Wyrd Chronicles 14

8/10/2019 Wyrd Chronicles 14

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Vol.14Mako's Miss Ery.

WRETCHED RATS!

An interesting take on using ... well ... rats.

UnMaSk!

UnMaSk!The event of the season.

PrOdUcTiOn PuRgAtOrYThat's a biiiiig ...


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CoNtEnTs

FoReWoRd .............................................................................. 1

DiViNg iNtO tHe DeEp EnD oF tHe ScHeMe PoOl ..................2

UnMaSk! UnMaSk! ...................................................................9

An EaSy MaRk (sTaRtEr TtB AdVeNtUrE}........................................ 22

Mr.StIcKs' HaLlOwEeN .........................................................29PrOdUcTiOn PuRgAtOrY [ScEnArIo].........................................38

PrOfEsSoR PoNtIfIcAtEs .....................................................39

JuNiOr WhAtNoTs ................................................................42

A MaLiFaUx BaTtLe RePoRt ..................................................43

WrEtChEd RaTs ....................................................................50

MiSs ErY LoVeS CoMpAnY {MaKo's RuBbIsH}.................................52

STORIES MECHANICSTERRAIN FUN&TACTICS

CONTENTGUIDE

GALLERYPAINTING BATTLE-REPORTSGAMESESSIONS


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NaThAn CaRoLaNd

FoReWoRd

HeCk yEaH!

October has arrived, arguably one of my favorite months as the weather

starts to get cooler, the bad horror movies start to cycle through the

television, and the spooks and goblins appear in one form or another

to have a grand time.

And if I'm really lucky (or industrious!), I get to scare the bejesus out of

the local kids as we give away goodies later in the month. We've had to

hose off the walkway a few times over the years ... ah yes, good times,

good times.

In the mean time, between painting, gaming, scaring the kids and

watching the absolute best halloween versions of Scooby Doo, we bring

you another Wyrd Chronicles, in which we explore the harvest month in

Malifaux, and as with all things, there are some deadly twists involved!

Dive in, devour, and let us know what you think!


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MiChAeL KeLmElIs

DiViNg iNtO tHe DeEp EnDoF tHe ScHeMe PoOl

Michael is a regular writer on the Guessing Zero

gaming website at guessingzero.com, and is a co-host

of the podcast Gaming Done Right on the Guessing

Zero Network.

There is little better on a lazy afternoon than pushing

painted models around on a beautifully rendered

western town, flipping cards, and making sound

effects as Seamus hand cannon rips the head off

an offending Guild Guard. (The sound effects, in my

opinion, are the most important part.)

Malifaux is a dynamic game filled with dozens of

moving parts that players have to remember and

balance. There are the abilities of the models on

the table, combined with the cards in your deck and

in your opponents, plus the Strategy in play and the

current Victory Points counts, and soon it becomes

dizzying. Every aspect of the game creates a unique

experience when brought together.

One of the big differentiators between Malifaux andother games is the way the game handles victory.

It is not all about killing. Its about Victory Points,

and most of those Victory Points come from its

Schemes. From the Scheme Pool to the timing

of when the Schemes are selected, Schemes are

entwined flawlessly with the game. While many

may look at Schemes as a simple (but important)

part of the game, accounting for potentially 60%

of the available Victory Points, Schemes are much

deeper than that. A savvy player will be able to pull

advantage out of the entire Scheme mechanic and

be in a better position for victory.

UnDeRsTaNdInG tHe ScHeMe PoOl

The depth to which the Scheme Pool interacts with

every game of Malifaux is substantial. It helps push

into each game the sense that each time you play

is going to be vastly different. With this one simplefeature, Malifaux opens up a wealth of possibility.

The depth of the Scheme Pool is matched by its

simplicity. To fully understand how the Scheme

Pool can impact a game, first lets make sure we

understand the Scheme Pool itself and where it fits

into the game as a whole.

WhAt HaS AlReAdY HaPpEnEd

During the setup of a game, after Defining and

Placing Terrain, after Determining the EncounterSize and Announcing Faction, and after Determining

Deployment, the players will determine the Strategy

and available Schemes.

Most of what has happened to this point is just

setting up the preamble to the game. Players have

only had to make a single decision up until this point

that will narrow the scope of their game: determine


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MaTtHeW FaRrEr

UnMaSk! UnMaSk!


