Descriptors for Clans

[NutritiousSlop]

I'm trying to get together some friends for an ATOW campaign.  Initial setting is 3050s, and the focus will be the secret struggles between the Warrior caste and other castes (specifically Scientists, as a precursor to the Society/Reaving), but I'm considering going earlier.  I could see a Golden Century or even immediately before Revival as good settings.  I've even thought of the Burrock absorption as an interesting time.  The asterisks mark Clans that are gone before or close to Revival. 

Their collective lore knowledge is nonexistent.  The campaign would be set in and around the Clan Homeworlds, with their characters being Clan members.  Instead of limiting them, I want them to have the opportunity to choose different Clans, but I'm looking for "elevator pitches" for each Clan.  So far, I'm trying to find 3-7 words to describe each Clan. 

Blood Spirit- isolated, self-righteous, skeptical, independent
Burrock*- forgiving, secretive,
Cloud Cobra- religious, outgoing, righteous, cooperative
Coyote- mystical, crafty, secretive
Diamond Shark- mercantile, open, progressive,
Fire Mandrill- excitable, aggressive, fractitious, hostile
Ghost Bear- patient, family-focused
Goliath Scorpion- inquisitive, wanderlust, sentimental, drug use
Hell’s Horses- strong, teamwork, determined, infantry, tanks, straightforward
Ice Hellion- erratic, active, mercurial, aggressive
Jade Falcon- Honor-driven, “something to prove,” traditionalists
Mongoose*- political, scheming, harassing
Nova Cat- mystical, conscientious, spiritual
Smoke Jaguar- violent, brutal, improvisational, vain, severe, traumatized
Snow Raven- political, thoughtful, planning, aerospace
Star Adder- patient, independent, practical
Steel Viper- unyielding, hard, strict, impersonal
Widowmaker*- cruel, clever, chaotic,
Wolf- Accomplished, noble
Wolverine*- principled, self-centered

Any input?  Have ideas of your own?  I'm seeing that each Clan has been carefully written to be both good and bad (with the exception of Mongoose and Widowmaker, who don't have much clear and available information). 

[Frabby]

Besides the Snow Ravens, the Cloud Cobras and Jade Falcons (and iirc the Sea Foxes/Diamond Sharks) are heavy on aerospace.

Clan Smoke Jaguar: "We do not sow." Or perhaps, "Rawg! All your bases are belong to us!"

May I suggest that you check out the Bloodright adventure module - it is as written for MW 2nd Ed. but the scenario as such should be easy enough to adapt.

[marauder648]

Clan Smoke Jaguar - Chaotic Stupid
Clan Wolf - Lawful Stupid

[VensersRevenge]

Do you mean the Coyote's are crafty as in they build things or as in they plot? Because they are both the Technology Clan, having invented the Omnimech, and they are pretty big into plotting. They have their Scientist Caste to thank for both actually.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Keep in mind that there isn't a Clan that self-righteous doesn't accurately describe.  But the conservative and Crusader Clans tend to have an extra dozen scoops of it.

[Deadborder]

Burrock is anything but forgiving; their feud with the Blood Spirits was driven as much by a grudge as anything else. I'd go for "manipulative" myself

[Mendrugo]

Blood Spirit- Spurned altruists turned bitter and vengeful.
Burrock - A front for the Dark Caste
Cloud Cobra - Pan-sect faith acceptance
Coyote - Inventors and innovators, seeking to regain lost primacy
Diamond Shark - Canny merchants first, warriors second (but only by a little)
Fire Mandrill - Always seeking a fight, especially with each other
Ghost Bear - Family minded, excellent planners, terrible when enraged
Goliath Scorpion - Collectors of history, guided by narcotic visions
Hell’s Horses - Respectful of each service branch, pioneers of the aggressive Mongol Doctrine
Ice Hellion - I! AM! SPEED! Prone to leaping before they look.
Jade Falcon - Brutal in pursuit of their destiny, capable of great self sacrifice
Mongoose - Would rather argue the letter of the law than face a fair fight
Nova Cat - Guided by often eerily accurate visions of the future
Smoke Jaguar - Committed to the doctrine of might makes right, but hampered by reliance on firepower to solve all problems
Snow Raven - Masters of air and space, political schemers
Star Adder - Mighty and proud, will not hesitate to crush any who challenge them (see: Blood Spirits)
Steel Viper - Traditionalists who view adaptation as perversion, and vow to exterminate any who veer from the true path
Widowmaker - Manipulative and underhanded, yet unrelentingly brave in battle.
Wolf - Adaptable and principled, bearing the honor of the Kerensky bloodline
Wolverine - Creative and progressive, unwilling to endure the confines of Kerensky's new civilization.  Focused on "fighting the good fight" to a fault.  (Even in situations where the Ares Conventions explicitly allowed nukes, and facing extinction, they chose not to unleash their arsenal.)

