The City of Steam (The city of bleeding flames)


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


2 people marked this as a favorite.

So my brother showed me an article about a city built around a terrask and it gave me an idea. For a campaign I was making. It is a city built around another spawn of divine destruction, the Firebleeder. Now this city is a bit different, rather then farming it's blood and such to keep it subdued, this Firebleeder has been trapped inside a giant, uh whats the word, well a giant pi in the ground. Then there are thousands holes all around the cavern filled with Decanter's of Endless Water that are spewing geysers of water on Firebleeder. The damage from this has kept him subdued, and has caused a endless mine of obsidian from the combination of the freezing water hitting the magma that the Firebleeder is made of, causing an endless supply of obsidian. This has let the people cover everythign in obsidian. The roads, houses and shops are usually made from obsidian. However the constant heat means that many trees have a hard time growing so wood is not that common. This as also made it so most weapons are made from obsidian. this combination of water and lava has caused a blanket of steam to cover the city forever. The blanket of warm steam has made this city a nice home for ifrits as well as undine merchants who enjoy warmer water.

Around the canyon, I think that's the word, that houses the Firebleeder there has been a fortress built that houses the current rulers of the city. Then above the firebleeder there is a giant steam powered generator, making this city a very technological advanced town (steampunk hehe). As well as all this the subdued Firebleeder has allowed an easy access to a massive fire magic source. This means that all sorts of magic users can study massive amounts of magic to learn from. The inhabitants of the city have even gone as far as to make magic forges in the tunnels left by the Firebleeder and using special tunnels to channel its magma into a heat source to use to super heat materials to a point were they can be easily forged. As well as making them easily enchanted with enchantments such as flaming and flaming burst. While they use the magma skin of it as armor.

Well that's all I have so far...


That sounds awesome.


It is awesome. Me and some friends are playing on it with him as GM, I'm also helping build it and it's gonna turn out as an absolutely amazing map.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

And then one day a dead magic wave sweeps across the world, and the Decanters shut down.

Cue kaiju rampage.

==Aelryinth


Aelryinth wrote:

And then one day a dead magic wave sweeps across the world, and the Decanters shut down.

Cue kaiju rampage.

==Aelryinth

Yeah, uh no. But a portal to a dimension of infinite water...


Have the prescence of the firebleeder on the local environment as part of the flavor.

For those born and raised in the area, give them a deep connection to flame, since the firebleeder's blood taints the water supply. This would come in various forms: most native citizens can cast spark, light, and perhaps continual flame at will, some children are born as ifrits (which makes the local area even more welcoming to traveling ifrits, since there is an established population), and fire based sorcerers/kineticists are not uncommon.


lemeres wrote:

Have the prescence of the firebleeder on the local environment as part of the flavor.

For those born and raised in the area, give them a deep connection to flame, since the firebleeder's blood taints the water supply. This would come in various forms: most native citizens can cast spark, light, and perhaps continual flame at will, some children are born as ifrits (which makes the local area even more welcoming to traveling ifrits, since there is an established population), and fire based sorcerers/kineticists are not uncommon.

Most are born ifrits. Also I like the spark idea, as well as maybe make scrolls or wands of fireball barely cost anything.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

ifrits imply genie blood. They'd probably be more suitable as fire genasai, which is raw elemental blood.

==Aelryinth


Aelryinth wrote:

ifrits imply genie blood. They'd probably be more suitable as fire genasai, which is raw elemental blood.

==Aelryinth

While genies are the most common, ifrit can be born due to any ancestry from the plane of fire. Plus, this is homemade setting stuff, so it is easy enough to handwave with "wibbly wobbly magic stuff". Many of the other nonelemental based half races have that kind tampering/random influnce type of background implied in text (such as many forms of dhampirs and aasimar)


It sounds really neat. Local Wizards might have learned how to make Obsidian Golems to guard the city.


