Mad Brew Labs

Warmachine by Privateer Press

And onto your video game platform.

While reading over on Stargazer’s World about how Privateer Press has released PDFs of their highly sought Iron Kingdoms books for 3.5 Dungeons & Dragons at RPGNow and Paizo, I was reminded that Matt Wilson and his crew had a big announcement at GenCon ’09.

The announcement was that the rights to create a Warmachine (the wargame set in the Iron Kingdoms universe) video game had been licensed to WhiteMoon Dreams. While the details are vague at the moment, the press release had the following statement:

The new video game will allow players to control various warcasters and their warjack battlegroups as they fight across interactive battlefields from the WARMACHINE world. The game will provide a rich online experience in addition to a sweeping single-player campaign mode that will follow several key warcasters through the epic saga of the WARMACHINE universe.

That sounds like it could very well be a small scale real-time strategy game that will probably have shades of gameplay from Warhammer’s successful Dawn of War series or maybe it will look a lot like the only other game I could find by them, Aftermath. It’s hard to gauge whether or not the game will be good at this point but you can find updates on their game blog and the game’s official website (which only has a placeholder image at the time this was written).

Commander Coleman Stryker render by WhiteMoon Dreams

I sincerely hope WhiteMoon can deliver the goods for the Warmachine property.

I must apologize that it has taken me so long to get around to finishing this RPG Carnival Roundup.  With side projects like Nevermet Press, I didn’t get around to posting as many contributions as I had planned!  Of course, that could be one more contribution, as the site definitely has some Steampunk flavor in the design.

I would like to extend an enthusiastic thanks to everyone who participated and remind everyone that Chris Tregenza at 6d6 Fireball is hosting this month’s RPG Blog Carnival with the topic being the 800 lb. gorilla of D&D.  So make sure you check out what is happening this month.

Roleplaying Pro shows us where to find some inspiriate with the Steamboy animation and touches on some popular games that incorporate steampunk elements such as Deadlands and Unhallowed Metropolis.

Robertson Games offers 4 optional rulse for using firearms in your D&D game: Hit Point/Stamina Loss (with open-ended damage), armor penetration, knock-down, and re-loading. [sorry I missed this the first time around!]

The Dice Bag delves into fond memories of a bloodthirsty Tinker Gnome (of the steampunk influenced Tinkers from Dragonlance) and his evil pain inducing inventions and how WoW marginalized the cool aspects of these gnomes.

6d6 Fireball talks about how his vision of steampunk cannot exist without the British Empire.  From Babbage’s difference engine to British rails, British ingenuity ruled the Victorian day.

Whitehall ParaIndustries weighs in on Steampunk, and why he has never been attracted to what he sees as an often ugly genre.  Gleichman asks for Steampunk fiction recommendations; I would try Whitechapel Gods, The Difference Engine, Perdido Street Station, and if you like comics, check out BattleChasers.

Compromise & Conceit is an entire blog dedicated to chronicling the adventures in a campaign world in which the steam age merged into magic based on infernal conjuring. It is set in 18th century America during the Revolutionary War and is a great read.

Fame & Fortune enlightens readers on the punk side of steampunk and how the eras that it draws upon for inspiration were times of massive social upheaval and change that were created as a by product of the Industrial Revolution.

Gaming Brouhaha highlights his favorite steampunk setting, Iron Kingdoms (which I am a HUGE fan of too, so double awesome!).  If you’re looking for a new setting, you should definitely read MJ’s spotlight on Iron Kingdoms.

MJ also notes that there is a new e-zine for the iPhone/iPod Touch published by Steampulp Publishing. It emulates “the style of the pulp adventure magazines of the 1920s and ’30s, Steampunk Tales #1 contains first-run and original fiction written by an A+ list of award-winning authors.”

Troll and Flame admits his dislike of steampunk but still gives us a campaign idea (plenty of Adventure Hooks and one line Encounter seeds) called Fantasy Rails inspired by the Iron Dragon board game.

Vulcan Stev’s Database discusses some films that could be used for inspiration while gaming in a steampunk universe.  He even wraps up the article with Van Helsing in the form of a Savage Worlds Wild Card NPC.

Aron Broder from Allgeekout, a Nevermet Press insider, details his idea for a steampunk themed superheroes setting.  You have to read some the character ideas, Victorian superheroes for the win!

Steampunk World, a blog dedicated to the genre, puts the punk back into steampunk!  He talks about pollution, violence, and the exploitation child and women.

A Wandering Monster, I pointed out steampunk flavored song/poem by Jeff Grubb of the Alliterates.

