Blood and Bewitchment in the City of Bodysnatchers

[Steerpike]

Blood and Bewitchment in the City of Bodysnatchers

This thread will provide players in my upcoming Cadaverous Earth game additional information on the setting and campaign.

The players will begin as convicted criminals (either guilty or wrongly accused) slated for execution in the Pulsetown Pits.  According to the nebulous laws of Macellaria, criminals who manage to defeat their foes (usually beasts or monsters of some variety captured in the eastern wastes) in the Pits earn their freedom and exculpate themselves.  It is well known that corrupt justicars have been known to wound or otherwise mistreat those beasts scheduled to face particularly powerful or wealthy criminals in order to rig the fight: however, the players have no reason to expect anything but a grim, no-holds-barred fight to the death.

I'm going to be fleshing out Macellaria here, and will eventually provide a map and a primer on the various political and economic factions in the city, as well as salient personalities, major shops, and other details.  To begin with, here is some Macellarian slang (in Shambles, the closest thing to a "common tongue" of the Cadaverous Earth).  Any suggestions for additional slang terms are welcome!

Slang

bile - anger, bitterness, as in 'that redmouthed braggart was full of naught but bile and empty boasts'

bogger - a spook or spirit, or an oneiroi

bones - money, cash; refers to the bone coins of Macellaria

boney - rich

bug - racial slur for a cestoid, lilix, or mantid

butchery - particularly nasty violence; also a mess or conundrum, as in 'what sort of bloody-minded butchery have you got us mixed up in now?'

cleaver - mercenary, sellsword; also a drawn blade, as in 'put that cleaver away and let's talk'

corpus - meat, food

crow - scavenger

dark-eyed - dead, as in 'then he gurgled and went all dark-eyed'

fleshy - a grafted individual, especially an ostentatiously or heavily grafted one; when used as an adjective can also mean wealthy, since grafts often indicate status

gaunt - poor; also, a beggar, as in 'some mangy gaunt on the corner tried to bleed some coins off me just now'

gleet - nonsense, shit; a particularly vulgar word

greyface - a ghul

juice - blood

leather - skin of any sort, as in 'the winds out there'll strip the leather right off yer skeleton'

leech - short for leechkin

maggot - a human, especially an average or typical one, as in 'any maggot can learn a few hexes if they put their mind to it'

marrow - truth, especially hidden truth, as in 'here's the real marrow of the matter'; also, treasure or soul

mottled, mottle-headed, or mottle-brained - drunk, addled, crazy

patchskinned - indecisive, reckless, as in 'the patchskinned fool'; can also refer to an excessively grafted person, especially a haphazardly grafted one

redmouth - one of the murderfolk; to 'go all redmouthed' is to become a fetch, but is sometimes used as a hyperbolic description of regular anger

sap - nectar or ichor

sap-brained - the state of being on nectar

sapfiend - nectar junkie

spider - not surprisingly, a lilix; less offensive than bug, though still informal

spidery - clever, convoluted, cunning, duplicitous, untrustworthy

stitchy - a servitor

stitcher - a fleshcrafter

squirmy - hagman

tongue - a witch, especially one of lower class

umbra or umbrae (plural) - soul, vitality, spirit, ghost

warm-body or just warm - live human

wormy - grave-spawn, as in 'I saw a couple of wormies and a warm-body down by the Eel's Gate,' or 'a wormy crow, bout six feet tall'

[Steerpike]

The Robber Guilds

Somewhere between businesses, unions, crime syndicates, and political parties, the Robber Guilds or Scavenger Houses of Macellaria '" along with the other powerful guilds '" are the closest thing the city has to an actual government.  Membership is usually for life; while some passing adventurers only run with a Guild for a short time defectors are usually given short shrift, and those who turn freelance frequently 'disappear' after heading out into the Slaughter-lands.

