World of Xoth Campaign (PFE1 Variant/House Rule)

Game Master ALLENDM

I am not familiar, sadly I sold my comic book collection in '82 to buy wedding rings and never looked back...

However I will look at the article :)

The war memory thing came a little from Matrim Cauthon in WoT, and the idea of it weirding people out from Paul's little sister Alia in Dune.

Now just need to figure out how to get my hand on some of those dwarven Hill Men Axes...

Edit: so should we call our Thunder God Ukko, instead of Crom? Cool article, thanks for sharing.

Ok I like that...Ukko...I believe he is the Finnish God of Thunder correct? I really like that...

I have updated the house rules. I didn't realize how much of a working document this was going to be...:)

Ok..so I have given this some thought and I am not sure if this will fit, but I do like the idea. I am looking at a duel class Arcanist/Priest (also new from Kobold publishing). A priestess from Yar- Ammon who, for whatever reason, was chased out of her Temple (of Bastet) and forced to flee assassins.

If you go priestess that is fleeing, is there any reason you couldn't hire the other two to help you escape?

Jack: All right, got a rough idea of the crunch hammered out for my bloodrager, Three questions so I can finishing the crunch:

One, Languages for Hill men of Natli? I assume Natli (there own Language) and how about Lamuran? Since it's south of the hills and seems like the best place for trade.

Two, how to handle exotic weapons: If there were a group of "Hill men" exotic weapons (this would be the three dwarven axes) would I have to select 'exotic weapon' for each of them? Or can I select them as a group? Or are they automatically a 'marshal weapon' for Hillmen, like they would be for dwarves. Just want to knock out feats

Three, standard starting gold for 2nd level?

Daniel Stewart wrote:

Ok..so I have given this some thought and I am not sure if this will fit, but I do like the idea. I am looking at a duel class Arcanist/Priest (also new from Kobold publishing). A priestess from Yar- Ammon who, for whatever reason, was chased out of her Temple (of Bastet) and forced to flee assassins.

If you go priestess that is fleeing, is there any reason you couldn't hire the other two to help you escape?

Jack: All right, got a rough idea of the crunch hammered out for my bloodrager, Three questions so I can finishing the crunch:

One, Languages for Hill men of Natli? I assume Natli (there own Language) and how about Lamuran? Since it's south of the hills and seems like the best place for trade.

Two, how to handle exotic weapons: If there were a group of "Hill men" exotic weapons (this would be the three dwarven axes) would I have to select 'exotic weapon' for each of them? Or can I select them as a group? Or are they automatically a 'marshal weapon' for Hillmen, like they would be for dwarves. Just want to knock out feats

Three, standard starting gold for 2nd level?

It is all in the HR now.

Languages and weapons are updated. If the weapon has their racial name it is considered martial weapon for them.

Hill-Men: Languages: Hill Speak (derived from a old lost language), bonus language of Zamuran. I went with Zamuran because they are neighbors and would associate with them more than the Lamurans.

Starting gold per class.

Thanks :)

I think this is how you said to do %, if not let me know: % for first level + 2nd Level %
Str: 18 1d100 ⇒ 11%
Dex: 14 1d100 ⇒ 11%
Con: 14 1d100 ⇒ 67% + 25% = 92%
Int: 10 1d100 ⇒ 40%
Wis: 12 1d100 ⇒ 51%
cha: 13 1d100 ⇒ 73% + 25% = 98%

I edited my last post.

Thanks :)

I think this is how you said to do %, if not let me know: % for first level + 2nd Level %
Str: 18 [dice=]1d100%
Dex: 14 [dice=]1d100%
Con: 14 [dice=]1d100% + 25% = 92%
Int: 10 [dice=]1d100%
Wis: 12 [dice=]1d100%
cha: 13 [dice=]1d100% + 25% = 98%

Correct.

Ok, so I am reworking my crunch but keeping the general idea of my character if that will work. Going with a straight wizard (illusionist) character or the theurgist...

Here we go

S 1d100 ⇒ 92
D 1d100 ⇒ 64
C 1d100 ⇒ 65

I 1d100 ⇒ 39
W 1d100 ⇒ 37
Ch 1d100 ⇒ 72 + L1/25% = 97%

Oookay... quite a pleasant conundrum... can I boost my Str at level 2 with my 25%?

Gold 4d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 6, 5) = 21 x 10 = 210. Wow... Thievery has been good to me.