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Starting a roleplaying game can be a bit of a tricky

experience. You need to go through character

creation, after which youre thrown into a world

you dont really know. All the players have to start

working together, and they have to work with the

Fatemaster in order to tell a successful story.

I understand how difficult the first session or two

can be, and it is made even more complicated when

players dont know the rules. In order to help get

the Through the Breach pistons firing, Ive createdthis introductory adventure designed to highlight the

rules of the game. Maybe itll help you start on the

right foot when youve crossed the Breach.

Reading this adventure may help you understand

the game even if you dont actually play it, so Id

encourage anyone considering the journey into

Malifaux to read this story.

This starter adventure includes a couple of pre-

generated characters to use: Barnabus Hatrickand Francis DuMont. Feel free to substitute these

characters with your own, use them as is, or add

more characters to the story. It can support up to

four players.

SeT Up

Since this is your first time playing Through the Breach,

well spend a moment talking about set up. Youll

need a couple of Fate Decks to play, and each player

should have a copy of their character sheet. If players

are playing Barney and Francis, copy the shortform

character sheets out of Chronicles to use. The only

other thing you need is a copy of this adventure, but

a copy of the Fated Almanaccould come in handy in

case you want to look something up.

Youll need at least two people to play: one to be the

Fatemaster and one to play a Fated. The Fatemasters

job is to host the story, and this adventure is written

for the perspective of the Fatemaster. Anyone playing

one of the Fated are focusing on just one character

and trying to navigate the story and challenges the

Fatemaster presents.

If youve never played a tabletop RPG before, this

may sound a bit confusing. Id encourage anyone

looking to know more about RPGs in general to lookaround on the net. There are a lot of great sources

out there that will help explain the genre to you.

Heres a link with some videos that may help:

An EaSy MaRkA StArTeR AdVeNtUrE FoR ThRoUgH ThE BrEaCh

http://learntabletoprpgs.com/see-how-a-game-is-played.html
http://learntabletoprpgs.com/see-how-a-game-is-played.htmlhttp://learntabletoprpgs.com/see-how-a-game-is-played.html


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When we present TTB adventures, well give

you this information as a quick summary,

which may help you in your own games. The

Tarot tie-ins, in particular, might be useful

for you. The CRSC 12C, for example, is theCross Roads Tarot Southern Card: As you

strain to see through the high noon veil.

This adventure will take place at noon, thus

the tie-in.

The goal of this information is to make

Fatemastering as simple as possible so

that you can focus on the experience and

enjoyment of the game. This example is

fairly straightforward, but there are a lot of

creative ways you can weave the Destiny

Steps into your game!

The Prologue is used in Through The Breach

to set the scene for the adventure. It lets

the players know not only what type ofconflict theyll face, but also which Fateds

destiny is in play. In this example, Barnabus

is the key player, and the conflict revolves

around wanting to get a ticket on the train.

You dont need to spell everything out in the

Prologue, but it can really help set the tone

you want for the game.

If youve read the Fatemasters Almanac, this

is Phase 1 of an adventure, Awareness

mentioned on page 21.


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In the Fatemasters Alamanc, this is Establishing

the Stakes. It is important to the story that the

players know that getting on that train is important

to them, and if they dont bad things might happen.

The exact reason for their motivation will vary by

Fated; for Barnabus, some thugs have been sent

after him because of something he recently stole.


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This is establishing Fear in the Fatemasters

Almanac. The players need to know there is

a legitimate chance of failure here, and that

this will be a challenge. This is how youll

build tension, which will make the upcoming

Climax phase a reward even without them

gaining experience points.


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GuIlD GuArD (MiNiOn)

Character Breakdown straight from the

Fatemasters Almanac page 139.

For example, this Guard would have a

Notice of 6: Notice 2 + Cunning -1 (its

associated Aspect) + NPC rank of 5. This

means the Fated needs to get a Stealth

+ flip number equal to or greater than

5 to succeed.

This is the Climax and Dramatic Ending

mentioned in the Fatemasters Almanac.Theyve encountered some challenges

now and risked failure, and not its all on

the line in these final moments. Will they

succeed or fail? By following the steps of

Awareness, Establishing the Stakes, and

Fear, youve created enough tension to

allow the climax to really shine.

WhAt iF tHe FaTe DeCkrUnS oUt oF cArDs?

If this happens, the Fatemaster should

shuffle the discard pile to create a new

Fate Deck, and each player should draw a

card from their Twist Deck into their hand.