The House of Hungry Ghosts is overseen by a five-hundred year old ghul woman known only as the Matron.  When she became a ghul, the Matron was nine months pregnant: when the parasite that transformed her into a grave-spawn killed and revivified her, her gestational metabolism was halted and her unborn child metamorphosed along with her.  Thus, she has remained pregnant with an infant as ageless and undying as herself for five centuries.  Some would imagine her perpetual pregnancy as a hindrance, but the Matron pursued an active adventuring career and proved incredibly driven as she climbed the ranks of the House of Hungry Ghosts.  Though its lower-level operatives can come from any stock, the House of Hungry Ghosts only admits grave-spawn into its upper echelons, and its Guildhouse can be found in the Worm-Hive rather than the Bazaars.  Those quick Guildsmen who wish to advance in rank past a certain point must voluntarily become ghilan by consuming tainted flesh in a ceremony known as the Assumption.  Because of this policy many of the most experienced scavengers in Macellaria are Guildsmen of the House, since by and large the city's most seasoned adventurers are shades or ghilan; as a result, the Hungry Ghosts receive a disproportionate number of private contracts from wealthy collectors, frequently earning them the jealous ire of other Robber Guilds.

The House of Hungry Ghosts is politically fixated on the rights and problems of grave-spawn in the city to the exclusion of other civic issues.  While usually this agenda merely constitutes a call for equality and fair treatment and the removal of any stigma surrounding grave-spawn, it sometimes strays into more exclusionary territory.  They have political connections with the sacerdos of the Fane of Dust, who worship the Star Gods.

Hungry Ghosts wear skull-like funerary masks to distinguish themselves.

The House of the Tattered Web, also called the House of the Forsaken is an upstart young Guild founded and ruled by the lilix gholmuz Nazzirr, a seven-limbed outcast exiled from Dolmen for mysterious crimes.  Having assumed control of an abandoned tower on the border between the slums of Resurrection Row and the bustling Bazaars, the House of the Tattered Web is a haven for the dispossessed and the shunned, taking in any and all who choose to join up.  As such the Forsaken have a rapidly expanding and highly variegated roster even more diverse than the ranks of the House of Crimson Shadows, though the quality of their recruits varies very widely.

The House favours laws and policies that address the needs of the poor and the downtrodden and so often clashes with the Crimson Shadows over economic matters.  They also strive to reduce racial discrimination in the city and assist what they term 'oppressed minorities,' such as leechkin and cestoids; this impulse towards equality has earned them the enmity of the all-human House of Untainted Flesh and, conversely, the respect of the House of Hungry Ghosts, passionate advocates for grave-spawn rights.  They also have many allies in the hagman community of Slimesquallor.  The House of the Tattered Web are rumoured to secretly support the abolition of slavery.

Forsaken Guildsmen all wear cloaks with ragged hems as a ragtag uniform.

The House of Crimson Shadows is ruled by the unusually ambitious leechkin Mr. Rasp.  Guildsmen of this rapacious and demanding organization are known as the 'Crimson Shadows' and are well known for their ruthlessness and cutthroat sensibilities.  In particular they are notorious for following freelance scavengers out into the desert and then stealing whatever treasure they sought to collect; they have even been known to poach the contracts of other Guilds, though since a strict non-aggression policy exists between the Scavenger Houses they avoid direct confrontation.  These hijinx have earned the Guild bad reputation, though their operatives are renowned for their cunning and dogged dedication.  The House of Crimson Shadows is also noted for being highly egalitarian, with a very cosmopolitan roster of Guildsmen; Mr. Rasp prides himself on running a meritocratic Guild free of discrimination.  The Guildhouse of the Crimson Shadows is centrally located in the Bazaars.

Politically, the House of Crimson Shadows favours de-regulation and a relaxation of tariffs and taxes, aggressively insisting that a level economic playing field and a wholly free market are best for the city.  Its members are marked by an eldritch, red glyph on the back of their hand which, when activated, renders them as insubstantial and obscure as a shadow for a brief period of time.  Only scavengers who have proved themselves exceptionally capable are admitted into the Guild, however.

 The House of Untainted Flesh is an old and powerful Guild who refuse to accept grave-spawn or non-human applicants.  Xenophobic and radical, Guildsmen of the House consider grave-spawn abominations and non-humans 'monsters,' and believe only living humans should count as complete citizens of Macellaria.  The more extreme members '" reputedly including the hot-tempered Guildmistress Chaltena Volench '" advocate the outright expulsion or extermination of all non-human creatures from the city, though usually only within the walls of their Guildhouse in the Bazaars; others contend that the only the grave-spawn should be destroyed and the 'lesser races' simply enslaved, though again these views are publicly downplayed, lest the Guild be utterly shunned by the other Houses.  As adventurers they are an effective and vicious bunch, though they frequently refuse to sell their goods to any but human merchants.

