Iron Kingdoms: Requiem – Steamjack Overview

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It’s time for another look at the steam-powered world of the Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying Game as our Kickstarter for Iron Kingdoms: Requiem gains steam of its own. Today, we are talking about everyone’s favorite cuddly, multi-ton mechanical monstrosities. Steamjacks—and their combat variant warjacks—are integral to the Iron Kingdoms. In cities, you’ll see them steadily laboring on myriad projects, and on the battlefield, they command all combatants’ attention as massive death machines wielding melee weapons the size of people and opening fire with full-sized cannons.

Steamjacks aren’t just simple machines, however; within each one is a cortex—a complex mechanika brain that grants the steamjack rudimentary intelligence and even personalities all their own over time. Think of animal companions but made of metal and magic and run by coal and steam.

Steamjacks are expensive in the Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying Game—often they’ll end up being more of a party item than any single individual’s possession. Even the most simple steamjack costs 1600 gp, though you should expect to spend closer to three to four thousand crowns to acquire any real quality ’jack. That might make you worried about starting a warcaster who specializes in controlling steamjacks, but don’t worry—if you choose the Controller background at 1st level, you’ll find yourself the proud owner of a Clapped-Out Steamjack. It won’t be much, but it will be all yours (assuming you can feed its boiler, that is).

When you are ready to design your own customized steamjack, you’ll consider three options: chassis, cortex, and weapons. The chassis determines the base stats of the steamjack and whether it is a light or heavy ’jack. The cortex determines how intelligent the steamjack is and how proficient it is with weapons. Additionally, all cortexes, regardless of grade, provide steamjacks with proficiency in weapons and tools designed for them and constitution and strength saving throws. Finally, the weapons are all specifically designed for steamjacks, as a normal person attempting to wield one would have a really hard time of it.

In order to show off the nuts-and-bolts of steamjacks, I’ve created one here. Allow me to introduce you to a simple defensive ’jack. It is a light ’jack that guards it’s humans while they work on projects too delicate for ’jack hands. It is equipped with a shield (really more of giant iron door) and a battle axe, has a ferrum-grade cortex, and has one of the most basic chassis called the Forager.

Steamjack Protector

Chassis: Forager Light Steamjack

Large construct, unaligned

Armor Class 18 (natural armor, shield)

Hit Points 38 (4d10 + 20)

Speed 30 ft

STR 18 (+4)  DEX 10 (+0)  CON 20(+5)  INT 5(-3)  WIS 10 (+0)  CHA 1(-5)

Damage Immunities: Poison, Psychic

Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical weapons

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned

Senses passive Perception 10

Languages Understands the language of its manufacturer but cannot speak

Proficiencies Weapons and tools designed for steamjacks, Athletics (+6), Strength saving throws (+6), and Constitution saving throws (+7).

Ferrum-Grade Cortex: Ferrum-grade cortexes are mostly relegated to laborjacks. A steamjack with a ferrum-grade cortex can carry out the following simple commands without supervision: move, fetch, follow, seek, stay, and work. More complicated orders require careful guidance from a ’jack marshal. A steamjack with a ferrum-grade cortex learns to follow instruction fairly quickly. Over time it improves its ability to execute simple tasks and develops a limited Personality.

A steamjack with a ferrum-grade cortex has an Intelligence score of 5, a Wisdom score of 10, and a drive DC of 15.

The ferrum-grade cortex grants the steamjack a +2 proficiency bonus and it is proficient in the Athletics skill.

Water Vulnerability: If a steamjack is fully submerged or the firebox is exposed to an amount of water the GM determines is sufficient, its boiler becomes extinguished, rendering the steamjack inert.

Steam Powered: The warjack requires coal and water to function. When not in combat, the warjack can function for 7 hours with 300 lbs of coal and fresh water in its boiler. While in combat, the steamjack can function for 1 hour with a full fuel load. If the steamjack’s coal and water is not refilled at the end of this time, it suffers 1 level of exhaustion at the end of each minute. When it reaches level 5 of exhaustion, the steamjack does not die but becomes inert. While it is inert, a steamjack cannot take actions or reactions. If a steamjack is inert due to lack of fuel, it requires a load of coal and water and 10 minutes to bring its boiler up to operating temperature before it can function again.

Steamkjack Battle Axe: +6 to hit, 2d8+4 Slashing damage

Hear that? That’s the whistle—quitting time. Be sure to give your steamjack a fist-bump on your way out—it is your steadfast defender, after all. And now’s the time to get in on the Iron Kingdoms: Requiem Kickstarter so you can put a steamjack to work in your own campaigns!

Insider, Iron Kingdoms, Requiem
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