Editing Iron Kingdoms: Requiem

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'''Iron Kingdoms: Requiem''' is the third roleplaying tie-in to the [[Iron Kingdoms]] setting created by [[Privateer Press]], and the second to run on the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] chassis, specifically the [[Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition]] ruleset.

This iteration of the setting takes place after the big Infernal Invasion event from the [[WarmaHordes]] gameline.

=Publication History=
Currently, the Requiem gameline consists of 4 officially released splatbooks, with two upcoming splatbooks that currently only exist in PDF form for kickstarter backers... which of course have leaked onto the internet, because, seriously, what did you expect?

Iron Kingdoms: Requiem Campaign Setting: The corebook.

Monsternomicon: The first [[Monster Manual]].

Borderlands & Beyond: Setting lore for the regions on Western Immoren's borders, namely Rhul, Ios, the Glimmerwood, the Bloodstone Marches, Blackice Mountains, the Burningfrost Plains, the Howling Wastes, Nyaloss Mountains, the Lost Forest of Rylolyse, and Frostbracken. Also includes more Hordes-based mechanical content.

Borderland Survival Guide: A grab-bag of topics relating to Borderlands, such as new monsters and magical items.

Nightmare Empire: Setting lore for Cryx and its surroundings. Naturally, this includes mechanical goodies like necrotite and necroarchana.

Scoundrel's Guide to the Scharde Islands: A grab-bag of topics relating to Nightmare Empire, including ship-sailing rules (which, at the very least, are more extensive than anything that [[Wizards of the Coast]] did for [[Spelljammer]]), monsters, and building your own [[undead]] thralls.

=New Classes=
All three of the "big" [[splatbooks]] for Requiem - that is, the Campaign Setting, Borderlands & Beyond, and Nightmare Empire - included some brand new classes to play with.

==Campaign Setting==
The '''[[Alchemist]]''' is a character who studies the arcane sciences of chemistry to create and utilize potent chemical tools and weapons. As they gain levels, they gain an arsenal of increasingly complex alchemical formulae that they can create during downtime, as well as certain simpler formulae they can whip up on the fly if they have access to their alchemist's supplies. The three subclasses of the Alchemist are:
* The ''Combat Alchemist'', a warrior-alchemist who specializes in the use of weaponized alchemy, lobbing homemade grenades at foes with increasing skill and versatility as they age. Whilst their features don't revolve around it, they often carry Crucible Arms - specialist weapons that either spray deadly alchemical liquids like flamethrowers or can infuse bullets with fiery, acidic or toxic fluids.
* The ''Synthesist'' is dedicated to pursuing the true understanding of alchemy, allowing them to produce more powerful alchemical items and otherwise wring more use out of their alchemical supplies and formulae.
* The '''Rogue Alchemist'' is either a criminal who turned to alchemy to augment their lawbreaking, or just an alchemist who refuses to knuckle under to the established alchemical guilds (or was kicked out of them, or otherwise has cause to operate under the table, as it were). They specialize in scrounging up substitute ingredients and outright pilfering alchemical formulae from others, but are also masterful poisoners.

The '''[[Gun Mage]]''' is one of the most iconic classes of the Iron Kingdoms; a [[gish]] who combines spellcasting powers with [[gunslinger]] talents to become a master of ranged combat. Take note that despite using the 5e spell list, Gun Mages do '''not''' specialize in the use of ray spells and other "beam" type offensive spells, but instead focus on taking ordinary ammo and channeling magic into it; this is represented by their core class feature, ''Rune Shot'', which lets them pick a number of different potential buffs they can apply to their bullets by spending spell slots, such as adding elemental damage, boosting accuracy, heightening damage, turning it into a guided projectile, etc. The higher the Gun Mage's level, the more Rune Shot options they can pick up. They are Charisma-based [[Half Caster]]s, although they can cast 6th level spells rather than the normal 5th level spell cap. They rely on the use of the Magelock weapons, but can substitute any firearm - however, until they gain the Weapon Bond feature, using non-Magelock firearms to launch Rune Shots causes the weapon to degrade with each use. There are three Gun Mage subclasses:
* ''Militant Order of the Arcane Tempest:'' True soldier gun mages who gain increasingly potent combat-related abilities.
* ''Order of the Thorn:'' Covert operative from Llael who specialize in espionage, sabotage and assassination. Their subclass features are a mixture of stealthy shooting tricks and an increased ability to fight to the last.
* ''Order of the Lone Gun:'' Self-trained, mavericks, or heirs to minor traditions that haven't developed into fully-fledged orders. They're the most versatile of the gun mages, with a grab-bag of useful tricks.

