Exactly what it says in the title. I've been away from pathfinder for quite a while and my creativity has gotten a little rusty. I want to practice my RPG writing and challenge myself a little as well while I build a portfolio of sorts while I'm at it.
Here's how it works: Request encounters or short adventures and I will write them for you. Give me whatever details you want and I'll try to work something up. Expect me to take one request for an adventure every 1-2 weeks, not necessarily first come first served. If you want just an encounter or two I'm more likely to be able to whip one up for you and I'll try my best to make something for each encounter request. I'm happy to make maps or use yours if you want.
No sooner have you arrived in Thornkeep, where you have been assigned by the Society, than you are whisked off at dusk into an unmarked black carriage. Inside Venture Captain Istivil Bosk sits across from you as the carriage clatters out of town.
We have a problem. he begins, clearly annoyed at having had to come all the way from Daggermark to deal with whatever mess Pathfinders have made this time. Several pathfinder agents have gone missing in some of the Azlanti ruins nearby Thornkeep. This would be routine if not for the fact that they were doing a little bit of unauthorized adventuring when it happened. He looks like he has long ago come to terms with the fact that pathfinders are prone to doing that kind of thing.
Due to the Society’s agreements with Lord Tervin Blackshield which limit the number of pathfinder expeditions each year into ruins on his land, I cannot just mount a rescue since there were officially never any pathfinders in the ruins. That is why I asked for pathfinders who have never been to the River Kingdoms and therefore would not attract attention. He looks you over critically.
I need you to find a way to open the portal sealing the lower levels of the Azlanti ruins. The missing pathfinders managed to do this, but they are unfortunately not around to report what they did. Open the door and then report back what the key is so that we can access the rest of the ruins.
He pulls out a fragment of a scroll from the folio on the seat beside him and hands it to you. This is the only clue which we could find about the door. Good luck.
Scroll Fragment:
The parchment contains a diagram of seven dots arranged in a circle. The topmost dot is labeled Red Star?
Thornkeep: The Accursed Halls
Beneath Brokenhelm Hill and the weathered walls of Thornkeep lies an ancient maze of magic and madness. Once the workrooms and summoning chamber of a rebel Azlanti lord, these subterranean chambers were forgotten thousands of years ago after the eradication of the evil lord and his followers. Over the centuries, adventurers have found their way into these twisting passages and magnificent chambers, only to discover that the fading magic of the ancient Azlanti still lingers here. The people of Thornkeep call this dungeon the Halls Under the Hill, but those heroes who have dared its depths know this place by a different name: the Accursed Halls.
This is a tier 1-2 module which can be replayed with 1st level characters.
This module contains encounters potentially very deadly for first level characters. You have been warned.
One, maybe two spots are reserved. So I will be taking 4 or 5 players to start, but there is a chance that one or both of the other slots will open up.
We will begin on April 5 and will need to keep up a pace of at minimum 1, preferably more, posts per day in order to finish on time.
Saint Caleth Dedicated Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7
3 people marked this as a favorite.
This year I am going to try really hard to critique every item in the critique thread, especially the ones that wind up way at the end since I know that last year some items got very little comment.
This is a separate thread since I don't want to wade through the clusterf#+~ that is the Critique thread any more than I absolutely need to. As a disclaimer I may have more to say about some items than others based on my notes I made while voting.
If you are reading this and your item is stuck way at the end of the critique thread and you have not gotten any comments on it, PM me and I will bump it to the front of the line as soon as I can so that no one has to wait days to get a single critique.
Page 1:
Manservant Mannequin
I read the first power here as effectively swapping what the mannequin and the user were wearing. If that is correct it is pretty cool and useful. A bit of a camping/makes adventuring easy item on the basis of being able to jump into your armor, but I think that it is quirky and interesting enough to get past that problem. The item overall gets bogged down when you add on the alarm power. Even though it is reasonably on theme, it exacerbates the perception that this is a camping item.
Verdict: You have a pretty cool idea here and meld it with a good theme. Keep it simple once you have those things. The alarm bit muddles the item and it would have been better with just the first power. Also you need to submit to the power of Template Fu and work on formatting.
Shawl, Spell-mirror
First off this is Mythic, something I have no rules knowledge of, so I have no intuition about that part of the item. There are a few problems that I noticed. The first big thing is that the SR should not scale with the wearer’s HD. SKR has talked before about how items should not get better based on their wearer for reasons of pricing and balance. Secondly, line spells are out of place in the types of spells that can get reflected. The idea of reflecting a line spell, which can potentially hit multiple creatures causes a few rule ambiguities.
Verdict: Great visual and theme but the mechanics have holes. Also I can’t really judge the mythic portion of the item so that turned me off a bit. I voted for this a lot though.
Bracelet of the Peaceful Dove
I was weirdly ambivalent about this item. I like the theme, and it holds tightly to that theme, which is admirable; however I thought the visual of the dove sitting on your shoulder flipping out when you get violent is kind of dumb. The real star here is the final bit about breaking certain enchantments, but there are some problems with it. What kind of action is it? The word immediate appears, but I think the intent is that it does not take an action on the part of the user and that the user has no way of controlling this ability. The bigger problem is that it operates on creatures both friend and foe. I get why it works that way but you lost points in my book for not playing well with others. If a party member has one of these and it goes off, canceling my wizard’s well-placed dominate on the enemy heavy I would be pretty angry.
Veridct: Good theme but the potentially silly visuals and possible detrimental effects to the party lower it in my estimation. I still voted for it a few times though.
Provocateur’s Pamphlet
I was really torn on this one throughout the voting. On one hand it all comes together really well and does something kind of cool. Also bonus points for pulling off an alliterative name without it being silly. On the other hand a literally contagious charm person with an exceptionally vague duration is worth way, way more than 2,000 gp.
Verdict: Way to much adjudication and vagueness with the mechanics. I would never use this in a game I DM’d because it has the potential to cause a huge amount of headache. I really admire how it reaches outside the box in terms of ideas though.
Abiding Light
A few huge problems here. First, dispel magic, wish and miracle is a frankly bizarre juxtaposition since why try to make it sound badass by name dropping 9th levels spells if someone can just dipel it like any other magical light effect. Why is the bit about the light being blocked by walls there? You wasted an entire sentence to basically tell me that the light from this item works like regular light. The last power might be a little powerful if you are referring to keywords and it auto-dispels all spells of those types.
Verdict: You might be onto a little something in the mojo department, but there are still serious mechanical concerns.
Boots of Spellwalking
I really, really liked this almost every time it came up except for one little thing. “Spring Attack” casting for spells is pretty cool and I think worth the price for that alone. The second power is kind of cool but the concentration check bit is the only thing that marrs what is otherwise a really great entry. The power should be limited to times/day rather than balanced by a “blow up in your face” mechanic.
Verdict: Loved it.
Battleforge Gauntlets
Another strong keep from me. The idea and visuals are top notch. The only problem is a little bit of adjudicatory vagueness about the properties of the weapon. Another thing to look into might be a times/day mechanic to create a magic weapon since at the levels that someone might be using this, the sure of a magic weapon is all but necessary.
Veridct: Awesome. I honestly think that this is better than some of the things that made the Top 32.
Astral Thief’s Opera Gloves
This idea is pretty neat. Reaching into extradimensional spaces and stealing stuff. Great work on that. The bad opera joke falls flat and is rather bizarrely placed in this item’s description since how many operas are performed inside extradimensional spaces? I don’t know what the mechanical upshot of tearing a hole in an extradimensional space would be. I assume the intent is that the contents spill out while the hole is open. The bit about the different unarmed attacks is extraneous and mechanically weird since unarmed attacks don’t have an offhand and are not even necessarily strikes by your hand.
