Dragon War had sunk in, however, another cataclysm took place that shook the entirety of western Immoren to its core.
LICH LORD DENEGHRA
One of a pair of twins born in a small Cygnaran fishing village late in the 6th century AR, the woman who would become known as Lich Lord Deneghra had an unassuming childhood. Yet there was one who knew of the great potential that she and her twin sister shared. Having observed occult portents that presaged the birth of a sorceress of unparalleled power, the Satyxis reaver Skarre Ravenmane passed this knowledge along to Asphyxious, who dispatched her on a dangerous and costly mission to the mainland to secure the prophesied child.
What Skarre’s blood magic had not revealed, however, was that the power the twins possessed was only half complete in each of them, and when she returned with only one child, Asphyxious saw to it that both the fearsome Satyxis captain and her entire crew were viciously punished. Yet the iron lich was not one to waste an opportunity, and the execution of Skarre’s crew also became the first lesson that would transform the stolen child into the warwitch whose name would strike fear into the mainland in only a few short decades. Trained in the arts of the Cryxian warwitches, with secrets pried from the souls of dead Orgoth, the child became Asphyxious’ most trusted and valuable acolyte. Renaming her Deneghra, he waited until he had her entirely within his grasp to reveal his darkest secret: that she was only one half of a larger whole, and that somewhere on the mainland she had a twin, who had “stolen” half of her power. Unbeknownst to Deneghra at that time, the twin was the Cygnaran warcaster Victoria Haley. Once she learned about her sorcerous sibling, Deneghra turned all of her considerable malice upon her twin, and it was only a matter of time before the two would meet in battle. When they did, it was Deneghra who fell, as Haley demonstrated a heretofore unknown ability to break through the arcane locks on an enemy warjack’s cortex, taking control of Deneghra’s own Slayer helljack and turning it against her. Deneghra perished at the hands of her sibling, but for the servants of the Dragonfather, death is not the end. Asphyxious was able to recover part of Deneghra’s soul and used all the necromechanikal know-how of Cryx to rebuild her body—yet the reborn Deneghra was not complete. Halftrapped between the living and the dead, she was a being as much of shadow as of flesh, a state that was perhaps more boon than curse for one so accustomed to darkness and decay. It was not until the aftermath of the Claiming that Deneghra finally ascended to the true heights that Asphyxious had always envisioned for her. With her mentor gone through the gateway at Henge Hold, Deneghra took his place as one of Toruk’s lich lords and has since consolidated considerable power among the armies of the Nightmare Empire.
THE CLAIMING
The Claiming truly began centuries ago with the first seeds of the rebellion against the Orgoth. Thamar made a terrible deal with beings from outside known reality. In exchange for the secret of magic, which would help the humans throw off the yoke of the Orgoth oppressors, these infernals, as they were known, were owed a tithe of human souls. In 612 AR, they came to collect. Over the centuries, the infernals had seeded their agents into the highest echelons of governments and militaries throughout the world, and when the gates opened and infernal monsters began to pour through, it looked as if all of western Immoren might once again fall. Against such an existential threat, even the Nightmare Empire could not stand idle. After all, the infernals were claiming souls, and souls were the currency, fuel, and CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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lifeblood of Cryx. So, for the first time in history, the armies of the dead marched alongside those of the living, as Cryxian forces on the mainland threw their might against the infernals alongside armies from Cygnar, Khador, and even the holy soldiers of the Protectorate of Menoth. Nor were such alliances matters of mere convenience. Deeper bonds were forged during those terrible conflicts, and when Aspyhxious, by then a lich lord and one of the mightiest of Cryx’s generals, was all but obliterated in battle with one of the infernal masters, it was the priests of the Convergence of Cyriss who put the iron lich back together, transforming him into something altogether new—something never before seen on Caen. It was not to last. Despite the considerable power brought to bear by the combined armies of all western Immoren, despite a range of brilliant technological, mechanikal, and tactical innovations made to stem to tide, the infernals seemed infinite. For every infernal horror that was dispatched, dozens more poured through rents in the very fabric of reality. All hope seemed lost, until an unprecedented unification of arcane and mechanikal knowledge helped to build the gateway, a device capable of transporting thousands of souls far from Caen to the celestial constellation that was the body of the clockwork goddess, Cyriss. Built near Henge Hold, the gate became the center of perhaps the greatest battle that the Iron Kingdoms have ever known. Warriors and heroes from every nation came together to hold the infernal threat at bay long enough for thousands of refugees to flee through the gate. Through incredible heroism and terrible sacrifice, the battle was won. Countless thousands escaped through the gate which was then sealed behind them, and the infernal masters were destroyed or driven off. Every side lost powerful heroes and beloved friends, and even Cryx was not immune. In the chaos of the battle, Asphyxious, believing that Deneghra had fallen to the infernals, joined the refugees and vanished through the gateway, never to be seen on Caen again. Deneghra, for her part, saw Asphyxious depart but had no way to stop him, to let him know that she yet survived, and so the two were parted forever.
CRYX TODAY
Not since the destruction of Drer Drakkerung had so many new lich lords risen to prominence at one time as in the years following the Claiming. Master necrotech Mortenebra replaced Lich Lord Morbus, who had been slain by Cygnaran warcasters in the Thornwood years before, while Deneghra took the place of the departed Asphyxious, finally attaining the role he had always envisioned for her only in his absence. With Toruk injured and the military might of the Nightmare Empire depleted, Cryxian forces withdrew from the mainland to regroup and rebuild their strength—but that doesn’t mean that the agents of the Dragonfather have not been active in the years since. Military might has been replaced once again by covert operations and campaigns of influence, as the Nightmare Empire sends individual agents to extend its tendrils deep into the hearts of the nations of the
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Iron Kingdoms. In the wake of the Claiming, all the factions of western Immoren temporarily put aside their differences, and the years since have been ones of relative peace across the face of the continent. While this has meant greater acceptance of Cryx as a possible—albeit grudging—trading partner, in a limited way, no one on the mainland entertains any delusions that the Nightmare Empire is anything but a patient predator, waiting offshore for the next chance to strike. Nevertheless, the agents of Cryx have taken the opportunity afforded by this laxness on the part of the other nations to place operatives in positions they could never have reached during wartime, while also extracting lore that might otherwise have been inaccessible to them. It is a period of fact-finding and regrowing their depleted strength, while the various lich lords and their underlings maneuver for position and seek to advance their own ambitions. For his part, Toruk has withdrawn even more than usual from the day-to-day life of the nation, and in the vacuum of power left behind, Deneghra, despite her relative youth, has risen to become first among equals amid the twelve lich lords—a move that does not always sit well with her peers. While the rest of the world waits to see what Cryx will do next, the Dragonfather himself still has only one ambition, his inner eye turned always toward the demise of his progeny and his own ascendance as the most powerful being on Caen.
Demographics of Cryx
Ruler: Lord Toruk, Dragonfather and God-King of Cryx, and his lieutenants, the Lich Lords Government Type: Absolute Theocracy Capital: Skell Important Cities: Blackwater, Dreggsmouth, Lichgate Significant Towns (not on the map): Black Sand Bay, Coffin Rock, Darkwater Cove, Deepford, Dragonscar, Drossley, Grimsvale, Grouts, Hollowdale, Leeward, Port Scalesfall, Pox Landing, Skedge, The Slops Major Ethnic Groups: Scharde (36%), Bogrin (22%), Trollkin (17%), Ogrun (11%), Satyxis (1%), other ethnic groups (13%) Languages: Scharde Tongue (primary), Five Cant (Cygnaran dialect), Thrallspeak (undead only), Molgur (Including og and trul dialects), Tkra (among high-ranking servants of Toruk), Satyxi Climate: Tropical; hot and humid, extensive rainfall and powerful storms through most of the year with a dry season usually lasting from Solesh through Katesh Terrain: Tall, jagged mountains with dense jungle and swamps in the lowlands; coastline is primarily cliffs pockmarked with sea caves and arches and edged with towering sea stacks and razor-sharp reefs Natural Resources: necrotite, timber, stone, sulfur, coal, salt, rare and dangerous tropical flora, limited deposits of iron, copper, and tin
THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE & ENVIRONS South of the Bay of Stone and the notorious port city of Five Fingers, the always rugged shoreline of western Immoren splinters into countless inhospitable islands: spears of black rock washed by endless waves, grown over by impassable jungle vegetation, and surrounded by razor-sharp reefs. According to the tales told by the Molgur tribes who settled here after being driven from the mainland in ancient times, this Broken Coast is the result of injuries inflicted by the Devourer Wurm when it was ravaging Dhunia at the dawn of time—and indeed, the region has been the site of violence and bloodshed ever since. Today, the vast majority of these treacherous islands are controlled by the island nation of Cryx, which makes its home on the largest of the Scharde Islands, from which it also takes its name. Forged by the diabolical will of the Dragonfather Toruk, the Nightmare Empire is a place of
cruelty and death—and life beyond death. Here, the dead rule and the living are often little more than slaves, with only more servitude to look forward to when they finally perish. Yet it is also a place of opportunity for those who are strong and unscrupulous enough to seize it. Even before the coming of the Dragonfather, the Broken Coast was a refuge for reavers and pirates aplenty, and that hasn’t changed. While the dead may rule the Nightmare Empire, there is more than enough room for the living to carve out positions of power within their armies, as raiders and spies, gladiators and champions. All that is required is to be more implacable, more fearsome, and more cunning than the dead. Life—and death—are hard in Cryx, but rewards are waiting for those who know how to claim them, and sometimes those rewards last well beyond the grave.
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CRYX The name of both the Nightmare Empire itself and the largest of the Scharde Islands, the vast majority of the landmass controlled by the armies of the Dragonfather is occupied on the island of Cryx. If the rest of the Scharde Islands were joined together, they would still form a collective only about as large as Cryx itself. The island of Cryx is home to most of the nation’s cities and the vast majority of its industry, though manufacture and the mining of necrotite take place throughout the Scharde Islands. Despite this, Cryx is only marginally less inhospitable than the wave-tossed rocks surrounding it. The shores of Cryx are predominantly composed of unassailable cliffs of black stone, made slick by the crashing surf, while inland, the island is blanketed by rank vegetation when it isn’t broken up by soaring peaks of jagged rock. All of this was true even before the Dragonfather settled on the island, and since then, his blight has reached every corner of Cryx, transforming those who live there in ways both overt and subtle. The plants of the uplands sport vicious barbs, when they aren’t actively carnivorous, and the people of Cryx are transformed as well. Even among those whose changes aren’t invisible to the naked eye, the blight has settled into their minds and souls, and none can live close to the Dragonfather without being remade. On the island, Toruk is both ruler and god, his doctrine spread by his lich lords and their subordinates from the capital city of Skell, a place where the living can rarely stand
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to stay for long because the dragon’s blight clings so thickly there. While the dominance of the Dragonfather wanes the farther one travels from the capital, so long as one remains on the main island of Cryx, one is under his shadow at all times. The weather on Cryx is as dire as its reputation, with rains and storms for most of the year and only a short dry season lasting from Solesh through Katesh. Near the shore, this takes the form of constant hot dampness that settles into everything, encouraging the growth of all manner of unusual fungi. Further inland, the jagged peaks are festooned with choking jungles draped in a hot, heavy mist—and over it all, the blight touches everything that grows, walks, swims, flies, or crawls.
SKELL
Nowhere else on the face of Caen is there another capital quite like Skell, the vast but strangely empty stronghold of the Dragonfather. At its center is the Black Temple, a sepulchral complex of gigantic domes dedicated to the worship of Toruk—and built to accommodate the dragon’s massive scope and size. So huge is this edifice that it dominates the city’s skyline and dwarfs all of its other architecture—none of which is exactly modest. Beside the Black Temple is Toruk’s Citadel, a spear of twisted metal and bone that seems to pierce the very heavens themselves. It is at the top of this inaccessible spire that Toruk nurses his wounds, and not even the most trusted of his lich lords dare to enter it uninvited. Within these two structures, Toruk’s blight is a palpable, inescapable thing—the
very air is alive with it, and even those who so much as turn their gazes toward the Black Temple feel their vision begin to blur and swim. At the feet of these two cyclopean edifices, the city of Skell sprawls. Home to thousands of humans, ogrun, and trollkin—the majority of whom are dedicated members of the church of Toruk—the city nonetheless appears deserted most of the time, as the choking clouds of blighted ash that fall like snow day and night make it impossible for most living things to survive long on the streets of Blighted City, as it is sometimes known. Despite this, services are held within the twisted halls of the Black Temple, where Toruk’s clergy chant his praises even as the blight warps and changes their bodies and souls. Skell is also where the lich lords convene to make the most critical decisions that affect the Nightmare Empire and where the warwitches of Cryx come to learn their craft, mixing the occult secrets of the Dragonfather with dark magics pried from the souls of fallen Orgoth. It is said that screams and wails of torment echo day and night from the halls where the warwitches are trained, though whether that torment is of hapless victims or the initiates themselves, no one outside of their order can say. At one time, Skell was the center of much of the manufacturing in Cryx, churning out helljacks, bonejacks, and other weapons of war from massive forges. Today, these lie primarily silent, though Cryx’s military output has not diminished, despite the relative peace that has fallen over the Iron Kingdoms since the Claiming. Instead, reorganization of lich lords and redistribution of resources has led more and more of the manufacturing to shift to Dreggsmouth or Lichgate. Though it is the heart of the Nightmare Empire, no garrison guards Skell, which is sometimes also known as the City of Ashes. The presence of the Dragonfather alone is more than enough to discourage any would-be invasion. These days, the city manufactures few goods and imports very little from the rest of the nation. Its main products are arcane lore and the worship of the Dragonfather, and while outsiders are not welcome in the capital, few would ever dare to venture into the Blighted City of their own accord, so Skell needs neither walls nor gates to keep them out.
BLACKWATER
The largest city in the Nightmare Empire, Blackwater, is located at the bottom of the deep Belken fjord that splits the island’s eastern shore. Once ruled by the self-styled pirate king Craethan Morvaen, Blackwater has since fallen into the hands of the pirate warcaster Aiakos and is controlled mainly by the members of the Quay Slayers, the dockside gang he ran with before discovering his arcane talents.
Adventure Hook
The crone witch Gaddis Naill was once the advisor and constant companion of Craethan Morvaen, but her stock has fallen considerably since the self-proclaimed pirate king was slain by Aiakos. Still, Naill is a survivor who sees a way into the good graces of the city’s new ruler. Her divinations have led her to conclude that there are mutinous factions within the Quay Slayers planning to oust the absentee warcaster. She just needs some agents, preferably new faces from out of town, who can infiltrate the gang and bring her the final intelligence she needs to present the traitors to Aiakos and win his favor.
It is a dark city, in fact as well as deed. The moss-laden canopy of trees atop the fjord high above prevents sunlight from reaching the city for much of the day, even on those rare Cryxian days that are not already overcast or stormy. The town seems to be in a state of perpetual decay, clinging to the walls of the fjord like a fungal growth when it is not balanced precariously above the black waters of the Meredius below—or floating directly upon them. For all that, however, Blackwater is perhaps the most “normal” city that can be found anywhere in the Nightmare Empire. Home to hundreds of thousands of mortals of all descriptions, the city is the most important port in all of the Scharde Islands, and at any time the docks are home to countless pirate and privateer vessels that ply these dangerous waters, not to mention the naval ships of Cryx’s fearsome Black Fleet. Cryx engages in precious little conventional trade with neighboring kingdoms, even in the wake of the Claiming, but what little trade does flow to and from the island nation moves through Blackwater. Here, one can find everything from foodstuffs and plundered goods taken from Mercarian League vessels to illicit alchemicals and intoxicants. Indeed,
The Temple of the Dragonfather
Even in this benighted city, religion is not unknown. In fact, the tallest building in all of Blackwater—and one of the few reliable landmarks in a city of blind alleys and narrow walkways—is the Temple of the Dragonfather, the black spire of which, known informally as “Toruk’s Tower,” is ornately carved with draconic images and representations of the tormented dead. Set as far back into the cleft of the fjord as possible, the Temple of the Dragonfather practically scrapes the rock of both sides of the cliff, and when the mammoth bell contained in its tower rings in the dead of night, summoning the faithful to service, it echoes time and again off the damp walls to fill the entire city. Ask around in Blackwater, and most will say that these services are nothing that anyone sane or living would attend. Yet every night, the Temple is thronged with congregants who often wear hoods to conceal their identities until they are inside the black stone edifice. Whether this is merely pirates, mercenaries, and gang toughs not wishing to be seen asking for the aid of the dragon’s dark blessing or whether other secrets are being kept here is a mystery that only someone daring enough to enter one of the midnight services could solve…
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there are things to be purchased in Blackwater that can be bought nowhere else on Caen, not even the notorious black markets of Five Fingers. Though it is a dark and dismal place where death waits around every corner, most living privateers find the port of Blackwater much more inviting than any other in the Nightmare Empire. Here, at least, they are likely to deal with other mortals rather than the unliving abominations that operate ports like Dreggsmouth. This does not suggest that Blackwater is safer than any other port in the Nightmare Empire. The city boasts no official garrison or city guard, and security is available only to those who can afford it, supplied by the numerous street gangs and mercenary companies that make the teeming metropolis their home. Indeed, while the Quay Slayers are the technical rulers of the port city, various gangs have carved out territories within the twisting alleys and narrow streets, which they defend and patrol rigorously. The only way for anyone not directly associated with the Cryxian military to survive for long in Blackwater is to demonstrate strength early on or to cultivate relationships with a local gang or mercenary company that can provide protection in exchange for favors. Even then, there is no safe place in the dark streets of Blackwater. Drink too much—or simply the wrong thing—in one of the city’s many taverns, and you may wake up press-ganged into service aboard a pirate vessel, if you wake at all.
Adventure Hook
Dougal Kildaire achieved what few others have managed. After running afoul of one of the High Captains of Five Fingers, he successfully fled the city and took refuge in Blackwater. What’s more, he has managed to thrive in the teeming hive of the dark city. In the years since his arrival, he has built up a small fleet of smuggling vessels under his command, though it is said he never leaves his apartments above the drinking establishment known as the Bloodied Gorget. Recently, a particular ship has drawn his attention, a quick and maneuverable Ordic vessel called the Rondelay, and he wants to add it to his fleet. There’s just one problem—its current captain, a trollkin fell caller by the name of Lassan Firetongue, isn’t inclined to part with it…
Despite the claustrophobic nature of Blackwater, a city ever squeezed by the slick, dank rocks of the fjord, slums have managed to grow up on all sides. Sometimes they spill onto the port’s waters, perched on stilts or floating on pontoons. Other times, they climb the sides of the chasm, the buildings clinging precariously to the rock, every venture outside a risk not only of a knife in the guts but a fall to the dark waters below. However bad the streets of the city proper may be, these slums are worse. Home to the poorest and least powerful of the city’s inhabitants, the slums are stalked by disease and other dangers, including necrotechs who prowl their twisting alleys in search of “volunteers” for their grisly experiments. These experiments occur within mazes of
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The Black Confessor
Among the many unusual denizens of Blackwater, few are as memorable as the hulking, blighted trollkin known as the Black Confessor. No one knows what his real name might once have been, and he speaks only of the “Glorious Father, Master of us all” as he walks the streets day and night, preaching the word of the Dragonfather. Whether he was ever truly one of Toruk’s clergy or is simply a self-styled fanatic, few can argue his devotion, as he is more than willing to beat to death anyone who “blasphemes” against Lord Toruk. While, for the most part, people attempt to simply stay out of his way, local gangs have been known to try to sic him on their rivals, transforming him into a cheap, if dangerously unreliable, assassin.
dank, cramped tunnels cut into the rock of the cliff walls surrounding the city. Called the Catacombs, these pitch-dark tunnels are home to numerous chop shops, where bone saws and other grisly tools are wielded by necrotechs and necrosurgeons to create the various mechanithralls that serve in the armies of the Nightmare Empire. Supplying the raw materials for this gruesome industry are carrion ships that dock at Blackwater and unload a grisly cargo to the city’s Meat Market, where body parts are sold alongside living slaves—sometimes both bound for the chop shops of the necrosurgeons. Not far from the Meat Market, situated on the floating section of the city, is the area known as the Smolders, the center of Blackwater’s thriving alchemical industry. Here, the water is so polluted with alchemical sludge that it is actually possible to walk on the thick crust in certain spots, while a dense and, in some areas, toxic haze hangs over most of the ramshackle buildings that make up this floating laboratory. Those whose business brings them into the Smolders are encouraged to wear goggles and at least a wet scarf across their faces—assuming, of course, they have any need to see or breathe.
DREGGSMOUTH
Located on the western side of the island of Cryx, sheltered from the wrath of any mainlander navy and buried far back in the deep waters of Broken Skulls Cove, Dreggsmouth may be the most important city in all of the Nightmare Empire. While Blackwater is the one to which outsiders are most likely to come, and the blighted capital is home to Toruk and his lich lords, Dreggsmouth is where the vast majority of the nation’s military might is built. In the waters of Broken Skull Cove, the legendary blackships are assembled, using secrets stolen long ago from the souls of Orgoth shipwrights. In the natural sea caves honeycombing the rocks beneath the city, necrofactoriums churn out helljacks, bonejacks, and other necromechanikal horrors to fill the ships and march against the enemies of the Dragonfather. A constant pall of black smoke and soot hangs over the city, and everywhere there is the infernal sound of grinding gears and clanking chains. The center of so much of Cryx’s vital war industry, Dreggsmouth is also one of its richest sources of necrotite.
The Scalesflow River empties into the Meredius here, first carrying cold waters all the way down from the mountains, past the blighted city of Skell. These waters are filled with necrotite deposits, which find their way into the thick silt at the bottom of the cove, and this is where the necrotite is laboriously pulled to the surface by hundreds of massive dredging rigs, each one standing several stories tall above the surface of the water. Gears so giant that a small house could comfortably be built on their sides squeal and grind as they turn enormous crankshafts, scooping the silt from the cove bottom and up to where it can be loaded onto ships, processed, refined, and used in the necrofactoriums beneath the city.
Adventure Hook
Something or someone has been tampering with the dredging rigs. Nothing severe enough to quite call it sabotage, but it seems like some new hindrance occurs every night. A cog or a belt comes loose, a wrench literally falls into the gears. It has impacted necrotite harvesting enough that Lord Captain Vrace is recruiting living souls to keep watch on the rigs at night—and offering a handsome reward to anyone who can put a stop to the mischief.
The vast majority of this necrotite is carried first to the boiling nightmare known simply as “the Rigs,” a mass of steel and steam that occupies a reinforced pier jutting out into the midst of the cove. Here, both mortals and thralls toil
endlessly in grueling conditions to ensure that the necrotite is processed as quickly as it is extracted. The Rigs operates at a temperature so great that it boils the water of the cove to steam around the facility. Mortal workers have been known to drop dead from the heat, only to be shortly replaced by the overseers, who care only that the assembly line stays always moving, feeding new necrotite into the insatiable engines of Cryx’s war industry. While the totality of the Black Fleet is scattered far and wide in hidden coves and inlets throughout the Scharde Islands, the greatest concentration of it in one place can be found here. Even as the massive blackships are assembled in Broken Skull Cove, others patrol the waters beyond, making passage to Dreggsmouth without the proper clearance virtually impossible. Everything in the city is built on a cyclopean scale, including the docks, which must be made to accommodate the imposing bulk of the blackships. From the water, the rest of Dreggsmouth either climbs up the side of the cliffs or burrows into the natural sea caves beneath; many inhabitants of the dismal seaside town go their whole lives without ever catching more than a few glimpses of the sun. Called the “Iron Lady” even while she was alive, it seemed inevitable that Lord Captain Derevnia Vrace would be transformed into an iron lich upon the demise of her aging physical form. If anything, the transition has made the former pirate captain more formidable, and she continues to hold the city in a (now literal) iron grip, serving the interests of the CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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Caves of the Father
A set of monstrous steps cut from the rock of the cliffs lead down into massive caverns carved with colossal bas reliefs of Toruk himself, represented at nearly life-size. These enormous, natural sea caves have been set aside for the worship of the Dragonfather and serve as his primary church and temple in the city of Dreggsmouth. They are larger than most of the grandest of the temples and cathedrals found on the mainland and very nearly rival the Black Temple itself for sheer scale. Yet they are not baroque or elaborate structures. Aside from the carvings of the Dragonfather, there is very little in these caves that was shaped by the hands of the living or the dead. For the most part, the caverns have been left in their natural state, with congregants and petitioners often standing or kneeling on the cold stone in supplication before the representations of their god.
lich lords within the industrial heart of Cryx and ensuring that all of the necrofactoriums and ship foundries continue to work on time, even if it costs the lives of those employed there. Lives, after all, are cheap in the Nightmare Empire. Her wrath is legendary and has only grown more fearsome in recent years, as the newly elevated Lich Lord Mortenebra takes a more direct hand in the production of the necrofactoriums in Dreggsmouth than her predecessors ever did, putting Lord Captain Vrace’s leadership under intense scrutiny. While Vrace rules the city from the top down, another personage newly inducted into the realm of the living dead still strides the docks and work floors of the ship foundries, albeit now on spiderlike, necromechanikal limbs that allow him to remain stable upon any surface. His health long-since destroyed by hard work and constant exposure to necrotite and the blighted, smog-choked atmosphere of Dreggsmouth, Master Shipwright Kress Soratt possessed skills too great to be lost to death. When his mortal frame perished, his soul and bones were transitioned into a thing of brass and pistons, his long claws every bit as dexterous as his hands were in life. One of the only mortals ever to master the art of building the blackships, Soratt still oversees their construction in person, though there is a part of him— now buried deep beneath gears and metal—that longs only for rest.
LICHGATE
At the feet of the mountains dominating the interior of Cryx, near where they empty into the boggy expanse of Dragonmoor, there rises a volcano that has long burned. It is into the fires of this caldera that the blackclad who would become known as Asphyxious threw himself to prove his devotion to learning occult secrets, and it is on this site that his legacy in Cryx has been built in the years since the Claiming. Much of the island nation’s manufacturing capacity had been shifted to the mainland in the decade leading up to that apocalyptic conflict, diverted to enormous and secret necrofactoriums built, through the machinations
of Asphyxious himself, beneath the earth and rock of the Thornwood Forest. These were destroyed after their presence was revealed to the folk of the Iron Kingdoms but not before they had served much of their purpose in extending the talons of the Nightmare Empire deep into the mainland. For now, however, Cryx has withdrawn, and the legacy of those lost necrofactoriums has been transferred here. Over the last few years, innumerable thralls labored tirelessly to construct the industrial city of Lichgate on the slopes of the volcano. Diverting heat and, on occasion, actual magma from vents in the side of the mountain to power the forges, Lichgate is dedicated to one purpose and one purpose alone: arming the soldiers of the Nightmare Empire. In addition to constructing the factory-city itself, workers also built some of the very few significant roadways in Cryx. One was laboriously cut into the stone of the mountain range, along the island’s spine all the way from Lichgate to Skell. The other, far shorter, was nearly as challenging to construct since it involved carting in large quantities of earth and rock to build up a berm running from the foot of the volcano through the swampy land to Dragon’s Roost and the ships waiting there. While there are necrofactoriums for turning out mechanithralls, helljacks, and bonejacks in Lichgate, to be sure, the output of such things here is dwarfed by what is now accomplished in Dreggsmouth, far to the south. Instead, much of the industry of the factory-city is dedicated to more straightforward tools—work that can often be accomplished by unliving thralls. Those thousands produce weapons and armor, from firearms to simple swords and axes. And while these items are not of the finest quality, they nonetheless incorporate techniques developed from the methods of the Orgoth and the blood-forged weapons of the Scharde ogrun. Indeed, while necromechanikal overseers supervise most of the production, and the entire city is technically under the purview of Lich Lord Mortenebra, it is a Scharde ogrun by the name of Kanus Bonebreak who acts as factory foreman for most of the weapon forging that takes place throughout Lichgate. A former pirate himself, who once commanded his own ship of bloodthirsty reavers, Bonebreak learned the art of blood-forging from his father before the latter’s death. He brings the same vicious cunning that allowed him to command a crew of savage killers to the day-to-day operations of Lichgate, and those few mortals who work beneath him have learned to fear him even more than the undead overseers he commands.
CASTLE MOORCRAIG
In a deserted cove to the south of Blackwater lies a burnt and twisted reminder of the price of defying the Dragonfather. When the original fourteen pirate kings were confronted by Toruk, two refused to bend the knee, even after the dragon had demonstrated his power upon the Atramentous. One of these was Threnodax, former commander of the Atramentous, who dared to challenge Toruk in person and in the presence of the other pirate kings in his citadel in Darkmoor, far to the north. CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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Legacy of the Witchfire
A fact known to few who still live, from the vaults beneath Castle Moorcraig the inquisitor Dexer Sirac claimed the legendary Witchfire. The blade was one of many unfathomable treasures hoarded by the deposed pirate-king. Moorcraig had claimed the weapon when he took the ship Thuria’s Promise prior to his demise. There it rested for over 1,500 years until, in 591 AR, the inquisitor and a small retinue launched an expedition into the ruins to claim it. It is unknown what other relics the pirate-king might have collected before dying to Toruk’s fire, but there will always be those brave and foolish enough to venture into those dark ruins.
The other was Lord Moorcraig, who retreated to his castle to take shelter behind stone walls and countless guards. In minutes, Toruk showed Moorcraig the folly of his ways. Toruk’s flame reduced the castle to little more than melted rubble, and hundreds perished screaming. Moorcraig he saved for last, enjoying the torment of the pirate king’s soul, which he set to suffer forever. Today, nothing but twisted, blackened stones stand to mark the location of Castle Moorcraig—at least, on the surface. However, stories are still told throughout the Scharde Islands of the catacombs that Lord Moorcraig built beneath his stronghold. It is said that these catacombs extend all the way down to a series of natural sea caverns where the pirate king hid not only his treasure but even some of his ships. Invariably, of course, such stories also suggest that terrible things—both living and undead—haunt the dark places beneath the ruin.
DRAGONMOOR
Occupying a peninsula on the northernmost tip of the island, the region known as the Dragonmoor was once Darkmoor, home to the pirate king Threnodax, one of only two foolish enough to not bend the knee to Lord Toruk. In fact, it was in Threnodax’s stronghold at Darkmoor that Toruk demonstrated to thirteen of the fourteen pirate kings evidence of his power, as Threnodax’s own flagship, the dreaded Atramentous, was transformed by Toruk’s blighted breath into a ghost ship in undying service to the Dragonfather. The once-living crew of the Atramentous swarmed Darkmoor, slaying Threnodax’s guards and adding the fallen to their own ghostly ranks, while Toruk himself confronted the pirate kings. All the others, seeing the dark inescapable majesty that now stood before them, fell to their knees before their rightful master. But even in the face of this incontrovertible proof, Threnodax remained resolute in his defiance. The others were transformed, then and there, into the first twelve lich lords. For Threnodax, a unique torment was reserved—destruction in draconic fire that continues to torment his tattered spirit to the modern day. Since then, the region has been sparsely populated, peopled mostly with gobbers, bogrin, and trollkin who catch fish, harvest peat,
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or mine the nearby hills for necrotite or other minerals. The swampy region has little strategic importance with one notable exception. Perched on wave-tossed rock along the northern seashore, towering over the moors that surround it is the immense black fortress known as Dragon’s Roost. Built from the fallen stones of Darkmoor itself, Dragon’s Roost is charged with watching over Windwatcher’s Passage for possible naval assaults from the mainland. It is also the point from which many of Cryx’s assaults on the continent have been launched. As a result, the garrison is filled at all times with numerous raiders, thralls, and helljacks, and the docks at the foot of the Dragon’s Roost are home to some of the Nightmare Empire’s most fearsome ships. Even the dread Atramentous—which once brought the former fortress here to its knees—often makes its berth at Dragon’s Roost. Despite its strategic importance and the many soldiers who pass through Dragon’s Roost, few travel the soggy roads that run to and from the fortress through the bogs of Dragonmoor, opting instead to arrive and depart on one of the numerous ships of the Black Fleet that ply the waves here.
THE PITS
Sunken at the bottom of several seemingly natural cenotes on the verdant western side of Cryx, the region known only as “the Pits,” holds many secrets. These vast sinkholes’ bottoms hold strangely preserved ruins, slicked with moss and littered with massive bones from unknown creatures. According to the traditions of the Molgur tribes that settled this island hundreds of years before Toruk came to Cryx, the ruins were already ancient at the time of their arrival. There is no trace left of what civilization might once have built the massive fortification that stood in this spot long ago, nor is there any evidence of the calamity that wiped them from existence. The cenotes themselves not only protect the ruins from further degradation but are home to unique ecosystems, giving rise to peculiar plants and animals found nowhere else on the island. While necrotechs sometimes haunt the Pits, searching for the perfect bone for their latest experiment, most others avoid the area. Even without the blight that rolls down the mountains from nearby Skell, there is something off about the ancient ruins—and the strange creatures that prowl amongst them.
Adventure Hook
While it isn’t unusual for necrotechs to disappear into the Pits for days or even weeks at a time, a detachment led by Master Necrotech Lacrimorum vanished more than a month ago and hasn’t returned, and so the necrotech’s contributions to the war effort are beginning to lag behind. Lich Lord Mortenebra has personally charged some of her most senior subordinates to investigate the matter, and they’re hiring trackers to go into the Pits and bring back the necrotech—or whatever’s left of him.
The Ogrun of Hell’s Hook
The long, rocky peninsula of Hell’s Hook encompasses a vast range of hills that have not yet grown into the peaks and valleys that dominate much of the central island. Among these hills can be found perhaps the largest concentration of Scharde ogrun anywhere on Cryx. Here, they mine necrotite and metal from the rock, and forge it into the unique blood-forged weapons and armor for which Scharde ogrun smiths are so prized. While most of the ore and implements produced in this fashion are transported by ship or overland caravan north to Dreggsmouth, there are rumors of vast stores of blood-forged arms here ripe for the plunder, if anyone is bold or foolish enough to steal from the Nightmare Empire.
HELL’S HOOK
On a peninsula far to the south even of Dreggsmouth—as distant from Dragon’s Roost as it is possible to get and still be on Cryx—a much smaller watchtower keeps an eye upon the tossing waves and scattered islands to the south. This is Hell’s Hook, and it is home to one of the most peculiar beings among the many strange figures who people the Nightmare Empire. In the years just before the Claiming, Bane Witch Agathia began to appear on battlefields across the mainland, using her strange powers to command helljacks and turn the tide of encounters, all in service to her master, Lich Lord Tenebrous. However, the version of Agathia that some unlucky mainlanders encountered is not the one who haunted the watchtower of Hell’s Hook for so many decades before. That Agathia was a witch as well, it’s true, but she served a different master—Lich Lord Daeamortus. When she betrayed his trust to pursue her own studies of the occult, Daeamortus punished her terribly, casting her soul from her body, dooming it to wander the void, trapped endlessly between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Motionless but still living, her body was effectively entombed in Hell’s Hook, where it was attended by a host of dedicated thralls. Now and then, some seeker would find their way to Hell’s Hook, searching for the advice of the witch, who was said to see into worlds beyond Caen. When this happened, Agathia’s fractured soul returned, however briefly, to convey what knowledge she could, though her words were often veiled in riddles or simply fragmented beyond the ability of most living minds to understand. When Asphyxious cast down Daeamortus, the former lich lord’s punishment of the witch was forgotten. Over time, the thralls that had attended Agathia for so many years fell to decay, and the witch herself perished not long after. Yet this was not the end of her tale, for the servants of another lich lord found her. Because of his role overseeing esoteric lore, Lich Lord Tenebrous took a particular interest in Agathia, and he used his unique understanding of such things to reunite her soul with her unliving flesh, creating an unusually powerful bane. While Agathia’s mind remained remarkably intact after her ordeal, it was nothing like her
living mind had been—its concept of time and even of self had been shattered by the years it had spent in the void. As Tenebrous elevated his new protégé to that status befitting a warcaster, she departed the island of Cryx for the first time and served his interests on the mainland. Yet even as she did so, her memories of her former life began to return, and she gradually began stockpiling occult and esoteric resources of her own to aid in a quest to recover her history and carve out her future. Since most of the forces of Cryx have been recalled from the mainland, Agathia has been drawn back to the only home she can remember—the decaying watchtower of Hell’s Hook, which is now her base of operations.
Adventure Hook
While the days when Agathia was an unmoving oracle are long past, and her ability to peer into the future has become clouded and confused by her time spent in the void, there are still those who would come to seek her counsel. One such is Avanyre Goethe, a privateer out of Blackwater who wishes to know what became of his first mate—who was also the love of his life, though he’s less inclined to share that information. Unfortunately for him, he recently lost his ship and all its crew in a game of chance, and so now he needs someone to help escort him to Hell’s Hook so he can begin rebuilding his fortunes with a bit of guidance from the bane witch.
Captain Rengrave
Every nation, no matter how unorthodox, must have its first citizen, and for Cryx that is the revenant Captain Rengrave of the dreaded Atramentous. When Toruk first chose to demonstrate his power to the pirate kings of old, he did so by transforming the Atramentous and its crew into ghostly raiders entirely bound to his will. Even in life, Rengrave had been a man of singularly bloodthirsty and irreverent reputation. Though technically the crown jewel of the fleet of the pirate king Threnodax, the Atramentous was Rengrave’s proudest conquest—and his greatest act of blasphemy. A former dirgenmast funeral ship meant to transport the body of a fallen Tordoran Moorgrave far to the west, never to return, the Atramentous was captured by Rengrave’s crew of bloody raiders and turned into a fearsome testament to the captain’s skill and zeal for desecration. Death has only served to sharpen the pirate captain’s unquenchable thirst for blood and plunder, and for sixteen centuries he has commanded the spectral Atramentous at the head of Cryx’s dreaded Ghost Fleet. As Toruk once did to Rengrave himself, the revenant captain has the ability to add new names to his book, swelling the ranks of his undying crew. When a ship of living sailors is captured by the Atramentous, they are given the same dread choice that the dragon once gave to Rengrave: die in torment or be transformed and serve out an eternity before the mast.
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THE SCHARDE ISLANDS The main island of Cryx is surrounded by innumerable smaller isles, ranging in size from the formidable Garlghast to little more than spears of black rock that jut up from the crashing surf. Many of these are inhabited, either by the remnants of Molgur tribes, independent pirate fleets, or agents of the Dragonfather—or in some cases, all of the above. Those islands large enough to support life—or what passes for it in the Nightmare Empire—are usually riddled with hidden coves and natural sea caves, surrounded by treacherous reefs that are often a breeding ground for hull grinders, which can throng in the thousands during certain parts of the year. As such, the Scharde Islands have seen countless shipwrecks over the centuries, and in many places, the bones of fallen ships have become a part of the landscape, joining with the reefs that sank them or washed up on the shore as a grim reminder of the perils of plying the sea. The weather here is stormy most of the year, and the tides of the Meredius are notoriously fickle, making navigation treacherous under the best of circ*mstances. Yet, pirate crews proliferate the Scharde Islands as they do nowhere else in western Immoren, with most of them paying a tithe to the Nightmare Empire, even if they don’t expressly sail under Cryxian colors. Among these countless and often nameless islands, many are home to pirates and privateers who make their berths in carefully concealed coves and prey upon one another or upon the merchant ships of other nations. Other islands remain the domain of Molgur tribes driven from the mainland centuries ago, some of whom still cling to their ancient traditions while others have converted to the worship of the Dragonfather. Still other islands have been taken over by demented necrotechs who thrive in isolation, transforming entire populations—as well as anyone unfortunate enough to shipwreck there—into undead thralls to provide tireless labor for their twisted projects. Even while the primary military strength of Cryx is tied up on the main island or among the hundreds of ships that make up the dreaded Cryxian Fleets, the forces of the Nightmare Empire control virtually all of the islands around it, to some greater or lesser extent. Even those that are not home to fortifications, necrofactoriums, or necrotite mining operations likely swear fealty to Toruk and send their best warriors to swell the ranks of his armies or join privateer fleets sailing out of Blackwater. The Nightmare Empire’s dominance of this region is made possible almost entirely through the power of its navy. While dozens of ships of the Cryxian Fleets may rest at port in Blackwater, Dreggsmouth, or Dragon’s Roost at any given moment, the navies of Cryx have no central base of operations. Instead, the Fleets are scattered across the whole of the Scharde Islands, secreted away in a thousand hidden coves and backwater ports, awaiting the call to sail against the mainland or any other target the Dragonfather may choose.
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GARLGHAST
The largest of the Scharde Islands besides Cryx itself, the island known as Garlghast lies perilously close to the shores of the mainland—a fact that would distress the Cygnarans more if they had any greater inkling of the horrors that dwell here. When the Orgoth came to Immoren, Garlghast was home to the first and greatest of their fortress-cities, known as Drer Drakkerung. It was from this dark port that they launched their assaults against the mainland, and it was to this place that they withdrew when they were ultimately overthrown by the rebellion centuries later. In Drer Drakkerung, they would have licked their wounds and attempted once more to conquer the peoples of western Immoren had it not been for the forces of the Nightmare Empire. During the Orgoth Occupation, Toruk and his lich lords had bided their time. When the Orgoth were driven back to Drer Drakkerung in defeat, the Dragonfather commanded that the full might of his armies be sent against Garlghast. No less than five lich lords led tens of thousands of troops and ships in a battle that lasted for months. By its end, three
The Witch Coven
In 593 AR, the Cryxian pirate vessel Aldibraxis discovered three unlikely figures on the southern shore of Garlghast Island. The three sisters could not have been more than thirteen years of age each, yet they moved and spoke—in an obscure Orgoth dialect—with an air of command that belied their years. They were also accompanied by an artifact the likes of which no one in the Nightmare Empire had ever seen, before or since: a massive floating orb of metal and bone that seemed to leak shadow. The Witch Coven of Garlghast, as they came to be known, called this orb the Egregore, and they communed with it as the Aldibraxis took them, without question, to the port of Blackwater. There, the four figures disembarked and made their way, unerringly, through the maze of alleys and darkened streets of the city. Without one soul interfering with them, they commenced the long journey to Skell, where they prostrated themselves before Lich Lord Terminus, swearing fealty to him and to the Dragonfather. In the years since, the Witch Coven have proved their worth to the Nightmare Empire both on the battlefield and off. Oracles beyond compare, their ability to divine signs and portents made them uncanny tacticians, while the Egregore boosted their magical might and allowed them to control helljacks and bonejacks from incredible distances. Yet for all the time that the mysterious witches spent in the company of other Cryxians, none were ever able to pry out their secrets or learn the origins or nature of the Egregore. After the forces of Lich Lord Terminus returned to Cryx following the Claiming, the Witch Coven did not accompany him. Instead, summoned by one of the many strange omens that seem to govern every aspect of their existence, they have withdrawn to the shores of Garlghast Island, not far from where they were first discovered. Here, they dwell in a sheltered sea cave with the Egregore, accompanied only by a small handful of thralls and ’jacks, conducting strange rituals and looking ever toward the west, preparing the way for some dire portent they have not yet shared…
of the lich lords were destroyed utterly, and two others were left mere shadows of their former selves. Yet for Cryx, the battle was nothing short of victory, for the Orgoth were wiped from Immoren altogether and the servants of Toruk were able to pilfer many Orgoth secrets, from both the living and the dead. The Orgoth were never ones to give up such secrets lightly, however, and the final conflagration of sorcerous might they unleashed upon their foes destroyed much of what had once been Drer Drakkerung. Today, only blackened stones remain to mark the place where the fortress-city once stood, at least on the surface. It is whispered, however, that vast networks of partially collapsed passages and catacombs still honeycomb the rock beneath, as yet unexplored even by the fearless and undying servants of the Dragonfather. Cryx has never rebuilt much of Drer Drakkerung nor heavily fortified the rest of the island, but that doesn’t mean the Nightmare Empire is not present here. Ships of the Black Fleets patrol the waters through Windwatcher’s Passage to the south, while the surface of the rocky isle is dotted with countless necrotite mining operations, which work tirelessly to extract the vital deposits left behind by the torment and bloodshed that took place here over the centuries. With most of the mining handled by thralls, very little in the way of logistical or support structures are required on the island itself. Necrotechs and overseers make the rounds to ensure that all is going according to plan, and ships occasionally make port at the ruins of Drer Drakkerung to resupply. From a pair of watch posts near the ruined city, Cryxian agents keep an unliving eye trained in the direction of the Cygnaran coast, though weather conditions rarely permit them to see far. Otherwise, the island is eerily silent save for the crashing of the waves and the grinding of mining rigs.
THE DYING STRANDS
West of Garlghast and separating it from a string of smaller islands known as the Shattered Isles lies a stretch of shifting sandbanks and sharp reefs known as the Dying Strands. While treacherous to navigate, this unlikely passage is sometimes favored by those privateers and pirates who wish to avoid Ordic or Cygnaran naval patrols—or who merely have something to prove. The region acquired its name from an ancient naval battle that took place here near the beginning of the Orgoth invasion. The bulk of the fabled Tordoran Armada sailed to this point in the hopes of catching the Orgoth fleet unawares. Though it was a solid strategy, it availed them little. In spite of the considerable might of the Tordoran Navy, the dreaded blackships of the Orgoth crushed them to splinters. In fact, it is said that there were so many corpses and bits of timber in the water in the aftermath of the battle that one could walk from Garlghast to the Shattered Isles without getting wet. The Dying Strands protecting the island from large-scale attacks that might originate from the north and forcing most ships from the mainland to either sail far out around the Shattered Isles or else make for Windwatcher’s Passage, which the ships of the Black Fleet heavily patrol.
The Haunt of Agrimony
In the days before Toruk came to the Scharde Islands, most of the region was controlled by the fourteen pirate kings, who cut it up and parceled it out amongst themselves, often skirmishing with one another over a single spit of rock that provided some tactical advantage over a specific reef or channel of clear water. Even then, however, there were islands they never touched. One was the hidden island of Satyx. Another belonged to the Crone of the Dying Strands, a powerful witch by the name of Agrimony who was capable of laying terrible curses upon any who crossed her…or so the pirate kings believed. Whatever the truth of her powers in life, Agrimony was not ambitious. Content to rule unchallenged upon her small patch of land within the Shattered Isles, the Crone of the Dying Strands was left alone to work her dark hexes until long after Toruk had arrived and transformed the pirate kings into the first of his lich lords. But no matter how considerable their magical acumen, all mortals must eventually succumb to death, and so it was with Agrimony. When the witch died, however, she did not pass away. Instead, she was captured by one who no longer feared her curses, the transformed pirate captain Rengrave of the Atramentous. Bound to his service with the aid of a witch bottle, the spirit of Agrimony now serves alongside his revenant crews. Once the witch queen was physically gone, her island fell to ruin as the hexes and wards that she had placed on it over the years turned against its inhabitants. Most terrifying, those who lived there found they could not leave, even in death, and today, the island known as the Haunt of Agrimony is the haunt, instead, of restless revenants seeking only the peace of the tomb—and who are more than happy to vent the ire of their torment on any who dare make landfall here.
SATYX
Somewhere among the innumerable islands that make up the Dragonfather’s domain is the dark jungle isle of Satyx, though no one, living or dead, knows its exact location save those fearsome reavers who sail from it. Centuries ago, long before Toruk began his Nightmare Empire, a terrible battle took place in the skies above this tiny, hidden island. There, the Dragonfather clashed with one of his wayward offspring, the white dragon Shazkz. Toruk was victorious, slaying his progeny in the skies and consuming his athanc then and there. The blighted blood of the white dragon fell like rain upon the island below, and its inhabitants were changed forever. The stories say the blighted blood destroyed the men of that island, wasting them away until nothing remained, while the women were transformed into the fearsome, horned figures known and feared as Satyxis. But really, no one knows. While it is clear that the Satyxis have long embraced a matriarchal society, even before the coming of the dragon’s blighted blood, and all those who have joined the Black Fleet so far appear to be female, no one outside the island community knows what life is like on the hidden isle itself. What is known is that the Satyxis who have ventured forth CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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from their secretive homeland are among the most ferocious and notorious reavers to ever ply the waves. Long before Toruk came to this region, the Satyxis already practiced a unique strand of blood magic, one that granted them oracular abilities and dominion over the waves. For their raiders, sailing is as natural as walking, and few Satyxis crews are not accompanied by a blood witch or two. By far the most infamous of all the many Satyxis ever to have her name cursed by the sailors of western Immoren is the pirate queen Skarre Ravenmane. Probably the most powerful and influential living being in all of Cryx, Skarre has been given near total command of Cryx’s Black Fleet, though these days she spends most of her time sailing amid the islands of the Continental Corridor, raiding and extending Cryx’s domain southward, toward the distant continent of Zu. Whatever the truth of their origins or society, there is one thing that all Satyxis have in common, aside from their fearsome reputation as raiders and pirates: the magnificent, curling horns which sprout from their foreheads, the lasting legacy of the blight that forever altered their people.
Captain Aiakos
Rising from the ranks of the Quay Slayers gang in Blackwater, Aiakos has been fending for himself since he was a child, first earning his reputation by fighting for glory and coin in the gladiatorial pits of that decaying seaport. When the opportunity arose, he shipped off with a pirate crew and, eventually, discovered his warcaster talents, becoming a member of the Black Fleet. As his successes grew, Aiakos returned to Blackwater as a champion in the armies of the Dragonfather and slew the selfstyled pirate king Craethan Morvaen to become the de facto ruler of the city. More than anything, however, Aiakos prizes his own freedom, and he is seldom found in the city he nominally controls, leaving its operations in the hands of his former comrades among the Quay Slayers. Instead, Aiakos spends most of his time plying the waves among the Scharde Islands, conducting lightning raids from his flagship, the Nocturnus, which he took from Morvaen at the same time he took the pirate king’s life. Though he has risen to become one of the most influential living beings in the Nightmare Empire, Aiakos is haunted by a shadow that he refuses to face: the realization that his prized freedom is an illusion and that he is bound to the will of Toruk as much as the undead thralls he disdains.
Adventure Hook
A former pirate captain by the name of Dargeth Kaine, now retired and living out his days in New Larkholm, has become convinced that, in his younger days, he fathered a daughter with a Satyxis raider. He has dedicated his considerable fortune to finding the hidden island and tracking down his daughter—and he believes he has acquired a map to the island’s whereabouts. Problem is, he no longer has a ship or crew willing to undertake the perilous voyage. But that’s nothing enough money won’t handle…
WINDWATCHER’S PASSAGE
Boon and bane to both Cygnar and Cryx alike, Windwatcher’s Passage provides the largest unobstructed run between the Nightmare Empire and the mainland. Wind and water run fast in the passage, channeled between the islands on either side, and while sailing against them can be murder, sailing with them provides the shortest, fastest ride in much of the Broken Coast. As such, Windwatcher’s Passage is closely watched and heavily patrolled by both sides. Ships of the Black Fleet make frequent rounds, while Cryxian forces observe from Garlghast to the north and Dragon’s Roost to the south. Cygnar, for its part, keeps an eye on the passage with the help of the hardy settlers of Giant’s Head and watchtowers mounted along the shore. At the first sign of an invading fleet, the Cygnaran watchers have orders to light the massive signal fires that will give the mainland warning. Despite these many precautions from both sides, numerous ships still pass through Windwatcher’s Passage, many of them pirates and privateers, while larger merchant ships may prefer to stick closer to the coast or take the long way around, sailing around the Scharde Islands and into the Wailing Sea to the west.
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BLACKROCK
Lying just off the eastern shore of Cryx, not far from the notorious port city of Blackwater, Blackrock is firmly under Cryxian control, even though it is home to no garrisons or shipyards and only a few scattered necrotite mining rigs. Acting as a natural buffer for Blackwater, the large island is the domain of a number of bogrin and trollkin tribes, all of them touched, at least slightly, by the blight of the Dragonfather. These tribes principally occupy scattered villages along the shoreline, for the interior of Blackrock is swampy and of little practical application for hunting, fishing, or agriculture, though the local trollkin sometimes venture deep into the interior in search of swamp trolls and other large beasts that make the island their home. Unfortunately, the dragon’s blight has permeated much of the flora and fauna here as well. The stinging insects of Blackrock are particularly noxious, and the island is home to a unique breed of carnivorous vine known as Blackrock Thorn. Though the bogrin and trollkin of Blackrock are likely remnants of ancient Molgur tribes, they retain almost nothing of their bygone traditions, which have been replaced by veneration of the dragon. Today, these tribes worship Toruk, and they engage in regular contests of strength, speed, and skill to earn the opportunity to serve in the armies of Cryx or on board one of the many privateer ships that sail from Blackwater.
Adventure Hook
Recently, word has traveled back to Blackwater that something unusual is stirring on the island of Blackrock. The local tribes believe some particularly great beast has appeared out of the island’s swampy interior, and they’ve decided that the one who slays it will become chieftain of the whole island. Naturally, this has drawn contenders from all their tribes, but more recently, agents from Blackwater have discovered that outsiders are also eligible, and a bid to control the tribes of Blackrock, if even only for a short time, has the potential to prove extremely beneficial…
THE DRAGON’S TEETH
Little more than a dozen fangs of volcanic rock encrusted with dense, stunted vegetation and creeping vines, the chain of islands known as the Dragon’s Teeth is situated as a loose line between Blackrock and Morovan. To the naked eye, there is nothing to mark these islands as any different from the hundreds that surround them. Towers of black rock rise from the waves or from long sandbars that are occasionally swallowed by the tide, topped with dense mats of jungle foliage where waterfalls plunge from the cliffs into the sea. What sets these islands apart is what is hidden from view: countless secret coves and natural sea caves riddle the Dragon’s Teeth, many of them large enough to hide a ship or two or three. Among these hidden coves and passages, dozens of Cryxian pirate vessels lie in wait. Not technically a part of the Nightmare Empire’s fleets, these proud and independent pirates nonetheless know better than to cross the Dragonfather or his agents. They strike out in small numbers to raid merchant ships passing through the Gulf of Middlebank or even occasionally to attack coastal settlements. And though they are not counted as part of the armies of Cryx, the loose confederation of Dragon’s Teeth Pirates are also ready to sail against the enemies of the Nightmare Empire should the call come down. Ostensibly, each ship in the confederation is an independent entity, a petty fiefdom where the captain is king. However, one pirate among the lot has clearly muscled her way to the top of the heap, and no one joins the Dragon’s Teeth Pirates without her say. Beltaria Nightshade is a heavyset Satyxis raider who holds unofficial command over the scattered Dragon’s Teeth Pirates from her flagship, a stolen Ordic naval vessel called the Cannonade. Never one to let finesse handle what brute force can achieve, Beltaria’s ship has become a terror for the Mercarian League. Her crew delights in boarding actions, and Beltaria is always at the head of the fray, specializing in hurling sailors overboard—often with nothing more than a toss of her head after goring them on her horns. Taking great pride in her reputation, Beltaria is said to decorate her cabin with her own wanted posters and has made it a personal goal to increase the reward offered for her death or capture by the Mercarian League. While the pirate captains of the Dragon’s Teeth are mostly free to do as they please, they all answer to Beltaria, in one way or another, and
any crew wishing to join up must first prove themselves to her by pulling off a particularly dangerous or daring raid.
THE RATTLEBONES
Located far to the south near White Shark Reef, the small, rain-washed island known as the Rattlebones is so named for the stones that fill the nearest passage of deep water between the jagged reefs that surround it. These large, smooth stones are occasionally moved by the current, causing them to slide from one place to another, making navigation through the area particularly tricky. Most ships that know of the dangers simply avoid the region altogether, preferring to sail farther out near Hell’s Hook and Morovan. Still, there have been enough shipwrecks near the Rattlebones to help grant the island its sinister reputation, which is unsavory even among the salty pirates who often make the Scharde Islands their home. This reputation comes not from the dangers of the rocks and reef but from the fate that befalls those who do survive being shipwrecked here. Long ago, the Rattlebones was settled by a necrotech by the name of Bilious Vyle, who has since turned the island into his private workshop. Vyle’s experiments are particularly esoteric, even among the notoriously idiosyncratic necrotechs of Cryx, and the island has become overrun with bizarre thralls and other necromechanikal horrors. Those few sailors who have ever survived a brush with the Rattlebones came back telling stories of multi-limbed monstrosities a dozen feet tall, bristling with swaying extremities and masses of rotting muscle with rotating blades where their heads should have been. Unfortunately for the world at large, very few sailors who set foot on the Rattlebones ever leave. The island looks quite unassuming at a glance, its surface largely bare stone washed free of much in the way of plant life. But in the numerous damp caves and tunnels that riddle its interior, Vyle carries out his bizarre experiments on anyone with the ill fortune to find themselves at his nonexistent mercy.
Adventure Hook
The Ashen Veil recently floundered and went down just off the Rattlebones, but one sailor from its crew has made his way to Blackwater to tell the tale. The thing is, he says that the Veil was carrying an unusual cargo, an experimental cortex stolen from Clocker’s Cove. The agents of the Nightmare Empire would pay a pretty penny for it, but if Bilious Vyle has gotten ahold of it, it may have already found its way into one of his necromechanikal abominations.
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THE BROKEN COAST From Ceryl, the City of Wizards, all the way down to Clocker’s Cove on the far side of the Wyrmwall Mountains, the coast of Cygnar is an often inhospitable place. The jagged shoreline looks out over crashing waves and half-hidden rocks, and watchers keep a sharp lookout at all times, eager eyes trained for the next attack from Cryxian raiders. While the mainland of the Broken Coast is Cygnaran, the many rocks and islands that dot the region are often contested territory, with some belonging to Cygnar while others are firmly in the control of the Nightmare Empire, and still others are claimed by neither side at all. Naval charts of the region are notoriously unreliable, identifying countless tiny islands and reefs, yet still others go unnamed and unmarked and sometimes even shift at the whim of storms and tides. Among the many islands here are occasionally reliable passages that are safe—at least from most natural threats, though they are often still preyed upon by pirates or ships of the Black Fleet—boasting names like Frog’s Bight, the Shattered Neck, and others. Even in the safest routes, the tides of the Meredius are treacherous, and the numerous islands that stretch along the Broken Coast have seen more than their share of shipwrecks.
BOTTOMTON
The pirate haven of Bottomton is located on a small, unmarked island between Carre Dova and Berck. Named after “Lord” Joln Rockbottom, famed Rhulic expedition financier and unofficial mayor of the town, Bottomton owes its prosperity and humble beginnings to the crew of the Talion. Serving as a base of operations for the legendary
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pirate vessel, Bottomton started out as nothing more than a cluster of buildings and a few docks constructed to suit the needs of Rockbottom, Phineas Shae, and the rest of the crew. In time, other pirate outfits gathered around the small cluster of buildings, giving rise to taverns, lodgings, storefronts, and other businesses dedicated to keeping the pirate crews hale and happy. The island itself is devoid of the means to support farming, and the only inhabitants beyond the pirate crews are the fishermen who scrape out a living along the rocky shoreline. Others simply drop in from time to time to handle business transactions. Lord Rockbottom’s wealth flows in and out of the port like the tide, and many aspiring pirates, smugglers, and seafaring adventurers seek an audience with him to take on lucrative assignments. Well-placed bribes have ensured that the Ordic Navy leaves the town to its own devices, provided the inhabitants don’t cause trouble.
GIANT’S HEAD
The passage known as the Shattered Neck—and the handful of ragged islands that occupy it—all lead to the piece of land that helped give them their name, the large island known as Giant’s Head, named for the stony mountain that sits in its center. On the rare clear day, Giant’s Head can be seen from as far away as the Cygnaran shoreline, and it serves as a major landmark for sailors navigating the Broken Coast or Windwatcher’s Passage. Despite its proximity to both Blackrock and Garlghast, Giant’s Head is actually a part of Cygnar, home to a few hundred hard-bitten settlers who have fought off more than the occasional pirate crew. In years past, the settlers of Giant’s Head were treated to front-row seats of many vicious naval battles in the waters around the island, and the deep waters along Windwatcher’s Passage are littered with the refuse of sunken ships.
Recently, the hardy settlers who make their homes here have been joined by a small kriel of trollkin, originally hailing from the marshes near Ramarck on the Cygnaran coast. These trollkin heard about the many ships sunk off Giant’s Head, and they’ve come up with a rather ingenious idea—the stoutest among them have been practicing holding their breath for longer and longer periods of time, with the idea that they’ll be able to dive down and collect the treasures from some of the nearer wrecks to trade with the occasional ships from the mainland that come here with provisions.
HENGE HOLD & GATEWAY ISLE
The site of perhaps the greatest battle in living memory, Henge Hold has since been transformed into a memorial to those who fell during the Claiming—and those who disappeared forever through the gate to Cyriss. Standing not far inland, the massive monument that was erected here serves as a landmark to sailors traveling along the Broken Coast north of Windwatcher’s Passage, sailing around the bulk of the island that lies just off the coast. Once called Nevan’s Rock, the largely unpopulated island has since been renamed Gateway Isle, in honor of the sacrifices that were made so near at hand. These days, the island is home to a handful of small fishing villages, and two lighthouses, one at the north end and one at the south. Of all the islands along the Broken Coast, it is among those most firmly in Cygnaran control, and the two lighthouses are surrounded by small fortifications, garrisoned by soldiers from Westwatch in the north and Ramarck in the south. Because the years since the Claiming have been relatively peaceful, and the people of Gateway Isle have faced very little in the way of even disorganized pirate raids, the soldiers from the two outposts enjoy a lot of down time, and a small community has grown up in the very center of the island, midway between the two lighthouses, where soldiers from each tend to mingle during their off-duty hours. The place is a boisterous and, at times, rowdy collection of rough-hewn taverns, music halls, and other entertainments. This informal settlement is colloquially known as Crow’s Nest, named after the very first drinking establishment erected on the spot.
SOUTHSHIELD
From as far north as Fort Balton on the Bay of Stone all the way to Mercir near the Gulf of Cygnar, the shoreline of the Broken Coast is home to countless watchtowers and minor fortifications designed with one goal in mind: to pass along warnings of any threats from the sea. These range in size— and distance apart—and the great fortress city of Highgate is their crown jewel. From simple beacons to fortified lighthouses to massive military garrisons, however, all of these defensive structures look out upon the choppy waves of the Meredius, scanning for any sign of invasion from Cryx, the Orgoth, or any other foreign power. Through an elaborate series of beacons and signals, word can be passed from ship to shore or from any of these watch stations along the long coastal chain all the way to
Highgate or the nearest major fortification. For years, the rulers of Cygnar have been working to supplement these rudimentary—but effective—methods with telegraph lines, and as part of King Julius’ “new army,” the construction of those lines have begun, with towers erected between Mercir and Highgate, striking out from both cities to meet in the middle. That middle will be the watchtower of Southshield. Perched on an inaccessible spire rising from an oceanside cliff, Southshield is as much lighthouse as a border fortress. From a small dock at the cliff’s base, a narrow and winding tunnel leads to the tower itself hundreds of feet above. This allows naval ships to dock in order to resupply the watchtower or trade out troops for fresh ones—even if the lengthy trek through the damp, dark tunnel uphill the entire way is no fun for anybody involved. The troops who garrison Southshield are usually very happy for the reprieve in receiving some fresh provisions. The tower suffers the brunt of severe storms more often than not, and the weather around Southshield is universally terrible. When the spear of rock isn’t being lashed by rain and keening winds, it is enveloped in heavy fog so thick that it can even choke out the beam of the mighty beacon at the top of the tower. Despite this, Southshield’s very inaccessibility—and its position some fifty miles down the coast from Highgate— make the watchtower a point of tactical significance. The watchers in charge there, currently led by Captain Amery Melroane, are waiting impatiently for the completion of the telegraph line, but the last few miles in both directions have proven remarkably difficult, and the construction efforts have met with innumerable setbacks in recent months. So, for now, the lines remain just out of reach.
Adventure Hook
Recently, the telegraph line running north along the coast from Mercir has encountered the most significant setback yet: the entire construction team, including several laborjacks, simply vanished. Their camp was largely undisturbed, with little sign of a struggle, but the ’jacks and workers were all gone. No one knows what happened, whether they were the victim of Cryxian raiders or something that came down from the Wyrmwall Mountains, and unfortunately the garrison at Southshield doesn’t have enough troops to spare to go find out. The good news for local mercenaries and sellswords, though, is that the Crown is offering a not-insubstantial reward to anyone who does.
CULLENROCK
Southwest of Mercir, the craggy and inhospitable island known as Cullenrock is one of the few islands along the Broken Coast that remains firmly in Cygnaran hands. Lashed by rain and waves, the unpleasant island is home to two things, mainly: a pair of lighthouses located at the eastern and western extremes of the landmass. It is absolutely vital that these lighthouses remain in operation, for without them it would be nearly impossible CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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for the numerous ships of the Cygnaran and Ordic navies that patrol this region—not to mention the larger trade ships of the Mercarian League and others—to travel along the western side of the island and avoid the shallow waters of Sandbottom Point. Each lighthouse is staffed at all times by a small crew of eccentric and hard-bitten operators, willing and able to fight off the occasional raider should the situation call for it. These lighthouse keepers are known to be idiosyncratic in the extreme, and the long terms of their posts at the lighthouse, separated from everyone save their fellow operators, does little to help. Aside from the two lighthouses, Cullenrock is home to almost nothing in the way of flora or fauna—just jagged rocks, crusted with salt spray. There is one creature that calls this region home, however: the notorious Cullenrock barnacle. First spotted in the waters around Cullenrock, the barnacles are thought to come from warmer climes farther to the south. While they look like any other barnacle at a glance, they feed on blood and have a tendency to attach themselves to living creatures that pass too close. When encrusted with enough of the strange aquatic vermin, their victims become immune to pain and lose all sense of fear, or so the stories say. Whatever the truth of it, sailors have learned to despise the strange barnacles, while the keepers of the lighthouses on Cullenrock are wisely wary of any seemingly sick creature from the sea that struggles onto land covered in barnacles…
Adventure Hook
Fishing crews near Cullenrock have been losing more and more of their catch—not to mention nets that are hauled in with the ropes torn apart—and they’re pretty sure it can be attributed to creatures afflicted with the Cullenrock barnacles. As such, the authorities in Mercir have extended a bounty on any creature larger than a pony that can be brought in with the barnacles covering its hide, and they aren’t terribly picky about who collects.
MOROVAN
Long a piece of contested territory between Cygnar and the Nightmare Empire, the small island of Morovan is home to the nearest Cygnaran outpost to Cryx—should the island ever experience a day without a pall of rain, a spyglass would almost be enough to make out the distant tower at Hell’s Hook. During the Claiming, most of the soldiers committed to this lonely and thankless duty were pulled back to the mainland, and the small watch keep known as Crownfort has never been fully restaffed. Today, only a handful of soldiers remain, most of them outcasts and ne’er-do-wells who were assigned to this unappealing post as a last resort before being drummed out of the Cygnaran military altogether. Leading them is an equally unlikely commander in the form of Captain Darius Moorland, whose loss of an eye and a hand in battle has not reduced his skills with a long rifle, on the occasion that one can find him sober. Little do these ragged defenders know that the Nightmare
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Empire has also largely abandoned its claim on the island in recent years. While there are two secret coves on the island’s south side that once acted as supply points for Cryxian ships, these days most of those duties have moved to islands farther to the south, and the Cryxian presence on Morovan is even more perfunctory than the Cygnaran one. This would probably be good news for the soldiers of Crownfort were it not for one thing: the island is also home to a Molgur tribe of human and trollkin barbarians who worship a shark-like representation of the Devourer. Nearly a thousand in number, these Molgur remnants have largely avoided the Cygnarans up to now, but their spread upon the island was previously checked by frequent skirmishes with Cryxian sailors and thralls. With Cryx largely abandoning Morovan for points south, and the soldiers of Crownfort only dimly aware of the Devourer worshippers who teem in the island’s forested interior, it’s only a matter of time before a bloody confrontation arises…
RAELTHORNE ISLAND
Perhaps the largest of the islands scattered along the Broken Coast, Raelthorne has long been the exclusive retreat of the Cygnaran monarchy. On the island’s north side is a palatial stone manor built in the Mercarian style that looks out over the waves of the Gulf of Cygnar, while the rest of the island is home to manicured lawns, vibrant gardens, and rolling forests stocked with a variety of wild game, offering some of the best hunting in the nation. However, recent generations have seen the island estate fall into neglect, and none of the kings of Cygnar since Vinter Raelthorne IV have made much use of the place. Vinter IV had little patience for such pleasant diversions and while Leto enjoyed fond memories of his childhood days spent there, opportunities for return were few and far between during his tumultuous rule and were darkened by the memory of his late wife. Julius, meanwhile, has been far too busy for extended vacations since the Claiming, as he struggles to rebuild Cygnar to the prominence it once enjoyed. Despite this, a skeleton crew of caretakers live on the island year-round, maintaining the house and grounds in preparation for the day when the Cygnaran nobility return. In the past, these caretakers have laughed off the claims that the manor and grounds were haunted, but the longer Raelthorne Island sits empty and untenanted, the more the caretakers begin to come around to the idea that there may be something less tangible occupying the island.
Adventure Hook
Recently, through spies in Mercir and Clocker’s Cove, Captain Mortaxus of the pirate ship Resurrection has not only heard about the empty and largely unguarded estate on Raelthorne Island, but he’s also managed to secure the planned patrol routes for the Cygnaran Navy in the area for the next month. His scheme is as simple as it is bold: slip in between the Navy ships, stage a lightning raid, and make off with as much treasure from the estate as his ship can carry. He’s currently laying on a few extra hands in Blackwater before he sets sail for the job…
BLOODSHORE PRISON
Far to the south of the Gulf of Cygnar, on an inhospitable island not far from the ruins of Ancient Icthier on the coast of the former Protectorate of Menoth, lies Cygnar’s most notorious prison. They say that Bloodshore was originally named for the reddish color of its iron-rich soil, but in the centuries since it was first built by King Woldred in 206 AR, more than enough actual blood has stained the earth here to justify the name. Until recently, executions were not uncommon in Cygnaran judicial proceedings, and so the prisoners who found their way to Bloodshore were not just the worst of the worst; they were the ones who were privy to secret information that the crown judged might one day prove useful or ones who couldn’t conveniently be put to death due to their political connections or family standing. These included everyone from former members of Vinter IV’s Inquisition to Scharde pirates who were rumored to know Cryxian secrets or the whereabouts of valuable artifacts. After the Claiming, most of the captured infernalists were put to death, but some were kept alive in the hopes that they could be used to ferret out the secrets of their cabals and find others of their kind. Most of these were transferred to Bloodshore. To oversee their detention, the island prison was also afforded a new warden, Otto Blackwood, an unassuming-looking member of the Order of Illumination. Balding and customarily adorned in wire-rim spectacles, Blackwood looks more like someone’s kindly grandfather than the warden of Cygnar’s most feared prison, but looks can be deceiving and, as an Illuminated One, Blackwood has stared down horrors that would make most of the other guards of Bloodshore quake in their boots.
Built atop chalky cliffs, surrounded by miles of ocean filled with swift currents, shifting sandbars, and perilous reefs, Bloodshore Prison is widely considered to be impossible to escape. Of course, that doesn’t mean that plenty of inmates haven’t tried over the years. Each of the more than one hundred prisoners held on the island is confined to an isolated cell, and all the cells are locked behind several layers of outer walls. There is only a single dock on the island, and no ship lies at anchor there most of the time, with vessels docking only long enough to resupply the prison or drop off new tenants. In recent years, the prison’s arcane defenses have also been bolstered. The guards are now made up of roughly equal parts Cygnaran soldiers and members of the Order of Illumination, and any prisoners with suspected arcane abilities are held in specially warded cells and guarded by gun mages who are trained to shoot first in the event of trouble. Despite all these precautions, the prison is still home to some of the most dangerous criminals in the kingdom, and so the guards remain ever vigilant against any attempt on the fortress, either from within or without.
Adventure Hook
Among the many infamous prisoners held in Bloodshore is an infernalist named Ranal Viteu—one who was in contact with Lich Lord Mortenebra before the Claiming. She believes he still holds the key to certain occult secrets that she seeks to unlock, and she’s tasked, through a number of intermediaries, a Scharde pirate crew to stage a bold attack on the prison itself in order to break out not only Viteu but as many of the other prisoners as they can in the hope that the resulting chaos will help cover Viteu’s extraction back to Cryx for…questioning.
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THE CONTINENTAL CORRIDOR Until recently, relatively little was known of the mysterious southern continent of Zu. Ships of the Mercarian League occasionally returned from that distant shore laden with spices, plants, and animals never before seen in Immoren. Yet these expeditions were few and far between, not to mention plagued with dangers, leaving most citizens of the Iron Kingdoms barely aware that there even was such a place as Zu, let alone what life might be like there. It has only been in the last few years that exploration of—and trade with—the southern continent has truly begun in earnest. First discovered by Captain Wexbourne of the Seacutter in 596 AR, Zu proved to be a lucrative but difficult trading partner, and for many years only a small handful of Immorese established permanent settlements there. That changed after the Claiming, when pilgrims from the former Protectorate of Menoth founded the growing city of New Icthier on the distant continent. For more than a decade, the Mercarian League maintained a near-stranglehold on trade with Zu, but advances in navigational techniques and technology, along with relative peace at home, have led to the rise of new challengers to that virtual monopoly. The traders of the Searforge Commission have shown interest in the southern continent as the
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Rhulfolk look beyond the borders of their own mountain nation. Ever trying to compete with their Mercarian League rivals, the Mateus of Ord seek a more stable foothold in Zu, while the Order of the Golden Crucible looks to the far-off continent in search of valuable alchemical ingredients. Even shipping interests as far north as Khador’s Port Vladovar and Skrovenberg have sent expeditions to the southern continent. Unbeknownst to most of these shipping interests, another player is also eyeing the strategic importance of Zu—and the shipping lanes in between. Long in control of the seas along the Broken Coast, the Nightmare Empire has been taking advantage of the recent lull in hostilities to expand its holdings southward into the long, loose chain of islands known as the Continental Corridor.