A Character for Every Game brings us a metric ton of steampunk posts (thanks for all the great contributions!):

• Steamworks and Dragons – 5 d20 Steampunk Books presents a wonderful bibliography of d20 books for any OGL gamers out there looking to incorporate steampunk & klokwerks into their game.
• Steamguns and Blackpowder Clockworks – Rules takes a look at how to add firearms into your burgeoning steampunk campaign.
• Steamguns and Blackpowder Clockworks – Magical Arms actually gives us a selection of several magical firearms to use in your game.
• [DragonMech] Moruth Ironbeard, steampunk cyborg showcases a level 1 character from the DragonMech RPG using a new class called steampunk cyborg.

Akronos World has created a Steampunk Mage paragon path for D&D 4e.  Check out the “Want some steam, punk” daily power and Invention of Arcana ritual!

Greywulf’s Lair gives us 6 custom steampunk Gadgets and Gears for Mutants & Masterminds.  The Jetpack Velocipede is definitely my favorite!

Advanced Gaming & Theory loves using bizarre technologies in his games and discusses the nuances of technologies in a campaign.  Did I mention he gives us an old school (AD&D) Greek Fire Canon!

The Gamer Traveler shows us a strange steampunk contraption he encountered at an event in Belgium, a mechanic tiger!  Daniel even talks about turning the real life inventor into a character in one of his games.

Stargazer’s World shares one of his favorite steampunk flavored comics, Girl Genius.  He talks about creating a Savage Worlds version of  the Girl Genius world and then follows up with a Savage Worlds version of the star character, Agatha.

1001 Bobs gives shares some excellent resources for converting the awesome Iron Kingdoms setting to D&D 4e, including stuff for the Gun Mage!

Creatively Anomalous explains his idea of the Otherwhere and alternate steampunk infused reality.  He also looks at incorporating steampunk elements into his world of Apocalypticon.

Unclebear sends three articles our way with:

• The Tinker-King of Klockworld Street urchins from Victorian London are swept into a steampunk fantasy-land!
• Gears of the Golden Golem a Biblical era clockwork mecha showdown between the Egyptians’ False Idol and the Israelites’ Golems!
• The Chinese CoalPunk Revolution In near-future China, a band of heroes fight to overthrow evil Capitalists and return power to the People!

Campaign Mastery details 7 very good steampunk resources ranging from Castle Falkenstein to Wikipedia.

I also posted my entry for the One Page Dungeon contest, Vapors of Colossal Death. A steampunk dungeon.

Again, I would like to thank everyone who participated, and if you don’t see your contribution listed, let me know!

Listening to: Vernian Process - The Forgoten Age - Zeitgeist

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Vapors of Colossal Death

Since I have declared this month’s RPG Blog Carnival to be Steampunk & Klokwerks, it would be a good time to reveal my Steampunk influenced submission for the One Page Dungeon contest hosted by Chgowiz and the Chatty DM.  The contest is over and I judging from their tweets on Twitter, they are having an awesome time judging the entries.  The general look and feel was inspired by Stargazer’s 1PD entry, The Horror of Leatherbury House.

The dungeon took me about 10 hours from start to completion, which is a feat considering I was suffering from an uncomfortable bout of food poisoning.  It was late and I was delirious, but my “geek cred” was at stake since I had announced on Twitter that I would submit a dungeon.  I blame any resemblance of the dungeon blueprint to a robot face on bad Mexican (seriously, it was not intentional).

The general idea is that this dungeon is actually the insides of a giant steam-powered colossus, a remnant of some ruined civilization.  The wilderness has grown over the colossus, but the PCs stumble upon some maintenance doors that give them access to the innards.  Should the PCs reactivate the colossus it resumes its program (which can be anything you want it to be).

As far as the graphic design goes, I think I will revisit this dungeon later and put in a layer option to see a printer friendly version (i.e. decent margins and only a simple map).  I would also increase the size of the title and arrange the map better to accommodate the size.  I might also fade the text background to improve readability.  All in all, not to bad for what is actually a rough draft.

Download Vapors of Colossal Death PDF

Listening to: Abney Park - The Death of Tragedy - Dear Ophelia

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Steamnocchio by Fabricio Moraes, CGS Image Master Award winner

• Adventures/Hooks
• Characters
• Classes/Abilities/Powers
• Costuming/Fashion
• Encounters
• Equipment
• Feats
• Game Props
• Locations
• Media Resources
• Monsters
• Opinion Essays
• Skill Challenges
• Societies
• Theory & Design
• Worldbuilding/Setting

I hope to see some great contributions to this month’s RPG Blog Carnival.  Contributors, please be sure to leave a comment with a link back to your posts in case trackbacks do not register.  I’ll post a round-up of all the contributing articles within the first week of July.

Listening to: Vernian Process – Steam Age Symphony – Ironworks

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Vulcan Stev, a fellow member of the RPGBN, proposed an internet meme where all the bloggers created superhero versions of themselves.  Well, quite honestly, I could never take up the role of vigilante, vengeance maybe, but nothing interested with any kind justice.

