The modrons jump directly from pentadrone to decaton. That means there's room for five new "drone" castes - sexadrone, septuadrone, octodrone, nonadrone, and decidrone.
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
Their have been several ideas floated in the brainstorming thread as to how the modrons are going about upgrading themselves after the Tenebrus incident, and I was curious which was most favored.
*Edit: Gah! I've removed the text up top that says "The modrons are adding new cast varients." four times now! It won't stay gone!
**. . . FIVE TIMES!
- 408 reads
Tue, 2006-09-05 22:47
#3
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
Wed, 2006-09-06 07:08
#4
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
Yes, this could be the first official Planewalker acknowledgement of the existence of inevitables. Perhaps Primus, in the wake of a coup by an Abyssal lord, determines that spending more time on outside affairs could give the modrons strength, as they appear to be weakening. Thus, they invent proxy constructs that can enforce lawfulness across the planes, leaving the modrons to concentrate on strengthening Regulus.
Perhaps the inevitables rebel?
Wed, 2006-09-06 08:17
#5
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
When making new modron castes, one thing that I think needs to be addressed is the Formian problem. With the Formians running around Mechanus and taking Modron territory, I think a type of modron specifically designed to hunt them might be in order.
Wed, 2006-09-06 08:30
#6
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
I voted for New Equipment, but I was thinking more along the lines of intelligent equipment. Sort of like those Gear Spirits, but suited for war. So, I guess my vote could also go under New Allies, as I also favor the idea of Modrons creating Inevitables as well. However, I still shy away from new castes. It's possible, with the gap rip mentioned, but I still think it would be too big a change to a popular exemplar race.
Wed, 2006-09-06 10:43
#7
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
The modrons jump directly from pentadrone to decaton. That means there's room for five new "drone" castes - sexadrone, septuadrone, octodrone, nonadrone, and decidrone.
When making new modron castes, one thing that I think needs to be addressed is the Formian problem. With the Formians running around Mechanus and taking Modron territory, I think a type of modron specifically designed to hunt them might be in order.
The idea of the modrons adding new base classes met with so little enthusiasm over in the brainstorming thread that I didn't even include it in the poll.
The "new cast varients" choice was meant to represent the modrons adding new varients of their existing casts, such as "Pentadrone, Formian Hunter Varient" or "Quadrone, Arborial Combat Varient".
"New cast varients" is, of course, leading the board right now, and I don't know which reading people were voting for. :cry:
*Edit (less than five minutes later): Hey, you can change the Poll! 
Wed, 2006-09-06 18:33
#8
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
If new castes are added, then we need to figure out how they fit into the hierarchy, and Pentadrones will go from taking orders from Decatons to not even knowing what a Decaton is. I say we expand horizontally, not vertically. But going this route should not be mutually exclusive with new equipment, or new construct helpers. I think all should be viable options.
By the way, it's spelled "C-A-S-T-E."
Thu, 2006-09-07 10:27
#9
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
The modrons jump directly from pentadrone to decaton. That means there's room for five new "drone" castes - sexadrone, septuadrone, octodrone, nonadrone, and decidrone.
The total number of modrons and the number in each caste will have to be taken in to consideration too since it's all some sort of sick mathmatical joke.
I voted for New Equipment, but I was thinking more along the lines of intelligent equipment. Sort of like those Gear Spirits, but suited for war.
How strange, I voted for that too but it only shows 1 vote in the polls.
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Thu, 2006-09-07 12:45
#10
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
Whoops. I forgot to mention that I edited my vote later to intelligent outsider, because I was for intelligent equipment and inevitables. So, that's still your vote.
Fri, 2006-09-08 08:29
#11
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
By the way, it's spelled "C-A-S-T-E."
:oops:
. . . Unfortunately, I don't think I can fix it without messing up the poll.
_________________________________
The total number of modrons and the number in each caste will have to be taken in to consideration too since it's all some sort of sick mathmatical joke.
I haven't been able to detect any pattern in the base cast populations. I do know that the heirarch population are simply the square of the hierarchy level (i.e. 100 Decatons). Could you elaborate on any pattern present in the base populations?
