A Song of Ice and Fire (Warning: Story Spoilers)

[ParagonDireRaccoon]

What mechanics would be necessary for A Song of Ice and Fire for Pathfinder? I'm thinking of feats, traits, archetypes, and game mechanics. I know there is an RPG for A Song of Ice and Fire, but I enjoy Pathfinder and thing it would be fun to model elements of the series in PF.

The big mechanics question is magic. It looks like magic in ASOIaF goes through cycles, waning until magic is a thing of children's stories (Snarks and Grumpkins) and then increasing rapidly. I would start the series as almost non-magical, and give casters an effective caster level of -10. This would decrease as magic returns, and there would probably be a bonus to effective caster level near Daenerys or her dragons by book three.

Measuring years and seasons would be tricky. It looks like the planet is very large, probably the size of Jupiter. A "year" or rotation around the sun might be several years.

I would have (unique) feats and traits for some characters. I would create a "Blessed and Cursed by Fate" trait for Tyrion, giving him an automatic critical success once per book ("You don't want to kill me, you want to be my army") and one automatic critical failure per book ("I didn't have anything to do with the assassination, they're not going to blame me"). I would give Jaime a (unique) "Golden Lion of Lannister" feat that gives a constant +1 to hit, save, AC, and initiative and -4 to social rolls when interacting with good characters. I would give the Stark children a trait that provides wild empathy with dire wolves. I would make a Kingsguard archetype for the Cavalier, and modify the Noble class from the 3.5ish Dragonlance Campaign Setting.

There have been discussions on what class would best suit characters from ASoIaF, I don't have anything interesting to add but would like to hear others' thoughts on classes for characters and mechanics.

[Samasboy1]

The number one class that comes to mind with ASoIaF would be Cavalier.

The majority have the main characters are nobles and their children, trained or training to be knights, which is effectively portrayed by the Cavalier class.

Spell casting classes should be so rare as to be almost unknown. The only character I can think of would be Melisandre, whom I would probably make an oracle of Flame.

[redcelt32]

Just remember that if you want to stay true to the ASOIAF themed world, it is extremely low magic. Like Lord of the Rings if the elves and Maiar like Gandalf were not around low magic.

This is the main reason that I have never tried to convert it to Pathfinder. Many of the challenges and roleplay issues, political crisis, etc are rendered moot with a single 2nd lvl spell.

So if you are talking about porting the world over as a campaign setting, you will be fine, as long as you don't expect it to look anything at all like the books.

If you are porting the game mechanics, feel of the ASOIAF RPG over, I suggest not doing it.

One final note- GMs seem to love low magic settings, but players rarely do. Even if your group love, love the Game of Thrones setting, they might enjoy it less without magic.

You might try peeking over in the Kingmaker forum and searching on Game of Thrones... several GMs have posted stuff they used to add that feel to their kingmaker games. Not sure if that is exactly what you were looking for, but hopefully it helps.

[Samasboy1]

Barbarian-good for wildings, hill tribes near the Vale, Dolthraki
Wildlings- Superstitious
Dolthraki- Mounted Fury
does not fit- Elemental Kin

Bard- I don't think the Bard class fits, with its spell casting and magic songs

Cleric- We know that there are priest of the various gods, but most don't exhibit magic. Possibly a few low level clerics but very few, most priests are members of other classes like expert or aristocrat. I would state them as an inquisitor or oracle before cleric.

Druid- Hearkens back to the Children of the Forest, but none known in the current age. Maybe Bran?

Fighter- any and all

Monk- you could possibly fit monk in as from the Free Cities, however you would probably want to restrict archetypes, maybe to just Martial Artist

Paladin- I could see paladin, if limited to 3 levels or less so no spells. The Night's Watch kinda makes sense as Oathbound Paladin (maybe just the officers?)

Ranger- Skirmisher and trapper rangers definately

Rogue- of all types and kinds. I would even let a rogue take Magic Talents in certain cases (Disguise Self for Jaqen H'ghar).

Sorcerer- Doesn't fit, maybe the warlocks of the Undying of Qarth

Wizard- Doesn't fit, maybe the warlocks of the Undying of Qarth

Alchemist- Strangely, I think you can make this one work. The Alchemist Guild in King's Landing and the Maesters of the Citadel fit, at least certain archetypes. Bombs can be wildfire, or similar combustive compounds. Mutagens don't really fit, but can be gotten rid of.
Chirurgeon
Internal Alchemist
Mind Chemist
Vivisectionist

Inquisitor- Same problem as clerics. Given the social skills, I would probably make a priest an inquisitor or oracle before making him a cleric. Melisandre could be an inquisitor (she "judges" people a lot)

Oracle- Same problem as clerics. I do think Melisandre makes sense as an oracle. You could also make Bran an oracle of Nature rather than a druid (it seems fitting, since he is rather cursed and his dreams fit the divination theme of Oracle). Miri Maz Duur could have been an oracle.