So I decided to supersize myself into a villain (or an anti-hero at best) using the awesome Mutants & Masterminds 2^nd edition rules.  It probably best fits my personality anyways.

Mad Brew, the Infernal Engineer

Mad Brew is obsessed with researching the universal theory of Apeirogon, the god worshipped by the Church of the Radiant Polyhedron.  Once the theory is codified and proven, he will unleash his ultimate creation upon the masses, and they will make him their patron saint.

Long ago, the entity known as Mad Brew, successfully transplanted his brain into a massive armored construct and discarded the limits of his human shell of flesh.  Now he never tires, never needs to sleep (though his lack of sleep may be magnifying his insanity), and can crush those who oppose with little effort.

Over the years, Mad Brew has surrounded himself with a small army of clockwork creations to assist him in the laboratory of the Crawling Tower, an immense mobile automaton that is currently idling in the frozen wastes of the north.

Real Name: Michael Brewer

PL: 16 {254 pp}

Abilities:

• STR: 0 [30] (+10)
• DEX: 0 [10] (+0)
• CON: — (+0)
• INT: 30 (+10)
• WIS: 12 (+1)
• CHA: 16 (+3)

Skills:

• Craft [Chemical] 12 (+22)
• Craft [Electronic] 12 (+22)
• Craft [Mechanical] 12 (+22)
• Disable Device 12 (+22)
• Intimidate 16 (+19)
• Knowledge [Technology] 12 (+22)
• Sense Motive 12 (+13)

Feats:

• Attack Focus [Melee] (8)
• Eidetic Memory
• Equipment (5)
• Fearsome Presence (6) [DC 16; 30ft.]
• Inventor
• Master Plan
• Minions (24)
• Startle
• Ultimate Effort [Ultimate Craft Check]
• Ultimate Effort [Ultimate Technology Check]

Powers:

• Radiation Control 20 {43pp}
    – Alternate Powers:
           + Drain Constitution 13 (Extras: Ranged, Disease)
           + Disintegration 10
    – Power Feats: Accurate
• Mind Shield 6 {6pp}
• Immunity 30 (All Fortitude Effects) {30pp}
• Device 18 {72pp}
    – Armored Body
           + Enhanced Strength 30
           + Enhanced Dexterity 10
           + Protection 20 (Extra: Impervious [+1] 15)
           + Flight 6
    – Attack Specialization [Radiation] (3)

Combat:

• Attack +4 (+12 Melee, +12 Radiation Blast) [Unarmed +10, Radiation Blast +20]
• Defense 20 (15 flat-footed)
• Init +0

Saves:

• Toughness +20 (15 Impervious) (20 flat-footed)
• Fortitude +NA
• Reflex +0
• Will +12 (+18 vs. Mental)

Equipment: The Crawling Tower {22ep}

• Size: Awesome
• Toughness: 20
• Features:
    – Communications
    – Computer
    – Defense System
    – Dock
    – Fire Prevention System
    – Hanger
    – Holding Cells
    – Isolated
    – Laboratory
    – Power System
    – Security System
    – Workshop

Drawback: Involuntary Transformation {5pp}

• When Armor is disabled
• Uncommon Occurrence
• Major Intensity

Abilities -2 + Skills 22 (88 Ranks) + Feats 49 + Powers 151 + Combat 28 + Saves 11 – Drawbacks 5 = 254pp

Minions: Mad Brew has an army of clockwork automata: 16 clockwork spiders that share the stats of Thugs (p. 226) and two large steam-powered guardians that share the stats of bears (p. 230).

This character build was based off the Atomic Brain build posted by MDSnowman on the Atomic Think Tank (the official Mutants & Masterminds forum).

Listening to: Stabbing Westward – Darkest Days – Haunting Me

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Steampunk Goggles by Mike Brown

What is Steampunk?

Airships, clockwork contraptions, steam engines, gears, cogs, Victorian fashion, gaslights, and of course, goggles.  All of these trappings hold the flavor of Steampunk.  Defining the exact boundaries of a genre is difficult at best and impossible most any other time.  I usually think of Steampunk as 19th century earth but with anachronistic technology, or rather, modern devices created with 19th century technology.  Usually steam-powered, hence steampunk.  It is what would have happened if the Industrial Revolution went wild.

So we have determined the first root of the word steampunk, but what about the other part?  I tend to believe that the punk is derived from the rebellious, swashbuckling element of the genre.  Adventure.  Defiance.  Many stories of the genre defy established social mores, religious dogma, and government philosophies.  Punk also embodies the do-it-yourself anthem of the Steampunk culture.