The '''Gunfighter''' is, of course, a [[gunslinger]] by any other name. It's a warrior class dedicated to mastery over the new firearms included in the Requiem corebook, with its core feature being access to a number of special attacks called "Trick Shots". They tend to focus on evasion, stealth, and just staying well out of reach of the enemy, so don't mistake them for a [[fighter]] even if they are a "mundane combat-focused" class! Three subclasses here:
* ''Pistoleers'' specialize in the use of pistols, allowing them to draw and fire with greater speed than other gunfighters.
* ''Sharpshooters'' specialize in the use of long arms like rifles; they don't fire as frequently as pistoleers, but they hit targets a lot harder and from a lot further away.
* ''Commandos'' are stealthy gunfighters who specialize in quick, brutal stealth attacks to take down foes. As a result of their tendency to work in close range, they are also more adept at melee weapons than pistoleers or sharpshooters.

'''Mechaniks''' are the [[artificer]]s of Immoren, adventurer-scientists who specialize in building, maintaining and utilizing the various [[steampunk]] gear of the Iron Kingdoms to solve their problems. Unlike the Alchemist, Gun Mage and Gunfighter, they don't have a specific class-based set of "things you can build", they just have class features that make them better at building and using "tech" items on the fly - they're a [[Skill Monkey]] class more than anything. Three subclasses, yet again:
* ''Combat Mechaniks'' are used to serving in combat and keeping valuable military gear, like guns, steamjacks, cybernetics, etc, functioning under pressure. On the other hand, they're also very good at knocking out enemy machines too.
* ''Ironheads'' are specialists in the use of steam armor - the [[Power Armor]] of Immoren. Human(oid) tanks, ironheads get to build their own free suit of standard-class steam armor, and subsequently customize it as they level up with more unique tricks and abilities.
* ''Arcane Mechaniks'' really are the artificers of the Iron Kingdoms; they're mages who've turned to blending science and sorcery, allowing them to specialize in industrial thaumaturgy - the very elite branch of science that creates the [[magitek]] devices known as mechanika. They're Intelligence-based [[Third Caster]]s with the ability to both cast spells of up to 4th level and to build, fuel and otherwise augment mechanika devices and weapons.

Finally, there are '''[[Warcaster]]s'''; mages who can telepathically link with steamjacks, allowing them to command these [[steampunk]] [[magitek]] [[golem]]s in battle, as well as to exploit mechanika weapons and armor to greater effect. They are Intelligence-based [[Half Casters]] of the "prepared spells" style - the iconic "Focus" from the wargame is adapted into a kind of [[mana]] system; you have a level-based cap on how powerful a spell you can cast (up to 6th level) and on the maximum size of your Focus pool, and you spend Focus points to cast a spell or apply a buff. Their three subclasses reflect their approach to mechanika-augmented magic:
* ''Controllers'' are the iconic "steamjack master" warcasters, focused on pushing their steamjacks further and getting the most out of them in battle. They're the only subclass who ''start'' play with a steamjack companion as a result.
* ''Arcanists'' focus instead on battle magic; steamjacks are used as "living" defenses and reserves of magical energy. Their features revolve around maximising their offensive spell capabilities, and they can even use Focus to alter their spells in a form of pseudo-[[metamagic]].
* ''Soldiers'' are the warcasters least interested in steamjacks, instead focusing on their bond with mechanika arms and armor. They're all about boosting the most out of their mechanika gear and using Focus to augment their own personal killing abilities, making them the most [[gish]]y of the warcasters.

==Borderlands & Beyond==
'''Bone Grinders''' are the primal counterparts to Alchemists (with a dash of bio-Mechaniks), [[artificer]]-[[necromancer]]s who have learned to exploit the fundamental magical energies inherent in living creatures by harvesting bio-matter and shaping it into potions, talismans and fetishes. This mixture of [[alchemy]] and [[magic]] allows these, quote, "filth-encrusted meat wizards" to create the equivalent of magical items by butchering their kills. Its subclasses are the ''Way of Bile'' and the ''Way of Blood and Bone''.

'''Shamans''' are a more savage counterpart to the conventional cleric. Their subclasses are the ''Matron Domain'' and the ''Predator Domain''.

