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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Branding Opportunity" data-source="post: 2555127" data-attributes="member: 31812">Iron Kingdoms games tend to work better (IMO) when the characters are more than just "adventurers".  I find it helpful to think of adventurers as a social construct, integrated into the larger sociopolitical landscape (can you tell I was an anthropology major? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />  ).  So I've been toying around with the idea of what this group's "job" could be.  Here are some things I've come up with:1)  "PC are friends or acquaintances with individual jobs who simply like to hang out together and get into trouble."  This is pretty much the simplest explanation and closest to the reason most D&D games happen.  It's not too inventive and doesn't breed a lot of solidarity (unless the PCs involved are very good friends).  It also doesn't firmly ground the PCs in the campaign setting, unless they come up with very detailed jobs and backgrounds for themselves.  On the other hand, this approach is very flexible and gives you lots of freedoms.2)  "PCs work for the now splintered Order of the Golden Crucible, trying to secure new sources of blasting powder"This was the original idea I had for this game.  I think it's still a good one, as it allows some integration into the greater "war" plot, in addition to possibly exposing PCs to lots of magic-related encounters.3)  "PCs have their own business or corporation"This is an idea I have been toying with lately.  I'm not saying that the PCs are mercenaries, although that is also a possibility, but that they run some other business.  They could run a Wells-Fargo type business, transporting valuable goods or VIPs overland.  With a war on there are lots of people making money, and lots more people afraid of loosing that money.  With Khador to the north, Cryx raiding the mainland for "recruits" and bandits everywhere else, people would certainly be willing to pay top dollar for security.Everyone could have a job in this with some folks providing technical support (like the arcane mechanik), some firepower (like the gunmage), and some handling the business transactions.You could even pool your leftover money and buy a mechanikally-enhanced carriage to transport people  or goods in, perhaps even with a rooftop-mounted cannon?  Add that, and all of a sudden you have a Twilight 2000 game (boy, did I just show my age).Having said all that, you could come up with a different business model.  You could all be an accounting firm!  OK, maybe not that one.This style of game could also look a lot like episodes of "Firefly", which could certainly be interesting.4)  "PCs are trouble-shooters working for the Cygnaran military/Fraternal Order/Strangelight Workshop/Church of Morrow"This is also quite a standard campaign, but certainly one with lots of potential.  Each organization you would work for would have very different goals and priorities.  Working for the military would probably involve a fair amount of combat or espionage, and would heavily involve the "war" subplot.  PCs would also make lots of friends and enemies in the military which is often beneficial/lethal.In the town of Ceryl, there is no organization more powerful (other than the military) than the Fraternal Order.  Adventures working for them would generally involve magical or political threats.  Most Fraternal Brothers don't like to get their hands dirty, so there would be lots of problems which would need resolving.Working for the Strangelight Workshop would probably feel a lot like the "X-Files".  Weird happenings, eccentric personalities, unearthly foes, you get the picture.Even though the Church of Morrow is relatively weak in Ceryl, they are still a force to be reckoned with.  The Sancteum certainly has its own priorities and motives and working for a highly regimented beurocracy would provide a lot of structure.  Enemies of the Sancteum would be followers of the Dark Twin, infernalists and zealots of Menoth.So what do people think of these options?  Do folks have other ideas?  I’m always interested in running games that involve lots of input.</blockquote>

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