Field Guide to Odeon

[agile steppe]

Odeon is the Planet of Storytellers. Whoever holds sway there can dominate the stories, the memories, the collective culture of all of Union. Of all Humanity.

In the sealed vaults and tunnels beneath the Great Amphitheatres, a shadow war is being fought by two great media conglomerates, and the military companies they choose as their tools. Will you sacrifice everything in service of victory with the Pallbearers? Or sell your song and soul to Apsara Zaibatsu?

Suit up, Lancer. There are stories to be told.

The Field Guide to Odeon is a very much work-in-progress expansion for the Lancer TTRPG. It will grow as we (Hookedsteward & Konigstein) keep writing and playtesting it, but at the moment it contains...

• Two new Corporations with full Core Bonuses and a full lineup of Mechs. Discover the ultra-pragmatic warrior frames of the Pallbearers and the showy performance mechs of Apsara Zaibatsu.
• New mechs from the Big Five: Duel barehanded in the GMS Stetind or bathe in the radioactive warmth of the Harrison Armory Mendel, and more.
• New Talents, with more to come! Dance through the danger as a Performer, or hurl yourself into the fray as the gruesome Raider.

And best of all it's thoroughly playtested, with a fully-functional .lcp file on our itch page!
https://konigstein.itch.io/the-field-guide-to-odeon

[analog fog]

YEAHHHHH ODEON

[low moat]

Oden

[agile steppe]

Ayyyyyyy 👉 👉 we've got a forum now!

I'll try to posts status updates here alongside answering general questions but yeah! Nice to have a spot to post all of our stuff.

Speaking of updates:

Currently in Playtesting
Odeon's first 4 NPCs:

• The Amp, a pure player facing steroid
• The Dancer, and evasive controler that combines passive and active control
• The Huskarl, Odeon's highly armored defender capable of sharing it's substantial armor
• The Jäger, a lightly armored Skirmisher custom built to give hell to a squishy backline.

[crude hemlock]

Yaaaaaay!

[analog fog]

#huskarl sweep (i helped test them a couple times)

[crude hemlock]

Oh and while we're at it

Currently under development:
-The AZAI THALIA, a rootin'-tootin' down-home country mech that cheers with its fists
-PPMC cybernetics, to lean hard on Lancer's cyberpunk genes
-The AZAI Band Generator

[crude hemlock]

@agile steppe how's this to set the baseline for AZAI pilot gear?

Available in any number of custom-tailored patterns and styles, and easily adapted to fit over hardsuits, these slick coats combine holo-projectors, multi-layer light-emitting flexible screen material, phononic plasma infrasound generators and, in high-end models, small-scale mood effectors. The result is a bespoke fashion item that literally lights up a room. It is difficult not to notice someone in Ostenflage, and that's exactly the way the Zaibatsu wants it.```

[agile steppe]

E'rry noice.

One thing I would add is that these can actively mesh with/be apart of a Hardsuit.

Let the combat idols dance amidst the flames of combat without fear of the vacuum of space or environmental hazards.

[crude hemlock]

Oh hell yeah

[crude hemlock]

FGTO is live on DriveThruRPG!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/421508/The-Field-Guide-to-Odeon
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/421509/Field-Guide-to-Odeon-LCP-Files

That's it, that's the news!

[analog fog]

woo!

[crude hemlock]

Coming to a future Odeon update: The Thalia is a country mech that sings with its fists, a Striker/Support that delivers a mix of powerful Improvised Attacks, offensive Bolster options and Rhythm mechanics that encourage it to quickly close with the enemy and then take a lot of hits.

Also it has a gun that's a banjo.

[crude hemlock]

@agile steppe and I share a dark and terrible secret

We're both ||Canadian||.

Which is why Field Guide to Odeon is now up on the CDG Marketplace, a Canadian indie RPG publisher!
https://composedreamgames.com/marketplace/free/field-guide-to-odeon

[agile steppe]

Tis true, I've maple syrup in my veins and apologize far to frequently.

[crude hemlock]

do you hear the distant throb of the drums? the roar of the crowd? Odeon is waiting.

[crude hemlock]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/755267572404060251/1083999578950483989/image.png

and home is far away.
I can't go back, for all my gold.
I've wandered, far astray.
But in these missing moments,
still I know
for what it's worth
That Odeon still tells the tales
of the verdant fields of Earth.```

[crude hemlock]

your body is just the meat mech your brain is piloting.

Coming soon to a Field Guide to Odeon near you!

[agile steppe]

Legionnaire came out there with the "Your NHP PC's casket can have manipulators and a rudimentary locomotion system!" And by the Gods that still exist we did the same for human PCs!

[analog fog]

This is an entire character concept here.

[lilac quiver]

And the Rasputin-Kangto-Madrigal many layered combo just got yet another layer added with that

[crude hemlock]

This was the goal

be the brain in the jar

[stone owl]

Finally bought odeon, my reading for easter it set 😌

[crude hemlock]

Thanks for your support, hope you enjoy it!

[stone owl]

I've been keeping my eye on it for a while, waiting for my cheque to come to get my hands on it. I've only taken a quick glance thus far and I already like certain parts of it, like the Osebergs core passive.

Also, the entranced condition is a very nice touch.

It's nice to have considering some NPCs are absolute dickheads when it comes to saves.

[crude hemlock]

Entranced doing its job, hahahah!

Do let us know if you have any questions, comments or concerns!

[stone owl]

Will do!

[agile steppe]

Thanks ever so much! We've got an update around the corner so keep your eyes peeled. The GM's guide is a little outdated but it's on the docket to get updated!

As Konig said, let us know if you've any comments questions or concerns!

[stone owl]

No problem, again, I've been planning on buying Odeon for a while ever since I saw the dragonkid11 video. The initial draw for me was, of all things, the concept of beat dice and how they were implemented, I was dead curious to see how the concept would work.

So far I'm enjoying the mechs options, but I can't say anything definitive yet other than the fact I love how flavourful some of these things are, like the duel profile frame trait for the grave hopper.

[stone owl]

@fervent oasis it's this.

[fervent oasis]

ty

[crude hemlock]

@stone owl Thanks for telling people how cool Odeon is!

[stone owl]

😌

[crude hemlock]

this is me writing a ridiculous weeaboo pop music faction and @agile steppe writing a badass Space Viking operator merc faction and then us both deciding "what if we made them fight"

[stone owl]

I am a simple person, I plug what I buy that I like when it comes up.

[crude hemlock]

Current Status: Typo-editing the sam hill outta Update 1.4.

It's coming, people.

soon.

[agile steppe]

cries in typo fixing in VS

[agile steppe]

Much appreciated Friend 💜 Once more, thank you ever so much!

[stone owl]

A question about a potential combo

Use call the dead full tech from grave hopper to spawn 3 size 1 wrecks, then overcharge to fire Incus mk5 cannon. This combined could knock them through 3 pieces of instantly destroyable terrain and deal an extra 3d3 damage to the target.

Am I correct or am I missing something?

[crude hemlock]

This is more one for @agile steppe but as far as I understand the Hopper's rules, that is a perfectly legitimate combo!

[crude hemlock]

Sketches for some upcoming NPC art.

[agile steppe]

Incus is a SH but with an allied GH or otherwise this would absolutely work!

[agile steppe]

The real wombo-combo would be with Kobold's Terraform.

[crude hemlock]

THE TIME

HAS COME!

https://konigstein.itch.io/the-field-guide-to-odeon

The Field Guide to Odeon is UPDATED! And now it's kind of an actual Field Guide!

We've added 24 new pieces of pilot gear! 4 new NPCs! One new Template! The Band Generator, and literally hundreds of fixes, rules clarifications and general improvements.

[agile steppe]

One thing to note is that due to a typo in the lcp manifest the player lcp is not compatible with prior versions of the lcp. So you will need to manually delete the old lcp and replace it with the new one. Additionally, any existing pilots won't be compatible with the current update. terribly sorry about that.

additionally, much of the pilot gear is explicitly exotic gear. Due to the sheer flexibility of existing pilot gear we decided to go big with our first foray into pilot gear!

Hope ya'll enjoy!

[crude hemlock]

#the-gallery message

Some of the many faces of the Odeon conflict, by @earnest breach

[earnest breach]

I was unaware this was a chat lmao

[whole frigate]

Is it supposed to have an 18+ warning on itch now?

[agile steppe]

@crude hemlock is the itch page suposed to have an 18+ warning?

other than the Grave Hopper we don't really lean into anything explicit.

[crude hemlock]

I had that on by default 'cause it's got some swears in it

that's not a new change to the project page, I think?

I figured better to be safe than sorry

[agile steppe]

True.

we do also have the "eject your Central Nervous System" as a peice of Pilot Gear so that might warrant it.

[crude hemlock]

oh, and ro-boob

whole lotta ro-boob

[whole frigate]

Was looking for what caused the rating and never noticed that.