'''Warlocks''' replace the counterparts of the same name from D&D 5e and are the fleshy counterparts to the Warcaster from the Requiem corebook, being spellcasters tied to the new Warbeasts. Their subclasses are ''Devourer Resonance'' and ''Farrow Resonance''. Weirdly, they're ''Wisdom'' casters rather than Charisma casters, which you'd expect them to be given a) Charisma tends to be the "force of will" mental stat, and b) it'd complete the trinity with the Int-based Bone Grinders and Wis-based Shamans.

==Nightmare Empire==
'''Blood Witches''' are Charisma-based spellcasters who practice [[Blood Magic]]. They come with three subclasses; the ''Blood Priestess'' (a pseudo-cleric), the ''Blood Seer'' (uses blood to power [[diviner]]-like abilities) and the ''Night Witch'' (a [[gish]] who focuses on self-buffing with blood magic).

'''Raiders''' are lightly armored, fast-moving martials who specialize in hit-and-run tactics. They have three subclasses; ''Commanding Officer'', ''Highwayman'' and ''Pirate''.

=New Subclasses=
'''Fell Callers''' are a [[bard]] subclass only available to [[trollkin]], since they're based on trollkin lore and culture. Fell Callers are warrior-bards with access to a unique variety of sonic based augments and attacks.

[[Cleric]]s in an Iron Kingdoms 5e game have access to the [[Cleric Domain]]s of '''Benefaction''', '''Guile''' and '''Obedience'''. Whilst these are associated with the Immoren deities of Morrow, Thamar and Menoth respectively, other clerical domains do exist in the setting; Morrowan clerics can take Life, Light, War or Knowledge, Thamarite clerics can take Death, Trickery, or Twilight, and Menites can take War or Order.

[[Fighter]]s get three subclasses to play with in Iron Kingdoms: Requiem. The ''"Battle Chaplain''' is basically the fighter-[[cleric]] to the Eldritch Knight's fighter-[[wizard]], being a Wisdom-based [[Third Caster]] with access to the Cleric spell list. The '''Man-at-Arms''' specializes in fighting defensively and in the use of polearms. Finally, the '''Storm Knight''' is an elite Cygnarite warrior who fights in a specialized suit of mechanika armor and with a lightning-based mechanika weapon.

Monks of the '''Way of Deception''' are essentially variant [[ninja]]s focused on spying, disguise, manipulation and politicking rather than [[Shadow Magic]], with the order largely being associated with worship of Thamar. In contrast, those of the [[Way of the Fist]] are elite unarmed bodyguards trained in the Protectorate of Menoth.

[[Paladin]]s of the '''Oath of Radiance''' are heroic champions of the Morrowan faith dedicated to battling evil, especially in its manifestations of infernals and the undead. Those of the '''Oath of the Wall''' are Menite champions dedicated to protecting the flock, and much beloved by the common Menites for their compassion compared to the self-righteous fire-and-brimstone zeal of the lay-priests and their "holy" torturers.

[[Ranger]]s can take the '''Bounty Hunter''' and be just generally good at hunting and capturing opponent, the '''Mage Hunter''' to be extra good at fighting magic users and constructs, or the '''Vigilant''' to be represent one of the Morrowan-trained magical monster killers.

[[Rogue]]s have the option of '''Cutthroat''' (an urban specialist with a mixture of features) or the '''Duelist''' (combat-focused specializing in dual-wielding blade and pistol).

[[Barbarian]]s get the Path of the Long Rider, Path of the Runeshaper, and Path of the Warchief.

[[Cleric]]s get access to the Judgment and Void [[Cleric Domain]]s.

[[Fighter]]s can take the Ryssovass or Trooper options.

[[Monk]]s have the Way of Lys Healing, Way of the Battle Mage, and Way of the Gun.

[[Paladin]]s can take the Oath of Edicts or the Oath of the Custodian.

[[Ranger]]s only get the new Nyss Hunter.

[[Rogue]]s can be Bushwhackers or Mage Slayers.

[[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|Sorcerers]] have the Ice Forged subclass.

[[Wizard]]s can take the Magister or Tactical Arcanist traditions.

The new classes from Requiem also get their new subclasses, too! Gunfighters can take the new Ghost Sniper subclass. Mechaniks have the Arcanist Mechaniks and Rhulic Mechanik subclasses. Finally, Warcasters get the largest array of new subclasses with the Arcane Assassin, Arcanika Adeptis, Rhuilic Warcaster and Void Touched.