From the Sea, the Skies
Shortly before the claiming, Captain Phinneus Shae of the Talion recovered a treasure sunken in the Corridor that would alter the course of warfare in western Immoren. Stowed within the sunken hull of the Seacutter, lost on one of its return trips from Zu, was an unusual arcane mineral. This compound proved vital in the development and deployment of airframes, the basis of Cygnar’s military airships. Not only would these airships prove pivotal in the last days of warfare during the liberation of Llael, but they were a key component in several battles with the infernals at the height of the Claiming.
Scattered across many leagues of ocean, often days or even weeks apart, these islands extend from the southern Scharde Islands almost all the way to Zu itself. No one knows for sure how many islands make up the Corridor, for they have never been fully mapped, and the few nautical maps that do exist are the closely guarded secrets of the Mercarian League or other ventures with a vested interest in keeping them to themselves. While the route to and from Zu is not as perilous as it might once have been, it is still a long and often hazardous voyage lasting several months, and more ships depart than return. Once a vessel has sailed beyond Bloodshore Prison at the southern tip of the Broken Coast, it can expect no support from any navy. As such, pirates are always a problem in the Continental Corridor, and merchant ships often try to travel in small flotillas, seeking safety in numbers. In this regard, not to mention its long control of the waves, Cryx has a distinct advantage when it comes exploring the southern ocean. Few pirates—even those not already affiliated with the Nightmare Empire—would dare to interfere with one of their ships. Despite this, the expansion into the Continental Corridor has been slow going, even for Cryx, for the charting and discovery of so many islands scattered so far apart is no small task, even for those with the Nightmare Empire’s advantages. Those islands that have been discovered throughout the Continental Corridor vary in size from little more than shrinking sandbars with a few lone palms to islands large enough for several settlements. Some are in the control of pirates, others firmly under the thumb of Cryx, while still others remain uninhabited or have fallen into the possession of more unlikely tenants. The northernmost islands of the Continental Corridor tend to experience weather, temperature, and vegetation similar to the Scharde Islands—albeit usually without the touch of dragonblight—while the nearer one draws to Zu itself, the more tropical the islands become, complete with crystal-clear beaches and deluges come the rainy season. No one can say how many islands are scattered throughout the Continental Corridor, just as no one can be sure what they’ll find waiting for them when they land on one. It’s as likely to be something worth a fortune as something that’s going to eat them—or at least, that’s what ambitious, hopeful sailors keep telling themselves.
SKULL ISLAND
Called Skull Island not because of any natural features or landmarks but because the pirate captain who first discovered it was illiterate and so just drew a skull on the navigational charts, this rocky island far to the south of the Scharde Islands has been a safe port for centuries for pirates who want to avoid the naval patrols of the Broken Coast. As such, it was also one of the first islands claimed by Skarre Ravenmane as she pushed into the Continental Corridor. Today, Skull Island is the launching point for Cryxian expeditions to the south, and what was once a simple backwater pirate port has become a major Black Fleet base. A rocky island tossed by the surf and marked with jagged
Skarre Ravenmane
The daughter of a queen, Skarre Ravenmane was born to lead the peoples of Satyx. Yet among these fierce warriors and reavers, the right to lead is proven in battle and bloodshed, and so it was the strength of her arm, the cunning of her stratagems, and the power of her blood magic that made Skarre the pirate queen of the Satyxis. These same traits—along with her unswerving loyalty to the Dragonfather—helped to elevate her through the ranks of the Nightmare Empire, and today she may be the most powerful and influential living being in all of Cryx, even if she actually spends precious little of her time there. Technically the admiral of the entire Black Fleet, Skarre has left those duties in the hands of her fellow Satyxis, Axiara Wraithblade. Skarre, for her part, lives on her flagship, the Widower, accompanied by a small cadre of handpicked vessels. Gone from the Scharde Islands for months at a time, Skarre has been tasked with the vital work of extending Cryx’s influence in the south. With her small fleet, she now prowls the Continental Corridor as she once did the Broken Coast, and those few inhabited islands have learned to fear her name and the sight of her black sails upon the horizon. Though she is certainly not averse to raiding trade ships and plundering settlements on outlying islands, Skarre’s primary mission is not one of conquest by cannon and sword but one of exploration and seeding, laying the groundwork for a more organized southward expansion from the islands of the Nightmare Empire.
outcroppings and small stands of trees, Skull Island is home to fortified piers on three of its sides, each protected by heavy cannons aimed out at sea. Among the ramshackle structures that dot the landscape are several temporary barracks and weapons caches, as well as a single drinking establishment called the Last Chance. The proprietors are an unlikely pair: a blighted trollkin by the name of Garl Blooddrinker, who somehow permanently lost an eye in the fighting pits of Blackwater—no one who knows what’s good for them asks him how —and Theldor Whitnock, a Rhulic “entrepreneur” (by his own account) who is rumored to face no less than a dozen death sentences should he ever return to his homeland. Together, the two brook no competition on the island. On the occasion that an enterprising individual has made any attempt to horn in on their territory, said individual has been known to go missing or have their establishment burn down during the night. While it doesn’t seem like a single watering hole on an out-of-the-way island could possibly be lucrative enough to justify such cutthroat tactics, it is far from the only business that Garl and Theldor run from Skull Island. The island is also home to large quantities of a rare narcotic plant called Snakebite, and the two tavern owners have transformed the harvesting and export of the plant into a cottage industry, sending the fruits of their labor back to Blackwater and even to Five Fingers. Several other blighted trollkin and even a couple of particularly tough Scharde humans work for them, harvesting the coral-colored flowers of the plant, and they often double as bouncers at the Last Chance when they are not otherwise engaged. CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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On the island itself, Skarre is the unchallenged ruler, and her word is law. However, she rarely spends much of her time here, even to resupply. Over the years, she has hidden supply caches on countless uncharted islands spread throughout the Continental Corridor, and she seldom has any need to return to port. Should her masters back in the Nightmare Empire require her presence, she knows she will see it written in the storm or read it in the blood and entrails of her foes. In her absence, the interests of Cryx on Skull Island are governed by a Scharde ogrun named Gorgol Lokk. A former iron monger on Skarre’s own flagship, Lokk is intensely loyal to the pirate queen and carries out her will to the letter while she is away. Besides ensuring the island is ready to supply any Cryxian vessels that arrive, Lokk also oversees the repair of any ships that come in damaged. He cuts an imposing figure on the docks of Skull Island, and he isn’t afraid to lay about himself with his hooked hammer should anyone come here looking for trouble—or should the workers in his employ move too sluggishly for his liking.
Adventure Hook
A pirate ship called the Falling Star, desperately in need of water, food, and powder, stumbled upon one of Skarre’s hidden supply caches. Not knowing to whom it belonged, they took it for their own. It was their bad luck that Skarre’s ship stopped there not long after. The pirate queen has ordered they be made an example of and has placed a price on their heads. Seeing no other recourse, the Falling Star is making all haste toward Zu, hoping to reach the relative security of that distant port before Skarre—or anyone else—catches up with them.
THE LEAGUE OF BROKEN CHAINS
Ever since the Orgoth Occupation, slavery has been frowned upon throughout the Iron Kingdoms with one exception. In Cryx, slavery remains relatively commonplace, though it is the dead who are most likely to find themselves in (proverbial) chains. Yet even in the darkness of the Nightmare Empire, this practice doesn’t sit well with everyone, and there are those who chafe at the use and trade of slaves. For some, this goes beyond personal distaste and has instead become a crusade—one that doesn’t always end with the living. The League of Broken Chains began with a Scharde warcaster by the name of Rowan Ashcroft. A pirate of the Broken Coast, she had spent enough time in Blackwater to understand what life—and death—were like in Cryx. The trade in living flesh in Blackwater’s notorious Meat Market turned her stomach, but it was not until she met Degar Versh that the movement which would become the League of Broken Chains took shape. Versh was a necromancer originally from Five Fingers, who had an unusual outlook on thralls. Believing them to be as capable of sapience and self-will as the living, Versh also bristled at the way thralls were treated in the Nightmare
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Empire. When Versh and Ashcroft met in a run down and largely empty tavern in Blackwater, they quickly realized their points of view shared considerable overlap, and the seeds of the League were planted. Of course, their plans would have no hope of success so close to the heart of Cryx itself, so they set sail in Ashcroft’s ship, the Black Thorn, to find a place where they could work in relative peace and safety, eventually settling on a small archipelago in the Continental Corridor. Once they had established their base of operations, they set about doing the impossible: freeing the living and the dead of the Nightmare Empire. Though it has expanded since those early days, the League still has only a small number of ships under its command, and so they rarely take direct action, though they’re not above forcefully liberating a Cryxian vessel should the opportunity arise. More often, the League spreads agents into the forces of the Nightmare Empire to sow seeds of resistance and, when possible, smuggle out freed slaves and thralls to their home base, the chain of islands they have named Purgatory. Surprisingly, the living and the dead have thus far managed to coexist in remarkable peace on the islands, with the living working and fighting alongside the dead, a fact that the League takes advantage of when raiding Cryxian vessels; like those ships, they are crewed by a combination of living pirates and undead thralls to throw their foes into confusion. Ashcroft and Versh still run the operations of the League, though they have added a number of lieutenants and a small cadre of ships to their cause. Ashcroft is rarely on the islands herself, overseeing League missions from aboard the Black Thorn, but Versh spends most of his time here, honing his skill in the art of thrall creation to develop methods allowing the thralls to claim more autonomy. In this, he is assisted by a skarlock named Acheron. Once bound to Versh’s service, Acheron was the first of the many thralls the League liberated. He believes in the cause of his former master and acts as the de facto leader of the other reanimated dead on the island. Thus far, the League has managed to operate mostly in secret, and their actions haven’t yet drawn the full ire of the Nightmare Empire. But both Ashcroft and Versh know, it’s only a matter of time.
Adventure Hook
The League is always recruiting new agents, but they also can’t afford to let just anyone join. To prove their reliability, a prospective member must first undertake an action that would get them killed by Cryx were it ever discovered. Most recently, the League has gotten wind that the body of a slain Mercarian League captain has been taken by pirates and is being transported north to Blackwater. Word is that the captain had vital intelligence the Cryxians intend to extract from his remains via forensic necromancy. Anyone who manages to intercept the ship and destroy what’s left of the captain before Cryx has their way with him will earn a shot at joining the League.
MARIN’S FOLLY
Hundreds of miles to the south of Cryx yet still far from the mainland of Zu, sailors who stray from the Continental Corridor may come upon a surprising sight: an enormous Menofix of lashed-together wood, rising tall above an island of sandy dunes and scrubby trees. Not all of the ships carrying Menite pilgrims from western Immoren after the Claiming reached the site of New Icthier. Some were lost to storms or pirates while others simply drifted off course. The ship formerly known as the Lightbringer was one such. Commanded by Marin Fallwater, it became separated from the rest of the fleet and eventually found its way here. Despite the name, the people of Marin’s Folly have actually built a thriving community for themselves on the small island. Using timber from the Lightbringer, they constructed not only the first houses of the community but the gigantic Menofix that gives most sailors’ first sight of Marin’s Folly. Luckily for them, the Lightbringer was carrying a cargo of chickens and pigs, which have since run wild across the island where they are unthreatened by any large predators. Best of all, at least as far as the Menite settlers are concerned, they are free from persecution on the island, able to worship the Lawgiver in whatever way they see fit. There is little need for governance in Marin’s Folly, where all the community’s limited resources are shared with each person
contributing to the good of the group, but what little law does exist is, unsurprisingly, arranged along theocratic lines, according to the Canon of the True Law. Outsiders are welcomed in Marin’s Folly on the off chance they should arrive, though if they are not devout, their might find their stay an uncomfortable one. The people of the island will share what they have, even with nonbelievers, though outsiders are expected to work for it just as a citizen would. The island is home to very little that is worth stealing, but that hasn’t stopped the occasional pirate crew or even opportunistic sailor from mistaking the religious community
The Guardian of Folly
One of the greatest defenders of Marin’s Folly is a silent man known only as “Pilgrim” among his fellow settlers. When the first batch of Scharde pirates descended on the island, it was Pilgrim who stood in the surf to meet them. Despite being armed with only a fishing spear, Pilgrim prevented a single raider from setting foot on the sand of Marin’s Folly. The silent Pilgrim spends most of his days apart from the other colonists, praying in solitude. His fellow settlers gossip about who the man might once have been, with rumors ranging from him being a champion of the Paladin Order to a warcaster-in-exile.
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for easy prey. So far, they have always been mistaken. Among the passengers on board the Lightbringer were two monks of the Order of the Fist, who have been teaching the rest of the settlers how to defend themselves. And while the Menites may not have the weapons they bore back in the Protectorate, the short spears they use to fish in the shallows are also effective at driving back potential raiding parties.
WHITE THORN
Somewhere to the north and west of Zu, blissfully far from the Continental Corridor, there is one island that looks no different than any of its neighbors. Indeed, for those few unlucky sailors who have made landfall here, it appears to be a tempting place to stop and resupply. The beaches are clear and clean of debris, there are no nearby reefs, freshwater is available in abundance, and the inland jungle is home to plenty of wildlife to hunt. Unbeknownst to anyone who has ever made the mistake of landing on this nameless island, however, it is a private hunting preserve. It is unknown just how the totem hunter who dwells here initially came to the island, but it seems to have taken a liking to the place and shows no signs of leaving. When sailors are scarce, it exhibits incredible patience, living off the bounty of the land and stalking the creatures that make this island their home to stay in practice. It is when a boatload of sailors makes landfall on this uncharted isle that the totem hunter truly comes alive, however. From the moment other sapient beings set foot on the island, it seems to be aware of them, though they often know nothing of it until the first of them has fallen. Even for one of its kind, the totem hunter is a patient and wily predator, and it enjoys extending the hunt for as long as it can, for it knows that months or even years may pass before it gets another chance. As far as anyone knows, only one sailor has ever escaped the totem hunter’s private preserve: a hard-bitten Scharde pirate by the name of Hanagan Grath. After his time on the island, it is said that his formerly black hair turned white as snow, and he settled in New Icthier, forsaking his life of crime and finding religion at the feet of the Creator. He claims not to know the location of the island where he experience his harrowing ordeal, and he has never shipped back out to sea since for fear that he might inadvertently stumble upon it a second time. Grath rarely talks about what happened to him there, but when he does, he calls the totem hunter who stalks the island White Thorn, claiming that it decorates its own flesh by piercing itself with the bleached thorns that grow on bushes along the shore.
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Adventure Hook
Bastian di la Badrigio is a Llaelese noble who fancies himself a big game hunter. He has spent considerable coin to come to Zu in hopes of hunting the most dangerous game he can find. Somehow, he heard the story of Hanagan Grath’s experience, and he is now obsessed with visiting the isle and hunting the creature that hunts men— and he recently received a lead on its location from a sailor in a bar in Konesta. He has the coin to pay for a ship to take him there, but he also wants to hire the services of a few stout souls not afraid to accompany him onto the island, “Just to help fetch back the thing’s carcass, once I’ve slain it.”
WINDWRACK
The major lane of travel to and from Zu is a relatively islandfree passage called the “Continental Corridor.” Yet even it is not without its dangers, of which the island of Windwrack is one. Situated behind a long, sharp, and largely concealed reef, crosswinds blow hard toward the island, often pushing passing ships onto the reefs below. In fact, it is rumored that the first pirates to settle on the island were shipwrecked here by that very reef. Over the years, a number of different pirate outfits have controlled Windwrack, seldom building much in the way of permanent settlements on the small island. Today, it is home to a trio of independent pirate crews and wreckers who either prey upon ships that flounder on the reef or drive them onto it intentionally. The Moray is a ship of wreckers, captained by a trollkin named Baladar Surfborn. Though a mixed lot, many of his crew are also trollkin and are capable of holding their breath for extended periods. The Moray is a scavenger, uninterested in traditional pirating. It would rather pick over the leavings of those who wreck themselves here. Both the Tinderbox and the Sea Drake take more active roles in seeking out their prey. Captained by a volatile Ordic sea dog, the Tinderbox is renowned for its many guns, though only a few of them are cannons. Captain Diego Lioni particularly likes taking firearms from his victims and passing out all but the best of them to his crew. It is rumored that he has a failsafe built into the Tinderbox: a secret compartment filled with blasting powder that just needs a particular trigger, known only to the captain, to set it off and blow the whole ship sky high. While Lioni is notorious for his eccentricities, Henna Sungrave, the captain of the Sea Drake, is known purely for her ruthlessness. It is said she was the one who pioneered the art of driving ships onto the island’s hidden reef, often using the other two ships to set up the trap. The three vessels that share the island aren’t strictly in league with one another upon the open seas, though they do sometimes team up, but they have a standing détente on the island itself, and anything that wrecks upon the reef is expected to be shared alike between all three vessels.
KONESTA
NEW ICTHIER
While not a true part of the Continental Corridor, the city of Konesta is perhaps the only reason any sailor would risk the perilous journey through the storm-tossed waters and hidden reefs of the intermittent chains of islands that make it up. Ever since Captain Wexbourne’s first trip to Zu in 596 AR, trade with the southern continent has become one of the most lucrative enterprises in western Immoren. Yet even today, when numerous Immorese settlers have begun making their homes here, little is known about the continent, and most sailors who come here have only ever experienced the trading hub of Konesta. A city built upon the ruins of another, more ancient metropolis—which itself may have been built atop a more antique city yet—Konesta is situated at one of the only navigable ports that has yet been discovered among the cliff-lined shores of Zu. Here, trade delegates representing numerous diverse peoples from all over the continent haggle with merchant vessels, providing spices, coffee, unique flora and fauna, and other goods in exchange for imports from western Immoren. As Immorese ships pull into harbor, translators capable of speaking Cygnaran line up along the docks, hoping to be hired to facilitate communication. Because the first ships to trade with Zu were from the Mercarian League, Cygnaran has become the de facto trade language of this distant port, though many of the sailors who have made the trip more than once also know a smattering of Memaloose, a pidgin dialect spoken among the many Zuese who crowd the streets of Konesta. Guards armed with spears and draped in multi-hued cloth patrol the docks and are not afraid to deal harshly with any outsider who violates the rules. Because the port city is so sheltered, it has largely been free of the predations of piracy, and even the Cryxian vessels that have ventured this far south have only engaged in peaceful trade or watched from afar. Until the last few years, there was a standing rule, first laid down by the Mercarian League, not to trade in mechanika or alchemical advancements—and certainly not in ’jacks. However, with the construction of New Icthier, laborjacks under the control of the Menite settlers have found their way to Zuese shores for the first time, and as more and more merchants visit the southern continent, it’s only a matter of time before other mechanika from the north begins to appear here in greater numbers. Though the people of Konesta are welcoming to Immorese trade ships, outsiders are nonetheless encouraged to keep only to certain quarters of the city and not to travel far from the docks without an escort. As for expeditions beyond the city walls and into the jungle on the other side, some have been embarked upon such ventures, but few have returned, and those who spend time in Konesta often hear the calls of unfamiliar beasts from the jungle or see the trees move as if something impossibly huge is moving beneath the canopy.
Though it has had only a few years to establish itself postClaiming, New Icthier has grown from a small colony of religious pilgrims into a permanent city-state in short order. Peopled almost entirely with refugees from the Protectorate of Menoth and converts from Khador, this flourishing community has made a solid home for itself on the shores of Zu. The colony has no interest in conquest, only in the mutual survival and protection of its citizens. But that alone will not protect it. The Zuese people are not keen on seeing more Immorese lay claim to part of their nation, and the pilgrims’ fellow Immorese are not happy to see what they perceive as interlopers. The Mercarian League in particular, which has maintained a trade agreement with the city of Konesta for years, views New Icthier as a ploy by the Sul-Menites to begin converting the local population to their creed, to grow their strength, and to lay claim to Zu in the name of the Lawbringer. These misconceptions have led to friction and violence. Drunken Mercarian sailors have assaulted the perimeter of New Icthier on multiple occasions, burning outlying homes and farms. The commanders of the Mercarian holding in Zu have paid Zuese vagabonds to go in and cause mischief in an effort to pit the pilgrims against the locals, knowing that the death of a native would cause no end of ill for the fledgling city. In the face of these troubles, Sovereign Durant has made his wishes clear: New Icthier will defend itself against any who would do it harm, but he and his flock do not seek violence. He has encouraged the Mercarians and the local Konestan authorities to meet with him to negotiate terms for their peaceful coexistence, but thus far none have accepted his offer. It seems inevitable that conflicts will escalate for New Icthier. How the pilgrims will respond if pushed too far remains to be seen.
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LIFE IN THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE Of all the Iron Kingdoms, the nation of Cryx is one almost entirely devoted to the industry of war. The dead do not rest and neither do the factories and forges where many thralls toil, fashioning arms for the legions of Toruk. From these sleepless foundries, thick clouds of smoke are belched out, blotting out the sun, making day almost as dark as night in the charnel cities of Cryx. And despite the hordes of undead that fill the ranks of the Nightmare Empire, there are humans and other living peoples here who eke out a hard and wretched life under the gaze of the Lich Lords.
FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE
The Nightmare Empire has existed since the father of dragons, Toruk, made his nest here over a millennium ago. Over the centuries, the touch of the dragon’s blight has twisted the ancient pirate cities and ports of the countless Scharde Islands. As the legions of the undead have bloated, the cities evolved from raucous metropolises into grim mortuaries. The Cryxian cities are also touched by another
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society: the Orgoth. The legacy of the infernal-worshipping invaders lives on within the Nightmare Empire, as Toruk laid claim to their arcane secrets when he shattered their final stronghold in western Immoren. The mortal inhabitants have always lived in a restless society where the strong and vicious have reigned supreme. Many of the earliest inhabitants of the Scharde Islands were members of the Molgur tribes of the mainland, who were driven across from the Broken Coast by the relentless advance of their Menite foes. The only change in their history has been who wields the weapons of fear and pain. For this reason, the Scharde Islanders are desperate, conniving, and callous, looking for any opportunity to make their life easier, even if it means another falls in their place. Brother turns upon brother, and best friends stab each other in the back. This culture of survival of the fittest serves the Nightmare Empire, where the strong and devious go on to sire a new generation of cutthroats and killers while the weak take their place amongst
the ranks of the shambling dead. No one goes to waste in the blighted islands of Toruk’s dominion. The Schardefolk are not the only living inhabitants of the Nightmare Empire. All manner of peoples, both locals and slaves, are drawn from across western Immoren to toil in its factories, mines, and docks. Native to the Scharde Islands are the black ogrun. Like their mainland cousins, these towering people are solid and hardy, and this resilience makes them ideal stevedores on the docks or for hewing in the mines. Kriels of hardy blighted trollkin dwell throughout the Scharde Islands. Given their innate resilience, many are put to work in Skell while the majority serve as frenzied warmongers and marauders among the Slaughter Fleet. The blighted trollkin have violent societies—even by the standards of the Nightmare Empire. Peace between these tribes only lasts while fresh flesh is available to feast upon. Even bogrin in the Nightmare Empire are not left untouched. Like their fellow former Molgur, the blight has taken root within their blood, twisting and shaping them into more bloodthirsty people over the centuries. In the case of the bogrin, the blight has twisted their minds such that they are vicious and suspicious, seldom forming large communities of their own, as they are ever distrustful of others and jealous of what little they have scraped together. Among the peoples of the Nightmare Empire and the Scharde Islands, it is hard to see how the human Schardefolk can survive in the crumbling and toxic cities and treacherous port towns. But thanks to their innate tenacity, the Scharde humans survive in this decaying land. The typical human islander is pallid and malnourished, and the norm for their culture is to be covered in scarification, piercings, and tattoos. While often personal, these forms of body modifications are also signs of allegiance to gangs and criminal fraternities or signs of bondage that individuals still endure or have escaped. Other than these common signs of Scharde culture, the people that make up the human population of the Scharde Islands hail from all parts of western Immoren, as the kingdom assimilates any and all slaves, traitors, refugees, or criminals who come to the islands. Dragonblight is a common affliction amongst all the denizens of the Nightmare Empire. Among the trollkin, the blight manifests itself as their bloodlust and hunger for flesh while causing bone spurs and horns to erupt from their flesh. Similarly, the ogrun possess great strength and the capacity for violence and brutal rages. The Schardefolk, though less able to withstand being in the presence of blight, still feel the effects, both mentally and physically. Their skin is lined with dark veins and patches of blackened scaley skin while their teeth and nails can be jet black and tapered to sharp points. Their eyes may also be ringed in inky veins or entirely lacking in visible irises. Of course, the predominant population of the Nightmare Empire is the undead, who outnumber the living by many orders of magnitude. They have no care for the corrosive and toxic aura of the blight. Just the same, while Toruk and his church may place life at the lower end of the hierarchy, the living are still a crucial part of the Nightmare Empire.
What is Necrotite?
Necrotite forms where mass bloodshed has occurred, such as on battlefields and during massacres. The very energies of death that spill from a body when a soul departs it soak into the earth, tainting the place with a necrotic aura. Over time, these energies coagulate and form solid masses, not unlike coal. The mineral is often mistaken for coal, and only when burnt does the true nature of the fuel present itself. The flames of the burning necrotite are sickly green, radiating necrotic energy rather than a warming heat. It is this energy that enables the foul arcane engineering of necrotech. Necrotite, however, is rarer than coal. Still, the fuel burns longer, allowing a helljack to run for just as long as a regular warjack while using a fraction of the equivalent amount of required fuel. Burning coal is not a clean process, with furnaces expelling smoke and soot, but burning Necrotite is even more toxic, as the necrotic energies given off by the balefire cause wasting diseases and eventual death to all living entities that remain in the presence of such fires for a long enough time.
THE BONE TRADE
Life for Scharde Islanders centers on the industry of death. Bodies are processed daily, stripped of anything of value before being sent to factories to be sawn apart, eviscerated, and stitched back together. The living watch as the dead they ferried in as corpses once more rise, imbued with all manner of arcane runes and necromantic alchemical serums by demented necrotechs and erudite necromancers. But in the shadow of these industrial abattoirs and necrochemical refineries, mundane trade and business must occur for the living to scratch out some semblance of a life. The tropical climate of the islands of the Scharde and Cryx should mean that crops of fruits, root vegetables, and pulses flourish. Rainforests spread rampantly, and mangroves line the toxic rivers of Cryx, meaning timber is not in short supply. The blanketing clouds of ash and smog block out the sun, and the blight pollutes the very land, twisting all life that grows in the soil. Trees grow twisted, and their fruits are bitter and poisonous, while legumes and root vegetables are tough, tasteless, and provide little sustenance. The animals that feed upon these meager offerings, and in turn the animals that prey upon them, are all tainted with hardly any meat on the bone and are savage opportunistic creatures, feasting on all offerings. It is of little surprise then that pigs are the most common creature reared on the islands as livestock for the living. All manner of waste is fed to pigs—again, nothing goes to waste in Cryx—while herders brave the mountains with their flocks of goats, which graze upon hardy shrubs that grow high above the black clouds. In general, the sweltering climate and lack of sunlight mean fungi of all types spawn on rotting waste and the dead, all the while soaking in the blight. Many mushrooms varieties are harvested not just for food but for alchemical refinement. Bubbling vats of the mushrooms are distilled to form all manner of poisons and alchemical reagents. Being an island nation, the people of the Nightmare Empire engage in fishing and bring to shore vast quantities of fish and massive hull grinders and whales. Many island CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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communities are devoted to this trade, shipping meat, skins, shells, bones, and oil back to the mausoleum cities. They even brew a form of beer using fermented whale offal. To supplement their diet, the islanders raid the coastal villages and cargo ships of the mainland, looting grain, fruits, and meats—anything that is a challenge to grow or rear in the Nightmare Empire. If there is one resource Cryx is not in short supply of it is corpses. Centuries of occupation by the Orgoth birthed numerous gargantuan charnel pits filled with the remains of the slaves and prisoners brought to their settlements on the islands. Hordes of slaves and workers toil day and night, exhuming the bones and decaying bodies from these mass graves for use by the necrotechs in their foul designs. Trolleys overflowing with bones are pulled out of the pits and are poured into great containers that are carried by steam engine back to the necrofactoriums of Cryx. When the foul
designs of the necrotechs require even larger bones and body parts, gangs of excavators are sent into the dense jungles either to unearth the remains of ancient monsters or to hunt the blighted beasts that roam there. Besides the bodies dug up on the islands, many more are brought to Cryx by ship. Captives from raids barely survive the crossing, with the dead processed at port and sent on to the factories. However, many ships arrive laden with the dead as they return from excursions to the mainland to recover raw material from battlefields and graveyards. While thralls are tireless workers when it comes to carrying the dead from the ships, living workers must sift the dead for anything of value. These items soon find circulation within the local economy of the Scharde dockside communities. It is a grim task to be elbow deep in cadavers and offal, but there are those lucky days when a worker chances upon a trinket of some worth. Perhaps the most valuable resource found with the dead
Shades of Gray? Roleplay games are a cooperative storytelling experience. First and paramount to running a roleplaying game is that the experience is enjoyable to all players at the table. The aim of a roleplaying game is not to surprise the other players, the Game Master included, with shocking and crass actions and descriptions of hideous and vile acts. With that in mind, it begs the question, how do we run stories and scenarios set in the Scharde Isles and Cryx or tackle the realities of necrotech without turning off players or treading on topics other players at the table would find offensive? The first point to make is that just because Cryx and the Scharde Isles are awash with death, crime, murder, and the undead, that does not mean you have to double down on these topics and feature them constantly in a story. Death and depravity are the themes that form the background for a story, but they do not need to be the focus. Players all understand that by playing in games set in these places or by playing characters from these societies, their characters have seen, experienced, and perhaps committed such horrible acts of violence. For that reason, it is far more interesting to focus on topics and themes in stories that are not the norm for these characters. For example, we know necrotechs perform grotesque experiments all the time, so it can be more enjoyable when a necrotech is away from their laboratory and not performing work that such a character considers mundane. With the players gathered and characters created, an important step is for the Game Master and players to agree on accepted topics for stories in their campaign. These should be agreed upon unanimously and can be facilitated using a questionnaire. During gameplay, the players may realize that a topic or theme they had not considered at the start of the campaign, and thus one that is not on the banned list, is causing them issues with enjoying the game in that current state. There must be an accepted way for players to raise issues like these with the Game Master. A simple hand action or other signifiers can enable players and Games Masters to check in with each other to ensure everyone is enjoying the game.
Okay, So-So, No More. These three hand signals in
combination allow players to signal to the Game Master their enjoyment of the current scene in the game. An “okay” hand action means “Yes, I like this, more please, keep going.” A hand over the eyes gesture means the player has seen enough, doesn’t wish to participate in the scene any longer, or finds the
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descriptions too crass or overbearing. A horizontal flat hand signals, “I’m not quite okay with how the scene is playing out currently.” While not a no, it is indeed a signal for the player or Game Master to dial back the descriptions or move along the story from that scene, perhaps “fading to black.” This system can also be represented using three cards, green, yellow, and red, i.e., traffic lights, with players tapping the appropriate card.
X Card. This is a simple signal to players and the Game Master
that a topic, scene, or description has become too much and is preventing enjoyment of the game. Instead, a player simply taps on the X Card to signal this. Players’ enjoyment of topics is not binary. This may mean some topics are not banned from a story, but some tuning of the game experience is required. This is referred to as “Lines and Veils,” where off-bound topics are Lines, but other topics can be alluded to and are Veils. For example, some players may be fine with their character being involved in a romantic relationship. Still, when it comes to intimate matters, interaction occurs “off-screen” or the scene “fades to black.” This can also be applied to scenes that involve drug use, torture, or any other interaction that feels too visceral or uncomfortable for the players to describe but they wish to acknowledge occurs. All of the above, of course, does not mean a player is obliged to stay at a table or in a game if the story steers into content that they did not agree to or feel uncomfortable with, and so they can leave the game at any point. This also includes non-game-related reasons. Of course, if this becomes a recurring issue for many game sessions, the Game Master and player should discuss if the player should remain playing in the campaign if they are leaving the game mid-session so frequently that it disrupts the enjoyment of the game for the other players. Lastly, it is important to debrief players after a session. This can occur collectively as the game session ends and everyone blows off some steam after playing in character for the last few hours, or it can occur on a one-to-one basis so players can be more forthcoming and less self-conscious. Either way, this allows the players and Game Master to reflect on what is working and what is not and to adjust the game. Even for a group of players that have been playing together for many years, this time of reflection is important because people and their tastes do change over time.
is the ore, necrotite. Unlike coal, which forms in seams within the bedrock, necrotite is found located in the presence of the dead, primarily in the mass graves and battle sites. Thralls and the living both labor by digging out this coal-like substance, picking out the lumps from amongst the bones of the dead. Despite deposits found in the Scharde Islands, much more is required. Ships leave the ports of Cryx carrying gain gangs and helljacks set upon one goal—recovering necrotite from the death fields of the Iron Kingdoms.
CARNIVALS OF FLESH AND SPIRIT
The cruel and grim working conditions for the living, plus the ever-present reminders of how fragile mortality is by literally walking and working next to the dead, makes the people of Cryx hungrier for life. This desperate atmosphere fosters a culture of exploitation and abuse. Coupled with the foul tasks of exhuming the dead and mining the bleak and noxious mines, the citizens of the Scharde Islands are eager to escape their meager existence. Indulgence is a brief respite from the tangible reality that death is coming for everyone, sooner or later. Only by joining the ranks of gangs, the crews of pirates vessels, and traffickers of body parts can one of the living hope to prolong the inevitable and gorge themselves in the meantime. So long as the gears of industry turn and there is a constant supply of bodies, the Lich Lords and necrotechs
care little for the politicking and turf wars between the gangs and pirates who oppress the workforce of Cryx. After all, another dead hoodlum is just more meat for the grinder. Mortal Cryxian society operates much like any other feudal society. Gang lords claim turf, either owning businesses and property within that territory or gathering tribute from those who live within their borders in exchange for protection. A gang boss’s lieutenants are in turn assigned to oversee the operations within a fief inside this territory, collecting the tribute, taking a cut for themselves, and if they can get away with it, operating side hustles to make a few more crowns. These gangs provide the workforce to the Nightmare Empire—those who have skills, influence, or money find themselves free to conduct their own business. However, anyone lacking in worth is sent to the mines, charnel pits, or worse, sold to necrotechs. The law is whatever the gangs and Cryxian overlords deem necessary. Murder and violence only matter if harm comes to anyone a powerful individual cares for. And while necrotechs would gladly welcome a growing pile of bodies, turf wars between gangs are bothersome to the Cryxian masters, as a dead citizenry and spiraling internecine war hinder Cryxian war efforts. Otherwise, anything can and does go in any particular gang fiefdom. Gambling dens, brothels, drug dens, slave markets, and other seedy affairs are all welcome and familiar places in Cryxian and Scharde society, sating the dark desires before death cuts a dismal life short. When meted out within Cryxian and Scharde society, CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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justice is often swift, brutal, and performed to send a message, both to those within a fief and those troublemakers who have allegiance to other crime bosses. Because of the visible fate of all the dead in these islands—being turned into yet another member of the walking dead—this fate is not enough of a threat to those who would cross a mobster. Instead, the threat of a drawn-out and painful death is much more provocative. Why decapitate the murderer of one of your lieutenants when they can be hoisted up in a gibbet as food for carrion crows, relentlessly tortured by necromancers who in turn use their magic to sustain the victim’s life so that they can repeat the process? The real problem for the pirate lords and gang bosses is when the two parties in conflict are both assets that they can’t risk harming or killing. Such scenarios typically arise when there are disputes between rival business owners or gang lieutenants. Given there is no formal precedence for resolving disputes nor established courts of law or a professional body of counselors, the crime boss must act as judge and jury in matters. They hold court, listening to the cases of each party involved in the dispute, including any witnesses that can be compelled—or bribed—to participate in the trial. Of course, the judge is more than open to accepting bribes from anyone who wishes to see the prosecution
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resolved to their liking. However, a savvy judge knows not to accept just any bribe, as that is a surefire way to damage their reputation and cause a coup within their organization.
FAITH IN THE DEAD
Within the Nightmare Empire, it is hard not to acknowledge the very presence of a being of godlike proportions existing at the heart of society. Though the dragon is a physical and material being, reverence and faith are expected from all members of the Cryxian empire. While Toruk’s will is made manifest by his Lich Lords, very few mortals will come into contact with such embodiments of death, leaving matters of faith and worship in the hands of the Lich Lord Divinitus and his priests of the Church of Toruk. While initially living, the clergy members of Toruk display signs of blight, as all priests are expected to periodically visit their god at the Black Temple in Skell, where they gather together under the direction of Lich Lord Divinitus and proclaim their veneration of Toruk, their “God of Caen.” In return, each is blessed by imbibing a concoction made with blighted ashes taken from the capital city. Those who live long enough eventually transition, succumbing to the blight and joining the ranks of the undead. Despite the evident pain
and suffering the blight causes these priests, it is considered a divine blessing from their god. It is a test, for if the priest survives long enough and is found worthy, the secret tongue of Lord Toruk, Tkra, is taught to the priest shortly following their final transformation into an immortal undead priest. As time passes, Toruk’s clergy members are so saturated with the blight that merely being in their presence causes pain, necrosis, and death in other living entities. The clergy can come from any ancestry. While they all display various degrees of necrosis and mutation, they are commonly clad in concealing dark cloaks and hoods, often made from the skins of scaled creatures to better emulate their god-dragon. The veneration of other deities is stamped out within the Nightmare Empire, and the clergy of the Church of Toruk is at the spearhead of these purges. However, the nature of their necrotic aura prevents the priests of Toruk from performing regular sermons to a living congregation. Instead, the very fear of being in the presence of one of these living embodiments of Toruk’s will is enough to ensure loyalty, and lesser deacons act on behalf of their priest to hold regular ceremonies. The core aspect of these congregations is the demonstration of Toruk’s arcane might and how every soul is bound to Toruk, in life and in death. Weekly within a local temple, before the gathered supplicants, a priest demonstrates Toruk’s holy might: the sacrifice and subsequent reanimation of a person. The victim of this sacred rite is typically an enemy of the church, such as a follower of another faith or a troublemaker handed to the church by a local captain or gang boss. While the gods are not predatory or require their faithful to sell their souls to them, upon the isle of Cryx, infernalism presents a direct challenge to the claim that Toruk has upon all souls. Since the arrival of the Orgoth, Toruk and his Lich Lords have spied on them, witnessing their rites dedicated to their infernal masters and the arcane manner in which they could remove and manipulate souls. Of great importance was the tome, the Librum Mekanecrus. But no matter the aims of the Orgoth and the infernalists that followed, their goals were all the same: to harvest souls for their masters. Mortals such as necromancers and followers of Thamar are always in danger of being seduced by the power that infernalism presents. The price, no matter the goal, is the same: souls. However, infernalists, in their hubris, believe they can cheat the deal they have made or recover so many souls for their masters that they may be released from their pledge while infernalists on the mainland are a valuable tool for sowing the seeds of discord and strife amongst the Iron Kingdoms. When the Order of Illumination is closing in on the agents of Cryx, some helpful clues and misdirection can lead these hunters to an infernal-worshipping cult, a proven tactic to give necromancers and spies time to move their operations and cover their tracks. But within the Empire, the infernalists are hunted down and their cults exterminated. The sliver of hope, no matter how futile it is, that infernalism presents the desperate mortal citizens of Cryx is enough to draw in followers to a cult. Rapidly, an unchecked circle of infernalists can proliferate, worming its way into all parts of society and threatening the industry of souls and the Cryxian
war effort. The priests of the Church of Toruk, working for both Lich Lords Corripio and Divinitus, seek out these cults, reimposing the faith in the Dragonfather while capturing and torturing the cult hierophants for all their secrets and arcane lore. Perhaps the most crucial role the clergy of the Church of Toruk serve is to ensure the tithe to the Black Temple— scouring the newly dead of the Nightmare Empire and recovering those souls and cadavers deemed worthy of use within the necrofactoriums of Skell. Faith in Toruk takes another form amongst the ogrun of Cryx. All are bound to Toruk by a korune, which persists even beyond death. The demands of this living god, the grim realities of the Cryxian empire, and the corrupting influence of the blight have all twisted their once noble society from the rule of wisdom to the rule of strength and violence. Similarly, the ancient faith of the trollkin of Cryx, who for millennia venerated the mother goddess Dhunia or the Devourer Wurm, has drifted from tradition due to the pervasive influence of Toruk’s blight. But the proximity of their tribal homes to Toruk’s nest shattered their priests’ minds and drove the tribes to cannibalism. Cannibalism itself is now viewed as a consecrated act, leading closer to their carrion god Toruk. Of course, faith in the Dragonfather is nearly universal among the sentient dead—after all, they are a walking embodiment of Toruk’s divine power. For this reason, those undead who have a will of their own are faithful to the source of their immortality. Similarly, such undead that walk amongst the living communities of Cryx are looked upon with awe and respect, as these figures are terrifying to behold and an aspiration to achieve. Joining the undead ranks, even while retaining a sense of self instead of just becoming a mindless thrall, is not without cost. Toruk owns your soul, and you are expected to heed the call of the god that gifted immortality. Within the ranks of the undead you are one step closer to Toruk above the ranks of mindless thralls and waning mortals. Yet within the society of the dead there is a pecking order. At the top is Toruk, and below him his Lich Lords, each focused upon a particular aspect of the empire. Though these lords of the dead are calculating and duplicitous, they are forbidden by the Dragonfather from openly warring with each other. This of course does not prevent a shadow war from playing out in the empire and on the battlefields of western Immoren. Beneath the Lich Lords are many servants. Iron liches are undead beings fused with necrotech and tasked with leading Toruk’s forces. They are joined by necromancers and necrotechs who are masters of the lore kept by Lich Lord Corripio and of those sentient undead who wield influence, knowledge, might, and martial skill. Occupying a rank closer to the undead masters and made up of both the living and the dead are the warcasters of Cryx. Their arcane will to command helljacks and wield devastating necrotic magics leads such potent warriors to be elevated to positions of command, overseeing entire legions. It is clear that for the living to rise above their station, their only way up relies on death and for the dying to be valued CHAPTER 1: THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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so much that they join the ranks of the immortal rather than just becoming another of the innumerable thralls. However, amongst the living there are those who do command some respect amongst the dead. The Satyxis are a race of cruel warriors, touched by the blight, and of whom the outside world only sees their vicious reaver women, thanks to their secretive society on the isle of Satyx. Warwitches are an ancient tradition of arcane warriors, originally created and trained by the Orgoth and whose magic and lore were absorbed into the Cryxian war industry. Once slaves used as weapons by the Orgoth, within the Cryxian forces they fulfill the role of sorcerous captains, answering only to Toruk and the Lich Lords.
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES
The military of Cryx is primarily filled with the dead. Thralls of all kinds are sent in droves to fight for the Dragonfather, and carrying these legions of undead and helljacks is the chaotic naval fleet of pirates that serve Cryx. While the cities of Cryx host the necrofactoriums and the smaller settlements provide a regular flow of fresh bodies, the Cryxian fleet is critical for the war effort, as the raiding fleets bring back food, munitions, and most important, cadavers and necrotite. The Cryxian fleets includes a core raiding fleet led by Skarre Ravenmane and a substantial contingent of wraith ships commanded by Captain Rengrave of the Atramentous, but the vast majority of the fleet is a flotilla of mercenary and pirate ships acting in effect as Cryx’s merchant navy. Joining the fleet presents its own dangers for mortals, as they face the deadly churning seas of the Broken Coast. Few green crew members survive their first year at sea unscathed, and fewer still live to see promotion through the ranks. But despite the threats of being wrecked, maimed, eaten by some enormous sea monster, or killed by rival pirates or the flotillas of the Iron Kingdoms, a pirate’s life presents greater freedoms than most Cryxians experience during their entire lives. The typical life aboard a pirate ship of the Nightmare Empire involves hard graft, swabbing the deck, hoisting cargo, mending sails, and toiling in the tempestuous weather. But all this is preparation for the main event: boarding and looting a ship of a rival nation. Shot and cannon fire splinters bones as readily as wood, but those crew members lucky enough to survive will get the opportunity for shore leave under false colors. Many of the small ports and pirate coves that litter the Broken Coast provide ample circ*mstances for a pirate crew to spend their ill-gotten coin on liquor and other indulgences. Of all the ports along the Broken Coast, Five Fingers is where all Cryxian crew hope to make port. Despite the obvious perks of being a pirate, plying the high seas and visiting vistas far from the gloomy skies of Cryx, the freedoms that such travel affords must be carefully protected by all members of the Cryxian pirate vessel. A single misspoken word or deed that draws unwanted attention or worse can put at risk the ability of a ship to enter freeports. And while such issues can scuttle the long-term plans of a pirate captain for a vessel belonging to the force of Cryx, it can seriously hinder the movement of resources and agents to
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and from the mainland. Even minor infractions are punished, if discovered, with crew members lashed to within an inch of their life. At the same time, more severe transgressions result in yet another body or two being shipped back to the necrofactoriums.
IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON
The Broken Coast and the Scharde Islands, while nominally considered part of the nation of Cryx, are independent settlements that collectively share a history and culture. Many of their villages consist of rough-looking hovels built from wood washed up from wrecks or stones piled up to form squat domes in a style that has persisted ever since their Molgur ancestors fled to the islands millennia ago. And while the humans shelter in these rain-beaten hovels, the trollkin, ogrun, and bogrin find other shelter. Dotting these islands are reminders of long-forgotten invaders as the cyclopean ruins of the Orgoth still stand, having weathered the storms for over a thousand years. While only a fraction of their former grandeur, some of these massive fortresses and watchtowers are home to pirate kings, secret caches of booty, and notorious black markets. The culture of the Schardefolk is cobbled together from various traditions passed down through the ages. Many of their shrines are to the Devourer Wurm in the form of effigies carved from driftwood into shapes of fantastic sea monsters and drakes. These shrines are always the last port of call for the Scharde sailors to make a small offering of food before setting out to catch fish, whales, or engage in piracy. What history there is of the Scharde Islanders is passed down as song and rhymes with only a few tales committed to tablet or paper. The Scharde Islanders subsist on a mixture of fish, whale, and shellfish, supplemented with seaweeds and kelp, but unlike their cousins in the Nightmare Empire, they are much more able to bargain with the merchant fleets of the mainland, trading highly sought-after seafood for grains and fruits. Whales are a prize catch, as their oil provides light and heat, and ambergris and other organs are worth more than gold to the alchemists who seek rare ingredients for their work. Despite their distance and independence from the Nightmare Empire, some communities fall under the shadow of scheming necrotechs and erudite necromancers. Far from the yoke of Toruk and the churning war machine of Cryx, these inquiring minds can experiment and dabble free from distraction. Some unlucky villagers soon find their neighbors and family turned into unholy thralls for the local master of the undead. Before long, the entire settlement is silent, and only the crashing of waves and cawing of crows can be heard. Some agents of Cryx are far less demanding of the locals, seeking only their regional knowledge as they seek out lost artifacts and lore in the hidden dungeons and caches of the Orgoth. Such treasure hunts draw the attention of rivals, and thus the competing parties draw islanders into their tiny conflict.
FACTIONS & SOCIETIES OF THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE AND BEYOND The Nightmare Empire of Cryx is unique among the nations of western Immoren. While the nation is home to factions and hierarchies like any other, it is the vision of a single individual, a living god whose lifespan is measured in millennia and whose control over the fate of the empire is absolute. Toruk commands his subjects in life and in death, and none within the boundaries of the Nightmare Empire are permitted any god or fealty above that which they owe to the Dragonfather. For all the nationalist fervor of Khador or the religious devotion of the former Protectorate of Menoth, nowhere else
in the Iron Kingdoms can be found a nation as unwavering in its mission as the Nightmare Empire. Everything in Cryx happens because Toruk wills it so—or because he permits it. Yet even here, there is room for internecine conflicts, factions, tribalism, and secret societies that spring up either beneath Toruk’s notice or with his tacit blessing. Toruk’s dominion is absolute on the island nation itself, but the Dragonfather commands a vast region of open ocean and scattered islands. Among the Scharde Islands and the Broken Coast, there are organizations, both close knit and otherwise, that operate outside Toruk’s domain—even if many of them
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must still pay a certain tithe of loyalty (and sometimes coin) to the Nightmare Empire. Among the many islands that make up the environs of the Dragonfather’s domain can be found independent pirate confederations, elaborate smuggling rings, remnant Molgur tribes, stoic Cygnaran settlers, and even freedom fighters who plot against the might of the Nightmare Empire itself. Some operate through loose affiliations with Cryx while others survive only by avoiding the attentions of the dragon’s agents. Toruk’s authority may be absolute, but his plans span centuries, and he has little interest in the minutiae of the many islands that make up his kingdom, allowing his numberless underlings—and the vicious and predatory nature of the region itself—to cull any who might undermine the goals of the Nightmare Empire.
THE LICH LORDS
Though it was Toruk’s will that made manifest the Nightmare Empire, he has little interest in the day-to-day governance of his realm. The Dragonfather’s thoughts are elsewhere, dwelling upon plots that span the length of countless human lifetimes. This was true even before the terrible wound that he received at the hands of his progeny, and since then, he has withdrawn to his tower and rarely engages even with the Lich Lords who rule in his stead. Always twelve in number, the original Lich Lords were made from the first twelve pirate kings who knelt before Toruk when he subdued the island nation. Over the years, new figures have been elevated to the station as their predecessors were destroyed or fell to treachery from within. Only a few of the original dozen remain, and they are transformed considerably by their long service to the dragon. No matter how they rose to their position of prominence, each Lich Lord is personally selected by Toruk to fulfill the duties required by his great plan—and they are given the power and influence they need to do so. Indeed, within the Nightmare Empire, each of the Lich Lords is as powerful as any living king, so long as they never make the mistake of crossing their master. Each has a particular domain over which they exert absolute control. Until recently, even the youngest among their number counted their ages in centuries rather than years, and prolonged decades of undeath have rendered them strange and largely alien even to their unliving underlings. Most operate from the capital of Skell, where their undead nature renders them largely immune to the city’s blighted atmosphere. Here, they work within their own spheres and meet to plan the future of the Dragonfather’s great work. Only those directly involved in war efforts or Toruk’s schemes abroad spend much of their time beyond the shores of Cryx itself. Angorus. It is Angorus’ skeletal hand that holds the Nightmare Empire’s purse strings. From the treasury of Skell, he ensures that every aspect of the Dragonfather’s domain has the resources needed to fulfill their part in Toruk’s plan. While his duties include overseeing the collection and tallying of the taxes collected from across Cryx and
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throughout the Scharde Islands, the treasury is also where the Lich Lord’s subordinates keep a tally of the vast quantities of corpses and enslaved people that pass through the Nightmare Empire. Corripio. Most on the mainland would never dream it, but Skell is home to one of the largest and most diverse libraries in all of western Immoren, including innumerable forbidden tomes long believed to have been destroyed. Here, Lich Lord Corripio catalogs the accumulated knowledge of the Nightmare Empire gathered from across the Iron Kingdoms and throughout the centuries. Deneghra. The youngest of the Lich Lords, it wasn’t so many years ago that Deneghra was a living warwitch, trained by the iron lich Asphyxious. In the short time she has been in her elevated station, she has quickly positioned herself as Toruk’s right hand. She claims to speak for the Dragonfather while he nurses his injuries, and though these claims rankle many of her peers, no one among them has the power or authority to gainsay her. Divinitus. Deneghra’s rise to power has made her more than a few enemies, even among her fellow Lich Lords. Of these, none is more bitter than Lich Lord Divinitus, who has long held sway over the Church of Toruk. From the Black Temple in Skell, he personally directs the worship of the Dragonfather, and he resents the close relationship Deneghra has forged with the injured dragon, not to mention the usurpation of what he sees as his holy duties of speaking to the faithful on Toruk’s behalf. Fulmenus. Of the five Lich Lords who fought at Drer Drakkerung, Fulmenus is one of only two that still survives in any form. His physical body destroyed by the sorcerous conflagration unleashed by the Orgoth, Fulmenus is little more than a shadow drifting through the Archive of Skell. Though his physical power has weakened, he has gained new insight into death and what waits beyond, and his dominion is over the study and practice of necromancy in the Nightmare Empire. Malathrax. Those who have encountered the armies of Cryx on the battlefields of western Immoren might have difficulty imagining that the Nightmare Empire would be willing or able to deal in spies and espionage. Yet such intelligence operations are as necessary a tool in the arsenal of the Dragonfather as are the nation’s undying soldiers. These covert operations are primarily the province of Lich Lord Malathrax, an inscrutable and secretive being whose agents on the mainland have often been embedded there for years or even decades. Mortenebra. Formerly the most inventive and ingenious necrotech in all of the Nightmare Empire, Lich Lord Mortenebra was elevated to her current position following the Claiming and quickly used her extensive knowledge and experience to seize nearly total control of Cryx’s war industry, which had previously been the dominion of Lich Lord Asphyxious. Unlike most of her peers, she spends far more time in Dreggsmouth or the newly constructed industrial city of Lichgate than in Skell. Scopulous. Unlike many of his peers, Lich Lord Scopulous never became feared upon the mainland of western
Immoren, but he is nonetheless as intimately connected with the Cryxian military as Lich Lords such as Terminus and the now departed Asphyxious. Specifically, he is in charge of the island nation’s defenses and the armies that the Nightmare Empire holds in reserve during incursions against the mainland. While the presence of such terrible beings as the Lich Lords and Toruk himself are more than enough to dissuade all but the most dedicated of attacks, Toruk’s plans require that his empire be ever ready to repel invaders—a task to which Scopulous dedicates his not inconsiderable genius and patience. Tenebrous. Like Fulmenus, Lich Lord Tenebrous was one of the five of his kind that led the Dragonfather’s armies against Drer Drakkerung, and like his fellow survivor, his physical body was destroyed in the conflagration that followed. While the shadowy form of Fulmenus pursues mastery of necromancy, however, the spectral shade of Tenebrous haunts the Archive of Skell in pursuit of even more esoteric matters. He is the Nightmare Empire’s foremost expert on arcane and occult lore, and it was he who helped to wrest secrets from the dead Orgoth that have since been used to add considerably to Cryx’s power. Terminus. Lich Lord Terminus has suffered more than most of his peers, yet he still persists in his unwavering service to the Dragonfather. When Terminus uncovered the plans of the iron lich Asphyxious, the two clashed in an epic confrontation that nearly saw Terminus permanently wiped from the face of Caen—yet he returned to continue to lead the armies of Cryx on the mainland. Massive in frame, with enormous draconic wings sprouting from his back, Terminus is one of Toruk’s most outstanding military leaders, and with peace having settled over the land, he builds the strength of his armies and bides his time until he can be of service to the Dragonfather once again. Thalassina. Ostensibly, the domain of Lich Lord Thalassina is that of foreign affairs and diplomacy, but in reality, there are generally only two kinds of diplomacy between Cryx and most other nations: espionage and warfare. Along with Malathrax, Thalassina oversees the former. A master manipulator, she rarely deals directly with mortals or agents of other nations, but she has built up a massive network of spies, blackmailers, and peddlers of influence who work covertly throughout western Immoren to make the nations of the Iron Kingdoms ready for their eventual conquest by the Dragonfather. Venethrax. There are few beings on Caen, living or dead, who can claim to have fought a dragon to a standstill. One such is Lich Lord Venethrax, whose sole vocation is the destruction of Toruk’s unruly brood. While all of the Lich Lords serve vital roles in the Dragonfather’s plans, few others do so as directly as Venethrax—and few are given as much latitude in how they carry out operations. Besides leading incursions to hunt Toruk’s progeny, Venethrax is also perhaps the greatest mortal-born authority on draconic lore in the world.
THE CHURCH OF TORUK
By far the largest single building in the Nightmare Empire— quite possibly in all of Caen—the Black Temple in Skell is devoted wholly to worshiping the living god who dwells in the tower above. While there are theologians on the mainland who question Toruk’s divinity, on the island of Cryx itself there is no doubting his power or the potency of his blighted clerics. In the Nightmare Empire, worship of the Dragonfather is the only true religion. Toruk lays claim to the souls of all those who dwell in his realm to use as he desires, and each of the island’s cities has at least one temple constructed in his honor. Yet the Church of Toruk is not as dogmatic as the faith of the Menites of the former Protectorate, and neither the Dragonfather nor his agents expect the many ruffians, cutthroats, and undead monstrosities who make up his flock to attend services or to say their prayers at night. It is enough that they openly offer veneration to no other deity, for Toruk allows none within the Nightmare Empire to serve any other master than himself. Despite this relatively laissez-faire attitude, the Church of Toruk holds considerable influence throughout Cryx and the Scharde Islands, and none save the Lich Lords themselves can call its clergy to task. Overseen directly by Lich Lord Divinitus, the highest-ranking among Toruk’s clerics tend to be undead, for the living cannot survive long in the blighted atmosphere of the Black Temple. In those members of Toruk’s priesthood who are still numbered among the living, the blight has taken hold to an extent more considerable than in almost any other living beings in Caen, and many of them are actually deadly to other mortals if they stay near for too long. The farther one travels from Skell, the less oppressive Toruk’s blight becomes, but even for those priests of the Dragonfather who operate miles from the main island of Cryx, the touch of the dragon’s power is enough to spread it to them, no matter how far they travel, and every cleric in Toruk’s service feels the blight of the dragon more strongly than his other subjects. For many, this is considered a holy sacrament, a blessing rather than a curse, and they relish their transformation even as their flesh decays and sloughs from their bodies. While the vast majority of the Dragonfather’s priesthood is concentrated in Skell, recent years have seen the Church of Toruk spread to underground splinter cells even on the mainland. Here, the clerics of the Dragonfather must carefully hide their blight and operate in secret, gathering bands of believers in caves and ruins and the dark and twisting labyrinths beneath the great cities of the Iron Kingdoms. Lich Lord Divinitus sees these splinter sects as a useful experiment. Perhaps they will help prepare the rest of Immoren for Toruk’s ultimate ascendance. If not, they are valuable sources of spies and influence among the nations of the enemy.
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THE RELIQUARY OF GARLGHAST
Few among the living would ever dare travel to Skell if they could avoid it. Only the most devout of Toruk’s worshippers become members of his clergy or swell the congregations at the Black Temple. Yet the worship of the dragon is far from the only significant work in the Cryxian capital, and some of the most critical research and training in the Nightmare Empire takes place within the blighted capital. Located in an antechamber deep in the heart of the Archive of Skell and overseen by spectral curators is the structure known as the Reliquary of Garlghast. Octagonal in shape, the Reliquary is a repository of Orgoth artifacts recovered from the destruction of Drer Drakkerung—probably the most extensive such collection in western Immoren. It is also where the warwitches are made. While the blackships may have been the most potent of the weapons gained by Cryx when the Nightmare Empire defeated the Orgoth, the secrets of the warwitches are a close second. These powerful spellcasters began as duplications of the Orgoth tradition, using secrets pried from Orgoth witches both living and dead, and the modern Cryxian warwitch combines these ancient secrets with a vast array of occult lore gathered by the Nightmare Empire over the centuries. Capable of clouding the minds of their enemies or turning their own shadows against them, the warwitches are one of the most potent weapons in the arsenal of the Dragonfather. Prospective warwitches receive no formal training in the use of these arcane secrets. Instead, they undergo an excruciating and highly secretive indoctrination within the Reliquary of Garlghast. Those who survive this grim rite are not only granted the powers of the warwitch but are hardened into living weapons, their physical bodies bound to darkness and shadow, their souls touched by the chill of the grave. While the specific rituals necessary to create these potent spellcasters remain a closely guarded secret, thus far, the process has only proven effective on living subjects, making warwitches among the most feared and influential of Toruk’s living agents.
THE FOUR FLEETS
Though supported by hundreds of thousands of helljacks, bonejacks, and soldiers both living and dead, the true power of the Cryxian military resides upon the waves. Built around a backbone of the dreaded blackships, this naval might is divided up among four distinctive fleets, each of which plays a vital role in expanding and defending the domain of the Nightmare Empire. The Black Fleet. The most notorious of these is the Black Fleet. Made up of the feared blackships, which were crafted using secrets wrested from the defeated Orgoth, its vessels may be the most formidable naval ships in the whole of western Immoren. Massive craft of heavy black iron, they carry with them their own weather, conjuring unnatural winds to fill their sails and banks of fog to conceal
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their approach. The Black Fleet is technically under the command of Skarre Ravenmane, but she is an admiral in absentia of late, devoting her time and energies to the southern expansion of the Nightmare Empire. In her absence, she has left the fleet under the command of a fellow Satyxis raider named Axiara Wraithblade, who was formerly the commander of Cryx’s patchwork pirate fleet. From aboard her flagship, the Morbid Angel, Axiara governs the movements of the most decisive naval force in western Immoren, and any who dare to challenge her leadership find themselves cut down by the blood-consecrated sword from which she takes her name. The Pirate Fleet. With Axiara devoting her time and attention to the Black Fleet, the Nightmare Empire’s most extensive—and most disorganized—fleet has come under the unofficial command of the pirate warcaster Aiakos, who rules Blackwater in name but spends most of his time on the waves aboard his flagship, the Nocturnus. While the other fleets of the Cryxian Navy are organized along military lines, the pirate fleet is a loosely allied hodgepodge of independent pirate vessels. Usually commanded by the living rather than the dead, they range considerably in both size and the makeup of their crews, not to mention their loyalty to the Nightmare Empire. Despite this, the salty dogs of the fleet know better than to disobey an order that comes down from Wraithblade, Ravenmane, Aiakos, or anyone of even higher rank. There is dissent and disorder among the many pirates who make up innumerable ships of the fleet, but each and every sea dog among them knows they serve in the shadow of a dragon and that they will not survive long should that shadow take their notice. The Ghost Fleet. The smallest of the Nightmare Empire’s fleets was also the first. The Ghost Fleet is made up of strange and spectral ships. They sail on their own fell winds and regenerate damage almost as quickly as they receive it. The damned souls who pace the decks are ghostly revenants, as capable of returning from destruction as the ships themselves, and there are few among the navies of the mainland who would dare to confront a vessel of the Ghost Fleet. Sailors from Uldenfrost to Mercir have learned to dread the balelight that rims a ghost ship’s sails. Led by the former dirgenmast known as the Atramentous, the Ghost Fleet is under the command of Captain Rengrave, who has the distinction of being Toruk’s very first vassal. Like his master, Rengrave has the power to add new souls to the crews of his ships, converting those who fall in battle against him into the fleeting and terrible revenant crews of the spectral ships under his command. The Slaughter Fleet. Until a few years before the Claiming, the Slaughter Fleet was a part of the much-larger pirate fleet of Cryx. It was only under the command of General Gerlak Slaughterborn that several dozen ships crewed primarily by blighted trollkin and ogrun united to form a new, distinct fleet—one that became as feared by the peoples of the Broken Coast as even the dread Black Fleet or the spectral Ghost Fleet. Known for the brutality of its crews, the ships of the
Slaughter Fleet are stained crimson from spilled blood and carry with them a charnel house stench. Even compared to the ships crewed by the dead, they are capable of instilling terror, and when one of them makes landfall or engages in a boarding action, dozens of bloodthirsty trollkin pour forth to earn the fleet its name. Tales of the bloody deeds of these sanguine ships are told from Ceryl to Mercir and beyond, and the ships of the Slaughter Fleet delight in preying upon coastal settlements, which they have continued to do even throughout the years of relative peace that followed the Claiming.
THE SOUTHERN INCURSION
Not technically one of the four fleets of the Cryxian Navy, the Southern Incursion has been the primary focus of Skarre Ravenmane for the last half-decade. Led directly by her flagship, the Widower, the purpose of the Southern Incursion is simple: establish a chain of supply depots, garrisons, and even colonies stretching from Cryx throughout the islands of the Continental Corridor all the way to distant Zu, with the ultimate goal of putting the Nightmare Empire within striking distance of that faraway continent. Due to its unique role, the Southern Incursion comprises even fewer ships than the dreaded Ghost Fleet, all of them handpicked by the pirate queen herself. Their purpose is not conquest nor even naval supremacy, though few would dare
to challenge any of the ships of the Southern Incursion in open water; instead, Skarre has been tasked with the vital role of mapping and exploring the Continental Corridor, ensuring that Cryx maintains its dominance of the waves even as the nations of the Iron Kingdoms increase their trade with Zu. Though it is ostensibly headquartered on Skull Island, not far to the south of the Scharde Islands, the actual center of power for the Southern Incursion is Skarre’s flagship, and the captains of the various vessels that operate under her direct command are given a remarkable amount of latitude to carry out her orders in whatever way they see fit, as it is expected that they will often go weeks or even months without any direct contact. In addition to the ships of the Southern Incursion, there are countless Cryxian outposts of various sizes that have been established on islands throughout the Continental Corridor. Some of these are nothing more than a buried cache of supplies, while others include fortified garrisons of troops and weapons and even some minor manufacturing or necrotite mining operations. When Skarre has completed her work, the Nightmare Empire will control the waters from Garlghast all the way to Zu—and if need be, she will stain the seas red to ensure that she does not fail the Dragonfather’s trust.
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PIRATES OF THE BROKEN COAST
Not every ship that preys upon the waves is allied—even loosely—with the Nightmare Empire. Independent pirate vessels, some of them bearing letters of marque from nations like Ord, Cygnar, and even Khador, operate from ports like Mercir and Five Fingers, not to mention uncharted islands scattered along the coast. For these pirates, the decks of their ships are the world and the captain is their king. Each vessel is an independent fiefdom, although some of the most successful pirate captains manage to amass small fleets of several ships under their command. Those privateers who bear letters of marque are beholden, to some extent, to the nobles who issued them, while other pirates are lawless scavengers who will raid any boat or shoreline community that seems ripe for the picking. The crews and captains of these ships run the gamut. Ordic privateers, for example, follow a long tradition of piracy, and their vessels are almost like floating palaces. And then there are pirates secretly in league with significant trading interests who are little more than mercenaries in their employ, raiding the ships of business rivals while granting their sponsors plausible deniability. Scharde pirates operate from inhospitable spits of rock and hunt from desperation. And there is everything in between. Each ship is unique, and each one is home to a closed ecosystem of crew and officers who develop their own onboard culture as they serve together, often isolated for months at a time. These pirates frequently live difficult lives, trying to carve out a position of independence amid massive icebergs of powers such as the Nightmare Empire and the Mercarian League. Conditions vary from ship to ship, but many are surprisingly democratic, and on almost every ship that sails the black flag, every member of the crew gets an agreed-upon share of any loot they manage to take. Pirates and buccaneers of the Broken Coast come from all walks of life. Some were born into the trade, some are the bored scions of castellan families whose naval skills have led them to a life of (sometimes semi-legitimate) crime, and some are former sailors on mercantile or naval vessels who turned to piracy out of desperation, circ*mstance, or because they were simply press-ganged into the job. Though piracy without a letter of marque is technically illegal in much of the Iron Kingdoms and, in some places, is still punishable by death, pirate vessels can be found, either openly or covertly, making berth in just about every major port in western Immoren, from Carre Dova to Blackwater to Konesta in distant Zu.
THE QUAY SLAYERS
The notorious port of Blackwater is home to innumerable street gangs who have carved up the city and the surrounding slums into territories that they simultaneously patrol and prey upon. These gangs constantly clash over the city’s limited resources and extort “protection” money from anyone who lives or works within the regions they control, not to mention those merely passing through.
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The Cephalyx
In the years before the Claiming, agents of the Nightmare Empire constructed secret underground bases and necrofactoriums beneath the nations of the mainland. These secret sites were made possible only through an unprecedented alliance between Asphyxious and the mysterious inhuman slavers known as the cephalyx. To most of the peoples of the Iron Kingdoms, the cephalyx are the stuff of campfire stories—if they have heard of them at all. Prior to their affiliation with Cryx, these enigmatic beings had never so much as bothered to communicate with other surface dwellers, and to this day even the other Lich Lords remain unsure of the exact nature of Asphyxious’ bargain. Whatever the departed Lich Lord offered them, however, the contract still seems to stand, at least some of the time. While the necrofactoriums and other bases on the mainland were abandoned or destroyed as the Cryxian forces withdrew, incursion forces can sometimes still be seen with a small attachment of independent cephalyx in tow, gathering up some percentage of enemy survivors and spiriting them away for their own twisted experiments. Furthermore, it is rumored that delegates from the cephalyx have actually departed the mainland and made their way to the Nightmare Empire itself, where they are in some sort of communication with Lich Lords Tenebrous, Mortenebra, and Deneghra.
In recent years, the most powerful gang in town has been the Quay Slayers, who rose to prominence as a gang even as one of their members did individually. When the warcaster Aiakos slew the self-proclaimed pirate king Craethan Morvaen and took his ship, he also took nominal control of Blackwater. Aiakos was not one to let himself become tied down, however, even by the rule of a city, and so he left its governance in the hands of his former gang mates. With their new authority, the Quay Slayers largely abandoned their former territories carved up by other gangs and took over Morvaen’s former fortress, a prison-like stone edifice built on a flat ledge of rock overlooking most of the port city. From there, the gang has their fingers in a wide variety of illicit and other enterprises and collects “tribute” from just about every transaction within the city. Yet there is one aspect of life in Blackwater that even the hardened Quay Slayers know better than to interfere with, and that is the actual military of Cryx. Ships of the Black Fleet dock in the city’s harbors without the need to pay off a harbormaster, and no member of any gang is foolhardy enough to challenge the soldiers of the Dragonfather. While Aiakos is technically the master of the city, he rarely sets foot in port, and the Quay Slayers are generally run by the brother-and-sister duo of Mago and Creena Blackburn. Orphaned on the streets of Blackwater at a young age, the pair made a name for themselves in the fighting pits. Mago is a giant of a man, nearly as large as a trollkin, who once gained notoriety for literally breaking an opponent’s back during a pit fight. Creena is not much smaller than her brother and is probably the more dangerous of the two. Infamous for using hidden weapons, she would rather fight dirty than fair.
Though the Quay Slayers currently sit at the top of the heap, they are but one of many street gangs who hold a remarkable amount of power within the city of Blackwater. Though none interfere with the servants of the Dragonfather, they all vie with one another constantly, trading territory and influence in bloody skirmishes that are as likely to catch innocent bystanders in the fray as they are their intended targets. For almost anyone who is not directly in Toruk’s employ, the only way to survive for long in the city is to join one of the gangs—or find a way into their good graces.
HOST OF TARTARUS
The undead known as banes are distinct from other thralls in several ways. Though still created through the use of Telgesh runes, they are animated by souls touched by the sentient darkness that seeps in from the cold oblivion between Caen and Urcaen. Under normal circ*mstances, the creation of bane thralls is slow and unpredictable. Not every corpse is suitable to host a creature so inimical to life, and coaxing the death energies from the lost souls of the ancient dead is a laborious and perilous task. Such was not the case for the warrior known as Bane Lord Tartarus. More than three thousand years ago, a Molgur chieftain named Horfar Grimmr fought one of the last great battles against Priest-King Golivant. When he was captured, Grimmr was tormented for a month before his body was cast into flame, and Menite curses prevented his soul from ever reaching Urcaen or returning to Dhunia. For centuries, it languished in the shadowy abyss from which banes are drawn, and in that time it changed into something new and terrible. So connected is Tartarus to this dark energy that he can serve as a conduit for it to create new banes. Lich Lord Tenebrous first mastered the art of creating these deadly warriors, and Tartarus was his first and greatest triumph. Bound into a body created from the remains of several ancient warrior-kings, Tartarus became first among the banes and was sent to the mainland centuries ago to seek out promising souls and summon them forth from the darkness. He has done so across every nation of the Iron Kingdoms, and there are stories of the deathly Host of Tartarus told in places as far distant as the Bloodstone Marches, Clockers Cove, Midfast, Hellspass, Leryn, and even into the dwarven empire of Rhul. Known by many names, the host is made up of bane warriors and knights summoned from death and darkness by the powers of Tartarus, and during the conflicts before the Claiming, they served as one of the Dragonfather’s most potent weapons on the mainland. Over the years, they have given rise to superstitious fears and elaborate folktales. In Wythmoor, they tell of a hunt that brings living darkness in its wake. In northern Khador, they speak of warriors who rise even as they are slain, while the soldiers of Fellig whisper of enemies capable of walking through the very walls to strike at their targets. The composition of the Host of Tartarus ebbs and flows as the Bane Lord finds new soldiers to add to his forces
and others are pulled from it to reinforce the armies of the Dragonfather. Always, however, he is served by some of the most potent of all banes, including powerful lieutenants such as Kortesh, the remnant of the soul of an ancient Khadoran barbarian, or the entity known simply as Suneater, whose body is said to have been recovered from the field of slaughter where the Scion Roth experienced his dark ascension. When most of the Cryxian military withdrew back to the Nightmare Empire after the Claiming, Tartarus and his host were left behind to continue the mission he had been pursuing for centuries. He and his followers haunt the night and stalk dark and accursed places throughout the mainland, ever alert for the remains of ancient warriors whose powerful souls might serve as conduits for the darkness of the banes under his command.
