Video: AetherCon V - Hammers & Nails: What Goes into a Good Town

Some of you may know we have an ongoing relationship with the Aethercon online convention.
Attached is a video with our very own Craig Goad as he interviews John Bennett, James Gantry, and Richard Green.

The Drowned War #4: Bone Fishers

In any setting, especially war settings, there has to be a flavor of human savagery. Boogie men that raid and ravage settlements before dragging regular people off to horrible fates. In the Drowned War, that role is filled by The Bone Fishers.

Bone Fishers

The Bone Fishers is a tribe of cannibalistic hunters and wild men. When the Anthropocene occurred society fell apart. Food, shelter, and basic amenities were impossible to come by, and with several people shoved into whatever dry space they could find; it was only a matter of time before the ruthless began to consume the weak.

Bone Fishers gain their name from the weapons and armor they employ, made from the bones of their victims, either as fragments or ground down and made into a cement. Known as skilled hunters and trackers, Bone Fisher's raid settlements and stalk squads of soldiers. Once they've subdued their victims they drag them to their camps to be used as food and materials.

Bone Fisher Tracker

These hunters stalk their prey and pick them off from the treetops and shadows. Their leather armor with bone fragments is often covered in mud and grass to form a natural camouflage.

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Notice d8, Riding d6, Shooting d10, Stealth d10, Survival d8, Tracking d10, Throwing d6

Charisma: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8(2)

Hindrances: Outsider (cannibals)

Edges: Assassin, Marksman, Woodsman

Gear: Bone bow, bone knife, Leather armor with hood.

Bone Fisher Brute

These brutal madmen like to get up close and personal with their prey. Brutes have been known to charge riflemen and even machine gun nest with the intention of bashing their targets skull in. Brutes that act as wild cards cover their bone armor in red smears.

Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d10

Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d12, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, Stealth d6, Throwing d10

Charisma: -4; Pace: 8; Parry: 8; Toughness: 9(2)

Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Outsider (cannibals)

Edges: Combat Reflexes, First Strike, Fleet Footed, Improved Dodge, Improved Nerves of Steel (when a wild card), Sweep.

Gear: Bone armor, skull helmet, bone club

Bone Fisher Wrangler (WC)
Masters of animal husbandry and mild psychics these tribesmen can somehow calm the wild animals around them and use their talents in battle.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Healing d10, Knowledge (biology) d6, Notice d8, Psionics d10, Riding d8, Stealth d8, Survival d6, Swimming d8, Throwing d6, Tracking d8

Charisma: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Outsider (cannibals)

Edges: Arcane Background Psionics (Beast friend only), Beast Bond, Beast Master, Healer

Gear: Bone Knife, Whip, Animal companions such as a dog or mount

PP: 10

Bone Fisher Chief (WC)
These war chiefs are the brains of open combat. Not the strongest or the fastest, but usually the smartest.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d10, Knowledge Battle d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d10, Shooting d8, Taunt d8

Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7

Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Vengeful (Major when the tribe is threatened)

Edges: Charismatic, Command, Command Presence, Hold the Line, Strong Willed, Tactician
Gear: Robes, staff, antler crown.

The Drowned War #3: Slurpers

And the war continues. 

In this installment, we check out one of the most frightening monsters in The Drowned War, Slurpers.

Thanks to solar radiation and leaked genetic soup a genus of simple parasites have become a new race of walking dead. Starting off as small worms these creatures spread and consume the host's organs, they lift the bones and loose skin up and lurch around as horrific marionettes.

Slurpers gain their name from their primary weapon, an extra long tentacle that extends from the host's mouth and implants eggs into victims.

Slurpers are ambush predators, lying in wait for their victims. They get the drop on their targets by hiding in debris filled marshes or laying among heaps of dead bodies. Unsuspecting travelers should be wary of any odd mud pile or prostrate body, less they become the next carrier.

Slurpers

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d4, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d4, Stealth d6

Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7

Gear: Varies by carrier

Special Abilities

-Fear -2: People are terrified of these things.

-Fearless: Slurpers aren't smart enough to be afraid of things they should.

-Infection: Characters hit by a tongue lash require a vigor roll at -2 to prevent the Slurper from laying eggs in the wound. If infected a healing roll within one hour (or amputation if the wound is a limb) is required to prevent death and resurrection.

-Lame: Turns out a worm in a people suit can't move at a good clip.

-Tongue lash: Str+d6, reach 1, a chance of infection.

-Undead:
-Weakness Fire: Slurpers take +2 damage from fire-based attacks.

The Drowned War #2: Mermaids

Sorry Folks, it's been a while.
Returning to the Drowned War this month's entry is a remnant of the World Navy, Mermaids. With advancements in the study of genetics, Military scientist discovered a method of creating a terrifying strike force by combining elite soldiers with Apex predators. 

Mermainds

Mermaids were first created by combining genetic shark soup with hand picked Naval and Marine soldiers. After several failed attempts (and horribly mutated corpses) it was discovered the male genome was incompatible with the Shark soup, but the female DNA was a perfect fit. Soon the oceans were filled with half shark half woman soldiers. Housed within their underwater bases these elite teams protected the coasts and explored the depths.

Unfortunately, when the World Navy fell apart in the Anthropocene the Mermaids lost contact with command. Now several years into the Drowned War they live within their flooded derelict bases, humanity lost.

With no males as part of their species mermaids venture to the surface intent of finding men to be used for breeding. These poor souls are dragged underwater and used to repopulate the mermaid ranks.

Mermaid bases are filled with treasure and horror; weapon caches and vehicles, but also floating half eaten bodies stored in nooks and crannies.

Mermaid Grunt (Normally 4 in a Squad)

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Swimming d6

Charisma: -4; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7
Gear: Combat wet-suit, Spear-gun (use crossbow from deluxe)

Special Abilities

- Aquatic: Swimming d6, Pace 6.

-Biological Imperative: Mermaids are bloodthirsty and territorial, they will attempt to kill female opponents and kidnap male opponents for mating purposes (unless aquatic, they are drowned in the process)

-Bite/Claws: Str+d6.
-Infra-vision: (While underwater)

-Mutant: (same as Construct or Undead, but add Outsider hindrance)

Mermaid Squad Leader (WC)

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8

Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Swimming d8

Charisma: -4; Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10(2)
Gear: Combat wet-suit, Spear-gun (use crossbow from deluxe)

Edges: Fleet-footed (applies to swimming as well), Command

Special Abilities

-Armor +2: Thick skin.

-Aquatic: Swimming d6, Pace 10.
-Biological Imperative: Mermaids are bloodthirsty and territorial, they will attempt to kill female opponents and kidnap male opponents for mating purposes (unless aquatic they are drowned in the process)

-Bite/Claws: Str+d6.

-Fleet-footed: 

-Infra-vision: (While underwater)

-Mutant: (same as Construct or Undead, but add Outsider hindrance)