I spotted trying again on my protection of the Fables line that I’m probably not doing a primary impression of every particular person journey, a lot as doing a operating overview of your entire journey path as the person installments have been launched. Due to this, I’m going to deal with these just a bit bit in another way going ahead. I’m simply going to make this a multi-part overview.
This works particularly effectively for the present Fable, Brokers of the Empire, as the primary installment separates the Setting Information from the journey materials, and it appears just like the Setting Information shall be bundled with every installment of the journey path. I believe it is a constructive change, particularly with the road experimenting with extra distinct settings and genres inside a fantasy framework.
I’m not going to say that nobody buys and runs only a single journey in one of many Fables journey path, however I do assume that the first intention of the road is to current a cohesive marketing campaign throughout the entire adventures. That’s going to be the lens via which I’m viewing these, so I simply wished to make it clear from the beginning.
Disclaimer
I didn’t obtain a overview copy of this materials from Ghostfire Gaming, and have a subscription to the Fables line. I’ve not had the chance to play via this materials, however I’m very conversant in D&D 5e each as a participant and as a DM.
Spoilers
This setting information dives into a number of the ongoing themes of the journey path, and touches on some background materials that might not be out there to the gamers till later adventures. If you’re planning on being a participant on this marketing campaign, it’s possible you’ll not wish to maintain studying past this level.
Brokers of the Empire Setting Information
Written by: Chad M. Lensch, Joe Raso, Erin Roberts
Head of Fables: Joe Raso
Story Design: Joe Raso
Artwork Director: Marius Bota
Brokers of the Empire Writing Group: Leon Barillaro, Chad M. Lensch, JVC Parry, Joe Raso, Erin Roberts, Carl Sibley, Jeff C. Stevens
Managing Editor: Joe Raso
Editors: Matt Click on, Shawn Merwin, Christopher Walz
Graphic Design: Martin Hughes
Cowl Design: Martin Hughes
Inside Illustrators: Isabeau Backhaus, Zoe Badini, Ivo Campelo da Silva, Brent Hollowell, Katariina Sofia Kemi, Diana Khomutina, John Derek Murphy, Laura Marie Neal, Mihai Radu
Cartographers: Kristian Agerkvist, Andrei Iacob, Damien Mammoloti
VTT Asset Design: Joshua Orchard
A Information to the Information
The PDF of the Brokers of the Empire Setting Information is 88 pages lengthy, together with a abstract web page for the six adventures within the journey path, a desk of contents, a credit web page, an editor’s message, a two-page pronunciation information, and a single web page advert for Ghostfire Gaming merchandise. The e-book itself has a two-page structure, and the borders and sidebars have an Artwork Deco really feel to them.
Along with character paintings, which feels extra in keeping with present tendencies in fantasy RPG designs, there are additionally characters with extra colonial-era designs, in addition to fantastical variations of real-world transportation, corresponding to Warfare Zeppelins. There are additionally some specialised symbols developed for the completely different branches of service that PCs might belong to within the marketing campaign.
Departments
The Setting Information is split into the next sections:
- The World of Tholus
- Character Creation
- Agent Development
- New Mechanics
- Appendix
- New Monsters
- Magitech Automobiles
- New Gear and Magic Gadgets
- Random Agent Gear
- Pronunciation Information
One of many attention-grabbing elements of this information is that the Karelagne Empire isn’t model new for this journey path, however was really the first antagonist on the finish of the earlier journey path, because the PCs needed to face down a Karelagne admiral making an attempt to grab a superweapon from the Aethereal Expanse.
The Setting
As I discussed above, the Karelagne Empire confirmed up within the Aethereal Expanse Fable, primarily the larger of two evils, because the extra harmful of two colonial powers that had as soon as dominated over the area. This does recall to mind instantly, “how are PCs going to react to being brokers of an influence they could have already got a damaging disposition in the direction of.” I can’t reply that proper now, however I can clarify how the setting is offered on this Fable.
The continent that homes the Karelagne empire was as soon as dominated by a special energy, and after that struggle ended, the continent was divided up between a number of warring city-states. The final 300 years of historical past have seen wars on and off once more, together with a struggle to manage the extraplanar Aethereal Expanse, and a struggle in opposition to fiendish creatures that invaded the continent via a portal as a part of one other ongoing struggle.