More from the discussion so far:

A common everyday site is the Obsidian Golems roaming the streets, usually kept by the richer families of the town as well as many scholars. You can also see alchemists and artificers creating steam powered constructs. These include the usual clockwork horse and mechanical armor. It is also not uncommon to see a fire-blooded sorcerer, or on rarer occasions a sorcerer of Efreeti blood. Even those in the city who are not naturally gifted with magic have learned to cast simple fire spells such as spark, light and on occasion eternal flame. Many non-alchemists have also learned to craft things such as alchemist's fire, sunrods and everburning torches. Though despite claims that it is truly made from Ifrit's blood there doesn't seem to be as much Ifrit's blood.

Edit: Do you think Efreeti would be attracted to this city?


I think there's a good chance of that...


Artifix wrote:

More from the discussion so far:

A common everyday site is the Obsidian Golems roaming the streets, usually kept by the richer families of the town as well as many scholars. You can also see alchemists and artificers creating steam powered constructs. These include the usual clockwork horse and mechanical armor. It is also not uncommon to see a fire-blooded sorcerer, or on rarer occasions a sorcerer of Efreeti blood. Even those in the city who are not naturally gifted with magic have learned to cast simple fire spells such as spark, light and on occasion eternal flame. Many non-alchemists have also learned to craft things such as alchemist's fire, sunrods and everburning torches. Though despite claims that it is truly made from Ifrit's blood there doesn't seem to be as much Ifrit's blood.

Edit: Do you think Efreeti would be attracted to this city?

Maybe have the obsidian golems and steam powered clockworks operate at a much lower threshold than outside of the city, meaning a few things:

1. Easier to make. That means they are more common, since they are less 'cost of an entire army's equipment' (cause the in game economy is funky) and more 'like a limosine in the real world'. Also, it means that aspiring construct builders will flock to the city in order to perfect their craft at a cheap price.

2. The golems only work within the sphere of influence of the city. That allows them to be an isolated oddity. Or perhaps have them run on the fire tainted water, which makes using them outside of the city impractical (although a nice trump card for villains willing to lug it around and juice it up- which is made possible by the fact that they are cheap as established in the previous point)

3. They are willess objects given locomotion by the blood of a sleeping monstrosity that seeks to bring destruction to all that lives. So VERY easy plot hook- "The golems have begun to malfunction, attacking people randomly. We want you to investigate". Also, obviously, that path also gives you a big dramatic scene where ALL of the golems begin to attack. Presumably, this occurs as part of the build up for the firebleeder's awakening.

Obviously, with that last bit, you don't have to go with the whole 'its waking up and destroying everything' route, incase you want to just have a nice cool city (I mean...that is the whole thing with Osirion's capital, which has the dead shell of one of the firebleeder's brothers dominating the landscape).Still, nice to have the option.

Also, it still means you can have the occasional golem to go crazy as a rare side effect of the firebleeder's influence. Making them present on almost every street means that you can at least use the idea for a random encounter without the need for much justiciation- save small children and puppies, save the daughter of the local lord and get an invite into his mansion, or just throw it in as a complication to another fight in the quest (which could give the villain a chance to escape). Having the ability to have a large brute attack at any time without much need to justify it further is a useful tool as a GM.

EDIT- if you wan Efreeti there, then it is simple- make the local recourses very attractive to them. How about this- the fire tainted water works like a healing potion for creatures native to the Plane of Fire. Since they can literally get barrels of it for free just by dunking it in the local water supply, they will gladly come to the town, and perhaps bring trade along the way.


lemeres wrote:
Artifix wrote:

More from the discussion so far:

A common everyday site is the Obsidian Golems roaming the streets, usually kept by the richer families of the town as well as many scholars. You can also see alchemists and artificers creating steam powered constructs. These include the usual clockwork horse and mechanical armor. It is also not uncommon to see a fire-blooded sorcerer, or on rarer occasions a sorcerer of Efreeti blood. Even those in the city who are not naturally gifted with magic have learned to cast simple fire spells such as spark, light and on occasion eternal flame. Many non-alchemists have also learned to craft things such as alchemist's fire, sunrods and everburning torches. Though despite claims that it is truly made from Ifrit's blood there doesn't seem to be as much Ifrit's blood.