THE IRON MONGERS UNION
Life is hard in the Nightmare Empire, and death can be even worse. There are few among the living who command much respect or power within the forces of Cryx, but there are some whose skills are so integral to the functioning of the nation that they are able to improve their lot. Among these are the members of the Iron Mongers Union. Originally formed by Scharde ogrun iron mongers, skilled and brutal mechanics and engineers who work the decks of the blackships themselves, the Iron Mongers Union has grown over the years to include numerous skilled trades that serve the Cryxian war industry. From those who labor over forges making blades and spears to the living hands that assist necrotechs in the creation of thralls and ’jacks to the shipwrights constructing the ships of the Black Fleet in the harbor at Dreggsmouth, the living often labor alongside— and frequently surpass—the dead in many industries across Cryx, and those whose work directly relates to war and conquest can usually apply for membership within the Iron Mongers Union. As the Union has grown, it has added cells representing different trades. These sub-unions are all technically Iron Mongers, but they usually call themselves by their own names: the Union of Smiths, the Union of Shipwrights, the Union of Fleshcraft, the Union of ’Jackbuilders, and so on. Each one has its own leadership, both locally and across the Nightmare Empire, while all of them answer to the dictates of the larger Iron Mongers Union. While the Union advocates for its workers, it is still a uniquely Cryxian organization. Founded by Scharde ogrun who view Toruk as the ultimate korune, the purpose of the Union is not to make the lives of its workers better for their own sake but rather to advocate for conditions that will improve their capacity to serve the Dragonfather to the best of their ability. It is easy for the dead that rule the island nation to forget the needs of the living or to view them as expendable cattle, but the heads of the Iron Mongers Union know their worth to Toruk’s plans, and they demand to be given the tools and resources they need to serve him. Though Union membership is now open to anyone who
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works in one of the represented trades, the upper echelons are still mostly occupied by Scharde ogrun, and their tactics for quelling dissent among their ranks is often brutal. Each local branch of the Union has its own leadership, while the various sub-unions all send Union chiefs to meetings of the Union itself held in Dreggsmouth, where its headquarters is located. The current head of the Iron Mongers Union, sometimes informally called the Union Korune, is an aging Scharde ogrun named Korgul Ammok. Ammok’s beard and has gone grey over the years, but he has lost none of the muscle that once labored over forges. What he did lose was his right hand in an industrial accident, and he has replaced it with a simple iron hammer, which he bangs on his desk—or on the heads of anyone foolish enough to talk back to him—when presiding over Union business. Because of the power the Union has amassed, Ammok has the authority to negotiate directly with the Lich Lords themselves and has a particularly good working relationship with Mortenebra, who respects his dedication to the service of the Dragonfather.
ORDER OF THE TORN VEIL
Among the people of the mainland, few are even aware of the existence of the mysterious society of necromancers known as the Order of the Torn Veil. Of those who are aware, if asked where they believe the Order originated, they will likely say either Five Fingers or Cryx itself. The truth is far more unsettling—or would be, if more people were aware of it. The necromancers of the Order of the Torn Veil began as a loose confederation of bored Llaelese nobles dating back to the abdication of Queen Bryna in 295 AR—at least according to them. Meeting in secret to engage in forbidden arts, the Order likely began as little more than decadent nobles with nothing better to do. Forbidden arts have a gravity all their own, however, and before long the Order of the Torn Veil was one of the most advanced networks of necromancers outside the Nightmare Empire. By the end of the Coin War in 484 AR, they had spread beyond Llael, infiltrating Five Fingers and even the Order of Wizardry in Ceryl. It is suggested that the Torn Veil even has agents in Khador’s Greylords Covenant. Operating in cells and disguising their identities—often even from one another—the Order has managed to largely evade the attention of the Order of Illumination or other inquisitorial bodies over the years. The coming of the Northern Crusade to Llael in 606 AR was the last straw for the Order’s presence in its home country. By then, most of its influence had spread to cities beyond the Llaelese borders anyway, and the handful of remaining members of the Order found the fanatically devout Menites too dangerous a presence to tolerate and so made themselves scarce. Ever since the Order of the Torn Veil was first founded, they have kept to similar traditions, formed out of necessity rather than belief. While many members are Thamarites, the
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Order has little interest in religion and prizes only one edict above all others: knowledge is power, no matter where or how it is acquired. Because their anonymity was so integral to their survival, the Order adopted a tradition of wearing sack-like masks and patchworks cloaks to disguise any indication of their identity or rank. Thus unable to identify one another, however, they had to have other methods of ferreting out interlopers, which led to the development of an elaborate series of rituals and coded language that each member is expected to memorize and never write down or share. These rituals have spread with the sect and are still practiced in places all over the Iron Kingdoms. Unlike many necromancers in Cryx, the members of the Order of the Torn Veil are less concerned with the reanimation of the dead— though they certainly learn the particulars of that art—than they are in the extraction of information. Moreover, they have placed singular value upon exploring Orgoth ruins and the excavation of secrets from old Morrdh, and significant cells of the Order exist in places where such knowledge is readily accessible, especially Corvis. Surprisingly enough, the Order of the Torn Veil did not spread to Cryx until after the Claiming. There is no agreedupon reason for this, though most within the organization would argue their awareness that the Dragonfather was not inclined to share his secrets kept them out. As the forces of the Nightmare Empire withdrew from the mainland, however, agents of the Order went with them, and now small sects can be found in Blackwater and, it is rumored, even in the garrison at Dragon’s Roost, where they hope to gain access to the Orgoth ruins buried beneath Garlghast.
THE MERCARIAN LEAGUE
Before the Claiming, the Mercarian League held a virtual monopoly on trade with the southern continent of Zu. And while the years of relative peace following that calamitous event have led to an explosion in both exploration and trade, the League remains the premier trading partner of that distant land—not to mention probably the most powerful mercantile organization in western Immoren. Founded as a loose confederation of trading interests in Mercir, the League has grown into one of the largest trade organizations in the world, with significant representatives in virtually every port as well as in the halls of power of Cygnar and beyond. Though the decisions of the League affect everything from the price of bread in Corvis to the cost of coal in Korsk, very few people in the Iron Kingdoms know much about the organization’s inner workings—and the League would just as soon keep it that way. Its governing board includes members of Cygnaran nobility and the Order of Illumination, and it counts among its allies individuals as highly placed as King Julius himself. Though it has headquarters in Caspia, Ceryl, and even the Ordic ports of Carre Dova and Berck, to name a few—not to mention a fortified stronghold in Konesta—the heart of the Mercarian League remains where it all began: in the city of Mercir. While the League is a trade organization, its power and
influence cannot be maintained by trade alone. Its ships are protected by some of the best soldiers money can buy while its intelligence-gathering network—the Eye of Mercir— has agents embedded all over the Iron Kingdom, making the Mercarian League arguably as well informed as any government anywhere in western Immoren. Members of the Eye are as vital to the success of the League as any trading delegation or political contact. No ship has ever plied the waters that was as valuable to the League’s activities as one well-placed spy. Agents of the Eye are embedded as bureaucrats and minor officials, as city watch and stevedores, as bodyguards and valets. They come from—and exist within—all walks of life throughout the Iron Kingdoms, sometimes operating undercover for months or even years, all the while sending vital intelligence back to the governing board of the Mercarian League. Nor is espionage their only function. As valuable as such intelligence is, the agents of the Eye are also there to grease the wheels—or at least ensure they remain greased. The Mercarian League relies on lucrative but tenuous trade agreements and political affiliations, and the agents of the Eye ensure these stay favorable to the League wherever possible. Sometimes, that means putting a knife in someone’s ribs; other times, it means something as simple as ensuring that paperwork is filed in a timely fashion. Only the most highly placed members of the board are aware of the operations of the Eye of Mercir, and even then, no one member knows the identity and placement of every operative. Their efforts are siloed, with agents reporting to ranking League members from Korsk to Mercir. The ledgers containing the identities and the assignments of these operatives are among the most closely guarded secrets in the Iron Kingdoms.
HOUSE MATEU
It is impossible to discuss the trade operations of the Mercarian League without also mentioning the activities of their nearest rivals. Once rulers of Ord, the castellans of House Mateu now restrict their ambitions more to mercantile than political activities—though, as with the Mercarian League itself, the two often go hand in hand. Izabella Mateu, the matriarch of the family, sits atop a trade organization that rivals the League in scope, and it is rumored that none other than King Baird’s grandson—who is also married to Queen Katelyn of Llael—has a Mateu mistress. While the holdings of House Mateu span countless shipping concerns, trade houses, and much more besides, the empire is run by the family from the top down, and there is no major enterprise embarked upon with Mateu coin or collateral that doesn’t have Izabella’s approval. Like many in Ord, the Mateus have always relied upon the sea to trade their goods and expand their influence. This has brought them frequently into conflict with pirates and even Cryxian ships. Most vessels affiliated with the family are defended by well-paid mercenaries and sometimes include warcasters trained at the Trident School in Berck. Despite this, the Mercarian League retained a stranglehold
on trade with Zu until only the last few years, when the Mateus finally managed to establish a trading outpost there. One of the first Ordic ships to make the journey was, in fact, captained by a family member. Biella Mateu is a warcaster and the captain of the Salamander, a ship known for its blistering cannonades. She’s also a loyal member of the Mateu dynasty and has played a critical role in helping to establish a foothold for the family on the southern continent. Indeed, she still makes regular trips to and from that distant port and has a sizable villa built within the Mateus’ fortified trading house there. Bound by family ties, elaborate marriages, and the intricate schemes of Izabella Mateu, the family’s intelligence network is, in many ways, a match for the Mercarian League’s, even while the spies of House Mateu are less rigorously organized. In one way or another, the house nevertheless manages to have eyes and ears in most of the continent’s boardrooms, bedrooms, and war rooms.
KNIGHTS OF THE HIGHGATE VIGIL
Unique among the knightly orders the Cygnar, the Knights of the Vigil do not look—or act—much like what most people in the kingdom think of when they hear the word “knight.” These handpicked soldiers are tasked with the often lonely and thankless duty of guarding the Broken Coast against Cryxian incursions, pirate raids, the return of the Orgoth, or any other threat that might come from the sea. They also patrol the nearby Wyrmwall mountains. Eschewing heavy armor and weapons, the Knights of the Vigil are equipped more like rangers or road wardens, favoring armaments like crossbows and short blades that allow them to attack unexpectedly should the need arise. They usually work in small bands, though each one is trained and empowered to operate solo if the situation calls for it. Besides Cygnar’s first line of defense against attacks from the sea, the Knights of the Vigil act as a key element in the kingdom’s intelligence-gathering services. To this end, they have made contacts not only in coastal towns and villages all along the Broken Coast but even among pirate crews, privateers, pickpockets, and thieves from Mercir to Ceryl and, some say, even to Blackwater. Based in Highgate, they report directly to Lord General Vincent Gollan, himself a senior Knight of the Prophet. Knowing the importance that direct intelligence plays in protecting Cygnar’s shores, Gollan ensures that the oaths the knights take permit them a remarkable amount of autonomy and flexibility when it comes to precisely how they acquire such knowledge, and a Knight of the Vigil is as adept at slipping a few coins to a potential informant as they are at slipping their blades between that informant’s ribs as necessary.
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T
he characters generated by the players are the central figures in each Iron Kingdoms: Requiem campaign. The tale revolves around your characters’ choices, whether noble or selfish, and the consequences of those choices. This chapter introduces additional races, classes, subclasses, backgrounds, and adventuring companies designed to help players create characters that can live and prosper in the world of the Scharde Islands and the Nightmare Empire.
NEW ESSENCE
BLIGHTED VIGOR
Your Constitution increases by 1. In addition, you may use a bonus action to roll one of your Hit Dice, taking necrotic damage equal to the number rolled and gaining temporary hit points equal to twice the number rolled. (This necrotic damage ignores resistance and immunity.) These temporary hit points last until you finish a short or long rest. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, plus once more for each additional Blighted essence feat you have taken. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest.
The Iron Kingdoms are a widely varied place, and characters’ natural aptitudes determine as much about their abilities as the parents they were born to and the places they grew up in. When creating a campaign, a GM can decide to allow this essence to be used in addition to those in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.
CLAWS OF THE DRAGON
BLIGHTED
DRACONIC BREATH
Characters with the Blighted essence have been changed by blight, the flesh- and mind-warping radiation exuded by Toruk and his children. Most of the blighted show some sign of living in the shadow of a dragon, but some undergo drastic metamorphoses that make them unrecognizable as members of their own species. All the while, echoes of the dragon’s thoughts come to them unbidden as the dragon seeks to impose its will on those bearing its gifts. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Constitution, or Dexterity score increases by2. Whispers of Corruption. When you make an ability check, before making the roll you can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to your ability check. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest. Blighted Resilience. You have resistance to one damage type associated with the dragon that caused your blight, as indicated on the Blight Ancestry table (Iron Kingdoms: Requiem, page 234). If you already have resistance to this damage type from a racial ability, you have resistance to one damage type of your choice: acid, cold, fire, necrotic, or poison.
BLIGHTED FEATS
The following feats are available to Blighted characters at the GM’s discretion.
BLIGHTED FLESH
Blight hardens your skin. As your blight intensifies, you develop scales, bone protrusions, chitinous plates, and other such markers of your heritage. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13+ your Dexterity modifier. Additionally, each time you gain a feat from the Blighted essence, your base AC increases by1.
Your fingers elongate into monstrous claws. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 slashing damage. Additionally, each time you gain a feat from the Blighted essence, your damage die for this attack increases by one step—first to 1d6, then to 1d8, and then to a maximum of 1d10. When you take the Attack action, you can replace one of your attacks with an exhalation of magical energy in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 3d8 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. (Your blight ancestry determines the damage type.) Additionally, the damage increases by 1d8 for each other feat you have from the Blighted essence. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. A creature that already has a breath weapon cannot choose this feat.
DRACONIC WINGS
You permanently grow a set of draconic wings, granting you a flying speed of 30 feet. Additionally, each time you gain a feat from the Blighted essence, your flying speed increases by 10 feet, to a maximum of 60 feet.
WEAVER OF CORRUPTION
You may change the damage type of a spell to a damage type associated with the source of your blight (see the Blight Ancestry table on page 234 of Iron Kingdoms: Requiem). You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, plus once more for each additional Blighted essence feat you have taken. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest. In addition, you can spend 1 sorcery point to use this feature.
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RACES For thousands of years, the Scharde Islands have been home to a vast array of different cultures and ancestries. In addition to the people native to these lands, the islands west of Immoren are the home port for all manner of smugglers, sailors, and seafaring adventurers. The playable races in this section are among the most common found in the Scharde Islands. This section provides racial traits for new races and certain subraces specific to the Scharde Islands or the Nightmare Empire.
BOGRIN & GOBBERS According to their own mythology, gobbers—and their larger, more brutal cousins, the bogrin—were the first race birthed by Dhunia and the Devourer Wurm. Small, dexterous, and clever, their ancient ancestors spread across western Immoren, finding homes in forests and marshlands. These tribes were highly successful due to their natural cunning and remarkable skill at constructing shelters. Because their small size made gobbers and bogrin relatively easy prey for natural predators that gave other tribal races a wide berth, they developed a robust society based on the common good. Whereas one individual would make easy prey for a duskwolf, a whole tribe banded together for mutual support could drive off even such formidable creatures. As a consequence of this communal social life, gobbers and bogrin developed few concepts of personal goods; instead, they freely borrowed tools, clothing, and other materials from their kin without considering it theft. Even amid this permissive social structure, they recognized a distinction between borrowing for necessity and bringing harm to another member of the tribe by taking vital goods. A gobber found to have harmed his kin through greed or maliciousness faced exile or even death. Leadership of these villages was often loosely derived, although larger tribes would look to a chieftain to provide direction and determine punishments. The chieftain was usually a member thought to be both intelligent and wise and was often one of the eldest among those still deemed virile and physically fit. Some villages also sought advice and leadership from their eldest shamans—those who had dedicated their lives to paying reverence first to Dhunia while also appeasing the Wurm so that it would not prey upon them. Gobbers and bogrin were a tangential part of the ancient Molgur alliance that formed in the southern wilderness and mountain regions before the rise of Menite civilization. Unlike the savage humans, trollkin, ogrun, and even bogrin, the gobber tribes were not expected to contribute warriors; instead, they served the alliance in other ways, often bartering goods and services in exchange for safety. Gobbers also took part in stealth raids on Menite towns, sneaking past walls and defenses to steal food and other supplies under the cover of attacks led by their mightier allies. When the human Menites drove the Molgur back, many
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members of the alliance, including numerous families and bogrin, fled the mainland and settled on the scattered Scharde Islands. The islands’ dense marshes and jungles seemed a natural home for large clans of the diminutive folk, who became one of the most prolific and widespread groups other than humans to inhabit the Scharde Islands. Like their counterparts on the mainland, the gobbers and bogrin of the Scharde Islands and Cryx are clever and adaptable. Many stick to the traditional worship of Dhunia, particularly those on islands far from the reach of Toruk and his minions. They venerate the Great Mother and supplicate the Devourer Wurm much like the gobbers and bogrin of the mainland. Great numbers of their kind are found in the port cities and pirate havens scattered among the islands, finding a niche for themselves in the clusters of urban life found in the Cryxian-controlled territories. Dragonblight has touched all creatures that dwell in Toruk’s shadow, and the gobbers and bogrin of the Scharde Islands are no exception. Compared to their mainland cousins, their skin tends toward deeper tones, their canines are more pronounced, and they possess a more malevolent and violent nature. Many of these blight-touched individuals are employed by the nefarious gangs of Blackwater, who find special value in the diminutive creatures’ skill at backstabbing larger foes and skulking in the shadows. Others become rigging-rats on the ships of the Pirate Fleet, swinging down into the thick of a boarding action to dart between opponents, slice hamstrings, and open bellies as they go. Bogrin are particularly welcome on the isle of Cryx. The bogrin of Blackwater run in several gangs and compete with groups of feral children for what little work can be found cleaning ducts and narrow sewer pipes. A sort of middle ground exists between the somewhat peaceful tribes on the islands farthest from Cryx and the violent gobbers and bogrin touched by Toruk’s blight. Nomadic families of gobbers and bogrin traverse the seas around the Scharde Islands on jury-rigged barges that function like floating cities in miniature, drifting from island to island and trading whatever wreckage they find floating on the waves. These scavengers pick the best salvage they can from ships wrecked on jagged reefs or run aground on deserted islands, and many of them are skilled divers who are willing to brave the dark waters of the Scharde Islands to bring up treasures from the sands below. These roaming families move wherever the tides take them, amassing vast hauls of barnacle-crusted treasure they trade whenever and wherever the opportunity arises.
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HUMAN The humans who live in the Scharde Islands and the mausoleum cities of the Nightmare Empire are a diverse lot. Their culture is a patchwork of traditions cobbled together from the ancient Molgur tribes that fled to the islands thousands of years ago and an influx of pirates, mercenaries, and captives claimed from the coastal communities of western Immoren.
x s en
BUCCANEERS
The buccaneers who populate the Scharde Islands are an eclectic mix of pirates, merchants, and cutthroats, all of them bound together under the banners of pirate families and criminal fraternities. Like most of the other human enclaves who call the islands home, they hail from far and wide. Some families are descended from the earliest pirates to prey upon the Broken Coast; others have been hounded so relentlessly throughout the centuries that only the kingdom of the dead would accept them. Buccaneer families wax and wane in size and influence. Some have lasted for hundreds of years and have respected lineages that match the sordid histories of their ships; others are on the brink of fracture, their names nearly forgotten as rivals and upstarts move into the power vacuum they’ve left behind. These pirate families work the docks, run businesses and small factories, and form the bedrock of society in the Nightmare Empire, especially in port cities like Blackwater and the scattered shanty towns found across the countless islands. As part of a culture built on piracy and crime, buccaneers respect cunning, force, and wisdom in equal measure. Although those at the lowest tiers of society are a grimlooking lot who perform back-breaking labor at the docks or aboard ships, those at the top are some of the brashest and most garishly dressed people in all of western Immoren. Not all these buccaneers are loyal to the nation of Cryx, but all of them must pay the Dragonfather his due if they wish to continue living within his domain.
t
as o
o
s
n,
THE CHILDREN OF THE DRAGON
The descendants of the pirates who dwelled on the island of Cryx sometimes refer to themselves as “the Children of the Dragon,” for their close proximity to Toruk’s nest in Skell has caused them to be ravaged by the Dragonfather’s blight. In addition to the physical changes wrought by Toruk’s blight—bone protrusions like horns, blackened patches of skin rendered as hard as scales, and black-in-black eyes—the centuries these families have spent in Toruk’s shadow has altered their minds and spirits as well. They are often cruel and quick to violence, and blighted sorcery is common among them. Ruthless natural selection has helped these mortals bear the withering aura of Toruk’s blight, but even they succumb to it in time. Those who sincerely believe in the Dragonfather and the blessings of his blight hope to be resurrected one day as immortal beings in service to Lord Toruk for eternity.
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SCHARDE MOLGUR
The first human settlers of the Scharde Islands lived among the Molgur tribes. When the priest-kings of Menoth first set out to settle and “civilize” western Immoren, they waged relentless campaigns of violence against the Molgur. The Molgur retaliated in kind, assaulting the Menites wherever they settled. This violent exchange lasted for many centuries before the priest-kings ultimately triumphed. Molgur tribes were driven from the Wyrmwall Mountains nearly 1,200 years prior to Toruk’s arrival at Cryx, and many survivors fled across the Gulf of Middlebank and settled in the Scharde Islands. Across the intervening centuries, some of these displaced Molgur developed their own way of life as sea reavers, eventually becoming the pirate kings of Cryx and the members of their loyal fleets. Not all abandoned their old faith, however. The old ways persist on the edges of the Scharde Islands, far from the Church of Toruk. Many humans, bogrin, gobbers, trollkin, and ogrun still practice the ancient faith of the Molgur tribes and venerate the Devourer Wurm with offerings at altars by the sea line. Their tribal tattoos and scarification, coupled with their oral history, tell the ancient legends and history of their kin. The Scharde Molgur adorn themselves with runes of power carved into shark teeth and whalebone, which they then entwine in their hair or pierce through their skin as ornate charms. Over the centuries since the coming of Toruk, the occupation by the Orgoth, and the subsequent rebellion and growth of the Iron Kingdoms, however, the number of Molgur on the islands has diminished, leaving only a few settlements of significant size on far-scattered islands. Those most steeped in their history and lore maintain ancient caves deep beneath the islands, where cave paintings and runes describe legends of the old battles between the Molgur and the early worshippers of Menoth, culminating in their great exodus from the mainland and into the misty islands beyond the Broken Coast.
THE UNCHAINED
Formerly enslaved people and their descendants constitute another major human demographic across the Scharde Islands and on Cryx. Because these people hail from all across western Immoren, their language is a mishmash of Khadoran, Cygnaran, Ordic, and Molgur. The Unchained are the largest such group. Descended from captive sailors and those unlucky enough to be snatched in coastal raids but lucky enough to avoid the butcher’s slab of the necrotechs, the Unchained are often touched by dragonblight, which manifests in sharp teeth and nails, black eyes, and dark veins. Like the Scharde Molgur, the Unchained cover their bodies with tattoos, piercings, and intricate scarification marks that evoke Toruk and display their heritage as Unchained or mark noteworthy accomplishments made in the Dragonfather’s name. Each tattoo and ritual scar upon the body of an Unchained is a visible mark of renown and symbolizes the individual’s worthiness to Toruk.
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REVENANT NAMES
REVENANT
and have p their dead u e iv g to s march yard eir feet and whole grave th d to se u ck ca ba ve se a Ih the broken s to ri those corpse I have made . ed d em ims. n th a m ed m rr co tes at my wh ho inte et w s on ie ri il a m m e fa k against the pers dance li hey had no iers and pau n crude, risen thralls. T ld so of s ie d a bo th it to them. e little better er e not to give os But these wer ch I r that glimm se u ca llect be ead who bea te d in g in of lk rk a re a a w sp ts d the ese revenan lso witnesse of anger. Th or Yet I have a and varied — x g n le p vi a m re as co ok of cr a s it ir sp r ei of life, the lo Th d such as create undea at it mple thralls. more than si ving. I have no desire to ow th e li I need to kn as those of th ing a corpse to its feet, I br those. When e. m will obey
romancer
ter nec s a m , e th a r —Darragh W
The backbone of the armies of Cryx is the legion of shambling undead known as thralls. Through a mixture of arcane runes, necromancy, and necromechanikal engineering, these reanimated cadavers lurch and groan, possessed of a limited intelligence capable of nothing more than mindless laboring and tearing the enemies of Cryx apart. Most thralls are reanimated by runes carved into their bones and flesh—powerful necromantic sigils that empower a dead body with arcane energy and bind an unliving corpse to a necromancer’s will. But another breed of the living dead exists in the Nightmare Empire: autonomous beings not bound to a necromancer’s commands. Granted independent thought and agency through complex thrall runes, the use of willful spirits claimed from the void, or other occult practices, these undead rise far above the typical mindless minion. They are among the most terrifying of the Nightmare Empire’s undead servants, not just because of their cunning, but because of their unique and unusual talents.
GROSS ANATOMY
There are many methods by which Cryxians create corporeal, sentient undead, but all of them begin with the corpse of a deceased humanoid. Necromancers prepare a revenant’s vessel with animating runes that imbue the remains with a mockery of life. This process would be sufficient if a simple thrall were the desired outcome, but the creation of thinking undead requires additional work.
DEAD MEN WALKING
The animate, thinking dead most often “live” on the island of Cryx, where they are so common as to be unremarkable to other Schardefolk, or on nearby islands under the shadow of Lord Toruk’s influence. They do not walk openly among the mortals of the mainland unless they are participating in one of Cryx’s brutal raids. On the Scharde Islands, however, these undead are not viewed with the same kind of terror as they cause elsewhere. Commonplace in the Nightmare Empire, they are often seen as just a different kind of citizen toiling under the banner of the Father of All Dragons.
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The many names by which revenants are known are drawn from all cultures of western Immoren but typically consist of various elements evoking death, darkness, decay, and violence. These names are given to a new undead upon its reawakening, as its new existence is considered separate from its former mortal life. Names: Asphyxian, Fecular, Husk, Kortesh, Krorius, Suneater
REVENANT TRAITS
Your revenant character has a number of traits common to most other undead. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by2. Age. Revenants can be any age, but age is inconsequential for the dead. Alignment. Revenants tend toward evil alignments. Size. Most revenants are between 5 and 6 feet tall, but some are shorter or taller, depending on the origin of the corpse that the undead spirit inhabits. Some may be ogrun or trollkin in origin. No matter your choice, your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Undead. Your creature type is undead rather than humanoid. Darkvision. Your eyes are accustomed to the near-perpetual gloom of the Nightmare Empire. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Dead to the World. You don’t need to eat or breathe but can ingest food and drink if you wish. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. Turn Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead. Unliving Flesh. You have advantage on saving throws against disease and being poisoned and have resistance against poison damage. Languages. You can speak Thrallspeak, which has no written form, and can speak, read, and write your choice of the Molgur-Og, Molgur-Trul, or Scharde Tongue dialect. Subrace. Revenants come in many varieties, depending on the method by which the revenant was created or came into being. The three most common subraces are banes, deathbound, and skarlocks. Choose one of these subraces.
BANE
Thanks to the powerful runes that bind your spirit to your body and the sojourn of your spirit in the void, you exude an aura of darkness that confounds your opponents and saps their vitality. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by1. Ghostly. On your turn as a bonus action, you can become
ghostly and insubstantial. Until the start of your next turn, you can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. Made to Fight. You have proficiency with great axes, great swords, lances, medium armor, heavy armor, and shields. Menacing.You have proficiency in theIntimidationskill. Void Shroud. You constantly exude an aura of nigh-tangible gloom. When any creature other than an undead within 10 feet of you regains hit points, it regains half as much.
DEATHBOUND
Appearing as rotting and desiccated corpses with tarnished and corrupted weapons and armor, deathbound revenants are tenacious undead who arise from those murdered in horrible agony yet bound by oaths, passions, or powerful, unfulfilled goals that allow them to ignore Urcaen’s pull on their soul. They are anchored to a specific person, place, or thing, termed a locus, and their essence is tied to the integrity of the locus. The most infamous revenants are the pirates of the Atramentous. Transformed into undead by the fires of Lord Toruk himself, they are bound to the charred ship and have steadily grown their numbers by pressing sailors into eternal service. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by1.
Soulform. When you drop to 0 hit points, you transform into your soulform and immediately regain hit points equal to half your hit point maximum. While in this form, you are an invisible and incorporeal creature, have a flying speed equal to half your walking speed, have vulnerability to radiant damage, and have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. While you are in this form and within 15 feet of your locus, as an action, you can reform your corporeal body at full hit points and with any bound equipment. Your soulform can’t attack, cast spells, or otherwise interact with the world. If you drop to 0 hit points while in this form, you and all bound equipment are permanently destroyed. Bound Equipment. You can choose one piece of equipment you own be bound to your soulform. You can choose one additional piece of equipment you own at 6th, 11th, and 16th level. Additionally, whenever you choose an additional piece of bound equipment, you can choose one of your previously selected pieces and replace it with another piece. A bound item is part of your essence, vanishes when you transform into your soulform, and is restored with you whenever you appear at your locus. Locus. You are bound to a person or object from your past, or a vessel of your choice with the GM’s approval. Your locus binds you to the physical world. If your locus is killed or destroyed, you are permanently destroyed.
SKARLOCK
Whether through their own skill or that of another potent sorcerer such as an iron lich or a lich lord, necromancers are blessed with immortality. Death itself cannot stop a necromancer; the runes that give these spellcasters their power will not only bring them back from death as a revenant but also bind their corpse to particular spells that become an innate part of their being. Such undead are known as skarlocks. Many are created to act as servants to greater necromancers and warcasters; others act as captains to units of mechanithralls and bile thralls. Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by1. Borrowed Wisdom. You gain proficiency with your choice of the Arcana or History skill. Branded by Death. You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it. At 3rd level, you can cast the ray of enfeeblement spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the vampiric touch spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You can also cast these using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice. Maker’s Bidding. You have advantage on saving throws against beingcharmed by creatures other than your creator. Tool Proficiency.You gain proficiency with your choice of the following tools:forensic kit, mechanik’s tools, necromancer’s tools, or thieves’ tools.
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SATYXIS
EBB AND FLOW
The Satyxis ship wa s closing in to board us, and Sigrit and I were am idships reloading the deck guns. They were broadside in an instant, grindin g their gunwales against ou rs. I lost my footing, but from the deck I saw one of the reaver-witches ha nd Sigrit a grappling hook, wh ich she secured to a be am. I can’t be sure, but it looked like Sigrit was going in for a kiss when one of those blade-whips took her head off.
—Rafaldo
Belcari, former crewman of D oleth’s Bounty, while recovering at the Mercy of Ascendant Rowan Con valescent Home in Ceryl
The dark jungle isle of Satyx sits somewhere among the countless Scharde Islands, its location known only to the ancient race of warrior women who call it home. What outsiders know of Satyx is a carefully woven tapestry of halftruths embellished by the superstitious sailors who inhabit the Scharde Islands. The original Satyxis were supposedly spawned when the Dragonfather slew his child Shazkz, called the White Dragon, in the skies above Satyx. The blood and blight that descended upon the land twisted and warped the inhabitants of the isle in both mind and body. As the story is told, the men wasted away while the women were remade as a glorious new ancestry, becoming infamous as ruthless highseas killers in the service of the Dragonfather. Regardless of whatever embellishments may have crept into the story of their genesis, Satyxis warriors are indeed some of the fiercest fighters to sail the Meredius. Popular stories concerning their culture, matriarchal society, and mating habits are unverifiable, but these legends bear the markings of a carefully crafted narrative that plants seeds of fear, hate, and desire—emotions that the Satyxis can exploit with their magical gifts. Satyxis are practitioners of powerful blood magic, and Satyxis captains are known to occasionally follow signs and portents that conflict with orders from their allies in the Black Fleet. Given the uncanny accuracy of Satyxis sorcerers and haruspices, they are almost always granted grudging leeway to do so.
BLESSED WITH BLIGHT
Satyxis are comparable in size and build to the human women seen throughout the Iron Kingdoms, the Scharde Islands, and the Broken Coast. Similarly, their skin tones range from near alabaster to deep brown, with hair color and texture running the gamut of human variability. Those in the Black Fleet tend to have slender and athletic builds, but this reflects the physical demands of piracy; overall, Satyxis display a wide range of body types.
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Satyxis live longer than humans, and they measure their lives in stages of crashing and retreating like the waves and tides. Their closely guarded language, Satyxi, is replete with metaphors about the sea. Outside of Satyx, the vast majority of Satyxis one might encounter are in a “cresting and crashing” stage called hlazeka, which is marked by aggression and ambition. Satyxis serve their mandatory military service in the Black Fleet during this time, raiding and pillaging under the black flag. By contrast, the “low and withdrawing” stage called zolile draws these warrior women home to pursue more mundane and community-focused pursuits, such as being artisans, rearing children, engaging in agriculture, and tending fisheries. At any given time, about four times as many Satyxis are in zolile as are in hlazeka. Like the tides, which ebb and flow in a perpetual cycle, most Satyxis repeat these life cycles until they are drawn into a leadership role, die, or become too infirm to continue. The transition from one life-stage to another is usually marked by a ceremony undertaken under Calder’s new moon—a time when many Satyxis swear binding oaths consecrated in blood. Such oaths are made after some accomplishment that can be seen as a milestone, whether victory in a military campaign or notable battle, a good harvest, raising a daughter to womanhood, or killing a notable foe. Typically, any Satyxis who declares such an oath will have sought counsel from an elder, a leader, or a ship’s captain; surprise declarations are exceedingly rare. Regardless of what stage of life a Satyxis has sworn herself to, she is dangerous in ways mainlanders cannot understand. Satyxis society is inextricably bound up in blood rituals and cycles of predation, making this race almost universally feared and despised by the majority of non-Cryxians. Satyxis have become less likely to be killed on sight in most mainland coastal cities since the Claiming, but fear and hatred of these warrior women and their blood sorcery runs deep.
SEA WANDERERS
Satyxis adventurers are uncommon but not unknown. Most such individuals were exiled from Satyx for a crime (typically for a decade) or received an omen telling them to leave the island. Some enlist in pirate crews or bands of mercenaries; others quest for magical secrets or follow a path they feel has been revealed to them in a bloody divination. Whatever the reason, the women of Satyx are seen as deadly and mysterious and are often given a wide berth.
SATYXIS NAMES
Satyxis have a unique naming convention. Their names often include sharp consonants and sibilant sounds. Satyxis do not use family names, preferring descriptive bynames as surnames instead. Male Satyxis have not been encountered by outsiders, and their naming conventions remain unknown. Names: Axiara, Azaam, Dracia, Elsevin, Jahenna, Jhureen, Kelvexis, Kryssa, Malyxia, Sarlixa, Selrex, Severa, Skarre, Teranex, Velmexria, Vexeen, Xysa Surnames: Blacktide, Darkreef, Dawnblood, Hecatha, Hemeshka, Hexheart, Ravenmane, Redtide, Riptide, Shoalbreaker, Squalltamer, Undertow, Wraithblade
SATYXIS TRAITS
Your Satyxis character has a number of traits in common with all other Satyxis. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by1. Age. Satyxis mature at the same rate as humans but can live to nearly 150 years. Alignment. Satyxis are prone to following omens and visions as they encounter them. While there is a close adherence to ritual, many outsiders view them as tending toward chaotic natures. Size. Satyxis are about as tall as human females. Your size is Medium. Speed. Satyxis are swifter than the humans from which their race originated. Your base walking speed is 35 feet. Horns. Your horns are natural melee weapons that you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the normal damage for an unarmed strike. Headbutt. Immediately after you hit a creature with a
melee attack as part of the attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to knock down that target with your horns. The target must be no more than one size larger than you and within 5 feet of you. Unless it succeeds on a Strength saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier, you knock the creature prone. Blight of Shazkz. You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease, and you have resistance to necrotic damage. Satyxis Magic. You know the friends cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the compelled duel spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. You can also cast these using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. Languages. You can speak, read, and write the Scharde Tongue dialect and Satyxi. Satyxi is never taught to nonSatyxis and is typically used only when communicating with other Satyxis and conducting rituals. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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SCHARDE OGRUN “Black ogrun” is a bit of misnom er amongst the common folk in the Iron Kingdoms. The black ogr un are little different than the ogrun seen across the mainland kin gdoms. Although they are seen only in service of the Dragon father—specifically among the Black Fleet, which terrorizes our coastal waters and villages—only minor differences exist between them and their mainland cousins. Therefore, the only logical conclus ion is that they are called black ogrun simply because they fly und er the black flags and sails of Cryxian vessels.
—Viktor Pendrake,
speaking to Corvis University on his treatise on the ogrun of western Immoren
Terrifying, ruthless, and aggressive, Scharde ogrun tower over most other races and have a strength that awes the other races of western Immoren. Hailing from the Scharde Islands, these creatures live a harsh life that rewards strength, power, and ferocity. They are commonly employed as heavy laborers, smiths, and fighters, and any station they have earned is the result of their fierceness and cunning.
BLOOD AND BRUTALITY
Scharde ogrun (or “black ogrun”) are just as large and broad as the ogrun who live in the Iron Kingdoms. Standing at least 7 feet tall, these slabs of muscle and sinew are the backbone of many of the Nightmare Empire’s endeavors. These brutes have a deserved reputation as fierce fighters and skilled smiths. Their skin ranges in color from paler hues to deep black and everything in between. Most Scharde ogrun don’t have hair on their head, but many wear a beard or other facial hair.
STURDY STUFF
Scharde ogrun live among some of Caen’s most brutal, ruthless, and toughest people. Not surprisingly, this has made their society more austere than those of their brethren in the Iron Kingdoms. To these ogrun, survival of the fittest is their guiding mantra. This simplistic lifestyle commonly leads them to serve as shock troops and heavy laborers in Cryx’s Black Fleet. Although Scharde ogrun have no rigid hierarchy, they will follow the largest and fiercest leader until they become the leader or find an even stronger and more vicious individual to follow.
BODIES AND PLUNDER
The Scharde Islands are an unforgiving place, and most Scharde ogrun adventure out of necessity. Prized for their strength and ruthlessness, they are particularly useful to the Nightmare Empire, whether dead or alive. Seeking their fate and fortune leads many Scharde ogrun to enlist onto one of the many ships that dock at the Scharde Islands. Some become traders or privateers, but most join the Black Fleet
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and sail as part of the Cryxian navy. Many of those who don’t make it out of the islands join one of the many gangs that rove across the cities of Cryx. Others become prize fighters or direct their brute strength toward smithing tools and weapons for the Nightmare Empire. Scharde ogrun are periodically afflicted by a wanderlust that frequently pulls them out into the greater world and gives them an opportunity to hone their skills.
SCHARDE OGRUN NAMES
Although Scharde ogrun follow many of the same naming conventions their mainland brethren do, many take up a descriptive surname and often go by that when serving on Cryxian vessels. Scharde Ogrun Surnames: Bladesnapper, Bootscraper, Cutter, Headstomper, Seabreaker, Thrallripper
SCHARDE OGRUN TRAITS
Although they are quite similar to other ogrun, Scharde ogrun have some unique traits due to prolonged exposure to the Dragonfather’s blight. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by1. Age. Scharde ogrun reach maturity in their midteens, but they do not live as long as other races and rarely live past 75 years. Alignment. Scharde ogrun tend toward chaotic alignments. Having grown up under the influence of the Dragonfather and his minions, they treat survival as their most essential directive. Size. Scharde ogrun range between 7 and 8 feet tall, with massive bodies weighing over 300 pounds. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Huge Stature. Your large size allows you to wield twohanded weapons in one hand. When you use a weapon with the versatile property, you always use the damage value in parentheses that appears with the property. Brutal Upbringing. You have proficiency in one skill of your choice: Intimidation or Survival. Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. Thick-Skinned. Scharde ogrun are hardy and blessed with naturally tough hide. You have a +1 bonus to AC when not wearing heavy armor. A Pirate’s Life. You are proficient with the cutlass and simple pistols. Touch of Blight. You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease, and you have resistance to acid damage and necrotic damage. Languages. You can speak Thrallspeak, which has no written form, and can speak, read, and write the Scharde Tongue dialect.
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SPECTER
for centuries, I have existed . ce an dr n hi a es have been g but Flesh is nothin red fleshly bodi be um n un es nturi ols. Yet their and in those ce wraithlock pist y m of s et ll d barriers are the bu perforated by Their walls an e. m d he uc to not They serve own shots have eature like me. cr al re he et e me. Some t to an ey cannot evad no impedimen th at th so ey my pr k, what worth only to box in d outcome. I as sa a is h es fl e of th think the loss ve? ha en does it ev
l wraith to is p s, ti n e v r e —J Tartarus of the Host of
The angry dead never stay quiet for long on Caen. Whether cursed, consumed by the need for revenge, or pulled back to some semblance of life by a master of necromancy, numerous spirits, ghosts, and wraiths haunt the mortal realm, and many of them are among the most formidable agents in Cryx’s legions. A shade’s ethereal form makes it difficult (though not impossible) to kill, but its existence as a spirit leaves its soul vulnerable to being trapped, caged, exorcised, or imprisoned. Spirits of all kinds are found across the entirety of Immoren, including the wraiths that haunt Orgoth tombs, the Void spirits of the skorne, the riven of the elves, and the feralgeists that haunt the bones of wild beasts. But for the people of the Iron Kingdoms, the most common spectral undead they will ever encounter are the restless dead that manifest as unruly poltergeists and the vengeful spirits that haunt the backroads where they were brutally murdered or the graveyards where they have been laid to rest. Unable to move on from the world and tied to it by their undying purpose or curse, these spirits become twisted by their tortured existence, appearing as a mockery of their onceliving selves. Of all the restless dead that haunt western Immoren, some of the most dangerous are pistol wraiths, many of whom find their way into the ranks of the armies of the Nightmare Empire.
WILL-O’-THE-WISPS
Regardless of their origin, all spirits share many commonalities. Like all other undead, they do not age, do not need to eat or drink, and do not suffer the ravages of disease and ill health. Despite these apparent benefits, however, undeath offers significant downsides. Although ghosts do not need to eat or drink, they are incapable of enjoying the sensations of consuming succulent food and delicious beverages. They may be able to touch and feel objects, but the strength of these sensations is diminished so much that no pleasure can be gained from them. Specters and ghosts have other hindrances, too. Some spirits have banes, which can either be used to actively harm an undead entity or act as a ward against it. The more powerful the spirit, the more specific and harmful these banes can become. A spirit can also be beholden to items that anchor its essence to Caen. The spirit’s essence can retreat to one of these items when it has been significantly harmed, but
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the destruction of such an item prevents the reconstitution of the spirit’s being and places the spirit at risk of being lost to the void.
SPECTER NAMES
A specter’s name almost always reflects its actions and appearance, as the name it once recognized has long since been forgotten or is now spoken only in hushed tones. Names: The Angry Blacksmith, The Blind Butcher, The Burning Man, The Crypt Orphan, Father Cappus, Gallows Tom, The Headless Phantom, The Howling Child, Rattling Jack, The Red Nurse, Timmy Two-Times, The Vengeful Gatekeeper, The Wicked Merchant
SPECTER TRAITS
Your specter character has a number of traits common to most other undead. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2. Age. Specters can be any age, but age is inconsequential for the dead. Alignment. Specters tend toward evil alignments. Size. Most specters vary between 5 feet tall and just over 6 feet tall. No matter where you fall in that range, your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 0 feet. Undead. Your creature type is undead rather than humanoid. Flight. You have a flying speed of 25 feet with the ability to hover. Darkvision. As one of the undead, you have an innate attachment to darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Dead to the World. You don’t need to eat or breathe but can ingest food and drink if you wish. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state; you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. Ethereal Corpus. As a specter, you are difficult to harm. You have resistance to poison damage and to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. In addition, you are immune to the grappled and poisoned conditions. Grave Goods. You begin the game with any starting equipment granted by your class and background. This equipment is bound to you and is therefore incorporeal as well. Starting at 1st level, you gain one binding slot you can use to bind an additional weapon, piece of armor, or magic item to you. You gain an additional binding slot at 6th, 11th, and 16th level. Binding an item to you takes 1 round. A bound item is part of your essence and is restored with you whenever you appear at your locus. You can wield or wear items that are not bound to you, but doing so makes you corporeal, just as if you had attacked with
a weapon or cast a spell (see the Manifestation trait below). If you subsequently pass through objects, are destroyed, or are forced to return to a locus, any unbound items you were carrying are left behind in the space you previously occupied. Incorporeal Movement. You can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object. Locus. You are bound to a person or object from your past, or a vessel of your choice with the GM’s approval. A locus binds you to the physical world. If damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you don’t die or fall unconscious. Instead, your soul returns to the nearest locus, and you will appear next to it in 1d10 hours with all your hit points. If all your loci are all killed or destroyed, you are permanently destroyed. You begin the game with a single locus but can select other loci by acquiring banes.
Manifestation. You must momentarily manifest in order to attack with a weapon or cast a spell. If you do so, you become corporeal, can’t use the Incorporeal Movement trait, and lose all damage resistances granted by the Ethereal Corpus trait. These effects last until the start of your next turn. Turn Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead. Banes. Starting at 1st level, you can choose a bane for your character—a special restriction that limits your character in some way. When you choose a bane, you gain an additional binding slot, locus, or spectral power of your choice. You can choose an additional bane at 6th, 11th, and 17th level but can’t take the same bane more than once. When you gain a bane, you can choose one from the Banes table or determine it randomly. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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BANES
d6 Bane 1 Running Water. You may not cross running water. If you enter running water, you take 1d10 force damage. 2 Silvered Weapons. Attacks made against you with silvered weapons and ammunition count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. 3 Holy Symbol. You can’t abide being in the presence of a holy symbol of a particular faith (your choice). While within line of sight of the symbol or standing upon holy ground of that faith, you have disadvantage on all ability checks, attacks, and saving throws. While being touched by a holy symbol of that faith, you take an extra 1d10 force damage at the start of your turn. If a cleric of that faith damages you with an attack or spell, you take an extra 1d10 force damage. 4 Morrow’s Tear Drop. When placed above a doorway or entrance, these flowers bar your passage. If you come into contact with these flowers, you take 1d10 force damage. 5 Salt. You may not cross a line of salt voluntarily. If forced to do so, you take 1d10 force damage. Salt may be packed into ammunition, and attacks made against you with such ammunition count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. 6 Sunlight. While in sunlight, you have disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Spectral Powers. When you gain a binding slot from the Grave Goods trait, you can use it to gain a spectral power instead. (Once used in this fashion, a binding slot can’t be used to bind a weapon, piece of armor, or magic item to you.) You can use a spectral power as an action. Once you use a spectral power, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again, but using a binding slot to gain a spectral power again gives you an additional use of it between rests. When you gain a spectral power, you can choose one from the Spectral Powers table or determine it randomly.
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SPECTRAL POWERS
d6 Spectral Power 1 Invisibility. You become invisible for 1 hour or until you end the power as a bonus action, make an attack, or cast a spell. 2 Terrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60 feet of you that can see you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8+ your proficiency bonus+ your Wisdom modifier) or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to your Terrifying Visage for the next 24 hours. 3 Haunt. You disappear and haunt a house or an area 200 feet in diameter. The area immediately becomes desecrated ground and remains desecrated ground until the haunting ends. Each creature in the area experiences hallucinations and hears disturbing sounds. If the area is outdoors, mist draws in and shadows become darker. Any undead standing on desecrated ground has advantage on all saving throws. The haunting lasts until the building is destroyed, you end the haunting as a bonus action, or you are turned or forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. 4 Possession. One humanoid that you can see within 5 feet of you must succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC equal to 8+ your proficiency bonus+ your Wisdom modifier) or be possessed by you; you then disappear, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. You now control the body but don’t deprive the target of awareness. You can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that turn undead, and you retain your alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. You otherwise use the possessed target’s statistics but don’t gain access to its knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, you end the possession as a bonus action, or you are turned or forced out by an effect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, you reappear in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to your Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
5 Withering Touch. You gain an unarmed strike that does not require you to manifest. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 necrotic damage and can’t regain hit points until the start of your next turn. The damage increases to 2d8 at 5th level, 3d8 at 11th level, and 4d8 at 17th level. 6 Poltergeist. You target a Medium or smaller creature within 30 feet of you. Make a Charisma check contested by the target’s Strength check. If you win the contest, you move the target up to 30 feet in any direction, including upward. If the target comes into contact with a hard surface or heavy object during this movement, it takes ld6 bludgeoning damage for each l0 feet moved. Instead of a creature, you can target an object that isn’t being worn or carried and that weighs no more than 150 pounds, provided that it is within 30 feet of you. Move the object up to 30 feet in any direction, including upward. You can use the object as an improvised ranged weapon. Make a ranged attack against one creature along the object’s path. On a hit, the target takes 2d4 bludgeoning damage. Languages. You can speak Thrallspeak, which has no written form, and can speak, read, and write your choice of the Molgur-Og, Molgur-Trul, or Scharde Tongue dialect.
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SCHARDE TROLLKIN Trollkin are known throughout western Immoren as a sturdy and resilient people capable of enduring great hardship, but the challenges of the wilds faced by those who live in western Immoren pale in comparison to the hardships faced by the kriels of the Scharde Islands. The Dragonfather’s shadow permeates every aspect of their lives, down to the very air they breathe. As a result, the trollkin kriels of the Scharde Islands have become more brutal and more bloodthirsty as they succumb to the blight that surrounds them and fight to catch the eye of their draconic overlord and his agents. Generations of experience have taught the trollkin of the mainland kriels to be wary of outsiders. By contrast, the trollkin of the Scharde Islands are more accepting of such interlopers, if only because they don’t see other races as a threat to their way of life, their culture, or their territories.
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Everything they do is done in service to Lord Toruk, and any who dare suggest otherwise are soon disabused of this notion by means of a heavy blade and a brutal death. The trollkin of Cryx are commonly cruel and hateful, shaped by their environment and an understanding that for all their strength, their existence could be ended in the blink of a mad necrotech’s mechanical eye. Thus, many strive to prove their value to the lich lords of Cryx, either as sailors aboard the ships of the Cryxian fleets—particularly the Slaughter Fleet under Gerlak Slaughterborn—or as shock troops to be disgorged on the front lines. This bleak existence is shared by many who live in the Nightmare Empire, but the trollkin are intimately familiar with struggle. That said, few of those who live in Cryx embrace life under the rule of the lich lords as utterly as the kriels that fester in the shadow of the Dragonfather.
WAVERIDER TROLLKIN
The waverider kriels are spread throughout the Scharde Islands, and their distance from Skell shields them from some of the mutative effects of Toruk’s blight. Although these trollkin acknowledge Dhunia, they recognize strength and power above all and therefore revere the Dragonfather. Waverider trollkin are as resilient as their mainland cousins, but a life spent navigating the deadly shoals and reefs that surround their island homes has made them nimbler than their cousins. They are able to keep their feet square on the decks of their ships despite surging waves, and weaving their way through the rigging networks of the fleet is child’s play to them. The waverider trollkin subrace has the trollkin traits described in chapter 2 of Iron Kingdoms: Requiem, plus the subrace traits below. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by1. Alignment. Unlike other trollkin, waverider trollkin recognize the balance of discipline and flexibility required for a life on deck and tend toward neutral alignments. Seaborne. You have advantage on saving throws against being knocked prone and on ability checks made to avoid being grappled or to escape a grapple.
BLIGHTED TROLLKIN
The Cryxian kriels closer to Skell feel the presence of Toruk in a very tangible sense. The Dragonfather’s blight suffuses their minds and bodies, twisting and reshaping them. Sensibility has faded for these trollkin, replaced by a primal need for conflict and for the defeat of one’s foes and the taste of their flesh. Muscles swell and skin ruptures as spines erupt and cannibalistic urges overcome rational thought, the anticipation of impending carnage overriding any pain. The sight of blighted trollkin sends a chill up the spine of the common folk of Cryx, who recognize it as an omen that the spilling of blood is imminent. Blighted trollkin have the trollkin traits described in chapter2 of Iron Kingdoms: Requiem, plus the subrace traits below. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by1. Alignment. Because law and tradition have little place on the front line of a frenzied melee, they are frequently chaotic in nature. Blight Mutation. Constant exposure to draconic blight has wrought changes upon your body. You begin with one blight mutation. If you are able to choose a feat, you can choose to gain another blight mutation instead. When you gain a mutation, you can choose one from the Blight Mutations table or determine it randomly. Blighted Trollkin Training. You gain proficiency with heavy armor.
BLIGHT MUTATIONS
d6 Mutation 1 Enhanced Senses. Your senses are heightened, and you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) rolls that rely on sight, hearing, or smell. Additionally, you can see in nonmagical darkness as if it were daylight. 2 Venomous. You are capable of delivering a virulent toxin through your spines or your bite (your choice when you gain this mutation). When you make an unarmed strike, you can decide to use your toxin but must do so before you make the attack roll. If you do, on a hit, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC equal to 12 + your proficiency bonus) or take an extra 1d6 poison damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Whether the attack hits or misses, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a short rest. 3 Heightened Regeneration. By focusing your efforts, you can force your body to knit your wounds and shrug off damage. As an action, you can spend Hit Dice to recover hit points just as you would at the end of a short rest. You regain spent Hit Dice upon finishing a long rest, following the normal rules. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. 4 Magic Resilience. Blighted sigils manifest on your hide. You can reroll failed saving throws against spells and other magical effects. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. 5 Carapace. All trollkin have tough, stony growths, but yours have grown together to form solid plates. If you aren’t wearing armor, your base Armor Class is 13+ your Constitution modifier (minimum of14 AC). 6 Bloodthirst. Combat drives you into a bloodthirsty craze. If you successfully hit a hostile creature with a melee attack during your turn, you can gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with melee weapons during your next turn. This bonus is cumulative, up to a maximum of +3. If you make a ranged attack or a spell attack or fail to hit a hostile creature with a melee attack during your turn, you lose any bonuses granted by this ability. After you gain this bonus, you must finish a long rest before you can gain it again. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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CLASSES AND SUBCLASSES
BLOOD WITCH
The Classes table and the Subclasses table identify new classes and subclasses for characters in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem. These classes and subclasses represent the people of the Scharde Islands and the Nightmare Empire, but examples of them can be found within coastal communities and pirate havens such as Clocker’s Cove and Five Fingers as well.
The Satyxis launches herself across the deck of an enemy vessel. Her hooked blade slashes across the throats of the sailors she passes, the red spray coalescing into a shower of corrosive blood. The witch twists her sacral blade deep in the human soldier’s guts. Her quarry’s body swells before detonating in a thunderous eruption of bone and gore that cuts down his closest allies. Weaving her long blade in the air, the priestess prepares to cut into the flesh of a rival champion, lending the strength of her opponent’s blood to the captain to whom she swears allegiance. No matter how they use the blood they spill, blood witches
Classes
Primary Saving Throw Armor & Weapon Class Description Hit Die Ability Proficiencies Proficiencies Blood Witch A spellcaster who d8 Charisma Constitution & Charisma Light armor, medium armor, wrings power simple weapons, martial out of blood melee weapons Raider A fighter who d8 Strength Dexterity & Charisma Light armor, simple relies on swiftness or Dexterity weapons, simple firearms, and brutality in cutlass, lacerator, whips battle
Subclasses
Level Class Subclass Available Description Barbarian Path of the Bloodgorger 3rd A brutal warrior who devours the flesh of fallen enemies Barbarian Path of the Gladiator 3rd A flashy warrior who fights for coin and glory Bard College of the Storm 3rd A sailor who can literally sing up a storm Cleric Blight Domain 1st A priest whose powers are granted by dragonblight Fighter Marine 3rd A fighter who specializes in naval combat Fighter Shroud Knight 3rd A fighter who taps into the dark power of the void Gun Mage Order of the Witch 1st A gun mage who blends blood magic and firearms Gunfighter Wraith 3rd A gunfighter who wields magic and shooting irons Mechanik Iron Monger 3rd A tough mechanik who can inflict curses on machines Mechanik Necrotech 3rd A mechanik who specializes in the art of necromechanika Monk Way of the Dying Hand 3rd Sanctified enforcers and executioners who wield Toruk’s blight Paladin The Oath Undying 3rd A cursed paladin who refuses to die Ranger Knight of the Vigil 3rd A stalwart protector of coastal communities Ranger Seafarer 3rd A wanderer who is skilled at life on the waves Rogue Buccaneer 3rd An unpredictable and flashy deck-bound rogue Rogue Necrosurgeon 3rd A cunning surgeon who stitches bodies together as thrall servants Rogue Warwitch Siren 3rd A stealthy occult assassin who wields ancient fell magic Sorcerer Dirge Seer 1st A sorcerer whose powers are enhanced by dragon blight Sorcerer Sea Sorcery 1st A sorcerer granted powers by the sea itself Warcaster Cryxian Necromancer 1st A warcaster who serves the Nightmare Empire Warcaster Swashbuckler 1st A warcaster who is skilled in fighting aboard a ship Wizard Soulweaver 2nd A wizard who wields the power of captive souls
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The Blood Witch
Proficiency Level Bonus Features 1st +2 Spellcasting, Blood Sacrifice 2nd +2 Fighting Style, Crimson Strike (1/rest) 3rd +2 Blood Witch Calling 4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 5th +3 Extra Attack 6th +3 Inflict Pain, Crimson Strike (2/rest) 7th +3 — 8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 9th +4 — 10th +4 Blood Rites 11th +4 Improved Crimson Strike 12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 13th +5 Blood Witch Calling feature 14th +5 Blood Trade 15th +5 Blood Witch Calling feature 16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 17th +6 — 18th +6 Crimson Strike (3/rest) 19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 20th +6 Blood Witch Calling feature are skilled warriors who transform pain and suffering into pure magical power and fury. Savage and merciless killers, these witches combine martial prowess and arcane might, and they keep their blades wet with the blood of their enemies. FUELED BY BLOOD
Blood witches practice ancient magic that enables them to manipulate the energies of life and death. Using the power of sacrifice, they transform a victim’s lifeblood into a terrible weapon that unlocks potent arcane effects. Their blood magic makes them terrifying combatants who can bring down foes many times their own size and physical strength. Blood witches also lead their people in rites of blood sacrifice and can divine the future in the blood and entrails of their victims. Whether using blood to fuel themselves in combat or foretelling events to come, blood witches work their magic through a sacral blade shaped by their own hands and tempered in sacrificial blood.
AN UNWELCOME PRACTICE
For blood witches, pain and bloodshed are stepping stones to occult power. The vital essence of every living creature— themselves included—is a resource that can be tapped, shaped, and used against their foes. Not surprisingly, the practice of blood magic is feared and reviled by most cultures. Most of those that practice it are brutal and bloodthirsty, like the Satyxis and the Tharn. A few, such as the skorne, simply have a very different relationship with pain and death than most western Immorese cultures do. Almost everyone else views it as a cruel and unwelcome
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Cantrips Maximum Known Spell Level 2 1 2 1 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5
tradition that no right-thinking individual would even consider, much less practice. OTHER BLOOD MAGIC PRACTITIONERS
Most of the practitioners of blood magic in the Scharde Islands are Satyxis blood witches, but similar traditions exist on the mainland. The bloodweavers of the tribal Tharn practice their own form of blood magic, and skorne bloodrunners use similar occult techniques to transform pain and bloodshed into magical power.
CREATING A BLOOD WITCH
When creating your blood witch, consider how you came to be connected to the arcane potential flowing through your veins. Perhaps your character comes from a culture where blood magic is still common, such as the Satyxis, and it has always been a part of you. Or perhaps you learned about this occult practice and sought it out for yourself, learning the dark path of blood magic through study, trial, and error. Is your blood magic a curse that you reluctantly wield, or do you relish the ability to work magic from your own blood and that shed by your enemies? Are your capabilities a testament to those who taught you these secret techniques, or do you consider them a manifestation of your personal greatness?
QUICK BUILD
You can make a blood witch quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Dexterity. Second, choose the Black Fleet raider background.
CLASS FEATURES
As a blood witch, you gain the following class features. HIT POINTS
Hit Dice:1d8 per blood witch level Hit Points at 1st Level:8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels:1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per blood witch level after 1st
PROFICIENCIES
Armor:Light armor, medium armor Weapons:Simple weapons, martial melee weapons Tools:None Saving Throws:Constitution, Charisma Skills:Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, and Stealth
EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: (a)any simple melee weapon or(b)four javelins (a)a sacral blade,(b)a ritual blade, or (c) a blood razor (a)hide armor or(b)leather armor (a)a dungeoneer’s pack or(b)an explorer’s pack If you forgo this starting equipment and the items granted by your background, you start with 4d4 × 10 gp to buy your equipment.
SPELLCASTING
As a practitioner of blood magic, you wring power from the blood you shed on the edge of your sacral blades. CANTRIPS
You know two cantrips of your choice from the blood witch spell list. You learn additional blood witch cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Blood Witch table. BLOOD MAGIC
Rather than spell slots, you use blood to cast your spells. To cast one of your blood witch spells of 1st level or higher, you must sacrifice hit points equal to the level of the spell × 5. A spell automatically fails if you don’t have enough hit points to cast it, and you can’t sacrifice temporary hit points in this way. You can increase a spell’s level in this way but can’t exceed the level shown in the Maximum Spell Level column of the Blood Witch table. For example, when you are 5th level, you can sacrifice 5 hit points to cast bleed as a 1st-level spell or 10 hit points to cast it as a 2nd-level spell. PREPARING SPELLS
You prepare the list of blood witch spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the blood witch spell list. When you do so, choose a number of blood witch spells equal to your Charisma modifier + half your blood witch level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the Blood Witch table’s Maximum Spell Level column for your level. You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of blood witch spells requires time spent meditating on the bloodletting rituals of your magical tradition: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
SPELLCASTING ABILITY
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your blood witch spells, since their power is derived from your personal ability to shape and reform the power of blood. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a blood witch spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
SPELLCASTING FOCUS
You can use a weapon with the sacral property as a focus for your blood witch spells.
BLOOD SACRIFICE
Starting at 1st level, you can use the blood of other creatures to fuel your blood witch spells. When you deal damage to a creature other than an undead or a construct with your arcane focus, until the end of your next turn, you can use the total damage you deal to cast your blood witch spells instead of sacrificing your own hit points. If the amount of damage you deal is not enough to cast a spell, any remaining cost is sacrificed from your own hit points.
FIGHTING STYLE
Starting at 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. DEFENSE
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. DUELING
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
CRIMSON STRIKE
Starting at 2nd level, when you attack a creature with your arcane focus, you can use a bonus action to choose one of the following effects. Accurate Strike. You have advantage on the attack roll. Brutal Strike. If the attack hits, you deal an extra 2d8 necrotic damage. The extra damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a humanoid. Beginning at 6th level, you can use your Crimson Strike twice between rests, and beginning at 18th level, you can use it three times between rests. When you finish a short or long rest, you regain your expended uses.
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BLOOD WITCH CALLING
At 3rd level, you delve into the deeper secrets of a blood witch calling of your choice: Blood Priestess, Blood Seer, or Night Witch, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 13th, 15th, and 20th level.
ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. If your campaign uses the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
EXTRA ATTACK
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
INFLICT PAIN
At 6th level, your empowered strikes inflict crippling pain upon your targets. When you hit a creature other than an undead or a construct with your arcane focus, you can expend 5 of your hit points to inflict pain on the creature. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
BLOOD RITES
At 10th level, you permanently imbue your sacral weapon with the power of your blood mixed with a particular spell. Choose one spell of 3rd level or lower from the blood witch spell list. You can cast the chosen spell once between long rests without sacrificing blood.
IMPROVED CRIMSON STRIKE
At 11th level, you are so well versed in wringing power from blood that your sacrifices carry even greater potency. When you hit a creature with your arcane focus, the creature takes an extra 1d8 necrotic damage. If you also use your Crimson Strike feature as part of this attack, you can use double the amount of damage you deal to cast your blood witch spells when using Blood Sacrifice.
BLOOD TRADE
At 14th level, you are well versed in using the smallest fraction of your own vital essence to maintain the power of your spells. When you sacrifice blood to cast a spell, you can add your proficiency bonus to the amount of hit points you sacrifice.
BLOOD WITCH CALLINGS
Each blood witch is called to one of several unique expressions of this arcane tradition. Some focus more on perfecting the martial half of the blood witch art, while others delve deeper into its mystical secrets and rituals.
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BLOOD PRIESTESS
Blood priestesses preserve the ancient traditions of Satyxis blood magic and worship the act of bloodletting itself. Able to harness the arcane force of spilled vitality, these priestesses perform sacred rituals of primal power that predate Toruk’s reign. They use the blood of fresh victims to evoke potent spells and safeguard the lives of those they deem worthy, including such preeminent figures as Skarre Ravenmane, the self-styled “Queen of the Broken Coast.”
BLOOD PRIESTESS SPELLS
Starting at 3rd level, you learn additional spells, as shown on the Blood Priestess Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a blood witch spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of blood witch spells you have prepared. Whenever you gain a blood witch level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level.
SACRIFICIAL RITES
Starting when you choose this calling at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast ritual spells through blood sacrifice. You learn the alarm, augury, detect magic, and identify spells and can cast each one as a ritual if you have the spell prepared. These spells don't count against the number of spells you have prepared. To cast a spell as a ritual, you must slay a humanoid creature with a challenge rating equal to or higher than the level of the spell before beginning the ritual.
BLOODLETTING
At 13th level, when you damage a creature with your arcane focus, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll (minimum of 1 damage).
HARMONIOUS EXALTATION
At 15th level, you can use your bloodletting abilities to support your allies’ spellcasting. When a friendly creature that you can see within 30 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction and sacrifice blood as if you were casting the spell. If you do so, the friendly creature can cast the spell without expending a spell slot, focus point, fury, or other resource.
BLOOD RITUAL
At 20th level, your mastery over blood rites eclipses almost all others. You can choose a second spell for your Blood Rites feature. You can still cast a chosen spell only once between long rests without sacrificing blood.
Blood Priestess Spells
Spell Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Spells bless, false life enhance ability, warding bond bestow curse, spirit guardians death ward, freedom of movement commune, greater restoration
BLOOD SEER
A blood seer can use the blood and viscera of slain foes to divine the strands of future and fate alike. This bloody fortune-telling guides the strikes of the blood seer and any allies with unerring accuracy and lethal potency. Sacrificial rites empower a blood seer’s sacral weapon, allowing it to serve as a conduit for the very energies of life and death.
BLOOD SEER SPELLS
Starting at 3rd level, you learn additional spells, as shown on the Blood Seer Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a blood witch spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of blood witch spells you have prepared. Whenever you gain a blood witch level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level.
BLOOD DIVINATION
Starting when you choose this calling at 3rd level, you learn how to divine portents from the viscera of the recently slain. As part of a long rest, you can study the entrails of a creature that has died by your hand within the last 24 hours. You can reroll one saving throw or attack roll that you fail during the next 24 hours after you finish your long rest. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can’t use this feature again until you study the entrails of another creature as part of a long rest.
Spell Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Blood Seer Spells
Spells detect magic, hunter’s mark augury, locate object clairvoyance, tongues divination, locate creature legend lore, scrying
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DIVINE INSPIRATION
At 13th level, your merciless bloodletting inspires your fellow warriors to greater violence. When you reduce a creature other than an undead or a construct to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to choose a friendly creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. The creature you choose can immediately use its reaction to make a melee attack. If the attack hits, it deals an extra 1d8 necrotic damage.
Night Witch Spells
Spell Level Spells 1st hunter’s mark, longstrider 2nd alter self, blur 3rd fear, haste 4th dominate beast, freedom of movement 5th contagion, hold monster
SANGUINE COVEN
At 15th level, you can weave blood magic to guide the killing strikes of your companions. As a bonus action, you can choose a number of friendly creatures within 30 feet of you equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). For 1 minute, whenever a chosen creature makes an attack roll, it can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the attack roll. If a chosen creature makes a melee attack with an arcane focus, it can also add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll. Once you do so, you must complete a long rest before you can use it again.
LIFE STEALER
At 20th level, you can invigorate yourself with the vital essence of other creatures. When you hit a creature with a Crimson Strike attack, you can gain temporary hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
NIGHT WITCH
Night witches are blood-drenched champions of their kind. In battle, each one is an unstoppable tide of blood and slaughter. Stringing bloody kills together in a chain, a single night witch can cut down a host of foes within mere moments.
NIGHT WITCH SPELLS
Starting at 3rd level, you learn additional spells, as shown on the Night Witch Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a blood witch spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of blood witch spells you have prepared. Whenever you gain a blood witch level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level.
VEIL OF GORE
Starting when you choose this calling at 3rd level, the bloodshed you cause in battle drapes you in a gory cloak
Weapon Blood razor Ritual blade Sacral blade
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that obscures you from sight. When you damage a creature with your arcane focus, you become heavily obscured until the start of your next turn and can take the Hide action as a bonus action.
ADDITIONAL FIGHTING STYLE
At 13th level, you can choose a second option from the Fighting Style class feature.
SERPENT’S GRACE
At 15th level, you move with a swift and predatory agility. You can take the Disengage or Dodge action as a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. If you do so, you gain a +2 bonus to AC until the start of your next turn.
KILLING SPREE
At 20th level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with your arcane focus, you can use your reaction to move up to your speed and make another melee attack with your arcane focus.
IMPLEMENTS OF BLOODLETTING
The Bloodletting Implements table shows the weapons used by blood witches and their ilk. These ritual implements are regularly consecrated in the fresh blood of sacrifices. Most of these weapons are wickedly barbed or hooked like skinning blades, but all of them prioritize quick, light strikes over brute force in order to produce as many bleeding wounds as possible. Each weapon in the Bloodletting Implements table is a martial weapon. Sacral Blade. While in the hands of a blood witch, a sacral blade is a magic weapon.
Bloodletting Implements
Cost 25gp 25gp 5gp
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Damage Weight Properties 2d4 slashing 1 lb. Finesse, sacral 1d8 slashing 2 lb. Sacral, versatile (1d10) 1d6 piercing 1 lb. Finesse, light, sacral
RAIDER Dressed in her boarding gear, a Satyxis whips her lacerator around in a vicious arc, using its serrated blades to slice through meat and bone with ease. As more sea dogs pour onto the deck of the ship, she whirls around in an acrobatic display, slashing and tearing through her enemies in a flurry of death and destruction. A trollkin bandit, clad in leather armor and a greatcoat, emerges from a copse of trees and flourishes his pistols as he holds up a courier’s coach outside of Corvis, the City of Ghosts. He deftly dodges a strike from a guardsman’s Caspian battleblade and pumps two lightning-quick shots into the human’s sternum. Having dispatched the defender, the bandit opens the coach and seizes the small chest within before vanishing back into the trees. An ogrun commander pushes his unit deeper into enemy territory, his sturdy frame made even more imposing by the extensive wear and tear on his well-used armor. His every word inspires his team as they ready their weapons and prepare for battle. All these individuals are raiders, cunning warriors who are masters of hit-and-run tactics. These nimble fighters are experts at fighting in close quarters, using their quickness and deft hands to close in on their enemies and eliminate them swiftly.
Proficiency Level Bonus 1st +2 2nd +2 3rd +2 4th +2 5th +3 6th +3 7th +3 8th +3 9th +4 10th +4 11th +4 12th +4 13th +5 14th +5 15th +5 16th +5 17th +6 18th +6 19th +6 20th +6
The Raider Features Fighting Style, Quick on Your Feet Evasive (one use) Raider Archetype Ability Score Improvement Extra Attack Ability Score Improvement Raider Archetype feature Ability Score Improvement Boarding Action Raider Archetype feature Extra Attack (2) Ability Score Improvement Lash Out Ability Score Improvement Raider Archetype feature Ability Score Improvement Evasive (two uses) Raider Archetype feature Ability Score Improvement Extra Attack (3)
DANCE OF DEATH
Raiders are adept at using a wide variety of weapons and taking advantage of a myriad of environments in battle. They are very practical combatants, especially when it comes to doing what they do best: swiftly engaging and removing their enemies. Whether sailing on the high seas, holding up a caravan, or commanding a crew, raiders have skills that are always in demand.
many scrapes, skirmishes, and bloody battles. Some have favored weapons, but almost anything can become a weapon in the hands of a raider. Those who survive long enough become formidable forces in nearly any situation.
A PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS
Raiders may seem to be nothing more than common thugs, but their appearance belies a set of skills acquired through
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CREATING A RAIDER
When creating a raider, think about how you acquired your skills and abilities. Were you a merchant sailor who fought off pirates and brigands many times and quickly developed the combat skills needed to fight in ship-to-ship actions, or were you part of a group of highway bandits, stealing what you and your allies needed in order to survive? Are you using your skills to protect others or to line your own pockets? Work with your GM to flesh out a suitable personal history and background for your raider and to determine how you might fit into a party or an organization. QUICK BUILD
You can make a raider quickly by following these suggestions. First, Strength or Dexterity should be your highest ability score, followed by Charisma. Second, choose the Mercenary background.
CLASS FEATURES
As a raider, you gain the following class features. HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: 1d8 Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per raider level after 1st
PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light armor Weapons: Simple weapons, simple firearms, cutlass, lacerator, whips Tools: None Saving Throws: Dexterity, Charisma Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion
EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: light armor and an armored greatcoat (a) a simple pistol or (b) a simple rifle 15 rounds of ammunition (a) a soldier’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack If you forgo this starting equipment and the items granted by your background, you start with 4d4 × 10 gp to buy your equipment.
FIGHTING STYLE
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. POINT BLANK
Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature does not impose disadvantage on ranged attack rolls made against a target within 5 feet of you SHARPSHOOTER
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with firearms. STREET FIGHTER
When you take the Attack action to make an unarmed strike or to attack with a weapon whose proficiency is granted by
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this class, you can make one unarmed strike or one attack with an improvised weapon as a bonus action. For example, if you take the Attack action and attack with knuckledusters, you can also make an unarmed strike as a bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a bonus action this turn. You add your proficiency bonus to this extra attack. TWO-GUN FIGHTING
You can engage in two-weapon fighting with light pistols and can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
QUICK ON YOUR FEET
At 1st level you have advantage on Dexterity checks made to avoid being grappled or shoved.
EVASIVE
At 2nd level, when you damage a creature with a melee attack, you can immediately use a bonus action to take the Disengage action and move 15 feet away from the target creature. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice between rests, but only once per turn.
RAIDER ARCHETYPE
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that shapes your path as a raider. Choose Commanding Officer, Highwayman, or Pirate, all detailed at the end of the class description. The archetype you choose grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level.
ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th, 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature If your campaign uses the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
EXTRA ATTACK
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class and to four when you reach 20th level in this class.
