Age of Sigmar: Soulbound - 10 Questions Generator

Hey folks, so I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I've been working on a rather large generator for use with Cubicle 7's new game Age of Sigmar: Soulbound. I really love its setting, something I had initially written off due to being a huge fan of classic Warhammer Fantasy. I treated myself to the book when it was initially released and fell in love. It is the mash-up of Saturday Morning Cartoons, goofy toyetic action figure nonsense, weird metal album cover fantasylands, and a lot of other stuff that inspires me when I'm in a less serious mood.

I actually really dig how it does dice pools on top of everything else.

I'm also attaching this to a blogpost for a few reasons:
1. So I can say that the intellectual property of this is all property of Games Workshop because I know that's a thing they like.
2. So I link it here and have it be something people will associate with me, which I think is an okay thing to do because I wrote everything in it and it took a lot of time and effort.

I'm working on a lot of serious stuff, as well as graduate school, so its fun to make something fun. I intend to run the game in a few months, once my current Best Left Buried campaign is over.

That all said, click here to go to the randomizer. It answers all ten questions from character creation while being mostly archetype neutral. It skews more towards the types of people who have skin and don't live underwater, and that's mostly due to Sylvaneth and Idoneth being kinda wild cards for me. I think it all still works though and you can even make a Stormcast Eternal with most of the things presented herein.

Click Here for the Randomizer!

Spoils of the Gorgon Coast: The Degenerate Heir

As the kickstarter for the Zinequest Quartet winds down, I find myself in awe of the amount of folks who seem interested in my project; especially given the fierce talent of the other writers working on the project. Spoils of the Gorgon Coast, is a setting toolbox for generating a horrible Mediterranean region ruled by terrible inbred eugenicist monsterblooded noble houses led by the Inheritors, who seek to steal back the throne of their now fallen empire. They deal a lot with the squick horror of abuse, privilege, high-society, and are meant to clearly operate as the sort of people who will condemn thousands to pain and misery from behind a desk. They absolutely suck and make for good villains, as you're ostensibly only in the region to work for one or to profit off the war they're putting on.

The Cover for Spoils of the Gorgon Coast.

Notably, in several sections of their faction generator write-ups (which includes their palatial estates, henchmen, and hostages), note is made to Degenerate Heirs and Denied Heirs. The latter being an Inheritor who, for lack of a nicer way to phrase it--will not be having children to carry on the bloodline and thus is not allowed to have the throne. They're not the most tragic. But a Degenerate Heir has this sort of sadness to them; they were perfectly monstrous enough to take the throne but then someone else was born "better" and now they're seen as a genetic dead end; worthless save for keeping up appearances.

Such beings come from extreme wealth but now with an existential loss of purpose, either glut themselves on every drug and concubine they can have in life until ennui takes the wheel and sends them to their deaths; or they can get angry and pursue their own destinies.

This is an attempt at a Racial Archetype for Best Left Buried, which is in truth a bit less powerful than an Elf or Dwarf in the setting. Its abilities are flavorful, but essentially more harm than good. I'd have gone with a different grouping that appears in the setting, but I intend to run the Gorgon Coast and I know what sort of things my players like to play as---generally speaking, they want to play as sharp-toothed monster people because such is the way of the world. Its a hard line to play with, making monsterblooded and mutated nobles who aren't blatantly beastmen, so what follows is a taste of what you'll receive in the book proper.

If you haven't already checked out the Zinequest Quartet, do so: you'll be supporting me, and a lot of other great writers. It is already guaranteed funded, so you've got nothing to lose. And while this item here is not in the book itself---I am hopeful that, should the book do well, I might be able to create supplementary material for it.

So please let me know what you think.

Art by Spaghetti Bastard; whose horrific displays were a big influence.