The Untainted, as Guildsmen call themselves, have close allegiances with the Striga-worshippers of the Sanguine Church, and indeed all of the high-ranking Guildsmen can be found worshipping in Striga's temple in Pulsetown, though their Guildhouse is in the Bazaars like most of the others.  The Untainted also have an understanding with the Fleshmongers, from whom they often purchase slaves; Untainted Guildsmen are often hired to track down runaways.

Guildsmen of the House of Untainted Flesh all carry distinctive short blades engraved with the Guild's motto, Strength in Purity.  Many also wear the icon of Striga round their necks.  None of the Untainted have an grafts, and tattoos are frowned upon save for the sacred scriptural tattoos sometimes sported by the especially devout.

The House of Iridescent Angles is a strange Guild whose members (called the Angles, or Iridescent Ones) tirelessly search the waste for arcane artefacts of all kinds.  Most of these eldritch items are not sold but rather are interred in the Guildhouse, a tumbledown mansion in Hexwarren called the Palace of Unlikely Doors whose interior is said to be a labyrinth to the uninitiated.  Why the Guild hoards eldritch artefacts isn't known, which tends to make other Guildsmen very suspicious of the Angles: some think that they're an apocalyptic cult looking to Unfetter one of the Chained Ones, or to awaken the Beast Gods from their subaqueous slumber.  Guildsmen of the House of Iridescent Angles are almost always witches in some degree, even if they only know a few gutter hexes or the odd glyph.  They have something of a rivalry with the Splicing Consortium, the other major arcane organization in Macellaria, or at least that's how the fleshcrafters seem to see it; their relationship with the Academy of Witchcraft is less competitive, with many Academy pupils being recruited into the Guild.  They have a trade agreement with the Resin Merchants of Moroi, receiving a special Guild discount on nectar.  Despite the fact that they sell few of the arcane items they scavenge the Guild seems to possess limitless coffers.

The House of Iridescent Angles is led not by an individual but by a coterie of seven High Warlocks, who rarely leave the Palace of Unlikely Doors and seem to speak with one voice.  Some claim the seven are puppets in the thrall of a demon, or of the Moth-Kings of Skein, or Yzsch, the Wasting God of Marainen; others insist that the High Warlocks are actually illusory projections of some otherworldly entity, or that they've been dead for years and have been reanimated by the Lords Revenant of Somnambulon for nefarious purposes.  Whatever the case, the Angles are close-mouthed when it comes to their leaders, though most of the House's Guildsmen are cryptic and odd at the best of times.  All of them wear a curious, prismatic pendant something like a mobius strip, said to grant them certain esoteric powers concerning space and perception.

The Guild is almost entirely apolitical, their motives being fairly opaque at the best of times.

The House of the Howling Sun, also called The Cursed House, is a declining Robber Guild that has long fallen from its former splendour.  In its heyday the Guild was the most powerful in the city, but a run of bad luck, economic competition with other Guilds, mysterious deaths (which some insist were assassinations), and botched runs in the Slaughter-lands have brought the House to its knees; as a result, many have proclaimed the Guild cursed.  Some point to the witches of the House of Iridescent Angles, though there is no known enmity between the two Guilds.

The Guildmaster of the Howling Suns is the aging adventurer Lorvo Kaerrel, a scarred and paranoid man who fully believes in the 'curse' and so has secreted himself in the Guildhouse (located in the Bazaars, close to the Skin Markets), locking himself in a near-featureless room.  He receives food and drink through a slot in the door (only after it's been tasted, however) as well as reports of the Guild's activities, and issues increasingly deranged orders from this bare cell.  In practice, a few of Lorvo's lieutenants take care of most of the Guilds activities, but they are paralyzed with distrust of one another and spend most of their time draining the last of the Guild's treasury employing expensive spies to find out the schemes of their fellows.