________________________
For the purposes of the poll, lets define living equipment and the like as 'equipment.' Allies would then be defined as anything which accompanies the modrons into combat or fights on their behalf under their command. Inevitables, as presented in the Monster Manual, would not qualify as new allies because they operate independently of the modrons, although they can definitly be part of the whole upgrade program.
Fri, 2006-09-08 11:46
#12
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
The total number of modrons and the number in each caste will have to be taken in to consideration too since it's all some sort of sick mathmatical joke.
I haven't been able to detect any pattern in the base cast populations. I do know that the heirarch population are simply the square of the hierarchy level (i.e. 100 Decatons). Could you elaborate on any pattern present in the base populations?Pentadrones 500,000+*
Quadrones 1.5 million+*
Tridrones 6 million+*
Duodrones 55 million+*
Monodrones 300 million+*
Well, the pattern starts with:
500K * 3 = 1.5 mil
1.5 mil * 4 = 6mil
But then it gets erratic with the last two (~9 and ~5.5).
As far as the total population goes, that's where it gets into the Base 8 numbers: It's 360 million total, split into 64 "sectors" (cogs), 5,625,000 per sector. Also, there are 15 castes which divides evenly into the total population (just another math trick). I don't even want to try to figure out the underlying math for the 36 great armies.
I'm sure if I had taken the advanced software architecture class I could whip out all kinds of weird Base 8 and Base 16 math.
However, the anomaly with how the number of monodrones and duodrones relates to the rest of the modron population could be a good source from which to "transfer" some excess base modrons into new castes.
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Mon, 2006-09-11 08:52
#13
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
Lets try to figure this out...
Pentadrones 500,000+*
Quadrones 1.5 million+*
Tridrones 6 million+*
Duodrones 55 million+*
Monodrones 300 million+*
I get a total of 363 mil out of that, which divides by 64 to give 5,671,875 modrons per sector. Base 8 is ugly for all those numbers, save 64, which is 100 in base 8. Base 8 is also ugly for the numbers worked out from 360 mil.
While I had my calculator out, I added up the herarch pop and got 384 total, which is 600 in base 8.
More after class.
[Edit*] Or not. More later, at any rate.
Also, I'll close the Poll later this week, it looks like we have a clear consensus.
On a related note, are there realy only 12 people on this board?
Wed, 2006-09-20 15:51
#14
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
I wish a possibility to vote "none of the above" 
Well, I think it's ok, upgrading, strenghening the modrons (I really like the idea of having them shut up from everything and, well, doing mordon-stuff, and regaining strenght for the next regular march), but changing them too much could destroy the uniqueness of the modrons. This is of course a point to consider anytime you want to change something. Maybe adding new castes would be fine (having fun with maths etc.).
Wed, 2006-09-20 16:47
#15
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
I think that modron have 36+1 armies, if i remember it right, i read that there is one non included in original 36, lead by yellow-something hexaton, maybe i'm mistaking..
Wed, 2006-09-20 19:30
#16
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
David Noonan just had an article in Dragon Magazine 341 covering inevitables ("The Ecology of the Inevitable"). Interesting stuff, and probably a good springboard if someone wants to make the modrons the official source of the inevitables.
Though it does raise the question: Where, then, did maruts come from? They've been in PS from the beginning. An early experiment? If so, did Primus determine that such upgrades may be an eventual necessity? If not, are the modrons looking to them as a good model from which to elaborate?
Also along that line of thought, are modrons looking to anything else for inspiration, like clockwork horrors, sheens (Dragon 258/270), etc?
Wed, 2006-09-20 23:07
#17
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
Maruts are too closely associated with Rudra to be able to blame them on the modrons, I think.
Thu, 2006-09-21 10:09
#18
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
Aye, as far as I know the maruts are godlike creations...
Thu, 2006-09-21 10:59
#19
Modron Module (Brainstorming session, part 5: Miscellaneous)
Ok, looks like most people voted for varients of existing modron casts. I've started a new thread to hammer out the what varients we want, so please come on over and post your suggestions.
I like the idea of adding new equipment. Like helpful attachments (lenses) and advanced weapons (sentient crossbows) and that sort of thing.
I also like the idea of them making a new race of non-modron constructs *cough*inevitables*cough*.
I would shy away from adding new castes, the modron hierarchy has some pretty strict mathematical rules that I wouldn't try to screw with unless I got help from Gary Gygax himself.
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