Von Unaussprechlichen Kulten - The Beta Test!

[LidlessEye]

A feverish Uncle Mike arrived on my doorstep last week, clutching a crumpled, yellowed sheaf of pages.  "It's ready!" he exclaimed, a crazed glint in his eye and faint hint of drool running down his chin.  He held the pages forth, and I was drawn into his madness, working into the wee hours of the morning to decipher the eldritch scrawls.  The result, Von Unaussprechlichen Kulten: Of Unspeakable Cults, now stands before you.

http://www.strange-aeons.ca/doc/Kulten_Beta.pdf

So here's the deal.  First off, Mike wasn't actually drooling.  Second, we are indeed giving you the "beta" edition of the game completely for free.  It's very stripped down artistically (the published version will obviously look a lot prettier), but the whole game is here for your perusal (with a few exceptions).  The condition: you have to playtest the heck out of it!  In order to do so, you'll need a copy of the original Strange Aeons rulebook.  While all the vital rules of Kulten are included, Lurker profiles are all in Strange Aeons.  The final release of Kulten will be a standalone game, but we want to limit playtesting to those already in the Strange Aeons fold.

We're looking for typos, inconsistencies, imbalances, missing rules, confusing passages, you name it.  You can either post your feedback here or mail it to us at kulten@strange-aeons.ca. Some content is still in development, including additional Cults and Favour scenarios.  If you come up with your own ideas for either, or anything, let us know.  We may even publish your contribution in the final game, with a writing credit of course.  Anyone providing us with feedback with be credited as a playtester.

To keep things organized, I'll be posting a few threads for discussion of specific game issues.  Mike will look into making these sticky we don't lose them down the page.

Now, get out there, recruit some lackeys and start with the evil already!  Oh, and Happy Halloween, hope you all like your treat

[jnr]

Ill give it a go, have more then enough minatures to make the cults up, painted and unpainted.

I see the use of ghost in the game and the witch, would it not be a good idea to update your resources page to include part 2 of the ghost and the witch rather then looking through all the forum post for them.
I read that we can use the lurkers from Shocking Tales, does this mean we can also use the weapons.
A link to page 2 of the ghost  http://www.strange-aeons.ca/doc/SA10L_Ghosts2.pdf

[jnr]

The Witch (mother inlaw)
Safe you all looking for it.
Witch – 7BP
M   Dex.   Con.   A   W   Res.   Skills
3   5+       4       1   1    4+   Command*
Weapons: Unarmed
Special: Human, Hideous
Sorceress: The Witch begins the game with 3 spells, rolled randomly from the Witches Spell Table. Doubles may be kept or re-rolled as the Lurker player wishes. Up to 3 more additional spells may be purchased randomly from the Witches Spell Table for +2BP (Build Points) each.
Devils Daughter: The Witch has been party to vile dealings and dark rites. If the Resolve test for casting a spell is failed do not roll on the Insanity table. However, the spell is still lost if the test is failed.
*Dark Allegiance: The Witch has Command skill but can only ‘nominate’ Familiars. The Witch comes with 1 Familiar at no additional cost and may purchase up to 2 more at +2BP each.
Unholy Covenant: The Witch can communicate telepathically with her Familiars. If an Action is spent to establish the link a spell may be measured from the Familiars base (instead of the Witch). If spells are cast in this way they do not disrupt the Fair Beauty spell (if in effect).


Familiar – +2BP (witches only)
M   Dex.   Con.   A   W   Res.   Skills
4    4+       3     1    1    5+   Dodge
Weapons: Bite/Scratch (C.C.B.0, Dam. D+1)
Special: Daemon, Beast
Bond Of Servitude: Familiars can only be used in games where a Witch is present. If the Witch is ever removed from play so is the Familiar.
Tiny: The Familiar is a very small creature and as such suffers no modifiers to Movement due to terrain. In addition the Familiar receives a 6+ cover save against all Shooting attacks.

Witches Spell Table
Spell   D6
Nightmare Visions   1
Sundered From Time   2
Fair Beauty   3
Curse Of Silence   4
Shifting Angles   5
Mind Shadow   6



Witches Spell List

Nightmare Visions
The Witch conjures up frightful phantasms that fill the air around her, tormenting anyone close enough to witness the hellish spectacle. The Witch (or Familiar if using Unholy Covenant) causes Terror until the end of the Turn.

Sundered From Time
Flinging a dish full of blood, spit, spider’s legs and crow’s wings can cause the victim to be displaced in time and space! Choose a model within 6” of the Witch (or Familiar), it cannot take any Actions except Move and cannot be targeted by other models. While Sundered From Time the targeted model may ignore any scenery and models in its path. At the start of the Witches Turn roll a dice. 1: The model is Lost and cannot be used until next game. 2-4: The model remains Sundered. 5-6: The model can be used as usual! The effects have worn off!

Fair Beauty
The air around the Witch shimmers and the old crone is transformed into a beautiful, helpless, young girl. While in this form the Witch cannot be targeted or attacked by Threshold models. If the Witch casts a spell directly (not through a Familiar) Fair Beauty is lost and she can be targeted as usual.

Curse Of Silence
As the Witch put a wrinkled finger to her pursed lips he felt a tightening in his throat…he couldn’t speak! Choose a model within 8” of the Witch, it may not use Command or Lieutenant until the end of it’s next Turn.

Shifting Angles
The Witch causes the boundaries of space to shift, as reality warps to her dark will. Choose a model within 8” of the Witch (or Familiar) and place it anywhere on the board, excluding deployment zones or base-to-base with another model. Being wrenched through space can be disorienting, the target model must take a Resolve test when placed in it’s new location. If failed the model goes Face Up, shrieking or vomiting…or both.

