Steam-Powered Zombies: Part 1

As a forumite of planewalker is predominantly a lurker, the idea of personal blogs was a peculiar one. As trepidation gave way to curiousity, I decided to post my ideas and observations as a way to both encourage more posting and articles while overcoming my own inhibitions. I've opted to kick off this blog by discussing my two greatest loves in the roleplaying genre: Steampunk and Necromancy.

This concepts call to me in such a fashion that I dare not refuse lest I suffer at the hands of some unholy construct empowered by the souls of the dead. As a player, I've been drawn to the mad(though vaguely benevolent) scientist as well as the innapropriate joke-cracking necromancer(of the sorcerous variety, to more rapidly construct my unnatural horde ). As predominantly a DM, I've tried encourage the concept of uncommon or unquestionably odd heroes(after all which is more memorable: The holier than thou, shining paladin in plate mail on a white steed or the aztec paladin who also happens to a cannibal and honors his god by eating the hearts his enemies?) hoping that by letting players' imaginations soar, I would not be held responsible when/if they crash and explode.

I feel that I cannot my true depth until I combine both steampunk and necromancy whether as a player or as a DM; after all who has dreamed of tearing apart a party of adventurers with a moaning, clanking, hissing horde of undying servitors with mechanical claws afixed to decaying limbs and cannons that launch animated skulls who seek to rip soft flesh attached to their backs?(Have I mentioned that I am predominantly a DM?). I tried using grafts, manipulating existing rules, I've spent weeks hunting for a dragonmech sourcebook to no avail, and feel like I've hit a wall.

If anyone wishes to suggest a third party source, create some rules, suggest topics for next week, etc, feel free to leave a comment. As for whether I support 3.5 or 4th edition, I've got a ridiculous amount of supplements for 3.5 and have no desire to repeat the process for an edition that has yet to capture the sorcerer/ess in all of his/her glory (Wizards are book carrying poseurs, warlocks try to hard with the whole selling one's soul for power bit, warmages are shade to limited though forgiven for their penchant for blowing things up and hexblades....well they are just plain rude with their tendency of making one's laces tie themselves together).