Edit: Do you think Efreeti would be attracted to this city?

Maybe have the obsidian golems and steam powered clockworks operate at a much lower threshold than outside of the city, meaning a few things:

1. Easier to make. That means they are more common, since they are less 'cost of an entire army's equipment' (cause the in game economy is funky) and more 'like a limosine in the real world'. Also, it means that aspiring construct builders will flock to the city in order to perfect their craft at a cheap price.

2. The golems only work within the sphere of influence of the city. That allows them to be an isolated oddity. Or perhaps have them run on the fire tainted water, which makes using them outside of the city impractical (although a nice trump card for villains willing to lug it around and juice it up- which is made possible by the fact that they are cheap as established in the previous point)

3. They are willess objects given locomotion by the blood of a sleeping monstrosity that seeks to bring destruction to all that lives. So VERY easy plot hook- "The golems have begun to malfunction, attacking people randomly. We want you to investigate". Also, obviously, that path...

What about the steam being tainted with the Firebleeder blood. then everyone gains flame aspects, but also this city is very weak to icy magic. Also fire creatures get healing 1?

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

Yeah, I can see a city powered by combustion rising from a sleeping Spawn of Rovagug not ending too well.

Well, the dummies settling there will get what's coming, in time. In the meantime, it does indeed sound interesting.

==Aelryinth


Aelryinth wrote:

Yeah, I can see a city powered by combustion rising from a sleeping Spawn of Rovagug not ending too well.

Well, the dummies settling there will get what's coming, in time. In the meantime, it does indeed sound interesting.

==Aelryinth

It's subdued by an endless supply of water, I would think the main problem would be if people start deciding to break the decanters of endless water.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

well, like I noted earlier, one day of dead magic, the decanters shut down, and la.

And since it's a spawn of rovagug, there should be PLENTY of cultists happy to destroy the decanters and rouse the beast.

They're, um, playing with fire. heh.

==Aelryinth


Aelryinth wrote:

well, like I noted earlier, one day of dead magic, the decanters shut down, and la.

And since it's a spawn of rovagug, there should be PLENTY of cultists happy to destroy the decanters and rouse the beast.

They're, um, playing with fire. heh.

==Aelryinth

Yeah, I plan on running a couple of stories in the town and the final one might involve cult of Efreetis and Ifrits trying to awaken the Firebleeder.

Edit: How would you price a obsidian Golem


Aelryinth wrote:

Yeah, I can see a city powered by combustion rising from a sleeping Spawn of Rovagug not ending too well.

Well, the dummies settling there will get what's coming, in time. In the meantime, it does indeed sound interesting.

==Aelryinth

Well yes, Aelryinth, peopel living near doomsday devices are often rather short sighted.

But as a setting, it works fine. There is a reason why there are twice as many gods with evil domain as good domain- this game thrives on having the world fall down on everyone's heads, so that adventurers have something to swing a greatsword at.

And the whole point of rovagug spawn having 'impossible to turn off' regeneration is to make them a reoccuring threat. Any solution to their problem is supposed to be makeshift and shoddy- either you send it somewhere else so it is someone else's problem, or you try something silly like this that will inevitably fail (just on the idea that, given an infinite span of time, something will go wrong- it is like the the immortal's connundrum where statistics say he will be trapped for millenia underground at some point). Things are supposed to go wrong at some point. That is what rovagug hopes will happen with its cage as well.

Artifix wrote:
Edit: How would you price a obsidian Golem

I would make it considerably cheaper than normal.

1- Obsidian is fragile (at least when used in weapons). That should lower things. Also, it is near omnipresent here (which means that material should be cheap, even if the market value for the mass of obsidian should be much more).
2- that is also why I advised allowing the local ambiant energy to power it somewhat, or have it run on the water. With some environmental force giving it power, that should justify making it way cheaper.

