The campaign world is medieval/renaissance with a heavy reliance on magic and steampunk, and streches from areas based off of Northern Canada down to analogues of Mesoamerica and the Carribean. Colonialism has happened, but thanks to skilled indigenous shamans wielding actual magic the death toll from disease was far lower, so the indigenous population is larger than it is in real life. I'm curious as to whether there are any new archetypes you guys think should be created for members of these indigenous culture to take, or whether existing archetypes cover pretty much anything.
Also, if anybody has ideas for indigenous magic items, I'm listening.
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Have you ever seen the D20 setting from Atlas Games Northern Crown.It is out of print but it seems to be pretty close to what you are looking for.I picked up copies off of Ebay super cheap.
What the hell?
What the hell?
Class archetypes. Are there any class archetypes or magic item ideas from American Indian lore that you guys thing I should homebrew for this?
Have you ever seen the D20 setting from Atlas Games Northern Crown.It is out of print but it seems to be pretty close to what you are looking for.I picked up copies off of Ebay super cheap.
I have seen it, but I haven't found any reviews, and it seems to be as much about colonial folklore as native lore. I don't really know if that's what I want. What I want is to know if I should make any knew archetypes or if existing archetypes cover what I need, and as an aside I am also interested in magic item ideas.
Well, since you're doing a post-colonial setting which allows for the introduction of the horse, a mounted archer archetype would be a must. Shapeshifting is prominent in native lore; an archetype could certainly evolve from that.
As for magic items: Protective totems, talismans, medicine bags...Hiawatha had a magic canoe that figures prominently in the myths told about him.
I'd say to some research. There are likely plenty of tales you can plunder for ideas.
Well, since you're doing a post-colonial setting which allows for the introduction of the horse, a mounted archer archetype would be a must.
I could make a mounted archer archetype for the cavalier.
Shapeshifting is prominent in native lore; an archetype could certainly evolve from that.
Maxximilus has a Druid archetype perfect for this that I plan to allow in my games.
As for magic items: Protective totems, talismans, medicine bags...Hiawatha had a magic canoe that figures prominently in the myths told about him.
Thanks.
I'd say to some research. There are likely plenty of tales you can plunder for ideas.
I own three books on the subject of basic Native American culture and history, and am using them, but more into is always welcome.
What I'd suggest first is looking up a few major tribes that live or lived in the areas you are trying to create and read up on them for more specific information. "American Indian" is sort of like saying "Caucasian" or "Asian" -- but just as there are big cultural differences between, say, a Greek and a Scot and an Italian and a Russian, there are big cultural differences between a Wampanoag or a Cherokee or a Crow or a Navajo. More to the point, spirituality and thoughts on magic vary--so figuring how a fantasy based indigenous person would work magic depends on what your source of inspiration is (and thus what spellcasting classes you would use and their variants could change a lot).
And even not magic--some tribes at that time were more technologically advanced than others. Some you might want to apply gun-using archetypes, to others archetypes that reflect use of "primitive" weapons.
That said, very generally, I can't think of many archetypes you'd need to invent for that time period, based on the native cultures I do know something about, but that's only based on a very broad idea of what you're trying to do.
I understand that American Indian is a very broad term, and am accounting for it culturewise. However, archetype wise, I'm covering fighting styles of the whole continent, most of which are already represented by existing archetypes. I'm just looking for any holes, like a dedicated archer cavalier. Magic wise, divine magic is important, arcane magic is not (In this world, aside from some witchcraft traditions, arcane magic is a very new thing, so there really aren't any native traditions, or colonist traditions, for that matter. Arcane magic is more of a make it up as you go along thing.). Guns are not important, as I am not using them in this campaign setting. It's a style choice. I want medieval fantasy, I just want to move things to an area not often covered.
As for areas, I'm doing countries one by one, so while right now I'm working on researching Canadian and New England tribes for the Kingdom of Cromora, later on I'll be working with Aztecs, Maya, the Iroquois tribes, the Sioux tribes, and so on. I'd like to get all the archetypes handled now, so that later I just have to worry about culture.
If you are looking at creating some interesting archetypes inspired by the myriad of different mythologies, then I think that could work really well. If you are going for a stereotypical "Indian" archetype that's going to faceplant rather badly.
Don't worry. I'm not attempting a general "Indian" archetype. For the most part, I'm using existing classes and archetypes for NPC natives and having my players do the same for PC natives, I'm just asking you guys if there are any concepts you can think up that could use their own archetype instead of an existing one.
Try looking up Skin Walkers, it might be useful for one of those pre-existing Witch traditions. Though they might be more of an NPC archetype than a PC, depending on your group.
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I don't really know native american crap so I am just going off what I think I know:
Some sort of druid/oracle mix for the shape changer? Not sure how to archetype that. Just oracle for the mysticism and druid for shape changer.
Archtype for some sort of spirit guides thing. Maybe druid but animal companions have some spell like abilities instead of combat abilities. Maybe incorporeal too?
A general archetype for an indian who takes up mannerisms of the colonists? Maybe they gain certain skills as class skills and are forced to give up skills like survival or handle animal.
A bard archtype for a keeper of tribal folklore. Limited performance types and benefits adjusted to tribal life.
A bard archtype for the fellow who talks for the tribe to colonial authority figures. Maybe he is the guy who also first talked to the trappers/missionaries.
A clerical archtype for an indian shaman who converted to a colonial god.
That's all I can think of.
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the basic stuff is covered. i suggest presenting Totems as Command Word Themed Spells in a Can with a Per Day Limitation. i beleive this works better than staves.
here is a rough idea, minus the fluff
Totem of Healing CL5th Slot; None (but it's worn on the neck)
Remove Curse 1/day (CL5th) (2700 GP)
Remove Disease 1/day (CL5th) (4050 GP)
Cure Serious Wounds 3/day (CL5th) (16,200 GP)
doubles as a holy symbol for any Deity with the Healing Domain (Free)
Total Market Price; 22,950 GP Craft Price 11,475 GP
Ghostwalkers were elite, Native American warriors who specialized in tracking, camouflage, rapid and silent movement, and surprise attacks. They were named after the nickname used for Pumas. Most information about them comes from the Arapaho and Cherokee if you want to pursue it.
It feels like a Ranger/Rogue combo to me, but I'm not sure if there's already an archetype that would cover the concept.
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One thing you might consider is a medicine society. In some plains tribes, they were made up of all who survived a disease. Now considering that forgien diseases (Smallpox, measles etc) reduced Indian populations 90+Percent IRL, a fantasy analog society could develop 'medicine society' prestige classes as a counter.
The Masked societies (False Face) societies of the Iroquois. They were monster/ghost hunters.
I'd make them a Prestige Class, however, since the concept embraces a lot of divine classes (Inquisitors, Druids, etc.).
Do you have Northern Crown? It might prove useful. I like the book a lot.
One thing you might consider is a medicine society. In some plains tribes, they were made up of all who survived a disease. Now considering that forgien diseases (Smallpox, measles etc) reduced Indian populations 90+Percent IRL, a fantasy analog society could develop 'medicine society' prestige classes as a counter.
Yeah by the mid 1600's the damage was done and done well. If it had not went down like that America as we know it would be very different with the colonists fighting a much,much,much larger native probation and not having farm ready land to take.
Now in a world of magi bets would be off. I could see a group of "medicine men" dedicated to stopping the spread of outland illness. Make a fun group of "Villains" when they conquer the colony to stop its spread.