Make-a-Merc
From IKwiki
A system of rules for running scenarios as a tabletop rpg.
The game is designed for 2 to 5 or more players. One player will be the game master, who controls monsters and adversaries, and the remaining players create characters, represented by Warmachine models.
At the outset of the game, the game master and players cooperate to come up with a premise for the campaign. The campaign is an ongoing narrative and serves to tell the story of the exploits of the character, which the players design.
Initially, each player is given a number of points (about 5 to 15 points), which are used to create characters.
Character creation
The characters choose a race for their character. In the Iron Kingdoms, humans are the majority, but other races are common, such as gobbers, trollkin, ogrun, and dwarves. Rarer races such as Iosans, Nyss, or even undead thralls or satyx may also be played at the game master's discresion.
Each race has it's base stats. Races that may have a point cost representing their rarity or racial advantages.
From there, the player may spend his points on advantages for his character. They come in three forms:
- Training- Increased base stats such as SPD, MAT or DEF.
- Abilities- Special rules such as Camoflage, or special actions.
- Equipment- Weapons, armor, or items such as smoke bombs.
Once the players have finished creating characters, they are ready to go out adventuring. The GM introduces the setting, explaining any key background characters and events, and may provide the players with certain choices. The players play in custom scenarios created by the GM, or chosen from a list of samples. Depending on the character's descisions or performance during previous missions, they may gain benefits which carry over to future scenarios.
At the end of each succesful scenario, the players may gain rewards depending on their performance. These rewards are generally an increase in their point total, which allows the more flexability and power in creating their character models. Rewards might also be benefits such as improved battlfield conditions in future scenarios, reinforcements or allies, reduced point cost for certain items, acces to certain powerful items or training, or important intel.
For example, the players might start as impoverished mercenaries in Ord, built with only a scant 7 points. As they survive initial encounters with undead, Khadoran scouts, or rival crimelords, they gradually gain points which add to their total. Once the player have about 20 to 30 points to work with, they have become fairly powerful Solo models.
Purchasing training as an Infantry commander transforms the character into a leader of an infantry unit. The player way then spend part of his point to purchase infantry troopers to command. THe cost of their gear and training must be split evenly between each trooper model in the unit other than the PC leader, so the quality and quantity of the troops that the player can afford will depend on the point total that the player has accumulated.
Once the player has ammased a considerable amount of points (at least 100), they may consider purchasing the Jack Marshal training, allowing them to command a mercenary warjack in combat.
At some point, the player will have plenty of points, giving them the flexability to possibly command more than one unit of troopers, or possibly extra mercenary solos and the like. Becoming a mercenary warcaster, though difficult, could also be a possibility. They could invest those points into social or political contacts, gaining acces to favorable conditions in scenarios or affect the outcome of a plot event in the future.
The characters could conceivably become powerful enough to take part in critical event in the unfolding history of the Iron Kingdoms, finding themselves fighting alongside or across from some of the pivotal characters in Warmachine and Hordes.
