Outlaws of Alkenstar
ALKENSTAR, CITY OF SMOGIn the heart of the war-torn Mana Wastes, a metropolis of industry, innovation, and intrigue awaits travelers hardy enough to make the journey. Beneath the towering gaze of brass spires and stone fortresses, amid a tangle of oil-slicked streets and soot-stained alleys, human inventors and their clockwork creations walk beside mutated gnoll scavengers, bronze-masked religious zealots, and fire-fleshed geniekin merchants. Many spend their days toiling without respite in grimy workshops or smoky factories. Others patrol the cobblestone streets for their fortunes, one hand firmly on their holstered sidearms, ready to confront a rival gang or runaway bounty. All the while, pistons, gears, and cogs within every machine and building turn as steadily as the hands of a clock, all maintaining the mechanical rhythm of a settlement that never truly sleeps. This is Alkenstar, the City of Smog.
Outlaws of Alkenstar begins in the eponymous city. Whether your character is Alkenstar-born, a first- or second-generation immigrant, or a total newcomer, it’s worthwhile to master some of the City of Smog’s basic nomenclature. The following is some basic information about Alkenstar known to most locals and visitors alike |
The pitch
Steampunk Cowboys. Outlaws of Alkenstar will be my first time running Pathfinder 2e and my first time running a Wild West-themed adventure. I am excited to explore such a fresh and exciting new setting, game systems, and story. I adore a good crime drama; having read through this adventure, I know it delivers.
You'll create your unique steampunk wild west outlaw who has been framed for crimes they did or did not commit after a sudden but inevitable betrayal. Fortunately, misery loves company, and you'll be teaming up with three others to serve the tastiest dish in history: Revenge. And let me tell you, with Pathfinder 2e character creation, things can get extremely wild.
Clockwork golems, mutated horrors, corrupt cops, dirty politicians, unscrupulous businessfolk, crafty prostitutes who know too much, wild magic, airships, sky dwarves, evil neighboring nations of wizard necromancers, Sexy Cacti...? It's all here and more.
Help me tell the greatest steampunk wild west high fantasy crime story ever! Better yet, live, drive, and survive the greatest steampunk wild west high fantasy crime story ever!
You'll create your unique steampunk wild west outlaw who has been framed for crimes they did or did not commit after a sudden but inevitable betrayal. Fortunately, misery loves company, and you'll be teaming up with three others to serve the tastiest dish in history: Revenge. And let me tell you, with Pathfinder 2e character creation, things can get extremely wild.
Clockwork golems, mutated horrors, corrupt cops, dirty politicians, unscrupulous businessfolk, crafty prostitutes who know too much, wild magic, airships, sky dwarves, evil neighboring nations of wizard necromancers, Sexy Cacti...? It's all here and more.
Help me tell the greatest steampunk wild west high fantasy crime story ever! Better yet, live, drive, and survive the greatest steampunk wild west high fantasy crime story ever!
Details
I am looking to fill two groups. One on Monday nights and one on Saturday mornings, both starting in August 2023.
Both games will be:
This campaign spans 3 adventure books and levels 1-10. I have been informed by the Paizo community it can take about 50-60 weekly sessions to complete the whole campaign. It might take a bit longer, but it is unlikely to take less than that.
Both games will be:
- Limited to only FOUR players
- 3 hours long, no breaks
- Played on FVTT v10 - Hosted by the Forge VTT with some in-game audio
- Discord for Voice & most of the music
- You will need good quality audio
- 25usd per session, via PayPal subscription
- Games missed by players are not refunded
- Games cancelled by me are always refunded
- Played in Pathfinder 2e
- I reserve the right to house rule some aspects of play, such changes will normally be made available before character creation is finalized
- We may do a full respec if PF2e v2 comes out mid campaign
This campaign spans 3 adventure books and levels 1-10. I have been informed by the Paizo community it can take about 50-60 weekly sessions to complete the whole campaign. It might take a bit longer, but it is unlikely to take less than that.
OUTLAWS OF ARKENSTAR: SUNSET - MONDAYS 8PM-11PM EASTERN US
I have been running a Monday night game for over 6 years. This will take over that spot.
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OUTLAWS OF ARKENSTAR: SUNSET - SATURDAYS 9AM-12PM EASTERN US
Ideally I would like to run this game 9am-12pm Eastern, but if the interested players need to run 10am-1pm I will consider changing the time.
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You might like this campaign if...