Verdict: In the end, another case of the mechanics muddling up a top-notch idea. I voted for it a bunch.
Next up…Spellmason’s Mallet and the rest of page 1
I am trying to get practice designing just about anything. Monsters, items, spells, races, classes*, encounters* etc. You name it, I'll try to design it.
So if you have an idea for something you want to see, just make a request. Give me whatever details you want and I'll try to come up with something.
*Disclaimer: I'd be happy to field requests for things like classes, encounters and short adventures but be aware that they might take quite a while and I can't promise that I'll finish something that extensive.
As part of my (slowly) ongoing project of actually writing up all of my homebrew campaign setting, here are some of the main antagonists, the azherites, spawn of the mad god Azheer.
I am going through and rebuilding them from my old 3.X campaign notes in herolab to make pretty PF-style bestiary entries, so it will be a work in progress to get all of them done. Right now I have the two lowest CR varieties done, but check back often for more powerful types!
If you use these in a game, make sure to tell me, and as always, I am soliciting critiques.
Scientists and Philosophers alike say that there are many worlds, each of which is slightly different from all others. Over the countless eons, some of these worlds have risen to prominence as names out of legend, from the intrigues of the Old World to the splendor of Vashaal to the empire of the Darravi.
I have had a single sprawling, overarching campaign setting for essentially as long as I have been playing TTRPGs, but it has always existed only as scattered notes and campaigns. Now I would like to get as much of it down on paper for people to see and hopefully like as possible but I honestly don't know where to start.
Help me out by taking a look through some of the worlds of the multitude described below and telling me what you most want to see written up so that I can get a starting point in this whole mess. If no one has a strong opinion I will probably just start with the city of Ashalar, but tell me what looks most interesting.
Ashalar:
The first great city of mankind, Ashalar was once the home of the god Marduk in ages past before a great catastrophe forced the inhabitants to split thier city off as a demiplane to survive the end of the world. By doing so, they ensured the survival of the Great Library where all knowledg3 has been catalogued for millenia and ensured their city would live on as the crossroads of the planes.
Tarayacaradath:
Once the home of the mysterious Nashraqim at the dawn of history, Tarayacaradath was the first world to have gods as well as the first world to be destroyed by the internacine warfare of the gods.
The Old World:
The first great seat of human civilization, The Old World once contained the city of Ashalar and the heroic history of mankind's first victories against the Dragon God and later the Dragonborn Emperors. All that was nearly wiped away when the Old World ravaged and destroyed by the dark god Azheer.
Canvarr:
It was the people of Canvarr who first invented firearms in their struggle for freedom from the tyrannical Conjuror Kings and then exported that technology along with their culture to the rest of the Multitude.
The Darravi:
Halfbreeds of human criminals and the monstrous natives of the plane they were exiled to, the Darravi rose to destroy the arrogant civilization which cast away their human forefathers and went on to create a masive empire which contended in cold war for thosands of years with the other empires of the multitude which rose and fell alongside it. Now the Darravi have been conquored and cowed by an even more ruthless foe but they shall rise up again as thy always have throuout history.
Vashaal:
The breaking of Vashaal remains the most potent reminder of the terrible price that reckless magic can exact. Once the most splended of worlds, the factionalism and strife between the great houses spiraled out of control untill it lead to the sundering of the entire plane and gave the multitude its most enduring image of destruction.
The Dyties:
Once enslaved with the threat of the guns of the Canvarrans, the Dyties vowed never to serve any other race and adapted the twchnology of their conquerors before setting off on their own wave of conquest. Now the Dytie empire groans under the weight of its rapid growth and brutal subjegation of conquered peoples. Although a dytie emperor sill wears the Blood Crown how much longer can the empire survive?
The Chapterhouse and The Order:
The Chapterhouse has always stood at the center of the planes. No one knows who built the city sized buildih which spans the demiplane. The Order which inhabits it is far newer however, made up of immortal heroes each reincarnated upontheir death. With no hint as to the purpose of their second life, they have joined together to create a purpose； encouraged to that end by the Walkers, mysterious men and women who appear and vanish at will amd whose nature bewilders even the gods.
There are some locstions to consider to start with. I will be developing fluff, crunch and other sourcebook type things at an irregular pace wherever I start. Maybe I will evenh throw in some adventures or collect everything into a more polished source when the time comes depending on how I feel.
Enjoy, and please help me out by telling me what intrigues you most.
Here is a short one shot dungeon crawl that I wrote a while ago as a first step towards writing some longer adventures. I adapted it from a dungeon I used some time ago in a PbP game. It is intended for 1st and 2nd level parties.
If anyone uses it in whole or in part, don't forget to post how you like it and how it went.
Tomb of the Pharaos（The link includes the adventure and reasonably high-resmaps）
My aasimar ranger is taking the Sacred Companion feat because it fits his flavor very well in addition to being pretty good.
I thought that it was fairly straightforward and just gave a template to your AC, but then I noticed that it also changes the type of the animal to a magical beast. This raises some questions, since the animal companion rules in PFS are stricter than normal.
Magical Beast:
Magical Beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2 (in which case the creature knows at least one language, but can’t necessarily speak). Magical Beasts usually have supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but are sometimes merely bizarre in appearance or habits.
A magical beast has the following features.
d10 Hit Die.
Base attack bonus equal to total Hit Dice (fast progression).
Good Fortitude and Reflex saves.
Skill points equal to 2 + Int modifier (minimum 1) per Hit Die. The following are class skills for magical beasts: Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, Swim.
Traits: A magical beast possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
Darkvision 60 feet.
Low-light vision.
Proficient with its natural weapons only.
Proficient with no armor.
Magical beasts breathe, eat, and sleep.
The clear cut part is that the animal companion would get a larger hit die, its BAB would go up and it gets darkvision. It also could take any feat, and not be restricted to the list of feats under the animal creature type.
However, what if I then increased its Int to 3? Would it still be bound by the PFS rule saying that even with an INT of 3 it is still can only perform tricks and falls under the handle animal rules? I assume that this is not the case, since the magical beast type explicitly says it can understand language. I am just wondering what sort of table variation/pushback I would get from DMs who saw this and if it is too variable/disliked to make it worthwhile in PFS.
Tsaran Vitrakis. While Ashar may be the largest city, Volos Pell the most powerful, many knew Tsaran Vitrakis to be the jewel of the Old World. Over centuries it grew from an oasis village to a great city; over millennia it grew fat and rich from trade. Fought over by generations of Emperors and Sultans, only in the last centuries did it lose its independence and come under the rule of the Emperor in far off Volos Pell.
Now, however, the trade has been replaced by fear; the babble of a dozen languages replaced by whispered rumors. As refugees pour in from the West, armies arrive from the East and adventurers from every direction, Tsaran Vitrakis stands at the edge of the Abyss. It is to this city that you come.
Arioch Kennett:
You came to Tsaran Vitrakis seeking information. Instead you found hysterical rumor about the Shadow. Xaidani tribesman in the north are committing mass suicide as the Shadow reaches their islands. The Shadow began in the Imperial Palace itself, in the heart of Volos Pell. The overthrow of the Dragonborn centuries ago attracted the attention of dark gods who are only now arriving. It is difficult to tell which, if any of these stories is true and which are imagined. You also hear that your presence in the city has been noticed, and that the Lord Tayir wants to meet the brave survivor who labors under the taint of the shadow, and that this individual should present themself at the evening audience in the Palace to be of invaluable help to the defense of the remainder of the world.
