Nomads are a minor curiosity in the capital and the petty kingdoms, where they find work as mercenaries, smiths, or specialists in livestock. On the steppe, enterprising Baronials might be engaged by a rich clan to teach geometry, theatre, theology, or siegecraft, or hired on as heavy infantry, shock troops, and line-breakers if the nomads find themselves in need.
There are three things that everyone knows about the nomad kingships: that they are the best metal-smiths in the world; that their young men and women practice chivalric errantry, and travel the world pursuing adventure and the getting of wisdom; and that these errants (and celebrated clan champions back home) carry strange and impossible weapons, which the nomads claim are gifts from benevolent, sentient stars.
Star Weapons
These weapons are, naturally, what the nomads are most famous for. No two are exactly alike, but all have an otherworldly appearance. They are built from a light, hard, white-coloured metal that the nomads mine and smelt from fallen asteroids. They are mostly firearms and fire or chemical projectors, but they are built with such skill and minute mechanical precision that they bear no resemblance at all to the crude muskets and pistols of the White City and Barony. Each weapon has its own particular qualities; famous star weapons include rifles that collapse down into a cube the size of a fist, pistols that make no sound when fired, or ray projecting and lensing mechanisms that cause the skin to char and blacken.
There is an absolute cultural monopoly on the manufacture of these weapons. They are never traded to outsiders under any circumstances, and the nomad smiths store the practical and mechanical processes and trade secrets in fortresses and monasteries in the dreamlands and have no access to them during waking life. When they need to make a new star weapon, a smith will enter into a special trance so that their mind can travel in dream and their body can work the sky metal in the waking world. When they wake, holding their creation (or a piece of a mechanism that will one day sit inside it; star weapons often take months and years to build), it is with no memory of how the thing was done.
Ammunition must similarly be manufactured by the dreaming smiths, and the mechanisms and firing principles are complex enough that they cannot be reverse engineered. Both the Barony and the White City have, over the centuries, spent mountains of blood and treasure trying to decode the secrets of the star smiths - both with captured weapons in the real world, and heists, spy missions, and assaults on the dreamland fortresses. To this day, none of these missions have been successful.
Your star weapon is a:
- Rifle (as musket, but with doubled range)
- Handgun (as pistol, but with doubled range)
- Shotgun (as blunderbuss, but with doubled range)
- Anti-Materiel Weapon (henceforth AMW, as Musket but 2d10, to-hit rolls of 1 will deal 1 bludgeoning damage to the firer, 2 inventory slots)
- Projector
- Suit of Armour
Rifles, Handguns, Shotguns, and AMWs start with 10+d10 rounds of ammunition, which have been sealed into the body of the gun and do not need to be reloaded. You cannot usually see how many shots are remaining, but on some weapons (1 in 6) a small indicator counts down the shots in the Language of the Stars. Once emptied, the weapon will need the attention of a nomad smith to be reloaded.
Star weapons make just as much smoke as regular firearms, and firing them will always prompt a roll on the encounter table. Unlike most human manufactured firearms, star weapons portend nothing about the common destiny of humanity or Law; their provenance is elsewhere.
Rifles, Pistols, Shotguns, and AMWs additionally roll twice on the following table (reroll doubles):
- Repeating. Can be fired up to three times per attack action, with a -1 to hit per shot already taken that turn.
- Collapsable. Can be folded down to 1/3 of an inventory slot, or unfolded to its useable size, in an action. A handgun can be folded down to the size of a ring or bracelet, and some are designed to be worn as such. All weapons folded down this way cease to resemble weapons.
- Silenced. Makes a soft thwwppp sound when fired. The weapon does not prompt a wandering monster check when fired, and the noise won't draw attention when used.
- Sighted. If the firer does not move this turn, the star weapon rolls to hit at +1. If they spend a whole turn aiming with it, and don't move on their next turn, then it receives +4 to hit and a +1 expanded crit range that turn. In addition, while aiming, you gain one of darkvision, infravision, or trueseeing (even chances), and can make use of this at any time by looking down the sights.
- Illuminator. The weapon has a built in lantern, which cannot be extinguished by any means. You may choose to hood or reveal the light source (which is typically, but not always, located under the barrel) as a free action. Choose a colour for your lantern.