BOARDING ACTION
Starting at 9th level, when you take the Dash action, you ignore nonmagical difficult terrain and have advantage on Dexterity checks made to avoid being knocked prone until the end of your turn.
LASH OUT
At 13th level, you become proficient at fighting in the thick of massive, moving brawls. When a creature enters within reach of a melee weapon you are wielding, you may use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against that creature.
RAIDER ARCHETYPES Different raiders choose different approaches to their style of life and battle. The raider archetype you choose to emulate reflects your approach.
COMMANDING OFFICER
After many long and hard battles, you have learned how best to coordinate the efforts of your unit or crew and inspire them in combat. Your skills and survival have turned your resolve to iron, but to your team, you are more than a crewmate. They look up to you, admire your abilities, and see your presence in battle as a guiding force. On a ship, you might be the bosun or quartermaster. In the military, you might be a lieutenant or sergeant who leads a specialized team or unit. No matter your station or location, your commanding presence can mean the difference between victory or defeat.
INSPIRING PRESENCE
Starting at 3rd level, you can inspire others with your actions and valor. To do so, you use a bonus action on your turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear or see you. That creature gains one Inspiration die, a d6. Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Inspiration die, but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Inspiration die at a time. You can use this feature a number of times equal to yourCharismamodifier (a minimum of once). You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest. Your Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in this class. The die becomes a d8 at 6th level and a d10 at 11th level.
to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature) within 30 feet of you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
BATTLE PLANS
At 15th level, you are well versed in battle and can turn the tide in your favor. As a bonus action, you can use one of the following commands. Each command’s benefit lasts until the start of your next turn. Friendly creatures can’t gain these benefits if they can’t see or hear you or can’t understand you. You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. Brutal Assault. Once per turn, each friendly creature within 30 feet of you can make a melee attack as a bonus action after making a ranged attack against a creature you or they can see. Righteous Vengeance. If you or any friendly creature within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points by an enemy creature, you and each friendly creature within 30 feet of you have advantage on its next attack roll this turn against that enemy creature. In addition, these attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. Run Through. You and friendly creatures within 30 feet of you unleash the full brutality of your attacks. When you or an affected creature reduces an enemy creature to 0 hit points, the target immediately makes a death saving throw with disadvantage. A failed saving throw counts as two failures.
KILLBOX
At 7th level, your battlefield expertise has given you insight into how to maneuver your team into strategic positions, thereby providing them with the upper hand before the fight even begins. On your first turn of combat, if you are not surprised, you can use a bonus action to choose a number of friendly creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). Each creature you choose can immediately move up to 10 feet in any direction without provoking opportunity attacks. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
FIELD OFFICER
Beginning at 10th level, leading your team becomes second nature to you. If you are part of a group making a group ability check, each creature that makes the check gains a bonus to the check equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of+1). Additionally, you and a number of friendly creatures equal
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DEVOTED CREW
At 18th level, your allies respect your importance to the success of combat and are ready to lay down their lives on your behalf. If an enemy creature hits you with a ranged attack, a friendly creature within 10 feet of you can use its reaction to be automatically hit instead. You can use this feature twice. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
HIGHWAYMAN
Highwaymen are thieves and cutthroats who excel at hitand-run tactics. They will attack one point and be gone before any significant response can be mustered. Capable of plundering well-armed travelers, fortified outposts, and the occasional military transport, these bandits are not to be underestimated. With a wide variety of skills and tricks, highwaymen are very adept at delivering death and destruction to their targets.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Stealth and Survival skills. If you already have proficiency in either of these skills, you double your proficiency bonus when you make an ability check with the skill.
RUN AND GUN
At 7th level, you have mastered the ability to use your ranged attacks to cover your next move. If you hit a creature with a ranged attack, you can move up to your speed as a bonus action. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks
SO I STARTED BLASTING!
At 10th level, you can use your action to expend the magazine of a weapon you’re holding against a single target. Choose an enemy creature that you can see within your weapon’s normal range. Your next ranged attack against the target has advantage. If you hit the target, add +2 to the total damage for each piece of ammunition expended from the magazine, to a maximum of +10 damage. There must be more than one piece of ammunition in the magazine to gain this benefit. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
KEEN EYED
At 15th level, you increase the normal range of firearms you wield by 20 feet and the maximum range by 60 feet.
NOWHERE TO HIDE
At 18th level, your skill with firearms is uncanny. You treat total cover as three-quarters cover and three-quarters cover as half cover. Additionally, as an action, you can mark an enemy creature that you can see. Until the start of your next turn, friendly creatures gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls on ranged attacks against the marked creature. You can mark creatures a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
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PIRATE
For pirates, raiding is a way of life. Their skills are critical to successfully boarding enemy ships and securing valuable plunder. Pirates are a constant threat to those who navigate the seas, rivers, and tributaries of western Immoren, and almost no place is safe from their reach.
SEA ROVER
At 3rd level, you have advantage on saving throws to avoid being pushed or knocked prone, and you ignore movement penalties caused by the motion of the waves or by a wet and slippery deck. Additionally, if you are prone at the start of your turn, you can make a DC10 Dexterity saving throw. On a success, you can stand up without spending any movement.
NO QUARTER
At 7th level, your combat skills have made you a fearsome pirate, and your brutal attacks strike fear into the hearts of your enemies and weaken their morale. After hitting a creature but before rolling damage you can choose to gain a +2 bonus to your next damage roll, and each enemy creature within 15 feet of the damaged creature must succeed on a DC15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can use this feature twice. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
CRIMSON TIDE
At 10th level, your skill with blades allows you to use your enemy’s injuries to your benefit. When you damage an enemy creature with a melee attack, you can force the damaged creature and each enemy creature within 15 feet of it to make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC of 8 + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice) + your Proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the creature is blinded until the end of your next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
DECK SWEEPER
Starting at 15th level, your actions as a pirate are brutally executed, and plundering ships and coastal towns is second nature to you. When you attack an enemy creature and reduce it to 0 hit points, you can immediately make a ranged attack against another enemy creature within 10 feet of the original target. You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
SCOURGE OF THE SEA
At 18th level, you sit at the pinnacle of piracy, and your ship and its crew are among the most feared threats on the waterways. As an action, you can choose a number of friendly creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). Each creature you choose gains a +2 bonus to its attack and damage rolls until the start of your next turn. You can use this feature three times. You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
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SUBCLASS OPTIONS BARBARIAN
The Nightmare Empire is home to seasoned and disciplined warriors both living and dead, but much of the realm is also a lawless expanse of piracy and chaos, where survival of the fittest is the law of the land. Life and death in the Scharde Islands are both red in tooth and claw, and this cauldron of primal forces is a boiling stew of remnant Molgur tribes practicing ancient rites of Devourer worship, Satyxis warriors weaving powerful blood magic, and pirates flying under the flag of good old-fashioned individualism. Survival is difficult in the Nightmare Empire, and even the strongest, most cunning, and most ruthless have difficulty clinging to life in a land dominated by the dead. Many of these individuals follow the path of the barbarian, though they, like everyone else who lives in the shadow of the Dragonfather, may not be as immediately recognizable as their mainland equivalents. From the Molgur tribes on scattered islands to the gladiators in the fighting pits of Blackwater to the sailors who prowl the decks of the dreaded ships of the Slaughter Fleet, barbarians can be found in all walks of life in Cryx, and they often rise to remarkable heights in an empire that prizes strength and cruelty above most other virtues.
PRIMAL PATHS
At 3rd level, a barbarian gains the Primal Path feature. The following options are available to a barbarian: the Path of the Bloodgorger and the Path of the Gladiator.
PATH OF THE BLOODGORGER
Among the most feared of all of Toruk’s soldiers are the cannibalistic bloodgorgers. Even though the tradition began with the blighted trollkin kriels of the Scharde Islands, others among the Dragonfather’s most bloodthirsty followers have taken up the mantle and learned how to use their blighted resilience as both weapon and armor in the slaughter of their enemies. The ferocity and cruelty bloodgorgers demonstrate in battle would be enough to make them widely reviled, but their eating habits are what make them as abhorred as infernal cultists. Not content merely to butcher those who stand against them, bloodgorgers delight in feasting upon the fallen. Each mouthful of flesh allows these vicious barbarians to heal even the most grievous wounds—and they aren’t shy whatsoever about stuffing their maws while their foes are still alive. Regardless of their origins, all bloodgorgers are touched by the blight of the Dragonfather. They have to be, in order to survive the grisly feasts they partake in. For many of them, this blight manifests itself in cadaverous flesh, sharp spines, and curving horns. Their teeth sharpen to wicked points, and their warped constitution allows them to take unnatural
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Path of the Bloodgorger Features
Barbarian Level 3rd 6th 10th 14th
Feature Teeth and Claws, More Slaughter Grisly Feast Terrify Eat the Heart
sustenance from the flesh and blood of their foes. Mere blight is not the only reason bloodgorgers exhibit such terrible ferocity, however. They have combined their own unnatural resilience with the arts of blood sacrifice, taken from the occult practices of the Satyxis and the ancient rites of Devourer worshippers. Bloodgorgers’ unquenchable thirst for battle not only empowers them to grisly deeds, but also fills their enemies with horror as the ravenous barbarians pour from their ships to slake their terrible appetites.
TEETH AND CLAWS
Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this path, your teeth sharpen to fangs and your skin grows horns, sharp spines, or vicious claws. Your unarmed attacks deal 1d6 piercing damage+ your Strength modifier.
MORE SLAUGHTER
Bloodgorgers revel in the spray of blood when they strike their foes, and they endeavor to spill as much as possible. Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you become adept at laying into foes with a weapon in hand and the claws and teeth that are part of your blighted heritage. Once on each of your turns, if you take the Attack action while you’re raging and are either unarmed or not wielding a two-handed weapon, you can make an unarmed strike as a part of the attack. If the attack hits a creature that is not a construct or undead, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). You lose any temporary hit points gained in this way when your rage ends.
GRISLY FEAST
The lucky few who have survived an attack by bloodgorgers remember one thing above all others: the relish with which the bloodthirsty barbarians consumed the flesh and blood of their foes. Partaking in this brutal sacrament means more than merely eating, however. Through blood magic learned from Satyxis and Devourer cults, bloodgorgers use their fallen foes to restore their health and vigor in order to continue the slaughter. Beginning at 6th level, when a creature other than an undead or a construct within 5 feet of you drops to 0 hit points while you’re raging, you can use a bonus action to eat part of your foe. When you do so, you regain 1d6 hit points. When you reach certain levels in this class, you take greater sustenance from your kills. The amount of hit points you regain increases to 2d6 at 10th level and 3d6 at 14th level.
TERRIFY
Few things bring a bloodgorger greater pleasure than seeing the look of horror in the face of a foe just before death. Beginning at 10th level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points while you’re raging, you can use your reaction to force any creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you that you can see to make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier. On a failed save, the creature is frightened of you for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
EAT THE HEART
The most fearsome bloodgorgers have learned to extract more than sustenance from the consumption of their enemies. A bloodgorger who feasts upon a particularly worthwhile opponent can draw upon some of that foe’s strength, skills, and memories for a limited time. Beginning at 14th level, when a creature within 5 feet of you drops to 0 hit points while you’re raging, you can use a bonus action
to eat part of your foe. In addition to regaining hit points as described in your Grisly Feast feature, you can choose one of the benefits described below. If you do so, you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest. Gifts of the Feast. You gain the ability to cast one spell that your foe knew. You choose the spell, which must be 3rd level or lower, and you can cast it a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus in the next 24 hours. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. Memories of the Fallen. You gain proficiency in a single skill or saving throw your foe was proficient in, or with a single tool your foe was proficient with. This effect lasts for a number of hours equal to your proficiency bonus. Strength of the Slain. You can replace one of your ability modifiers with your foe’s ability modifier for the same ability. For example, if you have a Strength modifier of +3 and your foe’s was +4, yours would become +4. This effect lasts for a number of turns equal to your proficiency bonus. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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PATH OF THE GLADIATOR
Though sometimes regarded as cruel and archaic by the more progressive among the citizenry, fighting pits remain a common sight throughout the Iron Kingdoms. From Corvis to Five Fingers and from Skirov to Leryn, an enterprising fighter can almost always find a match in which to score a few extra coins—at the risk of losing a few teeth, of course. Some of these bouts are refereed and rules-bound, whether fighting bare-knuckle to knockout or armed to first blood. Others are brutal, no-holds-barred events that end in death and frequently pit mortal fighters against savage beasts captured in the wilds of Immoren and starved into a frenzy. The fighters who populate these brutal arenas come from all walks of life and bring to bear every kind of skill imaginable, but all those who thrive in the pits share a few things in common: they are tough, fearless, and capable of playing the crowd. A good gladiator isn’t just one who wins. A good gladiator gets people to bet, fires them up, and makes them cheer on the inevitable victory—or the crushing defeat. Such individuals can be found all over the Iron Kingdoms, but they and the fighting pits where they make their names are most common in the darkened port of Blackwater. This pirate city’s fighting pits are as vicious as they come, and the living are as likely to fight the dead as they are other gladiators or strange monstrosities hauled in from the jungles of Cryx. Those who survive a long time in the pits of Blackwater become legends and can command a surprisingly comfortable lifestyle, considering their less-thansavory environs.
FAVORED WEAPON
Winning over a crowd involves building a brand, and many fighters do this by developing a signature fighting style. When you choose this path at 3rd level, choose a martial melee weapon. That weapon becomes a favored weapon for you. Your weapon attacks with a favored weapon score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20, You can choose an additional favored weapon at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level.
WHO’S NEXT?
Beginning at 6th level, you have learned to stare death in the face and use your victories to fill your enemies with
Path of the Gladiator Features
Barbarian Level 3rd 6th 10th 14th
Feature Favored Weapon Who’s Next? Play to the Crowd Last One Standing
doubt. While raging, you have advantage on saving throws to avoid being frightened. In addition, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points while raging, you can use your reaction to force any creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you that you can see to make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your choice of your Strength or Charisma modifier+ your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against you until the start of your next turn.
PLAY TO THE CROWD
Beginning at 10th level, you have become a master at inspiring the emotions of those who watch you fight and can use your successes to invigorate the blows of your allies. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points while raging, you can use your reaction to choose a number of friendly creatures who can see you, up to your Strength modifier, to a minimum of one. Each chosen creature has advantage on its next attack roll.
LAST ONE STANDING
In the pits, victory is often about who can stay on their feet the longest. Beginning at 14th level, anytime you are reduced to less than half your hit point maximum while you’re raging, you can use your reaction to immediately spend one of your Hit Dice to regain hit points, just as you would at the end of a short rest. You can use this ability a number of times equal to half your total Hit Dice but can spend only one Hit Die each time you use this feature. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
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BARD Few cultures in western Immoren developed traditions of chronicling the adventures or heroes of their people. Accordingly, bards are rare in the Iron Kingdoms, but there are a few pockets wherein such practices arose naturally. Among seafaring peoples, bardic traditions emerged spontaneously from the demands of water travel. The Stormsinger is one such path, and it is relatively common among the seafaring folk of the Scharde Islands and Cryx.
BARD COLLEGES
At 3rd level, a bard gains the Bard College feature. The Stormsinger option described below is available to a bard in the Iron Kingdoms, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.
STORMSINGER
As long as ships have plied the seas, men and women have sung tales of their adventures upon the open water. Sea shanties began as a way for crews to keep rhythm when hauling aloft a sail or pulling oars in unison, but they quickly became a way to record and celebrate the joys and terrors of the high seas. Over time, these songs gained the power to invoke the very things they described. Native magical traditions rapidly emerged in the wake of this newly discovered capacity, and sailors soon taught each other how to use this power to aid their own navigation and hinder enemy ships. The ports and routes in and around the Scharde Islands were historically the main seat of this tradition. When Toruk’s corruption took root, the power of his blight flowed naturally into these established channels, making the Stormsingers of Cryx a terrifying force capable of calling up fair winds to speed their vessels into battle or gales powerful enough to wreck the sturdiest opponent. But the Stormsinger tradition is not inherently Cryxian, and Stormsingers can be found among the navies of any seafaring nation and even in some civilian trade and fishing fleets.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
Starting at 3rd level when you choose this college, you gain proficiency with simple pistols and vehicles (water).
SING UP A STORM
At 3rd level, your voice can call to the sea and invoke the weather you desire. You can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration to cause fair or foul winds. Roll a Bardic Inspiration die and choose one of the options below. The weather conditions change to match your choice for a number of hours equal to the roll of your Bardic Inspiration die. Fair Winds. You sing a song of a fine journey, causing the wind to fill your sails and the current to flow where you want it to. For the duration, the speed of the vessel you are aboard increases by 10 miles per hour, and any rain, snow, or fog within 100 feet of you dissipates.
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Stormsinger Features
Bard Level 3rd 6th 14th
Feature Bonus Proficiencies, Sing Up a Storm Song of the Tides Heavy Weather
Foul Winds. You sing about storms and gales, causing crosswinds, driving rain, and swamping waves. For the duration, the DC of ability checks made to pilot a watercraft within 100 feet of you increases by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus. In addition, you can cause heavy rain to fall in the affected area. You can choose not to affect a vessel you are aboard with this feature.
SONG OF THE TIDES
By 6th level, you have developed an instinct for the movements of the winds and tides. You can successfully predict the general weather conditions, including prevailing winds and currents, for the next 24 hours. Additionally, you and friendly creatures aboard your ship have advantage on saving throws to avoid harm caused by naval hazards for the next 24 hours.
HEAVY WEATHER
At 14th level, you have learned more subtle ways to manipulate the elements and can choose from the following additional options when you use your Sing Up a Storm. Choking Fog. You call up a 100-foot-radius sphere of fog centered on a point you can see. The fog begins to appear immediately but takes 5 minutes to thicken to maximum density. The fog spreads around corners and until it reaches maximum density the area is lighting obscured. Upon reaching maximum density the affected area is heavily obscured. You can see through this fog without issue. Waterspout. Choose a point you can see within 100 feet of you that is on the surface of a body of water. A wicked combination of wind and water assails the point and generates a waterspout capable of tangling lines and drenching men and powder to the point of uselessness. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a Strength saving throw. A creature takes bludgeoning damage equal to two rolls of your Bardic Inspiration die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Vehicles of Large size or smaller within 5 feet of that point are tossed violently about. The pilot of each such vehicle must succeed on a Dexterity check made with vehicles (water) with a DC equal to your spell save DC or be moved 10 feet × your Wisdom modifier (minimum 10 feet) in a direction of your choice across the water’s surface.
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CLERIC The Scharde Islands are home to many faiths, from the worship of mainland gods such as Morrow and Thamar to the primal rituals of Devourer and Dhunian worshippers. But within the Nightmare Empire, only one faith may be practiced openly: that of Lord Toruk, Father of All Dragons. Granted potent abilities by the Dragonfather’s corrupting influence, Toruk’s blighted clerics guide the Nightmare Empire’s motley population in revering their dragon god.
DIVINE DOMAINS
At 1st level, a cleric gains the Divine Domain feature. The following Blight domain is available to a cleric, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.
Other Domains of the Dragonfather
Lord Toruk’s greatest gift to his worshippers is the power of his pervasive blight, but as a living god, he embodies many other aspects as well. In addition to the Blight domain, any domain that involves darkness, death, power, or ambition would be appropriate for priests of the Dragonfather.
BLIGHT DOMAIN
Blight is the most potent and pervasive marker of Lord Toruk’s presence. This dragonborne malady, which perverts and corrupts flesh, flora, fauna, and even the earth itself, permeates all things in Cryx and makes a mockery of all creation. Such a powerful force is naturally the primary focus for the priests of Toruk. In exchange for a fragment of this corrupting power, they allow their bodies to become twisted and mutated, their minds filled only with the dark song that calls out from the Dragonfather to their broken and screaming souls. Countless numbers of Toruk’s clerics remain within the halls of his tremendous chapel-citadel in Skell, keeping as close as they dare to his wasting presence as they sing his praises, but many venture out into the world to spread his corruption in ways both direct and subtle. The Dragonfather’s clerics are rarely seen in the open on the mainland because their corrupting presence gives them away quickly, but some operate there in secret, whether moving through the hive-tunnels of their cephalyx allies or masquerading as minor functionaries in human cities. The mere presence of a powerful blight-infested cleric in a town is occasionally enough to disrupt crops and trade in pursuit of
Blight Domain Features
Cleric Level Feature 1st Mockery of Life 2nd Channel Divinity: Aura of Corruption 6th Desecration 8th Blighted Strike 17th Blightborne
Blight Domain Spells
Cleric Level 1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th
Spells inflict wounds, read the dead decrepitude, grave wind hellfire, vampiric touch blight, boneskin antilife shell, mark of decay
some larger plan known only to Toruk. The Dragonfather’s servants are dedicated to him completely, and every deed they do is directed toward increasing his power in the world.
DOMAIN SPELLS
You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed in the Blight Domain Spells table. See the Divine Domain class feature for how domain spells work. The names of new spells described in chapter 3 are set in bold.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you chose this domain at 1st level, your blight-infused presence disgusts and terrifies others. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. In addition, you gain proficiency with heavy armor.
MOCKERY OF LIFE
Beginning at 1st level, you can target undead creatures with healing spells and heal them just as you would living creatures.
CHANNEL DIVINITY: AURA OF CORRUPTION
Beginning at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to summon the blight of Toruk to flow around you in a swirling miasma for 1 minute. As an action, you present your holy symbol and corrupt an area for a number of rounds equal to your cleric level. Each living creature within 30 feet of you with up to fewer Hit Dice than your Cleric level immediately begins to wither and takes 1d6 necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns. Plant life within the affected area dies. Each creature that starts its turn within the affected area must make a Constitution save against your spell save DC or be poisoned while within your putrid aura. Undead creatures within the aura of corruption have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
DESECRATION
At 6th level, the corruption that surrounds you causes your flesh to rot and decay. Sores and seeping pustules appear on your body, and your flesh occasionally sloughs off in wet sheets as the blighted energies strengthen. In addition, this aura of contamination has grown so strong that it begins to affect even nonliving matter. Once per day, you can manipulate the blight inside you to form a sphere of contamination, spreading to a 30-foot radius centered on you for a number of rounds equal to your CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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Wisdom modifier. Attacks against creatures and structures within the sphere ignore damage resistances. BLIGHTED STRIKE
At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with blight energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to2d8.
Fighter Level 3rd 7th 10th 15th 18th
Marine Features
Feature Bonus Proficiencies, Sea Legs Boarding Action Steady as She Goes Overboard, Ship Shape Hit the Deck
BLIGHTBORNE
At 17th level, your prolonged exposure to blight has made you immune to necrotic damage. In addition, the blight that surrounds you is so powerful that it breaks down natural processes. Each creature within 10 feet of you other than undead regains half as many hit points when it receives healing.
FIGHTER Fighters in the Iron Kingdoms come in all shapes and sizes and hail from all walks of life. Some are trained soldiers armed and equipped by mercenary charters or by the armies and navies of their home kingdom. Others are sellswords happy to work for coin, or self-taught reavers who have learned the skills they need to survive in a harsh environment. Regardless of their background, such individuals swell the ranks of the militaries of western Immoren and swarm the decks of pirate ships all along the Broken Coast.
MARTIAL ARCHETYPES
At 3rd level, a fighter gains the Martial Archetype feature. The following options are available to a fighter, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem: the Marine and the Shroud Knight.
MARINE
Naval combat has been a part of life in western Immoren for centuries. Over the years, a special breed of soldier has developed: one who is as comfortable on the deck of a ship as on the battlefield. Whether they were trained at the naval academies of Ord or Cygnar or simply honed their skills aboard the pirate ships plying the Meredius, these marines specialize in ship-to-ship combat and understand the value of versatility and mobility at sea. They can be found in virtually every nation—even landlocked Llael trains equivalents who guard riverboats. Some are soldiers serving crown and country, others are mercenaries in the employ of trading concerns such as the Mercarian League, and most of the rest are nothing more than pirates who use their skills to raid and plunder. The advent of firearms changed the face of warfare in western Immoren, and nowhere was that truer than upon the open sea. Ship-to-ship fighting often gets up close and personal in a hurry, but it usually begins with an exchange of fire before the ships get close enough for a boarding action. Accordingly, marines train in the use of firearms of all types in order to provide devastating volleys as their ship closes with the foe, and they are equally adept at engaging in a vicious, close-in skirmish once boarding actions begin. They also learn to fight under some of the most punishing circ*mstances, as sea battles take place upon the pitching decks of spray-slicked ships, often under a hail of cannon fire and in less-than-ideal weather. All these skills make marines deadly fighters at sea or on land and serve them well whether they’re defending a ship from attack or launching an attack themselves.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with simple firearms, martial firearms, and water vehicles.
SEA LEGS
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you’ve already developed the ability to fight on the deck of a ship that is pitching and tossing beneath your feet. While on a watercraft, you can’t be knocked prone while you are conscious unless you choose to be, and moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. Additionally, when you make a running long jump, the distance you can cover increases by a number of feet equal to your proficiency bonus.
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BOARDING ACTION
Beginning at 7th level, you’re always ready when the time comes for combat. If your first attack during your turn is a ranged attack, you can immediately take the Dash action before making your second attack and can use a bonus action to stow your ranged weapon and draw a melee weapon. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
STEADY AS SHE GOES
At 10th level, you learn how to remain steadfast even in the chaos of combat or the ravages of a raging storm. When you make a ranged attack, you ignore disadvantage on ranged attacks imposed by attacking at long range or by a hostile creature being within 5 feet of you. Furthermore, if a nonmagical weather effect would cause you to have disadvantage on an attack roll, such as strong winds or obscurement caused by heavy rains, you can choose to ignore the effect and roll without disadvantage. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
OVERBOARD
Beginning at 15th level, if you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature no more than one size larger than you and
then hit it with an attack on the same turn, you can attempt to shove that creature as a part of the attack. The creature must make a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ your proficiency bonus+ your Strength modifier. On a failed save, the creature is pushed up to 10 feet away from you in a direction of your choosing and knocked prone. This technique is most often used at sea to knock opponents overboard, since sometimes the best offense is to simply remove a threat from the playing field altogether. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Strength modifier. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
SHIP SHAPE
At 15th level, you have mastered the dual roles of sailor and soldier and know your way around any ship you’re defending. You are proficient in Dexterity saving throws and have advantage on saving throws to avoid being grappled or restrained.
HIT THE DECK
There’s only so much that even the heaviest armor can do in the face of a broadside from an enemy ship. Sometimes, the only defense is to take a fall. Beginning at 18th level, when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to avoid damage, you can use your reaction to go prone. If you use your reaction to go prone, you take no damage from the effect. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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SHROUD KNIGHT
Wrapped in a pall of living darkness, a shroud knight is a terrifying sight. Fortunately for most of the living, these creatures are rare outside the Nightmare Empire, and even in Cryx, they are few and far between. The largest concentration of shroud knights can be found among the banes, for these grim warriors tap into the same dark energies that animate the ancient dead. Whether they stand among the living or the dead, shroud knights are among the eeriest and deadliest warriors ever to haunt the battlefields and cursed places of Caen. Because they wield powers inimical to life, they seldom find much welcome among the living. As a result, most shroud knights—living or dead—are part of the forces of the Nightmare Empire. They are not the only ones, however. The soldiers of ancient Morrdh are believed to have counted shroud knights among their numbers, and some modern-day Thamarites on the mainland have learned to harness the shadows of the grave in order to master this ominous martial style. As shroud knights grow in power, however, the aura of darkness that surrounds them grows ever more tangible, and hiding the truth of their abilities from those around them becomes difficult, if not impossible. Even though the recent edicts of greater acceptance for Thamarites on the mainland have made it easier for shroud knights to exist alongside the living, sooner or later, most seek refuge among the dead. Few people know of these energies at all, but many of those believe that only the dead can wield them, for the chill touch of a bane’s shadow is enough to leach the warmth and vitality from almost any living soul. Yet some who still stand on this side of the veil have learned to reach beyond Caen and harness the same energy that animates the banes, turning it against their foes and using it to bolster their own resilience.
AT HOME AMONG THE DEAD
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you are already in close contact with the icy void that waits beyond the grave. You gain resistance to necrotic damage. If you already have resistance to necrotic damage from some other source, you have immunity to it instead. In addition, you can speak Thrallspeak, which has no written form. If you already know how to speak Thrallspeak, you can speak, read, and write one extra language of your choice.
TOUCH OF THE GRAVE
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you can imbue your attacks with the chill energy of the void. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to the target. The extra damage increases to 2d6 at 10th level and 3d6 at 15th level. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, minimum of one time. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
INEVITABLE AS DEATH
By 7th level, bolted doors and stone walls can no more stop you than they can stop the approach of death itself. As a
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Shroud Knight Features
Fighter Level 3rd 7th 10th 15th 18th
Feature At Home among the Dead, Touch of the Grave Inevitable as Death Gathering Shadows Summon the Fallen Defender on the Threshold
bonus action, you can make yourself ghostly until the end of your next turn. While you are ghostly, you can’t be targeted by opportunity attacks and can move through other creatures or objects as if they were difficult terrain but can’t end your movement in a space that is occupied by another creature or object. If you would do so, you instead end your movement in the closest unoccupied space you last occupied. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
WALKING THROUGH WALLS
Some characters will have both the Inevitable as Death class feature and the Incorporeal Movement trait. Characters with both options much decide which they intend to use during a turn if they plan to move through characters or objects.
GATHERING SHADOWS
At 10th level, shadows cling thick and heavy to you wherever you go. You can turn your foes’ own shadows against them. When a creature targets you with a melee attack, you can use a reaction action to cause the creature to have disadvantage on the attack roll, as the shadows that surround the two of you thicken and reach out for your foe. If the attack misses, the creature is restrained until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
SUMMON THE FALLEN
Starting at 15th level, your mastery over the energies of death allows you to pierce the veil between worlds and reach beyond it to call forth the spirits of long-dead warriors. You can cast the animate dead spell a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down) and regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. When you cast animate dead using this feature, you can choose to animate a thrall warrior instead of a skeleton or zombie.
DEFENDER ON THE THRESHOLD
Starting at 18th level, the walls between the living and the dead are as insubstantial as mist to you. When you or a creature within 30 feet of you that you can see is hit by an attack, you can use a reaction to wrap the target in a shroud of darkness. The creature gains resistance to the damage from that attack, regardless of its type, and resistance to all nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
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GUN MAGE Most of the gun mages in the Nightmare Empire and the Scharde Islands are self-taught individuals who felt drawn to firearms from an early age and eventually discovered their innate sorcerous talents. The most notorious among them are the arcane gunslingers of the Satyxis. Blending the traditions of blood magic with gun fighting, these warriors typically serve aboard the ships of the Black Fleet and on numerous vessels of the Pirate Fleet. Once engaged in combat, they unleash a barrage of empowered bullets with brutal efficiency.
GUN MAGE ORDER
At 1st level, a gun mage gains the Gun Mage Order feature. The following Order of the Witch option is available to a gun mage, in addition to the options offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.
ORDER OF THE WITCH
The art of the gun mage is considered a refined and gallant tradition by those who live in the Iron Kingdoms, where teachers at arcane schools instruct promising students in how to wield their rune-inscribed pistols, enabling these dashing officers to face down even hulking warjacks. This mystical martial discipline is also carefully cultivated and protected by lone masters who pass their secrets to their protégés. Given the extent to which the art is guarded by military schools and private practitioners alike, it is both surprising and unnerving that Cryx seems to have unlocked the secrets of the craft. Witchlock-wielding gunslingers now play a critical role for the Nightmare Empire, particularly among its fleets and the ranks of the Satyxis. Early gun mages in the Scharde Islands emerged by chance. Satyxis raiders commonly signed their shots with their blood, often smeared over runes blessing the ball of metal to hit true and rend flesh. But for those who had the Gift of Magic coursing through their veins, the very act was a fortuitous discovery and a merger of two arts—rune shot and blood magic. These unintended early experiments often ended with explosive results that ripped apart both the victim and the pistol that fired the shot, but Cryxian ironmongers eventually fashioned their own form of magelocks after examining the pistols of mainland gun mages and discovering the means by which rare and magically resonant metals were used to manufacture such weapons. After countless hours spent hammering upon metal ritually drenched in blood and improving upon their previous failures, ogrun artisans finally succeeded in creating a uniquely Cryxian version of these powerful weapons. Although these firearms—known as witchlocks—exude an aura of death, they require their muzzles to be loaded and are not as advanced as their mainland equivalents. They are often tipped with bayonets and placed in the hands of those who practice blood magic, making these arcane gunslingers a threat both at range and in melee.
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Order of the Witch Features
Gun Mage Level 1st 6th 10th 14th
Feature Bonus Rune Shot, Gunfighter Pistol Stab Blood Leech Hail Storm
Each witchlock pistol is fashioned for a particular gunslinger, making it a match for its wielder’s unique interpretation of this arcane art. This focus upon the singular nature of both the weapon and its wielder is no accident. Despite their similarities, Cryx’s mystical sharpshooters jealously guard their spells and rituals and would rather murder each other than reveal how they use blood magic to empower their ammunition and gun powder.
BONUS RUNE SHOT
Starting at 1st level when you choose this order, you learn the Bleeder rune shot. This rune shot does not count toward the total number of rune shots you can know.
ADDITIONAL FIGHTING STYLE
At 1st level, you have a choice between the following fighting styles: Gunfighter. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature does not impose disadvantage on ranged attack rolls made against a target within 5 feet of you if you are attacking with pistols or carbines. Two-Weapon Fighting. You can engage in two-weapon fighting with light weapons and can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
PISTOL STAB
At 6th level, when you make a melee attack with a bayonet attached to a witchlock weapon, you can use your reaction to make a ranged attack with that witchlock weapon against the same target. (You can use your Rune Shots feature on this attack.)
BLOOD LEECH
At 10th level, your blood-infused rune shots connect you to the life force of your target, robbing your foe of the raw arcane energy that permeates all living things. If you hit a living creature with a ranged attack using a witchlock weapon, you gain one additional use of your Rune Shots feature. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
HAIL STORM
By 14th level, you have mastered the art of fighting with dual witchlocks, enabling you to unleash a powerful rune shot. When you make a ranged attack with your witchlock weapon, you can make make a second witchlock weapon attack against the same target during your turn. If you hit with both attacks, you can choose an additional rune shot
effect to affect the target. This effect doesn’t count against the number of times you can use your Rune Shots feature. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
ORDER OF THE WITCH RUNE SHOTS
Witchlock Weapons
A witchlock weapon’s profile is identical to that of a magelock weapon, but the former can be affixed with a special bayonet consecrated by blood in special rituals practiced by the Satyxis. Such weapons transform the gun mages of the Nightmare Empire into terrifying dervishes of death both at range and up close. A witchlock pistol’s bayonet has the finesse and sacral properties.
The gunslingers of the Nightmare Empire imbue their shots with several novel runes. Gun mages of other orders can choose to learn these rune shots, but using them in the open might result in raised eyebrows and unwanted questions. Bleeder. This rune shot connects you to the life force of your victim, allowing you to regain vitality as the shot maims your target. When you use this rune shot and hit a creature with an attack, you regain hit points equal to half the amount of damage dealt. Feedback. When you use this rune shot and hit a bonded steamjack with an attack, the steamjack’s controller takes 1d8 psychic damage. Vortex. A black vortex opens centered upon the target of the attack, drawing in anything nearby with crushing force. When you use this rune shot and hit a creature with an attack, each creature within 15 feet of the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 5 feet toward the target. The vortex then deals 2d6 force damage to the target creature and each creature within 15 feet of it.
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GUNFIGHTER Even though the Nightmare Empire doesn’t have the same traditions of pistol dueling and formal military training seen on the mainland, it is still home to countless thousands who live and die by the gun. Pistol wraiths—spectral sharpshooters who blend their undying essence and prowess with firearms to create a lethal hybrid of scout and assassin—are unique to Lord Toruk’s domain, but across the Scharde Islands, both the living and the dead have learned to combine these practices into a single deadly art.
GUNFIGHTER ARCHETYPE
At 3rd level, a gunfighter gains the Gunfighter Archetype feature. The following Wraith option is available to a gunfighter, in addition to the options offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.
WRAITH
Wraiths are gunfighters who dabble in magic to gain an edge against magic-users and other gunfighters. Whereas gun mages are gifted and can inherently channel magic through firearms, wraiths use their cunning to glean arcane knowledge from wherever they can find it, greedily wringing all the information they can get from forgotten scrolls, acquired spellbooks, and bartered lessons. Sometimes, they resort to darker methods to bolster their abilities: consuming alchemical solutions distilled from the flesh of magical creatures or arcanists (or even consuming the flesh directly), carving or tattooing runes upon themselves, or keeping the body parts of defeated mages. Though wraiths can be found
Fighter Level 3rd 6th 11th 17th
Wraith Features
Feature Spellcasting, Bonus Proficiencies Additional Trick Shots Arcanist’s Bane Spell Scavenger
throughout western Immoren, the tradition arose in the Scharde Islands, where desperation and a relative lack of technology drove those who lived by the gun to experiment with the dark arts practiced by those in power.
SPELLCASTING
When you reach 3rd level, you augment your martial prowess with the ability to cast spells. Cantrips. You know two cantrips of your choice from the wraith spell list. You learn an additional wraith cantrip of your choice at 10th level. Spell Slots. The Wraith Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your wraith spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell snipe and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast snipe using either slot. Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know two 1stlevel Wraith spells of your choice from theWraith spell list. The Spells Known column of the Wraith Spellcasting table shows when you learn more wraith spells of your
Wraith Spellcasting
—Spell Slots per Spell Level— Level Cantrips Known Spells Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 3rd 2 3 2 — — — 4th 2 4 3 — — — 5th 2 4 3 — — — 6th 2 4 3 — — — 7th 2 5 4 2 — — 8th 2 6 4 2 — — 9th 2 6 4 2 — — 10th 3 7 4 3 — — 11th 3 8 4 3 — — 12th 3 8 4 3 — — 13th 3 9 4 3 2 — 14th 3 10 4 3 2 — 15th 3 10 4 3 2 — 16th 3 11 4 3 3 — 17th 3 11 4 3 3 — 18th 3 11 4 3 3 — 19th 3 12 4 3 3 1 20th 3 13 4 3 3 1
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choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Wraith spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Wraith spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Spellcasting Ability. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wraith spells. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for aWraith spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill and proficiency with your choice of a field alchemist’s kit or butcher’s tools.
Wraith Spells
Cantrips (0 Level) Chill Touch Dancing Lights Mending Resistance True Strike 1st Level Bleed Bullet Dodger Cloak of Fear Detect Magic Expeditious Retreat Power Siphon Shield Snipe 2nd Level Arcane Lock Blur Curse of Shadows Endless Magazine
Knock Locate Object Parasite Silence Spellpiercer 3rd Level Bestow Curse Black Spot Calamity Ghost Walk Haste Heightened Reflexes Refuge Slow 4th Level Confusion Death Ward Freedom of Movement Locate Creature Stoneskin
ADDITIONAL TRICK SHOTS
At 6th level, you learn the Lead Poisoning and Spelleater Shot trick shots. Lead Poisoning. As part of your attack, you fire a trick shot that strikes your target in a way that induces nausea and retching. When you use this trick shot, choose a creature you can see that is within your weapon’s normal range, and make a ranged attack against that creature. If the attack hits, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Spelleater Shot. As part of your attack, you fire a trick shot that leaves your target bleeding or venting vital fluids. When you use this trick shot, choose a creature you can see that is within your weapon’s normal range, and make a ranged attack against that creature. If the attack hits, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or expend spell slots with a total slot level equal to your proficiency bonus.
ARCANIST’S BANE
At 11th level, when you make a ranged weapon attack against a target, you ignore bonuses to AC granted by spells. Additionally, when you damage a creature that is concentrating, the creature has disadvantage on the Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration.
SPELL SCAVENGER
At 17th level, when you make an attack that either causes a spell slot to be expended (such as the Spelleater Shot trick shot) or ends a spell by breaking concentration, you regain an expended spell slot of a level up to half the level of the expended spell slot or disrupted spell.
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MECHANIK Few nations rely upon the talents of skilled mechaniks as much as the Nightmare Empire does. Unshackled from what other kingdoms would call “morality”—and, in many cases, from the limitations of the flesh—Cryx has developed many unlikely and volatile mechanik traditions. In Toruk’s domain, everything is soaked in centuries of dragonblight and dark magic, and it is often difficult to tell where mysticism ends and technology begins. The helljacks and bonejacks of the
Nightmare Empire burn death-poisoned necrotite that is toxic to the living, while Cryx’s sinister blackships use secrets wrested from the Orgoth to manipulate the weather. From the iron mongers who keep the blackships and other war machines of Cryx in good repair to the notoriously unstable necrotechs who build them in the first place, the mechaniks of the Nightmare Empire are surrounded by countless dangers but have learned to embrace them as part of their work. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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MECHANIK ARCHETYPES
At 3rd level, a mechanik gains the Mechanik Archetype feature. The following options are available to a mechanik, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem: the Iron Monger and the Necrotech.
IRON MONGER
Originating among the Scharde ogrun of the Nightmare Empire, the iron monger tradition prizes strength as highly as ingenuity, and its adherents are more than willing to wade into the thick of battle should the situation call for it. The first iron mongers served aboard Cryx’s dreaded blackships. Many iron mongers still do, but the tradition has spread to other ships and forces throughout Cryx and even to unaffiliated pirate fleets along the Broken Coast. Iron mongers are fearsome warriors and skilled mechaniks who are as adept at tearing enemy ’jacks apart as they are at keeping their own in good repair. Their brute strength often causes foes to underestimate their cunning and ingenuity— right up until the moment their ’jacks, their vehicles, and even their fortifications begin falling apart around them. Having honed their talents aboard the eerie ships of the Black Fleet, iron mongers have learned to invoke the dark magic that permeates Cryxian engineering, allowing them to call down effective curses that can strip warjacks apart or render mechanikal weapons more deadly. Ultimately, iron mongers are as comfortable when they’re on the deck of a ship or in the heat of battle as they are when they’re up to their elbows in the gears of their latest invention. They combine a touch of dark magic with the pragmatic know-how of a field mechanik and the strength of a warrior, and they are often found fighting shoulder to shoulder with the very ’jacks they repair and marshal.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
At 3rd level, you are a fearsome taskmaster who is as comfortable barking orders or bashing heads as you are turning bolts or tuning up ’jacks. You gain proficiency in Strength saving throws and proficiency with the Intimidation skill, and your Mechanik’s Savvy feature applies while you are on board a ship.
STERNER STUFF
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your hit point maximum increases by 2 and increases by 2 again whenever you gain a level in this class.
TOSS IT!
By 7th level, you’ve become adept not only at tossing tools and items to those who need them but also at shouting instructions over the din of combat. When you use your Tinkering feature, you can choose a creature within 15 feet of you rather than5.
MACHINE CURSE
Beginning at 10th level, you can place a curse on an enemy construct, vehicle, or structure within 30 feet of you as a bonus action. The next time the target of the curse takes
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Iron Monger Features
Fighter Level 3rd 7th 10th 15th 18th
Feature Bonus Proficiencies, Sterner Stuff Toss It! Machine Curse Dismantle Elbow Grease
bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, it instead takes the highest possible number for each die. (For example, instead of taking 2d6 damage, it takes 12.) Alternatively, you can place the curse on a friendly construct, vehicle, or piece of mechanika within 30 feet of you. If you do, the next attack roll made by or using that construct, vehicle, or mechanika is made with advantage. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
DISMANTLE
By 15th level, you are as good at taking things apart as you are at putting them back together. When you hit a construct, vehicle, or structure with a melee weapon attack, you can add your proficiency bonus to the damage.
ELBOW GREASE
By 18th level, there’s no bolt you can’t turn, no damage you can’t repair, and no job you can’t handle by applying a little brute strength. When you roll a Tinkering die, you can add your Strength modifier to the roll. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Strength modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
NECROTECH
“Eccentric” is probably the kindest thing a necrotech has ever been called. These twisted creatures are tasked with the vital role of building not only the helljacks and bonejacks of the Nightmare Empire but also the many haphazardly augmented undead warriors that make up the armies of Cryx. Unfortunately, such work tends to have a negative impact on the stability of the practitioner. Indeed, many necrotechs are deranged to the point of being a danger to their fellow Cryxians—which would be a bigger problem if most of their fellow Cryxians weren’t already dead and therefore weren’t in a position to mind too much if someone borrows an arm or a leg here and there. Despite their unpredictability, necrotechs are absolutely vital to the Cryxian war machine and are therefore given a remarkable amount of freedom to carry out their experiments as they see fit. All that matters is that they continue to produce creations that are useful to the Dragonfather’s plans. Although most necrotechs are happy to take a bone saw to a still-living prisoner, they don’t view their actions as cruel. Instead, they see themselves as improving on what is already
Mechanik Level 3rd 7th 10th 15th 18th
Necrotech Features Feature Makeshift Construction, Spare Parts Improved Volatility, Weight of Bodies Necrotech Augmentation Waste Not, Want Not Recalibrate
there—and it’s difficult to call them hypocrites, since they’re as likely to experiment on themselves as on their victims. Over time, most necrotechs make so many idiosyncratic alterations to their own physiology that it becomes difficult to identify their origins as normal mortals. Many are undead, making such augmentations less painful and logistically simpler to perform, but even living necrotechs typically boast mechanized claws, skittering legs, and other self-made “improvements.”
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MAKESHIFT CONSTRUCTION
By 3rd level, your constant tinkering with bits of metal, flesh, and bone have taught you how to create small, makeshift scrap thralls out of whatever you have lying around. When a creature or construct drops to 0 hit points within 10 feet of you, you can use a reaction and expend one use of your Tinkering feature to create a scrap thrall. The scrap thrall appears in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of you. The scrap thrall is friendly to you and your companions and acts on your initiative after you take your turn but can’t make attacks. It can only follow very simple verbal commands you give it as a bonus action. You can control a number of scrap thralls equal to your proficiency bonus.
Small undead (necrotech), unaligned Armor Class 8 + your proficiency bonus Hit Points 2 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier Speed 20 ft.
STR 10 (+0)
DEX 6 (−2)
CON 10 (+0)
INT 3 (−4)
WIS CHA 6 (−2) 5 (−3)
SPARE PARTS
Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages understands the language of its creator but can’t speak Challenge —
IMPROVED VOLATILITY
Death Burst. When the thrall takes damage, it explodes in a spray of flame, spare parts, and caustic fluids. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. A creature takes fire damage equal to two rolls of your Tinkering die on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with a necromancer's kit, and you can choose undead (necrotech) creatures, constructs, vehicles, mechanikal devices, and steam armor when you use your Field Mechanik feature. Beginning at 7th level, you learn how to lace your scrap thrall creations with necrotite, making them produce much bigger and more devastating explosions. When one of your scrap thralls triggers its Death Burst, it deals extra damage equal to the roll of your Tinkering die. When you reach 15th level, the extra damage increases to two rolls of your Tinkering die.
WEIGHT OF BODIES
Beginning at 7th level, you have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your scrap thralls is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
NECROTECH AUGMENTATION
At 10th level, you begin making necromechanikal modifications to your own body. Choose one augmentation from the following list. You gain an additional augmentation of your choice at 15th and 18th level. For obvious reasons, these necromechanikal augmentations are difficult to hide from strangers and therefore tend to make you stand out in a crowd. Extra Arm. You solder an additional arm of metal, bone, and flesh somewhere on your body. You have an extra hand you can use to hold weapons and other items, including a shield, and you count as having one free hand if you are wielding a two-handed weapon or carrying items in your other two hands. In addition, when you take the Attack action and are holding a light melee weapon in your third hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with that weapon. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack unless that modifier is negative. Piston Driven. You exchange the feeble muscles of your fleshy legs for pistons that can propel you forward at a frightening pace. Your speed increases by 5 feet. Reaching Claw. You replace or augment one of your limbs with an extendable claw that can wield tools and weapons or simply pick up items that you left on the other
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side of your laboratory. The reach of your melee weapons increases by 5 feet. Reinforced Chassis. You fit your torso with armored plates and other augmentations. You gain a +2 bonus to AC. Skittering Legs. You replace your lower extremities with necromechanikal legs, which grant you additional stability. You can’t be knocked prone while you are conscious unless you choose to be, and moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement.
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
By 15th level, you’ve come to view pretty much everything as potential spare parts. When a creature or construct drops to 0 hit points within 10 feet of you, you can use a reaction to regain one use of your Tinkering feature. Alternatively, you can use your reaction to choose a scrap thrall within 10 feet of you, destroy it, and regain one expended use of your Tinkering feature without triggering the scrap thrall’s Death Burst.
RECALIBRATE
When you reach 18th level, you are constantly thinking of ways to improve and retool your creations, even in the heat of battle. You can use a bonus action to give each friendly construct and thrall within 15 feet of you advantage on attack rolls until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
MONK Monastic orders are rare in the Scharde Islands. Most of the inhabitants don’t have a tradition of organized faith and cleave instead to more shamanistic ways. The notable exception involves Lord Toruk himself and his church at the Black Temple of Skell. The monks who walk the halls of the Black Temple are bathed in some of the most potent blighted energies in all of Caen, and few among them are still mortal. These monks would not be recognizable as such compared to those of the mainland orders, but their faith is no less fervent.
MONASTIC TRADITION
At 3rd level, a monk gains the Monastic Tradition feature. The following Way of the Dying Hand option is available to a monk, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.
WAY OF THE DYING HAND
The Church of Toruk is a pervasive entity in Cryx and the Scharde Islands, and it actively suppresses other religions and demands obedience to the Dragonfather. Those who serve the church welcome the blight and see it as Toruk’s divine will remaking them in his image. Monks of the Way of the Dying Hand serve the Church of Toruk as its sanctified enforcers and executioners. They search far and wide for apostates, those who question Toruk’s authority, and anyone the priesthood deems a problem. As their skill grows, they gain the ability to harvest souls, for all the souls of the Scharde people belong to Toruk and his servants.
BONUS PROFICIENCY
When you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Religion skill, and you double your proficiency bonus for any ability checks made with that skill. In addition, you learn to speak, read, and write Tkra, the draconic language used by the priests of Toruk.
Way of the Dying Hand Features
Monk Level 3rd 6th 11th 17th
Feature Bonus Proficiencies, Touch of Blight Soul Reaper Drag to the Grave Gifts of the Dragonfather
soul to target a creature you can see within 30 feet of you. Unless you have a means of storing souls (such as a soul cage), you can only have a number of souls equal to your proficiency bonus in your possession at one time and lose all collected souls when you finish a long rest.
DRAG TO THE GRAVE
Beginning at 11th level, you can spend 3 ki points or consume one soul to cast the vampiric touch spell. For each 2 additional ki you spend, you can increase the level of the spell by 1. Additionally, you are immune to necrotic damage.
GIFTS OF THE DRAGONFATHER
At 17th level, you can use an action to unleash the blight within you to devastating effect. When you do so, each living creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must make a Charisma saving throw. A creature takes 8d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, the creature’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
TOUCH OF BLIGHT
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn to channel the blight residing in your body. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 ki point to deal extra necrotic damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) and the target is poisoned until the end of your next turn. In addition, you gain resistance to necrotic damage.
SOUL REAPER
At 6th level, you gain the ability to collect and use souls. When you reduce a living creature within 5 feet to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to collect its soul. You can use collected souls as described below. When you are hit with an attack, you can use your reaction to consume a soul. If you do so, until the start of your next turn, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your proficiency bonus, including against the triggering attack. As a bonus action, you can consume one soul to regain 2 ki points. When you make an unarmed strike, you can consume one CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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PALADIN Even though the Church of Toruk doesn’t have the same tradition of holy warriors that the mainland faiths do, many in the Nightmare Empire have sworn their faith and blade to the Dragonfather. These individuals are not part of a single order. Many of them are motivated by their own faith, but some are driven by even darker purposes.
SACRED OATHS
At 3rd level, a paladin gains the Sacred Oath feature. The following Oath Undying option is available to a paladin, in addition to the options offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.
OATH UNDYING
Most of those who adventure under a sworn oath are bound by noble tenets, but not all of them pledge their lives in the service of a greater goal. Some are driven by greed, anger, and self-interest. The stubborn conviction of these wrathful individuals is so pervasive that they are bound—in some cases, even beyond the grave—to the selfish pursuit of their objectives. In some cases, their fixation makes them easy prey for more powerful minds, and those sworn to this type of oath are often found in the service of a powerful figure who can either steer their obsession or obtain binding oaths of subservience with the promise of a common goal. TAKING THE OATH
By its very nature, the Oath Undying is far from noble and lends itself to characters of an undead or reborn nature. Those who assume the Oath Undying often do so after a traumatic death and their subsequent resurrection from beyond the grave. While a paladin may choose this Sacred Oath as normal, a paladin of at least 3rd level can replace an existing oath with the Oath Undying. The paladin replaces the features specific to any previously sworn oath with Oath Undying features, but retains all paladin class levels.
TENETS UNDYING
The tenets of the Oath Undying are self-serving and ignoble. Nothing matters more to those sworn to this oath than their own selves, or those to whom they owe their rebirth. The cries of the suffering and the innocent do not reach their ears; only their own continued existence and pursuit of darker goals hold sway over them. Mercy and sacrifice are unknown concepts, replaced by hatred, spite, and loathing.
Oath Undying Features
Paladin Level 3rd 7th 15th 18th 20th
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Feature Oath Spells, Channel Divinity Terminal Aura (10 ft.) Reaper’s Grasp Terminal Aura (30 ft.) Deathgate
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Oath Undying Spells
Paladin Level 3rd 5th 9th 13th 17th
Spells cloak of fear, shield pass without trace, ray of enfeeblement banishing ward, feign death banishment, death ward Aiden’s ghostly shroud, antilife shell
No Mercy. Those who stand between you and your goals will not be given the opportunity to do so again. By Any Means Necessary. Your qualms can’t get in the way of exterminating your foes. Look Out for Number One. No one else’s life is worth your own.
OATH SPELLS
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed in the Oath Undying Spells table. See the Sacred Oath class feature for how oath spells work.
CHANNEL DIVINITY
When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. Ferryman’s Touch. You can use your Lay on Hands feature to heal yourself by draining the life from another creature. Make an unarmed strike against a living creature. On a hit, you can restore a number of hit points to yourself, up to the maximum amount remaining in your Lay on Hands pool. If you do so, the attack does not deal damage, but the creature must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes necrotic damage equal to the amount of hit points you restored to yourself. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage. Using this option uses all remaining points in your Lay on Hands pool. Refuse the Grave. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
TERMINAL AURA
Starting at 7th level, your bond with the realm of death begins to suffuse the area around you. When you make a melee attack, you can change the damage type of that attack to necrotic. In addition, when any friendly creature within 10 feet of you makes a melee attack, it can change the damage type of that attack to necrotic. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
REAPER’S GRASP
At 15th level, your refusal to succumb to the finality of death’s grasp allows you to extend its clammy grip to others. You learn the chill touch cantrip, which doesn’t count against the number of spells you know. You can cast chill touch a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once) between long rests.
DEATHGATE
Upon reaching 20th level, you are able to bypass defenses and escape threats by stepping though the void between Caen and Urcaen (or the Ethereal Plane or equivalent), momentarily disappearing before reappearing nearby. The cloying stench of death surrounds you upon your return, assailing the senses of the unprepared. For 1 minute, as a bonus action, you can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. Until the start of your next turn, you have advantage on melee attack rolls, and living creatures within 5 feet of you have disadvantage on attack rolls against you. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
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RANGER From explorers to scouts, rangers fulfill a variety of roles throughout the Iron Kingdoms, and their primary talents— survival, tracking, and ambush—are particularly useful on the many unexplored islands and unmapped shores of the Broken Coast. Even on Cryx itself, the few massive cities that dot the landscape are broken up by steep mountains and dense jungles of choking, toxic, and often carnivorous vegetation— and that’s not even considering the many dangerous beasts that inhabit the area. Even though rangers frequently work alongside the militaries of virtually every nation, they can often be found fulfilling similar roles for mercenary companies, private charters, pirate crews, trading interests, and other groups. Because the skills of mainland rangers are often closely associated with woodlands and other wild places, one might imagine that these wilderness warriors don’t have much to do while on board a ship for weeks or even months at a time. But the Meredius is a wilderness all its own, and it has given rise to its own unique and hardy breeds of rangers who are just as useful while at sea as when a boat makes landfall on some distant shore.
RANGER ARCHETYPES
At 3rd level, a ranger gains the Ranger Archetype feature. The following options are available to a ranger in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem: the Knight of the Vigil and the Seafarer.
KNIGHT OF THE VIGIL
The most unusual of all Cygnar’s knightly orders, the Knights of the Highgate Vigil—known to most common folk as the Knights of the Vigil—occupy a key role in defending the mainland against threats from the Nightmare Empire and anything else that might menace the Iron Kingdoms from the west. Eschewing bulky armor and weapons, these knights are more like rangers and scouts than the heavily equipped warriors most often associated with the name. Based out of Highgate, the Knights of the Vigil not only patrol the Cygnaran coast and the nearby Wyrmwall Mountains, but also garrison many of the lonely watchtowers that make up Cygnar’s first line of defense against attacks from the sea. Favoring crossbows, shortswords, and other weapons they can use to strike silently when needed, the Knights of the Vigil often work in very small groups. Because they frequently take on much more numerous foes, they know well the value of discretion. These differences are not the only ones that separate them from other knightly orders, however. The defense of Cygnar’s coast is about more than just having eyes on the water. Equally important is the intelligence that the knights gather from port towns, pirate ships, and anyone who can be coerced into speaking by means of deception, the threat of violence, or the promise of coin. Empowered to do whatever they deem necessary to acquire the information they seek, the Knights of the Vigil frequently work undercover to
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Knight of the Vigil Features
Ranger Level 3rd 7th 11th 15th
Feature Friends in Low Places, Old Foes Set a Watch Improved Critical One for the Team
infiltrate pirate crews. They are even said to have agents in Blackwater, whose seedy taverns make ideal locations for paying off informants. Whether cozying up with pirates and cutthroats in western Immoren’s most disreputable dives or patrolling the wildest parts of the Broken Coast, the Knights of the Vigil are imposing individuals who are nevertheless stretched thin in a never-ending watch over the coasts of Cygnar.
PIRATE DAYS, CYGNARAN KNIGHTS
Each Knight of the Vigil swears an oath upon joining the order, but not all knights abide by these pledges forever. Even though everyone sworn into the order was a Cygnaran citizen at one time, some have forsaken their former country and thrown in their lot with the pirates they once spied on. All active Knights of the Vigil serve the Cygnaran military, but the order is granted enough leeway that it’s possible to play a Knight of the Vigil who has gone rogue and is living just about any life imaginable.
FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, as a Knight of the Vigil you are both empowered and encouraged to establish contacts in the seediest and most disreputable of ports. You gain proficiency in the Deception and Persuasion skills. If you are already proficient in one or both of these skills, you double your proficiency bonus instead.
OLD FOES
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain a new favored enemy: undead. Additionally, when you deal damage to an undead creature with a weapon attack, you deal an extra 1d6 radiant damage. The extra damage increases to 2d6 at 11th level and 3d6 at 18th level.
SET A WATCH
Beginning at 7th level, you have mastered the arts of the Knights of the Vigil to ward yourself against unexpected attack. If you are surprised at the beginning of combat and aren’t incapacitated, you can act normally on your first turn. Additionally, you can cast the alarm spell as a ritual once between long rests. This doesn’t use a spell slot or count against the number of ranger spells you know. When you cast alarm in this way, undead creatures can’t willingly enter the warded area by nonmagical means, as described in the magic circle spell, but will still set off the alarm if they try.
IMPROVED CRITICAL
Beginning at 11th level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or20.
ONE FOR THE TEAM
Beginning at 15th level, you are skilled at drawing the attention—or even the fire—of an enemy who threatens your comrades. When a creature within 30 feet of you ends its movement within range of one of your weapons or cantrips and takes an action that doesn’t target you, you can use your reaction to attack that creature with that weapon or cantrip immediately before it takes its action. On a hit, that creature has disadvantage on attack rolls that don’t target you until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
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SEAFARER
Seafarers may come in all shapes and sizes, but they all go to the same place: the bow of a ship, their eyes ever fixed on the next horizon. They may be pirates, naval officers, explorers, or profiteers, but whoever they are and whatever their origins, they only truly come alive on the deck of a ship as it cuts through the waters of the Meredius. Whether they are captains of their own vessels or merely extremely valuable crew—or, in some cases, simply well-off patrons capable of chartering a ship to take them where they wish to go—seafarers can be found chasing the horizon on all kinds of vessels, of all sizes, all over the Meredius. Many seafarers are inveterate explorers who are always looking for new experiences and new places to go. They are often drawn to the islands of the Southern Reach and even distant Zu. Others simply love the feel of sea spray on their face and don’t much care where their ship is headed as long as it’s plying the waves. From the deadly Satyxis who stands on the gunwale of a blackship with a dagger in her teeth to the Ordic privateer with a letter of marque tucked into his jacket to the Mercarian League trader bound for the lucrative ports of Zu, seafarers come from all walks of life and put their skills to use in all manner of ways on ships that cut the waves from Uldenfrost to Mercir and beyond. Less focused on hunting and stalking prey than many of their mainland ranger peers, seafarers are prized by sailors for their navigation skills, their ability to follow the seemingly impossible trails of other ships, and their uncanny knack for predicting the weather. The fact that most of them are also deadly accurate shots doesn’t hurt, either.
FOLLOW THE TIDES
The normal purview of a hunter becomes more difficult on the high seas, where travel is measured in days rather than hours, and tracks and traces are difficult to find. Nonetheless, no one can navigate even these tumultuous regions like a seafarer. Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain a new favored terrain: open ocean. Additionally, you can use the Survival skill to track other
Ranger Level 3rd 7th 11th 15th
Seafarer Features
Feature Follow the Tides, Seaworthy Weather Wise Maritime Warrior No Guts, No Glory
ships. Your familiarity with the ocean allows you to spot telltale signs that indicate the distance of another ship that has passed near your current location within the last 3 days, as well as the direction in which it is traveling.
SEAWORTHY
Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you are more at home at sea than on land and gain proficiency with simple firearms, martial firearms, and vehicles (water). If you are already proficient with water vehicles, you double your proficiency bonus instead. You can also replace your chosen Fighting Style with one of the three available to gunfighters: Pistol Dueling, Sharpshooter, or TwoGun Fighting.
WEATHER WISE
Beginning at 7th level, you are adept at reading the unusual weather at sea. When you use your Primeval Awareness feature, you can accurately predict the natural weather for a number of days equal to your Wisdom modifier. Weather changes brought about by magic can’t be predicted in this way.
MARITIME WARRIOR
At 11th level, you are familiar with the chaotic combat fought on the decks of ships and gain one of the following features of your choice. Cannonade. You can use your action to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target, but you ignore the normal reloading restrictions for firearms. Quick Work. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee weapon attack, you can use your reaction to move up to your speed and then make a ranged attack. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and being within 5 feet of a hostile creature does not impose disadvantage on the roll.
NO GUTS, NO GLORY
Beginning at 15th level, you learn how to shrug off the dangers common to a life on deck and have advantage on saving throws to avoid being charmed, frightened, stunned, or put to sleep. Additionally, you can reroll a saving throw that you fail. If you do so, you must use the new roll, and you can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
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ROGUE The Scharde Islands are home to all manner of scoundrels and other ne’er-do-wells. From cutpurses slinking in the shadows of Blackwater to assassins for hire, every stripe of rogue can be found among the blighted and the undead. The Nightmare Empire has even give rise to several unique traditions of its own. Motivated by desires beyond coin, these groups use necromancy and dark magic to enhance their stealthy ways.
ROGUISH ARCHETYPES
At 3rd level, a rogue gains the Roguish Archetype feature. The following options are available to a rogue, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem: the Buccaneer, the Necrosurgeon, and the Warwitch Siren.
BUCCANEER
The sea lanes of the Scharde Islands are home to many who have lived on the water their entire life. Many are born to fishing families; others very quickly join the ranks of pirates who patrol the Meredius and surrounding waters. For many of these born to the sea, fighting on a deck as it buckles violently during a storm and moving about the rigging of a ship to get the drop on an opponent become second nature. These masters of shipboard combat are known as buccaneers. Their value is not limited to this sphere, however. The lessons learned on a bucking deck—move fast, strike hard, dance away from danger—translate very well to land, making buccaneers a valuable addition to any raiding party. Buccaneers often operate independently of whatever force they are currently allied with. Despite having a reputation for being headstrong and temperamental, they are well respected by the captains who employ them. Because all buccaneers share a rough bond of kinship, two buccaneers employed by opposing forces will often ignore the fighting around them and seek one another out for single combat, saluting each other before falling into a graceful but deadly dance.
THE BUCKING DECK
By 3rd level, you have trained and fought on ships for so long that you are skilled at adapting to the movements of any surface you’re standing on. You have advantage on saving throws to avoid being knocked prone or moved against your will.
SWASHBUCKLING
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn maneuvers that are fueled by special dice called swashbuckling dice. Maneuvers. You learn three maneuvers of your choice, which are detailed under “Maneuvers” below. Many maneuvers enhance an attack in some way. You can use only one maneuver per attack. You learn two additional maneuvers of your choice at 9th, 13th, and 17th level. Each time you learn new maneuvers, you can also replace one maneuver you know with a different one.
Buccaneer Features
Rogue Level 3rd 9th 13th 17th
Feature The Bucking Deck, Swashbuckling Wild Winds Swagger Blow the Man Down
Swashbuckling Dice. You have four swashbuckling dice, which are d8s. A swashbuckling die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended swashbuckling dice when you finish a short or long rest. You gain another swashbuckling die at 9th level and one more at 17th level. Saving Throws. Some of your maneuvers require your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice)
WILD WINDS
Starting at 9th level, when you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can make your second attack without using a bonus action. After using this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. In addition, when you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can wield any two weapons as long as both have the light or versatile property, and you can draw or sheathe either weapon without taking the Use an Object action.
SWAGGER
At 13th level, your swashbuckling dice turn into d10s. At 17th level, they turn intod12s.
BLOW THE MAN DOWN
Starting at 17th level, if you hit with a melee weapon attack, you can make another attack as a bonus action and have advantage on the attack roll. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Dexterity modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
MANEUVERS
The maneuvers are presented in alphabetical order. All Hands on Deck. On your turn, you can use a bonus action and expend one swashbuckling die to boost the performance of your companions. When you do so, the next friendly creature to act after you in initiative order who can see you can add the swashbuckling die to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes during its turn. Any Port in a Storm. You can expend one swashbuckling die and use a bonus action on your turn to make an attack with an improvised weapon and add the swashbuckling die to the attack’s damage roll. Belay. When you miss a creature with a melee attack, you can use your reaction and expend one swashbuckling die to trip and entangle your opponent instead. Your target is knocked prone and takes bludgeoning damage equal to the number you roll on your swashbuckling die. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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Fire in the Rigging. When you take the Attack action on your turn and a ship is within range of one of your weapons, you can forgo one of your attacks and use a bonus action to sabotage the ship’s infrastructure by cutting lines, smashing instruments, and so on. When you do so, choose one of your weapons that deals bludgeoning or slashing damage and expend one swashbuckling die. The ship takes damage equal to the number you roll on your swashbuckling die. This damage ignores damage thresholds and is of the same type dealt by your weapon. First on Deck. During the first round of any combat, you can use a bonus action and expend one swashbuckling die to make an attack. If you hit, you add the swashbuckling die to the attack’s damage roll. Heave Ho. When you shove a creature your size or smaller, you can expend one swashbuckling die to lean into your foe. You add the swashbuckling die to the number of feet the target is pushed, and the target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. Offhand Shot. On your turn, you can use your reaction and expend one swashbuckling die to make a ranged attack with a pistol that has the light property. If you hit, you add the swashbuckling die to the attack’s damage roll. Press. On your turn, you can expend one swashbuckling die to close in on a foe and press your advantage as you look for an opening. Choose one creature within 5 feet of you as your target. You move straight toward the target for a number of feet equal to the number you roll on your swashbuckling die, and if the target is Medium or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed back an equal number of feet. If the target is pressed against a wall or another obstruction or otherwise can’t move, you can make an opportunity attack against it. You do not provoke opportunity attacks during this maneuver. Press Gang. When a creature damages you with a melee attack and another creature is within your opponent’s melee range, you can expend one swashbuckling die to reduce the damage by the number you roll on your swashbuckling die and deal that amount of damage to the second creature instead. The damage is of the same type dealt by the original attack. Swing from the Rigging. When you take the Dash or Disengage action while aboard a ship, you can expend one swashbuckling die to use the ship’s ropes and rigging to land in the perfect position for your next attack. When you do so, you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed for the duration of that action. If you already have a climbing speed, your climbing speed is doubled instead. The next weapon attack you make before the end of your next turn deals additional weapon damage equal to the roll of your swashbuckling die.
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NECROSURGEON
Necrosurgeons are necrotech specialists tasked with maintaining thralls and crafting replacements as they are destroyed in battle. They spend countless hours bent over carcasses, enthusiastically drilling, digging, and sewing while attended to by stitch thralls—small undead assistants that mindlessly collect bits of corpses for their attending surgeon. As they sift through the piles of fresh human debris their stitch thralls bring them, they often set aside the choicest parts for later use in improving mechanithralls or fabricating stitch thrall assistants. The necromechanikal workshops on the island of Cryx are more like abattoirs than laboratories. There, in the heart of the Nightmare Empire, necrotechs are free to gather their gruesome resources openly. The meat markets and slave stalls of Blackwater and Dreggsmouth provide them with an ample supply of parts, and great harvests of bodies are delivered to them daily from battlefields near and far, either claimed by the Dragonfather’s own forces as fresh kills or scavenged from the sites of recent conflicts. With each wagonload of parts that makes its way to these shapers of dead flesh, Cryx’s army grows as its enemies’ forces diminish.
GUT SPLITTER
At 3rd level, you learn how to study your foes’ anatomy to identify physical vulnerabilities. As a bonus action, you can make an Intelligence (Medicine) check against a humanoid you can see that isn’t incapacitated. The DC of the check is equal to 8 + the creature’s challenge rating (minimum 1). If you succeed, you can use your Sneak Attack feature against that target even if you don’t have advantage on the attack roll, but not if you have disadvantage on it. This effect lasts for
Necrosurgeon Features
Rogue Level 3rd 9th 13th 17th
Feature Gut Splitter, Necrosurgery Resurrectionist Body Snatcher Prep for Surgery
1 minute or until you successfully use this feature against a different target.
NECROSURGERY
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Medicine skill if you don’t already have it, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses this skill. Additionally, you gain proficiency with a necrosurgeon’s kit.
RESURRECTIONIST
At 9th level, you are capable of rapidly stitching together disparate pieces of corpses into simple thralls that act as your assistants on the battlefield—and as mindless meat shields against attacks. If you have a necrosurgeon’s kit in hand, you can use an action and expend 5 corpse tokens to create a stitch thrall.
Stitch Thrall Small undead, unaligned
Armor Class 8 + your proficiency bonus Hit Points 2 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier Speed 30 ft. STR 10 (+0)
DEX 10 (+0)
CON 10 (+0)
INT 6 (−2)
WIS 10 (+0)
CHA 3 (−4)
Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities blinded, poisoned Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10 Languages understands your languages but can’t speak Challenge — Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the thrall to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5+ the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the thrall drops to 1 hit point instead.
Reactions Sacrificial Pawn. When a creature the thrall can see attacks a target within 5 feet of it, it can use its reaction to become the target of the attack instead. Corpse Picker. When a humanoid drops to 0 hit points within 30 feet of the thrall, it can use its reaction to move up to its speed toward the creature. If it ends its movement within 5 feet of the creature, it can carve off a piece of it as a corpse token. A thrall can have a single corpse token at a time and can give the token to a friendly creature within 5 feet as a bonus action.
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The stitch thrall is friendly to you and your companions and acts on your initiative after you take your turn but can’t make attacks. On your turn, you can use a bonus action to issue verbal commands to the stitch thrall, which will follow your orders to the best of its ability. You can control a number of stitch thralls equal to your proficiency bonus.
BODY SNATCHER
At 13th level, you are adept at plucking useful bits of fallen creatures from the battlefield. When a humanoid within 30 feet of you or one of your stitch thralls drops to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to move up to your speed toward the creature. If you end your movement within 5 feet of the
creature, you can carve off a piece of it as a corpse token. You can have a number of corpse tokens equal to your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier (minimum of1). In addition, if you have a necrosurgeon’s kit in hand, you can use a bonus action and expend 1 or more corpse tokens to heal a friendly undead within 5 feet of you. The chosen creature regains 1d6 hit points for each expended corpse token.
PREP FOR SURGERY
At 17th level, your stitch thrall assistants aid you in combat against your foes. When you use your Gut Splitter feature to use your Sneak Attack, your Sneak Attack damage increases by 2d6 for each friendly stitch thrall within 5 feet of your target.
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WARWITCH SIREN
The warwitch tradition is distinct from most Cryxian magic in that it is derived from a potent synthesis of dark Orgoth techniques and the blighted power of Lord Toruk. Warwitches specialize in illusion and trickery, using shadow and enticement to cloud the minds of their opponents. Warwitches are not trained and drilled in the manner of most troops. Their way is a lineage more akin to a shamanic tradition passed on from generation to generation. Because the tradition is historically matrilineal, the majority of warwitches are female, but there is no prescription against anyone of any gender becoming one. Any promising child who shows the proper talent could be taken in by the warwitch matriarchs and trained in their dark ways. The exact details of the training process are a closely guarded secret known by few outside the innermost circles of power in the Nightmare Empire, but they include developing a deep, instinctual grasp of tactics and command in order to transform initiates into extremely effective battlefield commanders. Rumors abound of several types of warwitches, but the type most often found in the world at large is the dreaded siren. These witches specialize in temptation—not only of the senses, but of the mind as well. They hold out promises of whatever their victims desire, only to reveal it too late as bait in a deadly trap. Ingenious and subtle, sirens have been known to offer riches, power, or victory to those who fall under their wiles.
