Category Archives: Iron Kingdoms

IKFATE and wikis

Manning the trenches

A while ago I installed a copy of Mediawiki for giggles. I wasn’t dead-set on what I wanted to do with it, so I figured I’d put some old Iron Kingdoms web forum content into it. The Privateer Press server has had issues in the past with its search tool, so having a bunch of info at my fingertips on a server that isn’t likely to be bogged down seemed like a reasonably-good idea. Problem: I didn’t populate it in an automated fashion and copying & pasting hundreds of forum posts is tedious. Horribly tedious. I’ll have to muster an army of wikimonkeys to get that task completed, or get an awful lot better at HTTP scripting.

Enter the Spirit of the Century SRD, a website containing the OGL information from Evil Hat Productions’ new RPG. Since it’s open content, I can wrench on it just like the FATE 2.0 rules, but secure in the knowledge that I’m dealing with something that isn’t about to be made horribly outdated by FATE 3.0. What a great chance to kickstart a stalled Iron Kingdoms conversion while brushing up on my wiki-editing skills. I haven’t gotten very far into things just yet, as there is a lot of 1920’s pulp fiction baggage built into the pre-set skills, stunts, and such, which will take some time to properly remove.

So if you’re interested in an Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying Game that isn’t caught up in the sacred cows and proud nails of the d20 game system, come on down to the Gobbernomicon and chip in a bit. The Resources, Gadgets & Gizmos, and Character Ideas articles are in particularly dire need, though any constructive input is appreciated.

*Edit March 6, 2007: Hey neat, somebody else has been working on an IK conversation of Spirit of the Century, here.

IKCG Errata?

Eliminating errors with extreme prejudice

Many moons ago, a company called Privateer Press released a book called the IKCG after years of teeth-gnashing delays, setbacks, consternation, and a change in the core ruleset from d20 3.0 to d20 3.5. In the scramble to convert 400+ pages of content to the new rules, a fair amount of quality control issues slipped through the cracks. Some of the numbers don’t add up, some of the tables contradict the text, there are some rather amusing typos, and so forth.

But hark, news arrives via a mailing list:

Actually we are working on an official errata document for the IKCG to be released at the first of the year.

Paraphrasing the upcoming errata, the Gun Mage will be able to avoid spell failure in light armor as part of his spell focus ability with his pistol. This means if you are not holding your pistol, you will have a chance of spell failure for being in armor. This is different than the wording in the Bard class concerning casting in light armor.

-Nathan Letsinger

Nate Letsinger is the director of the Iron Kingdoms RPG line, and hence in a position to authoritatively make such claims. Since an online errata document isn’t subject to the vagaries of the printing process, and the Privateers already have a tried-and-true FAQ-and-errata web interface (here), I have higher hopes for this “first of the year” release date than I might have for other Iron Kingdoms products.

Welcome to Llael

Llael, circa 604 AR

The fair nation of Llael is blessed in a great many ways. Located along the busiest trade routes in Western Immoren, Llael is a nexus of commerce, culture, and politics. Rhul borders to the North, Khador to the West, and Cygnar to the South. Ample coal and sulfur deposits lend stability to this kingdom’s economy, which is otherwise subject to the ebbs and flows of international commerce. As the home of the international monetary exchange and the headquarters for the Order of the Golden Crucible, a great deal of wealth passes through Llael.
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