- Shrieking. The rounds shriek and whine as they spit forth. Those wounded by this weapon must test morale, and entities will take d3 psychic damage.
- Barrel Attachment. Even chances of a bayonet (as spear but does d4slashing + d4 electrical damage), or a harpoon (range as pistol, d6 damage + d4 electrical, attaches target to the weapon with a steel wire, can be laboriously reeled in and reset outside of combat).
- Razoring. Bullets expand into tiny 'flowers' of concertina wire inside the target. Crits deal triple damage instead of double, and if an enemy is killed by a crit, all other enemies in the combat must test morale.
- Hating. The weapon allows you to spend hp before you fire, to a maximum of 10. Each point spent this way gives you +1 to hit, and imbues the round with +1 psychic damage. You scream loudly as it happens.
- Vile. The weapon is embossed with bitter, hateful, horrifying curses against all sentient life, written in the Language of the Stars. Those that it hits lose d2 WIS permanently, as their memories and convictions fly from them. All beings of Law and Chaos take an additional d3 psychic damage. Every shot drains you of 1 hp.
Projectors
Projectors are either Fire Hurlers, Chemical Sprayers, or Weirdlight Projectors. Roll with even chances of each when determining the basic type.
Fire Hurler
A Fire Hurler activates with a loud WHUMP, and sprays an arcing gout of burning petroleum over its target. Specify a target within 40ft, and roll to hit. On a hit, the target take d8 fire damage; on a miss they take 1 fire damage. In both cases they are also set alight. All creatures within 10ft of the target must save DEX or likewise be set alight. Creatures who are set alight take 1d6 fire damage at the start of their turn, until they spend an entire turn doing nothing but extinguish themselves. If not extinguished by someone else, the flames will last d3+1 turns.
As with the firearms listed above, a Fire Hurler has its fuel source integrated, and cannot be reloaded without the attention of a smith. By default, it will have d10+5 shots remaining. As with firearms, there is a 1 in 6 chance that the weapon has a Star Language shot-counter built into it.
In addition, roll once on the following table:
- Backpack. Your weapon includes an integrated fuel store. It gains +20 shots, and takes up 2 inventory slots.
- Lance. Your weapon includes a fire selector, and can be set to project a short-ranged cutting beam of heat, instead of a wider flaming spray. You may choose which mode to fire in whenever you take a shot. The cutting beam has the following profile: range 20ft, 2d6 fire damage, sets target alight on a hit, no area effects and no effect on a miss.
- Compact. Your projector is miniaturised, and occupies only 1/3 of an inventory space. It can be fired one-handed, like a pistol, including in melee.
- Underslung. Your weapon includes a built-in firearm beneath the barrel, either a rifle, shotgun, or AMW. It contains d6+4 shots, and makes a single roll for an additional trait on the firearm table. You may choose which weapon to fire each time you attack.
- Methanol. The flames are invisible. Fires as normal, but DEX saves to avoid being set alight always fail. No light is emitted. Taking damage from invisible fire prompts a morale check. You are practised in the use of your weapon, but on a critical fail to hit you take 1 fire damage from invisible fuel that you failed to account for.
- Mind Splinter. Emits a high pitched buzzing sound when fired, which inflicts everyone who can hear it with -4 WIS until the end of the turn. The second time this happens, the -4 persists for an hour. The third time, this is 24 hours. Those afflicted always fail any test to determine differentiating between friend and foe.
- Reanimator. Any living thing slain while set alight is reanimated until the fires are extinguished. They keep their physical stats, but attack the closest living target with a blind, unreasoning hatred. The reanimated bodies cannot be killed, but they can be dismembered and otherwise rendered useless, as in the rules for zombies. If they have a throat and mouth they will scream hate-poetry in the Language of the Stars.
- Real-Light. The light given off by these flames dispels all illusions and seemings, as truevision. Shapeshifters will revert to their true forms beneath it. Entities take a single point of psychic damage per turn that they are exposed to this light.
- Sleeper. The fumes from your weapon are sweet-smelling and powerfully soporific. Those set alight by your weapon must save CON or be rendered immediately unconscious for the duration of the burning.