Mind Shadow
She touched him…and he forgot. If the Witch (or Familiar) ends a Move in base-to-base rather than fight Close Combat she may use this spell instead and no Close Combat will be fought that Turn. The spell does not require an Action be spent but happens as soon as in Base-to-base. The target model looses one Skill, chosen by the Witch, for the remainder of the game. The effect is not permanent.


 
 
  
 

[Sheerluck Holmes]

I know the intro mentions it is for lurker vs lurker games not threshold vs lurker, but would it be possible to play the latter using these rules?

 If so, maybe a paragraph or so mentioning the BP for each side or even how to balance such games?  Would the Threshold get 40 BP, or the Lurkers reduced to 15?

 If using the Kulten book to make a Lurker group, would a threshold player be able to spend the same number of points as the Cult or vice versa (threshold vs cult) ?

 Just my first impressions - no doubt I will come up with more as I read more.

 

[Sheerluck Holmes]

p25 - additions and Omissions - could this be a free PDF download so those owning SA and ST issue #1 that don't have the kults book (when it comes out) can have access to this information?

[jnr]

No cults can use the Beasts or Demons, beast can be brought into the game bye using a item from Special Gear to be precise a Collar of Subjugation  this lets you control a beast , so I need to pay +2 RP and +2BP and the cost of the beast , so a Demonic Hound in the game would set me back 13 points to my TCR.
There are only 3 beast in the rule book Demonic Hound ,Werewolf , Formless Thing  and two in the Shocking Tales Giant Vermin and Swarms.
How would you go about  using Giant Vermin, point cost its not worth having them in the game using multiple collars same for the swarm.
For the swarm guess you could put the collar on the Queen to control a swarm or swarms .
What about giving the Giant Vermin a King to control a set number of  Giant Vermin
The above two would fit in nicely in  Cult De Ghouls.


The Death Cult has no Blasphemous Creature  as a congregation  but  could he be used as a 
Allowable Cultist  (Undead and Human)
Also what do you class as a Degenerate in the shape of a  miniature?

[Uncle Mike]

Sheerluck and Jnr,

No goodguy armies in this one...you can use them but only when Alerting The Authorities...alternatly you can play as Arcane Seekers...they are kinda goodguys, or at least they used to be...

A Daemonic Hound would only set you back 11 RP...2RP for the Collar and 9RP for the Hound itself.
Swarms aren't worth using with the collar...but I really like the idea of one weird loner telepathically controlling a group of swarms/giant vermin...kinda like that movie Willard...will be working on this as another Cult Archetype.

The Death Cult will has access to the Blasphemous Construct, since it is Undead...but can only gain two skills as it is not in the congregation. A crazy powerful model already.

A Degenerate is a Human model...stats for Degenerates and Ghoul King will appear in Shocking Tales #2...

[sigma957]

I have just had a quick read through Von U K and I am disappointed/surprised there are no Daemon Worshippers.

For Strange Aeons I have been developing the "Cult of the Green Wyvern" and I was hoping to use Von U K to flesh them out.

They are a cult of Humans who worship the Great Wyvern Mahg Nol, who is a Winged Nightmare.

Obviously there are other Daemons with followers out there and I am sure they don't all get on.

I would have thought the following would be appropriate, with perhaps a sacrifice/artefact needed to summon the Daemon.

Daemon Worshippers

Magus: High Priest
Congregation: Daemon (one only), Cultist, Cult Leader, Maniac, Henchmen
Allowable Cultists: Human

[Uncle Mike]

Every cult has the ability to worship Daemons. None can utilize Daemons from the start but must rather gain the relevant spells/skills and work toward gaining one for the cult. Daemons are rare and hard to attain.

[jnr]

There are rules for summoning demons in the scenario The Devil ‘s hop Yard on page 63 of the main rule book witch are much the same as the  scenario the Summoning in the beta ,but I see your are bring out a summon spell any hint how this will work.

Talking of territory, will Ghouls have the advantage of  tunnels in a grave yard, so they can have hidden movement, or such.

[Uncle Mike]

No hints yet...still working out the bugs on the new spells and Territory...like the idea of tunnels...

[Scorpio]

I'm totally missing something about cult-building. What's the difference between the 'Congregation' and the 'Allowable Cultists'? This is even more confusing in that some of the Congregations have Cultists listed as options...

[sigma957]

Every cult has the ability to worship Daemons. None can utilize Daemons from the start but must rather gain the relevant spells/skills and work toward gaining one for the cult. Daemons are rare and hard to attain.

I was just concerned that my Cult of the Green Wyvern could not have a Wyvern (Winged Nightmare). 

If there are going to be spells/skills that allow a cult to summon daemons, my problem is solved.

Many thanks for the quick response.

[LidlessEye]

What's the difference between the 'Congregation' and the 'Allowable Cultists'?

Congregation models may acquire up to 5 skills.  Allowable Cultists can only have 2.

Cultists (the Lurker type) as Congregation does cause a bit of confusion though.  Perhaps we should consider another term for the bottom tier.

[Scorpio]

Congregation models may acquire up to 5 skills.  Allowable Cultists can only have 2.

Aha! Perfect.

Cultists (the Lurker type) as Congregation does cause a bit of confusion though.  Perhaps we should consider another term for the bottom tier.

That would be an improvement. The 'Allowable Cultist' section seems to just have generic names, so hopefully more detail will help clarify.