[Frabby]

Yes, Mendrugo pretty much nailed it.

The Nova Cats' "eerily accurate" visions eventually proved to be more like "errily accurate" though, and led to their downfall. On the whole, the Clan sleepwalked into oblivion.

The Ice Hellions are hard to describe. Like the Fire Mandrills, they're irresponsible idiots looking for a fight even when it's almost assured that they'll get their noses bloodied. Their tactical doctrine is speed, surprise, and erratic... err, unpredictability. On the plus side, they do have cohesion as a Clan (unlike the balkanized/Marik-y Fire Mandrills) and they even managed to cheat or at least bend the rules in their favor by introducing their "pack" tactics that technically fly in the face of zellbrigen.
And they got a really beautiful swan song story from Schmetzer when they (deservedly!) died.
One of the more interesting Clans. But still, good riddance.

[Mendrugo]

The Nova Cats' "eerily accurate" visions eventually proved to be more like "errily accurate" though, and led to their downfall. On the whole, the Clan sleepwalked into oblivion.

My theory is that one of their founding bloodlines had a genetic quirk that, for those exposed to hyperspace travel, could result in genuine precognitive flashes.  (We know that hyperspace travel can, in rare cases, lead to temporal disconnects.  What may cause Transit Disorientation Syndrome in some could result in accurate visions for others, albeit without control and very limited ability to accurately interpret.)  The Cats' problem was that they assumed these visions were possible for all Clan members to achieve through vineer burning rituals, unaware of the genetic component, and acted on many false visions.  The fact that the Cats' player characters, per the official templates, get Extra Edge as a default suggests there is something legitimate to their future sight.

[Takiro]

Yeah forgiving is not a Burrock trait at least in my opinion.

Founded by outsiders (Rim Worlders) they very quickly start pointing out others flaws (specifically Blood Spirit and Fire Mandrill) but too little avail. Faced with this injustice and unable to change things they themselves become impoverished and embittered which leads to the darkness. Yet they endure among the Clans while their Touman undergoes massive transformation. Once and always Crusaders they constantly look for others flaws exploiting their enemy's weaknesses while striving to overcome insurmountable obstacles.

Adaptive, Secretive (agreed), Nosy, Two-faced

[NutritiousSlop]

Yeah forgiving is not a Burrock trait at least in my opinion.

Founded by outsiders (Rim Worlders) they very quickly start pointing out others flaws (specifically Blood Spirit and Fire Mandrill) but too little avail. Faced with this injustice and unable to change things they themselves become impoverished and embittered which leads to the darkness. Yet they endure among the Clans while their Touman undergoes massive transformation. Once and always Crusaders they constantly look for others flaws exploiting their enemy's weaknesses while striving to overcome insurmountable obstacles.

Adaptive, Secretive (agreed), Nosy, Two-faced

That makes sense.  I guess I saw their founding by the Polcyzks plus the contact with the Dark/Bandit Caste as some form of understanding/habit of putting humanity before the Clans. 

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

The Ice Hellions are hard to describe. Like the Fire Mandrills, they're irresponsible idiots looking for a fight even when it's almost assured that they'll get their noses bloodied. Their tactical doctrine is speed, surprise, and erratic... err, unpredictability. On the plus side, they do have cohesion as a Clan (unlike the balkanized/Marik-y Fire Mandrills) and they even managed to cheat or at least bend the rules in their favor by introducing their "pack" tactics that technically fly in the face of zellbrigen.

The problem for them was that they were the only Clan that accepted that interpretation of zell, so the moment they tried it on someone else, the other side threw zell out the window.