Because of its general ineffectiveness the House of the Howling Sun is not particularly politically active.  Their operatives are marked by an anthropomorphic sun tattoo, a symbol also frequently found painted on their shields or armour.
[ooc]For those who are familiar with Morrowind, the Robber Guilds function a little bit like the Great Houses in that game; they're also somewhat comparable to the Guilds of MMORPGs in that they're fairly large, organized factions geared primarily towards adventuring.  Basically, any serious adventurer in Macellaria tends to join one of the Guilds, with some notable exceptions, such as the freelance legend Harrick Hellsteeth.[/ooc]

[Steerpike]

Some Quick Notes on the Other Factions

The Fleshmongers '" slavers, pimps, and meat merchants based out of Velveteen Circus who more or less rule the pleasure industry and a good piece of the action in the Skin Markets.  Known for their nasty enforcers and excellent business acumen.

The Ludus '" Gladiatorial stable and training school who run the Fighting Pits in Pulsetown.  Highly corrupt; known to fix fights.  Ruled by a shade called the Rotten King, Grand Champion of the Pits.

The Splicing Consortium '" a guild of fleshcrafters who regulate graft-work, though a lot of clandestine, small-time tissue shops operate without their license.  Based in Hexwarren.

The Sanguine Church '" Striga worshippers with a temple in Pulsetown.  They're an apocalyptic cult who believe in the 'purity of blood.'  Their practices include cannibal funerals, live, burnt sacrifices (usually animals, but sometimes slaves), and racism.

The Star-Worshippers '" the major ghilan religious group.  Fairly harmless, if kooky; believe that stars are larvae who ascend to godhood upon supernova; quasi-deistic.  Its members are mystics and astrologer-prophets who seek to decipher what they believe are hidden messages coded in the movements of the stars.  Their shrine, the Fane of Dust, is in Hexwarren.

The Rag-and-Bones Cartels '" merchant factions based in the Skin Markets that act as middlemen for the Robber Guilds.  Don't wield the same power as the Guilds but still have some influence; along with the Fleshmongers they comprise the major merchant powers in the city.

The Resin Merchants '" monopolist drug-dealers from Moroi who trade exclusively in the arcane sap called nectar or ichor, invaluable to witches.  Based in Hexwarren.

The Academy of Witchcraft '" a university based in Hexwarren.  Mostly a bunch of apolitical professorial types who live off the tuition of their pupils and rare donations from alumni.

The Black Arrows '" a band of mercenary archers who man the walls and deter carrion birds; sometimes double as a police force to supplement the Guild militias.  Callous, amoral, and loyal to their purses; highly susceptible to bribes.  Maintain a bounty office in Resurrection Row; paid for by the Guilds.  Named for their crow-feather fletching.

The Kennel Masters '" a small unit of witches and beast-masters who care for the three Watchdogs of Macellaria.

The Jatayi Fablers '" a tribe of nomadic, carrion-eating bird-men presenting encamped outside Macellaria, in the shanties.  Secretive storytellers, distrustful of outsiders. [Note: following the actions of the players, the Jatayi ave moved on]

The Thief-Clans '" petty criminals based in rookeries in Resurrection Row, with dynastic leaders heading up each gang.

The Hagmen Elders '" preside over Slimesquallor, the hagman ghetto by the Eel's Gate.  Arch-traditional, and concerned primarily with the well-being of their people.

The Hollow Skull Players '" a theatre in Pulsetown.  Renowned especially for their elaborate and bloody revenge tragedies such as the hugely successful The Demon's Lover (which subverts the usual descent-into-the-underworld trope), but also their erotic satires and strange romances.

The Cult of the Bloodletter '" secretive assassin's guild with a darkly religious bent said to have a hidden shrine in the catacombs.  Much hated by the Sanguine Church.

The Sewer-Dwellers '" subterranean primitives and skinchangers who live below the city amongst clusters of cestoids and mutant horrors.

[Steerpike]

Character Information

[/b]

More will be posted here as time goes on, but here are the bare essentials:

Races

Hagman

Base speed 30 ft., swim 40 ft.

Hagmen have the aquatic subtype.

+4 Hide in swampy vegetation.

+2 Listen, -2 Spot.  Hagmen have poor eyesight, but they have adapted their other senses.

+2 on Fortitude saves versus poisons and diseases.  Hagmen have natural resistances from dwelling the the swamps.

Amphibious: Hagmen can breathe both water and air.  Hagmen can spend one day per point of Consitution without being immersed in water.  After that they must make a Constitution check (10+1 per previous check) or take 1 point of subdual damage per day until they immerse themselves in water.  Until they are immersed they cannot heal this subdual damage and are fatigued.