Just to note- the CR 4 golems and below I've found (specifically carrion and junk golems being noteworthy) were worth 10,000 gp market price and above (5,000+ for construction), and that doesn't take into account the prices of constructs in general. So making basic 'ho hum' golems weaker and more disposable than those two should allow more reaosnable prices. Maybe go with steam golems instead when you want bigger brutes made of sturdier stuff (and you can justify having those golems by making the city a major hub for aspiring construct crafters)


Artifix wrote:
Aelryinth wrote:

well, like I noted earlier, one day of dead magic, the decanters shut down, and la.

And since it's a spawn of rovagug, there should be PLENTY of cultists happy to destroy the decanters and rouse the beast.

They're, um, playing with fire. heh.

==Aelryinth

Yeah, I plan on running a couple of stories in the town and the final one might involve cult of Efreetis and Ifrits trying to awaken the Firebleeder.

Edit: How would you price a obsidian Golem

I imagine them as a tougher version of Glass Golems which cost about 33,000 gp. Obsidian is a harder glass than the type used in bottles and windows, so maybe up the AC and hp a bit and make them more resistant to Shatter spells. And maybe add Flaming or Flaming Burst to their weapons to reflect their volcanic origins. So maybe somewhere between 33,000 gp and 50,000 gp?

Edit: I forgot we were thinking of making them cheaper for this location. So something closer to Lemures' price scale might be appropriate.


Gisher wrote:

I imagine them as a tougher version of Glass Golems which cost about 33,000 gp. Obsidian is a harder glass than the type used in bottles and windows, so maybe up the AC and hp a bit and make them more resistant to Shatter spells. And maybe add Flaming or Flaming Burst to their weapons to reflect their volcanic origins. So maybe somewhere between 33,000 gp and 50,000 gp?

Edit: I forgot we were thinking of making them cheaper for this location. So something closer to Lemures' price scale might be appropriate.

Well, not to say that you can't have a sliding scale.

Maybe the quality of obsidian increases as you get closer to firebleeder. Cause wibbly wobbly magicness.

I am mostly suggesting cheap and weak so that the 'everyday sight' thing is easier to achieve. Even on an adventurer's budget (which is often overblown and devoted entirely to finding ways to kill creatures with ease), constructs are often seen as 'not worth it'. So having something modest would be encouraged in order to have something that could be place all around the city easily.

So maybe some minor small and medium golems made of rough obisidian as relatively cheap and unskilled labor, with larger ones used for construction. And then you can have golems made of finer stuff (and regular golem prices) when it comes time to see the main battle potential of a mad wizard or a wealthy merchant with an overblown ego.


Gisher wrote:
Obsidian is a harder glass than the type used in bottles and windows, so maybe up the AC and hp a bit and make them more resistant to Shatter spells.
lemeres wrote:
1- Obsidian is fragile (at least when used in weapons). That should lower things. Also, it is near omnipresent here (which means that material should be cheap, even if the market value for the mass of obsidian should be much more).

I was kinda thinking of trying to find a way to fit in the fragile component of standard obsidian weapons into the golem. Maybe if you fight one, if it rolls a nat 1 or maybe if you roll a nat 20 you shatter it. Also the steam blanket that covers the city is made from the super cool water that is hitting molten lava skin. So I think it would be filled with essence of the magical power of the Firebleeder maybe meaning everything gains boosts to fire magic, or most machines are powered by it. While frost stuff doesn't hurt as much or something.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

Artifix wrote:
Aelryinth wrote:

well, like I noted earlier, one day of dead magic, the decanters shut down, and la.

And since it's a spawn of rovagug, there should be PLENTY of cultists happy to destroy the decanters and rouse the beast.

They're, um, playing with fire. heh.

==Aelryinth

Yeah, I plan on running a couple of stories in the town and the final one might involve cult of Efreetis and Ifrits trying to awaken the Firebleeder.