The Degenerate Heir:

The Inheritors of the Gorgon Coast have spent countless generations meddling with the blood of monsters, seeking to reach a horrific apotheosis so as to bring to fruition the desires of the First Imperator: that mankind shall never again know fear. Such reckless pursuits lead to abominable rites; inbreeding, cannibalism, and cullings more often than not. But each generation is a march towards progress, and in truth, even the most broken of offspring is still closer to that goal than their progenitors. 

You are one of these Degenerate Heirs. Not an Inheritor, for your parentage or your siblings have spawned something more malformed and more fitting to seek the blood-stained throne of Ancient Taurochtalia. Your authority has been supplanted, your destined thwarted, your inheritance denied; you are nothing now but a warped branch end of the family tree. 

Degenerated and denied, you still have access (for the moment) to your family resources and knowledge of the war to come. The throne may never be yours, but you may again know the love of your family---provided you are able to butcher their rivals and plunder their palatial halls of antiquity.

Note: The traits of playing a Degenerate Heir are double-edged and situational, enough that the flavor does not outweigh the penalties. As such, much like a regular character archetype a Degenerate Heir may take an additional advancement at character creation. As such they are noted in the Suggested Advancements listed below.

Imperial Arrogance: Even a Degenerate Heir knows they are better than any lesser being that foul fortune has forced them to suffer among. Degenerate Heirs are Against the Odds when engaged in positive social interaction with NPCs not of royal or monstrous blood.

Wealth of the City-States: Though scorned by their Inheritor siblings and parents for a few misplaced mutations and blemishes, a Degenerate Heir is still expected to keep up appearances. Degenerate Heirs only gain Experience from Treasure when it is worth at least 2 points of Experience. Anything less if nothing to celebrate. For fancy starting goods, roll on the tables below.

Blooded of the Chalice: Though of ill-fortune in their breeding, the Degenerate Heir is still of malign and baleful blood. They do not fear monsters, they consume them. Degenerate Heirs have the Upper Hand on all Grip Checks made against monstrous entities. Degenerate Heirs recover Vigour at half the rate of other characters, though if they are consuming the blood of monsters from a chalice, they recover at twice the rate.

An Inheritance Denied: Degenerate Heirs are a genetic backwash of what was intended to be perfection. No amount of worship to the Cult of Chalices or victories against their rivals will win them the favor that they seek. This injustice weighs heavily upon the minds and hearts of the Degenerate Heir, causing them to begin with an Affliction determined below.

Suggested Advancements:  Take Tough as Nails if your Degenerate Heir is a lumbering brute. Take Spirits of the Beyond if they are studied of the Collegiums of the Coast and interested in its history a bit too much. Take Concoctionist if they are deeply invested in their family goals or a vaunted member of the Cult of Chalices. 

Typical Afflictions of the Degenerate Heir:

1. Debilitating Dread
2. Bitter Grudge
3. Despair of Worthlessness
4. Man-Eater
5. Solace in the Battle
6. Hedonistic Longing

New Affliction

Hedonistic Longing (Character Flaw) The comforts of the upper echelons of society cease to provide comfort to a Degenerate Heir after years of consumption. The brothels, drug dens, torture houses, and artist plazas lose their lustre. Time away waging war, looting tombs, and plundering crypts may for a time suffice, but a wistfulness and a longing to overindulge will always find its way back to the heir. Denied their inheritance, they must attempt to satiate themselves on any other indulgence; often leading to a life of spiraling shame and further addiction.

Degenerate Heir’s Horrible Form, Frame:

1. A squat and broad body, akin to a toad; warted and leathery.
2. A tall and muscled frame, lithe and limber, capable of such cruelty.
3. A long and bony frame, lumbering and slick with sweat.
4. A body riddled with semi-hardened plates of bone and a fused, thick neck.
5. A flowing form, like water from a spigot, like a moving serpent. Always slinking about.
6. A crumpled frame, hunchbacked, with hands scraping just above the ground.

