Dungeons and Dragonmech: Desert Diaspora

Time to reboot a campaign that never got started!

Hello one and all to another crazy campaign I'm doing by request! If you like combined arms combat, intrigue, mechs, a "real" living environment, and a sandbox experience... LOOK NO FURTHER!

This will be 3.5e setting that SLIGHTLY involves mechs in an almost "Iron Harvest" style interwar feel, revolving around the idea of a "transition of technology" period. The listed start time/date is very fluid, while sessions should run about 3 hours on average. We might be starting later than the listed date depending on number of applicants and how much work I get done on the campaign.

I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH: The intent is not for the players to have a big awesome mech that they can run around in and use to fight other mechs. Its to have a motley crew try to operate and stay afloat in a steampunk/powered viable desertworld environment.

Now then... what is dragonmech?
(relevant book = http://www.valikorlia.com/D&D/DragonMech%20-%20Campaign%20Setting.pdf)
Is the inspiration and official rules. HOWEVER!!!!!!! I will doing my own homebrew based off this. Don't expect a honest-to-book dragonmech campaign. No moon dragons, no city mechs, and no gargantuan+ sized assault mechs.

Variant Steam Gun Rules:
Steam guns have 5 shots before needing to reload, and are reloaded via an ammo/steam canister combination magazine. There are extended versions that hold 7 or 10 shots.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Z8ufn41sW6uD-npRzbZID_RUW6pjfbTouxbX2Tkr0i8/edit?usp=sharing

The Setting:

The continent of Lashkar has long been a riotous place of many different nations, races, cultures, and beliefs, and the tides of fortune swing ever one way or the next. Effectively isolated from the rest of the world, the nations of Lashkar have tumultuous histories of conflict and prosperity. Despite residing upon a Desert World, Lashkar has a surprising run of good-luck, and is much like the "middle east" during the time of the persians, with lots of wealth, culture, and art. Spices, Moisture farming, and precious materials are the common goods of the land. Throughout history, while many used bow, sword, and spear, others constantly sought to find a new way of fighting. 500 years ago, in the the now-dead nation of Kazkan the genius inventor Al-Gabril Ignasio created the first steam technology using an series of pumps to force air into a tight container. He planned on using this for millwork, as the winds in the Kazkan region were fickle and had a habit of raging when unwanted, and growing still when needed. While Al-Gabril's invention saw immediate and effective use in the mill work, they were too large to be used widescale. Since Al-Gabril was obsessed with having his brilliance used widespread, he dedicated his life to miniaturizing his technology. While he succeeded in some aspects, reducing the size from that of a large building to that of a small shed, he died of old age before getting he managed to make a canister small enough to be man-portable (his goal). However, his pupil John Crofton was able to take all of Al-Gabril's notes and finished the work in 50years, producing the first self-compressing steam canister. While originally the size of a backpack, over the next two-hundred years the miniaturization process continued until Crofton Steamworks, LLC. was able to make self-compressing steam canisters that could be loaded into tools... and weapons.

In 956NE, the first steamgun was built. Though originally requiring a backpack-sized airtank, within a few short decades more efficient models were made. Soon widespread production and use began, as the guns were far simpler than to learn how to use effectively than bows. Not soon after, in 983NE, Heinrich Von Geirtz used steam-power to move a suit of plate armor. While his heirs complained about the "waste of fortune" Geirtz continued to make bigger and better steam-powered suits, in the hopes of one day being able to place his aged body inside one, and eventually he succeeded in his goal, though he fell off his battlements when he was demonstrating this to interested parties a year later. However, his work in steam-engineering started a chain reaction that set all the various tumblers and cogs into place, and by 1000NE the first mechs were being put into use. Originally crafted by the Drigovian Empire as honor guards in the Royal Household, the idea of large, armored, self-powering units appealed to many nations and companies, and development skyrocketed in what is refferred to as the "Steamshop Boom". Soon Mechs, Steam-Powered engines, and all sorts of machinery and novelties were being built across the face of the land. From the grand machines of the Kingdom of Gardoria to the sleek agile couriers of the Tyvale Traders, mechs have slowly insinuated them into the daily life of everyone. Hill Dwarves, Gnomes, and Humans have especially taken to these machines, and many even now push the boundaries of what is, and what could be...

However, despite all of this "progress" (or perhaps because of it) more and more conflicts have broken out in the lands of Lashkar. The Sand Peoples (a nomadic group of bandits and raiders) use pilfered mechs to attack steam engines as they cruise the rails from city to city. In the past 200 years, two city states have been wiped from the earth in conflict, and an entire kingdom has fallen to a populist revolt bandying the slogan "Water for all Workers!" The "Breksish Consortium" remains secluded in their valley of splendors as does the "Free Republic of Targen", but both eye each other and the large "Dirgovian Empire"... afraid that the teeniest excuse will set all three on a warpath. "The One and True Order of the Holy Sword", a theocracy-nation of zealots and their chattle are embroiled in open warfare with the "Kingdom of Aedwendan" whose immortal Queen grows angry at the young King of Gardoria's refusal to accept a marriage-alliance.

