Burning Coal

RPG system: Amber
Participants: 3-5 players

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Description

It is the turn of the 19th century: The great imperial powers vie for dominance, fuelled by coal and steered by the industrial combines and their brass-and-steel difference engines:

But not all their conflicts are played out in the open, by displays of military might or commercial conflicts – there are other, more shadowy arenas where the Great Game is also played.

At the heart of the British Empire we find The Ministry (it has a name, officially, on paper – but never speak it. It is always just The Ministry).

Home to the freak, the monster, the superhuman, the undead, the spy, the assassin and the mad scientist* and those simply… less trammeled by ordinary moral considerations.

This means you.

* The Society of Hypercognisant Artisans and Master Engineers prefers “Enlightened Engineer” over the vulgar and somewhat pejorative “Mad Scientist”.

Characters:

Players should pick an archetype or template to build their character on – Mad Scientist*, Monster, Super-spy, Werewolf, Golem, Demon-ridden Sorceress – feel free to plunder any and all of Pulp, Sci-Fi, Fantasy for an idea (or even come up with your own).

That’s who your character is. In addition there should be a reason the ministry would want to employ you some extraordinary ability, power or skill-set.

A reason you work for the ministry:
* They might have stayed your execution for a crime (real or framed)
* Maybe they pay you vast sums of money.
* Perhaps they are the only source of a drug you need.
* Possibly you’re just the right mix of patriotic and amoral that you want to.

One superhumanly strong stat or trait, eg:
* Strong / Agile / Dextrous / Strong-willed / Perceptive / etc

0 or more additional strengths, each balanced by a weakness, eg:
* Weak / Aged / Clumsy / Weak-willed / Vulnerable to iron / Berserk / etc

To be clear – your first strength is free. Only additional ones must be paid for.

Organiser’s Note: Both burning coal games happen in the same universe but the stories are neither repeats nor are they continuations. Due to popularity, you’ll probably not get into both.

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