Hermaphrodism: Hagmen can change their sex at will.  The process takes one week to complete.  They can also choose to arrest their metamorphosis at any point, producing seven 'liminal' genders which have various significance in Hagman culture.

Scent: Hagmen have the Scent ability, which functions in water.  This greatly assists them while hunting.

Hagmen still get a Background trait but do not receive an additional trait.

Favoured Class: Hunter

Automatic Languages: Glatch, Shambles

Ghul

+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma

Base speed 30 ft.

Darkvision 60 ft.

Grave-Spawn: Ghilan are immune to disease, aging, poison, and death effects.  Grave-spawn cannot receive grafts, though pre-existing grafts are permitted.

Natural Weapons: Claws 1d3, bite 1d4.

Light Sensitivity: Ghilan are dazzled in direct sunlight.

Carnivorous: Ghilan can only digest meat.

Ghilan get one trait, but it cannot be a Background trait (amnesia).

Favoured Class: Any

Automatic Languages: Shambles

Lilix

Males: +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence
Females: +2 Intelligence, -2 Dexterity

Base speed 30 ft.

Darkvision 30 ft.

+2 Bluff

Arachnoid: Lilix have six arms (and two legs).  They have one primary hand and five off hands for combat purposes.  They can, of course, take Multiweapon Fighting to ameliorate the normal penalty for fighting with additional weapons.

Liquid Diet: Lilix can only ingest liquid food.

Lilix still get a Background trait but do not receive an additional trait.

Favoured Class: Executioner

Automatic Languages: Spiderchatter, Chattelchatter

LA +1

Shade

In their natural forms, shades are Oozes with 5d10 HD that take 1 point of damage each round if exposed to sunlight.  However, while possessing a host, Shades are represented by a template:

'Shade' is a template that can be applied to any humanoid, monstrous humanoid, animal, magical beast, or aberration (hereafter referred to as the 'host') of Huge size or smaller.

The host loses its class and all associated features (HD, skills, etc) but gains those of the shade (NOT its Ooze HD - its class HD, which don't apply when the shade is in Ooze form), which are only active while the shade is in possession of a host.  The shade is only expelled from the host if the host is killed or if they are exposed to direct sunlight, in which case they must make a Constitution check (DC 10 +1 per round) every round or be expelled from their host.  Shades can also voluntarily leave their host bodies.

Shades still get a Background trait but do not receive an additional trait.

Darkvision 60 ft.

Grave-Spawn: The host is immune to disease, aging, poison, and death effects.  Grave-spawn cannot receive grafts, though pre-existing grafts are permitted.

Shades are immune to mind-influencing effects and critical hits: Shades have alien psychologies, and do not perceive pain as their hosts do.  Chop off a host's head, and the shade can continue fighting with it.

Attributes: The host retains its physical attributes.  Its mental attributes are replaced with those of the shade, all of which have a +2 bonus.

The host bodies of shades eventually begin to decompose unless measures are taken to avoid decay.  This manifests as ability damage '" 1 point in each physical attribute a month.

Favoured Class: Any

Automatic Languages: Shambles, Morbis

LA +3

Mantid

Base Speed 30ft., Fly 10 ft. (poor)

Darkvision 30 ft.

+2 Craft (clockwork)

Natural Attacks: Mantids have two claw that function as natural attacks identical to scythes (1d6, can make trip attacks).  One claw is primary, the other secondary (-5).  They can wield normal weapons at the same time (they have four arms), though they suffer normal penalties for multiweapon fighting if they do so.

Carnivorous: Mantids can only digest meat.

Mantids still get a Background trait but do not receive an additional trait.

Favoured Class: Weapon Master

Automatic Languages: Bugspeak, Shambles

LA +1

Zerda

Small size

Base speed 30 ft.

Low Light Vision (4x)

+2 Dexterity, -2 Strength, -2 Intelligence

Natural Weapons: Bite 1d4 and two claws 1d3 each (one primary, one secondary).

Heat Endurance: +4 on Fortitude saves versus hot weather.

+4 Listen

+2 Move Silently, Spot, Survival

Zerda still get a Background trait but do not receive an additional trait.