Ancient Master, last of his 'School' of swordswomanship, fleeing the homeland. I was in a temple (or school) but we were forced to hit the road when a small army burnt it to the ground. We kept pushing west. Having no other students from the school I became his disciple to all his knowledge... well... all that I could absorb before he went and died on me!

I'm STILL trying to make what he taught me work... and I fear if I can ever do it? It will be imperfectly.

Ok, so I am reworking my crunch but keeping the general idea of my character if that will work. Going with a straight wizard (illusionist) character or the theurgist...

Ok, not trying to be a curmudgeon, but are wizards allowed? The closest would be witch or Sorcerer.

Ancient Master, last of his 'School'...

Good man, back to a Chow Yun-Fat supported idea. yeah, bullet proof monk...

Missed the 'starting gold' roll:
starting gold: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 6) = 14 x 10 = 140 gp.

Ok, so I am reworking my crunch but keeping the general idea of my character if that will work. Going with a straight wizard (illusionist) character or the theurgist...

Alchemist, Sorcerer, Witch, (Kobold Press) Shaman, Druid, Cultist are really your only options.

I am actually struggling with Theurge as well because it doesn’t tie to some force like Sorcerer (bloodline) or Witch(Patron).

Jack

"Magic in the world of Xoth is subtle, dark, and dangerous. Conjurations, Enchantment, Illusions, and Necromancy along with Divination make up the bulk of the spells in the World of Xoth. Casting a spell is through force of will and taping into one’s life force and empowering a spell. There is no difference between arcane and divine magic instead all magic is arcane in nature and is empowered by the user throw secrets revealed in lost tombs and in ancient rituals handed down from one acolyte to another."

Strangely, I assumed the cost of the life force was the price paid to some unknown evil or god and that's where the power came from. Ie the witches Pact, the cultists god, The Sorcerer and bloodragers paid the life force through their bloodline and the druid drew from nature but still paid the physical price.

So the original Xoth rules said that Druids could not take animal form, does that count for the Shaman as well?

Daniel, if your set on being a priest/priestess Cultist (Oracle) would be the route to go. If your having difficulty with the caster idea, you can take the melee character and I would do a Pict druid.

ALLENDM wrote:

"Magic in the world of Xoth is subtle, dark, and dangerous. Conjurations, Enchantment, Illusions, and Necromancy along with Divination make up the bulk of the spells in the World of Xoth. Casting a spell is through force of will and taping into one’s life force and empowering a spell. There is no difference between arcane and divine magic instead all magic is arcane in nature and is empowered by the user throw secrets revealed in lost tombs and in ancient rituals handed down from one acolyte to another."

Strangely, I assumed the cost of the life force was the price paid to some unknown evil or god and that's where the power came from. Ie the witches Pact, the cultists god, The Sorcerer and bloodragers paid the life force through their bloodline and the druid drew from nature but still paid the physical price.

So the original Xoth rules said that Druids could not take animal form, does that count for the Shaman as well?

Daniel, if your set on being a priest/priestess Cultist (Oracle) would be the route to go. If your having difficulty with the caster idea, you can take the melee character and I would do a Pict druid.

Yes it does. However this was something I was going to table and discuss. Instead of wild shape we could do something else to replace those abilities for each class.

The whole get a feat to replace the wild shape seems cheap to me. Instead I would prefer to give them the ability to summon nature’s ally’s or something like that.

The whole get a feat to replace the wild shape seems cheap to me. Instead I would prefer to give them the ability to summon nature’s ally’s or something like that.

Funny, I've never played a druid but I thought the feats was a good deal, especially with the 'feat tax' rules in place. What surprised me was that the archetype on the Xoth book "witchdoctor" replaces Wild Shape with access to a necromancy spell, I though "Access to Spells" or "four Feats" That's a no brainer, I liked the flavor of Witch Doctor but....

Any way lots of options...

Ok, so I am dropping the last few ideas and going for a witch character. What archetypes should I stay away from and which do you reccommend?

Witches are SOLID...

S 1d100 ⇒ 92 + 8% = 100... Stat up!
D 1d100 ⇒ 64 + 11% = 75%
C 1d100 ⇒ 65 + 10% = 75%

I 1d100 ⇒ 39
W 1d100 ⇒ 37 + +4% = 41%
Ch 1d100 ⇒ 72 + 17% = 90%

50 pts...

I'll throw up my character for joint comment and DM approval later today... background to follow. It will cover events to 1st level and pre-party.