The empire consists of the next parts:
- Karel Province (the area that features the capital)
- Talavi (an inventive area recognized for info brokers)
- Raal (beforehand the opposite energy of the continent, recognized for its rail strains)
- Nelox (a mining province with devotees of the Deep Data)
- Folly (the devastated area the place Karel’s superweapon was set off)
The areas of the continent not beneath management of the Karelagne Empire embody:
- The Edosians (fisherfolk who’ve a non-aggression pact with the Karelagne Empire)
- The Gravespray Islands (recognized for wild magic and monsters)
A number of of those areas have their very own native energy teams which will have pursuits that aren’t in live performance with the larger Empire or their neighbors.
In the course of the Folly Catastrophe, when the portal opened and dislodged fiends into the world, a few of these fiends managed to cover and enact a long-term plan. The Infernal Swarm of the Buucahb are primarily a hive thoughts of evil cockroaches, a few of which may burrow into humanoids to manage them. The present Sovereign-Normal of the Empire is infested, as is without doubt one of the essential members of the Company.
The Aethereal Expanse launched us to a number of the magical cannons and propulsion techniques of the Karelagne Empire, however the information goes into extra info on the event of Magitech, expertise that may be reproduced extra simply than making a magic merchandise, however have to be powered by the Aetherium obtained from the Aetherial Expanse. These things are additionally extra unstable than conventional magic objects. Whereas they aren’t so widespread that common individuals have entry to them, which means brokers are prone to see bikes, automobiles, tanks, and zeppelins of their adventures, and there are firearms that use Aetherium as an alternative of black powder.
This at the least partially solutions my questions on getting PCs to work for an imperialist energy that has already been the villain of one other marketing campaign. There’s a probability to make the Empire into a greater place by ferreting out essential individuals in energy which were possessed by the fiendish bugs.
There’s one facet of the setting that feels a bit bit handwaved. It mentions that the Empire may be very cosmopolitan, so most elves, dwarves, and so on. see themselves as members of their area slightly than having a separate cultural id. I perceive this to a degree, however given the truth that it’s solely been 300 years or so for the reason that earliest occasions within the timeline, it looks as if older civilizations ought to nonetheless be within the reminiscence of species that reside longer than 300 years. I perceive that for a setting information that’s solely going for use for this marketing campaign might not wish to make investments a lot in previous civilizations, however I additionally bear in mind how little lore it took Bael Turath to have detailed to make it really feel like part of historic historical past in 4e when presenting a fallen nation of Tieflings.
Automobiles
I’m going to offer autos their very own part on this a part of the overview, as a result of I spent a good period of time being vital of the earlier Fable for creating brand-new automobile guidelines that didn’t work like different elements of D&D 5e, and weren’t crucial for 90% of the marketing campaign. I’m not saying they have been unhealthy, I’m saying it felt unusual to have such radically completely different mechanics for one facet of the sport.
This time round, we don’t revisit these automobile guidelines. As an alternative, we get automobile stat blocks which can be similar to the expanded ship statistics in Ghosts of Saltmarsh, or the automobile guidelines we see in Descent into Avernus. Principally, you’ve gotten a special armor class, harm threshold, and hit factors for various components of the automobile.
That doesn’t imply there aren’t extra guidelines than the D&D guidelines present. There are extra guidelines for what number of squares a automobile must make a flip, crash issues, and elective guidelines for magitech automobile mishaps every time they take harm, as a result of instability of the Aetherium energy cells.
The chase guidelines exist for each foot chases and automobile chases, however I’m going to say them on this part, partly due to a number of the elective guidelines included. The chase guidelines embody 3 ways to adjudicate chases:
- Group Ability Examine
- Hole Monitoring
- Full Fight Chase
The group talent verify is a barely modified model of the group talent verify mechanics offered within the Participant’s Handbook, but when outcomes are tied between success and failure, one character could make a “tiebreaker” verify. Full Fight Chase is actually the foundations launched within the Dungeon Grasp’s Information for chases. Hole Monitoring is the chase mechanic launched within the earlier Fable for ship chases, and it was really one facet of these guidelines I actually preferred.