* [[Barbarian]]: Paths of the Bloodgorger and Gladiator
* [[Bard]]: College of the Storm
* [[Cleric]]: Blight Domain
* [[Fighter]]: Marine and Shroud Knight
* [[Gun Mage]]: Order of the Witch
* [[Gunslinger|Gunfighter]]: Wraith
* [[Mechanik]]: Iron Monger and Necrotech
* [[Monk]]: Way of the Dying Hand
* [[Paladin]]: The Oath Undying
* [[Ranger]]: Knight of the Vigil and Seafarer
* [[Rogue]]: Buccaneer, Necrosurgeon, Warwitch Siren
* [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|Sorcerer]]: Dirge Seer, Sea Sorcery
* [[Warcaster]]: Cryxian Necromancer, Swashbuckler
* [[Wizard]]: Soulweaver

=Races=
'''Gobbers''' can use the [[halfling]] traits if you really want, but their official trats are +2 Dex, +1 Cha, Small size, 25 feet speed, Superior Darkvision, and the traits Beneath Notice (free Stealth proficiency, when you Disengage you can then attempt to Hide), Nimbleness (you can move through the space of bigger creatures), and Tinkerer (1 free tool proficiency from the list of alchemist's supplies, mason's tools, smith's tools or tinker's tools).

Humans are all Medium with a base speed of 30 feet, but gain an ability score modifier and racial traits based on their nationality:
* Cygnaran: +1 Int, +1 Cha, +1 to attack rolls with Simple and Martial Firearms, Well Educated (pick 2 skills: Arcana, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Religion) and Industrial Revolution (+d4 to ability checks with artisan's tools).
* Protectorate of Menoth: +1 Str, +1 Con, Pilgrim's Path (proficiency in History, Religion and Survival), Citizen Soldiers (proficiency with simple & martial melee weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields).
* Khadoran: +1 Con, +1 Wis, Legacy of the North (pick 2 skills: Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Survival), Iron Will (Advantage on saves vs. Frightened), Norther Resilience (+2 to Constitution checks and saves).
* Llaelese: +1 Int, +1 Cha, Keen Mind (pick 2 skills: Deception, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth), Blood of Liberty (+d4 to Investigation and Insight checks), Dueling Code (free Martial Weapon proficiency).
* Ordic: +1 Str, +1 Dex, Shore Leave (pick 2 skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Performance, Survival), Sea Legs (Swim Speed 30 feet when in Light Armor or less), Coastal Home (1 water vehicle proficiency, 1 tool proficiency from: carpenter's tools, cartographer's tools, navigator's tools, or cook's utensils).
* Cryxian: +1 Dex, +1 Wis, Smuggler's Heritage (pick 2 skills: Deception, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth), A Pirate's Life (proficiency with Cutlass and Simple Pistols), Touch of Blight (Advantage on saves vs. disease and poison, Resistance to Acid and Necrotic damage).

Iosan Elves are Medium sized with 30 feet speed, +2 Int, +1 Cha, Darkvision, and the racial traits Keen Senses (free Perception proficiency), Martial Society (re-roll attack rolls of 1; 2nd result stands), and Skill Versatility (pick 2 skill and/or tool proficiencies of your choice).

Nyss elves are Medium sized with base speed 30 feet, +2 Dex, +1 Int, and the racial traits Keen Senses (free Perception proficiency), Child of Winter (Resistant to Cold damage), Nyss Weapon Training (free proficiency with Nyss Longbow and Nyss Claymore), Quick Response (roll Initiative with Advantage 1/day) and Light Resilience (Advantage on saves vs. Blindness).

Ogrun gain +2 Str, +1 Con, are Medium Size with a speed 30 feet, and have the racial traits Powerful Build, Huge Stature (can wield 2-handed weapons 1-handed, Versatile weapons always do 2-hands damage value), Thick-Skinned (+1 AC when in Medium, Light or No Armor), and Imposing Presence (free Proficiency in Intimidation or Persuasion). If you want to specifically play a ''Rhulic'' ogrun, you can swap Imposing Presence for either Lessons of Ghord (free proficiency with History and either mason's tools or smith's tools) or Oath of Fealty (designate a friendly ogrun or rhulic dwarf as your korune; you must obey them and can grant them a free Dodge 1/short rest).