[Nemesis]

Their tactical doctrine is speed, surprise, and erratic... err, unpredictability.

And a fanatical devotion to the pope?

[Deadborder]

That makes sense.  I guess I saw their founding by the Polcyzks plus the contact with the Dark/Bandit Caste as some form of understanding/habit of putting humanity before the Clans.

Anything but. It was more of a case of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours". The Burrocks aided the Bandits, who in turn aided the Burrocks.

[Orwell84]

Anything but. It was more of a case of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours". The Burrocks aided the Bandits, who in turn aided the Burrocks.

Nor did they hesitate to sell out Bandit 'allies' when it was convenient or profitable to do so. On the plus side, Burrock society has been described as being quite liberal and relaxed by Clan standards, enough that ex-Burrock civilians had trouble integrating with the Star Adders (who weren't the most authoritarian Clan themselves).

And a fanatical devotion to the pope?

 ??? When were the Ice Hellions religious in any way?

[marauder648]

When were the Ice Hellions religious in any way?

Tis a Monty Python refererence :)

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Orwell84 did not expect that.

[Orwell84]

Orwell84 did not expect that.

Indeed not. Monty Python and Battletech aren't two IPs I'd conjure in the same train of thought :)

[rebs]

Yeah; there is no taunting Frenchman to speak of.

[Mendrugo]

Though there are the Galahad, Lancelot, and Black Knight.  Plus, I’m pretty sure Castle Anthrax is in the Magistracy of Canopus.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Of course, if I were going to try to sum up the Hellions in one sentence, it would be:

Okay let's do this! Leeeeeroy! Jeeeeenkins!

[Greatclub]

there is a partial list of clan traits on page 194 and 195 of the mechwarror destiny beta. It's only the invading clans, but it's fair to say that what is listed is how the devs/writers see them.

[Jellico]

Though there are the Galahad, Lancelot, and Black Knight.  Plus, I’m pretty sure Castle Anthrax is in the Magistracy of Canopus.

I slipped the "what did they ever do for us" quote into Interstellar Expeditions. Conveniently on topic as it was describing the Clans.

[Simon Landmine]

I slipped the "what did they ever do for us" quote into Interstellar Expeditions. Conveniently on topic as it was describing the Clans.

[applauds wildly]

[Mendrugo]

Tribus ite domum!

[Orwell84]

Of course, if I were going to try to sum up the Hellions in one sentence, it would be:

Okay let's do this! Leeeeeroy! Jeeeeenkins!

Other Home Clan Crusaders c. 3058: "God d*mn it Leroy"  :ticked:

Home Clanners c. 3075: "Leroy you're as stupid as hell"
Ice Hellions kicking back in the Imperio: "At least I have necrosia"

I slipped the "what did they ever do for us" quote into Interstellar Expeditions. Conveniently on topic as it was describing the Clans.

 :clap:

[Arkansas Warrior]

Coyote: Assault Mechs!  For Science!

[Precentor Scorpio]

Its been awhile since I read the Jade Falcon source book.  Weren't the Jade Falcons the banking clan?

[Frabby]

Coyote: Assault Mechs!  For Science!

Naa. That's Clan Society.

[Precentor Scorpio]

Blood Spirit - Sidewalk prophets telling everyone they are damned?
Burrock - Adult entertainment operators  Not necessarily criminals here.
Cloud Cobra - Religious -  join our Cloister's Way, or that Way but either Way works
Coyote - Scientist or a mad inventor
Diamond Shark - Business owner
Fire Mandrill - Radio talk show hosts
Ghost Bears - Laborers - Union??
Goliath Scorpions - College Professors - History/Social Sciences/Dead Languages
Hells Horses - Laborers - non-union??
Ice Hellions - teenagers who just got their driver's license?
Jade Falcons - Bankers
Mongoose - Bartenders dispensing bad advice
Nova Cat - Brokers (Stock/commodities)
Smoke Jaguar - Texas Ranger or at least a sheriff
Snow Raven - Politicians
Star Adder - Insurance agents or accountants (Worried more about the risks or costs than the potential rewards)
Widowmaker -
Wolf - Judges
Wolverine -

Here is my list.  Not the best, I hope some answers give you a chuckle.