"McSlaughter Industries is dedicated to providing efficient, cost-effective, and above all reliable customer service to the modern fantasy villain. By utilizing our unique, unfriendly personnel and implementing a variety of murder- and plunder-related initiatives, McSlaugher Industries is able to provide you, the client, with solutions to any conceivable operational problem.
McSlaugher Industries: Because any problem that can't be solved with an axe to the head isn't worth solving."
-McSI mission statement, first draft
McSlaughter Industries was started by Vassilos McSlaughter and brother Thraxos in order to make them very, very rich doing exactly what they love: Burning things and stabbing people. Each of the scheming McSlaughter Brothers is a force in their own right and their little band of "anti-adventurer specialists" is as much a service as it is a way for each brother to have another sword hand by their side in case the other turns on him.
In a campaign, the McSlaughters are best used as recurring villains, working for the main adversary. Though they are constantly fighting, in combat each brother becomes protective of the other (otherwise they risk losing their worthiest opponent). The McSlaughters are incredibly greedy and each may switch alliegences for the right price, though they prefer not to do this in combat. Finally, they are also darkly comic figures; Vassilos doesn't care too much about catching his brother in an errant blast nor does Thraxos mind if he "accidentally" stabs Vassilos with a poisoned dagger. Their squabbling may allow the PCs an opportunity to escape, renew the fight, or even just walk past them if it's bad enough.
Vassilos McSlaughter, former Guildmaster of the Wizard's Guild (Wild Card)
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d12, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidate d8, Knowledge (arcana) d8, Notice d8, Spellcasting d12, Stealth d6, Taunt d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7(1)
Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Greedy (major), Quirk (fights with Thraxos)
Edges: Arcane Background (Mage), Command, Common Bond, New Power, Power Points, Wizard
Gear: Quarterstaff, leather armor, 2 healing potions and 3 mana potions, Shield Ring (+1 Toughness)
AB: 15 PP, Blast, Bolt, Deflection, Fear
Thraxos McSlaughter, Cunning* Rogue (Wild Card)
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8
Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d10, Lockpicking d8, Notice d6, Stealth d10, Taunt d6, Throwing d8, Streetwise d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 7(1)
Hindrances: Delusional (minor; believes he's quite smart), Greedy (major), Quirk (fights with Vassilos)
Edges: Acrobat, Ambidextrous, Dodge, Florentine, Thief, Two Fisted
Gear: 4x handaxe, leather armor, 3 healing potions, Shadow Cloak (grants Low Light Vision, +1 to Stealth)
*Thraxos is actually deficient in the cunning department.
3 comments:
Interesting stuff, but when you say "modern fantasy" in the opening, what is the implied setting? A fantasy world that has developed technology or what?
Like to hear more...
Yeah, my bad. I meant a fantasy setting that has been recently written, and something not in the "Old School" movement - unless it's self-aware. The McSlaughters would be at home in, say, Eberron or Hackmaster, but not the Forgotten Realms or Shaintar. For me, they're part of Sun and Shadow.
Makes sense..although I've always like the idea of a "modernized" fantasy world. Ever play the old computer game Arcanum?
http://www.gamebanshee.com/arcanum/screenshots.php
Ranks right up there with Fallout in my mind.
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