BEGUILEMENT
Beginning at 3rd level, you can attempt to charm one creature that can see you as a bonus action. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. On a failed save, the creature is charmed by you until the end of your next turn. The charmed creature regards you as a friendly acquaintance. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest. In addition, you can use your Sneak Attack against a target charmed by you even if you don’t have advantage on the attack roll, but not if you have disadvantage on it.
SPELLCASTING
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast spells. Cantrips. You learn three cantrips: minor illusion and two other cantrips of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. You learn another sorcerer cantrip of your choice at 10th level. Spell Slots. The Warwitch Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell charm person and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast charm person using either slot. Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know three 1stlevel sorcerer spells of your choice, two of which you must
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Warwitch Siren Features
Rogue Level 3rd 9th 13th 17th
Feature Beguilement, Spellcasting, Voice of Command Tactical Awareness Master and Commander Shadowplay
choose from the enchantment and illusion spells on the sorcerer spell list. The Spells Known column of the Warwitch Spellcasting table shows when you learn more sorcerer spells of 1st level or higher. Each of these spells must be an enchantment or illusion spell of your choice and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the sorcerer spells you know with another spell of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an enchantment or illusion spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 8th, 14th, or 20th level. Spellcasting Ability. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your sorcerer spells, since your power comes primarily from seduction and shadows. You use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a sorcerer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
VOICE OF COMMAND
At 3rd level, your allies can hear your commands clearly in a sphere with a radius of 10 feet × your rogue level, regardless of noisy conditions. This feature allows you to be heard over environmental conditions but doesn’t have any effect in an area where sound is prevented, as in the area of the silence spell.
TACTICAL AWARENESS
By the time you reach 9th level, you have developed an instinct for battlefield tactics. As a bonus action, you can choose a friendly creature that can hear your commands and understand you. That creature can use a bonus action on its turn to take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge action. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses after you finish a long rest.
Warwitch Siren Spellcasting
Rogue Cantrips Spells —Spell Slots per Spell Level— Level Known Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 3rd 3 3 2 — — — 4th 3 4 3 — — — 5th 3 4 3 — — — 6th 3 4 3 — — — 7th 3 5 4 2 — — 8th 3 6 4 2 — — 9th 3 6 4 2 — — 10th 4 7 4 3 — — 11th 4 8 4 3 — — 12th 4 8 4 3 — — 13th 4 9 4 3 2 — 14th 4 10 4 3 2 — 15th 4 10 4 3 2 — 16th 4 11 4 3 3 — 17th 4 11 4 3 3 — 18th 4 11 4 3 3 — 19th 4 12 4 3 3 1 20th 4 13 4 3 3 1
MASTER AND COMMANDER
At 13th level, your hold over those you command is so strong that it can overcome any enticement, natural or supernatural. Each friendly creature within 20 feet of you is immune to being charmed.
SHADOWPLAY
At 17th level, you can use shadow and illusion to conceal yourself and your companions. You and any friendly creatures within 20 feet of you can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by dim light, shadow, fog, or other natural phenomena. In addition, you and any friendly creatures within 20 feet of you can use a reaction to take the Hide action immediately after making an attack.
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SORCERER Ever since Thamar brought humanity the Gift of Magic in 150BR, there have been Schardefolk blessed with sorcerous powers. Those who are born within the reach of the Nightmare Empire are quickly taken in by the war machine of Cryx and conditioned to use their talent to further the Dragonfather’s aims. Beyond the blighted reach of Lord Toruk, many of the sorcerers born upon the Scharde Islands rise to special prominence among their communities or join one of the many pirate crews that make their home port off the Broken Coast.
SORCEROUS ORIGINS
At 1st level, a sorcerer gains the Sorcerous Origins feature. The following options are available to a sorcerer, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem: the Dirge Seer and Sea Sorcery.
DIRGE SEER
All creatures are susceptible to the influence of magic through their bloodline or environment, but for those who live in the Scharde Islands, the most potent natural force—by far—is the blight of Toruk, which pervades the area. Among Cryxians, it is as much a part of the environment as primal spirits are in less tainted regions. As such, many who have a natural aptitude for magic find themselves touched by the black claw of Lord Toruk when they experience their magical awakening. All but a few are shunned by those around them as they begin to exhibit an inbuilt ability to control the blight. Often, they are driven mad by the revelation that their power is inherently inimical to life itself. Those few who remain sane are drawn together by the call of the blight and form covens. Known as dirge seers, these sorcerers train together to control and amplify their inherent magical abilities and to master vicious modes of combat that blend melee skills with their powerful magic. Because of their fearsome mystic bloodlust and savage rituals, dirge seers are usually feared and shunned by the unblighted inhabitants of the Scharde Islands. They are said to be able to use their victims’ gore to scry fate much like Satyxis blood witches, but their manifestation of this power is based on their veneration of and connection to Lord Toruk. Dirge seers worship the Dragonfather through acts of
Dirge Seer Features
Sorcerer Level 1st 6th 14th 18th
Feature Unlife, Riposte Blight Reaper, Blight Tainted Bloody Predictions Guidance, Blightblood
violence, and they regard the act of battle as a form of prayer. Accordingly, they are often found on battlefields covered in the blood of their victims as they scream Toruk’s name in praise. Despite all this, they sometimes sail aboard pirate vessels helmed by captains willing to turn a blind eye to their strange ways in exchange for an advantage over fate.
DIRGE SEER SPELLS
Starting at 1st level, you learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Dirge Seer Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know. Whenever you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be a divination or a necromancy spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. New spells described in chapter 3 are set in bold.
UNLIFE
Beginning at 1st level, your innate attunement to dragonblight allows you harness the power of Toruk’s deadly blight. When you cast a spell that deals acid or necrotic damage, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage.
RIPOSTE
At 1st level, when a creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction either to make a melee attack targeting that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature, or to move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
BLIGHT REAPER
Starting at 6th level, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on your turn, you immediately regain 1 sorcery point. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
BLIGHT TAINTED
Dirge Seer Spells
Sorcerer Level 1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th
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Spells bane, inflict wounds, read the dead curse of shadows, spectral leech occultation, shadow step boneskin, breath of corruption, dark guidance blood rain, death knell
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Beginning at 6th level, when you cast a spell that deals damage, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change the damage type to necrotic. In addition, you gain resistance to necrotic damage.
BLOODY PREDICTIONS
At 14th level, you learn to read the strands of fate in the gore of the battlefield. When you damage a creature other than an undead or a construct, you can spend 2 sorcery points to have advantage on attack rolls against that creature, or impose disadvantage on that creature's saving throws against you until the end of your next turn.
GUIDANCE
Starting at 18th level, your mastery of using spilled blood to predict the future is strong enough that you can share your visions with your allies. If you hit a living creature with an attack that deals piercing or slashing damage, you can spend 5 sorcery points to grant a bonus equal to your Charisma
modifier to the weapon and spell attack rolls and spell save DCs of yourself and each friendly creature within 30 feet of you. This bonus lasts until the end of your next turn.
BLIGHTBLOOD
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SEA SORCERY
The tempest-tossed Meredius is more than a simple sea. Countless arcane battles have been fought upon its waters by the seafaring peoples of western Immoren, the people of the Scharde Islands, and the occult masters of the Orgoth. Some regions of the Meredius are infused with so much arcane power that those dwelling near them feel a bone-deep calling to the tides and waters. Known as sea witches by some, these individuals are bound to the ebb and flow of the Meredius and the dark powers that course through it.
SEA SORCERY SPELLS
Starting at 1st level, you learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Sea Sorcery Spells table. Each of these spells counts as a sorcerer spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know. Whenever you gain a sorcerer level, you can replace one spell you gained from this feature with another spell of the same level. The new spell must be a conjuration or an evocation spell from the sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. New spells described in chapter 3 are set in bold.
HEART OF THE SEA
At 1st level, your bond with the sea is already so strong that you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. Additionally, whenever you make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to interact with a marine animal or a creature with a swimming speed, you are considered proficient in the Animal Handling skill and double your proficiency bonus on the check.
RED TIDE
Beginning when you choose this origin at 1st level, you gain proficiency with the cutlass and piercer, and you can infuse your spells with the fury of the Meredius. Once on each of your turns when you cast a spell that deals cold or lightning damage, as a bonus action you can move up to your speed and make a single melee weapon attack.
GALE FORCE
At 6th level, you can summon the furious winds of the sea to protect you. If you are targeted by a ranged attack, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. In addition, if you are aboard a ship equipped with sails, you can summon a wind to increase the ship’s speed by a number of miles per hour equal to your proficiency bonus.
Sorcerer Level 1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th
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Sea Spells
Spells dark waves, whipping winds continual flame, locate object black spot, mirage, veil of mists control water, deadweight commune with nature, wall of force
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Sea Sorcery Features
Sorcerer Level 1st 6th 14th 18th
Feature Heart of the Sea, Red Tide Gale Force Fury of the Sea Raging Tides
You must maintain concentration on the winds just as you would on a spell.
FURY OF THE SEA
Starting at 14th level, if a creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to deal cold or lightning damage equal to your sorcerer level to the attacker. This damage ignores resistances.
RAGING TIDES
At 18th level, you bind the spirit of the raging sea to your own. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, to a maximum of 22. Additionally, if you use the Gale Force feature to impose disadvantage on a ranged attack roll and both rolls would miss you, you can redirect the projectile back at the attacker, dealing damage to the creature equal to the weapon’s damage plus your proficiency bonus.
WARCASTER Warcasters hold positions of tremendous power in the Nightmare Empire and are some of the Dragonfather’s most potent military assets. Some of them are still counted among the living, but many are undead who bring hundreds, if not thousands, of years of occult knowledge to the battlefield. Given the unique nature of life on the seas, the Scharde Islands have also birthed several different warcaster traditions, some of which have spread to other nations.
Cryxian Necromancer Features
Warcaster Level 1st 6th 10th 14th 18th
Features Expanded Spell List, Bonus Proficiencies, Sharper Focus Necromantic Adept Arcane Mastery Corrupted Resistance Necromantic Ascendancy
WARCASTER TRADITIONS
At 1st level, a warcaster gains the Warcaster Tradition feature. The following options are available to a warcaster, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem and Iron Kingdoms: Borderlands and Beyond: Cryxian Necromancer and Swashbuckler.
CRYXIAN NECROMANCER
Your training at the hands of the undead masters of Cryx has molded you into a prodigy of necromantic potential. Although you can control bonejacks and helljacks, your real gift lies in using your warcaster talents to crush your enemies under a magical onslaught. This is reflected in the depth of the occult knowledge your Cryxian overlords have instilled in you.
EXPANDED SPELL LIST
This subclass lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warcaster spell. The following spells are added to the warcaster spell list for you. The names of new spells described in chapter 3 are set in bold.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
At 1st level, you gain proficiency in the Stealth, Deception, or Intimidation skill.
SHARPER FOCUS
Beginning at 1st level, your maximum number of focus points increases by 1. Starting at 6th level, the focus cost of your spells decreases by 1 to a minimum of1.
Cryxian Necromancer Expanded Spells
Spell Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Spells bleed, bolt of darkness, sacrificial lamb parasite, spellpiercer, venom black spot, calamity, dark fire, icy grip hellmouth, ritual sacrifice, stygian abyss inky tendril, oblivion sphere, soul gate
NECROMANTIC ADEPT
Starting at 6th level, you learn how to channel focus to augment and modify the power of your spells. Once per round, you can spend focus points for one of the following effects. Blighted Casting. When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can spend 1 focus point to change the damage type to necrotic. Enhanced Damage. When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 focus point to reroll a number of damage dice up to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one die). You must use the new rolls. Spell Corruption. When an enemy creature casts a spell that deals damage to a target in your control range, you can spend 1 focus point to give the target advantage on the saving throw.
ARCANE MASTERY
When you reach 10th level, you choose one 5th-level spell from the warcaster spell list as your signature spell. You can cast your signature spell once between long rests without spending focus points.
CORRUPTED RESISTANCE
Starting at 14th level, you can use your reaction and spend 1 focus point to choose a creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. Until the start of your next turn, the target has disadvantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and the next spell you cast on the target ignores its resistances.
NECROMANTIC ASCENDANCY
At 18th level, your knowledge of the necromantic arts has made it much harder for enemy spells to hurt you. When you are targeted by a spell that deals damage, you can use your reaction and spend 1 or more focus points to gain resistance to that spell. For each focus point you spend, you gain resistance to one damage type dealt by that spell until the end of your next turn.
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SWASHBUCKLER
spells by 1 focus point each: control water, water breathing, and water walk.
EXPANDED SPELL LIST
BLACK SAILS
This subclass lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warcaster spell. The following spells are added to the warcaster spell list for you. The names of new spells described in chapter 3 are set in bold.
Swashbuckler Expanded Spells
Spell Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Spells create or destroy water, dirge of mists darkness, fortune water breathing, water walk control water, hallucinatory terrain cloudkill, destructive wave, mislead
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
At 1st level, you gain proficiency the Intimidation or Persuasion skill. Additionally, you gain proficiency with martial pistols.
MARITIME WARRIOR
Beginning at 1st level, you have learned how to manipulate the power field of warcaster armor for maritime use. You can expend 1 charge from your warcaster armor’s capacitor to retain enough breathable air for 10 minutes underwater for yourself and your armor’s boiler. Additionally, you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks related to swimming and staying afloat, and swimming doesn’t cost you extra movement.
OLD SALT
Starting at 6th level, your experiences on the high seas have shaped your fighting skills and maneuverability. You can’t be knocked prone while you are conscious unless you choose to be, and you gain a +2 bonus to AC while fighting on a ship in open water.
WEATHER WIZARDRY
Starting at 10th level, you reduce the cost of the following
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Swashbuckler Features
Ever since the emergence of warcasters and warjacks, every coastal nation has worked to incorporate its warcasters into its naval forces. Cryx and Ord have some of the most potent seafaring warcasters in western Immoren, but even the more landlocked nations have developed maritime warcaster traditions to help their commercial fleets as they sail up and down the rivers of the Iron Kingdoms. Your warcaster training was mastered on the high seas, amid adventuring, sailing, and plundering. You are an expert in boarding actions and close-quarters fighting, and not many on the Meredius can hold their own against you for long. Your magical talents have gotten you far—possibly far enough to command your own ship and crew.
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Warcaster Level 1st 6th 10th 14th 18th
Features Expanded Spell List, Bonus Proficiencies, Maritime Warrior Old Salt Weather Wizardry Black Sails Master of the Meredius
Starting at 14th level, you can use your action and spend 3 focus points to cause dark clouds, sweeping rain, and currents of unnatural wind to swirl around you and your ship for up to 8 hours. Your ship doubles its speed for the duration, but only while you are at the helm during this time. Additionally, you can produce strong winds and heavy rain in a 100-footradius, 100-foot-tall cylinder centered on you. You can end the effect early as a bonus action. You can use this feature twice. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
MASTER OF THE MEREDIUS
At 18th level, your knowledge of the sea and its ways is unmatched, and your adventures and buccaneering on the open water have shaped you into a fluid but resolute force. You can spend 1 focus point to ignore all movement penalties from difficult terrain until the start of your next turn. Additionally, when you take the Dash or Disengage action, you can spend 1 focus point to impose disadvantage on attack rolls targeting you until the start of your next turn.
WIZARD The Iron Kingdoms have a long tradition of the scholarly application of magic. The Order of Wizardry and the Greylords Covenant are two of the many formal groups that encourage the study of magic. The wizards of the Scharde Islands and the Nightmare Empire, however, are a different breed. Though they sometimes form cabals, most are independent scholars. Rather than seek out arcane knowledge in the Archive of Skell—the only library of note among the Scharde Islands—they plumb ruins on Cryx and Garlghast for morsels of occult knowledge and expand their personal spellbooks by coaxing secrets from the skulls of the dead.
ARCANE TRADITION
At 2nd level, a wizard gains the Arcane Tradition feature. The following Soulweaver option is available to wizards, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.
SOULWEAVER
Even among societies where magic is commonplace, some lore is considered anathema. Controlling the elements, weaving enchantment and illusion, and redefining the laws of physics are accepted, but darker arts are spoken of in shadowed corners—and even then, only in whispers. Some arcane devotees hunger for lore long forbidden or forgotten and are willing to ignore the horrified expressions of their friends as they delve into secret rituals that bypass the flesh and instead lay hold upon the soul. These profane scholars are known as soulweavers. To them, the soul of another being is little more than fuel—a means to achieve the impossible. This callous disregard for other lives often puts soulweavers at odds with society. Deception often becomes second nature for these wizards as a result of all the time they spend hiding their true capabilities.
SOUL MANIPULATOR
Starting at 2nd level when you select this tradition, you can harness the souls of the dying to fuel your abilities. When a non-soulless humanoid within 15 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to capture its departing soul. Each soul you capture must be stored in a special device known as a soul vessel (described below). A creature whose soul has been captured in this way can’t be resurrected unless its soul is first released from the soul vessel. Soul Vessel. Soul vessels are highly personalized, though not difficult to identify. They usually take the form of a small cage or bottle. Their nature as small prisons evokes a sense of unease in most living creatures, and they often emit an eerie glow when occupied. Making a new soul vessel requires at least 40gp worth of materials and 4 hours of concentrated effort. At the end of this time, you must make a DC15 Intelligence (Arcana) check with a +1 bonus for each additional 10gp you spend on materials. On a success, you create a new soul vessel. On a failure, the materials are wasted and can’t be reused. You can have a number of self-made soul vessels equal to your proficiency bonus. You can only use a soul vessel you
Soulweaver Features
Wizard Level 2nd 6th 10th 14th
Feature Soul Manipulator, Tongues Forgotten, Soul Fueled Eyes Beyond Stolen Life Soulbind
have made yourself or are attuned to, just like a magic item. Despite its arcane potential, a soul vessel is a small physical object akin to a trinket and is subject to damage. A soul vessel has AC 14 and 4 hp. If a soul vessel containing a soul is destroyed, the soul is released and vanishes. A soul vessel must be maintained daily to retain its efficacy. A soul vessel can’t house a new soul until it has been properly cleaned and maintained, which can be done at no cost as part of a long rest.
TONGUES FORGOTTEN
By 2nd level, you have learned how to draw on spiritual energies to reveal the secrets of long-dead languages. You can consume one stored soul to cast the comprehend languages spell without needing any components or expending a spell slot.
SOUL FUELED
Beginning at 2nd level, you can consume one stored soul to roll a d6 and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw you make. You can wait until after you roll the d20 before deciding to use this feature but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. You can consume only one soul at a time when you use this feature. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
EYES BEYOND
At 6th level, you learn how to see through the eyes of the dead, revealing what was formerly obscured to mortal sight. You can consume one stored soul to cast see invisibility or detect magic without needing any components. Additionally, you can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 60 feet.
STOLEN LIFE
At 10th level, you unlock the ability to draw on the essence of a soul by temporarily binding it to your own. When you reduce a non-soulless humanoid within 15 feet of you to 0 hit points, you can immediately consume its soul as a bonus action to gain temporary hit points equal to half the creature’s hit point maximum. While you have temporary hit points from this ability, you have advantage on all saving throws and can’t be targeted by spells. A creature whose soul has been consumed in this way can’t be resurrected or restored to life by anything short of a wish spell or divine intervention. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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SOULBIND
Once you reach 14th level, your understanding of the nature of the soul is deep enough that you can bind the soul of a still-living creature to your will. A creature bound in this manner is subject to your commands and becomes a conduit for your power. As an action, you can target a non-soulless humanoid within 60 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or be charmed by you for 24 hours. If you or creatures that are friendly to you are fighting it, it has advantage on the saving throw. While the target is charmed, you have a telepathic link with it as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. You can use this telepathic link to issue commands to the creature while you are conscious (no action required), which it does its best to obey. You can specify a simple and general course of action, such as “Attack that creature,” “Run over there,” or “Fetch that object.” If the creature completes the order and doesn’t receive further direction from you, it defends and preserves itself to the best of its ability.
You can use your action to take total and precise control of the target. Until the end of your next turn, the creature takes only the actions you choose and doesn’t do anything that you don’t allow it to do. During this time, you can also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well. Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. If the saving throw succeeds, the effect ends. The target can also make a new saving throw to end the effect when you take a short or long rest. You can charm only one target at a time with this feature.
Hamon paused an d looked down at th e haft of the spear protruding from hi s chest. His gaze tra veled the length of the weapon to its wi elder: his own wife , her eyes glazed ov with an unnatural er sheen. He felt his bo dy slide backward heard the wet pop an d of the spearhead as it tore free from hi rib cage. He saw hi s s body collapse but felt the pull as a fig behind his sweet Ao ure ife stepped forwar d and uncorked a its runes flaring un bo ttle, naturally in the di m light.
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MULTICLASSING
BACKGROUNDS
Players can follow the normal multiclassing rules to multiclass into any of the new classes introduced in this book. The specific rules for multiclassing in the Iron Kingdoms are presented below.
The following section provides new backgrounds and adventuring companies for characters in an Iron Kingdoms game.
ABILITY SCORE PREREQUISITES
Remember that in order to qualify for a new class, you must meet the ability score prerequisites for both your current class and your new one, as shown in the Multiclassing Prerequisites table.
MULTICLASSING PREREQUISITES Class Blood Witch Raider
Ability Score Minimum Charisma 13 Strength 13 or Dexterity 13
PROFICIENCIES
When you gain your first level in a class other than your initial class, you gain only some of that class’ starting proficiencies, as shown in the Multiclassing Proficiencies table.
MULTICLASSING PROFICIENCIES Class Blood Witch Raider
Proficiencies Gained Light armor, medium armor, simple weapons, martial melee weapons Light armor, simple weapons, simple firearms, cutlass, lacerator, whips
BLOOD WITCH MULTICLASSING
If you have both the Blood Magic spellcasting feature and the Spellcasting class feature, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast blood witch spells you know.
ABILITY SCORE INCREASES
The ability score increases in this section are intended to be used with the essence rules introduced in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem. Do not use the increases associated with these backgrounds if your campaign uses the standard rules for determining ability score increases.
OTHER BACKGROUNDS
If you are using the essence rules but want to use a background not included in this book, you and your GM should discuss which ability score increases would be most appropriate for that background. For example, a character who spent many years as an acolyte of a religious order would likely receive a +1 bonus to Wisdom or Charisma.
BLACK FLEET RAIDER
Life is hard in the Nightmare Empire, and death can be even harder. You’ve found that the deck of one of the ships of the notorious Black Fleet is one of the few places that offers any hope of something better. Whether you’re a hardy Scharde pirate or a bloodthirsty Satyxis reaver, you’ve found a berth and carved out a place for yourself as one of the feared raiders of the Cryxian fleets. Perhaps you’ve come to enjoy the rush of the violence and uncertainty that accompanies a successful raid. After a while, however, even raiding and pillaging gets old, and the time comes to turn your sights—and the blade of your cutlass—toward new endeavors. Ability Score Increase: Your Strength or Dexterity score increases by1. Weapon Proficiencies:Boarding axe, cutlass, simple pistols Skill Proficiencies:Athletics, Intimidation Tool Proficiencies:Vehicles (water) Languages: Two of your choice Equipment:A boarding axe or cutlass, a simple pistol, a tattered set of common clothes, a branding or tattoo, and a pouch containing 5gp
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TATTOOS
Many of the Black Fleet’s raiders adorn themselves with tattoos, each of which has special meaning to the individual. Choose a favorite tattoo, or roll on the table below. d10 Tattoo 1 A Cryxian flag 2 An attractive pinup 3 A heart with the name of a past love 4 An abstract design 5 The name of a ship you served on 6 Tally marks of your kills 7 A fearsome sea monster 8 An imitation of a thrall rune 9 An anchor 10 A gang symbol
FEATURE: SCOURGE OF THE SEAS
The Black Fleet is well known for its brutality, and you can use that terror to your advantage. When you roll initiative, you can also make a Charisma (Intimidation) check and use the higher roll to determine your place in the initiative order. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Black Fleet raiders are shaped by a life of brutal combat and bloody raids. The uncertainty of their lives molds their mannerisms and ideals. Being a pirate is a freeing experience, but it can also magnify a raider’s flaws. No matter how villainous raiders and their crewmates are, though, the bonds between them can be quite strong. d8 Personality Trait 1 My crew watches my back, and I watch theirs. 2 I work hard and fight hard so I can live like a king on shore leave. 3 I am always ready for battle, and a cutlass or pistol is never far from my hand. 4 I break out into song while doing chores, while fighting, and sometimes in my sleep. 5 I keep track of every person I kill because I can’t trust the captain to do it for me. 6 I fear the dark and always keep a lantern handy. You would, too, if you’d seen what I’ve seen! 7 I love gold! I know it’s a cliché, but listen to the way it jingles in my purse! Like a song! 8 I’m getting too old for this life. I need to retire soon. Or change careers.
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d6 Ideal 1 Survival. There are two sides to every cutlass. I joined so that I’m on the side that’s holding it. (Chaotic) 2 Greed. Money makes the world go ’round, and I aim to get my share of it, no matter what. (Evil) 3 Charity. Sure, the Black Fleet is a collection of scoundrels, but they all have families with mouths to feed. I give back as much as I take. (Good) 4 Fortitude. I don’t have time for fear. This world is too deadly to allow for it. (Any) 5 Crew. We’re all in this together, and I’ll gut anyone who says otherwise. (Lawful) 6 Ambition. Someday the Pirate Queen will know my name. (Any) d6 Bond 1 During a raid, I slew a fellow crewmate who was my rival. 2 My mother was a ruthless raider, and I must surpass her. 3 I have a family, and they think I work on a merchant vessel. 4 I slew a good friend for a spot in a crew. 5 My former officer stole from me, and I will have my revenge. 6 I always help out new crew members. You never know when you’ll need backup for a mutiny. d6 Flaw 1 I am easily swayed by promises of coin. 2 I drink hard and brag loudly when I’m on shore leave. 3 When conversations don’t go my way, I let the insults fly. 4 I’m disillusioned with the pirate life, but I’m wanted dead or alive and can’t leave. 5 I take things literally... from their owners. 6 If my superiors find out I stole from them, I’m dead.
BLACKWATER PIT FIGHTER
You spent time on the rough streets of Blackwater. Maybe you were in a gang, or perhaps you simply scavenged for what you could get. You may even have been brought to the shadowy port in chains. At some point, however, your strength and ferocity got you noticed. You became a pit fighter, one of the few ways that a commoner could rise from your seedy surroundings to become something like a celebrity. Your success in the fighting pits of Blackwater earned you coin, to be sure, but also something harder to come by: status. You became a hero to the downtrodden people of the city and a scourge to your enemies. Your exploits gave others something to not only cheer on, but aspire to. Now, though, your destiny lies outside the walls of the pit. There’s only so high you can climb down there, after all. Ability Score Increase: Your Strength or Constitution score increases by1. Weapon Proficiencies:Improvised weapons, one martial melee weapon of your choice Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Performance Languages: One of your choice Equipment:A pair of knuckledusters, a fearsome mask or similar trademark article of clothing, a scar from a previous bout, and a pouch containing 10gp
FEATURE: LOVED AND FEARED
You are recognized across Blackwater as a fearsome fighter who has been toughened by regular and bloody brawls. Whether they cheer you or fear you, people give you enough food and tips from bets to provide you with a comfortable lifestyle, plus 1d6gp per character level per week.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
The pit fighters of Blackwater can be larger-than-life figures, and they often make a big impression—good or bad—when first encountered. Even though they fight for a living, pit fighters can display surprising depth when they’re away from the blood and sand of the arena. d8 Personality Trait 1 I am dedicated to my training. 2 As long as I have a smile on my face, I am in control. 3 I’m either the center of attention or devising a plan to get there. 4 I prefer actions over words. 5 I am very superstitious. There are certain words I just won’t say before a fight. 6 I have no ill will toward my opponents but will not hesitate to make orphans of their children. 7 I have a pronounced lisp and will annihilate anyone who mocks me for it. 8 Nothing makes me happier than pummeling my foes.
d6 Ideal 1 Fame. I will do anything to be feared and adored. (Any) 2 Gold. For me, it’s all about the coin. (Neutral) 3 Battle. Things only make sense when someone is bleeding. (Chaotic) 4 Respect. I will not let anyone look down on me. (Any) 5 Ambition. These people are nothing but stepping stones to something better. (Evil) 6 Family. My family is all that matters. I must make them proud. (Lawful) d6 Bond 1 I threw a match for a gangster once, and it still shames me to this day. 2 My brothers in the pits were my only true family. 3 I send half of all my earnings back home to my sick mother. 4 I always wear my grandfather’s fighting mask in the arena. He was the greatest of them all, and I honor him. 5 My lover wants me to promise I will never fight again, but it’s a promise I can’t make. 6 My trainer was murdered. I will find out who did it and make that person pay. d6 Flaw 1 I will do anything to hear the cheers of the crowd. 2 I need to make coin. Nothing else matters—not honor, and not even winning. 3 I’m always the first to leap into a fight, regardless of the possible consequences. 4 I have no respect for the weak. 5 I have nightmares every night about a brutal beating I once took. 6 I like the pain. Sometimes I let my opponent hit me just so I can feel something. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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BLACKWATER URCHIN
Life on the streets is difficult everywhere, but there’s no tougher place to grow up than the darkened back alleys of Blackwater. Despite these grim surroundings, you learned not only how to endure but also how to make the most of what you could scavenge. Survival in Blackwater is about more than just scraping by; it’s also about avoiding notice. You’re never more than one bad day from waking up to find yourself press-ganged onto a ship or the subject of a necrotech’s deranged experiments. Other kids on the streets may have helped looked out for you, but you learned how to look out for number one. No matter what anyone said, they would rather see a neighbor get dragged away to the chop shops than be hauled off themselves. These days, you use the skills you picked up on the streets to make sure that you stay at least one step ahead of trouble, whatever form it takes. Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution or Wisdom score increases by1. Skill Proficiencies:Deception, Perception, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Thieves’ tools Languages: One of your choice Equipment:A small knife, a pet rat, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10gp
FEATURE: PACK RAT
Living on the streets has made you adaptable, and your ability to locate and maintain small caches of vital items has helped keep you alive. While you are in a city, you can maintain a poor lifestyle at no cost. Additionally, you can scrounge around for equipment that has been discarded, lost, or squirreled away. When you do so, make a Wisdom (Survival) check. You find your choice of the following: • An item with a value in gp equal to the check that falls apart when you make an attack roll or ability check with it and roll a 1 on the d20 • A used but fully intact item with a value in gp equal to 25 percent of the check • Coins with a value in sp equal to the check Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Most of Blackwater’s ragamuffins possess a surprising inner strength. In order to make it on the cruel streets of the pirate port, urchins must be as clever as a skigg, as adaptable as a drake, and as tough as an Undercity steak. Their flaws often arise out of a need to compensate for negative experiences.
d8 Personality Trait 1 I speak a language only the alley kids know. 2 I always keep a sharp weapon hidden nearby. 3 If you act crazy, they won’t mess with you. 4 I don’t talk to anyone I don’t know. In fact, I barely talk to those I do know. 5 I talk to everyone all the time. Especially strangers. 6 I sleep with one eye open. Sometimes both. 7 I say my prayers every night. 8 I avoid the light whenever possible. They can’t see you in the dark. d6 Ideal 1 Found Family. I don’t know my parents, but I have dozens of brothers and sisters. (Neutral) 2 Revenge. I want to hurt everyone the way they hurt me. (Evil) 3 Kindness. No matter what’s been done to me, I need to help everyone. (Good) 4 Code of the Streets. This city is grim, but if you follow the rules, you don’t get knifed in the belly—not too often, anyway. (Lawful) 5 Dignity. I may live in the gutter, but I have selfrespect. (Any) 6 Anarchy. No one cares for us. There’s no reason to honor rules we didn’t make and can’t change. (Chaotic) d6 Bond 1 I owe a debt to a necrosurgeon who saved my life and won’t let me forget it. 2 This city is a death trap, and I’ll do anything to escape it. 3 My mother is out there somewhere, but I’ll make sure she never finds me. 4 I have a sibling who disappeared in these alleys. I must find out what happened. 5 I want to earn enough gold to build a haven for children like me. 6 Blackwater is a filthy, deadly, mess, but it’s the only home I’ve got, and I’ll fight for it. d6 Flaw 1 I will run and hide the first chance I get. 2 A dead friend can never betray you. 3 I hide money, food, and weapons, even from my friends. 4 I lie all the time, even if doing so doesn’t benefit me. 5 I rely on myself and no one else. 6 If you didn’t want me to steal it, you should have locked it up better.
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BROKEN COAST SMUGGLER
Everywhere you look, people have needs. Your job is to see that those needs are filled while turning a tidy profit for yourself in the process. And even though some of the goods you bring to market may not be strictly legal, what counts as contraband in one port is a perfectly legitimate commodity in another. It’s just a matter of knowing what, when, and where to sell—and, of course, how to avoid getting caught in the process. Whether on land, by riverboat, or in the hold of a ship on the Meredius, you’ve become a master at getting goods where they need to go, even when the authorities would rather you didn’t. Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity or Charisma score increases by1. Skill Proficiencies:Deception, Stealth Tool Proficiencies:Vehicle (water) or vehicle (land) Languages: Five Cant and one other of your choice Equipment:A forgery kit, a crowbar, an oilskin tarp, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10gp
FEATURE: EVERYTHING MUST GO
When it comes to unloading illegal or stolen goods, you’re an artist. When you sell contraband, you can haggle for an extra 1d6 percent × your proficiency bonus. Additionally, when you encounter authorities, you can choose to hastily (and surreptitiously) dispose of all stolen or illegal goods in order to gain advantage on a Charisma check you make to avoid getting caught.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Smugglers are shaped by a life of skirting the law. Whether they are brash and bombastic or can pass as an everyday merchant sailor, smugglers risk their lives in pursuit of profit.
d8 Personality Trait 1 I use humor to hide my fear. 2 I’m boastful about my exploits. It pays to advertise. 3 I love to gamble and am not above a little cheating. 4 If I have to choose between a shipment and my head, I sure hope the cargo knows how to swim. 5 I’m always looking for a big score. 6 I’ll shoot first every time. 7 I don’t love the sea like some smugglers do. To me, it’s just a job. 8 I enjoy the thrill of evading the Black Fleet. d6 Ideal 1 Money. Coin is what makes the world go ’round. (Any) 2 Honor. Maybe I’m just sentimental, but I believe in robbing people fairly. (Lawful) 3 Vengeance. My old crew took everything from me. I’m going to return the favor. (Evil) 4 Adventure. A normal life is boring. Could you imagine me working in a factory somewhere? (Any) 5 Purpose. I keep hoping that the next big score will help me make sense of it all. (Any) 6 Prestige. Simply proving to everyone that I’m the best is payment enough. (Any) d6 Bond 1 I will hunt down those who betrayed me and have my revenge. 2 I truly wish to become a legitimate importer. 3 I messed up badly, and they’re after me. I just need to stay one step ahead of them at all times. 4 I betrayed my former captain and regret it deeply. I will find a way to make up for what I did. 5 I heard a legend about an island paradise free of greed and hardship. I must find it. 6 I’m searching for a higher purpose. I just don’t know what it is yet. d6 Flaw 1 I’m afraid all the time. That’s why I never let my guard down. 2 I don’t think I deserve a good life. In fact, I think I’m doomed to be on the run forever. 3 I don’t care about anyone but myself. 4 I lie so much that I don’t even know what’s true anymore. 5 I have restless dreams every night about the ocean swallowing me. 6 I will run rather than fight.
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HARUSPICES
Since the days of your youth, you have trained to divine the future through signs and portents found in the viscera of animals and sentient beings. Under the guidance of a witch, an oracle, or a mystic, you’ve seen events great and small play out in spatters of blood, have heard guiding whispers in the gurgle of fluids from a kill, and have learned how to find the secrets hidden in the organs of the freshly dead. Most shun this gift you possess, and you likely live at the fringes of civilization as a result, although some of your kind have found homes in large cities where they can practice their craft in abandoned basem*nts or dark alleys. Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom or Charisma score increases by1. Weapon Proficiencies: Sacral dagger Skill Proficiencies:Insight, Medicine Tool Proficiencies:Your choice of cook’s utensils or leatherworker’s tools Languages: One of your choice Equipment:A sacral dagger, cook’s utensils or leatherworker’s tools, a cage with three birds or three mice, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 5gp
FEATURE: GUT FEELING
Your daily readings of animal entrails give you fleeting glimpses of the future. You can reroll one attack roll, ability check, or saving throw you dislike. You must use the second roll. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
FEATURE: HARUSPICES TRAINING
Prerequisite: Spellcasting, Warcaster Magic, or Pact Magic class feature Add the spells on the Haruspices Training Spells table to the spell list for your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, add these spells to all of them.) The names of new spells described in chapter 3 are set in bold.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
A Haruspices’s outlook on life is shaped by the ability to divine fate. The repeated practice of ritual slaying and reading entrails gives an augur an unusual perspective, and many haruspiceses have seen their visions play out before their very eyes.
Haruspex Training Spells
Spell Level Cantrip 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
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Spell guidance identify augury hemorrhage divination commune
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d8 Personality Trait 1 I’m driven by a destiny that was divined for me long ago. 2 I take it for granted that I will eventually read the entrails of my companions once they meet their end. 3 Signs and portents are best delivered dramatically. 4 I have been known to deliver false signs to get people to do what I want. 5 My gift of foresight is a career and a commodity, and I deserve to be compensated well. 6 I love the disgusted looks my practice puts on the faces of my clients. 7 People mostly leave me alone, and that’s how I like it. 8 It’s not just about skill. You have to look the part. No one trusts a soothsayer who doesn’t seem half mad. d6 Ideal 1 Change. Life, like the seasons, is in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic) 2 Power. I strive to become a spiritual leader. (Lawful) 3 Ambition. My gift will help me gain the favor of those who can elevate my status. (Evil) 4 Knowledge. My tools exist to help me acquire the knowledge I need to better understand the world. (Any) 5 Equilibrium. I use my foresight to avoid major changes. (Neutral) 6 Might. The strongest are meant to rule. (Evil) d6 Bond 1 I have foreseen a dreadful event that I am doing everything in my power to prevent. 2 I once interpreted a sign incorrectly, and my failure had grave consequences. I hope one day to redeem myself. 3 My mentor saw the spark of greatness within me, and I need to live up to that. 4 There is a better world yet to come! I have seen the signs. I just need to make the right choices to help it come about. 5 It’s a living! Not much competition in the gutgazing business, as it turns out. 6 There is no such thing as free will. I am but a puppet of fate.
d6 Flaw 1 It’s difficult to keep from snacking while I work. 2 I sometimes forget to wash up after divination. 3 I assume other people look down on me. 4 I always tell the truth, no matter how hurtful it may be. 5 I’m a total fraud. I don’t have a clue what I’m looking at in all this gunk. 6 I love telling people how they’re going to die. Half the time, I don’t even really know. Sure does mess with their heads, though.
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MEREDIUS WHALER
You served aboard one of the many ships that brave the Meredius hunting whales and other large creatures. In your months at sea, you’ve worked in the crow’s nest, as a harpooner, and, after a successful hunt, as a butcher. As a result, you know the great beasts of the deep both inside and out, and it’s difficult for anything to shake your nerves anymore. After all, it’s hard to be frightened of a bar fight or a bullet when you’ve stared into the eyes of a monster from the depths of the sea. Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity or Constitution score increases by1. Weapon Proficiencies:Harpoon, harpoon gun Skill Proficiencies:Athletics, Perception Tool Proficiencies:Your choice of cook’s utensils or leatherworker’s tools Languages: One of your choice Equipment:A handaxe or sickle, an oilskin apron and gloves, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10gp
FEATURE: BRING ’ER DOWN
Your years at sea hunting whales and the large beasts that inhabit the Meredius have taught you how to take down huge creatures. When you hit a Large or larger creature with an attack or spell, you can deal extra damage equal to your level. The damage is of the same type dealt by your weapon or spell. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Whether they are simply out to make a profit or pursuing revenge against a beast from the depths, the whalers of the Meredius have a grudging respect for the sea. They have witnessed the majesty and fury of the ocean, which has shaped them in more ways than one.
d8 Personality Trait 1 My emotions stir like the roiling sea! 2 I am often single-minded in my pursuits. 3 I keep myself calm regardless of the maddening tides that surround me. 4 I’m not a gambling man. I check every knot twice. 5 There’s nothing I enjoy more than the beauty of a sunrise. 6 A hot cup of tea will fix nearly any woe. 7 Keep your friends close and your harpoon closer. 8 The sea is a killer, but it brings bounty as well. d6 Ideal 1 Fame. My name will go down in legend. (Any) 2 Survival. We hunt to live. We do not live to hunt. (Neutral) 3 Righteousness. There are evil things beneath the drink. I will face them without fear. (Good) 4 Wisdom. You don’t spend your years slaughtering the beasts of the sea without learning a thing or two. (Any) 5 Slaughter. I hate the sea and everything in it! (Evil) 6 Order. The sea is a place of utter chaos. That’s why we have rules. (Lawful) d6 Bond 1 A great beast of the deep took something precious from me, and I won’t rest until I get it back! 2 I love my shipmates and will do whatever I must to see them again. 3 A pod of whales saved me when I was shipwrecked. I vowed never to hunt them again. 4 It’s better to die at sea than to live the life of a landlubber. 5 I’ve seen too many good souls lost to the waves. I won’t lose another. 6 I have mouths to feed. An entire village depends on me. d6 Flaw 1 My thirst for revenge can make me blind to the dangers facing myself and my crew. 2 I drink to numb the pain. 3 I’m so cautious that I sometimes hesitate when I should act. 4 I can’t stop talking about the one that got away. 5 I have no respect for those who don’t have their sea legs. 6 I take unnecessary risks for the thrill of it.
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NAVAL OFFICER
For as long as people have sailed the seas between western Immoren and the Scharde Islands, they have needed individuals capable of leading sailors, whether by inspiring belief, promising wealth, or threatening the lash. Every navy employs officers who lead their fleets and perform the administration necessary to keep them afloat. Whether you were awarded this role due to your family’s station or you worked your way up the ranks, you’re expected to keep the sailors in line by any means necessary. From the captain down to the quartermaster, naval officers tread the decks of ships of the line, ready and willing to lead their crew, whether in day-to-day operations or into the teeth of battle. Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence or Charisma score increases by1. Skill Proficiencies:Intimidation, Persuasion Tool Proficiencies: Navigator’s tools, vehicle (water) Languages: Two of your choice Equipment:A repeating pistol, a rapier or cutlass, a letter of commission, a book of naval signals, and a pouch containing 10gp
FEATURE: LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Your quick thinking and ability to stay cool under pressure are an inspiration to those under your command. When you take the Help action, you can aid a friendly creature that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Naval officers command the fates of the sailors under their command. As such, they are often stern or even severe. They are used to being in charge and tend to respond poorly to events they can’t control.
d8 Personality Trait 1 I run a tight ship with strict discipline. 2 The crew loves me for my kindness and generosity. 3 I enjoy the finer things allowed me by my station. 4 I worked my way to this position and am proud of my achievements. 5 I maintain a stiff and commanding manner at all times. 6 A good officer works alongside the crew. 7 A unified crew is the only defense against the hazards of the sea. 8 Leadership is a gift that only a noble few possess. d6 Ideal 1 Respect. My station is one of command, but respect must be mutual. (Good) 2 Duty. I am obliged to serve my crew, just as they serve me. (Good) 3 Responsibility. I am beholden to the authority above. (Lawful) 4 Authority. I am in command, and my orders will be obeyed. (Evil) 5 Aspiration. Someday I’ll be sitting in the captain’s seat. Perhaps even the admiral’s. (Any) 6 Freedom. When I’m in charge, no one will be telling me what to do. (Chaotic) d6 Bond 1 I rose through the ranks in this navy and will never forget where I came from. 2 The navy is my life. Even my own crew is second to the commands of my superiors. 3 An ungrateful crew mutinied against me and cast me aside. I will bring them to justice. 4 I will prove my worth through dedicated service. 5 Doing right by those who serve me is my greatest responsibility. 6 Command is more of a prison than a power. I wish to relinquish it and be free. d6 Flaw 1 My reputation as a cruel taskmaster precedes me. 2 My pride will be my undoing. 3 I will lie, cheat, and steal to get ahead of my peers. 4 I am honest to a fault and often pay the price. 5 I am too lenient, and others take advantage of my compassion. 6 I worry that I am not cut out for this position.
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PRESS-GANGED
Many who serve aboard the fleets of the Broken Coast— whether those ships be legitimate naval vessels, trading crafts, or pirate ships—are not there by choice. Captured, drugged, or tricked, you wound up on a ship that was plying the waves by the time you realized your situation, and there you served under threat of death. Beneath the watchful eye of captain and bosun, you learned to perform the labor demanded of you, to appease the officers who ranked over you, and to scrape and grovel when you needed to. Eventually, you escaped. You may have jumped ship at landfall, been part of a mutiny, or simply earned your freedom through years of hard work before the mast. However it happened, your experience has hardened you, made you wary, and informed everything that has come since. Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution or Charisma score increases by1. Skill Proficiencies:Athletics, Deception Tool Proficiencies:Your choice of carpenter’s tools, cook’s utensils, tinker’s tools, or weaver’s tools Languages: Two of your choice Equipment:A belaying pin, a tattered set of common clothes, a jug of cheap rum, and a pouch containing 5gp
FEATURE: LOOK BUSY
Although you engage in hard labor every day, you are good at conserving your energy while seeming to work. You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks you make to appear to be working or to pass yourself off as a laborer. In addition, you can gain the benefits of a short rest after a downtime of only 30 minutes rather than 1 hour. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Press-ganged sailors run the gamut from simple sailors forced into a life of piracy to drunken scoundrels scooped up in a port of ill repute. Forced to serve aboard a vessel, these individuals tend to be reluctant sailors, but some of them discover that they enjoy the thrill of life on the waves. d8 Personality Trait 1 Merchants, pirates, navy—it’s all the same to me. A job’s a job. 2 I keep my head down when the fighting starts. No use getting it blown off. 3 I resent being conscripted and don’t mind saying it. 4 This wasn’t the life I chose, but I might as well make the most of it. 5 Someday I will have a better life. 6 I swear a lot. You would, too, if you were me! 7 I use dark humor to keep my spirits up. 8 Slow down! If you work yourself to death, you still get the same pay I do.
d6 Ideal 1 Service. We’re all in this together, so we might as well make the most of it. (Good) 2 Survival. You’ll stay alive if you just pledge allegiance to whatever flag they wave in front of you. (Neutral) 3 Control. I might be licking a boot now, but someday I’m going to be wearing that boot! (Evil) 4 Freedom. I will get out of service or die trying. (Chaotic) 5 Patience. The time will come when my service ends. (Any) 6 Trust the System. Do your job, and eventually it will pay off. (Lawful) d6 Bond 1 I have a family back home that needs me. 2 My fellow impressed sailors are my family now. 3 My own stinking brother turned me in to the press gang. I’ll get him for that! 4 Three hots and a cot? I’ll take it. 5 I signed a contract with a merchant vessel before getting pressed into service. When I get out of here, I intend to honor that commitment. 6 I secretly do what I can to sabotage this ship and those who run it. d6 Flaw 1 I won’t hesitate to snitch on someone else. 2 I go out of my way to twist the meaning of a command just to enrage my superiors. 3 I can’t swim. 4 I will drag others down simply because I can’t lift myself up. 5 My cynicism is a detriment. 6 I’m so beaten at this point that I’ll do whatever I’m told.
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SCHARDE DIVER
From the navies of the Iron Kingdoms to the tribes of the Scharde Islands to the treasure hunters who ply the Broken Coast, divers come from all walks of life. Whether you grew up as a pearl diver off the coast of your native island, learned the salvage trade as part of a family business, or trained to become an underwater demolitionist for the navy, these days you’re almost as comfortable under the water as you are on dry land. You can hold your breath longer than your peers, and you swim better and faster than just about anyone you know. You also know how to hold your own underwater— which is important, because there are a lot of unfriendly things down there. Ability Score Increase: Your Strength or Constitution score increases by1. Armor Proficiencies:Armored diving suit Weapon Proficiencies:Harpoon, harpoon gun, net, spear Skill Proficiencies:Athletics, Investigation Languages: One of your choice Equipment:A harpoon, a net, a conch shell, a silver coin bearing the likeness of a pirate king, and a waterproof pouch containing 5gp
FEATURE: SUBMARINER
Swimming doesn’t cost you extra movement, and you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks you make while underwater. Additionally, you add your proficiency bonus to your Constitution modifier when determining how long you can hold your breath.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Divers often hold a unique perspective, as they witness the world below the waves firsthand. Diving is a dangerous profession, and it often instills superstitious rituals in its practitioners.
d8 Personality Trait 1 I have an almost pathological attachment to my equipment. 2 I live for the utter silence of the deep. 3 The sea is treacherous, but nothing can surpass its beauty. 4 I take pride in my unique skills. 5 I love telling stories of underwater rescues and close calls with sea monsters. 6 I always have a backup plan. 7 I do my best work alone. 8 I am a risk-taker. The thrill of danger propels me. d6 Ideal 1 Self Betterment. I test myself constantly. (Any) 2 Preparedness. If you want to stay alive, you have to think ahead. (Any) 3 Code. Like anything in life, diving has rules that must be followed. (Lawful) 4 Wealth. I’m searching for treasure, plain and simple. (Any) 5 Solitude. I dive to get away from it all. (Any) 6 Duty. My tribe needs me. (Good) d6 Bond 1 I dive to feed my people. 2 I once heard a legend about a massive black pearl. I have vowed to find it. 3 I lost something to the sea long ago and am determined to regain it. 4 My ancestors were divers before me. I honor their memory. 5 My instructor was a great hero, and I wish to follow his lead. 6 The sea is a magnificent wonder, and I will fight to protect it. d6 Flaw 1 My desire for solitude alienates those around me. 2 I put myself in dangerous situations in my quest for adventure. 3 I spend more time in preparation than I do in action. 4 My pride could be mistaken for boastfulness. 5 I worry that I have no other marketable skills. 6 Sometimes my personal hygiene leaves much to be desired.
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SHIPWRIGHT
Shipwrights build and repair the ships that others use to cut the waves, and they can be found in every major port from Uldenfrost to Clocker’s Cove. You may have been employed by a navy, or perhaps you worked for a civilian shipyard. Whether you came from Dreggsmouth, Mercir, Carre Dova, Port Vladovar, or an even more distant haven, your skills are in demand in the ports and on the ships of the Broken Coast and the Scharde Islands. Every ship needs to be repaired sooner or later, and there’s always a demand for new vessels to explore the tempestuous seas. When the time comes, you will be there to mend them or make them. Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity or Intelligence score increases by1. Skill Proficiencies:Athletics, Nature Tool Proficiencies:Carpenter’s tools, vehicle (water) Languages: One of your choice Equipment:A hand axe, a set of carpenter’s tools, a jug of a flame-retardant alchemical solution, and a pouch containing 10gp
FEATURE: KEEP ’ER AFLOAT!
Your expertise in building ships makes you more effective at repairing them. Whenever you restore hit points to a water vehicle, it regains additional hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. Additionally, you have advantage on ability checks you make to repair a water vehicle using carpenter’s tools.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Shipwrights understand the importance of fine craftsmanship and good planning. They are often perfectionists who won’t undertake a task before first outlining every step of the process, but some of them are mad artists who change their plans on the fly when the fancy strikes them.
d8 Personality Trait 1 If you can be only one thing, be efficient. 2 I can’t help but stop and admire fine craftsmanship. 3 I am quite competitive regarding my work and don’t like being compared to others. 4 I see the shapes of a ship in every tree. 5 Much of my time is spent developing new techniques and tools. 6 If you want something done right, do it yourself. 7 Elegance is as important as function. 8 The wind is my muse, and she guides my hammer and saw. d6 Ideal 1 Perfection. I strive to make every nail precise. (Lawful) 2 Pride. I am the best at what I do and am driven to remain so. (Any) 3 Wealth. What good are my skills if I’m not properly compensated? (Any) 4 Service. I make ships for the good folk of this world. (Good) 5 War. I make ships for one purpose: destroying the enemy. (Evil) 6 Beauty. I don’t just make ships. I make art that floats. (Any) d6 Bond 1 The navy taught me my skills, and I must serve dutifully. 2 I will travel the world in the vessels I have made with my own hands. 3 I make fast ships. Maybe one of these days I can make one fast enough that I can finally escape my past. 4 I have designs for the most magnificent ship. One day, I will build her. 5 I save what I earn so that I can build a school for future shipwrights. 6 I made a dreadful error that caused the loss of a worthy crew. I will redeem myself. d6 Flaw 1 I spend my time fixing ships when I should be fixing my relationships. 2 I secretly worry that I’m not as skilled as my reputation says I am. 3 I sometimes sabotage the work of my rivals. 4 One nail out of place can send me into a rage. 5 I mock those who do not recognize my brilliance. 6 My work is utilitarian, not beautiful.
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STREET NECROMANCER
You grew up in the shadow of wizards— and perhaps the undead as well. Lacking formal training, you have scrounged discarded notes, sifted through the scraps of destroyed thralls, and eavesdropped on conversations to collect any and all knowledge of the dark art of necromancy. The streets you grew up on were brutal, due in no small part to your attempts to learn the craft, but you always knew that there was something more waiting for you around the next corner. After all, once you know the secrets of the dead, what is left in life to fear? Ability Score Increase: Your Intelligence or Wisdom score increases by1. Skill Proficiencies:Investigation, Medicine Tool Proficiencies: Necromancer’s kit,your choice of herbalism kit or poisoner’s kit Languages: One of your choice Equipment:A necromancer’s kit, a book of your findings, a shovel, a few collected pieces of thrall skin with animation runes, and a pouch containing 5gp
FEATURE: A HELPING HAND
Your experiments in necromancy have taught you how to reanimate individual body parts—typically hands that you keep tethered to you or your armor. You can use one of these hands to take a bonus action that isn’t part of a class feature and doesn’t require a skill check, such as reloading a weapon, stowing a weapon, opening a door, or using an object. Once you take the bonus action, the hand ceases to function. You can have a number of reanimated hands equal to your proficiency bonus, and you can replace all of your used hands with functioning hands as part of a long rest.
FEATURE: STREET NECROMANCER MAGIC TRAINING
Prerequisite: Spellcasting, Warcaster Magic, or Pact Magic class feature Add the spells on the Street Necromancer Training Spells table to the spell list for your spellcasting class. (If you are a multiclass character with multiple spell lists, add these spells to all of them.) The names of new spells described in chapter 3 are set in bold.
Street Necromancer Training Spells
Spell Level Cantrip 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
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Spell chill touch bleed decrepitude animate dead crippling grasp death knell
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SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Because street necromancers surround themselves with death, many of them have unusual personalities and find it difficult to interact with the living. Despite this, they possess strange and fascinating knowledge that some can’t help but share with others. d8 Personality Trait 1 I hardly ever eat, and I look like a pale shadow of death. 2 I use my skills to help people. Necromancy shouldn’t just be for the rich and the military. 3 I like to stitch together dead animals. I think of them as pets. 4 I go out of the way to defy stereotypes about my art. 5 I like to share unusual facts about anatomy that others may find disturbing. 6 The more forbidden the knowledge, the more fun it is to learn. 7 I don’t know why people are so uptight about skulls. Everybody has one. 8 Don’t worry about what happens when you die. I’ll take good care of you. d6 Ideal 1 Healing. I learn all this creepy stuff so I can keep others alive. (Good) 2 Warfare. I want to craft armies of the dead that will conquer my foes. (Evil) 3 Art. Some create with paint or sculpture. I use flesh and bone. (Any) 4 Money. People pay top coin for a good chop-job with no questions asked. (Neutral) 5 Immortality. Death is a condition that can be defeated. (Any) 6 Curiosity. I just like to see what happens when I slap a rune on a corpse. (Chaotic)
d6 Bond 1 I owe a debt of gratitude (and money) to a necromancer who once brought me back from near death. 2 Someone I care about is terminally ill, and I study the body to find a cure. 3 I dug up the wrong grave once, and what I found there haunts me to this day. 4 I let a loved one die. I won’t allow that to happen again. 5 I need to improve myself through skill, magic— whatever it takes to be better. 6 The authorities are after me for “borrowing” a few bones that they weren’t even using.
d6 Flaw 1 My looks, odor, and demeanor creep people out. 2 I can’t help but pick over a grisly battlefield for “spare parts.” 3 I worry about what others think of me. 4 I am callous about death. 5 I fear that I’ll never be a legitimate necromancer. 6 I have troubled dreams that keep me awake most nights.
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TREASURE HUNTER
Western Immoren has seen numerous civilizations rise and fall. Each produced its own unique artifacts and art, and often its own magic as well. Your job is to go into places where others fear to tread, find as much of what previous generations have left behind as you can, and make it your own. Maybe you’re doing this of your own volition, or perhaps you’re in the employ of some institution, wealthy collector, or even government agency. Whatever your reasons, the lure of adventure and treasure calls to you, and you’ve become adept at not only finding what you seek, but also avoiding the pitfalls that so often come between you and your prize. Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity or Charisma score increases by1. Skill Proficiencies:History, Investigation Tool Proficiencies:Navigator’s tools, cartographer’s tools Languages: Two of your choice Equipment:A compass, a map case containing a map to a supposed treasure, a lantern, a set of traveler’s clothes, a trinket from the Treasure Hunter Trinkets table, and a pouch containing 10gp
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TREASURE HUNTER TRINKETS
Many treasury hunters carry small trinkets with them, whether as mementos of successful adventures or reminders of past failures. Choose a trinket for your character, or roll on the table below. d10 Trinket 1 An Orgoth belt buckle 2 A Tordoran astrolabe 3 A Morrdhic sacral dagger 4 A Calacian Menofix 5 A bit of bone from a scion of Thamar 6 A small, flat stone inscribed with a Molgur rune 7 An Orgoth sword pommel 8 An ancient Umbrean spur 9 A polished bone dagger of unknown origin 10 A gold coin bearing the likeness of the pirate king Threnodax
FEATURE: YOU CALL THIS ARCHAEOLOGY?
Ever since people first desired treasure, they’ve been forced to guard it—and a well-developed sense of caution or dumb luck has helped you evade those protections on plenty of occasions. When you trigger a harmful effect, such as a mechanical trap or a magic ward, you can move up to half your speed before the effect takes place. If you are still within range of the effect, any associated attack roll against you has disadvantage, and you have advantage on your saving throw if you must make one. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.
SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS
Whether motivated by greed or the pursuit of knowledge, treasure hunters seek out the hidden and the unknown. These inquisitive and relentless individuals are never content to leave a stone unturned or an artifact undisturbed—a trait that can result in dire consequences. d8 Personality Trait 1 If I don’t stay one step ahead of everyone else, I’m dead. 2 I work better with a crew, so I surround myself with skilled individuals. 3 I love jewelry—gold, gemstones, even silver! I cover myself with as much of it as I can. 4 I’m a gambler by nature. I take risks and reap the rewards. 5 I like to keep a low profile and play my cards close to my chest. 6 Get to know people if you want to know where they hide the good stuff. 7 When I’m in a dangerous situation, I make lots of clever quips to hide my fear. 8 I don’t trust anyone. I’ve been double-crossed too many times.
d6 Bond 1 I will complete what my mentor started. 2 I’m not just out for gold. I’m searching for a specific treasure I know is out there somewhere. 3 My rival is always getting to the big scores before I do. I will get there first next time or die trying. 4 All the money I make from my adventures goes to a noble cause. 5 The trinket I carry is a memento of a lost love, the likes of which I fear I will never see again. 6 I caught a glimpse of it once—the stuff of legends! I will find it again, and it will be mine! d6 Flaw 1 I can’t help but boast about my findings. 2 I love to show off how quick and clever I am. 3 I’m constantly looking over my shoulder. 4 I worry that I’ll never live up to my reputation. 5 I spend my gains as fast as I get them. 6 No one is truly my friend.
d6 Ideal 1 Curiosity. There is so much to be learned about the world through the remnants of the past. (Any) 2 Thrills. Nothing beats the rush of discovering a treasure before everyone else. (Chaotic) 3 Greed. It’s not so much about what I find, but what I can sell it for. (Evil) 4 Challenge. I simply love to solve puzzles, discover traps, and locate hidden artifacts. (Any) 5 Professionalism. This is just a job to me. It’s a job I excel at, but it’s all simply business. (Neutral) 6 Power. There are treasures that could bring me more than money or jewels could ever provide. (Evil) CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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ADVENTURING COMPANIES The following adventuring companies are available to adventurers, in addition to those offered in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem.
FOUR STAR SYNDICATE A shadowy organization notorious even among the pirates and cutthroats in the backstreets of Five Fingers, the Four Star Syndicate fills its own pockets through daring raids overland and at sea. With the support of warjacks controlled by freelance warcasters, the Syndicate brazenly and openly targets rail yards, small fleets, and even military supply trains. Land-based raids along the shores of the Dragon’s Tongue River have resulted in the capture of several shipments of armaments, explosives, and even warjacks that the Syndicate has then sold on the black market for outrageous profits. Few know much about the Syndicate’s inner workings, but the High Captains who rule Five Fingers have some say over which contracts the organization accepts, and they use its battles to further their criminal empires. Syndicate loyalties are bought with gold coin and bound with iron promises of retribution. Anyone who hires their services in Five Fingers’ mercenary market is likely to be employed by the Syndicate eventually. It pays well, and a full purse can buy almost anything—even a clear conscience.
PREREQUISITES
Any character can be a member of a Four Star Syndicate company, but at least one member must be proficient with vehicles (water).
CAPTAIN’S MARK
You can take on work and assignments officially sanctioned by the Four Star Syndicate and its interests, and your GM should regularly present your company with mercenary contracts and opportunities. Additionally, each member of the company can choose to be affiliated with one of the High Captains of Five Fingers, all of whom are listed below. Each member that does so is affiliated with that High Captain and gains all the listed benefits. Company members do not need to choose the same High Captain. High Captain Banek Hurley: King’s Favor. You have a contact who acts as your liaison with the Ordic Royal Navy. Your contact can supply you with information about the movements of the navy’s vessels and high-profile targets that the king of Ord would like captured. Additionally, you gain proficiency in the Persuasion skill. High Captain Velter Waernuk: Dark Dealings. You have your choice of a contact in a Scharde pirate crew or a Cryxian agent. Your contact can give you information about the movements of Cryxian fleets and can alert you to opportunities to raid shipping lanes and coastal communities. Additionally, you gain proficiency in the Deception skill.
High Captain Jannish Riordan: High Society (Thamarite). You have a connection with an Ordic noble who is also a member of a Thamarite sept. Your contact can help you research occult matters and can provide you and your companions with access to social functions involving other Ordic nobles. Additionally, you gain proficiency in the Arcana skill. High Captain Durgan Kilbride: Mateu Enforcers. You have a contact in the Mateu trading empire who can give you information about trade opportunities and ships that sail for rival guilds. Additionally, if you bring goods plundered from Mercarian League ships back to a Mateu trade house, you can sell such items for double the normal amount.
COMPANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Your company’s prestige increases whenever you reinforce your dread reputation through acts such as the following: • Sinking a rival’s vessel • Coming out on top in a boarding action despite being outnumbered • Foiling a rival’s plans • Performing a service of great value for one of the High Captains • Plundering goods worth at least 1,000gp in a single raid
TIER 1: SALTY DOGS
At this tier, your company is just getting its feet wet as part of the Four Star Syndicate. The High Captains are aware of the company’s existence but won’t go out of their way to provide you with high-paying contracts, so you are left largely on your own to find work.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Contracts. Members of your company can hit the streets to gather information about potential contracts for the High Captains. Collecting information can involve numerous approaches, such as buying drinks in a local tavern, talking with a ship’s crew to learn about new prospects, or scouting nearby communities that might need protection. Gathering information about a possible contract is a downtime activity. Depending on your territory and the availability of contracts, the GM determines how many days it takes to find a promising lead, with most requiring at least 1d4 days. Each day expended looking for a job requires 1d4gp spent buying drinks, chasing leads, and purchasing information. At this tier, the contracts usually involve minor jobs worth no more than 200gp, but some contracts are instead paid in items and goods of equivalent value, such as military supplies or services. Five Cant. You can replace one language you gain from your race or background with Five Cant.
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Starter Vessel. Your company has a small keelboat crewed by three loyal but fairly unskilled sailors. These sailors handle the ship’s day-to-day operations but do not participate in combat. They use the commoner stat block. If the keelboat is lost or destroyed, you will need to purchase a replacement.
TIER 2: RISING STARS
At this tier, your company has started to make a name for itself and has drawn the attention of one or more of the High Captains. Better-paying contracts start to become available, and new members of the Four Star Syndicate are drawn to the company due to its improving reputation.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Fresh Recruits. Your company has earned enough notoriety to draw new candidates. You gain 1d10 hirelings to act as privates and support staff. Hirelings obtained by this benefit must have a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Captain’s Favor. Opportunities for new contracts become more lucrative as your company catches the attention of one of the High Captains. Jobs offered by the Contracts feature can now be worth up to 300gp.
TIER 3: SYNDICATE ENFORCERS
Upon reaching this tier, your company is one of the foremost forces in the Four Star Syndicate. More talented sailors and fighters are drawn to the company, and the High Captains make it known that the black markets of pirate-friendly ports are welcome to do business with you.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Better Recruits. More skilled sailors seek out your company in order to join up. You gain 1d4 hirelings with a challenge rating of 1 or lower. Black Market Contacts. At this tier, your company makes contact with one of the more prestigious black markets in Five Fingers, Clocker’s Cove, Blackwater, or a similar port. Members of the company can buy aboveboard and contraband gear alike from the contact, including alchemical supplies, weapons, mechanika, and even steamjacks, at a 10 percent discount.
TIER 4: HANDS OF THE HIGH CAPTAINS At this tier, your company has become not only one of Four Star Syndicate’s key assets, but also the chief enforcers of the High Captains’ will. Its threatening reputation can inspire fellow Syndicate members to greatness while making its foes tremble with fear.
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BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Fearsome Reputations. Your company has earned a strong reputation in the mercenary and pirate worlds. The sight of your flag can inspire dread in your enemies and hope in your allies. You gain a +2 bonus on both Charisma (Intimidation) checks involving enemy forces and Charisma (Persuasion) checks involving friendly forces. Premier Recruits. Top-level sailors seek out your company. You gain 2d4 hirelings with a challenge rating of 2 or lower.
QUIRKS
Many adventuring companies have quirks that set them apart from other such groups. Choose a quirk for your adventuring company, or roll on the table below. d10 Quirk 1 Your company’s starter vessel once belonged to one of the High Captains of Five Fingers. 2 Your company’s starter vessel started out as a spoiled noble’s pleasure barge. 3 The skeleton of your vessel’s previous barrelman is still perched in the crow’s nest. On festive occasions, your crew likes to dress it up. 4 A relatively harmless cask imp has taken up residence in your ship’s hold and encourages the crew to enjoy a bit of extra grog now and then. 5 Your company’s flag is very similar to that of a long-dead pirate king. 6 When the leaders of your company can’t agree on an important decision, a game of dice decides the outcome. 7 A mysterious unnamed figure has lived in the crew’s quarters for as long as anyone can remember. This individual stays out of the way but always gives your captain 5gp each time you pull into port. 8 Your company is not welcome on Crabbeggar Island in Five Fingers, but nobody knows why. 9 Despite looking like a shipwreck washed up in Eyewall Bay, your company’s starter vessel is surprisingly swift and reliable. 10 Your company has a tradition: the first sailor who leaves the ship while in port owes the whole crew a round of drinks.
MERCARIAN LEAGUE TRADERS Headquartered in the Cygnaran city of Mercir, the Mercarian League is a powerful trade organization whose sphere of influence and fleet of vessels rival those of the navies of the Iron Kingdoms. Their ships make the perilous trip from western Immoren to the southern continent of Zu in a constant flow of trade that brings back exotic materials from the far-off land to sell, almost always at a massive margin. Because of the value of their trade goods, Mercarian ships are outfitted with cannons and staffed with skilled marines, and they can hold their own against Cryxian raiders and privateers alike. In addition to having its own dedicated fleet, the Mercarian League contracts with independent vessels to supplement its ability to move goods. The organization has a reputation for ruthlessness, and it offers no mercy to pirates or privateers who try to steal from it.
House Mateu
House Mateu in Ord and the Mercarian League are bitter commercial rivals. The rules for a Mercarian League Traders adventuring company can also be used to represent traders from House Mateu, but membership in one group makes the characters de facto enemies of the other.
(Insight), and either Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Persuasion)—to determine the result of the activity. (Each check can be made by any member who engaged in the activity.) The GM determines the DC of each check, based on the prevailing circ*mstances in the port. Consult the Trading Results table to determine the outcome.
COMPANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Your company’s prestige increases whenever you carve out your trade territory through acts such as the following:
PREREQUISITES
• Evading or defeating a pirate vessel • Delivering a hold full of exotic goods • Making a profit of at least 1,000gp from a single trip • Buying out a rival commercial interest • Opening up trade in a previously inaccessible market
MERCANTILISM
TIER 1: FRESH ENDEAVOR
Any character can be a member of a Mercarian League Traders company, but at least one member must be proficient with vehicles (water). Your company makes its living by knowing where to sell the merchandise in the hold of its ship. As a downtime activity, company members can work together when they’re in port to find the best trade opportunity for whatever cargo they’re carrying. After 5 consecutive days of effort, the company makes three checks—Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom
Successes 0
1
2
3
Trading Results
Outcome The company doesn’t find trade any opportunities. The company finds an opportunity to sell trade goods for 100% of their usual cost. The company finds an opportunity to sell trade goods for 110% of their usual cost. The company finds an opportunity to sell trade goods for 125% of their usual cost.
At this tier, your company is just starting out as part of the Mercarian League’s vast merchant empire. To help get you started, the organization provides you with a small vessel to facilitate the trade of goods and sets up some initial connections.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Starter Vessel. Your company has a small keelboat crewed by three loyal but fairly unskilled sailors. These sailors handle the ship’s day-to-day operations but do not participate in combat. They use the commoner stat block. If the keelboat is lost or destroyed, you will need to purchase a replacement. Trade Route. Your company has enough contacts in two ports to routinely make trade between them worth your while. Choose two ports. Whenever you buy goods in one and sell them at the other, you are always considered to have at least 1 success when you roll on the Trading Results table.
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TIER 2: PRACTICED MERCHANTS
Your company’s success on behalf of the Mercarian League has not only attracted the attention of local sailors but also resulted in official support in the form of a deckjack—a steamjack designed for use on the unsteady deck of a ship at sea.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Able Sailors. As your company’s prestige grows, local sailors look to join your crew for a share of the profits. You gain 2d10 new hirelings to crew your ships. These hirelings can have a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Deckjack. Your superiors in the Mercarian League lend your company a ’jack to help haul cargo. You gain a stock Windjammer or a similar stock light laborjack with a challenge rating of 2 or lower.
TIER 3: VESTED MERCHANTS At this tier, your company has proven itself worthy of carrying credentials as full members of the Mercarian League. Your newfound status makes trade negotiations simpler—provided, of course, that the other party doesn’t answer to the Mateus of Ord or one of the more powerful kayazy in Khador.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Guild Badge. Your company’s high standing with the Mercarian League gives you an advantage during trade negotiations. While interacting with other traders, company members double their proficiency bonus when they make Charisma (Persuasion) checks, but using this benefit on a member of an adversarial trade house and failing the check will lead to immediate hostility. Trade House. Your company controls a trade house in one of the ports you chose as a Trade Route. This location has a rotating stock of items that you can purchase at a 10 percent discount.
TIER 4: MASTER MERCHANTS At this tier, your company represents one of the major arms of the Mercarian League. The organization provides the company with access to an additional steamjack, and seasoned sailors seek you out, looking to earn a profit from your sizeable hauls.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Merchant Marines. Your company’s top-notch reputation attracts experienced combat veterans to safeguard you on your travels. You gain 2d4 new hirelings to crew your ships. These hirelings can have a challenge rating of 2 or lower. Strong Back Deckjack. Your superiors in the Mercarian League donate a heavy laborjack to your company. You gain a stock Docker, a stock Whaler, or a similar stock heavy laborjack with a challenge rating of 5 or lower.
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QUIRKS
Many adventuring companies have quirks that set them apart from other such groups. Choose a quirk for your adventuring company, or roll on the table below. d10 Quirk 1 Your company has been trying to find a buyer for a cask of pickled herrings, but no one has shown any interest. Strangely, nobody can remember when you even acquired the damned thing in the first place. 2 Your company has a friendly rivalry with another such company in the Mercarian League. Whenever the opportunity arises, your rivals do their best to outperform you. 3 After a night of bad drinks, worse food, and downright regrettable choices, your entire company has been banished from a small but lucrative port town. 4 Most of your ship’s crew chose duty before the mast rather than execution as pirates. 5 Despite a renowned carpenter’s best efforts, your ship’s hull is marked with obvious patches—a not-so-friendly reminder of the last time you crossed some pirates. 6 Your company keeps a cask of the finest rum near the ship’s wheel so that you can all raise a final toast to the captain if the ship goes down. 7 Your ship’s chronometer was built by a rather eccentric inventor who tried to pioneer his own method of timekeeping. Seasoned company members have gotten used to it, but new deckhands have a devil of a time figuring out what “Rosemary o’ clock” is supposed to mean. 8 Your company’s quartermaster is an old, shaggy hound. The dog does a fine job of keeping the crew in line, though. 9 The first gold crown your company ever earned is nailed to the mainmast as a goodluck charm. Woe betide anyone who tries to take it! 10 The former captain of your starter vessel hid a faded map beneath a loose board. Nobody knows what it leads to, and the island doesn’t appear on any known maps.