- Solar. Your weapon contains a single shot, but this shot can be recharged by leaving it exposed to bright sunshine for one hour. The flames are a dark, angry red, and the damage type changes to radiation, which counts as fire to living creatures and psychic for entities.
Chemical Sprayer
A Chemical Sprayer fires similarly to a Fire Hurler, but with a bespoke (usually toxic, liquid) payload. They are some of the most feared and hated star weapons, and many errants who are gifted chemical sprayers refuse to use them on human foes.
Specify a target within 40ft, and roll to hit. On a hit, they are affected by the payload; on a miss, the target may save DEX to avoid this. All creatures within 10ft must save DEX or be affected. Every payload has its own effects; these are detailed below.
As with the firearms listed above, a Chemical Sprayer has its ammunition source integrated, and cannot be reloaded without the attention of a smith. By default, it will have d10+5 shots remaining. As with firearms, there is a 1 in 6 chance that the weapon has a Star Language shot-counter built into it.
- Acid. Take d4 acid damage, and another d4 per turn for three turns thereafter. Each piece of armour you remove can mitigate a single turn of damage; this must be a piece of armour that grants mechanical bonuses to your AC, and if you remove it like this it is assumed to be ruined by the acid. Remember that not all armour can be immediately discarded.
- Glue. A target hit by this payload cannot move or defend themselves until they break free of it. This requires a STR save. Even after they have broken free, their attacks will be at -2 and their AC is reduced by 2 for the remainder of the combat. This malus stacks if reapplied.
- Seasoning. This payload does a single point of damage to its target. It then soaks into their skin, and makes them delicious to the horrible things that live amongst the stars. For the rest of their lives they will take double damage from fire, psychic, and radiation damage. If you are that way inclined, their corpse will provide four times the rations that it usually would, and will not trigger any supernatural, spiritual, or religious taboos against cannibalism, as the meat of the body has been claimed by other things. Earthly courts and churches probably won't see your position on this.
- Hallucinogens. After being hit by this payload, a target must test WIS each turn to act rationally for the remainder of the combat. On a failure, the DM will determine the most appropriate action; they may attack whoever is closest to them, run in terror in a random direction, curl into a ball, etc. The effects of the payload last for 20-CON hours, but outside of combat they are markedly less violent and terrifying.
- Bloody. This weapon has only a single shot, but it can be reloaded by inserting a flexible hose tipped with a sharp spine into a human corpse. The draining process takes about an hour. Something happens to the blood inside the weapon - when it sprays out again it does d10 boiling poison damage to those affected. Most humans will need to check morale if exposed to this weapon.
- Boiling Water Cutter. Fires like a rifle instead of a chemical sprayer. Deals 2d12 cutting damage within 10ft, d12 damage between 10 and 30 ft, and d4 damage after that. If you critically miss with it, you take d2 cutting damage.
- Protein Destabiliser. Those affected take no immediate damage, but suffer 1 damage per hour for 2d20 hours, as their skin sloughs away from their bones. The only cure to this is an antidote pill that is contained in a small compartment in the bodywork of the weapon. You have 5 antidote pills.
- Pain Enhancer. Those affected take double damage from all sources, and fail morale checks automatically.
- Scrambler. Those affected take 1 damage, and make a CON save. On a failure, the target loses the ability to read, write, or speak for one hour. Entities of all kinds will flatly refuse to associate with them. At the end of the hour, make another CON save. On a failure, the effects are permanent.
- Anathema. A borrowed weapon of time warfare and extermination. Those affected take d4 damage and are exposed to the Anathema. Angels and demons will flee the bearer of this weapon in abject terror.
Weirdlight Projector
A Projector is a rare and sought-after star weapon. They look something like a bulky rifle built around a large, hooded lantern, with a series of lenses making up the 'barrel'. When unveiled, an invisible 'light' projects outwards, burning and charring everything that it falls on. They are unique in that they don't usually use ammunition, or need reloading - most Projectors simply function forever.
By default, a user my choose to hood or unhood their weapon as a free action (this is what the trigger mechanism does). Trace a 90 degree cone in front of the user, like a Beholder's antimagic cone. Every biological or sentient target within the cone takes a single point of radiation damage (radiation damage counts as psychic damage to entities). The user may place the cone on whatever facing they wish during their turn, and you cannot specify which target you want to take damage and which you don't. When an arc of light is set down, it remains in place until the firer's next turn.