Narrative Origins

Steampunk has its roots in speculative fiction with the works of Mary Shelly (Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, 1818), Jules Verne (Journey to the Center of the Earth, 1864) and H.G. Wells (The TIme Machine, 1895).  Steampunk truly came into its own in the 80s with the works of K.W. Jeter (Morlock Night, 1979 and Infernal Devices, 1987) [who is said to have coined the term Steampunk], Tim Powers (The Anubis Gates, 1983), and James Blaylock (Homunculus, 1986).  But it was 1990′s The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling that garnered the genre worldwide attention.

Much of the work written under the Steampunk genre are set in the Victorian Era, or some Neo-Victorian world.  However there are also plenty of settings with Wild West, Lovecraftian, and Medieval influences as well.  Many consider Steampunk a derivative of Cyberpunk as the two genres tackle the same social issues and themes.  It is also because of Gibson and Sterling’s significant contribution to genre and the fact that they were masters of the Cyberpunk genre before entering the world of steam.

Visual Themes

Steampunk Watch (C) Eager Beavers

In contempory technlogy, all of the working parts are hidden from view.  No one wants to be bothered with how their car functions, as long as it functions.  In the Steampunk genre, all the mechanical innards are exposed in all their widgety grandness.  This is a subconscious reaction to sleek and invisible of modern devices.  Not that Steampunk cannot be sleek.  It can be sleek and beautiful, but you’ll recognize it as Steampunk immediately.

The cogs, gears, and springs of clockwork automata can be seen turning and whirring, half-hidden behind a riveted boiler plate guard.  Plumbing, conduits, and guages are exposed in a web of copper and brass tubing.  Steampunk design also has influences from the art-deco and gothic movements.

Fashion also plays a vital role in the imagery of the Steampunk genre.  I find it is usually a mixture of Victorian or Edwardian historical fashion, Wild West style, and WWII flight equipment (the GOGGLES!) that has been given a touch of extravagance, flamboyance, and industrialism.

Steam-powered Media

Steampunk has infiltrated every corner of media and entertainment from books to music.  Here are some abridged lists of works categorized by medium:

Animation: Last Exile, Howl’s Moving Castle, Steamboy, Amazing Screw-on Head

Comics: Battle Chasers, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Steampunk, Girl Genius

Film: The Prestige, Wild Wild West, Golden Compass, Around the World in 80 Days

Music: Abney Park, Voltaire, Vernian Process, Rose Coven, Dr. Steel

Novels: The Difference Engine, Anubis Gates, Whitechapel Gods, Perdido Street Station

Periodicals: Steampunk Magazine, The Willows

Table Top RPGs: Iron Kingdoms, Castle Falkenstein, Deadlands, Unhallowed Metropolis

Television: Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. [w/ Bruce Campbell!], Secret Adventures of Jules Verne

Video Games: Castlevania, Bioshock, Final Fantasy, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

Websites: Aether Emporium, Steampunk Workshop, Brass Goggles

This really is just a small sampling, if you would like to see more examples of Steampunk in media and entertainment you should check out Aether Emporium’s extremely exhaustive lists for Roleplay & Gaming; Cinema, Film, & Music; Books & Comics; Art; and Clothing & Costuming.  Aether Emporium really is a one-stop site for all your Steampunk needs.  Alternatively, check out Wikipedia’s List of Steampunk Works.

Steampunk Culture

There is a cultural movement to adopt the Steampunk aesthetic as a lifestyle.  Much like the goth, punk, and industrial counter-cultures, the fans of Steampunk immerse themselves in the trappings of the genre.  Fashion and music take center stage, but many steampunks also use the theme in home decor where these do-it-yourselfers modify modern devices to emulate Steampunk gadgetry.

With any culture, events and conventions are bound to appear to cater the fans.  You have the California Steampunk Convention happening THIS WEEKEND!  The Edwardian Ball is something I think I will be taking my wife to in the near future, it’s inaugural event happens in January.  And of course, SalonCon happened in September.

Steampunk has even made it to MTV (which features the SalonCon).  I’ve included the videos from MTV.com for your view pleasure.  I actually hate MTV, with a passion, but these are worth the watch.  It’s actually the first new stuff I have watched from MTV in like ten years.

[Note: this post was edited because I could not get the embedded MTV videos to validate for anything, I am just going to send you to the source...]

MTV’s expose on Steampunk.

RPG Bloggers Network Steampunks

Well, seeing how I am doing this overview of the Steampunk genre, of course I am a fan.  I am also contributing to the genre with the development of my Steampunk-Horror setting, The Dead Wastes.  The RPGBN is also home to fellow Steampunk setting developer, Stargazer, and his wonderful world of Asecia.  I know Tom from Geek Emporium has a soft spot for Steampunk.  If any readers or fellow bloggers have a love for the genre, feel free to speak up and leave a comment!

Listening to: Dr. Steel – People of Earth – Back and Forth

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