Iron Kingdoms

[Tharen the Damned]

The Gunmage looks for a weapon to bond with and is directed to the shop of a locksmith who is able to manufacture such weapon.
Upon arriving at the shop, she finds the door open and the shop emty.
If she enters, masked men attack her and try to subdue her. Always asking “where the pistol is. You know full well which pistol we mean….”
If she defeats the assailants, soon after the Locksmith arrives. He was out for a walk and forgot to lock the door. Seeing the masked men he gets scared and begs the Gunmage to take “his” pistol, and deliver it to the barkeeper of a pub.
If she is subdued, she wakes up bound and strangely confused (not able to cast spells). There are the masked men and another one, clad in Plate Mail, with greatsword at his back. He notices her awake and comes over. Then asks her, where the pistol is.
If she denies any knowledge, the Plate-Mail Man is convinced that she really was at the wrong time in the wrong place.
He asks her if he could redress the damage done and in turn employ her, because she might be exactly what he needs. She should ask at the Locksmith shop for “Vallorians Pistol” and deliver it to him.
Vallorian was a famous Gunmage, killed in a mission for…well for someone who doesn´t want to be in the spotlights. His killers took the weapon and lost it an a game of dice. After changing hands several times it came to the Locksmith, who realized, that this weapon was still bound to the Gunmage, to the Ghost of Vallorian. Old he is but greedy too, so he enquired who might be looking for such a weapon and came upon…someone, who doesn´t want the secrets Vallorian uncovered to be made public. A deal was struck and the Locksmith was to deliver the weapon today.
The Plate-Mail Guy on the other side wants Vallorians secrets too.
But what does Vallorian want? A worthy hand to inherit his pistol and the eternal freedom…
Which side will the Half-Elf choose? What are Vallorians secrets?

This is a good way to get the Gunmage a pistol (and a renowned one at that).

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Hows about this -

Gunmage and friend DMPC (Wizard named Alaszus Winterborne) get a job protecting an emissary (A converted Morrowan Monk, ex-Menoth priest) on pilgrimage along the skirmishing Khador-Llael border. Cue a battle or two with bandits harrassing a village.

While there, they find a shipment of Rhulish made arms bound for Cygnar being raided by Khadorish warjacks. Despite everything, only the Cygnarian steamjack and about a dozen Khadorish raiders survive. When she comes on the scene, a recovering Rhulish paladin offers her a magelock pistol out of the bunch to help him get it back. (And gives the party a melee character.)

This'll give her about 2 missions or so I'd assume.

Any advice for a first-time IK DM? Things I could drop in?

You may be pushing too much into too little time. You can break the above down into several adventures fairly easily.

Why is a Morrow convert acting as emmisary? An apostate may not be the best choice for the job. However a liason with an underground Church of Morrow in Khador might serve the role well. Remember that Khador is Menothian. So the mission might not be a pilgrimage, but rather smuggling the priest past the border into a major Khador city, where he can serve a congregation. (Like smuggling Jesuits into communist Russia.)It is a job more suited to a single character than to a party, making what might be a weakness a strength. Once there she may serve as both a bodyguard for the priest and a spy for someone else, at least until the next mission.

The return trip you can have the 'Jack battle, the recovery of the 'jack and the goods.

Don't forget, controlling a 'jack is not something everyone can do, best to have a handler around, and if he is capable of creating mek stuff then odds are good he can create a brand new, custom made magelock pistol just for her. The 'jack can provide more brute muscle than most parties all on its lonesome. So a 'jack wrangler might serve as a better choice than a paladin. For that matter would a Rhullish paladin give a gunmage something that is not his to give away? Whereas something that a Rhullish Arcane Mechanik or Bodger creates is his or hers to give away. The gunmage might even be able to get the gun customised or master worked...

Why are the Khadorans attacking a Rhullish convoy? They are not yet ready for war with Rhul, so they would have to have a very good reason to risk one. Or is the Khador Warcaster a renegade? Perhaps the gunmage sees the Khador 'jack pick a chest or box from the ruins of the wagon and carry it off under the orders of the Warcaster. The Warcaster him or her self can become a recurring villain.

Things to add to the game at some point, the relationships between Ogryn and Rhul, and of course the cheerfully manic Gobbers. An encounter with a Satyxis might also be fun. Which brings up the question: Which books do you have? So far I have very much liked everything for the game, except dome of the maps in the Witchfire Trilogy.

And I describe an adventure I created for an Iron Kingdoms game on the Dungeon Crafter forums - The Railyard, or 'Jack 13. Right now I am trying to use World Works terrain to recreate the settings, so I can run it for a summer program.

The Auld Grump

 

[qstor]

Thanks for all the tips.

I was thinking of running U1 Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh in the IK I was going to replace the sahugain with the bog trogs and the lizard men with gatormen but I wasn't sure what to use for the sea elf captive. Since there aren't sea elves in the IK.

Mike