[crude hemlock]

I'm not going to pretend it's particularly skillfully executed ro-boob

But it is

[wary sleet]

Look as long as it's below Atomic Heart levels of robot horny you're probably fine

[crude hemlock]

I can only aspire to such heights

[crude hemlock]

NPC mech art, part 1!

[crude hemlock]

@faint monolith So I saw your wacky "three heavy blades" Clio build in #mech-hangar

And, uh, can confirm

The frame trait only applies to the one default Mount, not any subsequent mounts gained by core bonuses

[faint monolith]

The "three heavy blades" build is compliant with that ruling, as it is Thermal Charge Blade, Nanocarbon Sword and Bespoke Blade

[crude hemlock]

Gotcha

Carry on

[faint monolith]

Yeah it was everyone else who was asking if the Clio trait would apply to a double core bonus stack to give a second Main/Aux, which I understood was not the intention

[crude hemlock]

Anyone in the mood for some... lore???

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Gv97vdNTkgFURj5frLTGRD5Wr0bhFJVo72A9Ty_k4p0/edit?usp=sharing

[crude hemlock]

Dancer!

[blissful trout]

Pog

[crude hemlock]

Dancer and Jäger!

[young depot]

Is the “go faster” line in the GAMEMASTER’s profile a reference to the “banana rotate” meme?

[agile steppe]

@crude hemlock is it?

Inquisitive minds want to know.

[crude hemlock]

Shit, y'know what, it might just be

Not consciously, but it probably is

[young depot]

Sweet

[crude hemlock]

What year did banana rotate become a thing?

'Cause I wrote the DUNGEONMASTER looooong before any of my other mechs

[young depot]

Oh a good number of years ago

[crude hemlock]

Oh 2012

Then yes

Dungeonmaster was subconsciously inspired by banana rotat E

[young depot]

w>

[young depot]

Aside from all that the Grave Hopper is a wonderfully creepy design, I’d love to play one

[young depot]

I'm enjoying the references to Krieg in the OSEBERG license

[crude hemlock]

@agile steppe it's your mech

[agile steppe]

I referenced the Krieg?

If I did it might have been coicidental 😅

[young depot]

The Borderlands 2 character

[agile steppe]

Ah, the Ripjaw

Yeah, yeah that one was intentional.

[young depot]

Silence The Voices is one of his skills and Open Your Veins is one of his catchphrases

[agile steppe]

I- yup, beat me to it.

Though Open your Veins is one of the ones from Psychos in generali if I'm remembering correctly.

Wow.

many years later and someone got it. Or, at least commented on it. Thanks Felicity, ya made my day!

[young depot]

c:

[young depot]

Oh I also see a reference to the World Eaters

[crude hemlock]

Rough first-draft sketches for the FIREWORK and the VARANGIAN, coming soon...?

[crude hemlock]

Major News Update; we don't have any news. @agile steppe and I are still working on this, but there have been many Big IRL Awfulness Things happening along the way.

[crude hemlock]

Back at my desktop, back to arting.

[crude hemlock]

coming soon! ™️

[raw sedge]

Is there currently a way in COMP/CON to make use of the Clio's trait that lets it mount a heavy weapon in its main/aux slot at the cost of SP? I'm making a silly build focused around the Mimic Gun and the Bespoke Blade's ability to use a variety of talents, but I can't figure out how to get the Mimic Gun onto the Clio lol

[crude hemlock]

I believe you can turn off the size/mount restrictions to do so, @raw sedge

[raw sedge]

How do you do that?

[crude hemlock]

wait, I lied

no, there's no way to do it in Comp/Conn since it lacks a way to turn off checks for weapon/mount size

[raw sedge]

RIP 😔

[crude hemlock]

you can turn off weapon license restrictions, and SP restrictions, but not size

sorry

[twilit bane]

Maybe create an alt-frame in the LCP that has a Heavy instead of Main/Aux, with less SP?

That's how I'd do something like that, anyways.

[raw sedge]

That's a good idea, unfortunately I don't know how to edit LCPs. Maybe I should look into that...

[crude hemlock]

@serene zodiac do you think DataMoth's suggestion above makes sense?

[agile steppe]

Unfortunately mounts are hard codded in COMP/CON and (as I understand it) require some bedrock modifications to play with (of which has been reserved for the Core Bonuses).

I am codding up the next file version so I could add in an alt-frame with -1sp and the Heavy and we could see how she goes!

[raw sedge]

Thank you! That would be nice to have

[agile steppe]

Yeah, the Pallbearer's Blink Space Arsenal ran into this issue as well which is unfortunate 😔

but, for free software, I really can't complain. Esspecially with how awesome Beef is.

[serene zodiac]

I think that if you hardcode in a heavy mount alt frame, you might as well just reword it to be a heavy mount on the default frame

There’d be no reason to never not take the heavy mount frame variant

[raw sedge]

Well, you can't mount both a main and an aux on a single heavy mount, can you?

So there is reason to have both I think

[agile steppe]

I think this more boils down to creator intention with Konig wanting a Main/Aux frame to have the option to pay for a heavy instead of a single Heavy mount frame having the option to trade it in.

So either way, an alt will probably be created.

[agile steppe]

Also, holdup, this is your first post in here?

How has neither Konig nor I dragged you in here already?

Also, @serene zodiac pwetty please if there's anything notable about the Odeon NPCs you're using could you mebe post it in here?

[serene zodiac]

Can do

[agile steppe]

aw man

thanks!

I didn't even need to bust out the "Cat pleading with big eyes giff".

What a standup lad.

[serene zodiac]

I’m thinking of it more from a usability standpoint. It’d be confusing to have two frames with the same name where the only difference is SP and the classification of a single mount

If you name them differently, it leads to downstream effects of why this mech, and only this mech, has two variants, where the others in the LCP don’t

This is under the assumption that most players exclusively use compcon and don’t read the PDFs

[agile steppe]

Ah hell, yeah, going through naming variants might be annoying. But RE: confusion, I would probably replace the Frame fluff with a small explanation about it.

[serene zodiac]

This is one of those edgecases where it’d be super easy to fix on paper, but is annoying on digital

[agile steppe]

Yeah, that's the case for a lot with Homebrew.

[serene zodiac]

Leaving a mount open, while making a note to yourself that you have the mimic gun on it, while not using the SP you need to mount it, is the most straightforward approach here

[agile steppe]

@raw sedge
One thing in the interm you could also do would be to re-name the mounted weapon and add in a custom description for its effects.

[raw sedge]

This is what I ended up doing for now, yeah

[agile steppe]

As I know you can do that much in Comp/Con

[raw sedge]

Mimic Gun is the heavy weapon I want to mount and its description is a bit much to copy over lol

The good news is, this is not a build I'm going to be playing in a game anytime soon, it's just for an OC and because I enjoy theorycrafting

[agile steppe]

Eh, fair. Still, options!

[raw sedge]

Yep!

[serene zodiac]

It's also very in tune with HORUS bullshit for a pilot to 'mount' a mimic gun on a mech by slapping down an IOU note on where it would be

And then GUN!?!

[agile steppe]

Chaotic shenanigans ensue.

but now, they ensue while Dancing!

[crude hemlock]

@serene zodiac oh shit I totally had a brain fart about pinging you

This is not your project I do not need to bug you with this, I'm sorry

[serene zodiac]

naw it's cool always happy to lend my perspectiveness

[crude hemlock]

Something something "ore, sabaku no Stando da!"

[remote musk]

I found this by chance and I'm totally hooked on the idea of the music themed mechs

[agile steppe]

Heyo! We really appreciate it! The main creator of AZAI@crude hemlock is on a trip atm but I don't think It's a big stretch if I would say he'd be super chuffed at your high praise.

[remote musk]

very fair! I've gotta say of the musical mechs my favorite would probably have to be the Calliope as I love some good terrain manipulation nonsense

just oops any amount of cover near you is now gone, have a nice day

[agile steppe]

Yeah, Calliope is probably my favorite as well! That was one of the ones where Konig and I collaborated the most so I'm very chuffed with what we were able to put out.

Also, Calli's Core Power.

[remote musk]

even outside of its area leveling power, just the fact that using the built in speakers is enough to almost deafen anyone remotely nearby is amazingly funny

yes

absolutely

[agile steppe]

I'm very hard mechanics minded but I've learned to just let Konig cook and the guy comes up with stuff like that.

[remote musk]

and the fact that even just the frame traits have some tricks to them, like having to remember your beat die value in case someone forces a save on you

also the flavor of its reactor barely being stable at the best of times due to the sheer draw of its speakers being almost proper weapons passively

[agile steppe]

I think that the T3 Superheavy is my favorite piece out of them all honestly. It's one of the ones that really let you express a sense of Rythm in the way you play round to round.

