One of the traditionally-awkward aspects of the Dungeons & Dragons game system, going back to AD&D is weapon proficiency. Quite simply defined, proficiency with a given weapon means that a proficient character knows how to properly use the weapon in combat. Using a weapon one is not proficient with will incur certain penalties, most notably a penalty on all attack rolls. The problem has always been in determining which weapons a given character knows how to use.

In AD&D, this was accomplished by giving the various character classes a fixed number of starting weapon proficiencies (and in some most cases a restricted list of allowable weapons), with additional proficiencies being granted as the character progressed. The main problem with this was that the Fighter character, master of arms that he is, would end up with a stupendously long list of weapons he could use competently, but would run across an enchanted Ranseur and be at a loss as to how to use the darned thing until the following character level. In time, the Fighter would reach a peak point after which new proficiencies were of no practical use.

Third edition D&D addressed this problem by creating three major groupings of weapon types, “simple” weapons that nearly anybody would know how to use, “martial” weapons that only skilled armsmen would master, and “exotic” weapons, which were simply not typically in use, and required specialized training or exotic origin in order to put to good use. Fighters are considered to be proficient in all simple and martial weapons. Quite tidily done for any reasonably-standard D&D world.

But with third edition Dungeons & Dragons came the d20 system, the OGL, and eventually Privateer Press and their Iron Kingdoms setting. The Iron Kingdoms has a significantly different technology level than traditional fantasy roleplaying games, and distinct ethnicities with different cultures and martial traditions. How does the d20 system’s weapon proficiency match up? A quick search for threads regarding firearm proficiency rules on their forum will tell you that it works a little less well than you might expect.

I’ll be following this introductory article with some suggested lists of weapons that should be considered “Martial,” “Simple,” or “Exotic” based upon the Iron Kingdoms cultural groups. Expect most Khadoran subcultures to favor Axes, Cygnarans to favor swords, and so forth.

Fans of japanese animation have long been aware of a subgenre known as “super-deformed.” It originated, to the best of my knowledge, with the release of small-bodied, big-headed “cute” Gundam toys many years ago. Super-deformed versions of all many of popular products have come forth, from chibi-Dragonball to chibi-Evangelion. Well, a fellow calling himself JaggedToothGrin on the Privateer Press Fora has brought this deviant little tradition over to the world of WARMACHINE. Presented for your amusement, Chibi Cryx, the diabolically-evil, piratical, tyrranous, (and now cute) arch-villains of the Iron Kingdoms setting:

From left, these are the Warwitch Deneghra, the Iron Lich Asphyxious, Lich Lord Terminus, a Bane thrall, and Pirate Queen Skarre.

The gamecrafters at Privateer Press are at it again. After introducing their Iron Kingdoms campaign setting for the d20 RPG and the WARMACHINE miniature wargame, and progressing each of these products a bit through subsequent expansions and add-ons, they’ve decided to take a hard left turn away from giant metal juggernaughts and rifle brigades and into the realm of big brutish wild-men with axes. Hyped as the Next Big Thing in their magazine No Quarter, we finally got some details.

Hordes will be an alternate version of the WARMACHINE miniatures game that focuses on four new factions, some of which we IKRPG fans are already familiar with: a cabal of Druids (presumably Blackclads), the diverse Trollblood populations (including proper Trolls as well as Trollkin), the Skorne (originally seen in the Witchfire trilogy), and the minions of a previously-believed-to-be-destroyed dragon Everblight (the subject of the Wyrmcycle Saga, alluded to in a number of Iron Kingdoms works). This game will have play mechanisms extremely-similar to that of WARMACHINE, and is promised to be fully compatible with the old system. This means you’ll be able to pit Warpwolves and Woldwardens against Cygnaran Longgunners, and Skorne stormtroopers against Cryxian Helljacks.

This also means that a wide assortment of monster miniatures that are Iron Kingdoms-appropriate will be released into the wild. Expect prices on these figures to be more in line with those of wargames minis (which they are) than with traditional RPG minis, of course. This also means that we can probably expect a slowdown in the release of new units and ‘jacks for Cygnar, Cryx, Khador, and the Protectorate, as well as a shift in the tone of the over-arching main plotline of this setting.

I find it interesting that even as the Liber Mechanika is being shipped out, with all its mechanika goodies, the Privateers are focusing onto the wild and hairy portions of their game world. I suspect that given a couple more shifts like this, the Iron Kingdoms will be a remarkably well-rounded place to adventure in.