Degenerate Heir’s Horrible Form, Face:

1. The sharp, edged features of a belly-crawling beast. A long jaw of ripping fangs.
2. The black eyes of an apex predator, soulless and hateful. Skin smooth as a stone.
3. A face of folding flesh, bent upward and arranged for strange acoustics. A mouth for drinking blood.
4. A great proboscis and the bold panicked eyes of prey. A small mouth of narrow needles.
5. The bone-chewing jaws of a scavenger, seemingly lipless. Wild, yellow eyes ripe with jaundice.
6. A broad flat face with the eyes of a goat, teeth for ripping, and a malicious cackle that pulls back the lips too far.

Wealth of the City-State, Inherited Weapons:

1. Asp-embellished rapier or bastard sword with arboreal patterns upon the blade.
2. Headman’s axe with a Gilded Edge or a flagellant’s whip of Monster Flesh.
3. Azure-inlaid Bec-de-Corbin or a hooked sword with Harpy-embellishments on the guard.
4. A velvet-hilted cavalry sabre or a long misericorde that emulates a manticore’s spine.
5. An ivory wood-stocked huntsman’s rifle or a pair of gold and bone pistols.
6. A rosewood heavy crossbow embellished with house patterns on the stock or an ancient ox-horn longbow painted in blackware style with hydra-slaying deeds.

Wealth of the City-State, Inherited Armor:

1. Padded black gambeson with gold thread embellishments 
2. Ancient eel-patterned Gladiator’s helmet with bone raptor’s feather plume.
3. Fur-trimmed parade armor with gilded-scale cloak 
4. Pavise shield painted to depict the Degenerate Heir mocking their foes.
5. Sliced hedge knight’s leather armor with serpent patterns threaded throughout 
6. Silvered sallet helmet embellished with a spiked crown.

Class Contacts: The Fighter [d20]

Well, I was on my way to running a Dolmenwood game but my usual group is wanting to give Eberron a shot using Knave; so I'll likely be running it with my B-team crew once I've got the time and means; as well as the pdfs I backed in the OSE Kickstarter.

That all being said, expect some Eberron material in the future which will likely be done up in the same sort of style/tables as Rakehell. What follows isn't any of that stuff though, it's a list of randomroll contacts who have a bit more to them than just a mere sentence. These first twenty are related to the Fighter/Warrior archetype, and they operate under the assumption that your character has become an adventurer after participating in a conflict of some sort.

I, having used this before, gave any Fighter a number of rolls on this equal to their Charisma Modifier, with a minimum of 1 Contact. Rolling the same results multiple times increases the level of importance and favoritism the contact has for you, regardless of how you might view them. Best friends can sometimes make terrible enemies.

The Fighter Class Contacts [d20]

1. Your old commander, maimed and retired and bitter about both of those reasons as much as they're bitter about everything else in life. They want so desperately to see action again. They want even more desperately to find a reason to keep on living, should they not be able to find a warrior's death fitting of their life's work. You brighten their day, which makes the darkened hours all the drearier...

2. The quartermaster of your former company, now stuck in a job that barely uses their talents. They've grown bored, lax, and corrupt. Without challenges or thrills in life, there's very little point in giving a thought to their numbers. Nobody else check's their ledgers, and that makes their descent all the easier...

3. A mercenary, from a company you once worked alongside of. Knows the good jobs, but always doubts your valor and courage; as if you're somehow good enough friends for such playful banter. Has tried to hire you to work for their company before, but there's a good reason you never signed on...

4. An old enemy who has since fallen into neutral terms with you as the conflict which bore such ill-will is of little modern concern. Harbors no lingering spite but fears you planting a dagger in their back. Is utterly profit-minded now, though when they whisper your name to peers, it is hard to know their intent...

5. A chaplain who once roused your spirits in an hour of darkness. Now, sadly, disillusioned by conflict, clinging to their faith which they now view in tatters. Chastises your level of devotion, be it too high, too low, or not important at all. Wants so desperately for there to be a sign that all of this was worth it...

