You are Nalana, child of Craftworld Ulthwé, one of the few born after the horrifying Fall of Eldar. For as long as you remember, the foul forces of Chaos would assail your home, reducing its outer habitats to ruin. Day and night, are your people threatened by She Who Thirsts, and the other from among the Ruinous Powers. And yet, your people remained unbound and unbroken, facing threat after threat. Your elders would tell you of your races magnificent past, of days where you did not have to constantly live in fear of She Who Thirsts, when you ruled the cosmos itself through the favor of True Gods.
Like most of your kin, you've spent much of your long life exploring what it meant to be an Eldar. For a long time you've been an Artisan; a Bonesinger, and did so enjoy weaving wraithbone into intricate patterns, artworks and elegories on the few murals of the Craftworld that still had space. But in the centuries of this life, you've learned not just how to build, but also how to forge. You know how to create Runes, carefully, masterfully fusing the tiniest of crysplast circuits with a fine shell of Wraithbone; you know how to mold the armors and temper the blades.
Though you had moved on from that Path, your fondness for Arts and creativity remains, and you have aided the Artisans on many occasions, whether with word, or with blade, when their precious numbers had to be saved by spilling blood. And the Artisans of Eldar remember and honor their friends and kin; and thus upon your accession to the Council of Seers, you've been given a gift. A single gift, but one of enormous power - a symbol of your skill, nobility and courage.
[]Spear of Finé: "When it dipped, it signaled us the Fall. When it rose, did our ancestors escape. The Lords Phoenix will die by its side at the Final Hour, its edge burrowed into hearts afoul." - An unbelievably ancient weapon, even by Eldar standards, said to have been used by Finé, the first Seer to predict the Fall. Its blade still remains undulled, carving through armor with ease, while its imbued runes fasten casting of rituals. It's also said that those wielding it never miss their mark. (Relic Witchblade, cannot be evaded by regular units; heroes must roll for defense)
[]Miyenne's Kiss: "Like wind through clouds, its edge flowed through their shields; and those who would claim to be our betters; died before Asuryan's sight!" - This exquisitely crafted power sword belonged to exalted Farseer Miyenne, long before she became one with the Infinity. Her beauty matched only by her farsight and skills with blade, it is said that no less than five Space Marine Chaptermasters have been felled by its edge. (Relic Power Sword. Ignores Armor)
[]Cegorach's Cackle: "Do you wander, do you bleed? Do you hear the God's maddened scream?" - A Shuriken pistol, said to have been a gift from the Harlequins guarding the Black Library to an old Ulthwe Seer. It is inscribed with runes and stones that allow the Seer to channel their power through it, imbuing the shurikens with properties of their runes. On its own, the weapon has superior rate of fire, accuracy and range compared to a regular pistol. (Relic Shuriken Pistol. +1 Accuracy, can apply offensive Rune effects on shots)
[]Gandalrian's Staff: "I am but old and tired being, Mon-Keigh. Surely you wouldn't take away this old one's only support?" This legendary staff was said to belong to Gandalrian, one of the oldest Farseers of Ulthwe, and among the first to join Infinity. It's intricate designs allows for placement of multiple runes, allowing the Seer to cast them with minimal effort. Its standard blasts of warp power can fling and daze even armored enemies. (Relic Force Weapon. Allows for +3 runes to be carried into battle, +1 Perception to all friendly units)
[]Elesis' Scarf: "And she walked through the field; the flames wreathing as if alive, dancing forth as Khaine's favored spawn, and all burned before her righteous sight." - A unique, double-edged witchblade, named after a minor hero of Eldar legends. In addition to being a fine Force Weapon, its complex Runes seem to envelop it in seething flames when wielded by Psykers. (Double-bladed Force Weapon. Applies flamer effects)
[]Ophex's Sting: "Then three stood, alone against the coming steel. But their hands were guided by Khaine, and hearts soothed by Isha; Thus their enemies fell, one-by-one consumed by the dragon's breath." The Eldar fusion pistols are a weapon analogous to Imperium's melta weapons - if far more elegant. This particular one is said to have belonged to Ophex, one of the first Exarchs of the Fire Dragons on Ulthwe, who bestowed it onto Farseer Alba after she saved his life during Raid on Beltansar Prime. (Relic Fusion Weapon. Superior Armor penetration, +1 Will)
The Seer's Council too, bears you a gift, a customary greeting for those exalted to join their group. The function of the gift is as symbolic as it is practical - it is a reward, an acknowledgement of having braved the Path of the Seer long enough to have reached this point, but it also has a practical effect of bestowing the new Farseers with artifacts that make them more difficult to kill. After all, you are leaders of Ulthwé, and it just wouldn't do if you died too often.