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ChArAcTeRs

In the characters presented below, the Skill already includes the relevant

Aspect, so you are always flipping based on the number presented.

BaRnAbUs HaTrIcK

Fated Character, Pursuit: Criminal

Might -2, Grace +3, Speed 0, Resilience -1Charm +1, Intellect 0, Cunning +3, Tenacity -2

Defense 2, Walk 4, Height 2

Willpower 2, Charge 4, Wounds 4

Skills: Barter (0), Convince (1), Notice (6), Art (4), Literacy

(4), Music (2), Lockpicking (6), Scrutiny (6), Pick Pocket (1),

Pugilism (-1)

Talents: Just a Graze This character may Cheat Damage

Flips that he suffers, as long as the Damage Flip has no+.

(1)Bowie Knife: AV (-2), Rg:y1, Resist: DfTarget suffers 1/3/4 damage.

(1)Maucher Three-Barrel: AV (3), Rg: z6. Resist: DfTarget suffers 2/2/5 damage.

Other Equipment: Lockpicking toolkit, watch, banjo

Notes: If this character fails an Expertise duel (any duel

involving: Appraise, Doctor, Explosives, Forgery, Gambling,

Husbandry, Lockpicking, Music, Navigation, Pick Pocket,

Scrutiny, Track, or Wilderness), he may draw a card. During the

Epilogue, this character may advance in any Expertise skill.

FrAnKiE WaLlAcE

Fated Character, Pursuit: Wastrel

Might +1, Grace +1, Speed 0, Resilience 0Charm -1, Intellect +1, Cunning -2, Tenacity +2

Defense 2, Walk 4, Height 2

Willpower 4, Charge 4, Wounds 4

Skills: Appraise (1), Melee (3), History (4), Barter

Literacy (0), Deceive (3), Pistol (3)

Talents: Luck of the Draw This character draws 2 ca

when the Fatemaster shuffles the deck, instead of 1.

(1) B&D Pocket: AV (3), Rg: z6, Resist: DfTarget suffers 2/3/3 damage.

Other Equipment: Forgery toolkit, 3 scrip

Notes: If this character fails an Expertise duel (any d

involving: Appraise, Doctor, Explosives, Forgery, Gambl

Husbandry, Lockpicking, Music, Navigation, Pick Poc

Scrutiny, Track, or Wilderness), he may draw a card. During

Epilogue, this character may advance in any Expertise skil


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GrAeMe StEvEnSoN

Mr.StIcKs' HaLlOwEeN


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ScEnArIo

PrOdUcTiOn PuRgAtOrY

Grab your crew and your gear, its time to brave the wilds

of Malifaux! Just fill out these forms first, in triplicate. Then

wait three to six weeks for a response and call customs

extension 296, apparently our crew members have beenlabelled as produce and are held up in Bolivia. Andwerent

you shorter a minute ago?

SeT Up

Divide the table into four 18 x 18 table Quarters. These

Quarters are labelled 1-4.

This scenario uses Standard Deployment.

SpEcIaL

While deploying, each player splits their Crew into two

groups. Both of a Crews groups should contain an equal

number of models (or as close as is possible). Then the

player selects a group to deploy as normal. The undeployed

group is held up in customs.

After flipping for Initiative on the second Turn, each player

deploys the group which was held up in customs using

Standard Deployment. The player who won Initiative must

deploy first. Each model which is deployed at this time

must flip a card, which may be cheated as normal. The

models Htstat is permanently changed to the following,

depending on the suit of the card flipped:

Black Joker: Ht0

Crow: Ht1

Tome: Ht2

Mask: Ht3

Ram: Ht4

Red Joker: Ht10

ViCtOrY PoInTs

At the end of each Turn after the first, a Crew earns 1 VP

if it controls two or more table Quarters.

To control a table Quarter, the Crew must have the most

non-Peon models within the table Quar ter. Only models with

a Htequal to the table Quarters number may be counted

towards that Quarter (for example, only Ht1 models are

counted when determining which player controls Quarter

1, etc). Models which straddle one or more table Quarters

may count as being in any of the Quarters which they are

straddling (just keep in mind that they may only help to

control the Quarter corresponding to their Ht).