Shemm:
This city in a panic is fascinating, how fast everything taught to mankind long ago by Lord Marduk is discarded in an emergency, leaving only chaos. One day while investigating this breakdown of society, you are handed a message. A message written in the holy tongue of Classical Eresh, bidding you to come to the evening audience of the Lord of the City. You would not have thought that anyone in this city certainly would use the ancient language so well. Intriguing.
Curden Craw:
Searching through the innumerable refugees clogging up the city and its surroundings would take lifetimes. Lifetimes that especially now you do not have. However, your presence in the city as someone who clearly knows their way around the business end of a gun has not gone unnoticed, especially not in a city about to be under siege. The government of the city has invited you to attend Lord Tayir tonight, to see if there is any way that your expertise can be put to good use. It's really more of an order than a invitation, but perhaps the authorities can help you as much as you can apparently help them.
N:
The social scene of Tsaran Vitrakis is much diminished from what it once was, but the petty squabbles of noble hangers on stop for no crisis and it remains an honor to be invited to a semi-private evening audience with the lord of the city, even if only as a hanger-on in the back. Whoever is scheduled to see the Marqis, it should provide good gossip and having new rumors is, of course, the best form of social capital.
Fizbert Toppletotter:
It is said that the Lord of Tsaran Vitrakis has never met a gnome before. At least that is what the man who brought you the invitation to attend his Lordship at the Palace said. Whether this noble is truly interested in your stories, of if he is only interested in seeing you as if in a menagerie. Whatever the case, it should be an interesting footnote to a story at least.
You are shunted into a small ancillary hall in the oldest wing of the palace. The room is shockingly tastefully decorated compared with the norm in Tsaran Vitrakis, with a stained glass window depicting a triumphant flight of dragons. Clearly this room was far down the list for renovation when the Dragonborn fell. The east wall has several large windows, now with their curtains drawn against the night. The west wall is hung with tapestries depicting various romanticized scenes from history.
Lord Hissarion Tayir, Marquis of Tsaran Vitrakis and of the Wardens March takes his seat to a litany of his titles and ancestry, flanked by guards both martial and arcane and the courtly event begins. A succession of personages of mediocre importance parade before the Marquis, who is clearly wishing he were somewhere else long before the parade of invitees reaches you at the back of the room.
You are all pretty much next to each other near the back of the room, meaning that it will be quite a while before it is your turn to address the Marquis. You can introduce your characters now, and I will give some more information on who is in the hall, or any other details you want shortly.
Welcome to the OOC Thread! Welcome to the OOC Thread! Please go into my profile and read about the couple of house rules which I use. To keep me from getting confused between games, here are the real-life languages that we are rendering some of the in-game languages into as per the last house-rule.
Classical Ereshite -> Chinese
Sharrim -> Turkish
Draconic -> Greek
Brywyn -> Welsh
Djet -> Georgian
Dwarven -> Icelandic
Italian, Basque, Hungarian, Russian, Armenian, Arabic and Hebrew are also reserved for languages that you may encounter later.
Everyone post here with your character when you are ready, and think of what you are doing in Tsaran Vitrakis. When everyone is ready I will start the Game thread.
For a thousand years the Dragon God and his ilk ruled the world they had usurped from man. When he was defeated, the human children of the dragons ruled for a thousand more. The last three centuries have been a whirlwind of change for the Old World, however. First, the gods of man, who had always walked alongside their adopted children, began to leave the world. Then men, human and otherwise, of other planes of the Multitude came, tying the Old World ever closer to the rest of creation. Finally, with the newfound thunder of guns, the last of the Dragonborn emperors was swept from his ancient throne, heralding another Age of Man at long last.
The great city of Ashar has stood for a millennia, largely apart from the changes wracking the rest of the world. Now, however, even the great deserts of the East may not be able to save the City of Man from the fate of the rest of the world. For several years refugees have been fleeing east from the heart of the Empire. They say that they are fleeing the end of the world itself…
The story will begin in Tsaran Vitrakis, the traditional crossroads city between East and West, now filled to bursting with refugees, fortune seekers and the merely curious.
For those of you familiar with my Bronze Age games, past and present, this is set in the same world ~1600 years after the reign of the Dragon God. I will post more information about races and classes as well as lore shortly.
Some Notes on Character Creation
Characters begin at level 5
Generate Abilities by rolling 4d6 drop lowest. If your rolls are less than a 20 point buy you may add points to bring your total point buy up to 20 as per standard pathfinder point buy.
Just about anything in the PFSRD is acceptable. If you want to use something from 3.5, ask me. I usually say yes. I also have posted some races and gods you might encounter in this setting here which you can use if you want. More homebrew material for you to use will be added as you encounter it.
This setting has Commonplace Guns, meaning that Firearms are all martial weapons and early firearms cost 25% of the listed price.
At least a few ranks in Knowledge(History), Knowledge(Nobility) and/or Linguistics will probably come in very useful.
Expect quite a bit of exploration and world-building as well as combat. Above all, I reward characters with well thought out stories, and players who are willing to explore the setting and integrate their characters with the world. How long recruitment stays up depends on the interest displayed.
I am emerging from my year of living abroad to visit Singapore and Hong Kong this summer. I was wondering if there is any physical PFS presence in either of these cities.
It would be great to be able to actually play in person and not over a dodgy internet connection for once.
I just want to make sure that the animal companion rules work the way that I think they do. I am wondering if I should stop playing my Ranger before he gets his 4th XP untill we get the 1st level rebuild rules.
The Original Question wrote:
So can animal companions still take any skill or feat (except proficiency feats apparently) if they have INT 3?
Usually they can, but PFS tosses the usual rules for animal companion intelligence out the window, so I'm not sure. The fact that the FAQ mentions the linguistics skill suggests that this is still the case.
By RAW an animal companion that has its INT increased to 3 ceases to be an animal, becomes a magical beast and can take any skill or feat that it is physically capable of using. Can an animal companion with it's INT raised to 3 take Eldritch Claws (a particularly useful feat for an AC)? Can it take Step Up? Can it take the improved maneuver feats with Power Attack as a prerequisite?
Continued from this thread, which Mike got driven out of due to latent negativity.
During a tangential discussion of racial boons, Mike said the following:
Michael Brock wrote:
Actually, there is a better chance of us doing anything that has been suggested above when other options are provided that we can use to draw people to conventions, that is at least as popular, if not more so, as the race boons. We asked for that before and still haven't received a good answer.
Since it was a tangent in the other thread anyway, and the discussion seemed to be going somewhere, I think it would be useful to keep talking about it.
The idea is that racial boons should be opened up either as a reward for DM stars, or even to the general player-base, to be replaced as con-exclusive boons with other shiny character extras. The rational for this change being that races are published character options and having them as boons feels like a restriction on most people, while other exclusive bonuses are purely extra rewards for a character. The rewards for being able to participate in a con should be purely exclusive bonuses, and not special access to published character options.
No negativity people, lets actually have a conversation about this.
I just reported a module for the first time, and for my DM Credit, I seem to have received 2 Prestige of the appropriate faction. However, I was under the impression that you get the full 4 Prestige on your DM Chronicle. Is this a bug in the reporting system of did I just do something wrong?