Rhulic dwarves use the standard dwarf core race with these subrace traits: +1 Int, Firearm's Training (proficiency with Carbines), Master Craftsman (proficiency with Tinker's Tools, can craft magic items in 50gp increments and mundane items in 15gp increments) and Oathbound (swear a formal oath for a specific, long-lasting task at 1st level, with a 2nd at 7th level and a 3rd at 12th level; when performing tasks ''directly'' related to an oath, gain a +1 bonus to all relevant skill checks).

Trollkin are Medium sized with a speed of 30 feet and +1 Str and +1 Con. They have the core racial traits Darkvision, Born to be Wild (Proficiency in Survival), Ceaseless Stamina (ignore all effects of Exhaustion until you reach exhaustion level 3, whereupon they all hit you at once; you also recover 3 exhaustion levels per long rest), Regenerative (reroll Hit Die results of 1-2 when spending Hit Die to regain HP during short rests; 2nd result stands) and Trollkin Toughness (Advantage on saves vs. disease and poison, resistance to Poison damage). They also have to choose one of the following subraces:
* Woodland: +1 Con, Woodland Survivalist (ignore nonmagical forest-based difficult terrain, Advantage on Survival checks to hunt in forests).
* Northkin: +1 Str, Northkin Resilience (Resistant to Cold damage).
* Albino: +1 Cha, Cantrip (choose 2 cantrips from the Sorcerer spell list, cast with Cha).

In addition to all of these, the DM's section of the corebook offers two further options.

Firstly, if the DM permits, a Satyxis character can be played by using the tiefling statblock, save for replacing Hellish Resistance with Blight Resistance (Resist Necrotic Damage) and Infernal Legacy with Blood Rituals (spilling your own or another's blood when casting a Ritual spell cuts the casting time from 10 minutes to 1 minute).

Secondly, if the DM permits, the Dragonborn statblock can be used to represent somebody who was exposed to dragon blight but survived relatively intact and sane. In this case, the "dragonborn" must take one of the following ancestries based on the dragons of Immoren:
* Ashnephos (Fire, 5ft by 30ft line, Dex save)
* Blighterghast (Acid, 5ft by 30ft line, Dex save)
* Everblight (Cold AND Fire, 15ft cone, Dex save)
* Halfaug (Cold AND Fire, 5ft by 30ft line, Dex save)
* Scaefang (Poison,  15ft cone, Con save)
* Toruk (Necrotic, 15ft cone, Dex save)

For Everblight and Halfaug ancestry, the character must try to divide their breath weapon damage dice as evenly as possible. When rolling an uneven amount of dice, choose one type to do more damage.

Offers '''Bogrin''', '''Farrow''', '''Idrian Marchfolk''', '''Pygmy Trolls''' and the '''Soulless Elves''' as playable races. Sadly, no gatormen, bog trogs, or anything associated with the Circle or Tharn; that's being saved for a future [[splatbook]]. The Borderlands Survival Guide [[splatbook]] also offers the optional rules to play as '''Eldritch''', which are basically elf [[vampire]]s.

'''Nightmare Empire''', aside from finally canonizing the ability to play a Satyxis, offers the following new races native to the Scharde Isles; Scharde Ogrun and Scharde Trollkin (Waverider and Blighted subraces), Dragon-Blighted, and the [[undead]] [[Revenant]] and [[Phantom]].

=DLC Content=
Never ones to miss a trick to milk money out of their fanbase, they've also realized that the internet age means that the old "DLC" model can be exploited by tabletop games as well as videogames. As a result, they've begun offering new "optional" mechanical content as paid purchases from their online store.

So far, there's only three DLCs for Iron Kingdoms 5e; the '''Man o' War''' [[Fighter]] subclass, representing the [[steampunk]] [[Power Armor]]-clad warriors of Khador; the '''Path of the Condemned''', a [[Barbarian]] subclass that lets you play as a Doom Reaver; and finally the '''Blackclad''' class, a new alternative to represent the [[druid]]s of the [[Circle Orboros]] as playable classes. The Blackclad comes with three subclasses; the Path of Storms, the Path of Stone, and the Path of the Wayfarer.

=Complaints=
The system has earned itself some complaints about design, with many noting that the designers still seem to be stuck in a [[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]] mentality despite the fact that 5e had been out for about a decade when Requiem first launched. Some of the complaints include situational +1 or +2 modifiers and weapon typing bloat, putting in a lot of granular crafting and gearing rules in a game that's largely avoided both, having crappy internal balance, and taking up an entire page with nothing but first and last names for Cygnaran characters.

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