ROYAL NAVY Each of the Iron Kingdoms maintains a navy of warships to protect its territorial waters and wage war against its enemies, including the many pirates that sail the Meredius and the fleets of the Nightmare Empire. Despite being part of their nation’s military, these vessels often operate far from their home ports and can feel like sovereign nations unto themselves. The rules of the high seas are often quite different from those enforced on the mainland, and more than one such crew has engaged in outright privateering when the opportunity has presented itself, letter of marque in hand or no.
PREREQUISITES
Any character can be a member of a Royal Navy company, but at least one member must have the Naval Officer background.
PATROL
As a downtime activity, you can patrol sea-lanes for enemy vessels. After 5 consecutive days spent on patrol, one member of the company on the patrol makes an Intelligence (Investigation) check, a Wisdom (Insight) check, or an Intelligence check using vehicles (water). Consult the Patrol Results table to determine the outcome of the patrol. Small Vessel. A small vessel like a keelboat typically has a single bandit captain as its commanding officer and a crew of 7 (2d6) sailors (commoners) or 2 (1d4) Scharde pirates. It isn’t armed with any weapons and has a bounty of 100gp. Medium Vessel. A medium vessel typically has a single bandit captain as its commanding officer and a crew of 25 (1d10+ 20) sailors (commoners) or 14 (4d6) Scharde pirates. It is armed with four cannons on each side and has a bounty of 500gp. Large Vessel. A large vessel typically has a single bandit captain as its commanding officer and a crew of 41 (2d10+ 30) sailors (commoners) or 22 (4d10) Scharde pirates. It is armed with ten cannons on each side and has a bounty of 1,000gp.
Check 9 or lower 10–14 15–20 21+
Patrol Results
Encounter — A small hostile vessel A medium hostile vessel or 1d4 small hostile vessels A large hostile vessel or 1d4 medium hostile vessels
COMPANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Your company’s prestige increases whenever you engage your nation’s enemies through acts such as the following: • Protecting a coastal community from a pirate raid • Destroying a Cryxian ship • Escorting a merchant vessel to safety • Participating in a naval battle against three or more ships • Sinking a vessel whose crew and cannon outnumber yours
TIER 1: COASTAL PATROL
At this tier, your newly founded company is just starting out as part of your nation’s navy. The company is expected to patrol coastal waters near its home port, drive off enemy vessels and pirates, and help other vessels in need.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Home Port. Your company has a port of call in one of its nation’s coastal towns. The company can berth in its home port at no cost between assignments. If it does so, its members can maintain a modest lifestyle without having to pay 1gp per day. Starter Vessel. Your company has a small keelboat crewed by three loyal but fairly unskilled sailors. These sailors handle the ship’s day-to-day operations but do not participate in combat. They use the commoner stat block. The vessel has a single cannon (equivalent to the steamjack cannon in chapter 5 of Iron Kingdoms: Requiem). If the keelboat is lost or destroyed, you will need to purchase a replacement. Naval Protocol. Any company members who make a Charisma (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) check to issue orders to the crew can add their Intelligence modifier to the roll.
TIER 2: ABLE SAILORS
At this tier, your company has earned a measure of esteem in the eyes of your nation’s naval commanders. It is given greater leeway to patrol the nation’s waterways and is expected to participate in more significant naval maneuvers.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Beat to Quarters. During any encounter with a hostile ship, members of the company gain a +5 bonus to initiative. Marines. You are assigned a group of soldiers to help you carry out boarding actions and defend your ship. You gain 1d4 hirelings you can use in boarding actions and on coastal raids. Hirelings gained by this benefit must have a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower.
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TIER 3: POINT OF THE SPEAR Upon reaching this tier, your company is one of the more highly regarded naval crews in its fleet, and its members can expect to be consulted by the admiralty on naval engagements. In addition, the company receives a higher caliber of sailors to fill out its ranks.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Practiced Maneuvers. Your company has become adept at pulling off surprising maneuvers at sea. A vessel controlled by a member of the company can perform an additional turn of up to 90 degrees during its movement. Seasoned Crew. Experienced sailors are assigned to your ship. The number of hirelings you can have increases by 1d4, and your hirelings can have a challenge rating of 1 or lower. Alternatively, you gain a single steamjack with a challenge rating of 4 or lower.
TIER 4: FLAGSHIP
Upon reaching this tier, your company’s exploits are the stuff of maritime legend. The company operates as a flagship of not just a single fleet, but its nation’s entire navy. The company can expect to lead many other lesser ships in naval engagements to protect its nation’s interests.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Fearsome Reputations. Your company has earned a strong reputation in naval circles. The sight of your flag on the horizon can inspire dread in your enemies and hope in your allies. You gain a +2 bonus on both Charisma (Intimidation) checks involving enemy forces and Charisma (Persuasion) checks involving friendly forces. Loyal Crew. The morale of your hirelings is unshakable, and their loyalty to your company is unquestioned. So long as the hirelings can see or hear a company member that is not unconscious or incapacitated, they are immune to being frightened.
QUIRKS
Many adventuring companies have quirks that set them apart from other such groups. Choose a quirk for your adventuring company, or roll on the table below. d10 Quirk 1 Your company was founded by the survivors of a devastating naval battle. 2 Your company’s ship has had every inch of timber, every scrap of sail, and every nail replaced at least twice. 3 The figurehead of your company’s ship was reclaimed from a sunken warship that participated in several battles against pirates from the Scharde Islands. 4 Your company’s members were given a choice: hang as pirates or use their talents in the defense of the nation. 5 One rival nation or another has put a substantial bounty on the head of every member of your company. 6 Your company has a counterpart in a hostile nation that considers your company its greatest rival. 7 Each member of your company was rescued while either marooned or adrift at sea. 8 Deservedly or not, your company’s starting vessel has a reputation for being bad luck to those who sail aboard it. 9 Your company’s home port is in a town that is more like a pirate haven than a naval city. 10 Each time your company sails a hundred leagues, every new member who joined the company since the last such milestone must swim a mile in the open ocean.
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SEAHUNTERS Western Immoren’s mainland teems with monsters and wonders of all shapes and sizes, and its seas are no different. The many beasts that live in the ocean have long fascinated those who dwell on land, and for nearly as long as people have sailed the seas, others have financed their expeditions for one reason or another. Many academics at institutions of learning across the Iron Kingdoms put great value on the ability to research lesser-known creatures or to plumb the depths in search of previously unknown species. Although these scholars are often content to have the corpse of a creature brought back to them, they will usually pay quite a bit more for a living specimen. Sometimes, a would-be Professor Pendrake will pay a lucky crew for the privilege of tagging along on an excursion in order to observe dangerous beasts in their native habitat. But scientific inquiries are not the only lure that entices sailors out to sea in pursuit of the ocean’s denizens; a desire for coin and a sense of adventure are more common motivators. Many large sea creatures are harvested for valuable parts that can fetch a high price at mainland markets. Slaughtering whales for their oil has been an integral part of the Khadoran economy for centuries, and items such as hull grinder roe and the ink sacs of sea drakes are highly valued for their flavor or practical properties. Whether they ply the waves for profit, for knowledge, or for the sheer thrill of the hunt, countless sailors across western Immoren make their living engaging in such pursuits. The boldest of these adventurers are known as seahunters, and they are skilled in tracking the beasts of the oceans and hunting down even the mightiest of them if needed.
PREREQUISITES
Any character can belong to a Seahunters company, but it must include at least one character with the Explorer, Maritime Order of the Trident, or Privateer background.
GONE FISHIN’
The company can turn a decent profit between hunts for larger beasts by engaging in mundane fishing as a downtime activity. This activity requires spending 1gp per day on procuring bait, setting lures, replacing fishing lines, mending nets, and so forth. After 5 consecutive days of effort, the company makes three checks—Strength (Athletics), Wisdom (Nature), and Wisdom (Survival)—to determine the result of the activity. (Each check can be made by any member who engaged in the activity.) The GM determines the DCof each check, based on the availability of harvestable resources in the company’s chosen hunting grounds. Consult the Fishing Results table to determine the outcome.
COMPANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Your company’s prestige increases whenever you carve out your hunting territory and prove your ability through acts such as the following:
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Successes 0
1
2
3
Fishing Results
Outcome No luck! The company doesn’t catch anything. The company harvests 200 lb. of fish worth 50gp. The company harvests 400 lb. of fish worth 100gp. The company harvests 800 lb. of fish worth 200gp.
• Killing a particularly large or fierce specimen of a creature • Capturing a rare creature alive and selling it to a noted scholar or collector • Killing or driving away a creature that is threatening shipping routes or sea-lanes • Safely transporting (and returning) a scholar who wants to study a rare creature in its natural habitat • Capturing the one that got away
TIER 1: LOCAL FISHERS
At this tier, your company is a collection of hunters seeking small or less dangerous prey, perhaps as ingredients for spell components for yourself or on behalf of a patron.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Starter Vessel. Your company has a small keelboat crewed by three loyal but fairly unskilled sailors. These sailors handle the ship’s day-to-day operations but do not participate in combat. They use the commoner stat block. If the keelboat is lost or destroyed, you will need to purchase a replacement. Sea Lore. Each member of your company gains proficiency in the Animal Handling or Nature skill.
TIER 2: EXPERIENCED ANGLERS
At this tier, your company has acquired a bit of experience as hunters, and you’ve learned a few tricks to help you succeed on the sea.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Good Eating. Your company knows how to acquire the choicest cuts of any slaughtered creature. When a member of the company kills a creature of the beast type, the company can harvest a number of rations from the corpse equal to the creature’s Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 ration). The Twelfth Commandment. The ability to catch a bit of shut-eye at any time is a vital skill for any seahunter. Any member of the company who is interrupted during a long rest can gain the benefits of the rest without beginning it again, but only if that character continues the rest within 4 hours of the interruption.
TIER 3: SEA SLAYERS
At this tier, your company has become skilled at felling even large sea creatures, and your reputation entices would-be seahunters to sign up with the crew.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. From Hell’s Heart. Company members are skilled at slaughtering the beasts of the sea. When a member of the
company rolls damage for an attack against a creature of the abomination or beast type that has a swimming speed, that character can reroll one of the damage dice but must use the new roll. Skilled Whalers. Your company begins attracting new recruits eager to join the hunt. You gain 1d4 hirelings with a challenge rating of 1 or lower.
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TIER 4: MASTER HUNTERS
Many adventuring companies have quirks that set them apart from other such groups. Choose a quirk for your adventuring company, or roll on the table below.
BENEFITS
d10 Quirk 1 Your company began as a group of academics seeking materials for experiments, as a research lab of a university, or as part of another scholarly organization. When it comes to securing profit, your primary contacts are magicians, alchemists, and the like. 2 Your company was started by a powerful benefactor, such as a local lord. You have free range to work as you will, but requests from your benefactor take priority over all others. 3 A high-ranking member of your company is fixated on a particular sea monster and will risk everything for the chance to pursue it. 4 Your company was an outgrowth of a crew of privateers who were better at catching hull grinders than rogue pirates. 5 Your company began as a monthly fishing expedition among friends. On one particular trip, one of your friends was dragged out to sea and under the waves by a mysterious sea creature, and you swore to avenge your fallen companion. 6 The company began as a commercial fishing concern, but catching a few rarer monsters— and collecting the resulting profit—caused you to begin hunting larger prey. 7 Laying a hand, hook, or net on a particular type of sea creature is taboo in your company. 8 Your company is followed by a pod of friendly dolphins—well, friendly to you, at least. The dolphins seem to enjoy leading you to places where other sea beasts lair, and they chitter with delight as you begin the slaughter. 9 A sea king’s jaw is mounted on the deck of your company’s ship. Any new fisher who claims that elusive first kill is allowed to choose one of the teeth as a good-luck charm. 10 Your company is part of a larger fishing fleet. You’re expected to turn over a portion of your harvest each month, and you receive a supply of sugar, tea, and rum in return.
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. For Hate’s Sake. As seasoned hunters of the sea’s most dangerous beasts, you no longer have any fear of such creatures. Members of the company are immune to being frightened by any creature that lives in the ocean. Premier Recruits. Top-level sailors seek out your company. The number of hirelings you can have increases by 2d4, and these NPCs can have a challenge rating of 2 or lower.
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QUIRKS
At this tier, your company has become widely known and respected among those who hunt creatures of the sea, and you begin to attract experienced hunters who are eager to hunt by your side.
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SMUGGLERS Wherever goods are forbidden, plucky and opportunistic individuals will engage in the business of making them available anyway. Such merchandise is often prohibited for ethical or religious reasons: Cryx’s corpse transport industry, for example, is outlawed by all of western Immoren’s other kingdoms. Not all smuggling targets are as obvious as a pile of corpses, however. Many seemingly innocent goods are banned due to economic restrictions on imports, which are often the result of wartime sanctions. Tariffs and taxes on especially valuable items can be high enough to encourage people to acquire them in ways that avoid official channels. Finally, goods such as powerful artifacts and weapons often must be moved from one place to another with as few people as possible knowing about them. Most smuggling companies in western Immoren engage primarily in maritime transport. The shipping lanes around Cryx, the Scharde Islands, and the port cities of the mainland offer ample opportunity to move goods unnoticed. You belong to a group that specializes in transporting cargo by nonstandard means, and you are adept at avoiding taxes, blockades, and armed forces in order to get contraband to whoever will pay for it.
PREREQUISITES
Any character can belong to a Smugglers adventuring company, but at least one member must be proficient with vehicles (land) or vehicles (water).
ROUTE PLANNING
The more carefully planned a venture is, the greater its chance of success. Before setting out on a smuggling run, you can spend time communicating with your contacts in the areas you will pass through, learning about checkpoints, making sure bribable authorities will be in place, and the like. The cost of this activity depends on the amount and rarity of available resources, requiring 1d6gp for each day spent in this activity. After three days, you and each member of your company gains one Smuggling die, a d6. Once before delivering the smuggled cargo, you can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw you make. You can wait until after you roll the d20 before deciding to use the Smuggling die but must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Smuggling die is rolled, it is lost. You can have only one Smuggling die at a time, and you can’t use a Smuggling die if you can add a die to the check from another source, such as Bardic Inspiration.
COMPANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Your company’s prestige increases whenever you establish your economic prowess and ability to move goods through acts such as the following:
• Safely transporting a rare artifact to a satisfied customer • Successfully making a profit of at least 1,000gp from acquired goods • Evading several sets of authorities while transporting goods through areas controlled by multiple polities • Smuggling cargo worth 10,000gp or more • Preventing smuggled cargo from being discovered during an inspection
TIER 1: CONTRABANDISTS
At this tier, your company is a small group of enterprising individuals moving small amounts of goods. You usually transport low-value items to specific buyers but occasionally take on more substantial cargoes. You often hide your shipments among those of pirates and legitimate traders who move goods in bulk—assuming you can pay their fee, of course.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Fence. Your company has a friendly contact who is willing to fence stolen and smuggled goods. The fence will purchase almost anything you have to offer, but might, at the GM’s discretion, choose to pass on items that would bring unwanted attention. Five Cant. You can replace one language you gain from your race or background with Five Cant. Business Opportunities. You start with a modest network of underworld contacts who can inform you about opportunities to move illicit goods. These jobs are usually worth no more than 100gp. You learn of new opportunities from your network once every 1d10 days.
TIER 2: BLOCKADE RUNNERS
At this tier, your company has developed a bit of a reputation in the local economy. You are well known in your home port and have some degree of name recognition in other places you deal with regularly. People in your network will often alert you about opportunities and will sometimes give you stolen goods that need to be disposed of safely.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Easy Money. Your company has established a number of ongoing deals that require little active work on the part of members. The company receives 1d10 × 10gp per month from these operations. Improved Fence. Your company’s network of connections generally allows you to find a buyer for any goods, no matter their legal status. If you attempt to sell an item that is stolen or otherwise suspicious, any skill checks made to trace the item back to your company have disadvantage. Additionally, when you sell arms, armor, or equipment to your fence, you get 60 percent of its value, rather than 50 percent. Market Value. Your company has established a network of contacts who can help you acquire goods of any sort. You receive a 10 percent discount on adventuring gear. CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS
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TIER 3: BLACK MARKETEERS At this tier, your company’s reputation as skilled smugglers extends far and wide from your home port or base of operations. Black markets in multiple locations know your company as reliable transporters of illicit goods and have extended their network of hiding places and safe houses to your company’s members.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Safe House Network. Your company’s dealings in the criminal underground have given you a network of contacts you can call upon in times of trouble. If you are in a town or city your company has engaged in trade with and are being pursued by agents of the law or members of another criminal organization, you can find a safe house with a successful DC14 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The safe house will be hidden and protected from those pursuing you to the best of the abilities of the individuals running it. Depending on the circ*mstances, such a place could range from a wellfortified bunker with armed guards to a shack in the woods with a week’s supply of food. Bulk Discount. Your company’s reputation allows members to find the best prices from multiple sellers. Each member of your company receives a 20 percent discount when buying items in bulk quantities (ammunition, food supplies for a long journey involving multiple people, building materials, and so on).
TIER 4: SEA MOGULS
At this tier, your company’s wide-ranging network of contacts and connections controls a significant percentage of the underground economy. It is too large be ignored by the authorities in the many areas where it operates, so either it has reached a fragile truce through bribery and backroom deals or it is so powerful that it’s nearly untouchable.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Get out of Jail Free. Once every 10 days, a member of the company who is caught for any crime that doesn’t involve someone’s death can avoid legal repercussions, solely because of that person’s membership in the company. Note that this doesn’t prevent repercussions from any party that chooses to act outside of the law. Increased Market Value. Your company has become the arbiter of prices in a major segment of the underground economy. Your discount on purchasing adventuring gear increases to 20%.
QUIRKS
Many adventuring companies have quirks that set them apart from other such groups. Choose a quirk for your adventuring company, or roll on the table below. d10 Quirk 1 Your company uses a particular trick to throw off inspectors: storing casks of rotting fish guts in the hold to make it as inhospitable as possible. 2 Your company still has contraband from a deal that went south. Even though it seems valuable, no one is interested in purchasing it, and everyone treats it as if it were cursed. 3 Your company has run afoul of the same naval inspector many times. 4 A crime lord has put a bounty on the heads of your company due to lost contraband. 5 A rival smuggler has it out for your company. 6 Your company started off as a family business. Even though it is no longer run by the same family, the leader of the company continues to use the original family surname. 7 A corrupt dockmaster or watch inspector acts as your company’s primary fence. 8 A close call with a volatile cargo, such as blasting powder or alchemical ingredients, has left distinctive scorch marks on your company’s primary vehicle. 9 Your company is wanted in a major port for transporting illegal goods. Oddly enough, this was a haul your company didn’t transport. 10 Your company’s primary vehicle has a distinctive feature, such as a unique figurehead. Superstition dictates that if it is ever removed, the company will come to a bad end.
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SLAUGHTER FLEET RAIDERS Of all the many weapons of terror and carnage wielded by the Nightmare Empire, perhaps none have instilled as much fear among western Immoren’s coastal communities as the raiders of Cryx’s Slaughter Fleet. The fear inspired by the sight of these dark ships off the coast is eclipsed only by the terror of seeing them disgorge wave after wave of cannibalistic bloodgorgers and savage black ogrun. General Gerlak Slaughterborn has led these brutal campaigns for over a century, sowing bloodshed and chaos and hacking through countless opponents in an endless spray of gore.
PREREQUISITES
Each member of a Slaughter Fleet Raiders company must be a barbarian, fighter, gunfighter, mechanik, sorcerer, or warcaster. At least one member of the company must be a blighted trollkin or Scharde ogrun.
COMPANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Your company’s prestige increases whenever you terrorize the enemies of Cryx through acts such as the following:
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• Raze a coastal village. • Catch a fleeing ship and devour its crew. • Deliver a hundred corpses to Blackwater. • Eat the flesh of a mainland champion. • Dine at the table of General Slaughterborn.
TIER 1: FRESH RAIDERS
The company has just formed and joined with the great Slaughter Fleet. Members of the company might have their own modest vessel or serve as crew aboard a larger ship in the fleet. At this tier the company’s members are likely to be in the initial wave of fighters to go ashore or board an enemy’s decks.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Grisly Reputation. Your company’s fearsome reputation precedes it. While performing a boarding action or conducting a raid, you gain a +2 bonus to Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Meat for the Market. Your company’s raids produce plenty of bodies, and you never let storage space in your hull go to waste when there’s profit to be made. You can return humanoid corpses to Cryx for a bounty of 5gp per Hit Die.
TIER 2: SEASONED FIGHTERS At this tier, the company has earned enough reputation to attract recruits. This grisly reputation is a badge of honor among the Slaughter Fleet, and the company’s flag instills terror in all the potential victims who see it on the horizon.
the company reduces a humanoid to 0 hit points, it can use a bonus action to choose a humanoid within 30 feet of it that it can see and make a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by the target’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If the company member succeeds, the target is frightened of it for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the check at the start of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on its check is immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Freebooters. Would-be raiders flock to your flag for a chance to share in the spoils. You gain 1d8 Scharde ogrun or blighted trollkin hirelings with a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Grislier Reputation. Your company’s reputation for violence inspires fear in its victims. While you are performing a boarding action or conducting a raid, enemy creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened.
TIER 3: GOURMANDS
Upon reaching this tier, the company has attracted skilled and veteran raiders willing to serve under its flag. Additionally, the experience gained in numerous raids has given the company’s founding members a keen eye for cuts of meat that will fetch a better price in the corpse markets of the Nightmare Empire.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Marauders. More raiders continue to flock to your banner. You gain your choice of 1d8 ogrun or trollkin hirelings with a challenge rating of 1 or lower or 1d4 ogrun or trollkin hirelings with a challenge rating of 2 or lower to act as taskmasters for the rest of the crew. Prime Cuts. Your company’s reputation leads to better prices in the Nightmare Empire’s meat market. When you return humanoid corpses to Cryx, you receive a bounty of 15gp per Hit Die.
TIER 4: RED TIDE
At this tier, the company is known as one of the most brutal and ruthless to sail with the Slaughter Fleet. Foes tremble at the sight of the company’s grisly weapons and your reputation extends beyond the Scharde Islands. Tales of your exploits are shared in horrified whispers in ports across the Iron Kingdoms.
BENEFITS
Your company gains the following benefits at this tier. Known Killers. Your company’s well-earned reputation for violence makes cooperation much, much more likely. You double your proficiency bonus when you make Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Blood and Chaos. Your company’s viciousness in battle drowns opponents in waves of fear. When a member of
QUIRKS
Many adventuring companies have quirks that set them apart from other such groups. Choose a quirk for your adventuring company, or roll on the table below. d10 Quirk 1 The company always keeps a trophy from one of their bloody feasts and hangs them from the yardarm of whatever ship they sail. 2 The company’s banner is tattooed on the skin of the first captain who dared to fight them. 3 Whenever a new crewmate joins the company, the senior officers expect a literal pound of flesh as part of the initiation ceremony—preferably fried with a bit of butter and onions. 4 The newest recruit of the company is expected to answer to the name “Provisions.” 5 The company enjoys an ongoing rivalry with a merchant sailor and always lets him go after a battle. Not before choosing a bit of meat for their next meal, of course. 6 A Scylla flock follows the company wherever it travels, croaking the last words of those who have fallen in battle. 7 It is forbidden to each the flesh of a company member. 8 It is required for the company to devour the flesh of their fallen. 9 There’s no sport in fighting those who cannot fight back. Let the infirm, elderly, and young carry tales of your bloody glory. 10 Anyone can challenge the company’s master for control, provided they can beat the captain in a meat pie eating challenge. The loser is packed in a barrel for the next contest’s pies.
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N
ecromancy is scorned and despised on the mainland, but it thrives all across the Scharde Islands. In these dark lands off the southwest shores of western Immoren—and in the nation of Cryx in particular—necromancers of all descriptions explore the potential breadth and depth of this school of magic as they innovate new runic formulae to better master the energies of death. The blight of Toruk pervades magic in the Scharde Islands, just as it does everything else there. The Dragonfather’s blight-tinged energies manifest in the magic worked in his domain, and spells touched by this blight produce crackling greenish runes when cast. There are also traditions of magic in the Scharde Islands that predate the coming of Toruk. For centuries before becoming blighted, the inhabitants of Satyx practiced their own art of blood magic, one that shares similarities with the practices of the Molgur tribes and the mortitheurgy of the distant skorne. By sacrificing their own blood—or preferably, that of a human sacrifice—the blood witches of the Satyxis can harness immense power. So too is the wild magic of Devourer-worshippers among the islands. Many Molgur tribes, forced from the mainland, linger in the jungle-covered islands. Drawing on the forces of the natural world, storms, and tides, these throwbacks to the days of the Molgur alliance rise to positions of prominence in their tribes and kriels. Some are drafted into the navies of Cryx to serve as powerful shipboard witches and sorcerers, augmenting the killing power of the crew through summoned storms and hurled bolts of lightning. No matter the tradition of magic its users draw upon, the spells commonly known in the Scharde Islands are like its inhabitants: brutal and utterly without mercy. Many are excruciating to experience, horrifying to behold, and tainted with darkness from the Dragonfather’s influence. Unlike the Iron Kingdoms, where certain practices like mesmerism are looked down upon if not outright banned, no practice is considered off-limits in the Scharde Islands. Unscrupulous
Existing Spells
Note that some of the spells in this chapter were previously published in Borderlands & Beyond. They are reproduced here for ease of reference.
mainlanders who wish to dabble in these darker arts sometimes journey to ports like Blackwater, seeking out arcane formulae that allow them to raise and command the dead, control spirits, or bind the minds of another being. Indeed, for a devoted arcanist the only limitations on what magical talents one can learn in the Nightmare Empire is the great enemy of all living things: time. It would take many lifetimes to fully comprehend the vastness of the arcane knowledge possessed by beings such as Lich Lord Tenebrous in the Archive of Skell. Fortunately for those willing to discard their humanity, the Nightmare Empire has its own solution for escaping the grip of old age. Those who seek immortality can rise as iron liches by shedding their souls and storing them in specially prepared soul chambers. The iron liches are a fusion of necromancy and mechanika, powerful intelligent undead who exist as an elite caste in the Nightmare Empire. In their unlife, the liches are free to pursue whatever forbidden knowledge they seek. Even the destruction of their new iron bodies does not spell their death. Their only vulnerability is the chamber housing their soul. So long as it remains safe, an iron lich can move from body to body, across thousands of years, amassing occult secrets and building up their power to rival that of the greatest arcanists ever to live. This chapter presents new spells for characters and monsters to use. Following the spell lists and spell descriptions, the chapter offers a dark evolution for characters and NPCs in the form of the hell-wrought metal bodies of iron liches.
CLASS SPELL LISTS
The following spell lists show which spells can be cast by characters of each class. The names of new spells described later in this chapter are italicized. BARD SPELLS
1st Level Black Poison Dark Waves Whipping Winds 2nd Level Decrepitude Grave Wind Scything Touch 3rd Level Admonition Black Spot Malediction Mirage Veil of Mists
4th Level Dark Guidance 5th Level Dark Seduction Mark of Decay BLOOD WITCH SPELLS
Cantrips (0 Level) Arcane Bolt Guidance Light Poison Spray Resistance True Strike 1st Level Black Poison Bleed
Bullet Dodger Cloak of Fear Dark Waves Whipping Winds 2nd Level Blood Burst Flashing Blade Grave Wind Hellbound Hobbler Scything Touch Weakness 3rd Level Blood Shadow Breath Stealer Devil’s Tongue
Distillation Heart Burst Hemorrhage Shadow Step 4th Level Dark Guidance Freedom of Movement Hold Undead Stygian Abyss 5th Level Blood Rain Death Strike Mislead Passwall Seeming
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CLASS SPELL LISTS
The following spell lists show which spells can be cast by characters of each class. The names of new spells described later in this chapter are italicized. BONE GRINDER SPELLS
1st Level Read the Dead 2nd Level Blood Burst Decrepitude Grave Wind Scything Touch 3rd Level Admonition Breath Stealer Ghost Walk Hex Blast Mirage Occultation Shadow Step Veil of Mists 4th Level Breath of Corruption Dark Guidance Deadweight 5th Level Death Knell Mark of Decay CLERIC SPELLS
1st Level Read the Dead 3rd Level Admonition Breath Stealer Caustic Mist Death Ward Hex Blast Occultation Veil of Mists 5th Level Backlash Blood Rain 6th Level Abyssal Gate
GUN MAGE SPELLS
1st Level Whipping Winds 2nd Level Grave Wind 3rd Level Ghost Walk Mirage Shadow Step Veil of Mists
PALADIN SPELLS
1st Level Whipping Winds 2nd Level Grave Wind
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3rd Level Admonition Death Ward Ghost Walk Hex Blast Veil of Mists RANGER SPELLS
1st Level Dark Waves Whipping Winds 2nd Level Curse of Shadows 3rd Level Admonition Breath Stealer Feast of Worms Ghost Walk Mirage Occultation Veil of Mists 4th Level Deadweight SHAMAN SPELLS
1st Level Dark Waves Whipping Winds 2nd Level Blood Burst Decrepitude Grave Wind Scything Touch 3rd Level Admonition Breath Stealer Ghost Walk Hellfire Hex Blast Icy Grip Mirage Occultation Shadow Step Veil of Mists 4th Level Boneskin Breath of Corruption Dark Guidance Deadweight 5th Level Blood Rain Death Knell Mark of Decay 8th Level Annihilation SORCERER SPELLS
1st Level Dark Waves Guided Fire Read the Dead Whipping Winds
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2nd Level Curse of Shadows Overrun Parasite Scything Touch Venom 3rd Level Admonition Black Talons Breath Stealer Caustic Mist Feast of Worms Ghost Walk Hellfire Hex Blast Icy Grip Mirage Occultation Veil of Mists 4th Level Breath of Corruption Crippling Grasp Dark Guidance Deadweight Hellmouth Void Gate 5th Level Blood Rain Dark Seduction Death Knell Shadowmancer 6th Level Abyssal Gate Wall of Corpses 8th Level Annihilation WARCASTER SPELLS
1st Level Guided Fire Sacrificial Lamb 2nd Level Doom Spiral Infernal Machine Overrun Ravager Terminal Velocity 3rd Level Admonition Breath Stealer Caustic Mist Hex Blast Icy Grip Occultation Veil of Mists 4th Level Breath of Corruption Dark Guidance Deadweight Ritual Sacrifice Spectral Steel
5th Level Backlash Dark Seduction Death Knell Shadowmancer WIZARD SPELLS
1st Level Dark Waves Guided Fire Read the Dead Sacrificial Lamb Whipping Winds 2nd Level Curse of Shadows Decrepitude Infernal Machine Overrun Parasite Ravager Scything Touch Spectral Leech Terminal Velocity Venom 3rd Level Admonition Breath Stealer Caustic Mist Death Ward Feast of Worms Ghost Walk Hellfire Hex Blast Icy Grip Mirage Mortality Occultation Shadow Step Veil of Mists 4th Level Boneskin Breath of Corruption Crippling Grasp Damnation Dark Guidance Deadweight Hellmouth Void Gate 5th Level Backlash Blood Rain Dark Seduction Death Knell Shadowmancer 6th Level Abyssal Gate Soul Gate Wall of Corpses 8th Level Annihilation Excarnate
SPELL DESCRIPTIONS The spells are presented in alphabetical order.
ABYSSAL GATE
6th-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 40 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous A small portal appears in front of a creature that you can see within range, and an ebony spear of energy lances out and strikes the target. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 10d10 necrotic damage and is teleported up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t teleported. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 6th.
ADMONITION
3rd-level abjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You mark a hostile creature with an aura that allows you to move away from it before it can close ranks with you. Choose a hostile creature that you can see within range. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be marked for the duration. If the marked creature ends its movement within 30 feet of you, you can move up to 15 feet in any direction without provoking opportunity attacks, then the spell expires.
ANNIHILATION
8th-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous You call forth a 20-foot-radius sphere of gangrenous energy. Choose one creature that you can see within range. The sphere is centered on that creature. Each creature in the sphere must make a Wisdom saving throw. The creature takes 14d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature reduced to 0 hit points in this way is disintegrated. A disintegrated creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine gray dust. In addition, if this spell reduces a creature to 0 hit points and disintegrates it, you capture the creature’s soul. As a bonus action on your turn, you can consume the soul to regain one expended spell slot of 3rd level or lower, gain temporary hit points equal to twice the dead creature’s proficiency bonus, or have advantage on a spell attack roll. You can have one such soul in your possession at a time
unless you have a soul cage to contain the other souls. Consuming a soul destroys it, and it will gradually fade away over 24 hours if it is not consumed or kept in a soul cage. If a creature’s soul is destroyed, the creature can’t be restored to life.
BACKLASH
5th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You weave a cursed litany and direct it at a hostile steamjack within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the steamjack is marked for the duration of the spell. When the marked steamjack is damaged, its bonded warcaster takes psychic damage equal to half the damage dealt to the steamjack.
BLACK POISON
1st-level necromancy (blood magic) Casting Time:1 bonus action Range:Self Components:S Duration:Concentration, up to 1 minute The next time you hit a creature with an attack made with a sacral weapon before this spell ends, the damaged creature takes 2d8 poison damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of your next turn.
BLACK SPOT
3rd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 40 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You choose a creature you can see within range and mark it with a black spot that weakens its defenses, allowing attackers to strike at it more accurately until the spell ends. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the creature takes a −2 penalty to AC, and attacks against it are made with advantage.
BLACK TALONS
3rd-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: 1 round A storm of shadowy talons fills a 15-foot cube originating within range. When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 4d6 slashing damage and is restrained until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t restrained. A creature restrained by the talons can use its action to make a Strength or Dexterity check (its choice) against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself.
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BLOOD BURST
2nd-level necromancy (blood magic) Casting Time:1 bonus action Range:Self Components:S Duration:Concentration, up to 1 minute The next time you hit a creature with an attack made with a sacral weapon before this spell ends, the damaged creature’s flesh ruptures in a shower of boiling blood. Each creature other than you within 10 feet of the damaged creature must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the triggering attack reduced the damaged creature to 0 hit points, the damage increases to 4d8.
BLOOD RAIN
5th-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You call down a deluge of caustic blood in a cylinder that is 50 feet tall with a 10-foot radius, centered on a point you can see within range. The area is heavily obscured by the bloody rain. When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Dexterity saving
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throw. The creature takes 5d6 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that leaves the area or is in the area when the spell ends takes 2d6 acid damage at the start of its next turn. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 5th.
BLOOD SHADOW
3rd-level necromancy (blood magic) Casting Time:1 bonus action Range:Self Components:S Duration:Concentration, up to 1 minute The next time you hit a creature with an attack made with a sacral weapon before this spell ends, you become invisible for a number of rounds equal to the Constitution modifier of the damaged creature. The invisibility ends if you attack or cast a spell.
BONESKIN
4th-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 20 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes Blight warps the body of a creature that you can see within range, causing spurs and plates of bone to grow rapidly upon
its skin. The target is stunned for 1 round, after which it gains a +3 bonus to AC for the spell’s duration. An unwilling target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw to avoid the effect. When the spell ends, the target is stunned for 1 round again as the painful process reverses itself. This spell has no effect on a creature that lacks an organic skeletal system.
BREATH OF CORRUPTION
4th-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (30-foot cone) Components: V, S, R Duration: 1 round You take a deep breath and expel a cloud of toxic gases in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in the cone other than an undead or a construct must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d8 poison damage and is poisoned for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t poisoned. A poisoned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself a success. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.
BREATH STEALER
3rd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous You gesture at a creature that you can see within range and coax the life from its lungs. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. It takes 5d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, if the target fails the saving throw, its speed is halved, and it has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws, until the end of its next turn.
CAUSTIC MIST
3rd-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You summon a 20-foot-radius sphere of roiling acidic vapors centered on a point within range. The fog spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. The mist lingers in the air for the duration or until a strong wind (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. A creature that enters the area or ends its turn there takes 3d6 acid damage. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the radius of the sphere increases by 10 feet for each slot level above 3rd.
CRIPPLING GRASP
4th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, R Duration: 1 minute A horrific, decaying phantom hand bursts up from the ground, grabs a creature you can see within range, and drains away its vitality. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target has disadvantage on Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity checks for 1 minute. The target can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. This spell has no effect on creatures that are immune to poison. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 4th. Make separate attack rolls against each target.
CURSE OF SHADOWS
2nd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You direct a vortex of hostile, grasping shadows at a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target can’t take reactions for the duration of the spell, and other creatures can move through its space for the duration, treating it as difficult terrain. A creature can’t willingly end its move in the target’s space.
DAMNATION
4th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: S, R Duration: 1 round You brand a hellish sigil upon a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, each steamjack under your control and in your control range can immediately move up to its speed toward the target creature, ignoring movement penalties imposed by nonmagical difficult terrain.
DARK GUIDANCE
4th-level abjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (40-foot radius) Components: S, R Duration: 1 round An ominous sigil appears in the sky above you, directing the strikes of allies within 40 feet of you. Until the spell ends, this sphere moves with you, centered on you. For the duration, each friendly creature in the area (including you) has advantage on melee attack rolls.
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Dark Seduction and Mesmerism
As with all spells that rob a living being of its agency, this spell is considered a vile use of magic and is forbidden as an act of mesmerism across the Iron Kingdoms. A character who is seen using the spell might become a target of witch hunters or the Order of Illumination.
DARK SEDUCTION
5th-level illusion Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, R Duration: Instantaneous You slip into the mind of a creature that you can see within range and convince it that one of its allies is actually an enemy. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or immediately move up to its speed toward its closest ally and make one melee attack against that ally.
DARK WAVES
1st-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take after you take the Dash action Range: Self Components: S, R Duration: Instantaneous You rush forward, summoning a black tide that carries creatures along in your wake. Choose one friendly Large or smaller creature that was within 10 feet of you at any point during your dash. The creature appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within 10 feet of you. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 1st.
DEADWEIGHT
4th-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: S, R Duration: Instantaneous An ethereal gust of wind slams into a creature that you can see within range. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d8 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target falls unconscious as a result of this damage, choose a hostile creature within 10 feet of the target. That creature can’t take reactions or use bonus actions until the end of your next turn. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.
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DEATH KNELL
5th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: S, R Duration: Instantaneous A storm of necromantic energy surges in a 20-foot-radius, 20-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range. Each creature in the cylinder must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 5d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases by 1d6 for each creature in the cylinder that fails its saving throw. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the radius of the cylinder increases by 5 feet for each slot level above 5th.
DEATH STRIKE
5th-level necromancy (blood magic) Casting Time:1 bonus action Range:Self Components:S Duration:Concentration, up to 1 minute The next time you hit a creature with an attack made with a sacral weapon before this spell ends, the damaged creature’s blood turns into a tendril that lashes out at another creature of your choice that you can see within 20 feet of the damaged creature. The second creature must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking slashing damage equal to the damaged creature’s Strength score on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
DEATH WARD
3rd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You use your connection to deathly energies to strengthen a friendly creature you can see within range. The target gains a +2 bonus to AC, and if the target is a steamjack, the damage of the first attack that hits it is halved. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 3rd.
DECREPITUDE
2nd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Choose a creature that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity checks for the duration. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
DISTILLATION
3rd-level necromancy (blood magic) Casting Time:1 bonus action Range:Self Components:S Duration:Concentration, up to 1 minute The next time you hit a creature with an attack made with a sacral weapon before this spell ends, the damaged creature must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 2d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In addition, a creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you regains hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.
DOOM SPIRAL
2nd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 40 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous A javelin of putrid energy spirals into a creature that you can see within range. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target is a steamjack, its bonded warcaster takes psychic damage equal to half the amount of necrotic damage dealt. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 2nd.
EXCARNATE
8th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 80 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous Ghastly energy darts forth from your fingertips into a creature that you can see within range. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it is instantly destroyed, and you can immediately cast create undead on the destroyed creature as a bonus action.
FEAST OF WORMS
3rd-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes You call forth a writhing mass of grave worms that burrow out of the flesh of all creatures within a 20-foot-radius circle centered on a point you can see within range. The worms spill out of the creatures and onto the ground, filling the affected area and feasting on the flesh of all creatures, living or dead, within it. Each creature in the area when the spell is cast takes 1 necrotic damage as the worms burrow out of its flesh, and a creature that enters the area for the first time on
a turn or starts its turn there must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 necrotic damage. For the duration, a creature that drops to 0 hit points in the affected area has disadvantage on death saving throws. You can collect the souls of any living creatures that die in the affected area, and you have priority even if other creatures that can collect souls are closer than you.
GHOST WALK
3rd-level abjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: 1 round A shimmering field appears and surrounds a willing creature of your choice within range, making it appear ghostly. For the duration, the creature ignores movement penalties imposed by nonmagical difficult terrain and doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you can target one additional willing creature for each slot level above 3rd.
GRAVE WIND
2nd-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You choose a willing creature you can see within range and surround it with a whipping wind that stinks of the grave. Until the spell ends, the target gains a +2 bonus to AC, and when another creature misses the target with a melee attack, the attacker must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet away from the target.
GUIDED FIRE
1st-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 40 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: 1 hour You enchant the weapon of a willing creature within range. The creature has advantage on the next ranged weapon attack it makes with the enchanted weapon. If the weapon is not already magical, it becomes magical for the duration.
HEART BURST
3rd-level necromancy (blood magic) Casting Time:1 bonus action Range:Self Components:S Duration:Concentration, up to 1 minute The next time you hit a creature with an attack made with a sacral weapon before this spell ends, the damaged creature takes 2d8 necrotic damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage on death saving throws for a number of minutes equal to your Charisma modifier.
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HELLBOUND
2nd-level abjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S, R Duration: 1 round You surround yourself with spectral terrain that protects you and hinders your enemies. For the duration, all terrain within 25 feet of you is considered difficult terrain, and you ignore any movement penalties imposed solely by that terrain.
HELLFIRE
3rd-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 50 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous A burst of green flame jets from your hand and strikes a creature that you can see within range. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 4d8 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target creature is knocked unconscious, it is considered to have already failed two death saving throws.
HELLMOUTH
4th-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous A hole of pure blackness opens at a point you choose within range and unleashes the forces of the endless Void upon any nearby creatures. Each creature in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 6d8 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
HEMORRHAGE
3rd-level necromancy (blood magic) Casting Time:1 bonus action Range:Self Components:S Duration:Concentration, up to 1 minute The next time you hit a creature with an attack made with a sacral weapon before this spell ends, the damaged creature takes 2d8 necrotic damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or have vulnerability to piercing and slashing damage for a number of minutes equal to your Charisma modifier.
HEX BLAST
3rd-level abjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous You hurl a destructive curse that erupts in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point you can see within range. Each creature in the area must make an Intelligence saving throw,
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taking 3d8 psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Additionally, any spellcaster that is concentrating on a spell affecting a creature in the area must make a successful Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or lose concentration.
HOBBLER
2nd-level necromancy (blood magic) Casting Time:1 bonus action Range:Self Components:S Duration:1 round The next time you hit a creature with an attack made with a sacral weapon before this spell ends, until the end of your next turn, the damaged creature has disadvantage on Dexterity checks, Dexterity saving throws, and attack rolls that use Dexterity, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet.
ICY GRIP
3rd-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You extend your hand toward a creature you can see within range and clench your fist, causing a deathly cold to bite into the creature’s body. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 4d10 necrotic damage, and for the duration, it has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws and can’t take the Dash or Disengage action.
INFERNAL MACHINE
2nd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes Runes surround a friendly steamjack you can see within range, amplifying its homicidal tendencies. For the duration, the target steamjack’s speed is increased by 10 feet, and it gains a +2 bonus to melee attack rolls against creatures other than constructs.
MALEDICTION
3rd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You surround your body with baleful runes that make your attacks strike true. For the duration, hostile creatures within 15 feet of you take a −2 penalty to AC.
MARK OF DECAY
5th-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 20 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Corrupting decay falls upon a creature that you can see within range. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, attacks against the target ignore resistance and immunity to necrotic damage, the target has vulnerability to necrotic damage, and each time the target takes necrotic damage, you gain hit points equal to half the amount of necrotic damage dealt. These effects last for the duration. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
MIRAGE
3rd-level illusion Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Choose a number of willing creatures that you can see within range, up to your proficiency bonus. Shimmering energy surrounds the forms of you and the chosen creatures as you are momentarily displaced from your current location. For the duration, each creature affected by this spell can move up to 10 feet at the start of its turn without provoking opportunity attacks.
MORTALITY
3rd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You encase a creature in pure entropy, weakening it and
drawing it slowly into oblivion. Choose a creature you can see within range. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes a −3 penalty to AC and can’t be healed by any means until the spell ends.
OCCULTATION
3rd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 40 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Shadows coalesce around you and your allies, making attacks against you more likely to miss. Choose a number of willing creatures that you can see within range, up to your proficiency bonus. For the duration, affected creatures have half cover against enemy attacks and have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
OVERRUN
2nd-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (40-foot-radius sphere) Components: S, R Duration: 1 minute You manipulate the cortexes of allied steamjacks, pushing them to fight harder and move faster. For the duration, when a friendly steamjack within range reduces a creature to 0 hit points, that steamjack or an allied steamjack within 15 feet of it can immediately use its reaction to move up to its speed. CHAPTER 3: MAGIC OF THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE
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PARASITE
2nd-level abjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You lash out with a parasitic bolt of energy at one creature you can see within range. The target creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes a −2 penalty to AC and you gain a +2 bonus to AC for the duration of the spell.
RAVAGER
2nd-level enchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: 1 minute You weave a pattern of runes around the cortex of a friendly steamjack that you can see within range, bringing out its vicious aspects. For the duration, when the target reduces a creature to 0 hit points, it becomes enraged. While enraged, the steamjack can’t take any action other than moving up to its speed toward the nearest creature (hostile or not) and making a melee attack against it. The steamjack focuses its attacks on that creature until that creature is incapacitated. The steamjack remains enraged until it ends its turn with no creatures it is aware of within reach of its melee weapons.
READ THE DEAD
1st-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: S, R Duration: 1 round You touch a dead creature and pull forth one of its final memories. The corpse must still have a head or skull and can’t be undead. The spell fails if the corpse was the target of this spell within the last 10 days. For the duration, you experience the last minute of the creature’s life. You feel the full range of its senses in that time, up to the moment of its death.
RITUAL SACRIFICE 4th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action
The Quiet Dead
Some creatures possess innate magical defenses against the forensic necromancy of Cryx. Some Greylords, for example, are known to surgically implant silver runes into their skulls as defense against thought manipulation, and such measures are equally effective against this spell. At the GM’s discretion, the memories of a creature with such defenses can be read only if the spellcaster succeeds on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC of 10 + the creature’s proficiency bonus when it was alive.
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Range: Touch Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous You touch a creature that has 0 hit points, siphoning its remaining life force and converting it into focus. The target must make a death saving throw with disadvantage. On a failed save, the target is immediately destroyed, and you gain 1d8 focus points.
SACRIFICIAL LAMB
1st-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 20 feet Components: S, R Duration: Instantaneous You siphon strength from a willing creature that you can see within range and use it to fuel one of your steamjacks. The target takes 1d4 necrotic damage, and a steamjack under your control and in your control range gains 1 focus point. A steamjack can only gain 1 focus point from this spell. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional steamjack to gain focus for each slot level above 1st.
SCYTHING TOUCH
2nd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Dark energy coalesces around a creature of your choice within range, making its strikes deadlier. Each hostile creature within 10 feet of the target has a −2 penalty to AC.
SHADOW STEP
3rd-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: V, R Duration: Instantaneous Briefly surrounded by an eruption of clawing shadows, you teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see. Additionally, each hostile creature within 10 feet of you when you cast this spell must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be restrained until the start of your next turn.
SHADOWMANCER
5th-level enchantment Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Unnatural shadows merge with your steamjacks, occluding the vision of their enemies while increasing the potency of their own attacks. For the duration, each steamjack under your control and in your control range gains half cover against ranged attacks, and each hostile creature within 10 feet of an affected steamjack has a −2 penalty to AC.
SOUL GATE
5th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous You touch a creature that has 0 hit points, shredding its soul and allowing one of your steamjacks to take its place. The creature is immediately destroyed, and a steamjack you control within 60 feet of you immediately appears in the space the destroyed creature occupied.
SPECTRAL LEECH
2nd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 50 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous Putrid energy encapsulates a hostile steamjack or warbeast you can see within range, sapping it of its limited resources. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have 1 focus point or 1 fury point removed from it. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can remove 1 additional focus point or fury point for each slot level above 2nd.
SPECTRAL STEEL
4th-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Opaque metallic runes imprint themselves on a friendly steamjack you can see within range. The steamjack shimmers as if incorporeal yet seems more solid at the same time. For the duration, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain doesn’t cost the steamjack extra movement, and the steamjack gains a +2 bonus to AC.
TERMINAL VELOCITY
2nd-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You mentally reach out to the cortex of a steamjack under your control and in your control range, helping it use its pistons and gears more efficiently. For the duration, the target’s speed increases by 10 feet, and it has advantage on melee attack rolls.
VEIL OF MISTS
3rd-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 50 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes A heavy mist fills a 30-foot-radius sphere centered on a point
you choose within range. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is lightly obscured. It lasts for the duration or until a magical wind (such as that produced by the gust of wind spell) of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. Friendly creatures (including you) can see through the mist normally, and moving through nonmagical difficult terrain within the sphere doesn’t cost them extra movement.
VENOM
2nd-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Instantaneous You raise your hand and shoot a spray of caustic liquid at your enemies. Each creature in a 60-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature killed by this spell begins melting as the corrosive fluid eats away at the creature’s body.
VOID GATE
4th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 5 minutes An area of absolute darkness envelops a point you choose within range, cutting off the creatures within from any access to magic. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on that point can’t cast spells or animi and can’t channel spells.
WALL OF CORPSES
6th-level evocation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You summon a wall of writhing corpses from a solid surface within range. The wall lasts for the duration. You can make a straight wall up to 100 feet long, 20 feet high, and 5 feet thick, or a ringed wall up to 60 feet in diameter, 20 feet high, and 5 feet thick. The wall provides three-quarters cover to creatures behind it, and its space is difficult terrain. When a creature enters the wall’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 6d10 bludgeoning damage and is restrained by the corpses. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t restrained. A creature restrained by the corpses can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. The wall is an object that can be damaged and thus breached. It has AC15 and 25 hit points per 5-foot section and is immune to poison and psychic damage. Reducing a 5-foot section of wall to 0 hit points destroys it.
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WEAKNESS
2nd-level necromancy (blood magic) Casting Time:1 bonus action Range:Self Components:S Duration:1 round The next time you hit a creature with an attack made with a sacral weapon before this spell ends, the damaged creature has disadvantage on Strength checks, Strength saving throws, and attack rolls that use Strength until the end of your next turn. For the duration, the creature rolls one additional weapon damage die when it hits with a melee weapon attack but must discard the highest roll.
WHIPPING WINDS
1st-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S, R Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes A maelstrom of wind circles you in a 10-foot-radius, 10-foothigh cylinder. Until the spell ends, the cylinder moves with you, centered on you. For the duration, hostile creatures have disadvantage on ranged attack rolls against you and other friendly creatures in the cylinder, and any hostile creature attempting to enter the area must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be stopped just outside the cylinder.
UNLIFE IN THE NIGHTMARE EMPIRE: IRON LICH CHARACTERS 609AR, when we finally stuck It was during the major scrum in first close encounter with an it to the Cryxians, that I had my a distance in other battles, iron lich. Sure, I had seen them from er inspection. Our lines had but this was, shall we say... a clos kind of thrall possible. As my been overrun by hordes of every ses of bodies, into the trenches team and I waded through the mas —a heavy iron frame bathed in came a large mechanikal monster er belching out dark and putrid green flames, with a wicked boil ed its way through my troops smoke. This monstrosity’s blade carv coming down on me fast, and like a knife through butter. It was ed me and taken my soul had I have no doubt it would have kill nch Busters not barreled into it Captain Finn and a couple of Tre wall. It killed one of the Trench and pinned it against the trench our blades into it repeatedly. Busters before Finn and I buried t one of those creatures again. Needless to say, I hope to never figh
—Commander Anson Hitch of the 95th Gravediggers
The people of western Immoren have seen the ravages of wars and the depravations of Toruk firsthand. Traces of the Dragonfather’s power and reach mark many battlefields across the Iron Kingdoms, littered as they are with the shattered hulls of destroyed bonejacks and helljacks and the broken bodies of undead thralls. Anyone with military experience knows that Cryxians are an all-too-real threat that can’t be underestimated or understood. For the inhabitants of the Scharde Islands, however, Toruk isn’t necessarily seen as a threat. In fact, most denizens of the Nightmare Empire see the Dragonfather as a divine being— or, at the very least, an extremely powerful presence. Toruk isn’t one to ask for anything, much less help, but he is known to reward his vassals for their cunning, their skills, and their ability to acquire power that he can use either directly or
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through intermediaries. His most widely known and most powerful lieutenants are the twelve lich lords, who help run the day-to-day operations of Toruk’s empire and military forces. Although the lich lords use all kinds of underlings, the fiercest and most powerful are given the gift of becoming an iron lich. An iron lich is a fusion of mechanika and necromancy whose fleshly body has been replaced with a necromechanikal one that sustains its existence. This iron-wrought body is attached to a necrotite furnace that powers the unique system of pumps, hoses, gears, and pistons that not only prevent the iron lich from dying, but also give it unnatural mobility and strength. The only remnant of an iron lich’s former life is its skull, which floats in the air under its iron hood. The original iron liches were given this unique gift by the Father of All Dragons, and the first lich lords were iron liches. Since the birth of the Nightmare Empire, many powerful beings have attempted to live forever by becoming an iron lich. Most have been arcanists of one stripe or another, but Toruk and his underlings have also bestowed this gift to several beings without a hint of arcane potential in them. Many a fighter or warrior of prodigious skill and a tactical yet ruthless mind has climbed the Cryxian hierarchy and become an iron lich. Most of the higher-ranking members of Toruk’s empire have shed their mortal coil for a metal frame and immortality. Those who wish to ascend to lichdom either haven’t yet proven themselves or are still being groomed and trained so that they are as powerful as possible before they transition to this undead state. Although there have always been twelve lich lords, the exact number of iron liches is not known to the forces of the Iron Kingdoms. What is certain is that an encounter with one iron lich—or, gods forbid, multiple iron liches—is not to be taken lightly. The standard military practice is to apply an overwhelming amount of force and firepower, pray to whatever deity you worship that it died, and save a round of ammunition for yourself in case that didn’t work.
A Word of Warning
Playing as an iron lich may sound fun and appealing, but there is much to consider before making this decision. By their very nature, iron liches are evil beings who are indifferent toward the feelings and plans of others. Greed, ambition, and power all play key roles in their motivation. These factors can cause issues between characters, or even between players. The optional rules below are designed to allow GMs and players to explore what it means to be part of the Nightmare Empire or to risk involvement with agents of the Dragonfather in order to obtain immortality. A player who aims to become an iron lich shouldn’t take this opportunity to be rude to everyone and become a general nuisance to the group. Game Masters should have discussions with their players before allowing iron liches as playable characters. The Game Master has final say, and if a character’s transformation into an iron lich is deemed to be too much for the story the GM is trying to tell, the players should respect the decision and work with the GM to come up with other options for unique roleplaying opportunities.
WHAT MAKES AN IRON LICH? Iron liches are typically Cryxian in design and origin, but there isn’t any reason your campaign couldn’t include an iron lich created outside of Cryx. Perhaps a mad arcane mechanik figured out how to reverse engineer the process, or perhaps Cryxian agents smuggled that knowledge out of the Nightmare Empire and are now working with suitably ambitious people to bring their mysterious plans to fruition. The process by which the worshippers of Cyriss transfer their souls to clockwork bodies is not too different from that used to create an iron lich—in fact, it’s even based on some of the same principles. GMs and players should both keep this in mind when considering whether to introduce an iron lich into a campaign, especially if a player wants to play as one.
BECOMING AN IRON LICH The following rules provide options for becoming an iron lich. In order to become an iron lich, a player must be either a willing agent of Cryx who demonstrates impressive skills and an aptitude for subterfuge, or a rogue arcanist who has researched and somehow reverse engineered the process and who has the means to become an iron lich. Players should work with the GM to determine which path best suits their campaign or to identify alternatives that would work just as well.
IRON LICH FEATURES
There are no exact requirements for becoming an iron lich. Each iron lich in the Nightmare Empire is chosen for a specific reason or skill set. If the character is not aligned with the Cryxians and is working toward becoming an iron lich independently, the player should work with the GM to see what prerequisites may be required. The following characteristics replace the racial features of a character who becomes an iron lich. Don’t adjust the character’s ability scores, class levels, or class features.
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Iron Lich Phylactery. Iron liches store their spirit essence in a phylactery—a physical receptacle that houses the soul. So long as an iron lich’s phylactery remains intact, the creature can’t truly be destroyed. Destruction of its physical form is merely a setback, as the disembodied lich can command its servants to construct it a new one. Because a phylactery is an iron lich’s only true vulnerability, iron liches take great pains to conceal and protect these devices, whether by creating decoys to throw rivals off the trail, constructing elaborately trapped vaults around them, or surrounding them with vast throngs of unshakably loyal thralls who serve as constant guardians. Most iron liches are paranoid enough to keep the location of their phylactery secret or to share it with only their most trusted retainers. More than a few iron liches across the centuries discovered that this trust was misplaced when a retainer with knowledge of a phylactery’s location betrayed and destroyed them. Necromechanikal Body. An iron lich’s body is a feat of necromechanikal engineering limited only by the creature’s twisted mind. An iron lich can shape its body to suit its needs and doesn’t need to mirror its previous mortal shell. In fact, most iron liches upgrade their bodies multiple times throughout their existence. As new necromechanikal innovations are discovered, iron liches are quick to adapt the ones that will benefit them the most. The only true constraints on an iron lich’s body are resources and time, both of which become less of an issue the longer an iron lich exists. The newly elevated lich lord Mortenebra is one of the most prominent examples of those who constantly push the boundaries of their body’s design. Originally a human from the mainland, Mortenebra designed a humanoid body for her first necromechanikal frame. Over time, she added multiple appendages, numerous legs, and powerful pincers. Her current form owes more to the biology of insects than humanoids but facilitates her work as she scuttles around Skell and her numerous workshops across the Iron Kingdoms on behalf of the Dragonfather. A standard body for an iron lich requires 5,000gp in materials and can be assembled in 1d10 days. When an iron lich’s necromechanikal body takes damage, follow the rules for critical damage to steam armor in chapter 4 of Iron Kingdoms: Requiem. Necrotite Reliance. Necrotite fuels the furnace that operates an iron lich’s necromechanikal body. An iron lich requires that its firebox be refueled with approximately 5 pounds of necrotite every 12 hours. If the furnace runs out of necrotite, the lich’s body becomes inert. Gift of Toruk. Iron liches are innately connected to the arcane in many ways, but one does not need to be a wielder of magic to become an iron lich. It is theorized that when a person’s soul is separated from its original mortal body and transferred into a phylactery, the fell magic that traps the soul transforms it, thereby allowing it to access arcane energies. Even though it is a crude simulacrum of what natural arcanists can do, the impact is undeniable and frightening, since the Nightmare Empire can seemingly create arcanists as needed. It is rumored that Cryx can even use this ability to
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create its own warcasters without needing to find them and train them like the other nations of Immoren do. A character who doesn’t have the Spellcasting feature and becomes an iron lich immediately gains the Spellcasting feature just like a 1st-level wizard, following the rules for multiclassing.
SUGGESTED LEVEL
Although anyone can potentially become an iron lich, consideration should be given to the skills and experience one should obtain before starting this process. For denizens of the Nightmare Empire, all of Toruk’s leaders and necrotechs are instructed to make sure any vassal under consideration for the gift of immortality has gathered enough knowledge, skill, and power to be an ongoing asset for the empire. Any character who aspires to be an iron lich not in service to Cryx is gaining those experiences just by pursuing the path to immortality. With this reasoning in mind, it’s recommended that a character be at least 8th level before becoming an iron lich.
UPGRADED IN IRON
When you become an iron lich, you keep your current skill proficiencies and saving throws. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill and one other skill of your choice. Unless a customized body has been built for you, your size becomes Medium, and your base speed is 30 feet.
NECROMECHANIKAL LIFE
Iron liches are undead, and you count as undead for spells and features that refer to the undead type. You do not require food, drink, or sleep, but your necromechanikal body and furnace require necrotite and air to function.
FORM AND FUNCTION
Once transferred to your new iron lich body, you gain the following features.
PROFICIENCIES
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom Damage Resistances: Cold, lightning, necrotic Damage Immunities: Poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Condition Immunities: Charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned Senses: Darkvision 120 ft.
ADDITIONAL RULES
The following rules apply to you. Firebox Vulnerability. You require necrotite to function. You require refueling (roughly 5 pounds of necrotite) after every 12 hours of normal activity or every 6 hours of strenuous activity. If not refueled, you suffer one level of exhaustion each hour, bypassing your normal immunity to exhaustion. You can’t be killed as a result of exhaustion but become stunned at level6 until your firebox is refilled and lit. The firebox fails when completely submerged in water or
any other liquid. You are stunned when your firebox is unlit. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If you fail a saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. Reconstruction. If you have a phylactery and are destroyed, you can have a new body built. Building a new body requires 5,000gp in materials and 1d10 days. After gaining a new body, you regain all hit points and become active again. Turn Resistance. You have advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
IRON LICH EQUIPMENT AND BODY MODIFICATIONS
Across the span of a potentially immortal life, you gain many resources and learn new skills. Due to the wear and tear of combat and the advances of necromechanikal technology, your body requires periodic updates and improvements. Fortunately for you, you have many options for making such upgrades, including embedded weaponry, enchantments, and body modifications. The Body Modification table shows the cost of the common types of modifications used by iron liches. These modifications are described below.
ADDITIONAL LIMBS
Your body has been modified with two additional arms. Although not as strong as your primary set, these limbs can still help you engage in combat and perform manual tasks. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you have advantage on the attack roll for your second attack. Additionally, you can wield a shield with one of these limbs if you aren’t already wielding one.
BLIGHT VENTS
As an action, you can release a 15-foot sphere of burning exhaust centered on yourself. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 2d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
BLIGHTED BARBS
Your arms and shoulders have been upgraded with sharp barbs that have been bathed in blighted energies. After you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make
Body Modification
Modification Cost Additional limbs 425gp Blight vents 300gp Blighted barbs 550gp Extended firebox 350gp Reinforced pistons 400gp Scuttling limbs 500gp Tkra runes 600gp
an unarmed strike as a bonus action. On a hit, you deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + your Strength modifier, plus an extra 2d6 necrotic damage.
EXTENDED FIREBOX
The firebox in your body has been enlarged so that you can go longer without refueling. You can go 18 hours of normal activity or 9 hours of strenuous activity before needing to refuel with necrotite, but you require 8 pounds of necrotite when refueling. Additionally, if your speed is higher than 25 feet, it becomes 25 feet.
REINFORCED PISTONS
The pistons that make up your body have been reinforced with necromantic runes, making your body stronger than it appears. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks you make to grapple creatures and advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks you make to escape a grapple.
SCUTTLING LIMBS
Your legs have been replaced with four or more spiderlike limbs that provide additional stability and allow you to move across uneven terrain, albeit at the expense of speed. If your speed is higher than 25 feet, it becomes 25 feet. In addition, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain doesn’t cost you extra movement.
TKRA RUNES
Sections of your body have been scrimshawed with runes of Tkra, the language of dragons. These potent runes convey additional protection from attacks, but they must be reapplied periodically. You can use your action to activate the runes. You gain resistance to your choice of psychic or radiant damage for 2 rounds. You can use this modification twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.
IRON LICHES OF THE WORLD In the Iron Kingdoms, only humans have become iron liches, but there’s no reason a Rhulic dwarf or an ogrun couldn’t develop similar technology and become the equivalent of an iron lich. Iosans and Nyss are more closely involved with the ongoing eldritch situation resulting from the Sundering, so becoming an iron lich may not be fitting for them. As always, the GM and the players should work together to determine what options are available. There’s no reason not to allow any race to become an iron lich or its equivalent. If you want to play as an iron lich, ask yourself what drove your character to go down this path. Are there any technological differences that need to be accounted for when making your character an iron lich?
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GEAR & NECROTECH
CHAPTER 4: GEAR & NECROTECH
T
he equipment the Nightmare Empire uses is a ragged tapestry of plundered goods that the Schardefolk have repurposed to suit their preferences, items forged by mad necrotechs in their smog-filled workshops, and objects of arcane power—to say nothing of the sea salvage dredged up by enterprising undead scavengers who walk the ocean floor, claiming anything the Meredius has not yet reduced to rot. This odd assortment of plunder and local manufacture is further enhanced by the Schardefolk’s habit of adding jagged blades, hooks, and spikes to almost anything they own. Even mundane items are not immune to such treatment: a citizen of the Nightmare Empire might file the handle of a mirror into a crude but effective stabbing implement or hang hooks on a coin purse to discourage would-be pickpockets. As with most things in the Nightmare Empire, gear is stolen (and restolen) countless times. Spoils claimed by the Pirate Fleet in a raid on Port Vladovar one month end up in the hands of a crew plying the seas off Cygnar the next, and items of sentimental value and practical value alike are lost in wagers, scavenged from the bodies of the fallen, or traded away for mercy in a constant cycle. Those who frequent the shops and armories of the Nightmare Empire can find countless goods from across the Iron Kingdoms and beyond for sale, sitting alongside darker Cryxian instruments such as soul cages and mechanika tainted with the stain of necromancy.
NECROTITE The lich lords had long experimented with manipulating the energy of souls to replace or supplement coal as fuel, but this resource was too limited to be practical for widespread use. The discovery of necrotite therefore proved to be an important breakthrough for Cryx. The Nightmare Empire’s mechaniks soon learned that necrotite could not only fuel mechanikal apparatuses but also sustain intense heat far longer than regular coal. Although prolonged exposure to the substance was toxic to the living, undead Cryxians did not suffer such effects. In time, they learned how to refine and concentrate necrotite and developed methods for extracting
it even from fresh battlefields, giving them a source for the powerful fuel as unending as suffering itself. Necrotite Fuel. Necrotite can be burned in place of coal and is vastly more efficient, but only specially created soul furnaces can withstand the energy of burning necrotite without taking damage. A pound of necrotite counts as 2 pounds of normal coal when determining fuel loads, but a steam engine that burns necrotite without a soul furnace takes 2d10 fire damage for every 10 minutes of operation. Necrotite Sickness. The necrotic energy of necrotite makes it dangerous to living creatures, especially those who inhale the noxious fumes it produces when burned. Any creature that starts a turn within 10 feet of burning necrotite, including any necrotite being burned in a furnace, must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 1d10 poison damage. Undead, constructs, creatures that don’t need to breathe, and creatures that have adequate protection against inhaling toxins are immune to this effect.
ARMOR & SHIELDS The armor worn across the Scharde Islands varies greatly compared to that found on the mainland. Although the islands are home to smiths who fabricate armor that soldiers can purchase at market, scavenged suits of mismatched armor are much more common, often taken as plunder from one of the mainland kingdoms and customized to suit the personal tastes of their new owners. For the most part, Schardefolk prefer lighter armor—or armor that can be put on quickly—in order to avoid being dragged down into the water should they go overboard. Exceptions to this general rule exist, however. For example, the blighted trollkin of the Slaughter Fleet prefer heavy plate armor that bristles with spikes, and the necromechanikal armor worn by elite dragon knights is neither lightweight nor simple to remove. The Armor table shows the cost, weight, and other properties of the most common types of armor worn by Schardefolk and naval crews alike. These armors are described below.
Armor
Name Armor Class (AC) Strength Stealth Weight Cost Light Armor Warwitch armor 12 — — 7 lb. 50gp + Dex modifier Medium Armor Gladiator armor 15 STR13 — 20 lb. 100gp + Dex modifier (max 2) Heavy Armor Bloodgorger armor 17 STR15 Disadvantage 60 lb. 200gp Diving armor 16 STR15 Disadvantage 90 lb. 350gp
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Swimming in Armor
Swimming in armor is not easy, and the heavier the armor, the more difficult the task. A character in heavy armor has disadvantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to swim in rough water.
armor these fighters favor facilitates both mobility and defense but requires above-average strength to wear. Warwitch Armor. Lightweight and sleek, the armor worn by warwitches and those who fight like them incorporates minimalistic metal plates and flexible leather. Witch barbs on the armor’s back increase the overall protection it provides. These protrusions seem to move as if possessed of their own minds, intercepting enemy blades and slashing at those who attack the wearer. A creature that touches a character in warwitch armor or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 1d4 slashing damage.
WEAPONS Most weapons favored by denizens of the Nightmare Empire are cruel instruments that cause painful and sometimes lingering injuries. In addition to an assortment of boarding axes, cutlasses, and oversized hooks, the Schardefolk have developed some of their own unusual instruments of death. The Weapons table shows weapons commonly used across the Scharde Islands, their price and weight, the damage they deal when they hit, and any special properties they possess.
WEAPON PROPERTIES
Many weapons have special properties related to their use, as shown in the Weapons table. Fell Weapon. A fell weapon can act as an arcane focus.
SPECIAL WEAPONS
Bloodgorger Armor. The barbed plate armor favored by trollkin bloodgorgers mimics the blighted growths of bone and horn that cover their bodies. Sharp edges and wicked blades on the armor act as secondary weapons that the wearer can use to slowly impale a grappled opponent. Any creature that grapples a character in bloodgorger armor or that is grappled by a character in bloodgorger armor takes 1d6 slashing damage at the start of its turn. Diving Armor. This item, which consists of a heavy suit of waterproof canvas with an enclosed brass or copper helmet and reinforced metal plates, allows the wearer to travel underwater while offering some protection. Lead weights on the suit’s belt and boots counteract the wearer’s natural buoyancy and keep the wearer upright while submerged underwater. A character wearing diving armor can remain underwater indefinitely if provided with a supply of fresh air through an air hose, typically fed by a bellows operating on the surface. Gladiator Armor. Brutal gladiatorial fighting is common across the Scharde Islands, notably in the fighting pits of Blackwater and among the violent blighted trollkin. The
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Weapons with special rules are described here, as are weapons that require further description or explanation. Bile Cannon. This weapon is most commonly seen attached to putrid bile thralls, whose festering guts act as a seemingly infinite magazine for the device. Some bold (and disgusting) folks have taken it on themselves to wield such weapons, with a pressurized tank of foul secretions replacing the stomach of a bile thrall. Boarding Axe.Favored by the boarding crews of pirate vessels, this weapon has a longer haft and heavier head than a common hand axe. Ideal for chopping through rigging lines or the necks of stubborn sailors, its bearded blade terminates in a point that allows the user to climb the outside of a wooden hulled ship or any other wooden structure. When using a boarding axe, you double your proficiency bonus on Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb a wooden structure. Deck Sweeper. This short smoothbore pistol is designed to fire a cloud of shot, shrapnel, or burning compounds at a close distance. Fell Spear. This simple weapon is worked with necromantic runes that allow it to act as a conduit for profane magic.
Weapons
Name Cost Damage Weight Properties Simple Melee Weapons Belaying pin 1sp 1d6 bludgeoning ½ lb. Light Cutlass 5gp 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Finesse Fell spear 155gp 1d6 piercing 3 lb. Fell weapon, thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8) Fell staff 150gp 1d8 bludgeoning 5 lb. Fell weapon, versatile (1d10) Harpoon 5sp 1d6 piercing 1 lb. Thrown (range 30/120) Piercer 250gp 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Special, thrown (range 30/120), versatile (1d8) Prosthetic weapon 2gp 1d4 special 1 lb. Light, special Vice claw 10gp 1d8 slashing 4 lb. Special Simple Pistols Deck sweeper 25gp 1d12 piercing 5 lb. Firearm (range 20/60), heavy, magazine (1), misfire (2) Volley pistol 15gp 1d8 piercing 2 lb. Firearm (range 20/60), magazine (3), misfire (3), special Simple Rifles Bile cannon 75gp 2d8 acid 12 lb. Firearm (range 20/40), magazine (10), misfire (3) Martial Melee Weapons Boarding axe 5gp 1d8 slashing 3 lb. Special, thrown (range 20/60) Fire brazier 10gp 1d10 bludgeoning 5 lb. Reach, special Lacerator 250gp 1d6 slashing 3 lb. Finesse, reach, special Scrap saw 35gp 1d12 slashing 12 lb. Heavy, special, two-handed Martial Rifles Net cannon 55gp — 8 lb. AOE (5), firearm (range 10/30), heavy, special, two-handed Smog belcher 125gp 2d8 poison 10 lb. AOE (5), firearm (range 60/180), heavy, magazine (1), misfire (2), special, two-handed Grenades Necrotite bomb 35gp 4d10 necrotic 2 lb. AOE (5), grenade (range 20/60), special
Fell Staff. Favored by necromancers and iron liches alike, these brutal, heavy iron weapons double as symbols of authority outside of combat. Fire Brazier. A fire brazier can be used as a simple but effective bludgeoning weapon. As a bonus action, you can light the fire brazier. While the weapon is lit, it deals fire damage instead of bludgeoning damage. Once lit, a fire brazier burns for 10 minutes on a flask (1 pint) of oil. Lacerator. This wicked, bladed whip is favored by Satyxis raiders, and the secrets of its creation are known only to Satyxis blood witches. When you damage a bonded steamjack with this weapon, the steamjack’s controlling warcaster takes 1d4 psychic damage. Necrotite Bomb. This explosive device combines binary blasting powder with refined necrotite, the addition of which vastly increases the force of the detonation and taints the blast with corrupting byproducts. When you score a critical hit with a necrotite bomb, the creature directly hit by the attack suffers one level of exhaustion in addition to taking damage from the bomb. Net Cannon. This large hand-held cannon launches a weighted net that spreads out when fired. It is often used during ship-to-ship fighting, when opponents are tightly
clustered together. A hit deals no damage, but a Large or smaller creature hit by the net or caught in its AOE is restrained until it is freed. A net has no effect on creatures that are formless, or creatures that are Huge or larger. A creature can use its action to make a DC10 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the net (AC 10) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the net. If the net was not cut, it can be reloaded and fired again. Reloading the net takes 1 minute, most of which is spent carefully folding the net so that it deploys correctly. A net cannon can’t be reloaded during combat. Piercer. A martial evolution of the Satyxis fishing spear, this trident-like weapon is often seen in the hands of renowned raiders and sea witches. When you damage a bonded steamjack with this weapon, the steamjack’s controlling warcaster takes 1d4 psychic damage. Prosthetic Weapon. An assortment of hooks, cast-iron maces, blades, and skewers have replaced the hands and arms of many of the pirates who populate the Scharde Islands. Most of these prosthetic weapons are simple replacements for a body part lost during a fight or to an accident, but some of
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the more bloodthirsty black ogrun and blighted trollkin have been known to voluntarily hack off a hand in order to replace it with a bit of jagged steel. When you acquire this weapon, choose one of the following damage types: bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. You can use this weapon to make an unarmed strike that deals 1d4 damage of the chosen type. Scrap Saw. This spinning circular saw is designed to carve into a steamjack’s armored hull. A scrap saw ignores a steamjack’s resistance to slashing damage and can function for 10 minutes on either 1 pound of necrotite and water or 2 pounds of coal and water. Smog Belcher. Forged by black ogrun weaponsmiths, smog belchers are heavy, culverin-style cannons. The true power of these weapons lies not in the projectiles they fire, but rather in the corrupting clouds of ash those projectiles produce on impact—a choking haze of toxic fumes that rot flesh and destroy the lungs.