Favoured Class: Harrier

Automatic Languages: Zerda; most zerda know enough Shambles to piece a sentence or two together

Leechkin

+2 Strength, -4 Charisma - Leechkin are surprisingly powerful for such spindly creatures, but they lack essential drive or ambition.

Base speed 20 ft.  Leechkin are generally sluggish.

Leechkin have the aquatic subtype.

+2 Hide in swampy vegetation.

+4 Swim.

Amphibious: Leechkin are fully amphibious and can breathe both water and air.  They do not have  a Swim speed, however,

Naturals Weapons: Two bites for 1d4 each (one primary, one secondary).

Blood Drain (Ex): A leechkin can suck blood from a living victim with its mouths by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1 point of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, the leechkin gains 1 temporary hit point.

Haematophage: Leechkin only consume blood.  They follow the normal rules for thirst, but in addition to taking subdual damage they must make a Will save (DC 10 +1 per previous check) every hour or attack the nearest non-leechkin.  They do not get fatigued from thirst; however they do gain a temporary +2 Strength and +2 Constitution until they feed, and their base speed doubles (40 ft.).

Leechkin can smell blood.  This functions like the Scent ability, but only on creatures with warm blood (i.e. a leechkin could sense a living human but not a shade).

Leechkin do not earn traits - they are too apathetic.

Favoured Class: Berserker

Jatayi

Base speed 30 ft., Fly 30 ft. (average)

Low Light Vision (x4) '" can also perceive magnetic fields

Jatayi always take the Desert Born Background trait and the Eidetic Memory trait, but don't get additional traits.

Necrophagic: Jatayi only eating decomposing meat.

Favoured Class: Bard.  Jatayi are the only race with a Bardic tradition.

Automatic Languages: Jatayi, Shambles

LA: +1

Classes

The standard Iron Heroes classes are all available.  The spellcasting class is the Wizard (renamed Witch).  Instead of summoning a typical familiar the Witch can either craft a servitor (treat as a human, medium zombie), bind a demon with a silver chain (treat as a quasit or an imp), or create an alchemical homunculus (as in the MM).  All spells, including those from other spell lists (druid, cleric, etc), are available, save those that refer to alignment.  However, players are required to rename their spells, and are encouraged to add their own cosmetic descriptions as well.

For those who don't have access to Iron Heroes, I will provide a copy of the text of the first four chapters, which are defined as entirely Open Game Content under the OGL and thus are legal to copy.  If you'd prefer, you can create a D&D 3.5 character from one of the following classes: Rogue, Fighter, Barbarian, Wizard (i.e. Witch), or Bard (Jatayi only).

Some important links:

The SRD
Traits
Classes
Feats

[Steerpike]

To accommodate potential shade characters I'm thinking the starting level should be 4.

Humans are as in Iron Heroes (2 traits), but also get the 3.5 skill point boost (no bonus feat).

[Llum]

I take it character progression is by Iron Heroes? With two feats at 1st level then another feat every other level. And bonus attributes every so often (don't remember at precisly what levels).

Also, is there any concern of having two classes that are essentially alt system versions of each other? Fighter-->Man at Arms, Rogue--->Thief and Barbarian-->Berzerker.

[Steerpike]

That's right, two starting feats for all, one feat every even level, and attribute increases every 4th level.  Humans start with two traits, other races usually get a Background trait only.

The alternative would be to give everyone two traits and have non-humans start with only one feat.  Would that be more balanced?

I'd prefer people to use the Iron Heroes classes (except the Arcanist).  For those that don't have Iron Heroes I can supply the first four chapters; in fact, ditch the above statement about using the Fighter/Rogue/Barbarian... the Wizard uses the Arcanist's Defense/Feat Mastery bonuses and Jatayi Bards use those of the Thief.

Llum, I take it you've familiarized yourself a bit with Iron Heroes/d20?

[Llum]

Llum, I take it you've familiarized yourself a bit with Iron Heroes/d20?

Yes, I've familiarized myself. Even talked to Polycarp about it (he is experienced with 3.5 apparently). Myself I've only ever played IWD 2 that uses 3.5 or 3.0.

I think the Two feats 1 trait (two for humans) would be better because of how mastery feats work in Iron Heroes.

