| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I may be crazy for even considering doing this...but I have the time and interest, so AVANTE!
Hi, my name is DM Frogfoot. I do homebrew campaigns set in Golarion. I am currently fortunate enough to be employed at a job that gives me enough free time to regularly check these forums, and so...even though I am an active player in 3 PbP campaigns and DMing one PbP campaign on this board already, I am considering adding one more small thing.
I love when a group of players enters into a campaign with a network of interconnected backstories. I find that it enriches the roleplaying experience tremendously when that level of trust - or at least, prior knowledge - is there between PCs. One of the coolest ways of achieving this, in my eyes, is to have a party comprised of all the same race, coming from the same local community. We Be Goblins is a fantastic adventure path imo for that reason alone.
I'd like to set up a small, casual PbP campaign in which all the players involved are the same race and from the same community - or at least are a relatively known outsider. Here's the twist. I'm allowing my applicants to decide what race they will all be.
Ground rules:
25 point buy. I like more the direction of high fantasy adventures than gritty realism and E6-type gameplay - though I definitely have an appreciation for that as well. This campaign is going to be something I'm doing in addition to a few other things, so I'm going to be adding a lot of extra flash.
Starting level 4, average starting gold for that level.
Two traits, from different categories.
Posting requirement - at least once a day, even if it's a one-line post letting me know you're still active, just busy.
Banned races:
gillmen, they're pussies.
humans, bah, we're all humans already, let's pretend here.
Fetchlings, Vishkanya, and Wayangs - I don't know enough about them to make up a story about them on the fly.
That's it. No other race or class restrictions as long as it's not third-party - sorry, no psionics. I have nothing against them but I'm not familiar enough with their rules and I don't want to bother learning them right now. One special rule that I have: the more optimized your character is in combat, the more I expect you to roleplay in the right situations. I like creativity and flavor in my campaigns - no posts that consist solely of die rolls, please.
But yeah, I'll make up a homebrew story involving the characters of the people I accept. Include your suggestions for what race you think the party should be in your application post. Also, acknowledge my posting requirement please.
I'm also open to taking the direction of whatever story I decide to use in unusual directions. Want to play a party of scholarly halflings in a Lovecraftian horror setting (Ustalav)? Want to play tiefling missionaries preaching elemental worship in the fringes of Vigil? Duergar mercenaries in the deep underground? A group of ratfolk with aspirations of creating their own thieves guild? Let me hear your most creative ideas!
Bounces into thread and plonks keg down
First, your link doesn't work at getting people here.
Second, what about 'Templates'? Or some of the semi 'monstrous' races such as Centaurs.
Third, "Squee!" *HUGZ (^_^) An immense thank you for putting on a game!
I posted a fixed link.
Templates are A-OK, monstrous races are more iffy. I'll read your suggestion with an open mind but I'd need some convincing, it'd make storytelling a little more challenging I think. But it might be a fun challenge ;)
Interesting. How about Tieflings, some sort of Chelaxian breeding program maybe? That would allow us to pick the different Tiefling variants for a bit of variety, and maybe be part of some sort of Chelaxian super soldier/eugenics program. We could be rebels from said program or its enforcers, either could be pretty cool, though I like the idea of being hunted by our creators more myself.
Saunters in with a hand full of mugs. Slides one across to Bright, "may I join you?"
Alright boss I'd love to get in on this game. I'm a huge fan of dwarves and Orc so I will push for those. As for how they all met well, I've been playing a ton of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans; and Warcraft II Tides of Darkness. So a war party? Refugees? Or captured slaves seem to be on tap.
I am up to try anything though.
Sprites would be interesting for a one-shot, but I'm ruling that suggestion out for now, mostly because there isn't an established "sprites as PC" template. I do homebrew, not as much houserule. :)
The cheliaxian breeding program is interesting. There are tons of tiefling variants presented in teh Blood of Fiends text and Fiendish Heritage has a random table of physical changes that apply to your character...definitely has merit.
Dwarves and Orcs have tons of potential for good old fashioned brawly campaigns. :) I'll take your vote into consideration.
I've been wanting to try out an Ifrit. We could be genie-kin tomb raiders!