Here we go. Post at least once a day and use the OOC thread for purely OOC things and above all I hope you have fun.
Akasha:
You felt your mortal form die as you obliterated the scion of the Dragon God and even felt the power that you had drawn on fragment your soul as your consciousness drifted aimlessly; maybe for untold ages, maybe for the barest of instants. Without sensation you somehow felt you soul being tugged in two directions at once until you slowly returned to awareness...
Wazoo:
While the fire was pretty, it was also pretty painful if you recall correctly. You died nearly too quickly to know what was happening, although all signs pointed towards it being bad for you in every way imaginable. But if the pretty fire killed you, then how did you come to find yourself here, with the same ring you had just picked up clenched in your very real and very much not on fire hand...
Andrezi:
The astradaemons were intent on devouring your soul, but as fast as they tore your essence apart it was whisked away, to their howls as they were denied their feast. Then, after a hazy, rushed sensation you find yourself here, reborn as it seems, like once before. But there are no benefactors to greet you, only a vast dim space...
Byarsh:
Who would have thought that such a stupid mistake would doom you, the immortal wanderer, a figure of both inspiration and dread. As the flow of time enveloped you, you saw flashes of all that you had experienced and forgotten in the past and less certain flashes of what was yet to come. There are no spirits waiting for you, no apotheosis into the fabric of the planes. Only a rebirth like you have never experienced before, or perhaps experienced a hundred times through the hazy ages. What is there to be seen and told of in this place, where even you feel certain you have never set foot before...
Xor'zel:
When your own blade struck you down, you felt the crushing attention and reprobation of a god. Then for an instant you saw all things as they truly were. Your blade was not merely a sword, but a vast prison filled with the souls of all those you had killed. Even the gods themselves seemed but the smallest, worn down fragments of something greater and the planes, all of creation, could barely fill the Void with their substance.
Jerrie:
You slowly slipped from life, and you just as slowly seem to slip into it again, which is odd because as was abundantly clear when it happened, you are dead. Maybe this is the afterlife, but it does not resemble any afterlife that you have ever heard spoken of.
Hegar 'Omir:
You felt the guard's sword slip into you from behind before you could bring your gun around for a shot at the cowardly humans who had you surrounded. An ignominious end to be sure, but instead of an afterlife, you feel your gun still in your hand, feeling far more real than you should as a soul...
You awake to find yourselves each lying on a stone platform or appropriate size to your form. You are all on nearby platforms within what appears to be a long hallway filled with thousands of platforms of various sizes, from barely large enough to be called platforms to large enough to seemingly hold the largest of dragons. The hallway extends unbroken as far as you can see in both directions, still filled with untold numbers of platforms.
The light is dim, and the ceiling disappears into shadow far above you. There is enough light, however, to see that the entire hallway seems to be constructed of cyclopean blocks of stone nearly too weathered to tell if they are blocks or if the hallway has just grown up in this location over ages. The walls seem rougher than the floor. The entire vast space is unnaturally silent, seeming to deaden even the sounds that you make.
The hallway is about 90' wide and seems to be infinitely long in both directions.
Introduce your characters and remember that the last conscious thing that you remember is your death.
Welcome to the OOC Thread! Please go into my profile and read about the couple of house rules which I use.
Before we begin, could everyone make sure that their profile contains all their stats and backstory. Each character also needs to get a small negative trait, and possibly scar or other blemish for fluff purposes, related to the manner of their death. For example a character who drowned might get a -2 to Fort saves related to breathing (such as when holding their breath or in a Cloudkill), or a character who died from cold or fire damage might have to start making saves sooner against environmental effects of the temperature which killed them.
Specifically, Andrezi might have the "death" trait of losing a couple of power points since he seems to have died by having his soul drained by an astradaemon. Xor'zel might get a penalty on Ego checks against his sword since he died when it turned on him. These are just suggestions, feel free to suggest a completely different penalty.
Byarsh and Akasha:
You were illiterate originally, but in the intended plot of the Bronze Age game, you would have had a chance to learn about writing from the priests of Marduk, so unless you want to remain illiterate, you can say that you know about reading and writing. Also, do you want to have died ~1000 years ago or closer to when this campaign begins?
Jerrie:
As a dual-cursed Oracle, you have already taken a penalty harsher then I would have suggested, so you can treat your curses as your "death penalty" if you would like.
Scientists and Philosophers alike say that there are many worlds, each of which is slightly different from all others. Over the countless eons, some of these worlds have risen to prominence as names out of legend, from the intrigues of the Old World to the splendor of Vashaal to the empire of the Darravi. For the greatest of heroes from these worlds, it is said that death is not the end and they are reincarnated to wander the planes forever...
It seemed that people were very interested in me running an interplanar game, and I am happy to oblige. The setting is essentially an infinite number of Material Planes all floating around in the Astral Plane with the Traditional Outer/Inner Planes mostly blocked off. Each Plane is essentially its own mini-setting, but can communicate to varying extents with the rest of the multiverse. Expect a very well fleshed out world with lots of history and interconnections. Accordingly you have a huge amount of latitude in character creation, since absolutely anything that you can imagine can have a place somewhere in the infinite planes. This game will reward exploration of and engaging with the setting; expect plenty of RP and social encounters along with the combat.
Some Notes on Character Creation:
Characters start at level 7. Start at level 6 if you want to play a 20 point race and 5 for a 30 point race.
Generate Abilities by rolling 4d6 drop lowest. If your rolls are less than a 20 point buy you may add points to bring your total point buy up to 20 as per standard pathfinder point buy.
Any material in the PFSRD is acceptable. If you want to use something from 3.5, ask me. I usually say yes. I also have posted some races and gods you might encounter in this setting here which you can use if you want. More homebrew material for you to use will be added as you encounter it. If you really want to make a race from the Advanced Race Guide Playtest we can talk about that too.
Each character will start with three pieces of equipment which can each be worth up to 1/4 of the appropriate WBL.
Each character will start with two traits, in addition to a minor, negative trait related to the next point.
Early Firearms exist, but no advanced firearms.
At least a few ranks in Knowledge(History), Knowledge(Planes) and/or Linguistics will probably come in very useful.
The story begins after your character's death. Accordingly your backstory should end with you dying. You will receive a minor penalty related to the way in which you died.
Each Character knows the Common language of their home plane as well as the appropriate bonus languages. Generally each Plane has its own language, in addition to racial languages. There is also Planar Standard which is a language to facilitate trade between worlds, which is the "native language" of the Astral Plane. It is very conceivable that you could come up against a language barrier at some point.
I am not a huge fan of psionics, although I am not going to ban it outright.
I will announce 36 hours before I end recruitment, which will depend largely on how quickly character submissions come in. This is the perfect setting for very inventive characters. If you have a concept it is my job as DM to help create a place for it in the world. Above all, I reward characters with well thought out stories, and players who are willing to explore the setting and integrate their characters with the world.
Since the recent and tragic death of one of the games that I am DMing, I would like to try to start a new game. The problem is that I have two ideas which I think are equally good and only time to run one more game right now. To help me out of this dilemma, I present both of them to you, the players, to decide what the next game that I run will be since even though the DM is a god, there is room for democracy sometimes.
My first idea is for a game set in a Late Medieval world (still feudal but with advancing technology including eventually the first firearms) which is undergoing a rebellion against the dynasty which has ruled much of the world for over a thousand years. This game would likely wind up rather kingmaker-esq and takes place in the future of the world of my remaining Bronze Age game.