Summoner- Doesn't fit

Witch- Doesn't fit, maybe the warlock of the Undying of Qarth, Miri Maz Duur could have been a witch

Magus- Doesn't fit

Gunslinger- No guns, so no gunslinger

Samurai and Ninja- don't fit for what they are, but you could imagine them as bodyguards and assassins from the Free Cities pretty easily

[Kolokotroni]

Look up the rules for E6. There are no 20th level characters in Westeros. Also, check out hte super genius games product, the dragon rider, for rules that would pertain to a certain former royal family.

I would also look at restricting magic heavily. I'd say probably there should only be a single 'spellcasting' class, and that shouldnt be any of the main ones (wizard, cleric, druid etc are far too overt for this game). Maybe Just the Alchemist. This obviously cuts down options significantly, and you will have to work on adventure pacing without any healing magic. You might want to use the wounds/vigor alternate rules for hitpoints from the APG.

[Qralloq]

I have friend who really wanted to play or run a GoT campaign, but I think that he got boggled down in the details.

I'd allow non-flashy magic items. The hereditary sword of House Stark for example, could have an enhancement bonus or be Keen or some such. There probably aren't many brilliant energy weapons, though. There could be all kinds of magic items lying around from yesteryear, just not recognized as such as they don't "shine" and no one believes or detects magic.

Also, there very clearly is tons of magic. It is simply elusive and all but forgotten in Westeros, perhaps explained by some kind of historical witch hunt like magic purge, or by long term Targaryen controlling of magics through force and theft. There could be some extremely secretive force not yet revealed in the SOIaF that is actively suppressing magical knowledges. That leaves magic only in the hands of powerful but secretive factions. Any character with these backgrounds would have appropriate magical training, but with an associated amount of fetters/taboos on revealing these secrets in any obvious way, undoubtedly on pain of death.

All of this is extremely playable in an RPG, just not in a stereotypical D&D fashion of a band of motley adventurers with little in common beyond the Players who made them.

The down side of converting to PF is that D&D in all of its forms is extremely overpowered by levels. Kinda like World of Warcraft... It is impossible for a peon to one shot a high level toon, probably even with a coup de grace action, but that seems not even possible, but likely in ASOIaF.

[ParagonDireRaccoon]

I would treat Valyrian steel as something similar to dragonmetal from Dragonlance, with an inherent +2 bonus and as something that is easy to make a magical weapon out of, but the magic would vary in power as magic waxes and wanes in the world. The magic level goes in cycles, as magic grows in Westeros dormant magic becomes active.

I don't recall any cleric-type magic through a Dance of Dragons, but it looks like arcane-type spellcasters exist (without the ability to cast anything beyond 1st or second level spells, if that). I'd have to increase the effectiveness of the Heal skill. The next book will probably expand the amount and kinds of magic in Westeros.

The Targaryens are basically descendents of the last Melniboneons in that world, who took several dragons and conquered Westeros (it looks like they knew magic was starting to decline and their empire was in its last days, so they set themselves up in Westeros). The Targaryens don't steal magic in the books, but Daenerys is the first to take advantage of the return of magic and magic is stronger near her.

Pathfinder isn't ideal for running a political intrigue campaign, but ASoIaF is influenced by Tolkien and Moorcock and PF is good for running fantasy influenced by Tolkien and Moorcock.

[Venshad]

Great topic and great answers!

I do like ASOFaI and think that PF would do great. The question is magic.

You could increase the relevant spellcasting attribute, so only truly exceptional idividuals could possibly cast a cantrip or a level 1 spell.

I think that a 18 in the relevant attribute should sufice. Just consider it as a 11 regarding bonus spells per day (+7 attribute requirememt).

In the proximity of special places or persons, this could be lessened, but not too much.

As a world almostly negated of magic, people would devote a 18 to more martial classes, instead of gaining low level spells.

Another thing should be the almost absence of scrolls and spellbooks. Almost no "formal" training for wizards and the like.

Magic should be more spontaneous than in other settings.