Alternatively, I love the idea of halfings in Ustulav.
What about just recently escaped from an experimental lab (not necessarily a breeding experimental lab)? We could all be the same base race with some different effect from the experiments on us? Because then we could be on the run from being caught again.
What about an alternative lab, since we are talkin about it, being the experimenters. A terrible accident creating changes in all or attempting to catch what escapes before "It" spreads and infiltrates all?
What different effects did you have in mind, Kana? :)
Love the genie-kin tomb raider idea, Ixos, especially because that idea could be broadened somewhat to include all the "genie-like" races. That's still a tight enough umbrella to create an interesting party dynamic.
Oh that could be fun!
@DM Frogfoot I was thinking things like perhaps there's different grafts and things. Such as someone has an undead one, and perhaps there's a fiendish one, maybe even a celestial one.
Fascinating idea. That would be an interesting way to apply templates to PCs.
And think about how we would have to try to hide the changes from normal society? If we are on the run, visual things could make interacting with the public very interesting.
What if instead of pixies or atomies we play a group of normal race PCs with the Fey template? We could either be part of fey culture or a group of changelings in the same village.
There'd be some neat variety based on class, base race, and we'd get to pick one of the "every 4 HD" abilities every four levels.
I'm also considering an all-Drow Noble campaign set in Menzoberranzan, if people don't mind the Forgotten Realms setting. Then everyone could be nice and OP.
An all-fey group could be fantastic, TLO3. I'm loving the cauldron of thoughts bubbling here, keep stirring the pot! cackles
Maybe even a contained site for an experimental weapon that was being tested? Maybe it was supposed to eradicate, but instead mutated the inhabitants of said area?
Or maybe it would have much more of a mad scientist vibe and there would be specific test subjects and their reaction to some new kind of mutagen?
Before I continue rambling, I think it might be interesting to be a part of a small tribe of a race that has been pushed into decline over the years. Sort of like a race on the run, hoping to find a place where they can eventually thrive. Maybe there are other known settlements that have been pushed into decline and they are trying to gather the pieces of their broken race.
MY LONG LOST TWIN BROTHER?!?!?!?!
Joking aside, I LOVE your "race on the decline" idea. I could easily imagine, perhaps, a group of Tengu facing racial persecution, trying to found their Great Eyrie. Give it sort of a Kingmaker feel. Just as a first-reaction idea. :)
Hahaha, what are the chances right?
I'm not too experienced with Pathfinder, but I've been frequenting these forums more often and I wanted to jump on this before I lost my chance to add anything to it. I personally love the idea behind what you're trying to set up here.
Regarding the genie-kin idea, it would be great having multiple elemental heritages in the party. We could wander around Osirion and get into lots of trouble robbing dead god kings.
I also like the race in decline idea.
I actually really liked the elemental races and have been wanting to make a Sylph or Undine character at some point. I think your idea for tomb raiding genie-kin could be really fun.
I think my favorites are some sort of experiment/lab related choice and the genie-kin running round.
Could do a mix of things. Could even do fey with a focus on different elements? So while everyone is the same they are different at the same time?
|
Well this sounds like a fantastic game in the making, and if I may,I would love to be a part of it. Really like the dwarves scenario, but they can fight so many things..maybe a dwarven walking dead in the ruins of an ancient underground dwarven citadel. Or the same with the Drow, beset by creatures on all sides, just trying to find shelter and stay alive. Was also thinking of an elemental (Fey) that could be interesting.
Oohhh, I'm getting really excited about the idea of playing an Ifrit Dervish Dancer or a Oread Shaitan Binder.
I'll throw in a vote for the Tiefling experiment idea. I have a very superhero-esque character who'd work well with it. My fiancee's interested as well. When she hops on after school, she'll probably vote for the fey campaign.
dwarven walking dead
Immediately imagined a party consisting of dwarves with the undead template, like in goblins comic.
Before we submit characters, can you pick the theme you like best from the assembled ideas?
Of course. I want to give a few other people time to chime in with their ideas before I reach a final decision.