Vice Claw. The end of this vicious polearm is topped with a bladed vice capable of clamping down on a target. If you hit a Medium or smaller creature with this weapon, you can subject the target to the grappled condition instead of dealing damage. Until this grapple ends, the target takes 1d4 slashing damage at the start of each of its turns. Volley Pistol. A volley pistol features three barrels arranged in a fan-shaped configuration. Because it is capable of threatening a large number of people at the same time, it is favored by officers aboard ships with potentially mutinous crews. You can fire the pistol’s central barrel only, in which case it functions normally, or all three barrels at once to release a close-ranged blast of bullets. If you fire the full magazine, the weapon deals damage in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the cone must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DCequal to 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus if you are proficient with simple pistols. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d8 piercing damage, as normal.
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ADVENTURING GEAR This section describes items that have special rules or require further explanation. Diving Bell.A diving bell is an open-bottomed metal vessel used to transport individuals beneath the water. Diving bells are typically attached to winches or steam engines. A diving bell is suspended by a cable and captures air within its volume as it is lowered into the water. A standard diving bell is a 10-foot-diameter, 10-foot-tall metal cylinder with an open bottom. It is AC 19, has 27 hit points, a damage threshold of 5, and is immune to poison and psychic damage. The bell contains enough breathable air for four Medium- or smaller-sized creatures for one hour. The amount of breathable air increases or decreases based on the number of creatures in the bell. For each creature fewer than 4, increase the amount of breathable air by 15 minutes. For each creature greater than 4, decrease it by 15 minutes. Grappling Hook. This device typically consists of a small iron or steel hook with three barbs attached to 25 feet of hemp rope. It is often used in naval engagements to hook a target vessel and pull it in close for a boarding action, but it can also help adventurers scale steep island cliffs and can even be used as an improvised weapon in a pinch. When using a grappling hook, you double your proficiency bonus on Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb. When used as an improvised weapon, a grappling hook deals 1d4 piercing damage. Life Ring. A floating device used to prevent drowning, a life ring is typically made of cork, an oiled canvas or leather bladder filled with air, or some other buoyant material. A life ring can keep one Medium or smaller creature afloat in water. Misery Cage. This device provides a cruel twist on the gibbets used on the mainland to punish pirates. A mundane gibbet holds a single living prisoner until the captive wastes away, but a misery cage wrings arcane power from the flesh and soul of the unfortunate victim locked within. Cryxians stuff the dead and dying into misery cages so that warcasters can draw upon their essences to fuel their profane magic, which renders the bodies within to crumbling ash, a terrifying but relatively merciful end. A living humanoid creature put in a misery cage is
Adventuring Gear
Item Cost Weight Ammunition Bile cannon tank (10 shots) 10gp 5 lb. Light necrotite rounds (5) 20gp 1 lb. Heavy necrotite rounds (5) 30gp 2 lb. Sailfish Rounds (5) +10 gp — Smog belcher shell (1) 15gp 2 lb. Diving Bell 100 gp 2,000 lb. Grappling hook 5 sp 3 lb. Life ring 5 sp 1 lb. Misery cage 325gp 75 lb. Necromancer's kit 50 gp 10 lb. Necrotite 20-pound bag 12gp 20 lb. 50-pound bag 20gp 50 lb. Delivery of 1,000 pounds 240gp 1,000 lb. Delivery of 2,000 pounds 400gp 2,000 lb. Respiration Harness 60 gp 10 lb. Soul cage 5,000gp 2 lb. restrained and has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the misery cage, and creatures outside the misery cage have total cover from it. At the end of the first hour and every hour thereafter, a creature in a misery cage must succeed on a DC15 Constitution saving throw or take 3d10 necrotic damage. If the creature takes damage from this effect, the misery cage gains 1 charge. A misery cage can hold up to 5 charges. If a creature dies while in a misery cage, its body and any nonmagical objects it carries disintegrate into a fine ash. A spellcaster can use a misery cage’s power to fuel spells. While within 30 feet of a misery cage, a spellcaster who casts a spell from the evocation or necromancy school of magic can expend 1 or more charges to cast the spell. Casting the spell in this way requires 1 charge for each level of the spell slot used to cast the spell. The spellcaster can’t expend any of the misery cage’s charges if the number of remaining charges is less than the spell slot levels required to cast the spell. A misery cage loses all remaining charges each day at dawn. Necromancer’s Kit. The creation of thralls requires highly specialized tools. In addition to various saws, knives, needles, and drills, a necromancer must have etching tools, special pigments, oils, heavy waxed cord, scales, organ extractors, and other implements. Such kits appear harmless in and of themselves, although the Order of Illumination might wonder why a cobbler needs a fine set of mortician’s saws and scales. An assembled necromancer’s kit is easily identified by anyone familiar with the art of necromancy. Proficiency with this kit is required to craft a thrall. A necromancer's kit can also be used as a healer's kit. Necrosurgeon’s Kit. Containing an assortment of knives, shears, awls, hooks, sinew, and useful pieces of various
corpses, this kit is used both to create stitch thralls and to repair damage inflicted on other forms of corporeal undead. Proficiency with a necrosurgeon’s kit allows you to add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks made to repair undead creatures. A necrosurgeon’s kit also functions as leatherworker’s tools. Necrotite Rounds. Necrotite-laced bullets are common in the Nightmare Empire, particularly among the corporeal undead. These bullets are cast with flecks of raw necrotite mixed into the lead. The presence of necrotite in a bullet does not directly amplify its stopping power, but the necrotite spreads corruption throughout the body of any target hit by the bullet. A weapon that fires necrotite bullets deals necrotic damage. Additionally, if a weapon scores a critical hit with a necrotite bullet, the target creature suffers one level of exhaustion. This feature has no effect on undead or constructs. Respiration Harness.A respiration harness is used to prolong the wearer’s ability to function while under water. Combining a small vessel of alchemical “true air” to supply breathable air to the wearer with scrubbers impregnated with a caustic ash solution, this device allows for extended underwater operation. A creature wearing a respiration harness can breathe normally while underwater or in a toxic atmosphere 10 times longer than normal before running out of air. The respiration harness prevents speech. Additional canisters of true air can be purchased for 10 gp each. Sailfish Rounds. Wax-coated rounds that have an alchemical powder intended to produce oxygen to feed the mixing of blasting powder, sailfish rounds are an unusual and uncommon cartridge used by those who expect to use their firearms underwater. The cost of sailfish rounds is added to the cost of standard light or heavy rounds. A creature who doesn’t have a swimming speed does not have disadvantage on the attack roll of a firearm used underwater that is loaded with sailfish rounds. Soul Cage. A horrific lantern-like tool ofnecromancers andinfernalistsalike, a soul cage allows mortal souls to be captured and stored for future use. These souls are often used to empower spells or fulfill infernal pacts, making the soul cage an iconic example of powerful necromantic magic. As a bonus action, you can open a soul cage to draw in disembodied souls within a 50-foot radius sphere. Each soul occupies an amount of “space” inside the soul cage equal to the number of Hit Dice the creature had when it was alive, and each soul cage can contain up to 100 Hit Dice of souls. The size of a creature’s Hit Die doesn’t count against this limit, only its total number of Hit Dice. As a bonus action, you can operate a special valve located on top of the cage and draw on the energy of the souls within. Each such use consumes at least 1 Hit Die from the soul cage. A soul cage can be used in the following ways: 1. Knowledge. You draw on the knowledge of a soul within the soul cage to gain advantage on an Intelligence-based skill check, just as if another character took the Help action to aid you. Using a soul cage in this way consumes 1 Hit Die. CHAPTER 4: GEAR & NECROTECH
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Trinkets
2d20 Trinket 2 A silver mirror plundered from the mainland that only shows the faces of its former owners at the moments in which their throats were slit 3 A glass bottle containing a small undead squid 4 A bosun’s whistle carved from a drowned man’s knucklebones 5 A piece of a treasure map tattooed on human skin 6 A flag from a ship that was lost on the Meredius 7 A necklace of blighted shark’s teeth 8 A lock of a Satyxis witch’s hair 9 A living hermit crab that uses a porcelain doll’s head for its shell 10 A deck of bloodstained playing cards with strange and unfamiliar suits 11 A set of whalebone dice with tiny scenes scrimshawed on each face 12 Boots taken from the corpse of a drowned man 13 A chain of gold teeth taken from the mouths of several pirates 14 A black pearl claimed from the waters near Dreggsmouth 15 A rune-inscribed conch that sounds like the bellow of a dying beast when blown 16 A compass that points toward the nearest corpse 17 A set of fishhooks that catch only predatory fish 18 A small piece of black stone from the Temple of the Dragonfather in Skell 19 A bullet engraved with the name of a notorious pirate 20 The water-damaged captain’s log of a ship that was lost at sea 21 A single strand of Skarre Ravenmane’s hair 22 A framed but unfinished sketch of a woman’s head minus all her facial features 23 A music box that plays a funeral dirge at telltale moments but doesn’t function otherwise 24 A scroll inviting the reader to the burial at sea of a long-dead pirate captain 25 A fork and spoon, each made of bone and engraved with the name of one of the members of a famed pirate duo 26 A bottle of alcohol that feels full of liquid but pours cremated remains instead 27 A black eyepatch that the wearer can actually see through 28 An hourglass through which black sand flows upside down 29 A vial of water from a long-dried-up islet 30 A quill that writes without ink but produces indecipherable alien text regardless of what’s written 31 A spyglass that shows shameful acts from the user’s past when looked into 32 A dead stemmed rose that comes back to life whenever held 33 A lantern made from a human skull 34 A mummified monkey’s paw making a rude gesture 35 The broken horn of a Satyxis warrior 36 A vial of blood drawn from a legendary blighted trollkin 37 A bosun’s whistle that only makes a sound before a storm 38 A tarnished coin worked with the face of an Orgoth emperor, plucked from the rubble of Drer Drakkerung 39 A small whalebone sculpture of a Satyxis 40 The undead remains of a tropical bird that squawks foul language at inopportune moments 2. Spellcasting. You tap a trapped soul in order to cast a spell you have prepared without expending a spell slot. The spell must come from the evocation or necromancy school of magic. Casting the spell in this way consumes 1 Hit Die from the soul cage for each level of the spell slot used to cast the spell. You can’t consume any of the Hit Dice if the number of remaining Hit Dice is less than the spell slots required to cast the spell.
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3. Strength of Death. You draw on a soul in order to empower your own martial and magical might. You can consume any number of Hit Dice from the soul cage up to your proficiency bonus. Your next attack deals an extra 1d4 necrotic damage per Hit Die consumed. 4. Other Uses. If one of your racial traits, class features, or other abilities specifically refers to souls, you can consume all the Hit Dice in the soul cage (minimum 1 Hit Die) in order to fulfill the requirement for a soul.
Capacitor Crafting Times
Capacitor Crafting Time Heartbeat generator 2 weeks Mire capacitor 3 hours Parasitic generator 1 week Soulfire capacitor 5 weeks
Capacitors
Item Heartbeat generator Mire capacitor Parasitic generator Soulfire capacitor
Cost Weight 50gp 5lb. 5gp 1lb. 250gp 2lb. 1,000gp 5lb.
TRINKETS Adding a trinket to your character is as easy as rolling on the Trinkets table and seeing what you get. The GM can use this table to add a bit of flavor to a room or even fill a creature’s pockets with a few interesting baubles.
NECROMECHANIKA Necromechanika is a polluted science unique to Cryx: a fusion of the mechanikal principles of the Iron Kingdoms married to the dark power of necromancy.
NECROMECHANIKA CAPACITORS
The necrotechs of the Nightmare Empire have devised several innovative—and horrifying—solutions for powering their mechanikal devices. Many rely on necrotite to power arcane turbines, but others involve more esoteric means of producing arcane power.
HEARTBEAT GENERATOR
Born out of the blood magic of the Satyxis, this cruel necromantic device produces arcane power wrung from the blood of a living creature’s heart that is sustained within an arcane chamber. Each thudding of the captured heart generates a spark of arcane power harnessed by the principles of necromancy and blood magic. Power Output: 2 Charges: 50 Lifespan: Indefinite until depleted A heartbeat generator can beat up to fifty times. Each time the heart beats, the capacitor consumes 1 charge. Once the last charge has been consumed, the heart within the generator blackens and putrefies and can’t produce any more power. The generator’s charges can be replenished by replacing the heart with another heart taken from a humanoid.
MIRE CAPACITOR
The alchemists of the Nightmare Empire have taken the philosophy of “Waste not, want not” to heart with the creation of the mire capacitor. Similar in design to the alchemical capacitors used on the mainland, a mire capacitor puts out a low trickle of energy, which it captures from a slurry of necrotite tailings left over from necrotite mining mixed with alchemical waste. Although this type of capacitor is not very powerful, it wrings every last ounce of power out of the necrotite that fuels it. Power Output: 1 Charges: 5, replenished when the capacitor is refilled Lifespan: 1 month A mire capacitor loses all its charges after 30 days, whether it was used or not. If its charges are depleted, it can be recharged with 1 unit of alchemical waste (liquid) and 1gp worth of necrotite.
PARASITIC GENERATOR
This rare and unusual capacitor draws its power from the living energy of its wielder. Most commonly mounted in the grip of a weapon or within a suit of mechanikal armor, a parasitic generator requires direct skin contact to function. The device draws off and converts a small amount of the user’s life force to produce a charge sufficient to power most mechanika. Power Output: 5 Charges: 15, with the ability to be recharged Lifespan: Indefinite while attached to a living humanoid If a parasitic generator’s charges are depleted, its user can recharge the generator by spending and rolling 1 Hit Die. The generator regains charges equal to the roll. A parasitic generator can’t be recharged this way unless it is in direct contact with the user’s skin.
Necrotech Runes
Rune Blood Shadow Dark Banishment Death Strike Diver Eruption of Ash Feedback Fell Flayer Life Leech Necrosis Relay Spectral Mark Vitriol Water Bounding Weakness
Cost Rune Points 300gp 2 300gp 2 450gp 3 150 gp 1 450gp 3 300 gp 2 150gp 1 150gp 1 300gp 2 300gp 2 150gp 1 450gp 3 300gp 2 150 gp 1 300gp 2
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SOULFIRE CAPACITOR
This rare and expensive device is used only by the Nightmare Empire’s elite warriors. Modeled after the soul-devouring furnace of the Deathjack itself, this dreadful hybrid of a soul cage and an arcane capacitor powers necromechanika by picking apart a captive soul and siphoning its essence. The process produces a significant amount of arcane energy but painfully rends the captive soul. Power Output: 5 Charges: 20 (A soulfire capacitor that has power replenishes 5 charges at the start of each of your turns) Lifespan: 24 hours at a time from a single soul
NECROTECH RUNES
The Nightmare Empire long ago adapted the principles of mechanika for its own use. As there is no prohibition on darker occult practices among Cryxians and their neighbors, the runes used in Cryx often incorporate necromantic aspects in their etching. The necrotechs and arcane mechaniks of Dreggsmouth produce vast quantities of runeplates that substitute bits of preserved flesh and bone for some of the valuable metals used by their counterparts across the Iron Kingdoms, infusing every item they manufacture with an extra bit of necromancy and suffering. The Necrotech Runes table shows the name of each available rune, as well as its cost and rune point value. The runes described below are available in addition to those found in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem and other sources. If you want to activate a rune as part of an attack, you must do so before you make the attack roll. Blood Shadow (Melee Weapon). As part of an attack, you can expend 2 charges of the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. If your next attack reduces a living or undead creature to 0 hit points, you gainresistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage and can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. You take 1d10 force damage if you end your turn inside an object. These effects last until the end of your next turn. Dark Banishment (Melee Weapon). As part of an attack, you can expend 2 charges of the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. If the attack hits a hostile creature, after the creature takes damage, you teleport the creature from its current location to an open area within 15 feet of it. Death Strike (Melee Weapon). As a bonus action, you can expend 3 charges from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. For 1 minute, if an attack with this weapon reduces a creature other than an undead or a construct to 0 hit points, another hostile creature of your choice within 20 feet of the initial target must make a Constitution saving throw with a DCequal to the initial target’s Strength score. The chosen creature takes 2d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Diver (Armor).As a bonus action, you can expend 1 charge from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. For 1 minute, you gain the ability to breathe underwater. You also retain your normal mode of respiration. Eruption of Ash (Melee Weapon). As a bonus action, you can
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expend 3 charges from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. For 1 minute, if an attack with this weapon reduces a creature other than an undead or a construct to 0 hit points, a cloud of ashes detonates in an explosion that expands to fill a 10-foot-diameter sphere centered on the creature. The area is heavily obscured and remains in place until the end of your next turn. Other creatures in the area must succeed on a DC14 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d8 fire damage. Feedback (Melee Weapon). As part of an attack, you can expend 2 charges from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. If the attack damages a bonded steamjack, the steamjack’s controller must succeed on a DC12 Wisdom saving throw or take psychic damage equal to half the damage the steamjack takes. Fell (Melee Weapon). While a weapon with this rune is powered, a spellcaster wielding the weapon can use it as an arcane focus. Flayer (Melee Weapon). As part of an attack, you can expend up to 5 charges from the item’s capacitor to deal an extra 1d4 necrotic damage for each expended charge. Life Leech (Melee Weapon). As part of an attack, you can expend 2 charges from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. The weapon deals necrotic damage instead of its usual damage type, and if the attack deals damage, you regain hit points equal to half the necrotic damage dealt. Necrosis (Melee Weapon, Ranged Weapon). As part of an attack, you can expend 2 charges from the item’s capacitor to add 2d8 necrotic damage to the attack. Relay (Ranged Weapon). As part of an attack, you can expend 1 charge from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. If the attack hits, the target creature becomes a channeler for you and friendly creatures until the end of your next turn. Spectral Mark (Ranged Weapon). As part of an attack, you can expend 3 charges from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. If the attack deals damage, the target creature becomes spectrally marked and supernaturally visible to you and creatures friendly to you. Any attack roll against a marked creature has advantage if the attacker can see it. The creature remains marked for 1 minute or until you mark another creature. Vitriol (Armor, Shield). As a bonus action, you can expend 2 charges from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. For 1 minute, any creature that touches you or hits you with a melee attack while within 5 feet of you takes 2d8acid damage. Water Bounding (Armor).As a bonus action, you can expend 1 charge from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. For 1 minute, you gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed. Weakness (Melee Weapon). As part of an attack against a creature other than a construct, you can expend 2 charges from the item’s capacitor to activate this rune. If the attack deals damage, the target creature deals half damage with Strength-based weapons until the start of your next turn.
DEDICATED NECROMECHANIKAL DEVICES
Each dedicated necromechanikal device described below identifies the rune points of its dedicated runeplate and the device’s capacitor. The Dedicated Mechanika table provides the cost and weight of each item.
Dedicated Necromechanika
Item Cost Weight Blight compass 60gp ½lb. Necrotech prosthetic 70gp 2lb.
Ne
BLIGHT COMPASS
Rune Points 1, Capacitor (Heartbeat generator) A compass is an essential navigational tool for those at sea, but the wild and dark energies that pervade the sea lanes around Cryx can often cause a normal compass to spin in a wild, random fashion. When using a blight compass, you can expend 1 charge from the item’s capacitor to cause the needle to orient toward the position of Toruk’s lair for a few seconds—long enough to get a navigational bearing.
NECROTECH PROSTHETIC
Rune Points 3, Capacitor (Varies) Life on the Scharde Islands is often cruel, and lost limbs are common among Cryxians. Some turn such setbacks to their advantage and have their missing parts replaced with weaponry, as described in the Special Weapons section. A few brave or foolhardy creatures even take this opportunity to incorporate necrotech weaponry into their bodies. These weapons can be powered by any type of necromechanikal capacitor, but mire capacitors are by far the most common due to size and weight restrictions. Parasitic generators provide a more dangerous means of powering such devices, but this usage is rare and generally considered a means of slow suicide. Common necromechanikal prosthetics are described below. Deckbreaker. This prosthetic peg leg includes a powerful necromechanikal piston capable of delivering a massive blow. You can expend 2 charges from the item’s capacitor to deliver a stomp that deals 2d6 damage to the surface or creature you strike. Compensators within the device prevent you from falling when striking downward, but if you use this item to kick either forward or backward, you are pushed 3 feet in the opposite direction and are knocked prone. Eel’s Touch. This standard hook or blade prosthetic has been grafted to a device that translates the output from a necromechanikal capacitor into an electric shock. As part of an attack, you can expend 2 charges from the item’s capacitor to deal an extra 1d6 electrical damage. (You must expend these charges before you make the attack roll.) On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC12 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the start of your next turn.
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CHAPTER 5: STEAMJACKS OF THE SEA
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he inhabitants of the Scharde Islands and the crews of ships across the Meredius make use of steamjacks and warjacks that are developed to function in the harsh conditions found on the sea. Some, like those used by privateer crews, are nearly indistinguishable from their land-lubbing counterparts, while others could not be more different.
BONEJACKS & HELLJACKS Aided by untraditional techniques and materials, Cryx’s tireless necrotechs create their killing machines at a prodigious rate. Living mechaniks must eat and sleep and invariably grow old, but the undead can work day and night for decades at a time. Almost every machine they build is unique. The twisted and insane necrotechs are jealous of their designs and do not share the details of their schematics, so a ’jack built in a necrofactorium beneath Dreggsmouth might have materials and a method of construction quite different than those of a counterpart manufactured at Blackwater. Despite these differences, each of these blight-born machines is perfectly suited to the dire task for which it was intended. The unique genesis of Cryxian ’jacks makes their origins difficult to pin down. Unlike the warjacks of the mainland, which derive from iterative design processes and emerge uniformly constructed from large production facilities, bonejacks and helljacks represent distinct conceptions belonging to their creators. Even though each Cryxian warjack is modeled on a template with specific weapon configurations, it is a singular product of inspiration and mad genius, painstakingly cobbled together by a skilled necrotech in his workshop. Moreover, unless destroyed in battle, bonejacks and helljacks tend to operate in the field for centuries, during which time the design philosophy of the necrotech who built them could have undergone radical shifts. As a result, even direct examination of the salvage of multiple machines constructed by a single necrotech may not be enough to pinpoint their production and design qualities. Helljacks serve much the same role for Cryx as heavy warjacks do for mainland nations, but the smaller, nimbler bonejacks are far more numerous than the light warjacks of other nations and are employed quite differently. The fast-moving bonejacks are custom-built to carry specific armaments and serve as mobile platforms for any number of terrible devices, foremost among them the arc node. Originally stolen from Cygnar, the secret of the arc node is one of the most valuable innovations plucked from enemy minds through forensic necromancy and has become a hallmark of Cryxian bonejack design. These devices enable warcasters to extend the reach of their already formidable powers, and no other nation has embraced this battlefield tactic as enthusiastically as Cryx. Other specialized bonejacks are utilized to target enemy warcasters while evading intervening bodyguards, or to burrow underground and spring forth to catch the enemy unaware. Although these machines are fragile individually,
Helljack Armor
Warjack construction is perhaps the one industry in Cryx in which living hands fare better than their undead counterparts. The soot-covered men who labor in these armories are little more than slaves to be worked to death, though exceptions are made for those whose skill is exceptional enough to earn a better reward. Most of this construction takes place at grim metalworking dens in Blackwater and Dreggsmouth, where the chitin-like shells of hardened iron that encase Cryxian helljacks are forged. Shipped back to the Pits and left to soak in necrotic energies, these armored plates emanate a black aura and a fetid heat for days afterward, at which time they are recovered for assembly, bolted together onto a chassis frame, and integrated with bone to give each construct a unique interpretation of the helljack’s timeless design.
the ease of their construction encourages Cryxian warcasters to use them as expendable commodities, overwhelming the enemy with a plethora of dangerous incoming threats. The nightmare armies of Cryx have perverted the technologies of the Iron Kingdoms and turned them back upon their builders for centuries. The mélange of blasphemous necrotech and cunning mechanika known as bonejacks make an excellent example. Fast and light, these constructs can close distances and flank defending forces with unnatural speed. Their weapons range from ironbound jaws and claws capable of rending flesh and armor to alchemical cannons that spew bone-stripping corrosive solutions. Some bear spell-relaying arc nodes that project their master’s power even farther across the battlefield. Unlike the light warjacks of the mainland nations, which are symbols of defense and security and national pride as much as naked force, bonejacks are nothing but cruel and swift carnage given frightening form. Among the earliest products of Cryxian warjack technology, the first bonejacks appeared alongside their larger cousins, the helljacks. During the chaos of the Border Wars between Cygnar and Khador in the late third and early fourth centuriesAR, Cryxian agents smuggled back the wrecks of warjacks found on northern battlefields and the bodies of unfortunate journeyman warcasters that lay beside them. After long analyses, countless dissections and dismantlings, and necromantically enabled postmortem interrogations, the necrotechs puzzled out the internal workings of the warjacks, their cortexes, and the specialized armor worn by their unusually gifted commanders. Sightings of small, twisted warjacks fighting alongside Cryxian raiders started filtering in from coastal fortresses and sacked seaside towns around 350AR. Although these reports were initially dismissed as ghost stories or the products of minds stirred by the kind of otherworldly fear Cryxian attacks could instill, mainland armies soon recovered numerous bonejack wrecks. The kingdoms of western Immoren had to confront a terrible truth: the Dragonfather’s servants possessed a hitherto unknown and terrible breed of warjack technology. The gory remains clearly demonstrated that the necrotechs had not only reverse-engineered this technology but also mastered it, warping each element of
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Death from Below
Amphibious deployment of helljacks is one of the Nightmare Empire’s more terrifying capabilities. Machines such as the Leviathan have louvers that can be closed not only to prevent water from snuffing the helljack’s firebox but also to allow it to temporarily consume captured air. This amphibious capability made the submersible helljacks true terrors during the Scharde Invasions at the Battle of Death’s Door in 587AR. This engagement earned the Leviathan, one of the first true submersibles, its nickname: “the killing tide.” This tactic of emerging from hiding is not limited to the shorelines of western Immoren. Necrotechs have also developed ’jacks capable of burrowing through dense rock and lying in wait for passing victims. The Cryxians have seeded parts of the mainland with veritable minefields of burrowing machines that can spring into life at the summons of a warcaster, exploding out of the dirt to sow death and chaos among the forces of the living.
warjack design into a blasphemous Cryxian standard. The necrotechs began development of their own steamjacks with the power plant. The Cryxian war machines discarded coal in favor of necrotite, which burned much more efficiently. Necrotite-fueled boilers afforded Cryxian warjacks equivalent power from significantly smaller engines than those used by mainland designs. The foul energies secreted by the toxic material also seemed to make each warjack’s mechanikal mind more bloodthirsty and crueler. In extremis, Cryxian forces were able to fuel bonejacks with ordinary coal at reduced efficiency, but the machines achieved peak performance only when fired with necrotite. As an added bonus, the toxic nature of necrotite made salvaging battlefields poisonous for those who were not resistant to necrotite’s effects. In designing the frame of their new weapons, the necrotechs drew on another resource local to the Nightmare Empire: blighted bone. The blighted timber frames of the blackships of the Dragonfather’s navy had proven as strong as metal but considerably lighter; similarly, the skeletons of great beasts steeped in blight were found to be as strong as iron girders. The necrotechs found an ample supply of blighted bone in the Pits, a ruined valley whose story was forgotten even before the coming of the Dragonfather and whose location had long since been thoroughly corrupted by his presence. From this element of their construction did bonejacks take their moniker. The necrotechs bent the manlike silhouettes of mainland warjacks into something monstrous. Bonejacks were designed as either armless, bounding constructs with snapping jaws or bile-vomiting barrels, or loping monstrosities that leaped through the air or clawed through the dirt. The necrotechs pulled ideal specimens of teeth or tusks from their stocks of blighted bone and returned those parts to their natural purpose in a textbook example of twisted Cryxian thrift. Forensic necromancy of arcane mechanics and wizards of the Fraternal Order provided the necrotechs with dramatic insight into the process of cortex design and manufacture. This allowed them to rapidly unlock captured cortexes and
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develop their own versions. Although these cortexes were simpler than those used by light warjacks on the mainland, they gave bonejacks a low, bloodthirsty cunning and cruelty perfectly suited to both their battlefield roles and their masters’ inclinations. The simple and plentiful nature of their components allows bonejacks to be assembled in small workshops under almost any conditions. Helljacks require proper foundries with specialized equipment, teams of trained technicians, and plenty of time, but a single necrotech can turn the proper materials into a Deathripper or a Defiler in a matter of days and can churn out a Stalker or a Helldiver in but a few weeks. Indeed, the countless necrotechs scattered across Cryx, the Black Fleet, and concealed mainland bases crank out bonejacks at a pace that would shake the inhabitants of western Immoren to their cores if they had but the slightest inkling of the scale. Such bases lie hidden in desolate regions and send out salvage parties to the sites of recent battles, as well as sites that divinations hint will soon suffer conflict. Mainland battlegrounds provide almost all the materials required to produce a bonejack. Warjack wrecks yield armor plating, boiler parts, pneumatic pistons, mechanikal conduits, and other scrap metal. Necrotite forms beneath the slaughter fields where blood and grief have seeped under the soil, providing a ready source of fuel. Ammunition for toxic and corrosive weapons can be easily manufactured in secret, for the Iron Kingdoms have no shortage of unwatched corpses and industrial effluvia. The only missing component is blighted bone, which is easily transported from the Scharde Islands to the mainland as needed. Another potent element common to bonejacks is the arc node. Great numbers of necrotechs toil night and day to produce such components. Forensic necromancy produced a Cryxian arc node within a generation of its invention and deployment by Cygnar, and its swift incorporation into Cryx’s fastest bonejacks begat a new Cryxian military doctrine. With arc nodes mounted on multiple carriers, Cryxian warcasters became capable of penetrating battle lines and channeling their destructive magic directly toward enemy commanders. The tactic was designed to resemble a large-scale decapitation: a sudden severing of the head that leaves the body to writhe in confusion before dying. In late 502AR, half a dozen bonejacks spearheaded a
No Labor but War
Every Cryxian ’jack, be it a scuttling bonejack or a hulking helljack, is purposely constructed to cause death and destruction. Unlike the mainland nations, the Nightmare Empire does not use such machines for mundane tasks; instead, it makes use of masses of undead thralls. Corpses are plentiful across the Scharde Islands, and no matter how tall the order, countless necromancers are lined up to fulfill the demand for fresh thralls. Some of these walking corpses are enhanced with necromechanikal furnaces and bits of steel reinforcements that grant them greater strength, but even these creations are rarely used for simple tasks such as hauling, demolition, and construction.
Cryxian assault on the dogged Cygnaran keep of Crownfort on the island of Morovan. Armless constructs with short, powerful, bent-back legs and a low profile, the new bonejacks bowled their way into the surprised defenders’ ranks and unleashed havoc with their powerful jaws of steam-driven blighted bone.
The Bonejacks and Helljacks table shows the most common Cryxian warjack chassis, their cost, their fuel load and burn time, and their stock cortex. A warjack chassis purchased at the going rate is assumed to be in good repair and full operating condition.
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NECROCORTEXES
The most vital element of any ’jack is its cortex. The Nightmare Empire stole the basic principles of the necrocortex from the mainland, but Cryxian cortexes incorporate different materials and fuse them with necrotech. Pieces of bone are routinely integrated into metal and glass cortex layers, and the fluids that flow between the layered rune plates of Cryxian ’jacks are quite different from those used by the steamjacks of the Iron Kingdoms. The necromantic energies that lend a spark of reasoning to Cryxian cortexes also give the machines an appetite for slaughter. Bonejacks and helljacks revel in death and carnage, and their unique necromechanikal minds possess a savage and predatory cunning that is amplified by the dark energies lingering in the suffering-laced necrotite that burns in their engines. Some of these aggressive traits are remnants of the deranged minds of their masters and creators, instilled into the warjacks through the runes inscribed into their components. Like bonejacks and helljacks, each cortex is unique; no single codified process guides their assembly, though each is inscribed with glyphs that bear similarities to those that animate corpses as thralls. The dark rites that grant such a cortex its animating spark instills a powerful cunning in the ’jack that houses it, allowing the machine to react quickly in unexpected situations. With this shrewdness comes an appetite for malice that only increases over time. The degradation of the cortex is of little concern, as the warjack will likely become more brutish and bestial as it degrades—an advantage much to be desired, at least in the eyes of Cryxians. Animalistic and predatory, the intellect bestowed by such a cortex burns with a hatred for all life. Although Cryxian warjacks resemble unnatural beasts with the instinct to hunt and kill, their inability to feast on what they slaughter leaves them incapable of quenching their savage hunger. The death lust of a bonejack or helljack cannot be slaked, only restrained or encouraged in turn. Although necrocortexes follow the same grading structure and statistics of the cortexes described in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem, their necromantic energies have a notable side effect: necromechanikal madness.
NECROMECHANIKAL MADNESS
Due to the particular way in which they are manufactured, necrocortexes are far less stable than cortexes produced in the Iron Kingdoms. Prone to strange behaviors and quirks, these devices often cause Cryxian warjacks to act more like predatory animals than constructs. Some bonejacks and helljacks even go so far as to try to “eat” the flesh of their victims despite having no means of slaking the hunger they feel. Each ’jack with a necrocortex suffers from some sort of necromechanikal madness. You can pick an affliction or roll on the Necromechanikal Madness table. If you have access to the Borderlands Survival Guide, the “Stress in the IK” section can provide you with inspiration for other types of necromechanikal madness.
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Necromechanikal Madness
d8 Affliction 1 The warjack is a collector. It habitually gathers pieces of bodies and scrap of fallen enemy ’jacks and attempts to adorn its chassis with what it has gathered. 2 The warjack is plagued with visions and lashes out wildly at things only it can see. If a bonded warcaster looks through the warjack’s eyes, those visions come into startling clarity. 3 The warjack is compelled to consume its kills. Even if it lacks the appropriate anatomy, it attempts to shove bloody chunks of meat into its mouth, becoming increasingly angered by its inability to slake its hunger. 4 The warjack covets a worthless object, such as the jawbone of a slain humanoid. It dutifully brings the object with it, refuses to let anyone or anything else take the object, and violently attacks anyone who tries to take it away. 5 The warjack revels in inflicting pain. If given the choice between a living target and either a construct or an undead, the warjack will always pursue the foe upon whom it can inflict the most suffering. 6 The warjack sees other allied ’jacks as inferior creatures that must be put in their place. A warjack that draws too close to this warjack’s prey is just as likely to be attacked as the initial target. 7 Bits of residual memories plague the warjack’s necrocortex. The warjack sees glimpses of memories lingering in the bits of flesh and bone within it and has begun to believe that those memories are its own. 8 The warjack resents the control others have over it. It wants to slaughter with wild abandon rather than follow orders, and it will run wild through friend and foe the first time it can slip its leash.
Bonejacks and Helljacks
Cost Cost Chassis (with Stock Cortex) (Chassis Only) Deathripper 4,500gp 2,200gp Helldiver 5,000gp 2,500gp Leviathan 9,000gp 4,500gp Seether 10,000gp 5,000gp Slayer 10,300gp 5,800gp Stalker 5,200gp 2,600gp
Fuel Load/Burn Time 44 lb. necrotite, 88 lb. coal/18 hours general, 3 hours combat 33 lb. necrotite, 66 lb. coal/13 hours general, 2 hours combat 100 lb. necrotite, 265 lb. coal/12 hours general, 2 hours combat 100 lb. necrotite, 265 lb. coal/12 hours general, 2 hours combat 100 lb. necrotite, 200 lb. coal/12 hours general, 2 hours combat 33 lb. necrotite, 66 lb. coal/16 hours general, 2 hours combat
Stock Cortex Cryxian arcanumgrade equivalent Cryxian arcanumgrade equivalent Cryxian arcanumgrade equivalent Cryxian arcanumgrade equivalent Cryxian arcanumgrade equivalent Cryxian arcanumgrade equivalent
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DEATHRIPPER CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 6 ft. 4 in. / 5,000 lb. Initial Service Date: Unknown (first reported 502AR) Original Chassis Design: Unknown The Deathripper is a frightening weapon of astonishing speed and bestial ferocity. Its necrotite-fueled engine spews deadly smoke and steam across the battlefield as it surges forward to tear apart adversaries, its arc node serving as a magical conduct for its master’s dreadful spells. The Deathripper’s high-pitched cry has been described in fevered battle chronicles for decades and is never forgotten by those who hear it in battle and survive. The Deathripper is made of dark iron and steel combined with blighted beast skulls and teeth. Its jaws can cut limbs and shear through armored plates thanks to its necrotite-powered steam engine. Just a few of these fearsome machines are capable of disassembling a light warjack in a cloud of smoke, metal, and hydraulic fluid. The Deathripper chassis has spawned several variants, including the Defiler, the Nightwretch, the Ripjaw, the Scavenger, and the Shrike. Deathripper. The Deathripper comes stock with bonejack jaws mounted to its weapon hard point and an arc node. Defiler. The Defiler comes stock with a sludge cannon mounted to its weapon hard point and an arc node. Nightwretch. The Nightwretch comes stock with a doomspitter cannon mounted to its weapon hard point and an arc node. Ripjaw. The Ripjaw comes stock with a bone saw mounted to its weapon hard point and an arc node. Scavenger. The Scavenger comes stock with bonejack jaws mounted to its weapon hard point and a flight system upgrade. Shrike. The Shrike comes stock with bonejack jaws mounted to its weapon hard point, a flight system, and wing blades.
Deathripper
Large construct (bonejack), unaligned Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 45 (6d10 + 12) Speed 40 ft.
STR 13 (+1)
DEX 18 (+4)
CON 15 (+2)
INT 8 (−1)
WIS 10 (+0)
CHA 4 (−3)
Saving Throws Str +3, Con +4 Skills Athletics +3, Perception +2 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses passive Perception 12 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 3 (700 XP) Cortex. The Deathripper’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Deathripper will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Heavy Metal. The Deathripper’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Steam Powered. The Deathripper requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 18 hours with a full fuel load of 44 pounds of necrotite or 88 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Deathripper can function for 3 hours with a full fuel load. If the Deathripper’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Deathripper has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Weapon Hard Points. The Deathripper doesn’t have arms. Instead, it was designed to house one of several weapon systems developed especially for its chassis. The Deathripper can be equipped with only one of these weapon systems, which replaces its bite attack.
Actions Multiattack. The Deathripper makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) bludgeoning damage.
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HELLDIVER CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 8 ft. 0 in. / 4,200 lb. Initial Service Date: Unknown Original Chassis Design: Unknown Both the undead and the necromechanikal legions of the Nightmare Empire have proven insidious, adaptable, and unpredictable. Even as mortal armies labor to expand their sprawling fortifications, Cryx strikes at them with impunity. When Toruk’s enemies cannot be surmounted over land, the Helldiver moves beneath the ground, erupting from trench floors to sow death and chaos among soldiers supposedly safe behind their earthen defenses. Many patrol squads have returned from no-man’s-land to find only an ominous pit strewn with the blood-soaked remains of their eviscerated comrades. The Helldiver uses its powerful front claws to drag itself through the earth. Though incredibly strong, these appendages are used only for movement, not attacks. The machine’s mighty jaws are its weapon, which it uses to seize and sunder its hapless victims. Few sights are more terrible than one of these metallic menaces erupting unexpectedly from the earth to chew apart all living flesh within reach. A Helldiver can burrow through soil at a startling pace before surfacing to ambush unwary prey. Once it is positioned belowground, this patient and methodical killer can wait endlessly, motionless and difficult to detect. Cryx has seeded many potential battlefields across war-torn regions with these black-hulled iron monstrosities in preparation for the promised slaughter ahead. The Helldiver comes stock with bonejack jaws.
Helldiver
Large construct (bonejack), unaligned Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 51 (6d10 + 18) Speed 25 ft., burrow 25 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 8 (−1) 16 (+3) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 4 (−3) Saving Throws Str +5, Con +4 Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities: poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses passive Perception 12 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 3 (700 XP) Cortex. The Helldiver’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Helldiver will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Drag Below. The Helldiver ignores movement penalties to move a creature it has grappled. Heavy Metal. The Helldiver’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Steam Powered. The Helldiver requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 13 hours with a full fuel load of 33 pounds of necrotite or 66 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Helldiver can function for 2 hours with a full fuel load. If the Helldiver’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Helldiver has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Tunneler. The Helldiver can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 5-foot-wide, 8-foot-high tunnel in its wake.
Actions Multiattack. The Helldiver makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage.
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LEVIATHAN CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 10 ft. 5 in. / 14,000 lb. Initial Service Date: Unknown (first reported 586AR) Original Chassis Design: Unknown The Leviathan is an immense metal atrocity with frightening mobility. The watertight furnaces of this horror make it a favorite among blackship captains, who take full advantage of its amphibious nature by deploying it at sea—or, rather, by shoving it overboard unceremoniously and allowing it to creep across the seabed on its spidery claws toward unsuspecting enemy forces. The bodies of many a sailor now slumber beneath the waves due to this nefarious masterpiece of Cryxian engineering. When it senses prey, a Leviathan surges from the tide like a primordial nightmare and brings its murderous weapons to bear. The mighty claw on its right arm is powerful enough to tear limbs from enemy warjacks and crush smaller enemies outright. Even more terrifying is the rapid-fire cannon on its left arm. Fueled by excess steam built up in the helljack’s necrotite furnace and fed with crude but effective spikes from its reloading hopper, this repeating cannon unleashes a barrage of metallic death when fired. Smaller quarry such as infantry simply falls away without resistance beneath the spikes, but warjacks and other large targets are mangled dramatically by the staccato burst, their armor and systems shredded by the wailing projectiles. The Leviathan chassis has resulted in two variants: the Desecrator and the Harrower. Leviathan. The Leviathan comes stock with a spiker cannon and a claw. Desecrator. The Desecrator comes stock with a plague bringer and a vivisector. Harrower. The Harrower comes stock with a mortifier and a perisher.
Leviathan
Large construct (helljack), unaligned Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 115 (11d10 + 55) Speed 25 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 4 (−3) Saving Throws Str +8, Con +8 Skills Athletics +8, Perception +3 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) All-Terrain. The Leviathan ignores movement penalties imposed by nonmagical difficult terrain. Deep Walker.The Leviathan can’t swim, and it sinks to the bottom of any body of water it enters. It ignores movement restrictions and attack penalties caused by being underwater. It can remain underwater for up to 1 hour without extinguishing its furnace. Cortex. The Leviathan’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Leviathan will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Heavy Metal. The Leviathan’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Steam Powered. The Leviathan requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 12 hours with a full fuel load of 100 pounds of necrotite or 265 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Leviathan can function for 2 hours with a full fuel load. If the Leviathan’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Leviathan has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Actions Multiattack. The Leviathan makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) bludgeoning damage.
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SEETHER CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 12 ft. 0 in. / 13,000 lb. Initial Service Date: Unknown Original Chassis Design: Master Necrotech Verrik Kurr Master Necrotech Verrik Kurr was widely considered a lunatic even by Cryxian standards. He sought insight into the creation of the charnel mineral necrotite by systematically torturing victims and distilling their life force. Obsessed with formulae just out of his grasp, Kurr became convinced that the accursed Librum Mekanecrus contained the answers he needed, and he launched an exhaustive search for the tome. When the necromancer disappeared, an eventual examination of his laboratory revealed only the massacred bodies of his assistants along with a small number of inert Seethers. Agents of other lich lords had long kept close tabs on Kurr’s work, suspecting he was being less than forthcoming with his results. The lich lords very eagerly integrated the Seethers Kurr left behind into their armies, but their necrotechs struggled to recreate Kurr’s genius. Although they eventually learned how to produce additional Seethers, some insisted that Kurr’s originals were superior and possessed of especially vicious cunning—a quality even the best necrotechs have yet to replicate. Seethers follow basic Slayer design with some rather extreme modifications, most notably the soul drives grafted to their cortexes. These baneful devices contain malevolent spirits that provide the helljacks with a bottomless font of unmitigated rage. The Inflictor is the Seether’s most common variant. Seether. The Seether comes stock with a pair of claws and a set of tusks. Inflictor. The Inflictor comes stock with a shield claw and a stinger.
Seether
Large construct (helljack), unaligned Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 105 (10d10 + 50) Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 4 (−3) Saving Throws Str +8, Con +8 Skills Athletics +8, Perception +3 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Cortex. The Seether’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Seether will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Heavy Metal. The Seether’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Reckless. At the start of its turn, the Seether can gain advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls it makes during that turn, but attack rolls against it have advantage until the start of its next turn. Seething Madness.The Seether must roll a d6 at the start of each of its turns. On a 1, the Seether must use the Reckless special trait and attempt to attack the closest creature. Steam Powered. The Seether requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 12 hours with a full fuel load of 100 pounds of necrotite or 265 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Seether can function for 2 hours with a full fuel load. If the Seether’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Seether has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Actions Multiattack. The Seether makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) bludgeoning damage.
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SLAYER CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 11 ft. 10 in. / 12,500 lb. Initial Service Date: Unknown (first reported 531AR) Original Chassis Design: Unknown The Slayer’s soulfire furnace blazes with a savage intensity that pushes the helljack to ever-greater feats of destruction. This monstrous construct exists to sow terror, cleave through bodies with its great claws, and soak the earth with the spent vitality of its broken victims. An eerie green glow pulsates from the helljack’s furnace—a frightful light that illuminates even its eye sockets, suggesting some greater intelligence. Decades of Cryxian terror have had such a strong effect on coastal communities that any greenish lights, such as those that float above the bogs and fens of western Immoren, are known as “Cryxlight” among superstitious travelers. The Slayer’s tempered metal claws are powerful enough to rend metal and powder bone on impact, and its vicious charges are amplified by cruelly curved tusks amputated from great beasts and crudely bolted onto its armored skull. The helljack’s furnace is powered by the remnants of life trapped within its necrotite fuel. Those who tend to these murderous machines insist they run best on necrotite scavenged directly from the field of slaughter. The Slayer’s variants include the Corruptor and the Reaper. Slayer. The Slayer comes stock with a pair of claws and a set of tusks. Corruptor. The Corruptor comes stock with a necrocannon and a necrojector. Reaper. The Reaper comes stock with a harpoon cannon, a helldriver, and a set of tusks.
Slayer
Large construct (helljack), unaligned Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Hit Points 95 (10d10 + 40) Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 4 (−3) Saving Throws Str +7, Con +7 Skills Athletics +7, Perception +3 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Cortex. The Slayer’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Slayer will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Heavy Metal. The Slayer’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Steam Powered. The Slayer requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 12 hours with a full fuel load of 100 pounds of necrotite or 200 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Slayer can function for 2 hours with a full fuel load. If the Slayer’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Slayer has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Actions Multiattack. The Slayer makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) bludgeoning damage.
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STALKER CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 8 ft. 10 in. / 4,400 lb. Initial Service Date: Unknown Original Chassis Design: Unknown The field of battle breeds superstition. Some whisper of unseen horrors that skulk along the battlefield and inflict all manner of misfortune upon the living. Warcasters who have fallen prey to the Stalker’s scything blades learned too late that at the heart of every tale is a spark—or more—of truth. The Stalker is a nightmarish fusion of darkness and steel designed for a single purpose: to butcher those who oppose the will of the Dragonfather. With a shadowy hull that writhes and ripples in the light, this insidious creation is nearly indiscernible from a distance. Swiftly striding forward on its slender but powerful spiny legs like a great iron insect, a Stalker a capable of springing adroitly over any obstacle in its path. Once within reach of its prey, it lashes out with its threshing blades for a quick, decisive kill. These malefic weapons rend both flesh and arcane defenses. Moreover, they are coated with a necrotic agent that saturates wounds and weakens even the hardiest combatants. For the better part of a century, Stalkers have unfailingly served the Dragonfather’s dark designs by brutally murdering their intended victims despite the protection of armed escorts. A Stalker’s ability to pursue a target relentlessly while evading all other adversaries makes it a doubly maddening apparition. A Stalker cannot be seen or studied, and its movements cannot be predicted—and thus it remains a killing machine both feared and admired. The Stalker comes stock with a pair of eviscerators.
Stalker
Large construct (bonejack), unaligned Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 38 (4d10 + 16) Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 4 (−3) Saving Throws Str +5, Con +6 Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 2 (450 XP) Cortex. The Stalker’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Stalker will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Heavy Metal. The Stalker’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Pounce. If the Stalker moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a melee attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the Stalker can make one melee attack against it as a bonus action. Standing Leap. The Stalker’s longjumpis up to 30 feet and its highjumpis up to 15 feet, with or without a running start. Steam Powered. The Stalker requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 16 hours with a full fuel load of 33 pounds of necrotite or 66 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Stalker can function for 2 hours with a full fuel load. If the Stalker’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Stalker has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Actions Multiattack. The Stalker makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage.
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Name Bonejack jaws Bone saw Claw Eviscerator Helldriver Necrojector Perisher Shield claw Stinger Tentacles Tusks Vivisector
Bonejack and Helljack Melee Weapons
Cost 190 gp 225 gp 125 gp 180 gp 275 gp 300 gp 280 gp 150 gp 265 gp 225 gp 190 gp 300 gp
Damage 2d6 piercing 2d8 slashing 3d8 special 2d6 piercing 3d8 piercing 3d8 piercing 3d8 slashing 3d6 slashing 3d8 poison 3d8 slashing 2d6 bludgeoning 2d12 slashing
WEAPONS AND UPGRADES The industrial might of Cryx is bent toward developing the most brutal and effective weaponry imaginable. Both night and day, necrotechs work to devise new tools to allow their creations to tear through the defenders on the mainland.
MELEE WEAPONS
The Bonejack and Helljack Melee Weapons table shows the most common melee weapons used by Cryxian warjacks. Weapons and gear unique to these constructs are described here. Bonejack Jaws. Many bonejacks, especially those based on the Deathripper chassis, use the blight-hardened skulls of Cryxian wildlife as the bonejack’s own head. Although these skulls vary greatly in form, their function is the same: ripping apart the flesh of foes. A creature hit by this weapon is grappled (escape DC 8+ the bonejack’s Strength modifier+ its proficiency bonus). Until this grapple ends, the bonejack can’t use its bonejack jaws on another target. Claw. Necrotechs make great use of various slashing and crushing claws. When you acquire this weapon, choose whether it will deal bludgeoning or slashing damage. Eviscerator. The eviscerator is a specialized claw designed to pierce deeply into flesh and leave brutal wounds when it is retracted. A creature damaged by this weapon must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8+ the warjack’s Strength modifier+ its proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the creature is unable to regain hit points until the end of the warjack’s next turn. Helldriver. The helldriver is a mantis-like spike of hardened steel that allows a helljack to drive deep through armor and flesh and inject a debilitating toxin directly into a living creature’s blood. As part of an attack made with this weapon, a warjack can choose to deal poison damage instead of the weapon’s normal damage type. Necrojector. This barbed weapon courses with alchemical sludge and poisons. When a warjack attacks a creature with this weapon, its controller can attack with the weapon as
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Weight Properties 40 lb. Special 25 lb. — 50 lb. — 35 lb. Special 45 lb. Reach, special 35 lb. Reach, special 75 lb. Reach, special 65 lb. Special 30 lb. Reach 60 lb. Reach, special 20 lb. Special 55 lb. Reach
normal or choose one of the following options: Burster. The weapon deals necrotic damage instead of piercing damage and gains AOE(20). Distillation. If the attack reduces a living humanoid creature to 0 hit points and the warjack is within the control range of its bonded warcaster, the warcaster regains 2d4 hit points. Psycho Venom. The weapon deals psychic damage instead of piercing damage, and a creature damaged by the attack becomes a channeler for the warjack’s bonded warcaster until the end of the warjack’s next turn. Once one of these options has been used, it can’t be used again until the weapon has been reloaded. A necrojector can’t be reloaded during combat. Reloading a necrojector outside of combat takes 20 minutes but doesn’t require specialized tools or training. Perisher. This claw consists of a scything trio of large pincers intended to grab, crush, tear, slice, and rip. Instead of targeting a single creature, a warjack can use this weapon to make a melee attack against a number of creatures within the weapon’s reach equal to its Strength modifier, with a separate attack roll for each target. These attacks are made with disadvantage. Shield Claw. This device is an oversized gauntlet that also functions as a shield. A warjack armed with a shield claw gains a +2 bonus to its AC. A warjack can benefit from only one shield claw at a time. Stinger. This long, poison-injecting weapon is similar to a scorpion’s tail. Tentacles. Necrotechs enjoy emulating the natural weapons of creatures native to the Scharde Islands. Some helljacks have one or more arms replaced with a whipping cluster of steel tentacles. A creature hit by this weapon is grappled (escape DC 8 + the helljack’s Strength modifier + its proficiency bonus). This weapon has three arms, each of which can grapple a single creature. Tusks. Many different forms of tusks and horns are common adornments—and secondary weapon systems—used on a variety of helljacks. A creature hit by this weapon must
Bonejack and Helljack Ranged Weapons
Name Doomspitter cannon
Cost 275 gp
Damage 3d8 piercing
Weight 35 lb.
Mortifier
550 gp
3d8 piercing
60 lb.
Necrocannon
400 gp
3d10 piercing
55 lb.
Plague bringer
350 gp
3d10 poison
# lb.
Sludge cannon Spiker cannon
290 gp 425 gp
3d8 acid 3d10 piercing
35 lb. 45 lb.
make a Strength saving throw with a DC of 8 + the helljack’s Strength modifier + its proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone. Vivisector. This circular saw is designed to inflict ragged wounds and sever limbs as cruelly as possible.
RANGED WEAPONS
The Bonejack and Helljack Ranged Weapons table shows the most common ranged weapons used by Cryxian warjacks. Ranged weapons unique to these constructs are described below. Doomspitter Cannon. Loaded with a particularly volatile mixture of lead shot and alchemical waste by-products, this weapon’s projectiles explode with a concussive blast that flays flesh from bone and reduces it to smoldering heaps of sludge. Mortifier. This cannon fires a rune-inscribed heavy artillery shell that functions as a kind of soul cage. The weapon’s blast is devastating, but its true power comes when it is combined with a spirit harvester, which can use soul energy to bring a shell partially into the spirit realm. An empowered projectile appears to mortal eyes only as a sickly blur as it passes through solid obstacles, becoming tangible again upon impact and unleashing the tortured scraps of spirit energy trapped within. As part of an attack with this weapon, a warjack with a spirit harvester can consume 1 Hit Dice of collected souls from the spirit harvester to ignore half cover and three-quarters cover. Necrocannon. This insidious weapon drips with a toxic alchemical sludge whose poisons can cause bodies to explode in a torrent of corrupting filth that strips a victim’s soul, restores vitality to a warjack’s warcaster, or increases the strength of the bond through which that warcaster’s dark powers can manifest. When a warjack attacks a creature with this weapon, its controller can attack with the weapon as normal or choose one of the following options: Burster. The weapon deals necrotic damage instead of piercing damage and gains AOE(20). Distillation. If the attack reduces a living humanoid creature to 0 hit points and the warjack is within the control range of its bonded warcaster, the warcaster regains 2d4 hit points. Psycho Venom. The weapon deals psychic damage instead
Properties AOE (10), firearm (range 30/90), magazine (5) AOE (10), firearm (range 60/180), magazine (5), special Firearm (range 70/210), magazine (5), special AOE (10), firearm (range 70/210), magazine (5), special Firearm (60-foot cone), magazine (5) Firearm (range 90/270), magazine (5), volley
of piercing damage, and a creature damaged by the attack becomes a channeler for the warjack’s bonded warcaster until the end of the warjack’s next turn. Once one of these options has been used, it can’t be used again until the weapon has been reloaded. A necrocannon can’t be reloaded during combat. Reloading a necrocannon outside of combat takes 20 minutes but doesn’t require specialized tools or training. Plague Bringer. This cannon connects to a deep reservoir within a warjack’s hull that is filled with a powerful corrosive similar to that employed by bile thralls and bloat thralls. The liquid ferments and concentrates within this sealed container, where its necrotic essence produces a toxic sludge that carries swift and terrible diseases capable of harming even those not directly hit and slain outright. After this weapon is fired, the area covered by its AOE becomes a hazard that remains in play until the end of the warjack’s next turn. When a creature enters the affected area for the first time in a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Sludge Cannon. The primary weapon of the Defiler, the sludge cannon spews a 60-foot cone of concentrated, caustic poison that consumes metal and stone more easily than flame eats wood. Each creature in the cone must make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC of 8 + the bonejack’s Dexterity modifier + its proficiency bonus. A creature takes 3d8 acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Spiker Cannon. This rapid-fire cannon is fueled by excess steam built up in a helljack’s necrotite furnace and fed with crude but effective spikes from its reloading hopper.
UPGRADES
The Bonejack and Helljack Upgrades table shows the most common upgrades used to enhance Cryxian warjacks, as well as their cost and weight. Rules and descriptions for these upgrades are provided below.
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Bonejack and Helljack Upgrades
Name Acid vent Burrowing claws Extra stacks Flight system Oversized tusks Scuttling limbs Spirit harvester Void accumulator Wing blades
Cost Weight 20 gp — 35 gp 100 lb. 25 gp 10 lb. 150 gp 5 lb. 15 gp 30 lb. 65 gp 1,100 lb. 175 gp 10 lb. 100 gp 1 lb. 30 gp 10 lb.
Acid Vent (Recharge 5–6). As an action, the helljack releases a 20-foot sphere of caustic fog centered on itself. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 4d6 acid damage. Burrowing Claws. A warjack outfitted with these augmented claws gains a burrow speed equal to half its walking speed. Extra Stacks. The toxic effects of necrotite are well known to Cryxians. Some necrotechs deliberately include additional exhaust stacks on their furnaces to increase the output of deadly necrotite smoke. A warjack outfitted with extra stacks can use a bonus action on its turn to deal an additional 1d10 poison damage to any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the steamjack and is subject to necrotite sickness. This effect lasts until the start of the warjack’s next turn. Flight System (Bonejack Only). A flight system consists of articulating, winglike appendages of bone, metal, and sinew mounted to a bonejack’s upper hull and supplemented by necromechanikal runes that lighten its chassis. A bonejack outfitted with a flight system has a flying speed equal to its walking speed. The bonejack can use the flight system to fly for up to 1 hour, all at once or in several shorter flights, each one using a minimum of 1 minute from the duration. If the bonejack is flying when the duration expires, it glides to the ground, descending at a rate of 30 feet per round until it lands. The flight system regains its maximum flying duration when the bonejack is fully refueled. Oversized Tusks (Helljack Only). Some helljacks are adorned with especially large tusks and horns—adornments too massive for the frames of their smaller bonejack cousins. A creature hit by this weapon takes 3d8 bludgeoning damage and must make a Strength saving throw with a DC of 12 + the warjack’s Strength modifier + its proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the creature is knocked prone. Scuttling Limbs. This set of four spiderlike appendages provides a bonejack with superior stability and allows it to traverse almost any terrain at the cost of some speed. The warjack’s walking speed becomes 25 feet even if it was higher. In addition, the warjack can’t be knocked prone, and moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs it no extra movement. Spirit Harvester (Helljack Only). A helljack equipped with a spirit harvester can use it to collect up to 30 Hit Dice of souls
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in the same manner as a soul cage (see chapter4, “Gear”). These souls can be stored indefinitely. As a reaction, when the helljack reduces a living creature with a soul to 0 hit points, it can capture the creature’s soul. In addition, as an action, the helljack can collect any disembodied souls within a 60-foot radius. In either case, a soul can evade collection with a successful DC 14 Charisma saving throw. As a bonus action, a helljack equipped with a spirit harvester can consume up to 5 Hit Dice of collected souls from the device. If it does so, it gains a +1 bonus to its next attack roll for each Hit Die consumed, and its next attack deals an extra 1 necrotic damage for each Hit Die consumed. Void Accumulator (Helljack Only). When a helljack equipped with a void accumulator starts its turn within 10 feet of a bane, it gains 1 focus point. Focus gained from this item can’t exceed the maximum focus of the helljack’s cortex. Wing Blades. These items increase the killing power of a winged bonejack and can be taken only by a bonejack with the flight system upgrade. The bonejack’s slam attack deals 2d6 slashing damage instead of its normal damage, and the warjack can use its Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls when making this attack, just as if the attack were made with a finesse weapon.
GRISLY ORNAMENTATION
No two Cryxian warjacks are exactly alike. Differences in material composition are common, and necrotechs often apply specific “maker’s marks” to their creations. These include runes etched into hulls and the addition of black-iron ornamentation, vicious spikes, and the bony remains of great beasts. In some cases, these adornments go beyond mere embellishment and imbue a ’jack with specific necromantic powers. The Ornaments table shows the name and rarity of various ornaments. A bonejack or helljack can bear only one ornament at a time.
BANE FLESH
Wondrous item, rare Scraps of flesh and bone claimed from notable bane warriors can still harbor the dark power of the void. A warjack
Ornaments
Name Rarity Bane flesh Rare Blood-consecrated runes Uncommon Bloodforged hull Rare Corpse wraps Common Corpselight furnace Very rare Dead-flesh tabard Uncommon Flesh puppet Very rare Ghost shield Very rare Spectral conduit Rare Undying weaponry Uncommon
adorned with bane flesh can draw on this energy to sap strength from its foes. While adorned with this ornament, a warjack can spend 1 focus point to cast bane (spell save DC 14) as a 1st-level spell without expending a spell slot. The spell targets the three closest hostile creatures within range that the warjack can see. The warjack doesn’t need to concentrate on this spell to maintain it during its duration. After using this ornament, a warjack can’t use it again until the next midnight.
BLOOD-CONSECRATED RUNES
Wondrous item, uncommon This complex pattern of runes is empowered by sacral blood spilled from the veins of a living warcaster. Once etched into a warjack’s hull, it causes the machine’s form to erupt with flames that carry the cold of the grave. A creature that touches a warjack adorned with this ornament or that hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 3d6cold damage.
BLOODFORGED HULL
Wondrous item, rare Tempered in the blood of human sacrifice and worked by master ironmongers, bloodforged armor plating grants supernatural durability to any warjack that bears it. While a warjack is adorned with this ornament, any critical hit against it becomes a normal hit.
CORPSE WRAPS
Wondrous item, common When wrapped around a warjack’s limbs or chassis, these strips of tattooed humanoid leather provide the warjack with added protection against necromantic magic. While bearing this ornament, a warjack has resistance to necrotic damage.
creature within 30 feet of the warjack that can hear the voices must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of the warjack’s next turn. After using this ornament, a warjack can’t use it again until the next midnight.
FLESH PUPPET
Wondrous item, very rare This desiccated thrall corpse is inscribed with runes of corruption and beguiling. When hung from a warjack with specially enchanted black chains, it gives the warjack unholy power over those it injures. When a warjack bearing this ornament hits a creature other than a construct with a melee attack, the warjack can spend 1 focus point to force the creature to make a DC14 Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is charmed by the warjack until the end of the warjack’s next turn. The charmed creature treats creatures hostile to the warjack as hostile to it. After using this ornament, a warjack can’t use it again until the next midnight.
GHOST SHIELD
Wondrous item, very rare This ornament takes the form of a colored glass float within which the captured spirit of an ethereal undead resides. A ghost shield is typically affixed to a warjack’s head in the vicinity of its cortex. As arcane energy courses through the warjack’s cortex, it crackles through the spirit’s prison as well. A warjack bearing this ornament can spend 1 focus point to become insubstantial for 1 minute. While it is insubstantial, the warjack can move through other creatures and objects as if they weren’t there, can’t interact with other creatures or objects, and is immune to damage from nonmagical weapons
CORPSELIGHT FURNACE
Wondrous item, very rare There will always be those who seek alternative sources of fuel to power their warjacks, and the necrotechs of Cryx are no exception. This ornamentation adds hellfire runes to the firebox of a warjack’s furnace, allowing it to consume bodies—and spirits—in addition to coal and necrotite. Based on some experiments, the flesh of the farrow burns quite effectively. While bearing this ornament, a warjack can burn corpses as if they were high-quality fuel. The corpse of a creature provides fuel equal to half the creature’s weight.
DEAD-FLESH TABARD
Wondrous item, uncommon Cryxian leatherworkers do not let the hides of humanoid victims go to waste. Once properly prepared, such remains can be stitched together into a tabard or standard that enhances a warjack’s already terrifying presence. While bearing this ornament, a warjack can spend 1 focus point to cause the ornament to begin howling with the voices of those who were stitched into it. Each hostile
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Naval Steamjacks
Chassis Cost (with Stock Cortex) (Chassis Only) Cost Mariner 9,500 gp 7,000 gp Merchantman 5,500 gp 3,300 gp Seafarer 4,000 gp 3,000 gp Windjammer 2,000 gp 1,400 gp and effects. When the effect ends, the warjack immediately becomes physically solid in the spot it currently occupies. If it occupies the same spot as a solid object or creature when this happens, it is immediately shunted to the nearest unoccupied space that it can occupy and takes force damage equal to twice the number of feet it is moved. The warjack can end the effect early as a bonus action, and the effect ends immediately if the warjack takes damage from an enemy spell or attack. After using this ornament, a warjack can’t use it again until the next midnight.
SPECTRAL CONDUIT
Wondrous item, rare A warjack can be steeped in the spiritual detritus of bloody deaths and coated with an almost invisible spectral effluvium that lashes out with waves of otherworldly power. Drawing on these spirits drains their potency, which can only be regained from freshly slaughtered victims. A spectral conduit has 20 charges. When a warjack bearing this ornament is hit by a melee weapon attack or a spell attack, it can use its reaction to expend 1 or more charges to reduce the damage by an amount equal to the number of charges expended. (These charges must be expended before the attacker rolls for damage.) If this reduces the damage to 0, the attacker is pushed 5 feet directly away from the warjack. This ornament is destroyed if it is reduced to 0 charges. When a warjack bearing this ornament reduces a creature other than an undead or construct to 0 hit points, the ornament regains charges equal to the slain creature’s Hit Dice, to a maximum of 20 charges.
UNDYING WEAPONRY
Wondrous item, uncommon Cryxian warjacks make use of all manner of vile acids and poisons to slaughter their enemies, but skilled necromancers enhance their warjacks’ teeth, tusks, and talons with barbs of rune-inscribed human bone that allows the warjack to tap into the suffering caused upon a person’s death. While bearing this ornament, a warjack can spend 1 focus point to cast inflict wounds as a 1st-level spell without expending a spell slot. After using this ornament, a warjack can’t use it again until the next midnight.
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Fuel Load/Burn Time 300 lb. coal/6.5 hours (general), 1 hour (combat) 280 lb. coal/4 hours (general), 0.5 hours (combat) 300 lb. coal/8 hours (general), 1.5 hours (combat) 180 lb. coal/6 hours (general), 0.5 hours (combat)
Stock Cortex Aurum-grade Ferrum-grade Ferrum-grade Ferrum-grade
NAVAL STEAMJACKS Ever since the advent of the modern steamjack, privateers, pirates, and navies have attempted to adapt steamjacks for use on and around the high seas. Steamjack designs that worked well on land proved inadequate at sea, and numerous steamjacks were lost to the rough waters of the Meredius, tossed overboard alongside unfortunate crew members and improperly secured cargo. These losses led to the emergence of a new field of mechanikal study and innovation. Within a few years, modifying and upgrading steamjacks for nautical work became an ongoing and potentially lucrative enterprise for those with the necessary skills to be both arcane mechaniks and sailors. Today, nearly all successful privateers supplement their arsenals with at least one warjack. Ordic laborjacks refitted with weaponry are highly prized by all naval combatants. Warjacks such as the Mariner and the Freebooter, which can withstand the environmental rigors of maritime use and even function underwater for a short time, are especially prized. Captains who are unable to acquire or afford these nautical luxuries will settle either for decommissioned ’jacks favored by mainland mercenary companies or for vastly outdated ones with a proven record of functioning at sea. Steamjacks are a vital part of any ship’s operations. Most ’jacks that operate aboard a ship strike a balance between labor and combat, just like each living member of the crew. The Naval Steamjacks table shows the most common naval steamjack chassis on the open market, their cost, their fuel load and burn time, and their stock cortex. Many of the steamjack chassis up for sale are older models that have been recently refurbished, although some have been painstakingly maintained for decades. A steamjack chassis purchased at the going rate is assumed to be in good repair and full operating condition.
MARINER CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 13 ft. 1 in. / 9,800 lb. Initial Service Date: 594AR Original Chassis Design: Engines West (Ceryl) The quintessential Ordic warjack, the Mariner is an Ordic take on a highly specialized laborjack originally designed by Engines West in Ceryl. Among the heaviest warjacks built for nautical warfare, the Mariner is perfectly adapted to its role at sea. Able to function for a short time while completely submerged, its chassis includes watertight seals and exhaust valves, as well as a special boiler-and-piping system that cycles air into the engine while the warjack is underwater. The Mariner’s ingenious stabilization compensator allows it to endure the roughest seas without toppling over. In fact, the Mariner is so reliable in difficult waters that crews often strap themselves to its chassis during storms. The Mariner’s variants include the Freebooter and the Swabber. Mariner. The Mariner comes stock with pair of fists. It is often outfitted with a battle blade and a cannon. Freebooter. The Freebooter comes stock with a pair of cargo claws. Swabber. The Swabber comes stock with a harpoon cannon in place of one arm. It is often outfitted with a shield-cannon.
Mariner
Large construct (steamjack), unaligned Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 161 (14d10 + 84) Speed 25 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 22 (+6) 10 (+0) 22 (+6) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 4 (−3) Saving Throws Str +5, Con +6 Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone Senses passive Perception 12 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Cortex. The Mariner’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Mariner will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Deep Walker.The Mariner can’t swim, and it sinks to the bottom of any body of water it enters. It ignores movement restrictions and attack penalties caused by being underwater. It can remain underwater for up to 1 hour without extinguishing its furnace. Heavy Metal. The Mariner’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Steam Powered. The Mariner requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 6.5 hours with a full fuel load of 300 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Mariner can function for 1 hour with a full fuel load. If the Mariner’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Mariner has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Actions Multiattack. The Mariner makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
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MERCHANTMAN CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 12 ft. 8 in. / 10,000 lb. Initial Service Date: 572AR Original Chassis Design: Engines West (Ceryl) The Merchantman is a heavy laborjack used on the trade vessels of Cygnar. A great and ponderous laborer, it is often used to haul heavy cargo from a ship’s hold. A Merchantman comes stock with a cargo claw, a hydraulic crane, and a deckjack conditioning module.
Merchantman
WINDJAMMER CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 9 ft. 6 in. / 4,000 lb. Initial Service Date: 564AR Original Chassis Design: Engines West (Ceryl) The Windjammer is a general-purpose laborjack used by the Mercarian League. Although the organization prefers to retrofit warjacks produced for the Cygnaran Army, such machines are ill-suited to the day-to-day shipboard activities of hauling lines and turning the capstan. The Windjammer’s affordability solves this need for seafaring laborjacks, although the ’jack is not intended to act as a soldier. A Windjammer comes stock with a pair of cargo claws and a deckjack conditioning module.
Large construct (steamjack), unaligned Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 42 (4d10 + 20) Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 8 (−1) 20 (+5) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 4 (−3) Saving Throws Str +5, Con +6 Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses passive Perception 12 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 3 (700 XP) Cortex. The Merchantman’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Merchantman will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Heavy Metal. The Merchantman’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Steam Powered. The Merchantman requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 4 hours with a full fuel load of 280 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Merchantman can function for 0.5 hours with a full fuel load. If the Merchantman’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Merchantman has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Actions Multiattack. The Merchantman makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) bludgeoning damage.