[remote musk]

yes, when I can get the time to play in a game again if the gm allows it I plan to go for it, just the platform and then the aria, terrain wiper and enemy remover

[agile steppe]

But, yeah! If you're interested in the flavor of AZAI there's more on it in the GM doc but we understand that that is something you gotta pay for. There's plenty of exotic and normal pilot gear + flavor in the player facing lcp!

[remote musk]

fun fun! when I get some spare cash I might snag that to look at it more!

[agile steppe]

I know with how COMP/CON is structured all of the fun stuff is tucked away in menues and the like but we promise, it's there!

[remote musk]

oh I'm used to comp/con at this point, I do a moderate amount of character planning just to see how things might interact

[agile steppe]

No worries either way spare chash is hard to come by these days after all. I'm just glad you're enjoying it!

[remote musk]

mhm mhm!

also on the other side with the pallbearer ones, I like the two healing focused frames who treat their hp as a resource to buff their allies

[agile steppe]

but yeah, share with your GM especially as the GM doc has some fun NPCs and templates (more to come in the next update). And again, if they don't exactly got the dosh to pay for it, there's always the exotics we've added as fuel for neat rewards and the like.

[remote musk]

fair!

[agile steppe]

Das me, I'm the guy who made all of the Pallbearers stuff.

Tholos and Pyre (art is on its way in the next update for this one) are two of the more aggressive flagellants in the PPMC lineup.

But yeah! If you're passing it along to your GM I tried to balance as closely as humanly possible to Core Power levels so it shouldn't jank things too hard. There's also a GM's guide to the Pallbearers if the desire is needed.

and, as always, this channel is here for any questions you or anyone else has!

[remote musk]

fair fair, I'll ramble some if something catches my eye

[crude hemlock]

@remote musk eyy thanks, glad you're enjoying Odeon

[remote musk]

its lovely stuff

[crude hemlock]

Take a peek at #lancer-game-recruiting, because I'm recruiting for STRINGBREAKER, the first in our Living World of Odeon series of mini-campaigns!

This is going to be a series of short campaigns aiming to flesh out the universe of Odeon, and give you, the players, a chance to make your mark on The Lore.

[crude hemlock]

Also art

[agile steppe]

art!

[crude hemlock]

"Do you think God stays in heaven because he too lives in fear of what he has created?"

A WIP kit bash by @serene zodiac

[plush rose]

😆

[serene zodiac]

It's done

This is what happens when people don't take my photomanip software access away

[agile steppe]

Why would anyone do that when you produce such masterpieces as this?

[wary sleet]

ngl this piece raises several questions:
What is the scale here? Is that grain? are those guys in shirts normal human sized? Why do they have vuvuzelas instead of heads? If it's grain why are the big robots standing on top of it? If it's not are the conehead guys just phasing into the ground? Am I overanalyzing this for Potential Lore Implications?

[crude hemlock]

pls

pls I am not good at art

the cone-headed dues are AZAI Copyright Enforcement Officers

your classic faceless goons

[serene zodiac]

Their heads are microphones so they can pick up on copyright infringement easier

[crude hemlock]

HEY

WE'RE RECRUITING AGAIN

CHECK OUT #lancer-game-recruiting

[wary sleet]

that's hilarious

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON:

Our heroes desecrate a historic site with concert posters! Burn currency! Threaten children!

[serene zodiac]

https://tenor.com/view/archer-outlaw-rebel-country-girl-cow-girl-gif-14988364

[crude hemlock]

"Steel eyes, to see beyond fleeting inconsequentialities.
Steel teeth, to turn and fight when all is lost.
Steel veins, to keep the poisons out.
Steel heart, because you hold vigil over Manubria."

One of the seventeen new pieces of art coming to the next update to the Field Guide to Odeon, this one by @earnest breach.

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON:
Property is damaged due to noise, the police are called, mechs get poked into canals, and a paracausal gravitic weapon of incalculable power gets used against a lone, unaware scout mech for funsies.

dare you enter the Quintuple Bolster Zone?

[agile steppe]

"Effective is what we are. In love and in war we are the inexorable tide, the endless pursuit. The perpetual braid weaved strong enough to hold you aloft; whether it be by your back or your throat."

Another of our next round of portraits set to be pushed in an upcoming update to the Field Guide to Odeon by @earnest breach

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON:
The gang hacks a hardsuit, failing to stop the escape of a rogue brain! A shuttle is almost shot down, twice! And multiple elite paramilitary mechs are destroyed with banjos!

[crude hemlock]

Does it matter, if the music you feel in your soul was algorithmically-generated?
Does it matter, if your cage is made of platinum?
From where I'm standing... I don't think it does.

More character art for the upcoming Field Guide to Odeon update by @earnest breach!

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON:
Our heroes fail to surrender! A Goliath gets severely bullied! Witches get stitches! MISSION COMPLETE!

Very big thanks to @serene zodiac as 4/4 Do, @rigid patio as 4/4 Mi and @white glade as 4/4 Fa, the "heroes" of Zaibatsu Copyright Enforcement 4/4!

[serene zodiac]

The sound of distant banjos will haunt so many of the nightmares of the odeonites for years to come

[crude hemlock]

Odeon will remember distant and sinister banjos

[agile steppe]

I was there!

There were so many promptional posters! You don't even know!

[crude hemlock]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from @agile steppe and I!

[elfin agate]

Murry crimmus

[torpid gorge]

Merry Christmas!!

[crude hemlock]

The 1.5 update to the Field Guide to Odeon goes LIVE the 2nd of January!

UPDATE! YOUR! CALENDARS!

[analog fog]

wahoo!

[lapis spruce]

Looking forward to it.

[crude hemlock]

Happy New Year, fans of Odeon!

[agile steppe]

Happy New Years!!

[crude hemlock]

ahem

The Field Guide to Odeon 1.5 is LIVE! This update includes...
-A new Mech, the rootin', tootin' singing-cowgirl AZAI THALIA.
-A major rebalancing pass to very nearly every PPMC Mech.
-A new PPMC Core Bonus.
-A complete overhaul of the AZAI ERATO and TERPSICHORE.
-The Varangian and Firework NPCs.
-Nineteen new pieces of art by @tawny jetty , @earnest breach and myself.
https://konigstein.itch.io/the-field-guide-to-odeon

(Also, if you've ever used Odeon, please consider leaving a comment or review on Itch!)

[serene zodiac]

suh-weeet

[crude hemlock]

Small patch update going live sometime soonish, fixing a couple missed bits and bobs on the Terpsichore, Oseberg and the Erato

[crude hemlock]

Small patch is live! Among a couple other things, it makes the art for the Thalia actually work, tweaks some stuff on the Oseberg and Terpsichore, and fixes a mistake with the Erato's Drops of Jupiter that accidentally made it into, like, the strongest Main weapon in the game.

Oops.

[serene zodiac]

Hey there Odeon fans! With permission from HookedSteward and Konigstein, it's my pleasure to announce recruiting for the next installment in the Living World of Odeon series of mini-campaigns: Shock and Glamour

Recruitment is now open. Check out the post in #lancer-game-recruiting for more details.

[agile steppe]

On the Living World of Odeon: Corpus Call

As of last Wednesday the second campaign of the Living world of Odeon has concluded! In the adventures of Corpus Call Our Lancers: under the designation Scarab Squad travelled to the hinterlands of the Woolema Highlands on Odeon to investigate the disappearance of a long range patrol team and the mechanised chasses they piloted. Their hunt led them to explore the Woolema Highlands, interact with the reclusive Odeodeans of Al-Banway heritage site, touch upon a burgeoning substance abuse problem brought on by the isolation the highlands, rip and tear through ambush after ambush, navigate the labyrinthian caves beneath the Woolema Highlands and survive the mechanical monstrosities that call the caves home, unwillingly participate in an AZAI game show of mechanised death and combat, artistically blow up a subterranean pirate base, make a poor AZAI roadie pilot nearly piss themselves in fear, and last of all, saved a Witch through the power of incredible violence.

For their efforts, the long range patrol mechs and their few surviving pilots were recovered, the scant remaining pirates who had kidnapped them in the first place were detained, and AZAI’s latest plot to expand their influence on the planet of storytellers through the drip-drop of Glam was stiffened. Yet the monstrosities lurking beneath the surface of Odeon have been stirred and once more a glowing heart once dormant begins to beat.

Big shout outs to our players:

@pseudo aurora and their Pilot Mongoose: A swarm of nano drones held together in the semblance of a human form that solves his problems through incredible violence at the helm of his Oseberg: From the River to the Sea. Highlights include: A consistently frightening Hunter/Executioner build and bringing both Ripjaw Tomahawks and the Prometheus Sheath to their full potential.

@torpid gorge and their Pilot: Sledgehammer: A terse pilot who carries a big gun. Helming the White Witch “Sentinel” Sledgehammer brought armour soak to new heights having reached 6 armour in almost every combat encounter. When he wasn’t face tanking Sledgehammer was busy bringing the Daka with twinned Stapes Submachine guns.