Here's a collected list of the campaign ideas that players have expressed interest in in this thread:
A group of halflings in Ustalav, Lovecraft themes
A group of genie-kin tomb raiders
Escaped experiments, all one race but each with one different template, from a science lab
A group of Fey template adventurers, different races but all displaying fey heritage
A "race on the decline" Kingmaker style campaign
A dwarf-centric exploration campaign
A drow-centric survival campaign
I'm in no hurry. Like I said, I'm an active player in 3 campaigns and a DM in another, so I have things to keep me busy during the day. Oh, and my job that I'm here to do...I could do that as well I guess... ;)
By elemental fey do you mean the genie-kin or the fey template characters? xD
...And all Golarion shall be consumed in fire and ice.
I'm pretty much the Oracle of Delphi
Left tieflings off your list DM Frogfoot! Unless you are rolling them in with experiments, but I think they should probably be separate given there's something of a distinction possible.
I rather like orcs, because they are well set up with a number of foes. Say the remnants of a defeated tribe trying to rise back to power. You have other tribes to contend with, the humans of Lastwall, the nearby Undead, underdark adventuring, and other orc tribes. Could make for a really meaty combat heavy game.
Genie-kin tomb raiders feels a little limited in scope, I'm sure it could be made more varied easily, but it seems to be in a less potentially adventure hook rich part of Golarion.
It would be great to be able to explore some of the plot hook littered surroundings of Absalom and the greatest city in Golarion would be an awesome base for an adventure imo. It could work for a number of the suggested races.
Or undead themed in Geb could be excellent, the fluff for the area is great...
The greatest threat to the people of Geb are the bizarre aberrations and otherworldly creatures that skulk and burst from the Mana Wastes to prey upon the inhabitants of northern Geb. Rogue elementals, barghests, sandkrakens, and will-o’-wisps all occasionally wander across the border, as do the mana-twisted undead personifications of the warped magics found in the Mana Wastes. The southern Axan Wood — a twisted “forest” of magic-blasted trees both dead and undead — is home to strange creatures of negative energy and shadow found nowhere else on Golarion, such as deadwood dryads, nightwolves, and twilight unicorns. Of course, all manner of undead may be found throughout Geb — the difference being that sentient undead are considered full citizens. Although officially denied by the government, rumors persist of uncontrolled mindless undead roaming the countryside and attacking travelers.
Dhampir, Fetchlings, and maybe some mutant stuff from the manawastes?
I had lumped them in with the experimentations but I could definitely consider a differently-themed Tiefling campaign, perhaps in Cheliax.
Geb could be a fascinating setting. I love all of your ideas so far, Broken Prince.
No, I'm totally fine with the undead template as long as you're sentient. I'm even fine with doing an evil campaign if that's what the players I choose want. We'll have to see! ;)
Well Geb would offer the option, I suppose you could either be trying to oppose the evil, or trying to become Bloodlords - though given the pace of PBP that would probably take many years, lol.
Oooooh, how about tackling Wrath of the Righteous from the otherside? We could be invading demons seeking to carve out a power base, fighting other demons, crusaders, the native barbarians - forget the proper name, but the people who were native to the land before the world wound came. We could just use tiefling stats and reflavor as weaker demons, unless anyone is aware of playable demon stats.
Lol, you just want to run one game right ;)
I'm sadly not very well versed in the lore of the Worldwound or Geb in general, I'd have to do a little reading before I could comfortably run a campaign. It's still possible though. GMing for a group of power-hungry demons does have its appeal...
Geb's either easy or hard depending on your view because there simply isn't that much information on it, so you would need to do a lot of defining but would have a great deal of freedom. Its nice that all the info can be read in two minutes though and the broad strokes picture is laden with cool plot hooks.
The World Wounds also pretty undefined, but I imagine its been filled in a bit with the recent AP modules.
Honestly I think most of the proposed ideas sound great, I'd probably say go with the one that excites the DM most.
Yeah, glancing at that link, that's about the same amount of information I had to go on before I started my last campaign for the Hold of Belkzen. I've been pretty successfully b$$$*$!@ting my way through that one so far, as "," can attest - she's in that campaign. So I could definitely do a Geb campaign if everyone wanted to use the undead template. That'd be pretty fascinating.
I can't wait to see any other ideas people come up with. This has been a great thought experiment so far and I believe it'll transition into a great campaign.