While water is plentiful in the cities and towns, due to the large underground oceans that reside below the surface, traveling any distance from "civilization" whilst ill-equipped is a sure death sentence; water is more valuable than gold out in the wastes... Mithral, Copper, Iron, and Gold are in abundance, but silver and adamantine are found very rarely, and wood is tended to in carefully constructed nurseries, greenhouses, and caverns. What natural fauna there is tends to be stunted, wizened, and/or prickly and many a nation has gone to war, or lost one, due to a threat to their precious pine-growths. Frequent storms come in north past the mountains, and though brief can cause some massive damage. Sandstorms and tornadoes are common in the wastes and will occasionally wash over cities. In addition, huge sandstorms called "Washes" sometimes come off of the Sand Seas, and have been known to bury entire towns, though are blessedly infrequent, occurring perhaps once every century or two.

Warfare is mostly fought with steam-guns these days, though a good number of people still use melee weapons (indeed the Breksish Dust Cavalry and the Gardorian Defenders are well-feared). Combined arms is the standard army composition, with a good number of light, heavy, and melee infantry mixed with supportive units such as siege weapons, cavalry, or in some rare cases... magic casters. Every nation has it's own cadre of Mechs, which are used much like Tanks are in modern combat, or as siege weapons. Typically a nation could be expected to have 15 to 500 mechs, and can be given to field as much as 50 in a single combat, though usually the number is much smaller, and many is the time that the mechs are too busy to participate in every skirmish. Independent groups and individuals also can and do own mechs, though other than the Tygale Traders most of these non-nations have less than 30 mechs. Even owning a single mech is enough to raise eyebrows, however, and the popular opinion of independent combat-ready mechs is mixed, as some feel their owners should be fighting for their homeland.

Explosives exist, but are for the most part rudimentary in nature.

The Story

The PCs will discuss with me (Zael/Doom) as to the specifics of the story in the week(s) leading up to the first session. However, expect to start out with at most 1 mech (if desired, details tbd but no more than 3 crew) and to be either part of a military force, deserters, mercenaries, a merchant house's personal army, or some other combat-related group. I have a specific story in mind, but I want to run it by my players first to make sure it is all acceptable.

The PCs

1. Starting Level will be between level 3 to level 6, depending on party preference

2. Magic is VERY scarce, and what few users there are typically are regarded with much suspicion or hoarded away as secret weapons, captives in all but name. PCs are not exempt from this... if you don't take a casting class, you should be expected to have a bias towards casters, (unless you have a good RP reason not to). No outright hatred, but things like raising prices to extortionate rates for known mages, blaming "those bloody mages" for bad luck, etc. If you pick a mage (pleaaaase don't), expect the same to be levelled at you should you mess up and give yourself away.

3. Due to this, many non-casting variants of classes will be allowed (e.g. spell-less rangers from complete champion)

4. In addition to the DMG, PHB, and MM: the Complete Warrior, Complete Champion, Dragonmech, Complete Adventurer, Sandstorm, and Races of Stone books will be allowed. Players may also ask for specific things that cannot be found in these books (i.e. a feat), I'll judge on a case-by-case basis.

5. Players need to choose a homeland from the following list. (A brief summary for each can be found in the relevant post below):
   ----Breksish Consortium
   ----Free Republic of Targen
   ----Dirgovian Empire
   ----The Commonfolk's Zargia
   ----The One and True Order of the Holy Sword (aka "The Order")
   ----Kingdom of Gardoria
   ----Aedwendan Kingdom
   ----the Sand Seas
   ----the Wastes
   ----the Mountains
   ----Merchant-born
   ----Raider-born
   ----Syndacite-born

6. Whatever your chosen homeland and backstory, you should be at least 15 years old, and should leave about a two-year gap between the end of your story and the start of campaign (where you join the military, meet the party, whatever). You will all know each other by campaign start, and we will corroborate on this.

7. Starting Wealth/Gear will be determined by backstory and level.

8. I will look for 5 people to start, though we may go up to 7 depending on choices made regarding the mech, and the campaign.

9. Necromancy and Summoning don't work in this setting at all. I'm really, truly sorry. But... Just don't even try. Please. PLEASE! I beg you.

10. Bribing the DM is wrong, but should be encouraged ;)

11. Discord for Voice, Roll20 for play. If you want to use text-only that can be fine, but it can slow the party down, just bear in mind.

The GM

Hi, I'm Brother Zael. I'm also known as "Vincent", "Vladamir", "Your Doom", or just "Doom". This is my first time running a dragonmech-esque world, and so I would like to keep it relatively tight in terms of leveling. So expect the focus to be more on story progression than level progression. That said, expect a LOT of combat in addition to RP in this campaign. That means slow leveling, so if you like to power up fast... sorry! However, this should let us develop characters a lot more, and enjoy the world. Think of new ways to use old abilities when solving challenges!

I'm used to running sandboxes and you can look at my profile page to learn more about my typical playstyle. That said, I've never run a dragonmech campaign before, let alone used it, and so while I'm familiar with the subject, (and a fair hand at 3.5), this will be a learning experience for us all.

I can be contacted via discord at about all times excepting when I'm sleeping or doing things with my family. Sessions should continue uninhibited for 3-7 months and may continue longer if I can manage it. I'll give 2-weeks notice before ending campaign though.