[]Ghosthelmet: This sophisticated helmet, crafted with wraithbone and crystalplas circuitry, is said to be indispensible to any self-respecting Seer. It partially masks the Seer's presence in the Warp, allowing them to draw on even greater reserves of power, and granting a certain degree of resistance against Warp-based powers. (+1 Intelligence, Willpower, increases protection against Warp)
[]Rune Armor: This sophisticated suit of armor, forged from Wraithbone, has been woven with multiple guard and save runes, giving it superb protection without compromising the users range of movement. (+2 Toughness, +1 Agility)
[]Starfield Cloak: A stunning work of art, even for the craftsmen of Eldar, this cloak appears like a lifelike representation of night skies, as seen from the long-lost Eldar homeworld. Its sight emboldens your allies, and the cloak itself seems to distort your presence, making it less likely to be hit by enemy strikes. (Increases ally morale, can rally broken units. +1 on unit cap, +1 Agility)
[]Gauntlets of Isha: These elastic wraithbone gauntlets help to channel the user's Warp powers, as well a sseemingly mend flesh over time. Fittingly then, they have been named for Eldar goddess of Healing. These particular gauntlets are said to have been recovered from planet Kronus, once in possession of Farseer Taldeer. (Applies slow healing effect, +1 Perception, +1 Willpower)
Lastly, no Seer - and Farseer especially, is complete without their Runes. From times immemorial have your people used them - convenient symbols and token, which focus your Warp powers into desired spells, without having to constantly access the Warp itself. Simple, effective, replicable and elegant - not like the blunt methods used by the ignorant Mon-Keigh sorcerers, why try to foolishly grasp Warp with their own hands.
[]Incinerate: By focusing their power through this Rune, the Seer creates a blast of enormous temperature, compromising armor and burning weaker infantry units alive. Infantry units inside the blast zone will also suffer morale penalties.
[]Render: Focusing their powers through this rune allows the Seers to unleash a devastating burst of Warp lightning, inflicting grievous wounds upon any foe unfortunate enough to be in its path. Afflicted units suffer -1 AGI, STR and TGH; non-hero units have a chance to be automatically incinerated.
[]Mind of War: One of the oldest, and most devastating techniques available to a Farseer, which turns their very thoughts into a lethal weapon. All non-hero units afflicted are instantly killed. Hero units must pass a defense check; failure will result in -2 TGH, WL, INT and PRC every turn for 3 turns, unless a success is rolled on the defense. Psychic characters have a chance to counter-attack on successful defense.
[]Eldricht Storm: Another old, draining and exceedingly devastating technique; upon casting the Seer unleashes a tremendous burst of psychic energy, which renders the earth and air apart in any area within Seers immediate sight. Effective against armor and infantry units.
[]Guide: A rune popular with Farseers leading their troops directly; it allows them to guide the fire of up to two Units on the battlefield, bestowing them with +4 accuracy for 4 turns.
[]Fortune: By focusing most of their power, Farseers can seemingly bend fate on the battlefield, bestowing miraculous fortune upon a Hero or a Unit. It is not fool-proof however, and its best to not excessively tempt Fate. Allows any afflicted unit to re-roll any failed defensive rolls.
