The Colony of Varas--A Kingdom Building Game

Game Master Eragar

It's been more than four years since I've been at all involved in a PBP game (or on these forums at all), but recently the game I was running IRL fell apart due to scheduling issues, and I've been itching for something.

Anyway, the premise for this PBP would be as such: shortly into your adventuring career (~3rd level) some event forced you to permanently retire. Due to a debilitating injury, an oath, starting a family, or just realizing you didn't enjoy it you have stopped being a murder-hobo and begun seeking work elsewhere.

As fortune has it, a new continent has recently been discovered and the king is looking to found a new colony. He hopes to recruit you and a few other recently retired folks to run this colony for him.

Although you would be beholden to the larger kingdom, you would have almost complete autonomy (save for paying some taxes, of course) to do as you wished. It's an exciting and potentially lucrative prospect.

Tentative Gameplay Information

• This game would almost exclusively be using the kingdom building and mass combat rules from Ultimate Campaign. Each player would still have a character, but that character would primarily be used for the stat bonuses they give to the various leader roles.
  
• You would be starting with a single small settlement on a completely unexplored continent, with minimal communication with the rest of the world.
  
• This would be a relatively low-powered world. Chances are no one on the planet is higher than level 8 or 9 (the only possible exceptions being the extremely rare lich or ancient dragon). Each of you would be about level 3 (subject to change).
  
• I'm still looking for a good way to post maps of the kingdom and of individual settlements. Suggestions would be appreciated.
  
• I'm looking for somewhere between 3 and 6 players. Possibly a few more. Depending on interest levels and if I think I can swing it, I might start a second group elsewhere on the continent.
  
• This would be much more of a roleplaying, resource-management game than a hack and slash, for what should be obvious reasons. Similarly, this would be more of a sandbox game than a story-driven one.

So, do you think this could be fun? Any suggestions or potential obstacles you'd like to point out?

I'll express some interest. I enjoy Kingdom Building, and find it very interesting.

If you just want to post maps so we can see them, Google Drive should be sufficient. All you need is a shareable link, and then you can post the link in the campaign info or in the Race and Class fields of your profile. That way the links can easily be referenced with each post you make.

Since the Kingdom Building rules state that you have to explore a hex before you can claim it, would we (the PCs) be handling the exploration aspect personally, or would we have to use the Exploration Edict to do so? I ask because if characters are primarily going to be used for the bonuses they give to the leader roles, most people aren't going to want to fully stat out and buy equipment for a character that's never really going to use it. They may also just min-max the stat that's most relevant to their desired leadership role, and ignore the rest, since they don't need to bother being well-rounded.

Since the Kingdom Building rules state that you have to explore a hex before you can claim it, would we (the PCs) be handling the exploration aspect personally, or would we have to use the Exploration Edict to do so?

You would use the exploration edict.

I ask because if characters are primarily going to be used for the bonuses they give to the leader roles, most people aren't going to want to fully stat out and buy equipment for a character that's never really going to use it. They may also just min-max the stat that's most relevant to their desired leadership role, and ignore the rest, since they don't need to bother being well-rounded.

For this, I don't think I would make people completely stat out their characters. Probably just attributes and maybe skills; possibly spells if the player makes an argument that they would be used. I would also have everyone roll attributes rather than doing a point-buy.

Okay, that makes a bit more sense, then. I just wanted to make sure you'd thought of it.

What would the fledgling colony's starting BP be? Given that the Exploration Edict costs BP, expansion might move very slowly if we don't have a lot.

I'm interested. For hosting maps I'd second google maps, you can just have a link to a folder and put up a new map every year and month.

What setting are you using, there's plenty of spots on Gollarion that can work for this (though generally the more obscure ones). If it's a home brew setting are you using the default pathfinder pantheon, something new or from another setting like Greyhawk etc.

I'd like to have potential contact with other kingdoms as we discover them (or start trading with pre estabilished ones back in the Old World) include possiblities of diplomacy, trade agreements and alliances as per the optional rules in ultimate campaign.

Personally I'd probably build an actual full character but I get why that isn't necessary for everyone.

