One-Shot: Ironforged - Player Edition

One-Shot
System: DnD 5.5 (2024 rules edition; DND-OGL) with some minor tweaks
Theme: Steampunk, rebels, noir
Conflict: Deliver blackmail letter to a magistrate
Level: 3
Number of player(s): 3 to 6 players
Alignment: non-Lawful
Starting equipment: Standard kit (non-magical weapon (can be a snaplock pistol or snaplock musket), shield, (studded leather, chain shirt, chain mail) armor, standard pack, 50 gp)
Character options: All species, all classes (custom steampunk classes available on demand) and backgrounds available in the Free rules/Player's Handbook 2024.
Attribute Scores: Standard array or Point Buy
Hit Points: Average fixed

World background information: Welcome to Morea - an introduction

The world in a nutshell

Morea is a mixed world with a variety of elements:

• Post-apocalyptic
• Low magic areas
• No Gods

400 years ago, a great calamity called the Scarring ravaged the world and killed most of its people. During this event the Gods themselves disappeared.
On one of the continents, a mighty Empire has risen from the ashes using science and technology to create great cities of steel, concrete and smoke.
Another great force in the world is the magical kingdom founded by the last of the Elves mixing their blood with humans. They try to re-establish magic as the leading force.
In the frozen wastes live the clans of the north. They hate magic with a passion and will kill any magic user on sight.

Mori, the capital of the Empire, is a testament to human ambition, technological prowess and imperial grandeur. Built upon layers of history, the city's foundations date back to the Empire's inception, and its soaring spires, intricate aqueducts and expansive industrial zones exemplify the fusion of high science and classical architecture.

Introduction

Your crew of rebels, thieves and rooks have hidden themselves in the winding streets of the Rookery in the capital city of the The Empire of Mori, making a base inside of an abandoned warehouse bordering the industrial Iron Quarter. A mission comes in through your fixer Saemus from the upstart labour union The Red Fist. They have some blackmail on one of the important magistrates of the city and want you to deliver it.. Make sure he knows that he needs to vote against the Emperor's new grain tax and that he's owned by the organisation from now on.

Organisations:

The Imperial Army
The modern army of the Empire of Mori with a sophisticated command structure made up from Military Academy Officers. The bulk of the army is made up from conscripts pressed into service, criminals or indentured soldiers. They use flintlock firearms, tech weapons, robots, Warsuits and vehicles. They wear black uniforms and yellow caps.

Mori Constabulary
The police force of the city serving to enforce its laws and fight crime in the streets. From the regular constables that drag criminals off the streets to the investigators they are largely a force of the law but corruption infest their ranks. They wear dark blue uniforms with hard hats wielding stun batons, pistols and scattershots filled with pepper powder, will try to incapacitate and capture instead of killing.

The Gangs of the Rookery
In the slums of the city of Mori there's a loose alliance of criminal gangs. They exists in the shadows of abandoned structures, dark alleys or rat filled tenements. Each gang is led by a boss who follow the code of the streets.

Rangers of the Deep Woods
An organisation of saboteurs, assassins and eco-terrorists that want to shut down factories and disrupt trade to the deep woods. They're fighters for nature mostly composed of rangers, rogues and druids with a large number of wood elves in their numbers.

The Eldar Shadows
A group of magical terrorists who violently oppose anything technological. They destroy factories and military resources of the Empire. It's rumored they're connected to the Kingdom of Theressia.

Society of Innovation
A fellowship of scientists, scholars, historians, engineers and technologists with the objective of furthering science, research and knowledge of the world. They explore the unknown parts of the world, craft new inventions and conduct experiments.

Important NPCs

Saemus Gerricks - Your fixer and an expert planner. He is a wiry middle-aged man of short height, unassuming in his brown coat with a balding head. He speaks with an accent of the Eastern territories.

Grokko - A Goblin from the streets, a brawler, a lockpick and a cheat at dice and cards. He is part of your crew and usually knows the way around town or supports by being a lookout.