[]Destructor: An older Rune-form of Incinerate; it allows the Warlock or Farseer to create a powerful, focused blast of warp-flame. Relatively efficient, it can be quickly recast multiple times.
[]Renew: A rather ancient Rune, it allows a Seer to close the wounds of any single unit or a Hero in immediate proximity. It is however, enormously taxing.
[]Protect: By focusing through this rune, a Seer creates a field of shifting warp-energies around a group of soldiers or a Hero, seemingly blocking shots and deflecting blows. Greatly reduces threshold of defensive rolls.
[]Warding: This immensely powerful rune protects against any warp powers directed against the Seer, seemingly nullifying them. Single-use only.
[]Rebirth: Often the last-result tool of powerful Heroes and Seers, this rune allows them to seemingly return to life after a seemingly lethal pain - at a cost of incomprehensibly powerful pain. Single charge only, applicable only to Heroes in possession of a Soulstone.
Last, but not the least, you now have your own Wraith-Ship. Though the Eldar Webway connects most of the known Galaxy, it does not connect all of the Galaxy, at least not anymore. And then, there are rare cases when arriving by ship makes its own advantages...
[]Name Your Wraith Ship! (Write-in)
****
Well, that took entirely longer than I expected.
Also, yes, you can technically pick multiple runes of the same type. No idea why you'd do that, but it is possible.
Prior to walking the Path of the Seer, you walked many other Paths. For a time, you were a Howling Banshee, a shrieking amazon that wielded a blade that was unmatched by any other. You were also a Bonesinger, and did so enjoy weaving wraithbone into intricate patterns, artworks and elegories on the few murals of the Craftworld that still had space. You were even Autarch Nalana before you were Farseer Nalana, and you are well-versed in the ways of war, both close enough to see the whites of a Space Marine's eyes as you cut out his hearts, and far enough to watch as thousands of hapless Mon'Kiegh died to buy your kin the precious moments they needed to escape.
[X]Miyenne's Kiss: "Like wind through clouds, its edge flowed through their shields; and those who would claim to be our betters; died before Asuryan's sight!" - This exquisitely crafted power sword belonged to exalted Farseer Miyenne, long before she became one with the Infinity. Her beauty matched only by her farsight and skills with blade, it is said that no less than five Space Marine Chaptermasters have been felled by its edge. (Relic Power Sword. Ignores Armor)
Because while the Spear is nifty, its auto-hit effect is only against non-heroes. The kind of chaff that an Eldar shouldn't have to deal with; what they have to deal with are Heroes and Officers, which are exactly the kind of person to pose non-irrelevant risk to the classy Eldar art of Trollcasting. That is, manipulating other people to cast thousands of people into the grinder for your own gain.
Meanwhile, ignoring armor is really cool, especially for when you have to deal with like, Terminators. And we're gonna have to deal with Terminators eventually.
Now, for armor. On one hand, the Ghosthelmet is really neat, especially since it augments the warp-part of being a Farseer while also helping in defending from warp attacks. On the other hand, as Eldar, we're resistant anyway. Its not that important, while on the other hand the Eldar species is pitifully rather more squishy than, say, a Space Marine. On the other hand, being fast is also nice, and I'd like to have neato esoteric powers over a boring flat statbooster.
Basically, I'm going for this: [X]Gauntlets of Isha: These elastic wraithbone gauntlets help to channel the user's Warp powers, as well a sseemingly mend flesh over time. Fittingly then, they have been named for Eldar goddess of Healing. These particular gauntlets are said to have been recovered from planet Kornus, once in possession of Farseer Taldeer. (Applies slow healing effect, +1 Perception, +1 Willpower)
Because what you can see, you can run away from. Also Willpower. And Regeneration. Which are neato burrito.