@fading bridge and their Pilot: Khepri. A true blue Pallbearer, Khepri abjured his allies from their wounds and burned their enemies to slag at the helm of his Pyre: "the Morning Sun" . Only took a single (self inflicted) reactor Stress from Khepri despite the opfor's best efforts. So, color this GM miffed (Good playing dude).

@scarlet forge and their Pilot: Brimstone: The “Missile Savant”, the “Pinaka Perfector”, the “melted the bonus boss with 36 Explosive damage”. Brimstone’s Dahkma “Up and High, Far and Away” did one thing and did it really well. No need for "systems" or "Tech Actions" when you've got a Mobile Superheavy Missile Platform, an Enlightenment Class-NHP Co-pilot, and the ability to rig the fuck outta some vents. Also, Back to Back natural 20s on rolls to blow things up.

[pseudo aurora]

Yipee :)

[scarlet forge]

We only roll 20s in this house

[agile steppe]

GMs far and wide be warned.

[fading bridge]

I contributed!

[torpid gorge]

There I am! That's me!!

[elfin agate]

so i need a recommendation: Thalia or Melpomene for a character that kinda is like a legend of a demon that can take your soul and split its power amongst itself or allies

[crude hemlock]

Melpomene, probably

has a lot more gravitas

hard to have quite as much gravitas when you're hitting a robot over the head with a seven-foot-long banjo that is also a plasma cannon

[elfin agate]

bolster though

/j

[torpid gorge]

Melpomene's Wall of rain can be reflavored as hellfire that gives allies powers on odd turns, and then explodes on even turns.

[elfin agate]

yeah id need to heavily reflavor it

cause they would not be affiliated with Azai but

they are less like

an idol and more like a specter

[crude hemlock]

banjo specter has a very different atmosphere than sad jazz specter

[elfin agate]

Oh what I actually am thinking is this:

Just..

Music to steal souls to

https://youtu.be/ts_zwTFXZgE?si=0GBdNGUdDP9CRTKn

[agile steppe]

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE FIELD GUIDE TO ODEON

An AZAI idol visits the hotel lounge where hundreds of bored fans have just been told local authorities might have cancelled the concert tour

(5016u, colorized)

[crude hemlock]

also, we visited Action Park to try to convince its owner that levelling the place "by accident" would be a good career move

[crude hemlock]

Breaking News Update: we are attempting to cause an artificial earthquake, in order to commit insurance fraud

for the band

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE FIELD GUIDE TO ODEON: THEME PARK FIGHT

shout outs to @serene zodiac for building the best depiction of "dilapidated knockoff Magic Mountain" in an RPG battle map I have ever seen

[serene zodiac]

I'm doing my part

[crude hemlock]

MULTI-HIT THE MOUNTAIN'S EXPOSED WEAKPOINTS FOR MASSIVE STYLE MODIFIERS

[agile steppe]

THIS WEEK ON LIVING WORLD OF ODEON: DUVA GETS MORE MILAGE OUT OF THE ODEON NPCS THAT THEIR CREATOR DOES

How Hooked Feels rn:

https://tenor.com/view/nuke-press-the-button-bomb-them-nuke-them-cat-gif-16361990

[agile steppe]

NEVERMIND, HOOKED IS HIGH ON LIFE (I.E., VERY HIGH ROLLS)

[crude hemlock]

Earthquake: generated

Insurance fraud: achieved

[LOCAL PALLBEARER VARANGIAN TOO ANGRY TO DIE]

[serene zodiac]

So angy

So much property damage

[torpid gorge]

He's so, so mad

[serene zodiac]

dunked upon

[crude hemlock]

This week on the Living World of Odeon: Arson rejected! Stream-sniping leads to organized paramilitary action! We need to talk about P1X1E PANIC and their problematic social media behavior! And do not max out your Style Gauge with air combos in the Orphan's Ward!

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1199082142236430377/1215121099776335883/image.png?ex=65fb98b6&is=65e923b6&hm=e42ac90fc9a427aaf65e8bec87c789797dce9360272151e421d23346419000cb&

[analog fog]

do not WHAT

[crude hemlock]

An attempt was made by a band member to perform a dramatic sword dance at a charitable event

it ended with said band member falling out a window

rolls were bad

[agile steppe]

It's okay, it was salvaged through the power of terrible terrible influences from the outer spheres

[crude hemlock]

followed by a violent and jarring transition to the Gravel Wars

[crude hemlock]

all other field guides can eat their hearts out, we're going to SPACE WYOMING

[agile steppe]

BUCKLE UP, WE'RE GOING TO GRAVEL PITS

[serene zodiac]

Small correction. Its P1X13 PANIC

[rigid patio]

I engaged in Sword Trick!

[serene zodiac]

In the silent hill hospital

[rigid patio]

I did not successfully engage in sword trick!

no one was injured probably

[serene zodiac]

Falcon’s pride was injured

[rigid patio]

Falcon's pride was taken out back and disposed of humanely

[serene zodiac]

It was given a polite and dignified funeral by Pyramid Head

[agile steppe]

Itrugai dragging Falcon's pride from the grave like

https://tenor.com/view/tf2-spy-medic-kill-me-team-fortress2-gif-21078154

[agile steppe]

Right, so, thinking of replacing the Balyg CB becuase we explicitly have Exotic Pilot equipment that has the same name. I've known about this for a wee bit but uh, go caught up in other things before I thought of renaming/reworking or replacing it. Here is a draft of the replacement:

From

BALEYG OCCULAR IMPLANT
Core Bonus

One of your pilot's eyes is replaced with a powerful microcomputer. Although the pilot no longer has binocular vision, you may Scan or Lock On to a target as a Protocol any number of times equal to half of your Grit/mission.

To

CORPSE ARMOR
Core Bonus.

For every point of missing structure, destroyed system, or mount that contains only destroyed weapons your mech gains +1 base armor (up to a maximum of 6). Whenever you roll a Structure check, you may choose to automatically roll system trauma though you still need to roll to determine if a system or weapon is destroyed.

[analog fog]

Tbh we're a much bigger fun of the latter with a fair bit of that being that "half of your Grit/mission" is really weird scaling

[agile steppe]

Yeah, I was never fully satisfied with that one. Mostly because of the ammount of awful overhead it entails.

Scaling of any form in TTRPGs is always dancing on the knife edge of "too weak" vs. "too complicated".

admittedly, Corpse Armor also suffers from this, but it's a simple math equation at the very least.

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON:
Indecent (core) exposure
The Gravel Wars return
Top 10 (2fort-adjacent) Anime Betrayals

oh, and HOMEBREWS STATUS: MIXED

[crude hemlock]

Copyright Enforcement 2-8 fired for nuclear-fireball-related "staying alive" shortfall.

[serene zodiac]

They didn't make the cut smh

Morningstars are wild

[analog fog]

wait. Wait no that's the thing you're supposed to avoid!!

the consequences could be disastrous................

[crude hemlock]

it's genuinely 100% @serene zodiac 's fault

[analog fog]

lmao??

[serene zodiac]

https://tenor.com/view/black-pants-bree-i-do-what-i-want-parks-and-rec-i-have-a-permit-gif-8794341

I know how to keep things balanced

[analog fog]

we mean
even if things weren't balanced, as long as everyone's still having fun, there's no real reason to mind

[serene zodiac]

Haha yeah

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON

...I WASN'T THERE THIS WEEK

I ASSUME IT WAS A GOOD TIME

[serene zodiac]

Big Gravel won the Gravel Wars

Pallbearers were doxxed

[agile steppe]

To post a slightly belated recap:

THIS WEEK, ON THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON:

• The band discovered that it would be a good idea to just, walk away from the bipedal bombs. Thanks @slow crest for those curveballs of an NPC. They double structured poor @torpid gorge
• A named NPC renowned for their durability and capacity to always bounce back returned to the fray! Wowza.
• We threw gravel at the named NPC dealing max damage to a shredded target, scanned them just so we could insult the NPC using their actual name, then ran away after achieving the objective (demolition) all the while flipping the bird.

• Also Konig's PC pulled a

https://tenor.com/view/battletech-mechwarrior-mech-catapult-jump-gif-21451194

[crude hemlock]

[Somewhere, someone needs litigating]

[serene zodiac]

Those courts aren’t going to prosecute themselves

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE FIELD GUIDE TO ODEON:
Pyrotechnic pauldrons!
Stock fraud!
Schmoozing!
Champagne!
Sober rock stars with deadly weapons!
Post-doxxing party broom closet hookups!
influencers!!!!

[serene zodiac]

All this and more in the great Garaldine

[crude hemlock]

Bail out here, and it's going to be a looong walk home.

New art for The Field Guide to Odeon by Jokezm.

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE FIELD GUIDE TO ODEON:

We do not talk about the Karrakin Amateur Theatrical Society

The gang arranges to destoroy a golf club and a natural wonder

Favors are called in

Faces are revealed

and we do not talk about the Karrakin Amateur Theatrical Society.