Hole Monitoring includes setting plenty of tokens that characterize the typical pace of a personality’s motion charge within the chase between the individual operating and the individuals chasing them. Characters make a verify on the finish of a flip to see if they’ve narrowed the hole, with bonuses if they’re sooner than the pace represented by the token, or penalties if they’re slower. Characters that may use magic to maneuver or take the sprint motion would possibly take away a further token.
Brokers
The entire PCs on this marketing campaign are assumed to be members of The Company. The Company has 4 divisions and 6 ranks. Along with getting these advantages, additionally they achieve a degree of Fortune, which features so much just like the Luck factors from the Luck feat, besides you solely get one while you be a part of The Company, and everytime you go up in rank. Moreover, characters achieve a bonus to sure abilities, from +1 to +1d12, relying on the division they’re in and the skills they take from that division’s record.
The Agent guidelines are primarily a way more granular model of the faction guidelines that D&D 5e tried to introduce, however solely actually utilized in Adventurers League or Dragon Heist. On this case, characters get rather more concrete extra skills for attaining completely different ranks of their division. Advancing in rank is dealt with by way of Milestones, so like lots of adventures with XP, you achieve a rank in your Division when one thing occurs within the story, slightly than gaining X variety of factors till you hit a threshold.
Particular person divisions permit a personality to reroll a capability verify that makes use of a specific talent after they roll a one, taking the brand new roll. For every Agent rank, characters choose a brand new expertise, which features for a selected talent beneath a selected circumstance, permitting them to roll their Agent Bonus.
Brokers of various ranks also can requisition magic objects firstly of a mission, however they must return these magic objects when the mission is over. Usually talking, in the event that they discover any “good things” throughout the mission, the house workplace goes to wish to purchase that as effectively.
I’m not usually a fan of inflating the talent curve in 5e’s bounded accuracy, however I like each of the methods they’re boosting competency. Rerolling a 1 doesn’t blow the lids off of potential outcomes, and getting a bonus die, as an alternative of doubling proficiency, nonetheless signifies that the online result’s inside a variety, slightly than elevating the minimal roll by greater than 1.
Gear
Many of the Magitech gear we see is flavored to herald the sensation of spy devices. You could have flasks you possibly can throw to keep away from being pursued, escape boots that allow you to fly brief distances, blasting sticks that allow you to do strategic detonations, and grapple weapons that allow you to zip off to the rooftops.
Monsters
Many of the “monsters” offered are stat blocks that I assume shall be repeated so much throughout a number of adventures. A lot of them are NPCs that might be distinctive to the setting, together with completely different iterations of the infernal cockroaches that appear to be the first antagonists of the marketing campaign.
- Aetherium Researcher (CR ¼)
- Agent, Novice (CR ½)
- Agent, Veteran (CR 3)
- Agent, Grasp (CR 5)
- Buuchahb, Particular person (CR 0)
- Buuchahb, Lesser Swarm (CR ½)
- Buuchahb, Swarm of (CR 2)
- Buuchahb, Larger Swarm of (CR 5)
- Buuchahb, Harrier (CR 1)
- Buuchahb, Drone (CR 3)
- Buuchahb, Infestation (Swarm Type)(CR 11)
- Buuchahb, Infestation (Corporeal Type (CR 11)
This does make me marvel how NPC stat block heavy the marketing campaign shall be. That might make sense for an espionage-based marketing campaign, however I do nonetheless wish to see some hulking monsters every now and then in my fantasy tales.
The View (To a Kill) So Far
I believe this can be a tough promote for some gamers that actually don’t wish to play brokers of an imperialist energy, until you clue them in that you could be be coping with corruption from inside and making adjustments to the system. I’m curious to see how evident this theme is early within the marketing campaign. That mentioned, I additionally wish to see how straightforward it’s to get that feeling of chasing somebody down on a proto-motorcycle, and doing that opening scene of a Bond film the place you do some extremely over-the-top stunt.
We’ll wait to see how the adventures unfold, however the stew of a marketing campaign setting I’ve received in my head proper now’s someplace between 2011 Three Musketeers, The League of Extraordinary Gents, and the animated Gotham by Gaslight.