Windjammer
Large construct (steamjack), unaligned Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 34 (3d10 + 18) Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 22 (+6) 10 (+0) 22 (+6) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 4 (−3) Saving Throws Str +5, Con +6 Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses passive Perception 12 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 2 (450 XP) Cortex. The Windjammer’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Windjammer will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Heavy Metal. The Windjammer’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Steam Powered. The Windjammer requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 6 hours with a full fuel load of 180 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Windjammer can function for 0.5 hours with a full fuel load. If the Windjammer’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Windjammer has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Actions Multiattack. The Windjammer makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
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SEAFARER CHASSIS
Height/Weight: 9 ft. 8 in. / 6,300 lb. Initial Service Date: 584AR Original Chassis Design: Rohannor Steamworks (Berck) The Seafarer is a light laborjack developed by the Rohannor Steamworks in Berck for use on Ordic merchant ships. Pneumatic pistons set into the machine’s feet and legs allow the ’jack to compensate for the heaving of decks and ships at sea, making the Seafarer both surprisingly spry and a favorite among the mercenary companies that outfit it for combat. The Seafarer’s warjack variants, each of which is outfitted with an aurum-grade cortex, include the Boarder, Buccaneer, and Swashbuckler. All three warjacks are popular among the privateers of Ord. Seafarer. The Seafarer comes stock with a pair of fists. Boarder. The Boarder comes stock with a pair of fists and is typically armed with an axe-cannon and a boarding hook. Buccaneer. The Buccaneer comes stock with a pair of fists and is typically armed with a weighted net and a heavy gaff. Swashbuckler. The Swashbuckler comes stock with a pair of fists and is typically armed with a battle cutlass and a clamp-cannon.
Seafarer
Large construct (steamjack), unaligned Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 47 (5d10 + 20) Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 8 (−1) 10 (+0) 4 (−3) Saving Throws Str +5, Con +6 Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities poison, psychic Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone Senses passive Perception 12 Languages understands the languages of its manufacturer but can’t speak Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Cortex. The Seafarer’s cortex allows it to understand basic commands from its controller (spoken verbally by most but usually communicated telepathically by warcasters). Verbal commands must be akin to those issued to a trained animal, such as “stay,” “guard,” “attack,” and so on. The Seafarer will carry out these commands with no regard for its own safety. Deep Walker.The Seafarer can’t swim, and it sinks to the bottom of any body of water it enters. It ignores movement restrictions and attack penalties caused by being underwater. It can remain underwater for up to 1 hour without extinguishing its furnace. Heavy Metal. The Seafarer’s attacks are magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances and immunity to nonmagical attacks for steamjacks, colossals, and warbeasts. Steam Powered. The Seafarer requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, it can function for 8 hours with a full fuel load of 300 pounds of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the Seafarer can function for 1.5 hours with a full fuel load. If the Seafarer’s fuel and water are not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. Due to the amount of noise its steam engine produces, the Seafarer has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
Actions Multiattack. The Seafarer makes two melee attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage.
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STEAMJACK WEAPONS
The Steamjack Weapons table shows the most common weapons used by naval steamjacks across the Iron Kingdoms. Weapons with special rules or descriptions are described below. Axe-Cannon. Scaled up for a steamjack’s use, this reinforced boarding axe integrates a powerful cannon into its haft. An axe-cannon can be used as a melee weapon; when used as a melee weapon, it is treated as a battleaxe. An axe-cannon fires light artillery rounds. Battle Cutlass. This heavy, reinforced slashing blade is useful for the close-quarters fighting commonly seen on a ship’s deck. Boarding Hook. This weapon consists of an oversized grappling hook attached to a sturdy chain. It can be used like a flail, but its true purpose is to hook the railing of another vessel in order to prevent it from sailing away. Clamp-Cannon. This massive clamp is fitted with a shortranged small-caliber cannon. A clamp-cannon can be used as a melee weapon; when used as a melee weapon, it is treated as a cargo claw. A clamp-cannon fires light artillery rounds. Heavy Gaff. This weapon consists of a long, spear-like pole with a tempered hook and spike on its head. Shield-Cannon. This device consists of a heavy short-range cannon mounted in the center of a shield. It can be used as both a shield and a ranged weapon. A shield-cannon grants a +2 bonus to AC while it is equipped. A shield-cannon fires light artillery rounds. Torpedo Launcher. Originally developed for submersible steamjacks such as the Ordic Mariner, this weapon fires a small self-propelled mechanikal explosive. Although the torpedo is inaccurate and expensive, the underwater detonation it produces inflicts tremendous damage, allowing submerged steamjacks to engage light ships and Cryxian helljacks such as the Leviathan. Torpedoes are powered by alchemical capacitors.
A steamjack can fire a torpedo launcher only while it is submerged. A torpedo deals double damage to objects, structures, and vehicles. A torpedo launcher can’t be reloaded during combat. Reloading a torpedo launcher outside of combat takes 20 minutes. Integrating a torpedo launcher into a steamjack requires removing one of the steamjack’s arms. Installing a torpedo launcher requires access to a crane, a mechanik’s toolkit, and 2 hours of labor. After the time has passed, the lead mechanik must make a DC 14 Intelligence check. If the check succeeds, the mechanik has successfully installed the torpedo launcher. If the check fails, the mechanik must spend an additional 1 hour of labor before attempting the roll again. A character who wants to pay to install a torpedo launcher can expect to pay 60gp for labor. Regardless of its size, a torpedo launcher fires torpedoes, which cost 130 gp each.
Steamjack Weapons
Name Cost Damage Weight Properties Axe-cannon 275 gp 3d8 piercing 35lb. Firearm (range 10/30), magazine (1), special Battle cutlass 100 gp 2d6 slashing 15lb. — Boarding hook 25 gp 2d8 piercing 10lb. Reach, thrown (range 20/60) Clamp-cannon 250 gp 3d6 piercing 40lb. Firearm (range 10/30), magazine (5), special Heavy gaff 20 gp 2d8 piercing 20lb. Reach Shield-cannon 300 gp 3d8 piercing 55lb. Firearm (range 10/30), magazine (5), special Torpedo launcher, 350gp 4d10 fire 150lb. AOE (20), firearm (range 100/300), loading, heavy magazine (1), special Torpedo launcher, 250gp 4d10 fire 80lb. AOE (20), firearm (range 100/300), loading, light magazine (1), special Warhead pike, heavy 2,160gp 3d8 piercing 16lb. Reach, special 1,910gp 2d8 piercing 9lb. Reach, special Warhead pike, light Weighted net 25 gp — 40lb. Special, thrown (range 20/60)
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Name Amphibious operation module, heavy Amphibious operation module, light Deckjack conditioning module Diving lantern Heartfire gill extractor, heavy Heartfire gill extractor, light Improved pneumatic venting, heavy Improved pneumatic venting, light Reef runner* Retrieval device Sharklure rig Steamjack snorkel, heavy Steamjack snorkel, light * Light steamjack only
Steamjack Upgrades
Warhead Pike. This oversized spear was developed specifically for underwater combat against large aquatic creatures. Like the blasting pike used by Khador’s Iron Fangs, it is tipped with a powerful explosive charge that detonates on contact. The force of the explosion and the shockwave it produces cause catastrophic damage and can send targets reeling from the force of the explosion. When a steamjack hits a target with a warhead pike, it can choose to detonate the pike’s explosive head before it rolls for damage. If it does, the target takes an additional 2d10 bludgeoning damage and must make a Strength saving throw with a DC of 10 or half the total damage dealt, whichever is higher. On a failed save, the target is knocked prone. The steamjack can’t use this feature again and can’t use the warhead pike as a normal weapon again until it is rearmed with a new explosive head. Replacing an explosive head takes 1 minute. Replacement warhead pike heads cost 15gp. Weighted Net. Adapted from fishing nets of woven metal cables used for capturing large sea animals, the heavy weights on this simple weapon help tangle the limbs of enemy steamjacks and crew. A Large or smaller creature hit by a weighted net isrestraineduntil it is freed. A weighted net has no effect on creatures that are formless, or creatures that are Huge or larger. A creature can use its action to make a DC 15Strengthcheck, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Dealing 15 slashing damage to the net (AC 16) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the net. When you use an action,bonus action, or reaction to attack with a weighted net, you can make only one attack regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make. Barbed Net. A more vicious version of the common weighted net, a barbed net has sharp inward-facing barbs at each intersection of the net. A creature that fails a Strength check to escape a barbed net takes 2d6 slashing damage. A barbed net costs 45 gp.
Cost Weight 500 gp 225 lb. 300 gp 100 lb. 150 gp — 60 gp 10 lb. 2,500gp 300 lb. 2,310 gp 150 lb. 500 gp — 250 gp — 500 gp 20 lb. 85 gp 25 lb. 60 gp 5 lb. 70 gp 90 lb. 40 gp 45 lb.
STEAMJACK UPGRADES
Steamjacks offer dedicated mechaniks virtually endless opportunities for customization. The Steamjack Upgrades table shows several popular steamjack upgrades found across western Immoren, as well as their cost and weight. Rules for these upgrades are described below. Each upgrade modifies one or more of a steamjack’s systems. Some upgrades can’t be combined with others, as noted below.
AMPHIBIOUS OPERATION MODULE
Boiler Upgrade Outfitting all of a steamjack’s vents and exhausts with watertight valves and adding reserve air tanks can allow the steamjack to operate underwater for a limited amount of time. A steamjack equipped with the amphibious operation upgrade can operate in deep water for 30 minutes, and its furnace is not extinguished if the steamjack is knocked down in shallow water or enters deep water. You can’t install this upgrade in a steamjack with another boiler upgrade, and vice versa. Installing an amphibious operation boiler upgrade requires access to a crane, a mechanik’s toolkit, and 6 hours of labor. After this time, the lead mechanik must make a DC 14 Intelligence check. If the check fails, it can be repeated after an additional 1 hour of labor. A character who wants to pay to install this upgrade can expect to pay 60gp for labor.
DECKJACK CONDITIONING MODULE
Cortex Upgrade Operating a sailing vessel requires a coordinated effort from all aboard—both the flesh-and-blood crew and those made of iron and bronze. A steamjack that interrupts the flow of a crew’s labor or carelessly damages a vessel’s vital components is of no use to the crew. This cortex upgrade contains behavioral and perception filter modules that allow CHAPTER 5: STEAMJACKS OF THE SEA
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a steamjack to more safely navigate a ship’s deck without causing damage. A steamjack equipped with a deckjack conditioning module has advantage on Dexterity saving throws made to avoid being knocked prone or moved against its will. If an effect would move the steamjack against its will, it can voluntarily go prone in order to not be moved. Installing a deckjack conditioning module requires removing the steamjack’s cortex from its cortex bay, a mechanik’s toolkit, and 6 hours of labor, and a successful DC 16 Intelligence check made with mechanik’s tools. If the check fails, it can be repeated after an additional 1 hour of labor. A character who wants to pay to install this upgrade can expect to pay 60gp for labor.
DIVING LANTERN
Salvage crews must contend with the lightless environs of sunken vessels. Small alchemical lanterns can help them navigate the hold of a wreck, but the larger diving lanterns mounted to steamjacks provide much greater illumination. This upgrade uses energy from a steamjack’s arcane turbine to power a piece of tungsten or limestone and therefore doesn’t need to be refueled. A steamjack equipped with a diving lantern can activate or deactivate it as a bonus action. While a diving lantern is active, it casts bright light in a 60-foot cone and dim light for an additional 60 feet. Installing a diving lantern requires a mechanik’s toolkit and 2 hours of labor. After this time, the lead mechanik must make a DC 14 Intelligence check. If the check fails, it can be repeated after an additional 1 hour of labor. A character who wants to pay to install this upgrade can expect to pay 20gp for labor.
HEARTFIRE GILL EXTRACTOR
Boiler Upgrade Most submersible steamjacks include extended snorkels that are attached to either their boiler or a dedicated air pump with restricting hoses, but any steamjack that needs to operate fully autonomously underwater must be outfitted with a heartfire gill extractor. This bulky device mechanikally extracts oxygen from water, thereby allowing a steamjack to operate underwater for an extended period of time. The upgrade must be installed over (and connected to) all of a steamjack’s heartfire vents, and it also requires modifications to the chimney assembly. In addition to being difficult to install, the device is quite power-hungry and is typically connected to a dedicated arcanodynamic accumulator. As long as a steamjack’s heartfire gill extractor has power, the steamjack can operate normally underwater, and it ignores the rules for water vulnerability in chapter 5 of Iron Kingdoms: Requiem. If the upgrade loses power, a mechanik must open the steamjack’s ports manually to allow air to reach the machine’s heartfire. You can’t install this upgrade in a steamjack with another boiler upgrade, and vice versa. This upgrade can be installed in any ironhead armor that doesn’t already have another boiler upgrade. (Count the ironhead armor as a light steamjack for pricing purposes.)
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A heartfire gill extractor requires modifications to a steamjack’s exhaust chimney and extensive additional piping that runs from the device to all of the steamjack’s vents. Installing the upgrade requires a full mechanik’s workshop, a mechanik’s toolkit, and 6 hours of labor. After this time, the lead mechanik must make a DC15 Intelligence check. If the check fails, it can be repeated after an additional 1 hour of labor. A character who wants to pay to install this upgrade can expect to pay 60gp for labor.
IMPROVED PNEUMATIC VENTING
Pneumatic venting is what gives a steamjack’s limbs their strength. This upgrade increases a steamjack’s physical power by expanding the machine’s venting capability. A steamjack equipped with this upgrade has advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks. Additionally, the steamjack counts as one size larger when determining its carrying capacity and the weight it can push, drag, or lift. Installing this upgrade requires a mechanik’s toolkit and 6 hours of labor. After this time, the lead mechanik must make a DC14 Intelligence check. If the check fails, it can be repeated after an additional 1 hour of labor. A character who wants to pay to install this upgrade can expect to pay 60gp for labor.
REEF RUNNER
Movement Upgrade By adding clawed feet and gyroscopic enhancements to a light steamjack and stripping some of its armor, a mechanik can make a steamjack capable of moving safely over the extremely uneven and unstable terrain frequently encountered underwater. A steamjack equipped with this upgrade takes a −1 penalty to AC but doesn’t count brittle, rocky terrain (such as a
reef) as difficult terrain. In addition, the steamjack can’t be knocked prone. You can’t install this upgrade in a steamjack with another movement upgrade or an upgrade that increases the steamjack’s AC, and vice versa. Installing this upgrade requires a mechanik’s toolkit and 10 hours of labor. After this time, the lead mechanik must make a DC14 Intelligence check. If the check fails, it can be repeated after an additional 1 hour of labor. A character who wants to pay to install this upgrade can expect to pay 100gp for labor.
Chum the Water
The price listed in the Steamjacks Upgrade table is for a high-quality sharklure rig that can be used multiple times. A character can improvise a sharklure rig in 10 minutes with a few pounds of bloody meat, some scrap metal, and a length of rope. An improvised sharklure rig functions for only 1 hour underwater, after which it provides no benefit.
SHARKLURE RIG
Submersible ’jacks provide diving crews with ample protection against most threats, but in regions of the Meredius with abnormally high predator populations, such as Cryx’s White Shark Reef, other measures must be taken. The sharklure rig is one such measure. The device is designed to draw the attention of aquatic predators to a steamjack— and thus away from more vulnerable crew members. The rig takes a number of different forms, from mild galvanic currents to canisters of potent alchemical bait to simple cages of bloody chum attached to a steamjack’s hull. While within 30 feet of a steamjack equipped with a sharklure rig, a living marine predator has disadvantage on attack rolls targeting any creature other than the steamjack.
STEAMJACK SNORKEL
RETRIEVAL DEVICE
Used by marine salvage crews who want to retrieve heavy objects from the sea floor, a retrieval device uses a canister of the alchemical gas known as “true air” to fill a sturdy leather or oiled-canvas bag. Most of these air bladders expand to a diameter between eighteen and twenty-four feet. Once attached to an object underwater and triggered, this device quickly lifts loads of up to eight tons to the surface. Salvage crews often use retrieval devices to haul cannons and light ’jacks to their ship, whether to retrofit them or prepare them for sale. A single retrieval device is about the size of a large rucksack. The bag is folded away, and a canister of true air is attached to the bottom. Most devices include stout rope or sturdy canvas straps that attach the device to a heavy object. When this device is activated, it and anything attached to it (maximum 16,000 lb.) rises to the surface at a rate of 50 feet per minute.
Steamjack snorkels are either telescoping air-intake and exhaust systems or flexible linkages attached to a floating buoy. A steamjack snorkel allows a steamjack to operate for extended periods of time in shallow water. Some snorkels add turbines to the steamjack’s boiler assembly to improve airflow. To be effective, a snorkel must be deployed before a steamjack enters the water. A steamjack equipped with a steamjack snorkel gains the Amphibious trait and can operate normally when submerged as long as the end of the snorkel remains above water. Telescoping snorkels can extend up to 30 feet, and hoses are generally no longer than 50 feet. A steamjack can extend or retract its snorkel as a bonus action. A creature can connect or unhook a flexible snorkel as an action. Installing this upgrade requires several modifications to a steamjack’s heartfire vents and exhaust chimneys, as well as a mechanik’s toolkit and 8 hours of labor. After the time has passed, the lead mechanik must make a DC 15 Intelligence check. If the check fails, it can be repeated after an additional 1 hour of labor. A character who wants to pay to install this upgrade can expect to pay 80gp for labor.
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APPENDIX: NPC STATISTICS
T
his section contains statistics for nonplayer characters (NPCs) that adventurers might encounter throughout the Nightmare Empire and the Scharde Islands.
CHURCH OF TORUK Toruk is more than the ruler of Cryx: he is the Nightmare Empire’s living god, and he tolerates no holds upon the souls of his subjects other than his own. The Church of Toruk is the only acknowledged religious institution in Cryx, and it spreads the word of the Dragonfather through dogma and, when necessary, through violence. The priests who enforce its tenets are uniquely touched by their god’s blighted power.
PRIESTS OF TORUK
Ostensibly, all who dwell within the Nightmare Empire are subjects of Toruk, both in life and in death. Although the Dragonfather cares little for worship or prayer, he expects to command his subjects’ loyalty even beyond the grave, and he demands that they have no other claims upon their souls. The Church of Toruk may seem less devout than some of its mainland equivalents, but it nonetheless has a dedicated priesthood whose clerics are as devoted to their god as the priests of the Iron Kingdoms are to theirs. Some of them serve the Dragonfather directly at the Black Temple in Skell, while others spread the word throughout the Scharde Islands and even beyond.
TOUCHED BY BLIGHT
Few who dwell in the shadow of Toruk are wholly free from the touch of his blight, but those who serve as his clergy have an especially strong connection to it. Whether they have visited Skell and felt the corruption firsthand or simply experienced its withering power through their spiritual connection to the Dragonfather, those who serve the Church of Toruk are often uniquely touched by the blight of their god. When preparing a priest of Toruk, you can choose its traits or roll on the Blight-Touched Traits table.
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Blight-Touched Traits
d6 Result 1 Wasted Body. The sepulchral power of the Dragonfather has wasted the priest’s body away to almost nothing, and the priest hopes to soon join the ranks of the undead. The priest’s Constitution score decreases by 2, and its hit points decrease by 5. The priest has immunity to necrotic and poison damage and the poisoned condition. 2 Flesh of the Dragon. The blight has caused the priest’s flesh to harden into scales, chitinous plates, or bony protrusions. The priest gains a +2 bonus to AC. 3 Blighted Shroud. The shadow of the Dragonfather clings to the priest like a shroud. When a creature within 10 feet of the priest regains hit points through any means other than the priest’s own spells, the priest regains hit points equal to half that amount. 4 Wrath of the Dragon. The priest gains the following attack option. Breath Weapon (Recharge 5–6). The priest exhales a 15-foot cone of blighted energy. Each creature in the area must make a DC13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 13 (3d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 5 Dragon’s Presence. The priest seems to channel the very spirit of the Dragonfather. Whenever the priest uses its Aura of Corruption, it can choose any number of creatures within 30 feet of it that can see it. Each target must succeed on a DC13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the priest’s Dragon’s Presence for the next 24 hours. 6 Roll twice more, rerolling any 6, and use both results.
Priest
of
Toruk
Medium humanoid, lawful evil
Armor Class 14 (blighted flesh) Hit Points 32 (5d8+10) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2)
DEX 13 (+1)
CON 15 (+2)
INT 12 (+1)
WIS 17 (+3)
CHA 14 (+2)
Senses passive Perception 15 Languages Scharde plus one other language Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Mockery of Life. The priest can target undead creatures with healing spells and heal them just as it can living creatures. Spellcasting. The priest is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The priest has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): light, resistance, thaumaturgy 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, inflict wounds, read the dead 2nd level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, hold person, ray of enfeeblement 3rd level (2 slots): animate dead, hellfire
Actions Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) bludgeoning damage. Aura of Corruption (Recharge 5–6). The priest creates an aura that corrupts the very air around it. Each living creature within 30 feet of the priest takes 3 (1d6) necrotic damage, and all plant life in the area withers and dies. In addition, each creature that is not a construct or undead in the affected area must succeed on a DC13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute.
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THE CRYXIAN FLEETS Much of Cryx’s military might is tied up in its four fleets. From the notorious blackships to the revenant crews of the Ghost Fleet to the ravening hordes of the Slaughter Fleet, these ships form the backbone of Cryx’s armies, for they deliver the Dragonfather’s soldiers to enemy shores wherever they need to strike. The diversity of Cryx’s forces exceeds that of many of the other armed forces of the Iron Kingdoms, with bloodthirsty trollkin fighting alongside spectral undead and horned Satyxis reavers leading Scharde pirates into battle.
BLOODGORGERS
Touched by the blight of Lord Toruk, the trollkin known as bloodgorgers have been blessed—or cursed—with cruel spines and curving horns, not to mention an unquenchable hunger for living flesh. They live for nothing more than sowing anarchy and chaos on the battlefield, cutting down their enemies before them, and tasting the spray of blood in the air. More than one line of defense has broken at the mere sight of a horde of bloodgorgers charging out of the reddened surf.
Bloodgorger
Medium humanoid (trollkin), chaotic evil Armor Class 17 (bloodgorger armor) Hit Points 60 (8d8+24) Speed 30 ft.
STR 16 (+3)
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 16 (+3)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 10 (+0)
CHA 10 (+0)
Damage Resistances necrotic, poison Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Molgur-Trul plus any one language Challenge 3 (700 XP) Blood Feast. When the bloodgorger reduces a creature other than an undead or a construct to 0 hit points with a melee attack, the bloodgorger regains 3 (1d6) hit points. Bloodgorger Armor. Any creature that grapples or is grappled by the bloodgorger takes 3 (1d6) slashing damage at the start of its turn. Live to Slay. Once per turn, when the bloodgorger scores a critical hit with a melee attack, it can make an additional melee attack. Unyielding. The bloodgorger gains a +2 bonus to AC against melee weapon attacks.
Actions Multiattack. The bloodgorger makes two melee attacks. Barbed Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+3) slashing damage.
These Violent Delights…
Bloodgorgers are indiscriminate with their choice of weapons. So long as it is brutal and inflicts wicked wounds, a bloodgorger is happy to go to battle with a barbed mace, pick, axe, or sword. The GM can choose any damage type from bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage for a bloodgorger.
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DIRGE SEERS
The dirge seers of the Scharde Islands are natural sorcerers who have been touched by the blight of Toruk. The corrupting influence of the Dragonfather has not only increased their affinity for magic but also magnified their cruelty and ferocity, as evidenced by the fusing of their fingers into magical claws of blackened bone. Guided by inscrutable omens, these brutal spellcasters often join the fleets of the Nightmare Empire and use their sorcery both to guide the Dragonfather’s ships and to lay waste to his foes.
Dirge Seer
Medium humanoid (ogrun), any evil alignment
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor) Hit Points 36 (8d8) Speed 30 ft. DEX 15 (+2)
CON 10 (+0)
INT 12 (+1)
The first ironmongers were Scharde ogrun. Combining strong backs and cunning minds, these potent smiths were capable of forging mystical energies into their metalwork, and they were among the first to help the Dragonfather’s forces unlock the secrets of the fearsome blackships. Ironmongers have stalked the decks of such ships ever since, making repairs and adjustments even as Cryx’s fleets sail to war. Unfazed by the heat of battle, they’re more than willing to wade into the thick of conflict, whether to effect repairs or to simply crack skulls.
Ironmonger
Medium humanoid (any race), any evil alignment
STR 12 (+1)
IRONMONGERS
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 14 (+2)
Damage Resistances necrotic Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Scharde plus any one language Challenge 2 (450 XP) Anatomical Precision. When the seer hits a humanoid with a melee attack, it deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage. Battle Wizard. When the seer reduces a creature to 0 hit points, it can cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action or 1 bonus action. Magic Weapons. The seer’s claw attacks are magical. Spellcasting. The seer is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The seer can cast the following spells: Cantrips (at will): acid splash, fire bolt, friends, message, minor illusion 1st level (4 slots): burning hands, mage armor, witch bolt 2nd level (3 slots): blur, curse of shadows 3rd level (2 slots): fear
Actions Multiattack. The seer makes two claw attacks. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage. Reactions Riposte. When a creature misses the seer with a melee attack, the seer can either make a melee attack against the attacker or move up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Armor Class 15 (armored apron) Hit Points 45 (6d8+18) Speed 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Molgur-Og, Scharde Challenge 2 (450 XP) Dismantle. When the ironmonger hits a construct, vehicle, or structure with a melee weapon, it deals an additional 3 (1d6) damage.
Actions Heavy Wrench. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage. Field Mechanik (Recharge 5–6). The ironmonger chooses one construct, vehicle, mechanikal device, or steam armor that it can see within 5 feet of it. The chosen creature or object regains 3 (1d6) hit points. Machine Hex (Recharge 5–6). The ironmonger chooses one construct, vehicle, or structure that it can see within 30 feet of it. Until the start of the ironmonger’s next turn, the ironmonger and its allies have advantage on attack rolls against the chosen target.
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MARAUDERS
Nearly as feared as their bloodgorger kin, the blighted trollkin known simply as marauders provide their foes with one advantage, however small and uncomforting it may be: they can be seen coming from farther away. This is because their weapon of choice consists of weighted, flaming braziers attached to the ends of long chains, which they swing about with reckless abandon and little regard for their own health and safety. Marauders are often on the front lines of Slaughter Fleet forces, and they delight in setting fire to the homes of their enemies before slaying anyone who rushes out.
Marauder
Medium humanoid (trollkin), chaotic evil Armor Class 17 (bloodgorger armor) Hit Points 45 (6d8+18) Speed 30 ft.
STR 16 (+3)
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 16 (+3)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 10 (+0)
CHA 10 (+0)
Damage Resistances necrotic, poison Senses passive Perception 10 Languages Molgur-Trul plus any one language Challenge 3 (700 XP) Bloodgorger Armor. Any creature that grapples or is grappled by the marauder takes 3 (1d6) slashing damage at the start of its turn. Unyielding. The marauder gains a +2 bonus to AC against melee weapon attacks.
Actions Fire Brazier. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) fire damage.
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THE GHOST FLEET
Of all the ships that ply the waves, none have been the subject of more shuddersome tales told ’round a guttering fire than the vessels of Cryx’s Ghost Fleet. First among these was the legendary Atramentous, a fell vessel that still serves as the heart of this spectral armada. These ships of the dead and the damned are half-spectral themselves, capable of sailing on despite massive damage that seems to repair itself even as they are driven forward by the unearthly winds that fill their tattered sails. The souls that crew these hideous vessels are bound to an eternity before the mast, unable to attain the merciful release of death even when they are cut down.
Deathbound Quartermaster Medium undead, chaotic evil
Armor Class 13 (leather armor) Hit Points 90 (12d8+36) Speed 30 ft. STR 16 (+3)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 16 (+3)
INT 11 (+0)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 10 (+0)
Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +3, Perception +4 Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Scharde plus the languages it knew in life Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Pack Tactics. The quartermaster has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the quartermaster’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. Hullbound. The quartermaster’s soul is bound to its ship. While the quartermaster is within 500 feet of its ship, it regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn, and if damage reduces the quartermaster to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DCof 5+ the damage taken. On a success, the quartermaster drops to 1 hit point instead. If an attack that hits the quartermaster is a critical hit or the quartermaster takes radiant damage, these effects do not function until the end of the quartermaster’s next turn. Additionally, regardless of the quartermaster’s range from its ship or the type of damage it has taken, when the quartermaster drops to 0 hit points, its corporeal form disintegrates before reconstituting on the deck of its ship in 1d10 rounds. No Sleeping on the Job! The quartermaster can designate up to 3 deathbound revenant allies within 30 feet of it that can hear it. Each chosen ally that is suffering from a condition that a saving throw can end can make the saving throw as a reaction, ending the effect on itself on a successful save.
Actions Multiattack. The quartermaster makes three attacks: three with its cutlass or two with its cutlass and one with its musket pistol. Cutlass. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage. Musket Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d12 + 2) piercing damage.
Deathbound Sharpshooter Medium undead, chaotic evil
Armor Class 14 (leather armor) Hit Points 55 (10d8+10) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 12 (+1)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 8 (−1)
Skills Athletics +4, Perception +3 Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Scharde plus the languages it knew in life Challenge 3 (700 XP) Pack Tactics. The sharpshooter has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the sharpshooter’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. Hullbound. The sharpshooter’s soul is bound to its ship. While the sharpshooter is within 500 feet of its ship, it regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn, and if damage reduces the sharpshooter to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DCof 5+ the damage taken. On a success, the sharpshooter drops to 1 hit point instead. If an attack that hits the sharpshooter is a critical hit or the sharpshooter takes radiant damage, these effects do not function until the end of the sharpshooter’s next turn. Additionally, regardless of the sharpshooter’s range from its ship or the type of damage it has taken, when the sharpshooter drops to 0 hit points, its corporeal form disintegrates before reconstituting on the deck of its ship in 1d10 rounds.
Actions Multiattack. The sharpshooter makes two cutlass attacks or two musket attacks. Cutlass. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage. Musket. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 35/105 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) piercing damage.
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Revenant Captain Medium undead, chaotic evil
Armor Class 16 (breastplate) Hit Points 135 (18d8+54) Speed 30 ft.
Ghost Raider Medium undead, chaotic evil
Armor Class 13 (leather armor) Hit Points 65 (10d8+20) Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) Skills Perception +4 Damage Resistances acid, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities cold, fire, necrotic, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages Scharde plus the languages it knew in life Challenge 3 (700 XP) Pack Tactics. The raider has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the raider’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. Hullbound. The raider’s soul is bound to its ship. While the raider is within 500 feet of its ship, it regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn, and if damage reduces the raider to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DCof 5+ the damage taken. On a success, the raider drops to 1 hit point instead. If an attack that hits the raider is a critical hit or the raider takes radiant damage, these effects do not function until the end of the raider’s next turn. Additionally, regardless of the raider’s range from its ship or the type of damage it has taken, when the raider drops to 0 hit points, it disappears and reappears fully formed on the deck of its ship in 1d10 rounds. Incorporeal Movement. The raider can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Magic Weapons. The raider’s weapon attacks are magical.
Actions Multiattack. The raider makes three melee attacks. Blazing Cutlass. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) fire damage.
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STR 16 (+3)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 16 (+3)
INT 14 (+2)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 16 (+3)
Skills Athletics +6, Intimidation +6, Perception +5 Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages Scharde plus the languages it knew in life Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Back to Work! (Recharge 5–6). When a deathbound revenant drops to 0 hit points within 30 feet of the captain, the captain can take a bonus action to order the revenant back to work. The revenant’s corporeal form disintegrates as usual but reconstitutes within 30 feet of the captain at the start of the captain’s next turn. Before the Mast. When the captain reduces a living target to 0 hit points with an attack while within 500 feet of its ship, the target is destroyed and the captain can create a deathbound revenant that is friendly to it and bound to its ship. The new deathbound revenant appears in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of the captain. Pack Tactics. The captain has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the captain’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. Hullbound. The captain’s soul is bound to its ship. While the captain is within 500 feet of its ship, it regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn, and if damage reduces the captain to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DCof 5+ the damage taken. On a success, the captain drops to 1 hit point instead. If an attack that hits the captain is a critical hit or the captain takes radiant damage, these effects do not function until the end of the captain’s next turn. Additionally, regardless of the captain’s range from its ship or the type of damage it has taken, when the captain drops to 0 hit points, its corporeal form disintegrates before reconstituting on the deck of its ship in 1d10 rounds. Point Blank. The captain doesn’t have disadvantage on pistol attacks against a target within 5 feet of it.
Actions Multiattack. The captain makes three attacks: three with its cutlass or two with its cutlass and one with its musket pistol. Cutlass. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage. Musket Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12 + 3) piercing damage.
SCHARDE PIRATES
The pirates of the Scharde Islands are a particularly hardy and bloodthirsty lot. Toughened by their exposure to Toruk’s blight and the brutal and difficult lives they lead, these sturdy sea dogs are accustomed to taking what they want and slaying anyone who stands in their way.
Scharde Pirate
by the motion of the waves or by a wet and slippery deck. Additionally, if the pirate is prone at the end of its turn, it can make a DC10 Dexterity saving throw, and on a success may stand without costing any movement.
Medium humanoid (any race), chaotic evil Armor Class 13 (leather armor) Hit Points 22 (3d8+9) Speed 30 ft., swim 10 ft.
STR 13 (+1)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 16 (+3)
Actions INT 10 (+0)
WIS 11 (+0)
CHA 12 (+1)
Skills Intimidate +3, Perception +2, Survival +2 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages Scharde plus any one language Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Point Blank. The pirate doesn’t have disadvantage on pistol attacks against a target within 5 feet of it. Sea Rover. The pirate ignores movement penalties caused
Cutlass. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage. Deck Sweeper. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d12 + 2) piercing damage.
Reactions No Quarter. When the pirate reduces a creature to 0 hit points with an attack, it can make one attack. Tough It Out. If damage reduces the pirate to 0 hit points, it can make a Constitution saving throw with a DCof 5 + the damage taken. On a success, the pirate drops to 1 hit point instead.
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WARWITCH SIRENS
The Nightmare Empire wrenched many weapons from the defeated Orgoth, but perhaps none were as important as the secrets of the warwitches. These deadly spellcasters were once among the most terrifying tools of the Orgoth tyrants, but a combination of persuasion, torture, and forensic necromancy eventually allowed the forces of the Dragonfather to claim these fearful instruments as their own. Today, these deadly spellcasters fight for the forces of the Dragonfather, moving through the ranks of his enemies like a shadow and ensnaring the minds and hearts of their foes before cutting them down without mercy.
Warwitch Siren
Medium humanoid (any race), lawful evil Armor Class 15 (warwitch armor) Hit Points 31 (7d8) Speed 30 ft.
STR 13 (+1)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 11 (+0)
INT 15 (+2)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 16 (+3)
Senses passive Perception 15 Languages Scharde plus any one language Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the warwitch can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action. Magic Weapons. The warwitch’s Shadow Blade attacks are magical. Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the warwitch deals an extra 14 (4d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the warwitch that isn’t incapacitated and the warwitch doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. Spellcasting. The warwitch is a 7th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The warwitch can cast the following sorcerer spells: Cantrips (at will): acid splash, friends, minor illusion 1st level (4 slots): bleed, charm person, sleep 2nd level (2 slots): darkness, hold person Warwitch Armor. A creature that touches the warwitch or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 2 (1d4) slashing damage.
Actions Shadow Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage, and if the warwitch uses its reaction, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of the target’s next turn. Beguilement (Recharge 5–6). The warwitch targets one creature it can see. If the target can see the warwitch, the target must succeed on a DC14 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the warwitch until the end of its next turn. The charmed creature regards the warwitch as a friendly acquaintance. The warwitch can use its Sneak Attack on the charmed target even if it doesn’t have advantage on the attack roll or the charmed creature isn’t within 5 feet of an ally of the warwitch that isn’t incapacitated, as long as the warwitch doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Reactions Parry. The warwitch adds 3 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the warwitch must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
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THE DEATH TRADE For centuries, the practice of necromancy has been punishable by death across much of the Iron Kingdoms. Even though tolerance for this practice has increased in the years since the Claiming, few citizens of the mainland nations are comfortable with the idea of the dead getting up and walking around. Not so in the Nightmare Empire, where necromancy has fueled the industry of Cryx for generations and the undead outnumber the living. Necromancers are not only accepted in Cryx, but absolutely necessary for the nation’s survival and strength. Their work has given rise to a number of specialists who are part of the Nightmare Empire’s thriving death trade, from the necrotechs who build Cryx’s horrific mechanikal abominations to the necrosurgeons who create new soldiers from pieces of the discarded dead.
Necromancer
Medium humanoid, any alignment Armor Class 12 (leather armor) Hit Points 49 (9d8+9) Speed 30 ft.
STR 10 (+0)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 12 (+1)
INT 17 (+3)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 11 (+0)
Senses passive Perception 11 Languages any three languages Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Empowered by Death. When a living creature drops to 0 hit points within 10 feet of the necromancer, the necromancer can either regain 1d4 hit points or cast a spell of 2nd level or lower without expending a spell slot. Spellcasting. The necromancer is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The necromancer has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): blade ward, chill touch, mage hand, ray of frost 1st level (4 slots): bleed, detect magic, false life, read the dead 2nd level (3 slots): alter self, grave wind 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, breath stealer, icy grip, occultation 4th level (3 slots): blight, crippling grasp 5th level (1 slot): raise dead
Actions Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.
NECROMANCERS
From bored Llaelese nobles who turn to the worship of Thamar to street necromancers in Five Fingers to the powerful Cryxian spellcasters who keep the Nightmare Empire supplied with an ever-growing army of the dead, necromancers come from all walks of life. Necromancy has been part of human society for centuries, and outside of present-day Cryx and ancient Morrdh it has always been practiced in dark and shadowed places. Whether serving the forces of Toruk, pursuing their own agendas abroad, or simply selling their talents to those unscrupulous enough to part with their coin, necromancers can be found all over the Iron Kingdoms, though they rarely show themselves readily anywhere outside the Nightmare Empire.
The Quick and the Dead
Many of the necromancers, necrotechs, and necrosurgeons who serve the Nightmare Empire are undead themselves, returned to a semblance of life through magic and mechanika in order to preserve their occult knowledge and expertise beyond their normal mortal lifespan. An undead necromancer, necrotech, or necrosurgeon has the same profile as the NPCs below but is undead instead of humanoid, gains immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition, and doesn’t need to eat, breathe, or sleep.
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NECROTECHS
War is the primary industry of the Nightmare Empire, and the Dragonfather’s armies rely upon a constant influx of new helljacks, bonejacks, and thralls augmented by necrotechnology. The architects of these hellish innovations are the necrotechs themselves—deranged engineers of metal and flesh who constantly tinker with anything that will hold still, often including their own bodies. Although some of them are warcasters, necromancers, or even undead themselves, others are still-living but heavily modified mechaniks. Many of them have been driven wholly out of their senses by the constant proximity of death and pain, but this derangement serves only to fuel their macabre inventions.
Necrotech
Medium humanoid, any alignment Armor Class 16 (reinforced chassis) Hit Points 37 (5d8+15) Speed 30 ft.
STR 14 (+2)
DEX 15 (+2)
CON 16 (+3)
INT 17 (+3)
WIS 9 (−1)
CHA 10 (+0)
Senses passive Perception 9 Languages Scharde plus one other language Challenge 1 (200 XP) Pack Tactics. The necrotech has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the necrotech’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. Skittering Legs. The necrotech can’t be knocked prone while it is conscious unless it chooses to be, and moving through nonmagical difficult terrain doesn’t cost it additional movement.
Actions Vice Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage, and if the target is a Medium or smaller creature, the necrotech can grapple the target (escape DC12) instead of dealing damage. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and takes 2 (1d4) slashing damage at the start of each of its turns. Craft Scrap Thrall (Recharge 5–6). The necrotech crafts a scrap thrall, which appears in an unoccupied space on the ground within 10 feet of the necrotech and is friendly to it. This ability also recharges when a creature drops to 0 hit points within 10 feet of the necrotech. Field Necrotech (Recharge 5–6). The necrotech chooses one construct, vehicle, undead thrall, mechanikal device, or steam armor that it can see within 5 feet of it. The chosen creature or object regains 4 (1d8) hit points.
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NECROSURGEONS
Necrotechs solder together bits of flesh and bone with pieces of complicated (and often slapdash) mechanika, but necrosurgeons engage in an infinitely more precise—if no less disgusting—form of creation. Stitching together bits and pieces of discarded corpses, necrosurgeons are capable not only of creating the undead abominations that swell the ranks of Cryx’s armies, but also of getting even the most badly maimed thrall back on its feet and into the thick of the fighting. Although necrosurgeons are not known for having the same level of deranged genius as their necrotech counterparts, they are regarded as even more cold-blooded, and their innate knowledge of anatomy makes them deadly fighters whenever they decide to take apart a living body rather than a dead one.
Necrosurgeon
Medium humanoid, any alignment Armor Class 13 Hit Points 32 (5d8+10) Speed 30 ft.
STR 12 (+1)
DEX 15 (+2)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 16 (+3)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 12 (+1)
Senses passive Perception 13 Languages Scharde plus one other language Challenge 2 (450 XP) Anatomical Precision. When the necrosurgeon hits a humanoid with a melee attack, it deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage. Pack Tactics. The necrosurgeon has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the necrosurgeon’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
Actions Multiattack. The necrosurgeon makes two melee attacks. Necrosurgery Tools. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. Craft Stitch Thrall (Recharge 5–6). The necrosurgeon crafts a stitch thrall, which appears in an unoccupied space on the ground within 10 feet of the necrosurgeon and is friendly to it. This ability also recharges when a humanoid drops to 0 hit points within 10 feet of the necrosurgeon or any of its stitch thralls. Stitch It Up. The necrosurgeon restores 3 (1d6) hit points to a friendly undead that it can see within 5 feet of it.
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DEFENDERS OF THE BROKEN COAST The waters of the Meredius are dangerous and unpredictable, but they’re also lucrative, strategically important, and vital to the growth and prosperity of the Iron Kingdoms. Hence, even though the Broken Coast may seem inhospitable to those outside Cryx, these waters are plied by innumerable mercantile and military vessels dispatched from the mainland. Merchants from the Mercarian League, the Searforge Commission, House Mateau, and many other organizations transport goods to and from various coastal cities, while others search for riches in distant Zu. These ships are often protected by stalwart marines—either soldiers trained by the navy of a mainland nation or mercenaries hired by mercantile interests. The rank and file of such expeditions are often accompanied by specialists such as the arcanists trained by Ord’s famous Trident School. By contrast, the long, lonely stretches of the Broken Coast are patrolled by the Knights of the Highgate Vigil. These scouts are as likely to engage in espionage as to take up arms in combat, and they are more than willing to bury a silent crossbow bolt in an enemy’s back if it will help keep Cygnar’s borders safe.
Merchant
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment Armor Class 14 (breastplate) Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) Speed 30 ft.
STR 11 (+0)
DEX 11 (+0)
CON 12 (+1)
INT 14 (+2)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 16 (+3)
Skills Deception +5, Insight +3, Persuasion +5 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages any three languages Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Actions Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage. Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) piercing damage.
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Marine
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment Armor Class 17 (breastplate, shield) Hit Points 27 (5d8+5) Speed 30 ft.
STR 14 (+2)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 12 (+1)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 11 (+0)
CHA 10 (+0)
Skills Athletics +1 Senses passive Perception 10 Languages any two languages Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Combined Attack. If the marine is within 5 feet of at least two allies with this trait, it makes weapon attack rolls with advantage. Sea Rover. The marine ignores movement penalties caused by the motion of the waves or by a wet and slippery deck. Additionally, if the marine is prone at the end of its turn, it can make a DC10 Dexterity saving throw, and on a success may stand without costing any movement. Shield Wall. If the marine if within 5 feet of two or more allies that are both carrying a shield, it gains a +2 bonus to AC.
Actions Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, or 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage if used with two hands to make a melee attack. Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Trident Arcanist
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment Armor Class 16 (breastplate) Hit Points 33 (6d8+6) Speed 30 ft.
STR 13 (+1)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 12 (+1)
INT 16 (+3)
WIS 13 (+1)
CHA 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Int +6 Skills Perception +1, Survival +1 Senses passive Perception 13 Languages Ordic plus any two languages Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Actions
Weather Wise. The arcanist has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to predict the weather and on any ability checks it makes using navigator’s tools.
Knight
of the
Sea Rover. The arcanist ignores movement penalties caused by the motion of the waves or by a wet and slippery deck. Additionally, if the arcanist is prone at the end of its turn, it can make a DC10 Dexterity saving throw, and on a success may stand without costing any movement. Spellcasting. The arcanist is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The arcanist has the following spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): acid splash, blade ward, chill touch, message 1st level (4 slots): alarm, create or destroy water, fog cloud, thunderwave 2nd level (3 slots): acid arrow, gust of wind, spellpiercer 3rd level (2 slots): counterspell, lightning bolt, water breathing Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage. Hand Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/240 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Vigil
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment Armor Class 17 (tailored plate) Hit Points 45 (7d8+14) Speed 30 ft.
STR 14 (+2)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 12 (+1)
WIS 15 (+2)
CHA 14 (+2)
Skills Deception +2, Perception +3, Persuasion +2, Stealth +1, Survival +3 Senses passive Perception 15 Languages Cygnaran plus any two languages Challenge 3 (700 XP) Keen Hearing and Sight. The knight has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight. Old Enemies. When the knight hits an undead creature with a weapon attack, it deals an extra 3 (1d6) radiant damage. Spellcasting. The knight is a 7th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The knight knows the following ranger spells: 1st level (4 slots): alarm, detect magic, ensnaring strike 2nd level (3 slots): darkvision, silence Undead Hunter. The knight has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to track undead.
Actions Multiattack. The knight makes two shortsword attacks or two light crossbow attacks Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
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SATYXIS From the decks of the dreaded blackships to the bloody shores of the Broken Coast, the savage warriors known as the Satyxis have become some of the most feared of Toruk’s many soldiers. Hailing from the hidden island of Satyx, these formidable fighters were touched by dragonblight even before Toruk conquered Cryx. When the Dragonfather slew his offspring Shazkz above the island of Satyx, the blighted blood rained down upon its populace, changing them forever. The raiders and slayers who now venture forth from the island to join Toruk’s fleets sport large, curving horns that sprout from their foreheads, practice cruel rites of ancient blood magic, and are possessed of a vicious streak a mile wide.
Satyxis Raider
Medium humanoid (Satyxis), any evil alignment Armor Class 14 (leather armor) Hit Points 27 (5d8+5) Speed 35 ft.
STR 12 (+1)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 12 (+1)
INT 12 (+1)
WIS 12 (+1)
CHA 14 (+2)
Damage Resistances necrotic Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Satyxi, Scharde Challenge 1 (200 XP) Blight of Shazkz. The raider has advantage on saving throws against poison and disease.
Actions Multiattack. The raider makes two melee attacks. Lacerator. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) slashing damage, and if the target is a bonded steamjack, the steamjack’s controlling warcaster takes 2 (1d4) psychic damage. Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage.
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Satyxis Sea Witch
Medium humanoid (Satyxis), any evil alignment Armor Class 14 (leather armor) Hit Points 27 (5d8+5) Speed 35 ft.
STR 13 (+1)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 13 (+1)
INT 13 (+1)
WIS 14 (+2)
CHA 14 (+2)
Damage Resistances necrotic Senses passive Perception 12 Languages Satyxi, Scharde Challenge 2 (450 XP) Blight of Shazkz. The witch has advantage on saving throws against poison and disease. Spellcasting. The witch is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The witch has the following sorcerer spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): blade ward, chill touch, dancing lights 1st level (4 slots): charm person, expeditious retreat, fog cloud, witch bolt 2nd level (3 slots): curse of shadows, gust of wind Whipping Winds (Recharge 5–6). If the witch or an ally of the witch within 5 feet of it is targeted by a ranged attack, the witch can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.
Actions Multiattack. The witch makes two attacks. Piercer. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) piercing damage, and if the target is a bonded steamjack, the steamjack’s controlling warcaster takes 2 (1d4) psychic damage. Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage. Hand Cannon. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/240 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage. No Sleeping on the Job! The witch can designate up to 3 Satyxis allies within 30 feet of it that can hear it. Each chosen ally that is suffering from a condition that a saving throw can end can make the saving throw as a reaction, ending the effect on itself on a successful save.
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Satyxis Gunslinger
Medium humanoid (Satyxis), any evil alignment Armor Class 14 (leather armor) Hit Points 27 (5d8+5) Speed 35 ft.
STR 14 (+2)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 13 (+1)
INT 13 (+1)
WIS 13 (+1)
CHA 16 (+3)
Damage Resistances necrotic Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Satyxi, Scharde Challenge 3 (700 XP) Blight of Shazkz. The gunslinger has advantage on saving throws against poison and disease. Magic Weapons. The gunslinger’s witchlock weapon attacks are magical. Point Blank. The gunslinger doesn’t have disadvantage on pistol attacks against a target within 5 feet of it. Rune Shots (2/day). Once per turn when the gunslinger fires a witchlock pistol as part of the Attack action, it can apply the Bleeder, Feedback, or Heart Stopper rune shot option to the attack. It must apply the option before making the attack roll. Spellcasting. The gunslinger is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following gun mage spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): dancing lights, mending 2nd level (2 slots): bullet dodger, gallows
Actions Multiattack. The gunslinger makes two attacks. Witchlock Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 40/120 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) piercing damage. Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage. Witchlock Bayonet. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.
Satyxis Blood Witch
Medium humanoid (Satyxis), any evil alignment Armor Class 14 (leather armor) Hit Points 45 (7d8+14) Speed 35 ft.
STR 14 (+2)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 14 (+2)
INT 15 (+2)
WIS 13 (+1)
CHA 16 (+3)
Damage Resistances necrotic Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Satyxi, Scharde Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Blight of Shazkz. The witch has advantage on saving throws against poison and disease. Brutal Strike (2/Day). If the witch hits a creature with a blood razor attack, it can use its reaction to deal an extra 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. The extra damage increases by 4 (1d8) if the target is a humanoid. Magic Weapons. The witch’s blood razor weapon attacks are magical. Side Step (Recharge 5–6). When the witch hits a living creature with a blood razor attack, it can use its reaction to take the Dash action. Spellcasting. The witch is a 7th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). Rather than spell slots, the witch uses blood to cast its spells. To cast a spell of 1st level or higher, the witch must sacrifice hit points equal to the level of the spell ×5. When the witch deals damage to a creature other than an undead or a construct with a blood razor attack, until the end of its next turn, it can use the damage dealt to cast blood witch spells instead of sacrificing its own hit points. If the amount of damage dealt is not enough to cast the spell, any remaining cost is sacrificed from the witch’s hit points. The witch knows the following blood witch spells: Cantrips (at will): arcane bolt 1st level: bleed, dark waves 2nd level: scything touch, weakness
Actions Multiattack. The witch makes two attacks. Blood Razor. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4+3) slashing damage. Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage.
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A PIRATE’S LIFE From the seedy docks of Five Fingers to the shores of the Broken Coast to the many coves and crags of the Scharde Islands, pirates ply the waters of the Meredius all over the outskirts of western Immoren. Some are privateers operating under the legitimacy of letters of marque received from the crowned heads of the Iron Kingdoms, while others are nothing more than bloodthirsty reavers happy to plunder any ship they can overpower.
PIRATE WARCASTERS
Conflicts upon the high seas are commonplace, and the demand for those who demonstrate the warcaster talent is as high in the Scharde Islands as it is in the Iron Kingdoms. Whether they received their training in the respected Trident School of Ord or cut their teeth in vicious raids on bucking decks, pirate warcasters tend to rise quickly through the ranks, usually becoming captains of their own ships in short order. As such, they are as accustomed to handing out orders to their crew as they are to commanding the machines that serve them.
Pirate Warcaster Medium humanoid, any alignment
Armor Class 15 (light warcaster armor) Hit Points 52 (8d8+16) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2)
DEX 14 (+2)
CON 15 (+2)
INT 16 (+3)
WIS 10 (+0)
CHA 12 (+1)
Skills Arcana +5, Perception +2 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages any two languages Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Focus Points. The warcaster has 3 focus points. It regains all spent focus points when it finishes a long rest. It can spend its focus points on the following options: 1. Attack Bonus. The warcaster can spend 1 focus point before it makes an attack with a bonded mechanikal weapon to make the attack roll with advantage. 2. Damage Bonus. The warcaster can spend up to 3 focus points before it makes an attack with a bonded mechanikal weapon to deal an extra 1d8 damage per point spent. 3. Reduce Damage. When the warcaster takes damage, it can use its reaction and spend 1 focus point to reduce the damage by5. 4. Shake It Off. If the warcaster is suffering from a condition or enemy effect that can be ended with a successful saving throw, it can spend 1 focus point to make the saving throw with advantage. Take Cover. As a reaction, the warcaster can designate up to three allies within 30 feet of it who can hear it. Each of these allies can choose to go prone. Any ally that does so has half cover until the start of the warcaster’s next turn, so long as it is prone. Magic Weapons. The warcaster’s mechanikal weapon attacks are magical. Weather Wise. The warcaster has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to predict the weather and on any ability checks it makes using navigator’s tools. Sea Rover. The warcaster ignores movement penalties caused by the motion of the waves or by a wet and slippery deck. Additionally, if the warcaster is prone at the end of its turn, it can make a DC10 Dexterity saving throw, and on a success may stand without costing any movement. Spellcasting. The warcaster is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Casting a spell requires the warcaster to spend a number of focus points equal to the spell’s level. The warcaster knows the following spells: Cantrips (at will): arcane bolt, sense cortex, true strike 1st level (1 focus point): dirge of mists, fog cloud, razor wind, shield 2nd level (2 focus points): battering ram, fortune
Actions Mechanikal Cutlass. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage. Mechanikal Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) piercing damage.
APPENDIX A: SPECIAL NPCS
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Armor Class 11 (leather armor) Hit Points 32 (5d8+10) Speed 30 ft. STR 15 (+2)
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 15 (+2)
INT 10 (+0)
WIS 10 (+0)
CHA 10 (+0)
Senses passive Perception 11 Languages any one language Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Hold Breath. The wrecker can hold its breath for 5 minutes. Knockout Strike (Recharge 5–6). When the wrecker hits a target with a melee weapon attack, the target must succeed on a DC12 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of the creature’s next turn. If the target is already stunned, it is knocked unconscious instead.
Not all pirates ply the high seas. Many prefer to operate as scavengers, picking over the bones of ships washed ashore. Some of these are passive opportunists who take what the sea voluntarily surrenders, but others are more than willing to create a wreck when none is otherwise forthcoming. These predators lure ships onto sharp rocks with lights and false distress signals, take advantage of natural (or unnatural) fog banks, and do whatever else is necessary to trick a ship into a precarious position. Even after a ship is wrecked, however, its crew may not be inclined to part with their cargo. That’s when the wreckers step in to “persuade” them to make the most sensible choice.
S
Medium humanoid, any alignment
TR
D
WRECKERS
Wrecker
EX
INT
Multiattack. The wrecker makes two melee attacks. Belaying Pin. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage. Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 30/90 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) piercing damage.
CON
Actions
ST
EL
C
I W
228
APPENDIX A: SPECIAL NPCS
A H
IRON KINGDOMS ®
BACKGROUND
PLAYER NAME
RACE
ALIGNMENT
EXPERIENCE POINTS
INSPIRATION
ENGT TR
NAME
H
S
CHARACTER NAME
CLASS & LEVEL
ARMOR CLASS
PROFICIENCY BONUS
INITIATIVE
TOTAL REMAINING CHARGES LIFESPAN LIFESPAN
SPEED
Hit Point Maximum_____________________________
TERIT EX
m_______ Dexterity
Y
D
m_______ Strength
m_______ Constitution CURRENT HIT POINTS
m_______ Intelligence m_______ Wisdom
SAVING THROWS
ITUT ST
TEMPORARY HIT POINTS
N IO
CON
m_______ Charisma
m______ Acrobatics (Dex)
Total_______________
m______ Animal Handling (Wis)
DEATH SAVES
HIT DICE
m______ Athletics (Str)
CE
INT
Successes Failures
m______ Arcana (Int)
LIGEN EL
CHARGES USED
MECHANIKA
m______ Deception (Cha) Name
m______ History (Int)
ATK Bonus
Damage/Type
m______ Insight (Wis)
_________ ____ __________ _________ ____ __________ _________ ____ __________
m______ Intimidation (Cha) m______ Investigation (Int) m______ Medicine (Wis)
ISDOM W
m______ Nature (Int) m______ Perception (Wis) m______ Performance (Cha) m______ Persuassion (Cha)
ARISM H
m______ Sleight of Hand (Dex)
A
C
m______ Religion (Int)
m______ Stealth (Dex) m______ Survival (Wis) ATTACKS & SPELLCASTING
SKILLS
PASSIVE WISDOM (INSIGHT)
PASSIVE WISDOM (PERCEPTION)
CP
SP
EP
GP
PP
OTHER PROFICIENCIES & LANGUAGES
EQUIPMENT
FEATURES & TRAITS
IRON KINGDOMS ® CHARACTER NAME
AGE
HEIGHT WEIGHT
EYES SKIN HAIR
Adventuring Company Name: _____________________________
______
______ ADVENTURING COMPANY BACKSTORY
SYMBOL
______
______
______
______
______
______
SPELL LEVEL
CHARACTER APPEARANCE
ALLIES & RELATIONSHIPS
1
ADVENTURING COMPANY FEATURES
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
PERSONALITY TRAITS
m_____
m_____
FEATURE WITH SAVE
m_____
m_____
8+
IDEALS
+ PROF.
m_____ MOD.
FEATURE SAVE DC
DC
m_____
m_____ Name __________ Total___________
BONDS
Name __________ Total___________
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
FLAWS
ADDITIONAL TRAITS/ FEATURES
FEATURE USES
FEATURE USES
2
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____
m_____ CHARACTER BACKSTORY
TREASURE
m_____
m_____
___ ___
ES
IRON KINGDOMS ® SPELLCASTING ABILITY
SPELL SAVE DC
SPELL ATTACK BONUS
SPELLCASTING CLASS
CANTRIPS
3
6
_________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
SPELL LEVEL
SLOTS TOTAL
SLOTS EXPENDED
1
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________ SPELL NAME
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
2
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
4
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
7
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
8
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
5
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________ m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
9 m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
m________________________________________________
IRON KINGDOMS ®
BACKGROUND
RACE
ALIGNMENT
CHASSIS
CORTEX
FUEL LOAD
BURN TIME
MAX FOCUS
ARMOR CLASS
DRIVES
D
Y
ITUT ST
N IO
CON
______ Constitution
SAVING THROWS
SPEED
m______ Athletics (Str)
CE
INT
m______ Acrobatics (Dex)
PLAYER NAME
CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE
DRIVE DC
______ Strength
LIGEN EL
EXPERIENCE POINTS
CURRENT HIT POINTS
INITIATIVE
Hit Point Maximum_________________ TERIT EX
PLAYER NAME
Crush! The steamjack gains one additional attack and a +2 bonus to melee weapon damage rolls if it takes the Attack action during its next turn. Drive It Back! If the steamjack hits a large or smaller creature with a melee weapon attack during its next turn, it can attempt a contested Strength check to push the target 5 feet away and knock it prone. Get Up! The steamjack is no longer blinded or deafened. On the steamjack’s next turn, it can spend 5 feet of movement to stand up if it is prone. Hurry! The steamjack can take a bonus action during its next turn to take the Dash or Disengage action. Strike True! The steamjack has advantage on attack rolls it makes during its next turn.
PROFICIENCY BONUS
ENGT TR
H
S
STEAMJACK NAME
CLASS & LEVEL
m______ Intimidation (Cha)
Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
m______ Perception (Wis)
SKILLS
DAMAGE RESISTANCES
ISDOM W
Poison, psychic
Successes Failures
DAMAGE IMMUNITIES
ARISM H
Charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
A
C
DEATH SAVES
EXHAUSTION
ATTACKS
CONDITION IMMUNITIES
PASSIVE WISDOM (PERCEPTION)
Water Vulnerability - If the GM determines that the firebox is exposed to a sufficient amount of water, the boiler is extinguished and the steamjack becomes inert. Fuel Reliance - If the steamjack runs out of fuel, it suffers 1 level of exhaustion every minute. At 5 levels, it becomes inert. BOILER RULES
FEATURES
CARGO & EQUIPMENT
IMPRINTS
S
elee
can
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INDEX able sailors. See under Royal Navy adventuring company Four Star Syndicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Mercarian League Traders . . . . . . . . . 147 Royal Navy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Seahunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Smugglers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Slaughter Fleet Raiders . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 adventuring gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180–82 table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Agathi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Agrimony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Aiako . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 48, 50 Angorus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 armor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177-78 table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Ashnephos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Asphyxious:. . . . . . . 11–14 21, 23, 46–47, 50 Atramentous. . . . . . . . . . . 9, 21, 22, 48, 215 background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127–43 barbarian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 bard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Stormsinger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Bay of Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 29 Black Fleet. . . 19, 25–26, 33, 48, 64, 127–28 Black Fleet raider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127–28 Black Marketeers. See under Smugglers Blackrock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Black Temple. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16–17, 47 Blackwater. . . . . . . . . . . . 17–18, 50, 129–30 Blackwater pit fighter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Blackwater urchin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 blight compass. See under necromechanika blight domain. See under cleric Blighted essence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Whispers of Corruption. . . . . . . . . . . 55 Blighted Resilience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 blighted feats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Blighted flesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Blighted vigor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Claws of the Dragon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Draconic breath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Draconic wings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Weaver of Corruption. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Blighterghast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Blockade Runners. See under Smugglers blood priestess. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 blood seer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77–78 blood witch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73-76 class features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Crimson Strike. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Satyxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 bloodgorger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84–85, 212 bloodletting implements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Bloodshore Prison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 bogrin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 56 bone trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39–40 bonejacks. . . . . . . 187–89, 190–92, 198–200
Bottomton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Broken Coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 28–31 Broken Coast smuggler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Broken Skull Cove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 buccaneer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58, 111–13 Castle Moorcraig. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21–22 capacitors. See under Necromechanika catacombs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 cephalyx. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 50 Ceryl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Charsaug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Children of the Dragon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Church of Toruk. . . . . . . . . 43, 47, 105, 210 Claiming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14 Class Spells bard spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 blood witch spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 bone grinder spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 cleric spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 gun mage spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 paladin spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 ranger spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 shaman spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 sorcerer spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 warcaster spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 wizard spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 cleric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91–92 Blight domain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Coastal Patrol. See under Royal Navy Commanding Officer. See under raider Continental Corridor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32–36 Contrabandists. See under Smugglers Corripio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Cortex. See under necrocortex Craethan Morvaen. . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 26, 50 Cryxian Necromancer. See under warcaster Cullenrock: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29–30 culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 44 Cyriss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Daeamortus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–12, 23 Deathbound Quartermaster. See under Ghost Fleet Deathbound Sharpshooter. See under Ghost Fleet Deathripper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Defiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Nightwretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Ripjaw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Scavenger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Shrike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Deneghra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13–14, 46 Derevnia Vrace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 21 Devourer Wurm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 56 Dhunia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 56 Dirge Seer. See under sorcerer Divinitus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42–43, 46–47 Dragon War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12–13 Dragon’s Teeth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 dragonblight . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39, 56, 59, 118
Dragonmoor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Dreggsmouth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18–19, 21 Drer Drakkerung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 24–25 Dying Strands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Egregore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Essence, new . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Everblight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12–13 experienced anglers. See under Seahunters faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42–43 fighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92–93, 222 Five Fingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 44, 52, 145 Flagship. See under Royal Navy Four Fleets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Four Star Syndicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145–46 Salty Dogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145–46 Rising Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Syndicate Enforcers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Hands of the High Captains . . . . . . . . 146 Fresh Endeavor. See under Mercarian League Traders Fresh Raiders. See under Slaughter Fleet Raiders Frog’s Bight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 fulmenus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46–47 Garlghast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 24–25 Ghost Fleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48, 215 Deathbound Quartermaster . . . . . . . . 215 Deathbound Sharpshooter . . . . . . . . . 215 Ghost Raider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Revenant Captain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 Ghost Raider. See under Ghost Fleet Giant’s Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29 gobber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Golivant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Gourmands. See under Slaughter Fleet Raiders Grimmr, Horfar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 gun mage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Order of the Witch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 gunfighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 wraith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99-100 table, Spellcasting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Hands of the High Captains. See under Four Star Syndicate haruspices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132–33 heartbeat generator. See under necromechanika Hell’s Hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Helldiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 helljacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187–89, 190–91, 196, 198–99, 200 Henge Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 29 Highgate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 53, 108 highwayman. See under raider House Mateau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 human . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 infernalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 iron lich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161, 172–75
CHAPTER 5: SHAELVAS, THE CITY OF THE WIND
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Iron Mongers Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51–52 ironmonger. See under mechanik Knights of the Highgate Vigil. See under ranger Konesta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Kortesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 korune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 51 League of Broken Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Leviathan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Desecrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Harrower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Librum Mekanecrus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 195 Lich Lords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–14, 16–18, 21–25, 42, 43, 46–47, 172 Angorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Asphyxious . . . . . . 11–14, 21, 23, 46–47, 50 Corripio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Daeamortus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–12, 23 Deneghra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13–14, 46 Divinitus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42–43, 46–47 Fulmenus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46–47 Malathrax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Morbus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Mortenebra . . . . . . . . 14, 21–22, 46, 174 Scopulous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46–47 Tenebrous. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 47, 50–51 Terminus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–12, 24, 47 Thalassina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Venethrax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Lichgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Local Fishers. See under Seahunters Malathrax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 marauder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Marin’s Folly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35–36 marine. See under fighter Master Hunters. See under Seahunters Master Merchants. See under Mercarian League Traders Meat Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 mechanik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 ironmonger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102, 213 mechanithralls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 18 Mercarian League . . . . . . . . . 32, 37, 52–53 Mercarian League Traders . . . . . . . . 147–48 Fresh Endeavor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Practiced Merchants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Vested Merchants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Master Merchants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 merchant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Mercir. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 52, 147 Meredius . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120, 122, 134, 222 Meredius whaler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 mire capacitor. See under necromechanika Molgur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 56, 58, 161 monk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Way of the Dying Hand . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Moorcraig. See under pirate kings Morbid Angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Morbus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Morovan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Mortenebra . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 21–22, 46, 174 multiclassing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Names Revenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Satyxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Scharde ogrun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Specter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
234
naval officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Naval Steamjacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Mariner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Freebooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Swabber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Merchantman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Windjammer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Seafarer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Boarder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Buccaneer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Swashbuckler 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 Steamjack weapons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206–07 Steamjack upgrades. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207–09 Amphibious Operation Module. . . . . 207 Deckjack Conditioning Module . . 207–08 Diving Lantern. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Heartfire Gill Extractor . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Pneumatic Venting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Reef Runner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208-09 Retrieval Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Sharklure Rig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Steamjack Snorkel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 table, Bonejack and Helljack Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 necrocortex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 table, Necromechanikal Madness . . . 190 necrofactorium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 necromancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52, 61, 181 NPC. See nonplayer character necromechanika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183-85 heartbeat generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 mire capacitor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 parasitic generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 soulfire capacitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 blight compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 necrotech prosthetic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 table, capacitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 table, dedicated necromechanika table, necrotech runes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 necromechanikal madness. . . . . . . . . . . . 190 necrosurgeon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114–15, 221 necrotech .22, 40–41, (187-88) 220, see also mechanik necrotech prosthetic. See under necromechanika necrotech runes. See under necromechanika necrotite . 11, 18–19, 39, 41, 174, 175, 177, 179–81, 188, 191–97, 200 New Icthier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (32) 36–37 night witch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Nocturnus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 48 Nonplayer character. . . . . . . . . . . . . 210-229 Oath Undying. See under paladin Order of Illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 43 Order of the Torn Veil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Order of the Witch. See under gun mage Order of the Witch rune shots . . . . . . . . . 97 Orgoth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9–10, 24–25, 48 ornaments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200–202 Bane Flesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200–201 Blood-Consecrated Runes . . . . . . . . . 201 Bloodforged Hull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Corpse Wraps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Corpselight Furnace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Dead-Flesh Tabard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Flesh Puppet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Ghost Shield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Spectral Conduit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Undying Weaponry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 paladin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106–07 Oath Undying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 parasitic generator. See under necromechanika Path of the Bloodgorger. . . . . . . . 84–85, 212 Path of the Gladiator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Pirate Fleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 pirate kings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 25 Moorcraig. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 22 Threnodax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 21–22 Pirates, Broken Coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Pits, The. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Port of Deceit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Point of the Spear. See under Royal Navy Practiced Merchants. See under Mercarian League Traders priests of Toruk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210–11 Pyromalfic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Quay Slayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50–51 Quirks. See under adventuring company Raelthorne Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 raider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79–80 commanding officer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 highwayman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 pirate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Ramarck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 ranger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Knights of the Highgate Vigil. . . . . . . 53, 108–09, 223 Rattlebones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Ravenmane, Skarre. . . 13, 26, 33–34, 48–49 Red Tide. See under Slaughter Fleet Raiders Reliquary of Garlghast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Rengrave, Captain . . . . . . . . . 23, 25, 44, 48 Revenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60–61, 216 Revenant traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Bane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Deathbound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Skarlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Revenant Captain.See under Ghost Fleet Rigs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Rising Stars. See under Four Star Syndicate Rockbottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 rogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 buccaneer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58, 111–13 Royal Navy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149–51 Coastal Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Able Sailors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Point of the Spear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Flagship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Salty Dogs. See under Four Star Syndicate Satyx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25–26 Satyxis . . . . . . . . . . . . 25–26, 44, 62, 224–27 Blood witch NPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 Gunslinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 Raider NPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Sea Witch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Scalesflow River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Scharde Invasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–12 Scharde Islands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24–27 Scharde Molgur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Scharde Ogrun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Scharde pirate NPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Scopulous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46–47 Sea Moguls. See under Smugglers Sea Slayers. See under Seahunters Sea Sorcery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Seacutter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 seafarer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Seahunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152–54 Local Fishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Experienced Anglers . . . . . . . . . . . 152–53 Sea Slayers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Master Hunters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Seasoned Fighters. See under Slaughter Fleet Raiders Seether . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Inflictor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Shae, Phineas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28, 32 Shattered Neck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 shroud knight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Skell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16–17, 46 Skull Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33–34 Slaughter Fleet . . . . . . . . . . . 48–49, 158–59 Slaughter Fleet Raiders . . . . . . . . . . . 158–59 Fresh Raiders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158–59 Seasoned Fighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Gourmands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Red Tide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Slaughterborn, Gerlak . . . . . . . . . . . . 48, 158 Slayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Corruptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Reaper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Smolders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Smugglers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155–57 Contrabandists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Blockade Runners. . . . . . . . . . . . . 155–57 Black Marketeers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Sea Moguls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Soratt, Kress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 sorcerer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Dirge Seer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118–19, 213 soulfire capacitor. See under necromechanika soulweaver. See under wizard Southern Incursion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Southshield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Specter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Specter traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Banes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Spectral powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68–69 spell descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163–71 spell lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161–62 Stalker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 steamjacks table, Bonejacks and Helljacks . . . . . . 191 table, Naval Steamjacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 table Steamjack Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . 207 Stormsinger. See under bard Suneater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Swashbuckler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Syndicate Enforcers. See under Four Star Syndicate Talion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Tartarus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Tenebrous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 47, 50–51 Terminus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11–12, 24, 47 Thalassina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 thrall . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 44, 60, 104, 114–15 Threnodax. See under pirate kings Tkra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 105, 175 Toruk’s Citadel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Traits Revenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Satyxis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Scharde Ogrun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Specter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Trident arcanist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
trinkets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182–83 table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Trollkin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70–71 Waverider trollkin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Blighted trollkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Unchained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58–59 Venethrax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Vested Merchants. See under Mercaran League Traders Wailing Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Warcaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Cryxian necromancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 warjack. See under steamjacks warwitch siren . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116–17, 218 table, Spellcasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Way of the Dying Hand. See under monk weapons, blood-forged . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 23 weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178-80 table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Melee Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198–99 Ranged Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 table, Bonejack and Helljack Melee Weapons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 table, Bonejack and Helljack Ranged Weapons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 table, Steamjack Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Wexbourne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 37 White Thorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Widower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 49 Windwrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Windwatcher’s Passage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Witch Coven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 witchlock weapon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123–25 soulweaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Wraith. See under gunfighter Wraithblade, Axiara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 48 Wrecker NPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Zu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32–33, 37
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OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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The following terms are © 2001–2022 Privateer Press, Inc.: : archon, argus, athanc, blackclads, bog trog, boneswarm, bratya, burrow-mawg, cephalyx, The Claiming, cortex, deathjack, deathless, devil’s gasp, doom reaver, dracodile, excruciator, farrow, fell caller, grymkin, gun mage, hollowman, Iron Kingdoms, ’jack, junker hulk, mage hunter, mechanika, mechanikal, mechanithrall, ogrun, pistol wraith, proper names (including those used in the names of spells or items), raevhan buffalo, razorbat, riven, saqu, scylla flock, skigg, slaughterhouse, steamjack, tatyzlwurm, thrall, thrullg, totem hunter, vektiss, warcaster, warjack, warpwolf, witchwood, wold guardian, wold watch, wold wight, wold wyrd
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Travel beyond the Iron Kingdoms with the first expansion to Iron Kingdoms: Requiem, Borderlands and Beyond. Containing everything you need to explore the elven nation of Ios, the mountain realm of the Rhulic dwarves, and the wilderness wastelands surrounding them, this volume contains a wealth of information about what lies just beyond the human kingdoms of western Immoren. Borderlands and Beyond is a great way to discover how these regions have changed in the wake of recent upheavals in western Immoren, to explore the cities of the elves and dwarves, and to find a multitude of new character options ideal for characters who call these places home. Iron Kingdoms: Borderlands and Beyond contains: • An immersive look at the regions that neighbor the Iron Kingdoms • New character options including additional races, classes, and subclasses, backgrounds, adventuring companies, and more • Compatible with the contents of Iron Kingdoms: Requiem and all other 5e products Players will enjoy the possibilities for new characters presented in Borderlands and Beyond while Game Masters will have a new set of locations, story hooks, and more to keep adventuring in the borderlands for years to come!
ISBN: 978-1-943693-76-4 PIP 488 www.privateerpress.com