Exes are lied to

Ships and backup dancers are requsitioned

oh, and one more thing

do not talk about the Karrakin Amateur Theatrical Society

[cosmic dock]

I'm sorry what the heck is going on here?

[torpid gorge]

The final show

[crude hemlock]

THIS WEEK ON THE FIELD GUIDE TO ODEON:

僕らの心はひとつに共鳴する！ 法は彼らの破壊を要求しています！ これが正義の道だ！
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLHX6n9EoAs

(alternately)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1QZSrxlAU8

[serene zodiac]

Golf club members were guillotined by Concert Support Platforms!
Pallbearers were waiting in the sand traps!
Ex-Girlfriends are NOT happy!
The Hank becomes Then Hank!
And Paul was just two weeks from retirement

[crude hemlock]

THIS GROSS, WET WEEK ON THE FIELD GUIDE TO EGG

Gross, wet egg.

[elfin agate]

Question: I see the official art for the Kurgan and Oseberg.

Are the Hoptanti based off of Scandinavian raiders?

[agile steppe]

Roughly! I liked the aesthetic of splint mail and ran with it.

figured cyborg-vikings were rad so I just leaned into it as the idea emerged.

[elfin agate]

Neat!!

[agile steppe]

Any other questions or the like? Happy to share!

[elfin agate]

Most are about the pallbearers specifically.

What are the peoples that make up the pallbearers? I only know of the Hoptanti and Corunbo I know there are others

[crude hemlock]

The Minleath, barely-reformed anarchistic matriarchal space pirates who are still around only because Unio efforts to pacify them inadvertently triggered a larger humanitarian crisis than their original piracy did

[elfin agate]

I'm assuming that they were the ones who were the ones who had the biggest hand in making the Tholos and grave hopper

[agile steppe]

Spot on!

The maufacturer is roughly divided into 2 mech frames apiece between the three houses with the Pyre being the singular frame that was a communal effort.

[elfin agate]

Neat! Pirates, survivors, and raiders, all now under one mercenary banner

[elfin agate]

Now I'm thinking of making a pallbearers OC

I wonder which of the three peoples I should make them a part of

[pseudo flame]

I had this idea for a Tholos pilot who left the family to go to medical school, then had to come back to the family when the hospital got raided by pirates, and now gets no respect given the Pallbearers tendency to upgrade rather than heal.

[elfin agate]

Tbf the Hoptanti are the ones who upgrade rather than heal

[crude hemlock]

This isn't canonical because I am not the Pallbearers writer, but I suspect a proper doctor would get plenty of respect, but not much in terms of logistical support.

If this pilot is Min any shit they'd get for being a doctor would be secondary to shit they'd get for leaving

The Minleath do not particularly like wider galactic society

@agile steppe your comments on the above?

[pseudo flame]

They do, it’s true, but there is also the Limblifter’s Guild, which I think extends to all Pallbearers.

[elfin agate]

This is also true

It's why my PPMC pilot, Vedian, had a falling out with her mother

[crude hemlock]

It do

Mah god

People are Reading Our Lore ™️

[pseudo flame]

It is enjoyable lore.

[elfin agate]

Looked at the one exotic gear for a pilot and methinks I should make a pilot's narrative build around it

Cause snek :)

[agile steppe]

They wouldn't get overt shit for it but yeah, they'd get a lot of shade for leaving. Both in terms of distain for the act of leaving itself and the restricted amount of info they'd receive given their now foreign status. The PPMC is famously cagey with their trade secrets.

In terms of the way they go about treating things, the pilot would be like a pen and paper animator in a digital age. The pen and paper animator is still able to crat beautiful works of art (arguably some even better thant the digital animations) but the digital animations are just so much faster and more precise.

The PPMC is small all things considered. So having a pilot off for several months of traditional rehab is just not a luxury they can afford. Especially considering they could get a comparable cybernetic prosthetic with relatively minimal acclimatization. This is especially true with Hoptanti.

Hope this clarifies!

[elfin agate]

Vedian's lungs for example had very little acclimation time in comparison to similar implants

Same goes for her limbs in general

[wicked moat]

This may be a dumb question, but is there lore that's not in the Field Guide that I'm missing, or am I just not reading the item descriptions closely enough?

It's fine either way, I just genuinely want to know because I like the manufacturers and would like to know more.

[rigid patio]

does the PPMC ever accept new, outside members?

[agile steppe]

We mirrored the way thw core rulebook did it and added the lore in the GM doc!

[agile steppe]

Yes, but they're far more selective relative to other merc companies like MSMC. Even if you've been induced to the PPMC they won't trust you with anything important for a long while.

[wicked moat]

That would definitely explain some things. I'm wanting to implement them into my Suldan campaign, but I've had trouble finding lore on them outside of Dragonkids video and the manufacturer entries in Comp/Con. Thank you for clearing that up!

[crude hemlock]

There's a bunch in the book, and the next update to it is probably going to be like 60-75% setting and backstory and character introductions now that we've run a few campaigns on Odeon

[wicked moat]

Sounds good! I look forward to reading up on it and integrating it into my games.

[crude hemlock]

We will meme the Karrakin Amateur Theatrical Society into existence if'n it's the last thing we do

[wicked moat]

I have to know: have the KATS ever performed Cats?

[crude hemlock]

it's not off the table

[serene zodiac]

Don’t forget their longstanding rivalry with the Dawnline Operatic Gyrations Society

[elfin agate]

places custom skill triggers for an oseberg pilot for your enjoyment

[light socket]

Maaaaan I need those. Thanks.

[crude hemlock]

Alternate titles: Frothing, Incoherent Rage and Each of my Fingers Is Actually a Different Kind of Miniaturized Cybernetic Laser Gun, Honest

[elfin agate]

Also have another custom skill trigger for an Ossuary pilot

[pure jolt]

Reading through homebrew, finished the player facing Field Guide to Odeon document. It was interesting trying to figure out the lore as I went along. I liked the Pallbearers a lot. And once I just went and accepted the premise of AZAI they turned out to be pretty cool as well.

Favorite frames are The CLION for the sword and the Oseberg because I really dig the aesthetic

[crude hemlock]

@pure jolt Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for giving it a look. The Oseberg is @agile steppe's precious sweet baby

[light socket]

As some one who has accidentally pulled an Iron blooded Orphan using an Oseberg can confirm. Would fight to and beyond death in it again.

[agile steppe]

Decorp using a PPMC frame you say?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/148VeXBejtJ1Gm7ipBQD9fEFA6qRuXA_EgUPsrEFYYxY/edit?usp=sharing

To shreds, you say?

[light socket]

HOLY SHIT YOU MADE THE LYTTA?!?!?! GIMME GIMME GIMME

[agile steppe]

Comming hopefully in the next update!

[light socket]

Okay having read that .......I wasn't expecting a size 1/2. Was expecting the brutal undying melee frame though

[agile steppe]

Meta-wise, I wanted to keep the "you're trapped in this frame until someone pulls your integrated ass out of it" without explicitly keeping PC from interacting in narrative scenes that demand dismounts.

Lore wise, it's due to the Lytta being born from a situation where all of the factories and means of large scale production had been shelled to high-hell.

[agile steppe]

Glad you had fun with it! It's people like you that keep the lights on so to speak. Konig and I are still working on things (as quickly as we can) so expect more in the future!

[light socket]

Honestly I am absolutely down for it . Cause what happened is that yeah I basically Decorped myself because of the control link on the Oseberg(According to the DM at least) because the fight we did had an ultra boss that was a battleship(as in boat) and I asked my DM if I could do something dumb and probably kill me but be epic as hell. And he said yes. So we basically had the scene go to Narrative and I used the Atlas Bonds super power "The Hard Way" Which basically means that I soloed a fleet of naval vessels fighting to the absolute limit and beyond as I smashed my way through the enemy fleet using a plasma sledge and water skimmer jets(homebrew system lets you move double speed only on water surface). And the rest of the group was asking and begging me to fall back with them and only got back the response of "So that you all may still live."

[agile steppe]

Idk if you were playing a PPMC pilot but you have nailed the aesthetic I was shooting for.

Kuddos to your GM for being a real one and letting the magic happen.

[light socket]

Nope. Just a cybernetic space trucker who wanted to do right by his friends is all. I was originally a Faehn(Illean Frame that is basically a Mech C-130)pilot but eventually switched to the Oseberg because I felt it fit the story beat a bit better. And we all kinda saw the writing on the wall cause those pirates were not gonna back down if we surrendered/retreated. So......."So that you all may still live" was my pilot's last words as a human. Now that it's all said and done everyone's trying to find a way to save me/get me back into my original body that is now currently on ice.

[agile steppe]

Well, not to try and shoehorn anything into your GM's campaign but I know of an entire Corporo that specializes in these kinds of situations that might be inclined to interact.