- You love Westerns
- You love steampunk
- You love crime dramas
- You want to play some tabletop with guns
- You want to play some Pathfinder 2e with a faster pacing
- You don't mind a game with more martial & tech and less spells & magic
- You want to explore some strange and interesting regions of the Pathfinder world
- You liked the setting and feel of Netflix's Arcane series - Based off League of Legends
- You are a Vash the Stampede enjoyer
- You think Mandalorian is pretty cool
- You wish Firefly hadn't been cancelled
- You enjoyed Will Smith's epic movie The Wild Wild West. (Please don't let this one scare you away)
- This sounds fun:
"A ragtag band of gunslinging outlaws get their hands dirty in the greasy alleyways and whisky-soaked saloons of Alkenstar, the City of Smog. To get revenge on the mogul who destroyed them, the renegades will have to stick up an illicit bank, foil a crooked shieldmarshal, and escort a reclusive inventor to safety. All the while, countless rough-and-tumble rivals aim to waylay the party and seize the inventor's latest concoction: pyronite, an explosive substance with the potential to change the face of the world. In a city where the clockwork guards are literally as tough as brass, the antiheroes will need true grit to dole out overdue justice."
Character Creation
Pathfinder 2e Standard with the following changes:
- Uncommon and Rare selections require GM approval
- Free Archetype will be in place, GM permission needed for selection.
- Ancient Elf and Eldritch Trickster - treat this free archetype feat as a one-off that does not impact actual Archetype rules
- Oracles+ and Witches+ is allowed
- You can retrain one spell or feat for free (money & time) each time you level up, or receive "1 week" of crafting time instead (the equivalent of spending a week crafting without actually spending the time).
House Rules
- I will be using hidden rolls all the damn time, and I will give you misinformation if you crit fail
- You start each session with 3 Hero Points. Recaps & Factspiration earn Factspo Dice (Like 5e bardic inspiration dice, these are smaller than 5e dice but do scale)
- Recall Knowledge: you succeed, you can learn one thing of your choice (within reason)
- Aid: the DC is always the same as the task you are aiding
- Nerf to Crit Spec Hammers & Flails: limited to creatures within 2 sizes, allows the target a Fort Save.
- Buff to Disarm: Everyone has the Swashbuckler's Disarming Flair
- Buff to Haste: Stride can be subbed for any available movement.
- Wild Magic: the campaign takes place in an active wild magic zone. All non-cantrip magic will cause wild surges, as such it is highly illegal/relegated by the local law.
- Force moving allies. You can push or drag allied creatures, treating them as large objects with a bulk equal to their size and their total worn and carried bulk. If the movement would be contested, the contesting factor must be dealt with first.
- We will be using Milestone XP
Player Expectations
Be polite to your fellow players and GM, Wheaton's Law Applies, "Don't Be a Dick." But let's go into specifics:
While this is a mature crime drama, I want to be respectful of any triggers or fears that you do NOT want to explore during the game.
If you encounter something during our games that is far outside your comfort zone PLEASE call for a time out and discuss with me before it becomes a problem.
- Be punctual. Excessive absenteeism will result in removal from the group. Your teammates and the ongoing story rely on you.
- Have access to a stable microphone and Discord. If you need help setting up Discord and getting connected to our channel, message me.
- Do your best to eliminate background noise; Push-to-Talk is an excellent solution. Examples of background noises include dogs, babies, sirens, screaming relatives. (No one wants to hear that.)
- Attend a Session 0
- Create a character that can work with the rest of the group
- A fun, safe place to play; Racist, sexist, homophobic, or other intolerant behaviors are not welcome. Everyone deserves to sit down at the table and have a great time.
While this is a mature crime drama, I want to be respectful of any triggers or fears that you do NOT want to explore during the game.
If you encounter something during our games that is far outside your comfort zone PLEASE call for a time out and discuss with me before it becomes a problem.
Content Warning
This is a mature game with mature themes. No one under the age of 21 should apply. The game will have an abundance of violence, adult language, firearms, explosions, and shootouts. Drug & alcohol use & abuse, prostitution, class disparity, political & police corruption. Sexual content may occur, as indicated by story, but nothing explicit will ever occur "on screen."
This is a crime drama without a strict alignment system, that said the PCs are strongly encouraged to be "Heroic Anti-Heroes" - I have no intention of running a West World Psychopath Simulator campaign.
Themes we will avoid: Rape, Pedophilia, Excessive or Repetitive Homophobia, Racism, Fantasy Racism
This is a crime drama without a strict alignment system, that said the PCs are strongly encouraged to be "Heroic Anti-Heroes" - I have no intention of running a West World Psychopath Simulator campaign.
Themes we will avoid: Rape, Pedophilia, Excessive or Repetitive Homophobia, Racism, Fantasy Racism
Interested in joining? Hit me up on Discord at CrashGem#7777 or use this Google Form.
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