Now, lastly for warp powers,I want to build in a way that is supportive and yet capable of direct firepower. It's just embarrassing for someone who was once Autarch to have no support powers, IMO. Therefore, my following picks:
[x]Incinerate: By focusing their power through this Rune, the Seer creates a blast of enormous temperature, compromising armor and burning weaker infantry units alive. Infantry units inside the blast zone will also suffer morale penalties.
[x]Render: Focusing their powers through this rune allows the Seers to unleash a devastating burst of Warp lightning, inflicting grievous wounds upon any foe unfortunate enough to be in its path. Afflicted units suffer -1 AGI, STR and TGH; non-hero units have a chance to be automatically incinerated.
[x]Guide: A rune popular with Farseers leading their troops directly; it allows them to guide the fire of up to two Units on the battlefield, bestowing them with +4 accuracy for 4 turns.
[x]Fortune: By focusing most of their power, Farseers can seemingly bend fate on the battlefield, bestowing miraculous fortune upon a Hero or a Unit. It is not fool-proof however, and its best to not excessively tempt Fate. Allows any afflicted unit to re-roll any failed defensive rolls.
[]Gandalrian's Staff: "I am but old and tired being, Mon-Keigh. Surely you wouldn't take away this old one's only support?" This legendary staff was said to belong to Gandalrian, one of the oldest Farseers of Ulthwe, and among the first to join Infinity. It's intricate designs allows for placement of multiple runes, allowing the Seer to cast them with minimal effort. Its standard blasts of warp power can fling and daze even armored enemies. (Relic Force Weapon. Allows for +3 runes to be carried into battle, +1 Perception to all friendly units)
[]Ghosthelmet: This sophisticated helmet, crafted with wraithbone and crystalplas circuitry, is said to be indispensible to any self-respecting Seer. It partially masks the Seer's presence in the Warp, allowing them to draw on even greater reserves of power, and granting a certain degree of resistance against Warp-based powers. (+1 Intelligence, Willpower, increases protection against Warp)
[]Render: Focusing their powers through this rune allows the Seers to unleash a devastating burst of Warp lightning, inflicting grievous wounds upon any foe unfortunate enough to be in its path. Afflicted units suffer -1 AGI, STR and TGH; non-hero units have a chance to be automatically incinerated.
[]Mind of War: One of the oldest, and most devastating techniques available to a Farseer, which turns their very thoughts into a lethal weapon. All non-hero units afflicted are instantly killed. Hero units must pass a defense check; failure will result in -2 TGH, WL, INT and PRC every turn for 3 turns, unless a success is rolled on the defense. Psychic characters have a chance to counter-attack on successful defense.
[]Guide: A rune popular with Farseers leading their troops directly; it allows them to guide the fire of up to two Units on the battlefield, bestowing them with +4 accuracy for 4 turns.
[]Warding: This immensely powerful rune protects against any warp powers directed against the Seer, seemingly nullifying them. Single-use only.
While the vote is still young, I should probably mention that your character will receive nice, nifty bonuses if their weapon type is the same as the preferred one of their former Warrior aspect (if the character has a Warrior Aspect background).
[x]Miyenne's Kiss: "Like wind through clouds, its edge flowed through their shields; and those who would claim to be our betters; died before Asuryan's sight!" - This exquisitely crafted power sword belonged to exalted Farseer Miyenne, long before she became one with the Infinity. Her beauty matched only by her farsight and skills with blade, it is said that no less than five Space Marine Chaptermasters have been felled by its edge. (Relic Power Sword. Ignores Armor)
[X]Gauntlets of Isha
[x]Incinerate [x]Render [x]Guide [x]Fortune
Swordo hasn't steered me wrong before.
Also correct me if I'm wrong (I'm no Eldar expert, being a loyal citizen of the Imperium), but IIRC we were a howling banshee, and don't those use swords?
While the vote is still young, I should probably mention that your character will receive nice, nifty bonuses if their weapon type is the same as the preferred one of their former Warrior aspect (if the character has a Warrior Aspect background).