[light socket]

Lol that was actually a thought proposed by our resident tech head. Ppmc made the tech. They might be able to help

[agile steppe]

We do have the Lore side of the PPMC in the GM's edition of the Field guide to Odeon though it is paid content. If your GM does want to get them into the mix but doesn't necesarily have the dosh for the GM's stuff just tell them to give me a DM and I can give the spark notes version.

[light socket]

Will absolutely pass that on. Kinda taking a break ATM though so that's on hold.

[agile steppe]

gotchya, gotchya. I'll keep my ear to the ground in the meantime!

[agile steppe]

Oh also, if you're just perusing through the lcp. try and find the Player facing exotic gear.

Lots of flavorful stuff there.

[pure jolt]

No mainly read through pdf files because I am weird

[agile steppe]

@crude hemlock SOMEONE READ THE PDF. IT WAS WORTH ACTUALLY MAKING IT.

(Konig is the one that formated the Pdf. and made everything look pretty)

[agile steppe]

more like, "really cool and dare I say, based".

[crude hemlock]

Worth it

[elfin agate]

HEAVY BREATHING IN BERSERKER

Now you have motivated me hooked

The first Lytta build from comp/con will be ME

[agile steppe]

A NEW CHAPTER IN THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON BEGINS

On the first session of Opus Interruptus

Our intrepid suicide squad of Pallbearers "Banshee" have infiltrated the suborbital performance barge: "The Cloud" to arrest the alleged terrorists Thunderbolt and Kawai-Kawai. In their initial insertion onto the barge they uncovered covert AZAI pushers who are distributing AZAI synthesized drugs to the festival goers. Upon further investigation, the party discovers that the drug "Glam" has been cut with an unknown substance. Before they had a chance to investigate Banshee squad was contacted by their handler to let them know the transport of their frames onto The Cloud had been delayed and they had an hour to scout out the festival venue.

The AZAI defector Damian Montgomery and @craggy cliff's Radical Myocologist Pylora Anthia infiltrated the mech hanger in hopes of scouting out and doing a little bit of cheeky sabotage on the combat performance frames of Lovely Lighting. Utilizing years of backstage experience (and a stealth suit) Damian stealthily made their way backstage, however, Pylora's usage of the experimental phasic body combined with their mobility hardsuit left them caught up in the heat of the pre-performance crunch as a laborer. While LL's frames were not in this hangar, both actors were rolling hot and gained significant information on the fights to come and sabotaged some of the more "miltech adjacent" subalterns being prepared in the hangers.

@barren dock 's transhumanist doctor Larikk Clark uncovered what was being cut into the samples of Glam being distributed by inadvertently empathically opening themselves up to the zeitgeist of the venue. The glam had been cut with a substance that made those more susceptible to the influence of AZAI's proprietary mood-effectors. Larikk's psionic querying was not without risk though as the effort flooded the cybernetic doctor's cortex with the combined might of the euphoria of a Tomorrowland concert and all of the illicit substances it brings. The good doctor unwitingly utilized this connection while trying to walk its effects off to gain a modicum of influence in the very zeitgeist they lost themselves within. However, a creeping susceptibility to Mood effectors remains. . . .

Finally, @torn peak's de-iced amnesiac solider of fortune: Ripper leveraged what he does best and broke into the main stage using the power of friendship, comradery, and combat stim fulled-violence. None of the crowd were harmed in a serious way, but the same cannot be said for a few of the mood effectors placed on the stage. His flight from the main stage and the half-dozen bouncers was not without cost. Much of his equipment was stolen from him in the scuffle and AZAI security surely knows that something is afoot.

@dry bronze (you stated you wanted to see the recaps so here's your ping!)

[barren dock]

Session 2 was wild and I can't wait for that synopsis

[craggy cliff]

It was absolutely fucking bonkers and extremely enjoyable
I have seen the truth of 10 heat per overcharge and prospector

[torn peak]

Oh, the synopsis will be amazing

[shell jasper]

Im sorry, Im new to Lancer in general and I dont know what the proper protocol is when it comes to accessing 3rd party materials (and maybe I missed it somewhere), but can I ask for the lcp file for this stuff? It seems really cool, but the drivethrurpg link doesnt seem to be working for me

[craggy cliff]

You can try the itch link for the player facing content
https://konigstein.itch.io/the-field-guide-to-odeon

[shell jasper]

This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for! You have my infinite gratitude and thanks!

[crude hemlock]

I maintain the Odeon DTR, what link did you use?

(god I hate DTR's interface so much.)

[shell jasper]

The one near the beginning of this thread. Also, when I logged into DTRPG itself, I couldnt find the actual information

[crude hemlock]

guh

thanks for letting me know

[agile steppe]

THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON SPINS ON

On the second session of Opus Interruptus:

Banshee squad is contacted by their handler to inform them that their frames have arrived onto The Cloud and the squad promptly mounts up. Almost immediately after powering up their mechanized chases the performance barge lights up with activity and feigned spectacle; complete with an announcer giving the play-by-play. Whether through betrayal, deception, carelessness, or pure vigilance the Apsara Zaibatsu saw Banshee squad coming and prepared appropriately. In what now had become a race against time, the squad beelines to center stage where they hope to execute their mission and arrest the wanted members of Lovely Lightning only to find that they themselves have become the openers of this mad mecha concert. Caught in a gauntlet on their approach to center stage, Banshee squad was left little choice but to push through.

Combat saw AZAI's proprietary DANCERS and AMPLIFIERs take center stage with them hell-bent to slow down, but not stop, Banshee squad's approach. @craggy cliff's Pylora in her Mendel: "MYCOSYNTH INC." and @torn peak's Ripper in his Enkidu: "BAKUNAWA" took the right flank and attempted to break through AZAI's "keep away" tactics. Where one was bogged down by soft crowd control, they were bolstered by the backline support of @barren dock's Larikk in his Grave Hopper "SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI" who, amongst the chaos and calamity of combat, went untouched for all but the entirety of the fight. Where the support of the backline faltered, Pylora's use of prospector tunnels and blink charges made their approach inexorable despite dedicated effort to oppose it.

The left flank was headed by the AZAI defector Damian Montgomery in the dual heavy shotgun-wielding, no shit taking, 10 guaranteed damage on reload dealing, AZAI Clio: "BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR". Through some tactical play (and some questionably balanced mechanics) much of the opfor on the left flank fell due to the Blood on the Dance Floor's belay of blows. And once they fell, the wrecks of the fallen were puppeted by Larikk to further open the way for Damian.

The combat ended with the party making their way onto the point at the end of the fifth round having torn their way through all but AZAI's most evasive and nimble of actors. However, very few of their opposition were equipped to deal physical damage and the party remained (mostly) unscathed. It seems that AZAI didn't want to spoil the spectacle in its first act and that Banshee squad's most difficult fights are yet to come. . . . .

[barren dock]

[craggy cliff]

[torn peak]

[agile steppe]

Also @barren dock and @torn peak win the "most willing to ship two characters who have only interacted once on screen" award.

[torn peak]

…more than once

[agile steppe]

Here ya go you two 🏅 🏅

[torn peak]

I’ll wear it like a badge of honor, I s’pose

It’s worth it

[barren dock]

https://tenor.com/view/tangled-unicorn-ship-frown-smile-gif-4946512

[torn peak]

Correct

Very

I like this interpretation

[barren dock]

More wips of Ripper and Larikk!

[barren dock]

Figured I should throw Larikk's Grave Hopper/Lich in here!

<<SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI>>

[barren dock]

[torn peak]

:DDDDDDDDDDD

[agile steppe]

THE LIVING WORLD OF ODEON SPINS ON

(despite me being sick as a dog the week following and completely forgetting about posting a recap. Apologies for the delay)

ON THE THIRD SESSION OF OPUS INTERUPTUS

After breaking through the haphazard blockade set by AZAI, Banshee squad continued to beeline towards center stage in order to apprehend their targets. Yet the path they had scouted out prior to engaging was gone. Before them lay an arena of sorts with 4 portals on the floor. It seems that the Cloud was a completely modular concert barge with large sections of its structure being able to be moved and modified. As Banshee squad realized the situation, an announcer blared over barge-wide speakers announcing that our intrepid Lancers were to be the pre-show entertainment and the Openers of AZAI's combat idol concert. It was at this point that Banshee's dancing partners arrived on scene: A Demolisher and Berserker by the name of Ballroom and Blitz.

The opening act saw them pitted against these two combat performers with background NPCs lending support to Ballroom and Blitz. Simultaneously, Banshee squad needed to uncover which of the 4 portals was the path forward in a classic recon sitrep. The combat pushed Banshee squad in unprecedented ways and while they were worn down significantly, the squad managed to push through although expending significant reasources in the process. Over the course of Combat, the AZAI-defector Damian learned more about the malicious stipulations of the contract he had broken in his premature departure from AZAI and it was hinted that AZAI themselves might have been behind the scenes orchestrating this entire show and claiming credit for the combat spectacle that was being performed.