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AdRiAn ScOtT

PrOfEsSoR PoNtIfIcAtEsA WoRd {Or MoRe} AbOuT FoCuS AnD DeFeNsIvE


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NaThAn CaRoLaNd

JuNiOr WhAtNoTs

Wyrd is currently looking for two Junior Whatnots to work on,

well, whatever we want! Youll have the opportunity to get

involved in game design while learning fun new skills like how

to carry 5 cups of coffee with only 2 hands (no special drink

carriers allowed). We dont need you to have designed games

before, but a healthy love of games may be the only thing that

keeps you safe when the one true Viktoria comes knocking.

These positions are located in Marietta, GA.

What youre going to do

The things we ask you to. Things like writing rules and

editing and doing layout.

Come to trade shows and smile like you mean it!

What youre not going to do

Listen to the voices in your head.

Quote Nathan! Some things should never be uttered twice.

Requirements

The ability to answer any question about any game without using the internet to do

so. Or, you know, a good understanding of games overall.

The ability to make your boss happy, which is often about communication and

deadlines, but could also mean occasionally standing very still with an apple on

your head. Its probably better if you close your eyes.

Special consideration will be given to candidates who have experience in graphic design/

layout, web development, or mobile app development. No joke here, wed really like that.

What Makes You a Good Fit at Wyrd

At Wyrd, we come in all shapes and scalings, but at the end of the day were all Neverb

people. You must be eager to jump into the deep end, regardless of any Silurids. You must

be willing to talk to others without either of you needing to take a Terrifying duel. It would

help if your Armor is rated at least +1, but you have to at least be comfortable filling any

of the roles in Lucius crew.

If you want to know more (and really, why wouldnt you), head over to our website to check

out the more complete job posting:

http://wyrd-games.net/community/page/index.html/_/wyrd-news/jobs-junior-game-designer-r44


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WrEtChEd RaTsAdRiAn ScOtT

As Andrew mentioned in the Battle Report, Adrian used

a unique Crew build to win with against him in a game.

Adrian was kind enough to point me to a strategy

write up for this build and I wanted to include it for

everyone to read.

Enjoy!

----

So lately Ive been burning through the Outcast

Faction, trying their various Masters for my Rainbow

Challenge and getting an idea of how they work.

They were also the Faction I decided to take to

Gen Con, so I suppose it was inevitable that I start

looking at the Faction as a whole and whether there

were any combos I could use to deal with perceived

weaknesses. As it turns out theres one set of models

Ive developed a particular fondness for. So without

further ado, lets just get straight into the details;

Obedient Wretch (4)

3x Malifaux Rats (3x2) = 10SS Total

It may not seem like much, but this little team offers

some incredible utility for a paltry 10SS. If you know

anything about these models youll quickly realize

their greatest advantage Activation Control. Heres

how their first Turn Activations would typically go;

1-3. Malifaux Rats move up, remaining within

Shooting Range (6) of the Obedient Wretch

4. Obedient Wretch Activates and Attacks the

Rats twice with Tossed Rat, triggeringStink

of Deathwith a flipped/cheated C.

5. First summoned Rat Activates (ideally outside

3 of 3 other Rats) and does whatever.

6. Second summoned Rat Activates and being

within 3 of 3 other Rats, is sacrificed to

create a Rat King.

7. Rat King Activates, then uses Rat Problem

to sacrifice itself and summon a Rat Catcher

and Malifaux Rat.

8. Rat Catcher Activates and casts Moldy

Cheese on the Malifaux Rat, giving it

Reactivate.

9-10. Final Malifaux Rat Activates twice, probably

doing nothing of importance.

Thats 10 activations for 10SS, but even if you only

summon one Rat with the Obedient Wretch and/

or dont summon the Rat Catcher, thats more than

enough to out-activate most other Crews in the

game. The above requires your opponent to leave

those models alone for the Turn (likely, if you deploy

them well enough) and requires C (for Stink ofDeath) and a 4+ of any suit (Moldy Cheese). The

worst that can happen is if you flip severe Damage

for the Obedient Wretchs Tossed Rat(killing it) or

as usual, if you flip a Black Joker for anything.


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MiSs ErY LoVeS CoMpAnYMaKos RuBbIsH

MaRk RoDgErS

PaLe FuR


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DaRk FuR

TaRtAn PaTcHeS


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PuRpLe PaTcHeS


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LeAtHeR PaTcH OrAnGe


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StUfFiNg

StItChInG


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EyEs

TaLoNs


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BaSe ScUlPt

ThE PlAyRoOm


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StOnE

MaGiC


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FiNiShEd


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UnTiLN

eXtTiMe

!

Wyrd Chronicles 14

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