Errrr, the character that was voted in was a Howling Banshee. That counts as a Warrior (well, Aspect Warrior, since that's what true Eldar soldiers are called, as opposed to Guardian militia).
Errrr, the character that was voted in was a Howling Banshee. That counts as a Warrior (well, Aspect Warrior, since that's what true Eldar soldiers are called, as opposed to Guardian militia).
[x]Miyenne's Kiss: "Like wind through clouds, its edge flowed through their shields; and those who would claim to be our betters; died before Asuryan's sight!" - This exquisitely crafted power sword belonged to exalted Farseer Miyenne, long before she became one with the Infinity. Her beauty matched only by her farsight and skills with blade, it is said that no less than five Space Marine Chaptermasters have been felled by its edge. (Relic Power Sword. Ignores Armor)
Question! If at all possible, will we be picking up Renew any time soon? It's basically a must have, given how it allows us to heal injured units almost instantly.
Renew is the Only runs that allows instant healing. Of both Hero units and regulars.
Just imagining us hiding in the background while The Lord in Crimson Clad is dueling some nasty horror or another, gets hit, knocked down, we cast Heal on him before he gets finished, he pulls off a reverse win, then we gloat at him for completing our objective while heading off, his a grown following is the whole time.
I wish for us to be as Tsundere to Asterion as he is to us.
So, there was supposed to be an update today, but Slaneeshi invaded my kitchen stuff happened, so it's been delayed. Luckily, the update is practically finished, so I'll be able to get it out of the way tomorrow morning (well, today, since it's technically almost 3am at my place). Thought you guys might want to know.
This also reminds me, that the current vote for Wraithship Name is tied between []Moon Shadow and []Grace of the Infinite. If there are no more votes/suggestions for it, then I'll have to use my default name GM magic.
***
Using the occasion though, I'll get some gameplay explanation out of the way:
Gameplay:
As an Empire-builder quest, Hand of Fate will use a system broadly familiar to something like Total War. The game will be basically divided into two phases, a "strategic" phase and an "action" or "quest" phase.
The first phase will naturally revolve around the big picture - the time when you recruit heroes, units, acquire runes and plan your movements, as well as perform divination rituals. This is done via "Action Points", of which you have a finite number. For the most part, the actions will be performed by your Farseer. However, a seer rarely works directly, and there will be times when your agents and other affiliated heroes will be acting for you, on a specific task. In these cases, such character will be granted their own AP. No, you cannot pool your heroes' collective AP.
The "action" phase is basically "The Shooting". It revolves around combat, and generally the kind of stuff you'd expect from Warhammer 40.000 - mass bloodshed and spectacular destruction. Of course, your abilities and the roaster of your units will often be determined by what you've assembled during the strategic phase.
Farseeing:
This, I believe, is a sufficiently major piece of the gameplay, that I believe it warrants its own explanation.
Farseers do, as a matter of course, receive visions of events to come; but it is a poor Farseer that passively waits. It is thus possible for you to spend AP every turn to perform a divination ritual every turn, in order to discover various events in relation to your job (i.e keeping Eldar safe). The...clarity of the vision, depends on your mental stats. It is possible to perform more than one divination each turn, which may offer additional benefits.
Farseeing is, in the effect, a lot like detective work. You identify the issue, then causes, and then you work on discover what variables need to be altered in order to change the events to your benefit - usually by getting someone else to do it. As it is a game, there is nothing that is technically stopping you form going in guns blazing - but as your GM, I strongly discourage it. You are not the Imperium. You are the Eldar, and Eldar are crafty and elegant. There is also a matter that you are a Farseer, not a dictator, and as such, you do not actually control a Craftworld. Thus, your ability to solicit troops an equipment, beyond your honor guard and advisory council, will largely depend on your ability to reason with other Farseers and Craftworld Exarchs.