My second idea is for a mid-level interplanar game which is a little bit harder to describe. It involves the characters being reincarnated after their death and working to find their place in the planes and discover if there is a larger purpose to their condition. This game I will try to make as sandboxy as possible while still maintaining enough direction for a PbP and I intend the focus to be on exploring and interacting with the setting.
If you are interested in either of these ideas, vote for one or the other and in a few days I will see if either of them has gotten significant interest, and which one of them the consensus of the community likes better. Keep in mind that right now I only have the time to select one of these ideas.
This thread is intended as a reference for those in my PbP games covering various homebrew options I have come up with over the years. Because of the editing restrictions on posts, this thread is likely to eventually become entirely disorganized. Someday, if I accrete enough material I will put it all up on a proper site.
Even if you are not in one of my games, feel free to look around and appropriate my ideas if they strike your fancy, since what are homebrew ideas for, but to be used in a game.
To start out, here are some common races which inhabit different parts of the Multitude, originally conceived in the days of yore (3.5) and recreated for PF according to the Advanced Race Playtest.
Darravi:
The Darravi, despite the name, are half-human hybrids; as they are the offspring of the monstrous natives of Darrav and the humans who found themselves exiled to that plane. They have had a tumultuous history since their birth, having hidden from the kingdom which exiled their human ancestors and fought and conquered them them when hiding was no longer possible. However, their empire was overthrown in turn by the legions of the Dyties and now they yearn to restore the glories which they remember from their past. It is certain, that they will someday become a great power again, as they possess the full spirit and resiliency of their human ancestors.
Physical Description: Darravi stand about as tall as their human parents, however, they have the red skin of their Full-Blooded Darravi side. Darravi also typically have a pair of spines projecting downwards from the corners of their mouths and upwards and sideways from their foreheads. These spines are far more pronounced in males than females. Darravi hair ranges from as red as their skin to deep black and their eyes follow a whole range of iridescent hues from blue to black to violet, often several shades at once.
Racial Traits:
+2 to One Ability Score: Darravi characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
Medium: Darravi are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Normal Speed: Darravi have a base speed of 30 feet.
Low-Light Vision: Darravi can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Darravi Blood: Darravi count as both Darravi and Humans for the purposes of
Magic Resistance: The mixture of their blood gives Darravi an unusual hardiness against magic. Darravi characters gain Spell Resistance equal to 6+their character level.
Latent Telekinesis: Full-Blooded Darravi sometimes manifest telekinetic powers. The influx of human blood has only amplified this tendency. A Darravi character with a Charisma of at least 11 may choose one of the following: Jump, Stone Fist, Farshot, or Floating Disk as a spell-like ability useable 1/day.
Predatory Decent: Full-Blooded Darravi are excellent hunters and teach their half-blood children to share this talent. Darravi characters always treat Perception and Stealth as class skills.
Sprinter: When the hulking legs of the Full-Blood Darravi are combined with the slighter human form, it produces an exceptionally good sprinter. A Darravi character gains a +10 ft. racial bonus to their speed when using the charge, run or withdraw actions.
Glib: The Darravi were trained well in the paranoia of their outcast human parents. Darravi Characters gain a +1 bonus to Bluff, Disguise and Knowledge(Local) checks.
Dytie:
The harsh, red eyed men who call themselves Dyties knew nothing of the planes around them before the humans from Canvar discovered them on a plane with abundant natural resources. The Canvarans began to colonize and exploit the resources with little thought to the inhabitants, but the Dyties were cunning and studied the newcomers, their magic and their technology. Once they had learned enough they struck, driving the humans off their world and the embarking on a wave of conquest. With their legions wielding guns and cannon originally taken from the Canvarans they revolutionized warfare and were able to topple even the Darravi empire. That was a century ago. Now the Dytie Empire groans under the weight of its rapid expansion and the conquered races begin to see a chance to throw off their oppressors forever.
Physical Description: Dyties look nearly like elves, tall and slender, graceful and wiry in comparison to humans. Their distinguishing trait is their baleful solid red eyes which seem to flash with ripples of many other colors. Dyties otherwise look very similar to humans or elves, usually having black, or at least dark hair and unusually pale skin. Most Dyties bear tattoos, usually on their face, telling their rank and achievements within the militarized and hierarchical society in which they live.
Racial Traits:
+2 DEX, +2 WIS, -2 STR: Dyties are lithe like elves and have a surprising perspicacity.
Low-Light Vision: Dyties can see twice as far as humans in low-light conditions.
Darkvision 120’: The striking eyes of a Dyties give them the ability to see in the dark better even than that of the dwarves.
Imperial Indoctrination: Dyties have an unshakeable faith in their might as a race and the power of their empire. Dyties gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear and despair effects. Also, once per day, after a natural roll of 1 on a d20, Dyties may reroll and use the second result.
Perspicacity: From their powerful eyesight, Dyties may choose either Perception or Sense Motive. They gain a +1 racial bonus to that skill.
True Insight: Dyties have a nearly uncanny ability to see to the heart of a situation. They gain a +2 racial bonus of saving throws against illusion spells or effects.
Military Drill: The Dyties have an entirely militarized and regimented society, and their adoption of firearms has lead to their stunning success at conquest. All Dyties are proficient with the Pistol and Axe-Musket.
Kajra'vir:
The mysterious Kajra’vir dwell in the Astral Plane between the worlds of the multitude, either wandering in small bands in caravans of planeships or inhabiting their remote monasteries hidden in the corners of the planes. It is said that the Kajra’vir were the first to travel between the planes, from their long lost homeworld and that they are among the most ancient of races. Even the most cosmopolitan inhabitants of the Multitude have likely never seen a Kajra’vir and no outsider has ever been privy to the secrets of their history.
Physical Description: The Kajra’vir stand marginally shorter than humans, and inhumanly slender. Their most noticeable feature is a long skinny tail, which continuously twitches behind them. Kajra’vir have grey to purplish skin and pale eyes in nearly every color imaginable. Their hair is a similar color to their skin, although a little darker.
Racial Traits:
+2 DEX, +2 CHA, -2 CON: Kajra’vir are small and slender, with a surprising presence for their size.
Latent Teleportation: Their long inhabitance of the paths between worlds has given the Kajra’vir flashes of magical travel and teleportation. Kajra’vir can use Baleful Transposition* and Benign Transposition* each once per day as spell like-abilities with a caster level equal to their character level. The save is Charisma based.
Tail: The trait which makes Kajra’vir instantly recognizable is their long and prehensile tail. They have a flexible tail that can be used to carry objects. They cannot wield weapons with their tail, but they can retrieve small stowed objects carried on their persons as a swift action.
Uncanny Movement: Kajra’vir have a climb speed of 20 ft., and gain the +8 racial bonus on Climb checks that a climb speed normally grants.
Atavastic Spell Knowledge: The Kajra’vir have an innate understanding of magical transport abilities. A Kajra’vir who has Plane Shift on their class spell list automatically adds it to their spellbook or spells known once they are high enough level to cast it.
Racial Knowledge: In their long travels, the Kajra’vir have amassed a large amount of knowledge about the planes. Kajra’vir gain a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge(Arcana) checks.
Full-Blood Darravi:
The Full-Blood Darravi are the stock from which an empire was spawned a millennia ago. When humans first came to their world in the distant past, they found themselves a small number among the savage and primitive natives. However through interbreeding between Full-Blood Darravi and Humans, the Darravi race was born. As the numbers of their half-human offspring grew to outnumber them, the Full-Bloods found themselves marginalized and turned into second class citizens within the empire. However now, with the empire mostly in tatters, there is a chance for them to remind their children that however savage and brutish they may appear, the true children of Darrav have a place in the world which only exists because of them.