In addition, roll on the table below.
Projector
- Pluton's Seeming of Truth. Those who fall under this weapon's light cannot tell a lie. Green, sickly, very bright.
- Truth of Mars. Those who fall under this weapon's light cannot read, write, or speak. Deep scarlet red, with blue-black shadows.
- Geryon's Starlight. All those beneath the light of this weapon have the same face, and distinction between them is impossible. If you wish to target one for any reason, you must randomise the target, even when this does not make logical sense - ie when you know that your enemy is standing at the window and your ally at the door. You still need to randomise. This also works with scrying and other targeted magic, and with the effects of curses. The face is a strange, composite, beautiful thing, and it wears a completely neutral expression. The light is silvery and weirdly shifting.
- Arcturian Twinlight. All those exposed to this light take double damage from all other sources. In addition, they automatically succeed in all morale checks, fights to the death, and act with integrity and compassion, even in the heat of combat. They will not hesitate to kill you if you are trying to kill them, but they will not be cruel or vengeful about it. These traits are lost when the light no longer shines on them. Vividly clashing uncolours that maze the brain.
- Masque Light. A fire-selector switches the lensing between the different colours of the visible spectrum. The light does d4 damage instead of 1 damage, but only to specific targets, as chosen with the selector. Red for humans, orange for beasts, yellow for beings of Law, green for beings of Chaos, blue for all entities, indigo for creatures of dream, violet for begins from the future. A final setting, black light, deal enhanced damage to all targets, but gives the firer 1 fatigue for each turn that it is used.
- Constellation of the Wounder. This projector fires in a narrow beam, not a broad cone. It attacks as a rifle+2 and deals d8 radiation damage + radiation damage equal to the targets max hp less their current hp. If a PC needs to roll on the death and dismemberment table as a result of damage from this weapon, they roll three times and take the worst result (this overrides special rules from templates). NPCs slain by this weapon scream in agony and come to pieces in fountains of gore - most humans witnessing this will need to check morale. The beam is white and cold, like an LED spotlight.
- Light of Semelian Candour. This projector deals no damage, and holds three charges. Each charge used heals 1hp and 1 fatigue per turn to everyone who falls under it (it fires in a cone, just like a normal projector). Each charge spent will naturally recharge over 24 hours. The weapon has an attached bayonet, which attacks as a spear that deals d4 slashing + d4 electric. The light is the colour of a sunset or sunrise - the poets differ.
- Gulf of Reason. Those who fall under the light of this weapon have their movement halved. The wielder may permanently spend a point of WIS to deal d6 radiation damage to those caught in the cone. When they do this they have a 1 in 2 chance of permanently gaining a point of INT. The light is blue and silver with oddly flexible shadows, like midnight in you family home, when everyone is sleeping and everything is wrong.
- Saturn's Unmaking by Chronos. All those beneath this light take all damage inflicted on all others beneath the light. Harsh black and white, like a coal mine and its miners illumined under flaring arclights.
- The Vivisector. All damage dealt by those caught beneath this light is mirrored on their own bodies. Warm, yellow-gold, constant, calm like firelight, with red shadows and terrible red highlights.
Armour
Sometimes a star 'weapon' is actually a suit of star metal armour. These are baroque, insectile things, and the specificities follow no standardised plan, but they uniformly provide excellent physical protection and augment the user's strength. The white, reflective, strangely hinged and jointed suits of armour are immediately recognisable, and highly sought after. Many errants are killed on the highway for such valuable harness.
At base, star armour counts as plate+1, gives its user +1 STR, and imposes no penalty on stealth checks. In addition, roll twice on the following table (reroll doubles):
- Visored. The helmet incorporates one of the following while it is worn, with even chances of each: darkvision, infravision, or trueseeing. When the user is making use of this (there is a switch at the right temple), the mirrored eye protection glows brightly.
- Sustaining. The wearer no longer needs to eat or sleep. Their metabolism is frozen. Long, flexible needle spines work their way into the flesh and bone of the suit's user, and it cannot be removed without killing them.