[Steerpike]

That makes sense - good point.

Incidentally, since everyone begins the game as a convicted criminal, no one begins with any equipment or money!  To simplify things no one starts with any grafts or hexed tattoos either, although there will be plenty of opportunities to acquire both if desired...

[Llum]

If a person wanted to play as a Witch, do they need a spellbook to cast spells?

Does a Shade character start with a host?

[Steerpike]

Excellent questions, and two I hadn't thought of.

Witches do need spellbooks (more commonly called grimoires).  I'll rule that Witches can begin with spells memorized, but are shackled with witchcraft-suppressing manacles at first (they'll be able to use their spells in the Pits if they wish, but not before).

Weird and crazy idea, but a Witch might be able to tattoo spell instructions on their body...

At a later date a Witch can always recopy their spells into a new spellbook, as the Player's Handbook indicates:
[blockquote=PH]Replacing and Copying Spellbooks

A wizard can use the procedure for learning a spell to reconstruct a lost spellbook. If she already has a particular spell prepared, she can write it directly into a new book at a cost of 100 gp per page (as noted in Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook, above). The process wipes the prepared spell from her mind, just as casting it would. If she does not have the spell prepared, she can prepare it from a borrowed spellbook and then write it into a new book.

Duplicating an existing spellbook uses the same procedure as replacing it, but the task is much easier. The time requirement and cost per page are halved.[/blockquote]Frankly 100 gp per page seems exorbitant, so I'll rule it's 10 gp per level per spell (5gp for a level 0 spell).

Shades do begin with a host body, of medium size or smaller.

EDIT: No material components in this game are needed for spells.

[Steerpike]

Firearms coming soon!

[Steerpike]

Firearms

Pistols

Flintlock Pistol: 2d4/x3, Range 10 ft., Single Shot (1), Medium Size, 200 obeloi

Blunderbuss Pistol: 2d8/x3, Range 5 ft., Single   Shot (1), Medium Size, 6 lb, 175 obeloi

Four-barrelled Pistol:   2d4/x3, Range:   15 ft.,   Single Shot (4),   Medium Size,   3 lb,   375 obeloi

Wheellock Duelling Pistol:   2d6/x3   20 ft.,   Single Shot (1),   Medium Size,   3 lb,   300 obeloi

Pepperbox:   2d4/x3, Range:   15 ft.,   Single   Shot (8), Small Size,   2 lb,   500 obeloi

Revolver:   2d6/x3, Range: 15 ft.,   Single   Shot (6), Medium Size,   3 lb,   650 obeloi

Long Arms

Flintlock Musket:   2d8/x3, Range: 30 ft.,   Single Shot (1),   Large   Size, 12 lb,   400 obeloi

Blunderbuss:   2d10/x3   5 ft., Range: 5 ft.   Single   Shot (1), Large Size,   12 lb,   350 obeloi

Repeating Rifle:   2d10/x3, Range:   70 ft.   Single   Shot (6), Large Size, 10 lb,   600 obeloi

Using firearms requires the Feat 'Weapon Proficiency (Firearms),' which has no prerequisites.

Firearms are slow-loading, ready-loading projectile weapons that take a move action to reload, unless the wielder has the Rapid Reload Feat.  All firearms deal Piercing damage.

Characters who wish to specialize in firearms can do so by taking the Archer class, renamed 'Gunfighter.'  Gunfighters function identically to Archers in all respects (using firearms instead of bows, obviously) but cannot take the Storm of Arrows or Arrow Ladder Shot.  These abilities are replaced by the two below:

Vital Shot (Deadeye Shot): You can spend two aim tokens to add 1d6 to your damage roll.  In the case of a critical hit, the extra damage is not multiplied.  You cannot use this ability more than once on a given attack, but it can be combined with Deadly Shot or other abilities that deal additional damage.

Improved Vital Shot (Sniper Shot): You can spend two aim tokens to add 2d6 to your damage roll.  In the case of a critical hit, the extra damage is not multiplied.  You cannot use this ability more than once on a given attack, but it can be combined with Deadly Shot or other abilities that deal additional damage.

[Steerpike]

Would players prefer the Arcanist to the Wizard for the Witch class?

[Nomadic]

What's the difference between them (I'm unfamiliar with iron heroes)?