Physical Description: Darrav is a harsh world, and the Full Blood Darravi who call it home evolved to be as monstrous and tough as the creatures with which they shared the world. They stand nearly 7 feet tall on average with hulking shoulders and a massive upper body giving them a slightly hunched over appearance. Their brows and heads are covered by a series of spiny horn-like spikes, shortest above the eyes but lengthening to looks somewhat like hair flowing back from the tops of their heads. Males have a similar beard looking collection of spines on their chins. Their skin is thick and ranges in color from red to nearly black. Ritual scars and tattoos are common.
Racial Traits:
+2 INT/WIS/CHA +4CON -2DEX: Darravi are massive and hulking, well adapted for their desert and mountain home, and far more intelligent than their form might suggest.
Medium: Darravi are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Hulking Limbs: Darravi have a base speed of 40 ft to keep up with the large creatures that they traditionally hunt.
Darkvision 60ft: As native outsiders Darravi get Darkvision.
Magic Resistance: The world of Darrav is a harsh and unforgiving place both naturally and supernaturally. Full-Blood Darravi characters gain Spell Resistance equal to 6+their character level.
Shoulder Slam: With all of their strength behind a blow with the shouders or upper arms, a Full-Blooded Darravi gains a primary Slam attack dealing 1d6 points of damage.
Predator’s Strike: All Full-Blooded Darravi retain their predator’s instincts for battle. They gain Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
+2 Natural Armor: The naturally thick hide of a Full-Blooded Darravi combined with the ritual tattoos and scars which they bear mean that they can shrug off blows which would harm a lesser race.
Ferocity: The fury of a roused Darravi is something to be truly feared. When a Full-Blooded Darravi’s hit points fall below 0 but it is not yet dead, it can continue to fight. If it does, it is staggered, and loses 1 hit point each round. Darravi still die when their hit points reach a negative amount equal to their Constitution score.
Massive Form: The massive upper body of a Full-Blooded Darravi gives them a +4 racial bonus to CMD against Bull-Rush and Trip attempts when they are standing on the ground.
Be aware I had to make the Full-Blood Darravi as a 20 point race, so any Full-Blood Darravi character begins 1 level behind the given starting level.
* This is 3.5 material which I could not find an analouge to in PF
Although most adventuring parties are presumably extremely stalwart and competent champions against (or for) evil, we have all had those encounters or even entire adventures where our characters where entirely hapless for some inscrutable reason. This thread is for commemorating those moments.
One of my earliest moments like this was way back in 3.0 if I remember correctly. Our reasonably low level party was traveling by boat across a lake to confront a necromancer, when suddenly the water froze solid and the necromancer's ice zombie minions began shambling towards us. We were able to keep them off of the boat for the most part with the judicious use of alchemist's fire and polearms. At that point our wizard decides that the best thing to do would be to cast Aganazzar’s scorcher, the old spell that makes a line of fire to a creature which lasts for a round. Using this he manages to somehow light the boat on fire, forcing our characters to bail out and run across the frozen lake through the zombie horde. If I remember correctly the wizards was the only one who survived.
Later I may tell the tale of the CR 4 polar bears who killed two lvl 10 characters.
One of my Homebrew Bronze Age games has lost a few players since it started, but the remaining players still seem enthusiastic about it. Therefore I would like to fill the group out again and make things a little more lively.
Take a look at the campaign itself here to see if you are interested.
I am looking for 2 more players to join the 4 remaining. Some rules:
Characters are level 2 with appropriate wealth (1000gp).
The party consists of a Witch, Paladin, Summoner and Bard. It would be nice to have new party members who complement this group.
Information about the setting and rules for character creation are found in this thread. There is some more information on the setting in this thread.
The new characters will be joining the party in the Eastern Desert, since that is where the party currently is.
Don't hesitate to ask me questions if you have any. As I mentioned in the original recruitment thread, I feel that it is my job as DM to help fit whatever character concept you have into the world within reason. I reward characters which are highly integrated with the setting.
I will leave recruitment open for a few days and then select the best fits for the party with input from the existing players.
I am surprised that there is not a thread like this already, but maybe I missed it.
This morning I was thinking of sentences which could serve as the beginning of an epic campaign or world building and I offer them to you all as inspiration.
1. In the deepest dungeon, guarded by the Angels of the Iron Citadel lies the destroyer of worlds; chained until the end of time.
2. As prophesied, Raleven, the first city, which has wandered the planes for a thousand years, returns to the Material Plane.
3. The ancient demon gods, once devoured by the Sword of Tenios, seek a way to return to the mortal world.
Enjoy and feel free to add to these if the inspiration strikes.
Day comes to Vel Daeroth. You cannot tell, of course, locked as you are in the bowels of the great arena, sent here to die on the sand by the dragons who have enslaved you. It could be worse though, you could have been sent to the mines beneath the city to labor in the heat and the dark until the conditions brake you. At least in the arena you get to see the sun occasionally, and the best gladiators from the arena are accorded a degree of freedom and recognition above any other slave. If you survive long enough you may earn that for yourself.
You have only been here for three days, not long enough to have fought, only to be categorized and assessed, but you know that your first fight will be soon. Already the guards are bringing cages of creatures for the games, giant wolves from the south, lizards from the east and even stranger jungle beasts from the isles of the north all sent to kill and die in the arena.
You are in 20'x20' stone cells. Kjolmar, Orion and Erie share a cell and Quodak, Moredrel and Krathok are in an adjacent cell.
Through the small window in your cell you can see only a large, low ceilinged, pillared room where the guards and arena attendants are organizing a bewildering variety of weaponry on wooden tables. The cages of animals and monsters are in the shadows at the far end of the room. The guards appear to be preparing to equip the fighters for today's event.
The wheels creak ever onwards. You half open your eyes as you drift in and out of consciousness in a hazy state, only to have the world drift back out of focus as the cart you are imprisoned in and the caravan that it is part of make its rounds of the plains, gathering slaves to bring back to Vel Daeroth, the home of the dragons, from which they rule the known world.
Occasionally the door of the cage is opened by the guards and another poor soul is thrown in. Twice a day the guards bang on the cage and throw paltry food to you and barely enough water to sustain you in the heat of the summer days. They pay little attention to you and the captives in the three other carts of the caravan except to occasionally jeer at you in draconic and torment you when the fancy strikes them. Occaionally a true dragon flies overhead, patrolling the skies, its shadow falling across you as you lie restrained in the cart.
Byarsh Gyvualinn:
Your fate in Vel Daeroth is likely to be being burned alive for the heresy of worshiping a force other than the dragon god and for employing magic beyond the control of the dragons themselves.
Tama Eloni:
Your fate is likely that you will be bought by a dragon in Vel Daeroth and be forced to entertain him with tales of the world, of places that the dragons want to put under their heal
Estil Trivanise:
Once the caravan reaches Vel Daeroth you will be sent to the arena to fight for the amusement of the dragons and their half-dragon servants untill you fall in combat, no matter how long it takes.
Timmon:
When the carvan reaches its destination you will likely be put to work in the mines along with your eidolon until you succumb to the heat and work.
Lylindra:
Once the caravan reaches Vel Daeroth you will be sent to the arena to fight for the amusement of the dragons and their half-dragon servants untill you fall in combat, no matter how long it takes.
