101st MC(A)
A Warning
The 101st is an experimental Attunement. It'll be adjusted as needed and closely watched for power problems or playability problems. The victims I have lined up for it already understand that I feel neither shame nor regret in adding/revising/deleting things as the whim strikes me. If it proves out the concept I hope it does, we'll release some other things that work on similar mechanics.
This page deliberately isn't linked from any other page; if you're looking at it, you either hit Random Page and this came up, or you typed something in the search bar that starts with 10. It's a casual but deliberately obfuscation measure. I'm not locking it completely out or securing it because that runs counter to our "players are not the enemy philosophy". It's gently obfuscated because 101st isn't in a state yet where I can (or will) answer a lot of questions about it or ingest the inevitable complaints. When it's tested out, I'll release it to RFC. Until then, feel free not to send any Rules comments that include "101st is...".
The Basic Idea
Summerfall's 101st Missile Corps (Augmented) are magically enhanced firearms experts in both senses of the term. At present, there are two Academies, one in Summerfall proper and another in the Shield mountains to the west, training candidates with the right mix of skills and attributes to one day qualify for a 101st badge. The badly-depleted Human army uses them as a combination of force multiplier and terror weapon, and so far it's been successful at holding back other armies that might want to finish what the bugs started. Summerfall is careful to keep varying effects and equipment so any military encounter with a squad of 101s is a brand new question mark, hard to plan against and frightening because of it. 101s are also trained in controlled applications of chaos; when everything goes sideways, the advantage goes to whoever can cope the best with the changes, not the strongest or most numerous. 101st officers are taught to generate large volumes of chaos for any reason or no reason at all and expected to keep their troops grounded and functioning literally no matter what happens around them.
All of the five company commanders are keenly aware that soldiers need leave time if they're going to stay functional, and Summerfall Army doctrine only requires two companies on active duty at any one time until or unless war breaks out. This frees up individual soldiers to go out adventuring on the weekends, and two CO's have been out in those weeds deep enough to understand the value of the experience. B13's and Widowmakers can expect some minor, off-the-books material support as long as they don't get out of hand with it.
Admission
Summerfall's 101st Academy is elitist about who's accepted for training. Because they're using the weirdness and mystery of Spellshots to hold back the rest of the world, they don't accept non-human candidates at all. The academy teaches Ballistic Magic, not the basics of firearm operation, and therefore rejects candidates who can't already operate a firearm safely (maybe not accurately or precisely, but without hurting themselves.) They strongly prefer Soldier backgrounds - the 101st is an Army unit and graduates are expected to serve their terms - but this is a shorter hurdle to jump. There are some former farm kids in current service; some kids are just born with the right set of attributes it takes to succeed in training and the Crown is not so overcome with candidates that they can afford to demand years of military service before letting those kids in the door. People skilled in magic and not dangerously foolish or clumsy are taught firearms as part of initiation.
The human requirement is a hard stop. Summerfall is badly outnumbered and relies on the force-multiplication effect of Spellshots, along with an unconventional military doctrine, to discourage Elves or Rok'Shen or anyone else from finishing what the bugs started. For that same reason, outlanders are also not welcome, but transplants are - if you're one of the people living in Summerfall lands because of their open human immmigration policy, you're both allowed and encouraged to test for admission. Where you were born sort of matters, but the fulcrum here is loyalty to the people of Summerfall; the Crown is happy to train more 101s to defend the people but way less happy to train some offworld rando in the quick way to fame and fortune. There is exactly one potential case of a nonhuman gunmage; Empress Priya is in a very similar position and her Ninja corps is an excellent force multiplier. It'd take a good diplomat with ties to both cultures, but there are conditions under which Summerfall might accept one of Priya's Deep Elves into the academy in exchange for her permitting a human to train as a Ninja. Outside of that, no.
Active Duty
If you're 101 is on duty - likely but there are some retirees already - there's good news and there's bad news.
- The Good News:
- Summerfall takes paying the army seriously. You'll be paid 4cp per month for each of five enlisted ranks. You may also be able to draw a stipend for housing and food.
- You're entitled to draw weapons and armor from Supply, as long as you're not overdoing it. Spellshot guns are expensive and if you lose one every month, you'll be detached and assigned somewhere that you're less likely to lose another. Mucking out stables, or cutting lawns with scissors, maybe.
- Similarly, you're entitled to file requisition requests for whatever you can think up. You might actually get production items. Filing hilarious requisitions is an art the Quartermaster appreciates but they actually have to be hilarious and "the King's Crown" stopped being funny before the first 101st's graduated.
- The Bad News
- You'll be given orders to do things you may or may not like. Sometimes this means modules you don't care to run. Sometimes it means surrendering a BGA to do nonsense like "maintenance duty". Sometime's it'll be something you or your buddies do like but this is never because the brass cares what you like.
- You are expected to comport yourself as a soldier wherever you go. If you're the reason anyone ever rolls their eyes when they hear "Summerfall", you're in for a meeting you will not enjoy.
- You're expected to follow lawful orders given by your superiors. If you have problems, you'll escalate them up the chain or correctly or get your ass kicked.
Attunement Powers
As mentioned above, these (mostly) are not attunement powers in the sense of other attunements - there's still a Favor progression but new skills do not simply appear on your sheet as you advance in rank. What does appear are unlocks; once you've achieved a certain rank, you can then purchase the skill(s) opened to you at that rank. That in mind:
| Category | Skill Name | Prerequisites | Skill Point Cost | Use Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basics | xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | |||
| Ballistic Magic | Rank 1 | 5SP | Passive | |
| Fuel | ||||
| Joules (1-50) | Rank 1 | 1/2 SP | Fuel | |
| Joules (51-75) | Rank 5 | 2SP | Fuel | |
| Ballistic Magic | ||||
| 1st level Spellshot spell | Rank 1 | 1 | 1 Joule | |
| 2nd level Spellshot spell | Rank 2 | 1 | 2 Joules | |
| 3rd level Spellshot spell | Rank 4 | 1 | 3 Joules | |
| 4th level Spellshot spell | Rank 7 | 1 | 4 Joules | |
| 5th level Spellshot spell | Rank 9 | 1 | 5 Joules | |
| Gun Combat | ||||
| Accuracy +1 | Rank 1 | 20 | passive | |
| Accuracy +2 | Accuracy +1, Rank 3 | 20 | passive | |
| Accuracy +3 | Accuracy +2, Rank 6 | 20 | passive | |
| Details | ||||
| Conservation | Rank 2 | 2 | ||
| Truesight | Rank 10 | 5 | ||
| Consume | Rank 8 | 5 | passive | |