- Powered. The suit provides 10 additional inventory slots, and the STR bonus is +4 instead of +1. Powered armour is very often built in the likeness of a flensed human body. Movement speed and jumping distance are tripled.
- Claws. Integrated weapons that deal d4 slashing + d4 electrical damage, and that count as dual wielded. Can be retracted and will not be found if searched for weapons.
- Camouflage. The surface of the plates shifts and changes beneath the vision. Missile attacks are at -4 to hit the wearer, and the wearer gains +4 to any stealth checks where visual camouflage would reasonably make a difference.
- Assault. Plate +2, explosions and fire deal half damage to the wearer. In addition, they cannot be moved against their will.
- Death Projector. Helmet incorporates a large black cavity where the face should be. The wearer gains a gaze attack which forces its target to make a WIS save or be paralysed for the remainder of the combat.
- Puppetry. The gauntlets incorporate a spool of strong steel wire that terminates in a vicious barbed hook. If this hook is inserted into the brain or spine of a human, then the wearer can 'puppet' that body as though it was their own. The wearers senses go into the second body for the duration, so they are quite vulnerable during this process. Having a hook inserted into your brain will kill most people, and the puppetry ability works on corpses. The wire extends out to a length of 50ft. A wearer with fighter templates can attempt to insert the hook in combat; treat it as an improvised weapon that has a -4 to hit (it's hard to target the spine or brain in the heat of mortal struggle!).
- Pain Inhibitors. The wearer no longer feels pain, with all that this entails. In practical terms, they take half damage from physical sources, and no longer go into shock or worry much about things like broken limbs. They roll on the death and dismemberment table with disadvantage (this cancels out with any template ability that would cause them to instead roll with advantage).
- Null Zone. The armour generates a psychic field of mania and paranoia. Everyone within 20ft suffers from -4 WIS, including the wearer. The wearer gains +2 INT and +2 CHAR. They also hover 4 inches or so off the ground at all times (no change to speed). If the wearer does nothing by concentrate for a full turn, they can inflict d6 psychic damage on any sentient being that they can see, at the cost of taking a single point of psychic damage themselves. This works by willing the target into contact with the star people who are always there, folded away into corners that we cannot perceive - something like a toothed limb unfolds in the brain and blood pours from the eyes, nose and mouth. The helmet of this suit will be made in the likeness of an expressionless, beautiful, composite human face.
The Smiths and the Fortresses of Dream
The star smiths are a class of hereditary nobility within the nomad culture, alongside their kings and rider-captains. Their status is something like a priestly caste, but the nomads are atheists and do not believe in gods, heavens, or hells. They believe in the star people, because they talk with the star people all the time, and because the star people send them metallic meteors, and share strange and visionary wisdom.
As briefly mentioned above, the smiths keep this secret knowledge safe in heavily-defended dream fortresses. Long ago the nomads entered into treaties of alliance with the Prince of Dreaming, and they have enjoyed privileged status in that realm ever since. Nomads do not suffer nightmares in the Dreamlands, nor are they attacked on sight by orcs, goblins, or bugbears. When they call on the military aid of the Prince, it is given freely and gladly. It is not known what the nomads offer to the Prince in return for his friendship and largesse.
The fortresses are typically built at the edges of the Dreamlands proper, on spurs and isolated islands of stable land that jut upwards from the burning matter of the Blazing World. They are manned by dependable, skilled dog soldiers, who are, in the waking world, the dogs that the nomads treat as clan members, exactly as they do humans. Dogs assume a human form in dream, and have enormous fun 'pretending' to be human warriors. They don shining armour, carry glittering swords, and do as they think guards ought to do - they will often say things like 'Halt! State your business!' or 'What ho, traveller!', and they will play cards, drink ale, and eat read meat. They are also very fierce fighters, and perfectly willing to defend the castles of their smith-lieges to the death. Many are the tales of Baronial dream-spies being torn to shreds in the teeth of cheerful, flint-eyed dog soldiers.
The guard dogs are often accompanied by cat-consultants from the cities. Nomads do not usually keep cats, and treat them with some suspicion, but they make excellent advisors on the honourless tactics and other perfidy of the settled peoples. A dreaming cat consultant will usually engage in battle as an adjunct to the dog officers. Cats have also been close with the Prince of Dreaming since time immemorial, and form the diplomatic corps between the two nations.