The caravan is now traveling along the edge of the eastern desert. You are all in the same cage, which is made of sturdy wooden poles lashed together with think rope. The cage itself is firmly attached to the chassis of the cart, which is pulled by two small mules. The caravan consists of three more carts, two containing other slaves and one likely holding equipment taken from the various slaves in the caravan and trade goods. Anyone who is a spellcaster has their hands tied securely with hemp rope. You have seen four guards accompanying the caravan, three human and one a half-dragon.
Perception DC 15:
during the mid-morning of one day, you can just make out several human figures mounted on what appear to be camels shadowing the caravan on the ridge to the east.
Here it is, OOC discussion for both of my Bronze Age parties.
The two parties are:
Party 1:Gods
Byarsh Gyvualinn-Tiefling Witch
Lylindra-Human Ranger
Timmon-Human Summoner
Tama Eloni-Human Bard
Estil Trivanise-Human Fighter and eventually Duelist
Party 2:Dragons
Kjolmar Greyhelm-Dwarf Rogue
Quodak Milner-Human Soulbolt
Orion Snow-Human Barbarian
Mark Sweetman-Human Vitalist
Jeff MacDonald-Human Witch
And still waiting on Vethcyr.
If everyone could post with their character profile, just so that I can have everyone in one place, I will start each game thread as soon as everyone has posted that they are ready
Since there seems to be interest, I am going to run a Homebrew PbP in a Bronze Age setting.
Expect an extremeally well fleshed out, gritty world with significant sandbox elements in terms of the structure of the campaign. Due to the setting however, there will be some restrictions on class and race choices as detailed below.
Races of the Known World:
Dwarves: The Dwarves are virtually unknown to the other dwellers of the Known World. They have always lived deep underground and in the highest mountain passes to avoid the dragons, and rarely emerge except in the legends which speak of how they taught man to shape bronze into tools and weapons while keeping for themselves the secrets of working all other metals. The main division of the Dwarves is into the Mountain and Cave clans based on where they choose to make their camps.
Mountain Dwarves live in the forbidding mountains to the south and carry on limited trade with orc and human barbarians. They tend to be rangers, famed for their mammoth mounts. Their largest and most permanent camp of Erzuk is by far the largest settlement in the south, and is by tradition a meeting place for all the Clans as well as tribes of barbarians
The Cave Dwarves on the other hand live beneath much of the Known World in a network of caves which allows them to travel with great ease relative to on the surface. Despite this they do not care to capitalize on this and conduct long range trade, instead only allowing the Elves to use their caves for travel.
Elves: The Elves are a nearly extinct race, due to the expansion into their lands of the much more numerous humans in the last several centuries as well as endless war with the dragons, who are jealous of another race with such a talent for magic. There are, however, many unknown corners of this primitive world in which they hide from humans and dragons alike, slowly moving their race away from the brink of extinction.
Half-Elves: Half-Elves are reasonably common and the result of centuries of Human encroachment onto Elven lands. They are viewed as perpetual outsiders by all human tribes, yet that very same ostracism makes Half-Elves the most likely to have traveled beyond the lands of a single clan or tribe. The Elves tolerate Half-Elves for their all too rare Elven blood, however they see them as just as brutish and violent as their human ancestors and in Elven communities, Half-Elves are generally restricted to martial trades and training to capitalize on their perceived bloodthirsty nature.
Half-Orcs: Half-Orcs are extremely common among the southern barbarians and unknown elsewhere. Human and Orc live side by side in the south warring amongst themselves as often as with each other, united in their fight against the dragons who forced their ancestors into the harsh tundra in the first place. Humans see it valuable to add the strength and ferocity of the orcs to their tribes and Orcs likewise find the cunning and intelligence of Humans to be of value. Thus in both societies it is not uncommon for Half-Orcs to have a relatively high station as they are a combination of the best traits of both races of tenacious survivors.
Humans: Humans make up the vast majority of the population of the Known World and comprise several broad groups: The barbarians of the icy south defending their lands against the armies of the Wyrm Lords, the desert nomads of the east who are said to hold the legacy of the first men to walk the world, the men of the western plains who live under the direct tyranny of the Wyrm Lords and the men of the forbidding and mysterious islands to the north.
In the south, tribes of barbarians wander the frozen wastelands, forced there to escape the dragons. They are more primitive than other Human cultures, having only the metal tools and weapons which they purchase from the Dwarves, bartering food and mercenary service. The southern tribes are united in their legends of the lush home of their ancestors from which they were forced and in their desire to return there. This dream may be realized with the arrival of their god Ramlor in the last generation. If the barbarians truly rally behind his power, they will certainly be able to lay low mighty empires.
To the East stretch endless deserts in which lie monumental and ancient ruins, forgotten by all except the nomads who make their homes among them. They say that these are the cities of the first men to walk the world, abandoned when those men fought over whether to serve the dragons or to fight them. The nomads say that they are descended from those who chose not to serve, and claim to hold a prophesy speaking of humans summoning powers which can face the might of the dragons. In the last several generations these prophesies seem to be coming true with the arrival of the god Marduk.
To the north, across a small sea lies a continent made up of closely spaced, jungle covered islands. In these jungles live the third main group of humans. Except for those from the southernmost of these islands which are subject to the occasional raid by the Wyrm Lords, the tribes of the jungle do not concern themselves with the outside world for all but the most dire of reasons. On one of these islands is a mythical city or citadel where a group of celestial humanoids guard something which they feel must be hidden from the eyes of mortals. The men of the jungle sometimes worship these beings, however the angels of the citadel seem indifferent to this worship yet grant humans divine magic anyway for their own inscrutable ends.
In the majority of the known world, Humans live in small, isolated villages under the ever present gaze of the Wyrm Lords. The men of the plains live in small, isolated villages and farm for the most part. They rarely travel farther than the next village and are in many ways the most backwards of the groups of Humans, as they are the most controlled by the dragons. This association, however, has given rise to the dragonborn, a mysterious group who say that they are the children of dragons and can harness their power. The previously vain prayers of the villagers of the plains have recently been answered by a mysterious and nameless voice which whispers in the back of the minds of a chosen few and promises them power beyond their wildest dreams. Accordingly, in the last two generations, sorcerers have begun to be born among Humans.
Halflings: Halflings are somewhat rare and live alongside Humans, especially in the plains and jungle with relatively few in the south.
Classes in the Known World:
Barbarian: In this primitive world, the barbarian is most people’s idea of a warrior. Most do come from the south, but anywhere in the world strength and ferocity can earn a place in society.
Bard: In a world without writing, those who sing and tell stories are especially valuable to society. Bards exist in all cultures as storytells and keepers of wisdom. Especially appropriate archetypes for the setting include the Animal Speaker, Dirge Bard, and Savage Skald. The Archivist, Geisha, Celebrity, Court Bard and Detective do not exist.
Rogue: Rogues exist in all cultures, especially among the humans of the plains and desert. Note that some or the more urban themed archetypes are unlikely to fit the setting.
Fighter: Fighters are ubiquitous throughout the world. It is recommended that fighters use some of the material from the 3.5 Tome of Battle, as martial enemies probably will be just to make things interesting.
Monk: There are no monks in the Known World, however there are rumors of strange disciplines being developed in the reaches of the eastern deserts under the influence of Marduk.
Druid: Among the Elves, Druids are held in high esteem and serve as the most revered elders of elven society who led the Elves away from bloodshed and almost certain extinction and into their remote havens. Among Humans, Druids generally live apart from what little civilization there is, however some lead particularly remote tribes.
