What would you put in a Tick-Tock town?

[Old_school_overlord]

The Clockwork Mage's daughter

This small automotan is one of the oldest constructs in the village, an early creation of the original CwM. Made of brass, it appears to be a young child riding tricycle. She lacks functional hands or legs, and her porcelaine mask face is very sad. Though sentient, the CwM is unable to communicate with living beings. She is often seen slowly wheeling through the village, watching the people at work or play.

Sometimes, CwM's daughter will appear to deliver a short typed note carried in her tricycle's basket. She lives in a small alcove at the back of the CmW's mansion.


The Winders

Here and there through out the village can be found thick pillars, each with one or more levers and protruding fittings. Whenever an automotan finds itself "winding down" it automaticaly brings itself to the nearest Winder and attaches to the appropriate fitting. A simple flip of the lever rotates the fitting at high speed, rewinding the automton in a matter of moments. The winders are connected underground to the dozens windmills that sit atop many of the village buildings - the largest that top the CmW's tower.

Juggernaught hill

When the great war was at its very height, the CwM was commisioned to construct a gargantuan war machine that would be capable of ending the conflict in a single attack - one against which no army could stand. He worked for many months on the titan, assured by the kingdom's leaders that their cause was just, and that no matter how many people were killed by his device, it would save many times more by bringing the conflict to an end.

Finally finished, the CwM activated his machine and directed it towards the enemy. Seeing the devastation the war had already caused, and the misurable fates of the refugees, he realised that the rulers had no true concern for the lives of the people. Instead of attacking the rival nation, he instead founded Tick-tock town. The ruler was furious, with the Juggernaught protecting Tick-tock there was little that could be done. years passed with the machine holding its silent vigle, and eventually it has become entirely overgrown with plants and trees. despite this, there remain secret hatches which might be pried open, allowing access inside it.

 

[cmrscorpio]

To reiterate an earlier comment...

Needs more modrons!

Leo Da Vinci's clockworks-driven automobile would be cool to be seen in the streets...

 

[Janx]

what the heck is a Tick Tock town?

It sounds like this thread carried over from some other discussion, but it would seem to be useful to provide a but more background when asking your question about your campaign world.

I can only deduce, that this is some sort of town populated by sentient machines, perhaps of steamwork/wind-up qualities, rather cybernetic/futuristic technology.

 

[Pbartender]

what the heck is a Tick Tock town?

It sounds like this thread carried over from some other discussion, but it would seem to be useful to provide a but more background when asking your question about your campaign world.

I can only deduce, that this is some sort of town populated by sentient machines, perhaps of steamwork/wind-up qualities, rather cybernetic/futuristic technology.

If you go back and read the first post, instead of just the title, it more than adequately explains the situation.

To wit:

So I've decided that the next adventure in my game will take place in the Town of Geartooth, a largish village that has grown up around the estate of an entity known as the Clockwork Mage. The famed but generally reclusive wizard known for creating gimgaws and gadgets of every size and shape, including his or her servants.

The current Clockwork Mage is actually the fourth to bear that title, which became inherited from master to apprentice. Most folks don't know or don't care about that fact. During the last great war, the reclusive mage used his creations to shield refugees from the devastation to the West, an uncharacteristic act of charity due to his almost crippling shyness and his eccentricity.

Many of the refugees never left (having no homes to return to) and put down roots close to the mage's manse (but far enough away to prevent causing him discomfort). Over time, the people have come to look at the Clockwork Mage as their Leige Lord, though he holds no noble title and has never been formally recognized by the king. For his part, the Clockwork mage has no interest in leading, but each mage has come to view the people as their responsibility (especially since the last two mages are descendants of the refugees). As such, he has provided the town with some of the benefits of his research. Clockwork donkeys to pull the carts, clockwork guards that run on a track around the town walls and gas-powered lights, lit nightly by clockwork lamplighters.

 

[jaerdaph]

Pbartender suggested that there may be rejected clockwork horrors dwelling beneath the town in caves or sewers, which is a great idea that I need to think about. How they got there and why they remain there are questions I'd need to answer.

Once for kicks and giggles, I added the Clockwork template from the Advanced Bestiary by Green Ronin to a beholder. Never got a chance to use that clockwork beholder yet, but it would be a nasty surprise to encounter wandering around the sewers. That clockwork template can be added to pretty much any non-ooze creature, so the horrific consequences are limitless. Not sure what rules/books you would use to do something similar in 4e though.

I'd also suggest taking a look at the Clockworks entry in the Tome of Horrors Revised from Necromancer Games, specifically the part about brain gears. Brain gears are intelligent little gear boxes created by mages (analogous to a flesh golem and its creation) that can control clockworks on behalf of the mage (i.e., they have an Int score). Perhaps one or more of these brain gears escaped from an earlier CWM's lab and are now operating independently in the sewers, having evolved into even more sentience (and possibly malevolence)?

 

[WizarDru]

Harlequins. All unrepentant. Lots of them! (It had to be said -- or Ells.)

I won't lie: I considered a variation of this for the adventure name.

 

[DaveyJones]

http://www.imprintitems.com/sitewide/images/products/prodbigimgs/3984344.jpg

http://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/Online%20Store/large%20images/drinking%20bird.jpg

 

[Stoat]

Wolfgang Baur has done a bunch of clockwork stuff, I think for one of his patronage projects. You can find a fair amount of stuff for free at Kobold Quarterly Magazine: Monsters and Magic for D&D Gamers

 

[WizarDru]

To reiterate an earlier comment...


Leo Da Vinci's clockworks-driven automobile would be cool to be seen in the streets...

I luvs me Da Vinci's stuff, so that's a winner, right there. And Modrons are always fun. Have they been brought into 4E, yet? I don't see them in the compendium, so I'm guessing not. Perhaps I can find something similar.

 

[WizarDru]

Or a plaza paved in a mozaic, but each colored tile is on an intricate track, so that the pattern slowly but steadily changes throughout the course of a day... If someone is attentive enough, they can tell the precise time of day by the current pattern.

I had a similar idea that there would be some dedicated tracks throughout the town...but I like the idea of rotating tiles in the town square, like a train's wheelhouse that rotates at different times, to reroute things. It would be great to let the players deduce this fact after seeing it.

Do you use Warforged in your game?

It hasn't come up, but I've told my players that pretty most things go, in that respect. In hindsight, I guess they'd come from here, if it ever came up. Perhaps they only appear in the CWM's mansion (as I would only want one or two in town, at most). I like that the more I think about it...ClockFolk...hmmmm.

What if this clockwork puppeteer has Frankenstein-like grudge against the CWM, and gets control of a recently deceased, Gently Reposed for a Raise Deading at a later date, high ranking MoonChoker ninja corpse?

Hmmmm. I like this. A jealous foe, perhaps a servant of the Cruel Wizards, has managed to find a way to make clockwork zombies...and their vendetta is personal against the CWM. Maybe a senior apprentice who got passed over for the title and who left, got recruited by either them or the Moonchokers...and is now looking for payback/revenge/usurping of the title they believe was truly theirs. But he doesn't have the CMW's skills (which is why he was passed over) or is too willing to try dangerous things. Perhaps he's half-clockworked himself? A variation of Kroenen from the Hellboy movie? NICE.

Perhaps the town is secretly threatened but hasn't figured it out, yet. Some of the towns clockwork devices are ticking time-bombs and haven't noticed it yet.


What would a clockwork-zombie outbreak look like, I wonder?