Finally, the fortresses employ dreaming foxes as menial staff, scribes, and functionaries. Since these roles have no real function in the dreamlands (a functionary in dream is a pedlar of nonsense and whimsy), the true role of the foxes is the formation of a flexible and dangerous corps of assassins, skirmishers, irregulars, and informants. Never trust a dreaming fox.
At the centre of each fortress lies the central vault, and this is what the smiths descend into when they work their strange arts in the waking world. The 'vault' generally looks like a deep well in the bowels of the fortress, that drops down into an inky blackness, starless, but somehow resonant of the gulfs of blackness in the night sky. None but the smiths are allowed entry into these chambers, and none know how the contact with the star people is established.
Dreaming Dog Soldier
HD1+1, glittering sword (d6), armour as plate and shield, speed as human, disposition: avuncular, friendly, carnivorous, pedantic.
A dog soldier can smell when you lie.
Dreaming Cat Consultant
HD1+1, fine rapier (d6), pistol (2d6), light armour that looks expensive, speed as human, disposition: calculating, dead-eyed, quixotic, murderous.
Cat Consultants move completely silently, never take fall damage, never test for balancing, leap twice the usual distance, and cannot be surprised.
Dreaming Fox Functionary
HD1, shortsword (d6), garrotte, throwing knives (d6), leather armour, human-face mask, speed as human, disposition: tricky.
A Fox Functionary will survive a blow that would otherwise kill it on a 1 in 2 chance. It can only do this once.
A garrotte can only be used from ambush or in a grapple. It rolls to hit at -2, but if it hits it deals d6 choking damage, and in addition the wielder automatically grapples the target. The enemy can do nothing on their turn but attempt to break the grapple, and if they fail they take an additional d6 choking damage.
Errants and the Codes of Chivalry
The Barony does not have a knightly culture. They have inherited a cultural appreciation for pragmatics, which originated in the White City, and which makes its chief virtue the understanding of when it is appropriate to spend resources, and in what quantities. I'll do a longer post about it another time, but basically a 'good' noble or power player in the Barony knows when it is 'correct' to wage a total war, and when it is 'correct' to wage a limited war, and the ethical codes have grown up around these considerations. You manage cruelty, you manage mercy and magnanimity, you manage optics, you manage people.
The nomads do have a chivalric culture. Where the Baronials largely use to the bravo gangs to mitigate the worst excesses of their teenage sociopathy, the nomads send their youth out into the world with a strictly developed and rigidly enforced set of principles to live by. There are many codes (and most families will have their own chivalric charter that they expect their errants to abide by), but by and large the strictures are: do good and just things where you can, act decisively and with wisdom, and come to know yourself in doing so. This last one is the most important. If you never know yourself, you will never be able to properly raise children or deal with marriage, so the idea is that you take as long as you need out in the world to come to this self knowledge. Some errants never do, and many die in the attempt.
Wealthy errants will be given a star weapon by the smiths, to aid them on their travels. These fortunate few are the nomad equivalent of questing knights, and are universally known by the honorific 'The Youth Whose Arms are x', where x is the name of their star weapon. Star weapons are named by the smith with long lines of poetry (I use Rilke), but knight errants will make up their own names as well.
Knights Errant usually wear three flags as capes or drapes across their shoulders. The first is of their kingship, the second of their family clan, and the third of the star person who has gifted them their arms.
Errants travel far and wide as adventurers, mercenaries, and drifters. Nomads cultivate a strong sense of melancholic romance and a desire for autonomy and freedom in their young people, and the stereotypical nomad errant is young, horny, impetuous, hungry for glory, plagued by black depressions, and often a dedicated poet or painter (this last of extremely varying quality). To the Baronials they are charmingly odd, and the bravos and poets are known to get along famously with these self-serious and intense foreigners.
After many years of travel and adventure, most errants make their way back to their homes, where they will take on the responsibilities of adulthood: trade, governance, animal husbandry, the raising of a family, and the pursuit of political marriages (both men and women can marry more than once).
Those that never readjust instead become unmarried clan champions; they are often armed with star armour and many different star weapons, and are truly frightening opponents on the battlefield.