Summoner: With no interplanar travel developed, creatures not of the world are misunderstood, as are those who have power over them. Summoners are very rare but relatively evenly distributed across the world. They are persecuted by the dragons for having their own source of power in eidolons which the dragons cannot hope to control.
Cleric: Until very recently, the only deity in the Known World was the Dragon God, however in recent centuries, other gods have appeared or arrived from some distant plane among humans. Among the Dwarves, Clerics revere the ancestors as listed below and among Orcs there are tribal shamans who have the powers of Clerics. Elves are far more likely to become Druids than Clerics, but Elven Clerics generally pick elemental or otherwise nature related domains. It is unlikely that a member of any layer race would worship the Dragon God. See below for information about deities.
Sorcerer: Sorcerers are rare, as the dragons jealously guard magical talent. Among the Elves they are common, which is the cause of the war between dragons and Elves. Elven Sorcerers tend to have the Verdant or Elemental Bloodlines. Among Humans, the dragonborn truly bear the blood of dragons and thus they can be Draconic Sorcerers of great power. Recently, however, sorcerers of all bloodlines have been born among the humans of the plains. Thus a Human sorcerer would likely be from there, although there are tales of ferocious berserker magic users from the north born from the union of Orc and Human blood.
Magus: Although there is no writing and thus no history of studying magic in the Known World there is a tradition among those of draconic blood to combine magic and combat. To most this training is associated with the Dragonknights, dreaded enforcers of the Wyrm Lords. However among the dragonborn these powers are held in high regard in preparation for the inevitable battle against the dragons.
Witch: Mysticism abounds among all people of the Known World and is in fact most of the magic which a person will ever even hear about. Witches serve the minor magical needs of villages and tribes. In the north they are relatively uncommon in favor of cleric-shamans. The Witch Doctors of the northern islands are infamous for their poorly reported powers.
Wizard: There are no known wizards, as writing has not been invented yet among humans and elves. If wizards exist among the dwarves, they stay isolated and are not known to the rest of the world.
Psionics: There are perhaps only a few dozen people who can even tell psionics from magic. While psionics are not native to the Known World, there are strange things which have been spoken of in the east in recent years.
Gods of the Known World:
In keeping with the legendary and heroic nature of the Known World, gods walk among and in some cases directly rule over mortals. There are few gods, since untill very recently only the dragons had a god, however, some human gods have emerged in the last century and the process of gods appearing could only be beginning. The gods of the Known World include the Dragon God, the various new Human gods and the mysterious Angels of the Northern Isles.
The Human gods are a new force in the world having only emerged between a century and a generation ago. There are three human gods so far in the Known World.
Marduk:Marduk appeared to the nomads of the east about a century ago and began raising a great city to teach Humans the arts or civilization. He is a deity of magic and culture. Alignment:N Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff. Domains: Magic, Nobility, Knowledge, Artifice.
RamlorRamlor is the barbarian war god of the south. He appeared about 50 years ago and appears to be uniting tribes under his banner for some unknown war. Alignment:CN Favored Weapon:Battle-Axe Domains:Strength, War, Travel, Luck, Chaos.
The Nameless OneThe Nameless One is the force responsible for the growth in the number of sorcerers among the people of the plains. He has not revealed himself beyond being a voice whispering in the heads of his followers. Alignment:NE Favored Weapon:Dagger Domains:Magic, Knowledge, Void, Madness, Luck
Although they have no gods, the Dwarves and Orcs both have clerics/shamans who worship ancestors and nature spirits respectively.
Dwarven AncestorsTo the dwarves, their ancestors are due the most reverence for having created the place in the world which the dwarves of the present occupy. Accordingly the priests of the ancestor cults are powerful in Dwarven society. Alignent:LN Favored Weapon:Warhammer Domains:Rune, Protection, Community, Repose, Healing
Orc SpiritsThe shamans among the orcs worship spirits in nature, and passed that belief on to the humans of the south. Now with the arrival of Ramlor, even Orcs are forsaking the old ways to follow him. Alignment:N Favored Weapon:Spear Domains:Healing, War, Destruction, Weather, Ice.
I am still deciding whether the Angels of the north will be worshiped separately or together.
Character Guidelines:
Characters begin at first level.
Stats are 4d6 drop lowest. If you wind up with the equivilent of less than a 25 point buy you can take your rolled stats and add points according to standard point buy to bring yourself up to at least 25.
Pathfinder Core or any setting appropriate Paizo material is allowed in addition to the 3.5 Complete Series, Magic Item and Spell Compendia, Frostburn and Sandstorm and Tome of Battle as long at it is setting appropriate. If you want to use material from beyond this I am extremeally lenient about that sort of thing, so ask and I will probably let you.
Each character gets two traits, one standard Pathfinder and one which you and I will develop based on your backstory.
You start with no equipment. Don't Panic, I will give you equipment quickly into the game, so tell em if there is anything that your character particularly needs.
There is no common language in the Known World since there has not been a chance for any human culture to spread itself across the entire world. Thus each character begins play knowing their native language and the appropriate bonus languages for their intelligence.
I have not decided what to do with knowledge skills. Expect higher DC's across the board for knowledge checks. Knowledge(Planes) likely does not exist. Some more changes to skills upcoming once I think them through.
If you get through that wall of text and want to play, I'm exited to have you. Two spots are probably already reserved but I am not averse to running two groups if there are enough people. Post characters w/ backstory in the next few days and then we will start hopefully within the week.
I have wanted to run a Bronze Age setting for a while, and now that I have had opportunity to play in some PbP games on these boards I would like to give back by DMing.
I am proposing a game set in an essentially Bronze Age world ruled by dragon overlords whose time might be coming to an end. This setting is actually the ancient history of a previous campaign I ran, so expect a very well fleshed out world with lots of history and interconnections. I am therefore hoping that there is interest for a game which includes the opportunity for tying characters strongly into the setting and in-depth roleplaying.
If there is enough interest, I will write a player's guide with some notes about race and class choices. Be warned that I have already decided some things.
As this is a bronze age setting writing has barely been invented and accordingly there are no wizards. The lack of wizards is a potential plot point in the story.
I will be drawing from Pathfinder core as well as any other setting appropriate Paizo material, however I am generally extremeally lenient about allowing most 3.5 material in the game if it adds to a character
I reward characters being well-integrated into the world in terms of backstory. If you have a character concept, I feel that it is my job to help create a place for it in the world.
There is no 'Common' language, since there is relatively little contact between groups at this stage of history. Language will potentially be a very important part of the early sections of the campaign
I hope there is interest, since I feel that this is the sort of setting which is rarely seen.
I was just thinking of characters who are able to grow far beyond their original character description and become breakout stars of their campaigns and a blast to have in the party.
My best is probably Teyth'andraskahar, Warforged Factotum. I originally pitched the character for a one-shot as a half joking suggestion with a race and class combination which shouldn't even exist in pathfinder. I somehow convinced the GM to allow it and Tayth became an escaped experiment from an ancient and forgotten civilization. His creators had tried to make a suer-soldier who could do everything and had tried to imprint all human knowledge into him. They believed that their experiment had failed utterly, but they had in fact created a first level factotum. He now wanders the world searching for his purpose. The one shot proved so popular that "The Continuing Adventures of Raegar and Tayth" has had a sequal and the completion of the trilogy is planned.
What are some other stories of characters that have proven to be breakout stars of their campaigns.
