IHMN2 - Contents page 3The third contents page features the Menagerie, Talents, Powers and the Companies. So, without further ado, let us dive in…
6.0 The Menagerie. This chapter did not exist in the original edition, and the only non-human creatures in the book were described under 5.4 Personal Transportation or in the companies themselves.
In our later books we quickly discovered that players needed detailed and costed descriptions of a wide range of domestic and wild animals. In IHMN2 we have added twenty-two animals from horses (three types) to lions, bears and crocodiles. These then can add flavour to your game as beasts of burden, objectives, company ‘pets’ and hazards.
We have also drawn together and defined a number of exotic creatures such as great apes, demons and mummies. These are generally much more dangerous or capable than ordinary animals and their attributes reflect this.
Finally, we come to Automata. The term “Automata” encompasses all artificially constructed creatures. There is a variety of mechanical automata and more horrific ones, like zombies and skeletons. This section was one we have been asked for many times by players of the original games, so we happily obliged.
7.0 Talents. These are special abilities that any figure may have, and they give the game much of its flavour.
Most are appropriate to the setting such as Erudite Wit, where one distracts one’s opponents with witty banter. Others give figures abilities they might have from their background or training such as Bayonet Drill or Medic. There are certain bits of equipment that are difficult or impossible to use if you do not have the appropriate talent like Steersman, Pilot or Engineer. A few reflect the innate capabilities of a figure such as Fanatic, Fearless or Impervious.
Most of the Talents listed come from the original edition and its supplements. These have been rewritten and re-costed. A few of them have been dropped entirely as they proved to be virtually unplayable. Again, player feedback was central to our decisions.
One of the Talents that first appeared in Blood Eagle, proved to be both popular and robust in play, so then appeared in Thud & Blunder, and now we are introducing it to IHMN. This is the Hero talent, that allows important figures a few die rerolls per game. This can be used to save their skin with a Pluck Roll or turn a miss into a hit on a vital strike. We think that shall prove popular in this game too.
The Companies lists show what Talents are standard and optional for each figure type.
8.0 Mystical Powers. This is possibly the chapter that has the most thorough overhaul. In the original edition we included these to reflect the supernatural beliefs that were commonly believed in the late Victorian period, but both the costing and execution of these was not up to the standards we now hold to.
In the books that followed IHMN, we wrote a series of books in which we explored how to organise and cost such powers. It is from these we have now created a range of powers that keep to the original intent and are useful in the game. Powers are now divided into lesser and greater and costed accordingly.
We have found that having these powers allows us to field companies whose focus is not on the high science and engineering of the period. It also gives more ancient and native peoples an edge by which to resist the relentless advance of Western powers.
Again, the Companies lists show which can have these powers and to what extent.
Of course, if you want to run a more ‘historical’ game you could just ignore this chapter altogether.
9.0 Companies. This section is the beating heart of the book, for it contains the balanced costing system that underpins all the others.
Unlike some organisations the Ministry believes in having a completely open approach to this, thereby giving you the power to develop your own content. We also believe in a rational approach to costing. Note that this mays seem a little complex at first but, as we have done with each of our books, we shall be publishing a system for automating this process on the Ministry blog.
Each of the companies has been chosen from the original three books, or those published on the blog, both for their enduring popularity and to give a wide range for players to choose from. We could not possibly have included every single company we had ever produced, or the book would be a 300+ page leviathan. But fear not, many of those companies that did not make it into this book may feature in future supplements or be released for free over the coming months.
Every company has been given a thorough overhaul, both in terms of costing, and to allow it to take advantage of all the new elements in this edition. For example, many can now field mechanized walkers. We were acutely aware that we needed to make these changes in keeping with the spirit of the original companies, but no company was left behind in terms of its equipment or capabilities.
This chapter also includes what had been originally a blog article on how to create your own company from scratch. We have always been supporters of player creativity, especially through having a comprehensive and open costing system. This section shows you in detail the steps to go through to make your own forces.
The original article has been much improved and features as an example the villainous Kentish Men. So altogether the book has twenty-four companies.
In the next article in this series we shall finish our journey through the contents pages with the Landscapes, Scenarios, Complications and Campaign chapters.
07 December 2009, 04:21:06 PM