The rest of Banshee squad was only endowed with the knowledge of how brutal AZAI's performers could be as combatants. Despite some very dedicated and impressive efforts at playing keep away, @craggy cliff Pylora found herself repeatedly on the receiving end of Ballroom's demolisher hammer. While the part eventually reduced Ballroom's frame to a decrepit wreck it was not without some small amount of gloating on Ballroom's part. Blitz on the other hand managed to tie up @torn peak's Ripper in his Enkidu even while supported by @barren dock's Larikk in his Grave Hopper. Until the tide was turned at the midpoint of the battle, Blitz the Berserker axed a lot of pointed questions of Ripper like "how does it feel to have a chain axe rip through the torso of your chassis?", "Which one of you do you want me to wreck first?", and "are your actually veteran combat performers?". The battle banter was infuriating.

Victory ultimately favored Banshee squad and the part proceeded through the correct path with the smolder wrecks of Ballroom and Blitz in their wake. But doubts still remained. If they had complete control over the venue's composition, why had AZAI even allowed for a correct path forward to even exist?

[light socket]

@agile steppe so my Gm has done a funny and said sure to me testing the Lytta. Soooo....first deployment of me and my new body for lack of a better term basically has me soloing an Ultra due to a combination of the traits and some Hot dice rolls to Princes of Pride blaring in the background. I will say this dear Christ does the Lytta go so fucking hard in the paint. It's straight up a berserker and fully expects you to commit to it. So unless you are that kind of person DO NOT use it

[agile steppe]

@crude hemlock Someone is testing our stuff without dedicated effort to run playtesting games!

Holy shit!!

[agile steppe]

Also, yes, go ahead. Public blessing to run it given.

Take notes if you can. But mostly have fun with it!

[crude hemlock]

weeeeeeeeeeeew!

[light socket]

Tis the plan. I will also say it a) absolutely needs some kind of anti-tech support and also for the love of God buff up your heat cap. If a witch or some of the nastier tech based NPCs so much as look at you you suffer. Especially with that low e-defense. Spite and Will of Manubrai help but there is only so much they can do. Also I'm sure you could probably do a hybrid combined arms build using talents and the mounts it does have. I just went "I unga, therefore I bunga" as my build. It really likes melee. Though I had to ditch the super heavy maul to get the most out of it since the core doesn't support super heavy weapons which honestly makes some sense balancing wise.

[agile steppe]

Buffing base stats is always tricky given how much agency players have in their builds to improve it. Blackbeard is also in a similar position stats wise. Given there's also Silence the Voices in the base liscencing there's options to duck Witches.

Additionally, leaving "cracks" in the armor of frames is very much an intentional design choice!

Gotta leave a crumb for GM to capitalize on and Players to build around.

[light socket]

Oh no I mean as a player You need to crank your engineering lol. I entirely understand as a Gm though. Though I will say I've gotten buddy buddy with our Bonnie pilot since they decided to start messing with the Forget-me-not. I love my anti-tech bio berserker . He's saved my sorry hide more times then I can count.

[agile steppe]

https://tenor.com/view/predator-arnold-schwarzenegger-hand-shake-arms-gif-3468629

Gotchya, I'm so used to receiving balance feedback I automatically assumed 😅

[light socket]

Though I will also say that both the Lytta and the Oseberg also are great for a less then stellar job we have in our party. And that's keeping said bio-berserker in line when they snap. Because they got hit hard with the stress hammer(bond system) and one of their flaws or whatever it's called is that they can actually McFreakin lose it and bad. The Lytta is about the only party member that can sufficiently survive the barrage of death that comes from me to get close enough to restrain em(with some help from our techie and talking with the Gm we basically made a mech sized taser/net combo just for that situation.)

[agile steppe]

Say, any chance I could get your GM's thoughts on the Lytta?

[light socket]

Same as mine ironically you have to full on commit to the berserker bit. Also tech is it's biggest weakness

[rigid patio]

Ho

[crude hemlock]

Lee

[rigid patio]

sorry lol didnt realize i sent that

[agile steppe]

https://tenor.com/view/jojo-joseph-jostar-holy-shit-gif-15277539

[icy berry]

How have i never actually checked out odeon??? Oops

Also could we get this pinned?

[agile steppe]

Alas, I am unable to 😔

[icy berry]

I think you can request it the pin request forum?

[crude hemlock]

yeah that

[agile steppe]

The request has been made

I thought that request threat was for the third party forums themselves 😅

[spark kayak]

heheheheheheheheh @crude hemlock

I'm seeing what you mean

[crude hemlock]

Happy to help!

[crude hemlock]

Status update: Odeon 1.6 is officially being worked on

There will be multiple new mechs

there will be this cool art by Jokz

There will be other things, but only when we figure out what they are

Right @agile steppe ?

[agile steppe]

https://tenor.com/view/principal-skinner-yes-seymour-skinner-the-simpsons-enthusiastic-yes-gif-15806751

[agile steppe]

Speaking of being worked on:

Performer changes:

T1: All the World is a Stage
1/round as a Reaction to the end of your turn you may Put on a Show. When you Put on a Show select the closest enemy character within Line of Sight. You must make a save using a H.A.S.E stat of your choice against their save target. On success, your target is entranced until the end of their next turn. This reaction entails your character conducting the actions they made during their turn with an incredible flourish.

T2: Presence
When you Put on a Show you may target the 2 closest enemy characters within line of sight as targets instead of one. When Putting on a Show in this way, your Saves are made at +1 Difficulty.

T3: Siren's Song.
Gain the Siren die a d6 starting at 6. Whenever you inflict entranced lower the Siren die by 1 to a minimum of 1. When the Siren die is at 1 you may take the Beckon reaction.

Beckon
Reaction, 1/round
Trigger: A character with Entranced and in line of sight begins their turn
Effect: You control the triggering character's standard movement. You may forgo controlling the triggering character's movement to force them to fall prone.

[analog fog]

Oh shit oh damn 👀

more Odeon frames !! yipee!!

[icy berry]

@crude hemlock @agile steppe How exactly are the Stetind's stat boosts implemented in comp/con?

[crude hemlock]

@serene zodiac Proxy has a question for you!

[crude hemlock]

Duva did all our coding, ask him

[icy berry]

Ty ty 💚

[icy berry]

The other question i have more for you — how did stetind feel to playtest?

What was the feedback/results it came back w?

[agile steppe]

My dude.

Duva did all of WAZAL'S coding.

No Odeon.

[crude hemlock]

wait

oh

oh yeah

I'm sorry, I was asleep

[agile steppe]

Long story short, it isn't! COMP/CON does not have the framework for variable and dynamic statlines. Bonuses will need to be independently tracked.

Stuff like core bonuses and systems are able to provided static modifiers but anything that's variable cannot be accounted for in the app as is.

[serene zodiac]

I was summoned

Oh

Carry on

[agile steppe]

He was sleepy.

[icy berry]

Makes sense, that's what i thought and just wasn't sure💚

[crude hemlock]

Sorry!

[agile steppe]

Bothered duva and misattributed all of my codding work.

Smh

[agile steppe]

Generally speaking, the Stetind was a very variable frame. It's build for the brawl but ca go in a lot of other directions. This means ya gotta play it by ear so to speak.

Anything with heavy frame, armor, or thing to dissuade multi attacks (e.g., hives and priests) were pretty effective.

[icy berry]

FEAR

My partner who is a gifted game breaker (/lovingly) IS BUILDING THE STETIND

Dear god. I've seen him break mechs in 30 min, and seen third party dnd mechanics rewritten cause of stuff she's found

[agile steppe]

Awesome! Let us know how he breaks stuff!

This will be useful feedback

[crude hemlock]

FEAR [but also detailed notes]

[icy berry]

@cyan saffron

[agile steppe]

Oh, also, I know this is an unwritten rule of 3rd party or even 1st party content but if he busts something and it's not conducive to play at your table, feel free to make adjustments in vivo!

Our stuff need not be static!