Edit: How would you price a obsidian Golem

The answer is...for about as tough as you want to make it.

Look at the stats for something of that CR and build to it. Decide if you want some fire-based stuff to come along with it (most obsid golems on google search seem to have fiery cores).

Rough obsidian should definitely be cheaper then refined glass. If you have them draw their life/power from the bleeder, then you can adhoc drop the price in half as long as they can't get too far from him.

the 'loss of control' chance should be small, but when it goes berserk, it should really go berserk, and be unsalvageable.

You know, you could just make it a permanently 'Animated Object' instead of a true golem, to keep the flavor.

==Aelryinth


Aelryinth wrote:
You know, you could just make it a permanently 'Animated Object' instead of a true golem, to keep the flavor.

I would rather them be true golems. As many construct crafters come to this city so yeah.


Artifix wrote:
Gisher wrote:
Obsidian is a harder glass than the type used in bottles and windows, so maybe up the AC and hp a bit and make them more resistant to Shatter spells.
lemeres wrote:
1- Obsidian is fragile (at least when used in weapons). That should lower things. Also, it is near omnipresent here (which means that material should be cheap, even if the market value for the mass of obsidian should be much more).
I was kinda thinking of trying to find a way to fit in the fragile component of standard obsidian weapons into the golem. Maybe if you fight one, if it rolls a nat 1 or maybe if you roll a nat 20 you shatter it. Also the steam blanket that covers the city is made from the super cool water that is hitting molten lava skin. So I think it would be filled with essence of the magical power of the Firebleeder maybe meaning everything gains boosts to fire magic, or most machines are powered by it. While frost stuff doesn't hurt as much or something.

How about, instead of entirely shattering, you roll a d20 and have the numbers correspond to various body parts. When the character hits a crit they roll the d20 and decide which part they hack off.

1-4 and 5-8: leg- halves speed and prevents charges/running
9-12 and 13-16- removes an arm. Probably have it lose a natural attack or something
17-20- takes off its head. It is blind now.

Of course, as you continue to hack bits off, if the golem still has HP left, then you rework what the d20 does based on remaining parts (4 parts has 1-5, etc.). And if you have an odd number out? have that as instant death...since it might as well just die, since it would be losing 3+ parts (completely crippling it).

Seeing the thing just slowly fall to pieces has a vicereal charm to it, doesn't it?


lemeres wrote:

1-4 and 5-8: leg- halves speed and prevents charges/running

9-12 and 13-16- removes an arm. Probably have it lose a natural attack or something
17-20- takes off its head. It is blind now.

Of course, as you continue to hack bits off, if the golem still has HP left, then you rework what the d20 does based on remaining parts (4 parts has 1-5, etc.). And if you have an odd number out? have that as instant death...since it might as well just die, since it would be losing 3+ parts (completely crippling it).

What about setting each part take of 1/6 of original max health that is contained. Then roll a d6 to see which is taken off, if a part is already taken off reroll.

1: Left Arm, Loose attack,
2: Right Arm, Loose attack
3: Right Foot, Remove Half of Original Speed
4: Left Foot, Remove Half of Original Speed
5: Decapitate, Grant miss chance as if targets have total concelment
6: reroll


Maybe the steam blanket could be filled with magical energy, since it is made from water evaporated by the Firebleeder's subdued flames. Thus imbuing everything with magical flames, and sending them into a sort of psuedo rage.


First off sorry for the necro!

Anyway I am sorry about necroing, but I thought it kinda useless to just start another thread for something about this city. Basicly I realized something, that the steam being constantly in the city might let an Undine PC's Hydrated Vitality run wild. Letting them have fast healing as much as they can. Anyway it got me thinking, could the steam that is coming off of the mix of the Firebleeder's flames and the infinite water keeping him subdued cause Fast Healing. So that the whole city would get Fast Healing X.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / General Discussion / The City of Steam (The city of bleeding flames) All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.