As a suggestion depending if you've your maps done or not you might be interested in something I helped kickstart a while back called hex kit. I'm running a Kingmaker game and am working on a Mwangi Expanse Kingdom building game and for this second one I'm finding it handy as I have not handy premade maps.

I'd be interested.

I am pretty familiar with the rules from Ultimate Campaign.

If you are starting kingdom building from the get-go maybe you should assign roles first and then have people build characters to that.

For hex maps I use Hexographer. It has a free version that has almost all the features, and a paid version that has a few more.

I'm very interested! I'd love to be in this!

I also second Google Drive but that is mostly because that is what many of my other GMs use. There is also roll20 which would allow you to build your own over all map of you're good at it.

Also would all of our 3 levels have to be from a PC class or could we do like Bard 2/Noble 1 or such?

I meant google drive.

I meant google drive.

Yeah I knew what you meant by it. Don't feel bad, I've been all over the place this morning. At first I thought this was a kingmaker game that focused souly on the city building... Even went so far as to ask the GM of the Kingmaker game I'm in if he'd be cool with me putting in for this one! Also with contacting the GM here too... Only to then notice my mistake... -_- I need coffee...

Definite interest, i always liked resource management games.

Gonna respond to a bunch of people all at once rather than commenting individually.

What would the fledgling colony's starting BP be? Given that the Exploration Edict costs BP, expansion might move very slowly if we don't have a lot.

This is something I'm not sure on yet, as I still need to decide exactly what your starting settlement will look like. I want the start to be scarce on resources, but not be a slog. Starting BP will probably be right around 40, give or take.

What setting are you using, there's plenty of spots on Gollarion that can work for this (though generally the more obscure ones). If it's a home brew setting are you using the default pathfinder pantheon, something new or from another setting like Greyhawk etc.

The plan is to use Golarion as a setting in every respect except that this will be a different planet. So same pantheon, same planes and dimensions, but none of the Golarion history (I'm just not at all familiar with it).

I'd like to have potential contact with other kingdoms as we discover them (or start trading with pre established ones back in the Old World) include possibilities of diplomacy, trade agreements and alliances as per the optional rules in ultimate campaign.

Part of my plan is definitely that you'll be running into other new kingdoms on your continent. Dealing with the old world isn't something that had crossed my mind, but is also a possibility.

Also would all of our 3 levels have to be from a PC class or could we do like Bard 2/Noble 1 or such?

Again, this is pretty early in the brainstorming stage, so I'm far from having set anything in stone. I briefly toyed with and rejected the idea of allowing only NPC classes, so that won't happen. But whether I allow all levels to be of PC classes or still force one or two as NPC classes I don't know. Chances are that if I force an NPC level it will be in addition to the three I'm already loosely planning.

Anyway, bedtime for me now, so I'll get back to you all in a bunch of hours.

I could get behind this.

Well, it looks like this is a go. Everyone here is accepted into the game. My wife will also be joining us (I promise not to give her unfair treatment).

You can all head over to the discussion thread and figure out what kind of characters you want to make, and I'll finish up preparations on my end.

May the dice be ever in your favor.

Is it too late to post interest and brainstorm a pc? Is it officially closed?

Let's see... so far there is:

Phntm888
Kevin O'Rourke 440
Peet (me!)
Timeskeeper
BeastMasterFTW
Havocprince

Up to the GM to decide, but FYI none of us have actually made characters yet.

This is a neat idea. It sounds like Civilization in a way. I assume the characters are all a part of one kingdom, but could there be a chance for multiple kingdoms? Or we turn this into the Roman Empire and history takes its course.

If there is still room I am very interested in this as well.

If there is still room I am very interested in this as well.

Tundran, at this point I have eight players, and I don't think I can handle more than that. I will be sure to let you know immediately if anyone drops for any reason.

I also have interest in such a game, so please let me know if you have room open up.

I'm quite interested if spots open up.

I've been recruited IRL, just realized I have no effin idea how to actually get setup with character in the actual character tab. Eragar, halp plz.