[icy berry]

oh i know, trust me, im more than happy to mod something to keep a flow then report it later

[cyan saffron]

Sorry for the late followup- Good news, I didn't break anything, I don't think, I just got invested in finding something to do while Enkelhet-Maxxing

[ LICENSES ]
  SSC Dusk Wing 2, IPS-N Zheng 2, IPS-N Nelson 1, IPS-N Tortuga 1
[ CORE BONUSES ]
  Improved Armament, Titanomachy Mesh
[ TALENTS ]
  Duelist 3, Brawler 3, Juggernaut 2, Leader 1
[ STATS ]
  HULL:2 AGI:2 SYS:2 ENGI:2
  STRUCTURE:4 HP:16 ARMOR:3
  STRESS:4 HEATCAP:7 REPAIR:5
  TECH ATK:+1 LIMITED:+1
  SPD:8 EVA:10 EDEF:14 SENSE:10 SAVE:15
[ WEAPONS ]
  Integrated: Hands of Steel
  FLEX MOUNT: 
  MAIN MOUNT: 
  MAIN/AUX MOUNT: 
[ SYSTEMS ]
  Flicker Field Projector, Siege Ram, Total Strength Suite I```
Engineer can (should) be taken instead of leader, but sometimes the best backup to a one-trick pony is to help someone else do what you can't

You can ram someone, use the hands as a reaction, ram again as a free action, and ram as another free action, all off one quick action; And all that is building up knockout blows with a buffed up Save Target
If I understand Hands of Steel right you can use it twice in a turn, once as a skirmish and once as a reaction?

[agile steppe]

@icy berry Okay, now, you're gonna wanna look up "Grind Maniple" under the Hive NPC Optionals

[agile steppe]

I am glad to see that the Stetind is so consistently used to make frames with unbelievable statlines. Really harkens back to the initial testing phases of Lancer where your frame could just be a near indesturctable cube with a gun tapped onto it.

[cyan saffron]

There’s a certain point where the concern is more about failing the objective than exploding- This build is way past that

[icy berry]

✍️

[agile steppe]

Yeah, I see this and I think to myself "I'm gonna stick a Demolisher on the objective and see how that goes".

Cause like, this thing can bob and weave but it'll take forever to chew through a demo.

Even with Synth muscle netting letting you knock'em around.

[agile steppe]

As with the Performer Talent Tree, Raider is also probably gonna get a re-work see below for a rough draft of the revamped tree!

Tier 1: Frenzy:
Gain access to a new Status: Frenzied

Freinzied: Whenever you are at half or below half of your maximum Hp you become frenzied. Frenzy clears if you are no longer at half health. Overshield is considered a part of your maximum Hp when calculating whether or not you are at half Hp. Additionally, if you have taken structure or stress damage you become frenzied until the end of your next turn superseding the prior rule on when frenzy is cleared.

While Frenzied, the first attack you make during your turn is made with +1 Accuracy

Tier 2: Focused Anger
While Frenzied you may forgo the accuracy provided by this status to give a melee attack the AP tag or a ranged attack Reliable 3. Additional attacks beyond your first do not gain these tags.

Tier 3: Honed Frenzy
Gain access to the Hamask and survival instincts Reactions

Hamask:
Trigger: You gain the Frenzied Status
Effect: You may take the Skirmish action or make an improvised attack against an adjacent character. You lose the Frenzied status and may not gain it again until the end of your next turn.

Survival Instincts:
Trigger: You would fail a save or check while Frenzied
Effect: You may re-roll the save or check but must keep the second result. This re-roll does not stack with other effects that would allow you to re-roll a save or check. You lose the Frenzied status and may not gain it again until the end of your next turn.

I am pensive about how Hamask would overlap with some of the Lytta's existing mechanics.

[crude hemlock]

my only suggestion would be to somehow work in the Old Norse word "hamrammr"

which is both thematically appropriate and fun to say

[agile steppe]

That can be complished.

[crude hemlock]

this week, on Field Guide to Odeon Dev Insights:

[agile steppe]

Hey HEY!!!

THAT RUINS THE POINT OF IT!!!

[rigid patio]

I mean cow tools is still cow tools despite the cow tools explanation

[serene zodiac]

the circle of twelve (in base 12)

[rigid patio]

also I refuse to look up what you are talking about for I much prefer opacity

[crude hemlock]

the deepest lore is the lore we wilfully refuse to learn anything about

[serene zodiac]

Only lore that is extremely vague gets entire youtube channels dedicated to unpacking it one 90 minute video at a time

[agile steppe]

https://tenor.com/view/correct-plankton-gif-14118231

[thin marsh]

Hey @agile steppe am I correct in assuming the general idea with the oseberg is taking a bunch of self-damage systems or ones that increase your likelihood of taking damage and then just

hucking yourself at enemies?

[crude hemlock]

not him but yes, probably

[agile steppe]

Yuppers. It was my first pass at berserker mechanics.

It's less streamlined than I would like but she works.

[alpine cairn]

Helo. I have question

Mendel mycelium cover.

The wording of "Sections of Mycelial Cover that are deployed during this action satisfy the adjacency clause for this system."
implies more than one piece is deployed, but there is nothing saying that that would be the case?

[alpine cairn]

Ok, found it in the document!

The size of the cover and the number of "blocks" is not stated in compcon.

[agile steppe]

Keep reading+

[alpine cairn]

I did find it all in the pdf, but it's just not said in the lcp/conpcon anywhere.

Wait unless I have an outdated copy.

Lemme check.

Nopes

[agile steppe]

Hmmm, so it is! Thanks for pointing that out!

It is fixed and will be released upon the next update!

[alpine cairn]

Yay :)

The flavour of the thing also says technitians instead of technicians but that's a typo thing.

[granite basin]

hello people! More so I decided to try and make the calais from field guide to odeon! :3

[agile steppe]

Oh heck yeah.

Looking real rad.

Will you be colouring it?

[granite basin]

Aye! More so I'll try and keep to the original colors to stay with thr concept! :D

[granite basin]

I did a pretty quick paintjob, but I do think that it does fit the bull quite nicely! I'll clean it iup when I get the chance! :D

hell! I even managed to somewhat mimic the camo on it! :D

[granite basin]

oh! and if anyone wants to kitbash their own calais, here's the parts I used for it! :D

[agile steppe]

Oh I love this. Awesome work Mean Bean 💜

Really Like how you captured the square angular pauldrons.

[granite basin]

Hell, honestly I gotta say thank you for the compliment, seriously! More so I had decided to also add the small shield to give it a more bulked up appearance if you get what I mean! :3

[granite basin]

hey there y'all! I return with a brand new variant of the calais!

[crude hemlock]

You're on a roll today, huh

well done

[granite basin]

Aye! more so just got that sudden burst to do painting c:

[granite basin]

gave it some proper lighting! :D

[agile steppe]

https://tenor.com/view/sparkle-jake-adventuretime-gif-4717903

That's absolutely Rad Mean Bean.

Fuck yeah.

Thanks so much for this! Even if it was somthing you just did for funsies it means the world to us!

[granite basin]

ayyyyyyyyyy! :D
Honestly I really do thank you alot for the compliment, especially coming from you! Honestly I did it both for funsies and as a favor for a friend of mine! But also for the fact that I do like the calais itself and how it fills a unique niche story wise! :D

More so I imagined that most likely of cases, the calais would also take the role of a riot control mech frame! Mainly due to it's many non-lethal and capture focused arsenal fitting quite snugly for such a role! c:

hell! It's more so why I had chosen to go for a much darker look with yellow and orange lighting! The orange representing perhaps a fire caused by a thrown molotov during a night riot! With the yellow showing off the blinding light from the riot shield ;3

[alpine cairn]

(This really sounds like a weird compliment Jake would say himself)

"mean bean" as a compliment.

It has been stewing in me since it was said.

[crude hemlock]

Cool beans already exists, this is a natural evolution

[alpine cairn]

I can just picture the VA saying it in my head.

[crude hemlock]

Odeon Update: we're working on it

Like, actually

[agile steppe]

We are, it's true.

Content is being contented ✨️

Things are being written.

[rigid patio]

!

[analog fog]

woah....

[agile steppe]

we're just, really slow at it.

cause y'know, life.

[analog fog]

indeed

[agile steppe]

Hey y'all, just wanted to make a post regarding recent events and the banning of the co-author of Odeon. To begin, I wanted to clarify the state of Odeon as is. Odeon is a project that was started by Konig and I and then carried on primarily by myself once the majority of the player facing content had been written. Most all new content is being worked on by me. Konig is only serving as editor and has largely stepped away from Lancer content creation in this field guide.

I cannot comment on the ban given that i do not follow Konig's activity on other platforms nor do I occupy these platforms myself. Nor am I able to comment on Konig's other projects and what is going on on that front. If you want to know more, I suggest commenting on Waffenfabrik's itch page.

I am not very active on P.net because life has taken me in new directions and I've less and less time to engage in the community. While this channel does not receive much questions from others regarding the content of Odeon (a fact that I hold with some small pride as it means that nobody needs rules clarifications [I hope]), I do still pop in to see if there's any questions in other channels or problems with the lcp. . This is to say that I am here in server and I am alive. Consequently, if anyone has any grievances towards my conduct or my content, I encourage you to DM me and hash things out.

[analog belfry]

Hi hi, mod here, I wanna add on to this because I feel like people do deserve to know, here's a screencap of how Konig views the traffic they get from pnet broadly, figured this would be worth making people aware of, i'm not gonna tell you how you need to feel about it, not my job, but it is something that's worth being aware of nonetheless

[trail orbit]

well holy shit man