Arcane Tower

I need your guys' opinion on the state of your characters and the opponents in the campaign. It feels to me like character progression strongly dissuades the purchase of talents, with higher attributes and skills being far more valuable for the XP cost, and skills and attributes are much easier to manage for a new system as well. There are also only a few non-combat talents (very few), which are even less-purchasable because of the value of their points in skills and attributes (even for non-combat purposes).

Do you guys agree, or do you prefer the having fewer talents? Maybe I'm just used to tracks of feats for DnD.

I was thinking, granting a little more experience per session, but asking you to save about half of it for talents. The game recommends about 10 XP per session. I was thinking about having the standard award be 20 XP, but half of it needed to be spent on (or saved for) talents or psychic powers. I would also just double the amounts for each tier/rank in general.

Also, since the Doctors of Doom character forge doesn't allow archetype ascension, we will likely need to make a couple tries to manage character ascension. I thought a quick re-build with the higher-tier archetype would be the correct path, but that is specifically more expensive than the rules for archetype ascension because the higher-tier archetypes have more points sunk into archetype abilities (many of which aren't worth any points in the first place).

So what do you think of quickly recreating the characters for tier three by creating the characters with the lowest possible tier for the character's faction, and just adding the gear and archetype ability changes by hand? Doctors of Doom does have a spot on the character sheets for additional keywords (that functions normally), and a spot for extra notes, which doesn't show up in the printed sheet, unfortunately. This is easier than it sounds.

Additionally, I don't think I'm going to allow faction changes, so adding a keyword for another faction doesn't open up that faction for archetype ascension (unless Cubical 7 decides to make a different ruling, but they don't have much in the way of errata yet, and no FAQ or official forum). Adding keywords and influence along with role-playing will be able to make up for everything but lower XP cost of archetype ascension and the purchase of archetype abilities. The purchase of mechadendrites will also require more than just the Adeptus Mechanicus keyword; the “flesh is weak” talent will also be required to support.
 

I do have to work from 11 to 6 pm on Saturday. So, I should, hopefully, be there around 6:30 pm.
 

Last time on Absolution our agents (we can't really call them heroes, cam we?) spent two days scouting out a tiny section of Persephone's Regret and ended up chasing a large cult of genesteelers to a strange dome-shaped cavern filled with orcs and an imperial shuttle... or maybe pre-imperial shuttle. Perhaps the strangest part of this encounter, was the fact that the genesteelers would rather face the onslaught of the agents vs. escape into the cavern and see how many of there nimble number could evade the clumsy orcs, not even taking their chances with the cavern when their deaths were otherwise imminent.

For their part, the orcs were a mechanically-minded lot, mostly occupied with taking apart the antique shuttle, managing to finally disgorge a Las-cannon shortly after the agents started observing them. However, they were also taking turns trying to pull an object that was later revealed to be a spear out of a large adamantine block. Each time one would touch the spear, they would be repeatedly shocked until they let go. When the agents decided to confront the blasphemy of the orcs touching the shuttle, they were quickly killed (with one escapee) and the agents secured the area as best they could.

Investigating the spear, agent Caladon decided to give it a go, and was successfully able to remove the spear after a mild shock. The spear appears to be of both Aeldari and Imperial manufacture, which doesn't make much sense. The spear has stopped glowing, and seems to have chosen Caladon. To followers of the Imperial Creed, the spear's presence in Caladon's possession “feels right”. With the orcs gone and the spear no longer acting as the center of attention, the rest of the area could be searched at a restful pace. The shuttle, an older model of an Imperial Lighter, has been relieved of all power-generating components, two rear engines, several armored plates and its primary pilot controls. While many of the accouterments inside the shuttle have disintegrated over the millennia it has apparently been trapped here, metal and ceramic components have all been remarkably (and unbelievably) well preserved. Mordo took the opportunity to search for and copy the central computer which was completely untouched by the orcs... something is at least a little strange about that.
Also, inside the shuttle, under one of the bunks (there aren't supposed to be bunks), there was a weapon locker with a rad pistol, rad rifle and arc rifle; three weapons considered to be the sole property of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Returning the weapons will bring at least a little favor with them, maybe more if you spin it just right. The larger bunk held an ancient astartes-sized shotgun and two human-sized shotguns along with some unusually heavy ammo for each. Outside the ship in the “clearing” where the spear was, there were relics of old astares armor and scraps of aeldari armor that had been disturbed by the orcs, among the astartes armor, there is an interesting adamantine chain. All of the symbols have been worn off the armor as history... or maybe the warp, doesnt' want the armor identified.

After getting some rest and finishing your examination of the site, you get a call from your evacuation team ordering you to make your best speed to the secondary extraction site. You are to suit up and spacewalk from the secondary site to the primary site to ambush the enemy there threatening the ship. They've set up artillery just out of LOS that threatens to stop a launch, while being able to cover the entrance with ground fire. The marines believe they are personally safe, but the longer they wait, the more chances the enemy gets for reinforcements. Having cleared out the genesteelers on the path in, you don't encounter any resistance on the 12+ hour force march back.

The action starts with an ambush on a traitor marine strike team (mostly mooks, technically before you get to upgrade or do endeavors).
 

When the battle is over (I assume you will win) you get orders to report to the Garden Helix (coordinates provided). Magos Genator Wot will debrief you and provide assistance. Akahir has an agreement with Wot, and he assumes that you will only divulge appropriate information to him. Akahir also informs you that Wot has a short mission for you, part of his agreement with the strange Magos. Mordo and Caladon are both familiar with Magos Wot, as she has hired and freely associated with both agents in the recent past. She's a bit of an outcast among the Mechanicus for her extreme interest in biological machines, but he is still loyal in her own way, just a little more free thinking.

Short (Inter) Mission II – The worldfish
Magos Wot wants some samples of worldfish parts, particularly the blood, which is taboo among the fishers. If you could join the fishers for a couple days, she'll consider it part of the debt owed by Akahir, and might be favorably disposed towards you all for your help as well.
 

Terry: I should be there. I'm find with changing the characters, and I suspect you want to have us dedicate some amount of XP for Talents, as you're proposing, or people will just max out skills and attributes.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAD4nCNFGeg&ab_channel=OSQtv