6. An old ally of yours who committed heinous war crimes in the field. They show no sign of any regret. Strangely calm and treats you like you're a true friend. They treat you like you were complicit in their horror show. They wear the face of a good citizen, but you see a fracture in that mask and something wicked deep beneath it waiting to emerge...

7. A minor lordling who has heard tales of the conflict and thinks you a good source of stories. Likes to play soldier, likes to get in the rough of it. Will get themselves killed trying to emulate your deeds or those of your superiors, as they lack a frame of reference or a friendship with death...

8. A knight who once used your companions and self as a means to gain personal glory; much to your suffering. Is terrified of the many deaths caused by such avaricious gloryhounding may be revealed and see him undone. Assists out of fear you might blackmail them, certainly not a true friend...

9.  A young watchman, the first person who saw you when you came back from the war. Hasn't been to war proper, but knows they might get sent someday. Genuinely kind company, but treats you with a gentle and distant touch; like you're a hound that's been beaten one too many times, not a person.

10. A once cruel officer who saw you take the lash, but now home from the war has shown themselves to be a pleasant person with a loving family. They speak of the war and their actions only when asked, and do not dwell in glory or lies. They do not take back their actions, they were right at the time. They treat you like you're lost, like you don't get how things are now...

11. A deserter, ever apologetic for having left the night before that devastating massacre. Lives in fear of being outed for their flight, lives in shame for their cravenness. Is well-connected and living under a false name, just wants to be left alone but is burdened to you by their own guilt...

12. A bilious wandering judge who had once hired you to keep them safe from "the rabble" and "the riff-raff." Loves to blather on about precedent and law, and always seemed to care more about profitable interpretation than just ones. Brought you around so your might could make right...

13. The plague doctor who kept you in quarantine upon your return, probing and peeling at your flesh for sake of "the community" and a fear of war-time contaminants. Trusts you because you were "clean", somehow thinks of you as a grand old friend. Is always announcing you when they see you by saying "And this is my friend..."

14. Local "monster hunters," really a couple reckless youths who seem to know their local legends and possess a nearly perverse desire to risk their lives in combat against the unknown. They're so impressed by everything about you and want you to show them the ropes, but they're very dismissive as well. They will end up charlatans, surely...

15. A troupe of lepers who have heard of your deeds from others who have passed through their ill-treated brotherhood. They linger on the fringes of the roads, but they know the nature of your soul at a glance and deem you a fair-weather friend in worthy of protecting; for so few are ravaged by conflict and decide to keep moving forward...

16. Your sibling who went off to fight in the same war, at your side even, but who has lost their way since the end of the conflict. They have readjusted to society by telling tall tales and exaggerating their actions to scales both grand and minute. They rouse to anger quickly, brought down only by the weight of their shame for not weathering it as well as you have, or with the numbness dolled out by the oblivion-seeking sips of a bottle...

17. A corpse-picker who once helped you bury the body of a friend. They lent you a sip from their lucky flask and allowed you to vent your rage and your sorrows. They promised not to take his boots, because its harder to do that when they see someone cared for the body. They always seem to know a buyer from something...

18. A camp follower, to whom you spent many nights with in comfort despite vows or promises made to anyone before you left. They know things are different now that you're not out warring. They try their best to not act like anything you had with them was real...

19. A maligned caster of spells from some cloistered tower or institution, who sees in you a capacity do what needs doing in the world. They speak pompously, seldom with kindness in their tone, but they are always good for the money they owe. They want you to know that their reputation is embellished and hope you'll make a proper appraisal, if only so they might hear something new...

20. A local lord who has heard of your work and deeds, and considers you to be an appropriate rook to be used in combat with their enemies. Invites you to feasts and tournaments, but seldom will you two have a moment to speak. Their counsel makes it know you are utterly disposable as an asset, but when you and the lord have words it is clear they value some small bit of your world-view.