Savage Odyssey Prime Factions: Legions of Olympus...

Good Afternoon, All:

I feel the need to detail a few of the factions that I'm going to introduce in my Savage Odyssey Prime game. Having the basics ready ahead of time will help me feel more prepared for the campaign as a whole. After some thought and digging around on the Internet, I decided that the best way to handle factions would be to write them up in a manner similar to what I used for the Sandbox Encounters back in April. The only big difference here is that I'm going to be using Savage Worlds stats instead of Swords and Wizardry.

Starting with the suggestions I've made for enemies, I think I'll give each a shot in terms of development. If I can stat them out and come up with encounter groups and ideas, then they can stay in the mix. Otherwise, the idea gets tossed and I'll create something else in its place.

I will share a few of my creations in this blog for the purposes of getting feedback. Obviously, my players can read this just as easily as anyone else. With that in mind, I'm going to save some of these for my personal notes, so as not to spoil all of the surprises for them.

The first group I'd like to develop will be the Legions of Olympus. These armies are formed from Roman soldiers who have begun to conquer other worlds by using a portal device in their own dimension, leading to an alternate history. Under the banner of Alexander the Great, these Romans have been quite successful, and have picked up the basics of guns and gunpowder from one of the first worlds they conquered.

Legions of Olympus

Brief Description: The Legions of Olympus come from another dimension similar to our Earth, but whose timeline is about 2400 years prior to ours. Their timeline diverted significantly from ours when they discovered portal technology among some Builder remains, and began invading other dimensions. The Legions of Olympus now govern portions of several dimensions, including one which has provided the Legions with limited access to guns and gunpowder.

Encounter Groups: These are common encounter groups for this type of encounter.

• Novice: 8 Olympian Legionaries, 1 Olympian Decanus.
• Seasoned: 24 Olympian Legionaries, 3 Olympian Decani, 1 Olympian Optio.
• Veteran: 48 Olympian Legionaries, 6 Olympian Decani, 2 Olypic Optii, 1 Olympian Centurion.

Stat Blocks: The following stats are provided as examples for inspiration. Please adjust as needed to fit your preferred gaming system and style.

Olympian Legionary
Abilities: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Stealth d4, Shooting d4, Throwing d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 7(2); Toughness: 7(2) [9(4) vs Ranged]
Gear: Short sword (Str+d6), Chain mail (+2 Toughness), Large shield (+2 Parry, +2 Toughness vs ranged, Shield bash Str+d6), Javelin (x2, Str+d6, Rng 3/6/12, RoF 1)

Olympian Decanus
Abilities: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d8, Stealth d6, Shooting d6, Throwing d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 8(2); Toughness: 8(2) [10(4) vs Ranged]
Edges: Command (allies gain +1 to recover from Shaken), First Strike (may attack one foe who moves adjacent)
Gear: Short sword (Str+d6), Chain mail (+2 Toughness), Large shield (+2 Parry, +2 Toughness vs ranged, Shield bash Str+d6), Revolver (2d6+1 AP 1, Rng 12/24/48, RoF 1, Shots 6, Revolver), Frag Grenade (x2, Dmg 3d6 MBT, Rng 5/10/20, ROF 1, Shots 1)

Olympian Optio (WC)
Abilities: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d8, Knowledge (Battle) d6, Notice d8, Stealth d6, Shooting d8, Throwing d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 8(2); Toughness: 8(2) [10(4) vs Ranged, 12(6) vs Bullets]
Edges: Command (allies gain +1 to recover from Shaken), First Strike (may attack one foe who moves adjacent), Marksman (+2 Shooting if not moving), Tactician (make a Knowledge (Battle) roll at the beginning of a fight to get an Action Card per success and raise; these may be given to any allies throughout the course of the battle)
Gear: Short sword (Str+d6), Kevlar (+2 Toughness, +4 vs Bullets), Large shield (+2 Parry, +2 Toughness vs ranged, Shield bash Str+d6), Revolver (2d6+1 AP 1, Rng 12/24/48, RoF 1, Shots 6, Revolver), Frag Grenade (x2, Dmg 3d6 MBT, Rng 5/10/20, ROF 1, Shots 1)

Olympian Centurion (WC)
Abilities: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d10
Skills: Fighting d10, Knowledge (Battle) d8, Notice d8, Stealth d6, Shooting d10, Throwing d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 9(2); Toughness: 9(2) [11(4) vs Ranged, 13(6) vs Bullets]
Edges: Command (allies gain +1 to recover from Shaken), Command Presence (command radius is 10 squares), First Strike (see Improved First Strike), Marksman (+2 Shooting if not moving), Quick (redraw Initiative on 5 or less), Tactician (make a Knowledge (Battle) roll at the beginning of a fight to get an Action Card per success and raise; these may be given to any allies throughout the course of the battle)
Gear: Short sword (Str+d6), Kevlar (+2 Toughness, +4 vs Bullets), Large shield (+2 Parry, +2 Toughness vs ranged, Shield bash Str+d6), Revolver (2d6+1 AP 1, Rng 12/24/48, RoF 1, Shots 6, Revolver), Frag Grenade (x2, Dmg 3d6 MBT, Rng 5/10/20, ROF 1, Shots 1)

Encounter Ideas: Here are six different scenarios related to this encounter type.

1. The Legionaries are reveling after a recent victory when the party comes upon them.
2. The Legionaries are hard at work, preparing a site to serve as the encampment for a larger military unit that will be arriving within the day.
3. The Legionaries are patrolling the region when the party encounters them.
4. The Legionaries are returning to their encampment after an unsuccessful strike against a nearby settlement.
5. The Legionaries are transporting prisoners to the site of "La Porta" and beyond to their home dimension.
6. The Legionaries challenge the party, demanding tribute to avoid unwanted attention from these Roman warriors.

Enjoy,
Flynn