Let us aim for having your characters set up by next Saturday that includes backgrounds. We can then work on your 1st to 2nd storylines and then figure out where exactly you are at in the world. This doesn't mean we have to start in a city, town, or village. We can start somewhere like a caravan on a long trail or in a ship on a voyage...or something more dramatic like a shipwreck or in chains caught by slavers or a bounty hunter. It is up to the group.

ALLENDM wrote:

The whole get a feat to replace the wild shape seems cheap to me. Instead I would prefer to give them the ability to summon nature’s ally’s or something like that.

Funny, I've never played a druid but I thought the feats was a good deal, especially with the 'feat tax' rules in place. What surprised me was that the archetype on the Xoth book "witchdoctor" replaces Wild Shape with access to a necromancy spell, I though "Access to Spells" or "four Feats" That's a no brainer, I liked the flavor of Witch Doctor but....

Anyway lots of options...

I can't argue with your logic...what we could do is separate the Druids and Shamans a bit by setting them up with special abilities that are different since we are removing wild shape.

Ok, I think I have the crunch done on my Bloodrager. I did include Favored class bonus. I did not include traits. I think I have all of the 'House Rules' correct please take a look at him and let me know if I missed something.

As for background, I’m thinking the youngest son of a war chief, born to him late in life from a second wife/concubine. His bloodline makes him unpopular with brothers (along with the fact he has a different mother) They go on a raid led by his oldest brother. He does well on a raid, but is pushed into a fight with another young warrior, (who was prompted to challenge him by his brother) When he kills the challenger his brother warns him to flee because he is a murderer now and would be hunted down. So he is on the lamb, headed south... details like names to follow :)

I’m assuming he could find a caravan to guard in Gorod or Navdarak. Eventually being a guard in the caravan our Taikangian is in when he is headed west. Unless of course he takes a boat :(

So still need to figure out how we meet… Or you could just tell us what town to be in and we can take second level getting there…

However you want to play it, I really don’t mind where or how we start.

Went with a famous sword (a hold over from my Master) and a defensive sword style that should mimic the WuXia movies of Chinese swordswomanship... I think I've pulled off Martial arts mystic swordsman pretty well thanks to the EitR feat set... and I can still rogue too.

Note this is not the final and is up for discussion etc

Hey, I'm just impressed that you've gotten it put together :) I don't use Hero lab so I have difficulty telling where the 'special abilities' and such things come from. But everything looks cool.

Dont' forget the "Backstreet Contacts"

Are you thinking about picking up a ranged weapon?

I was originally going to go with a switch hitting ranger, but got so enamored with doing a raging hill man that I went bloodrager. He has a sling, but not very interested in range attacks, not with the big honking axe... Not that I think were going to lose any sleep if we don't have a ranged expert. As long as we can threaten something flying I think were good.

Jack Are we using Traits?

Yes... you can use 1 trait and if you take a drawback you get one additional trait. You can use a 3PP trait or drawback but it must be approved and match the World of Xoth setting.

So trait-wise, I was thinking Berserker of the Society cause the whole society of the Hill-Man of Natla and some of the women rage...

Okay... I took 2 traits... let me find a suitable drawback, i think drawbacks are a great idea for this game.

How's this?

Betrayed

You were reported to a dangerous authority and narrowly escaped death. You second-guess your instincts constantly, leaving you never sure whether or not to trust someone and endangered if you encounter that group’s agents again.

Effect(s): You can roll twice and take the lower result on Sense Motive checks to get hunches. You cannot reroll this result, even if you have another ability that would normally allow you to do so.

I like the effect... hate the fluff. Can I re-write that to 'Trusting' and

A sheltered upbringing, inability to read other cultures and my perception that everyone is innately good makes it hard to read others. Just when I think I understand a situation or people, memories of past failures leave me unsure whether or not to trust someone...

Effect(s): You can roll twice and take the lower result on Sense Motive checks to get hunches. You cannot reroll this result, even if you have another ability that would normally allow you to do so.

?

Fits right in with how my woman got me into thieving... I just could NOT read her.

Are you thinking about picking up a ranged weapon?

Maybe a Shortbow... but I'm trying to juggle encumbrance AND budget constraints.

I can have MW pack but then I can't afford thieves tools or bow.

Oooor I can have adventuring gear and weapons but can't afford the MW pack and thus am carrying like 70lbs.

Robert Henry wrote:

Are you thinking about picking up a ranged weapon?

Maybe a Shortbow... but I'm trying to juggle encumbrance AND budget constraints.

I can have MW pack but then I can't afford thieves tools or bow.

Oooor I can have adventuring gear and weapons but can't afford the MW pack and thus am carrying like 70lbs.

That makes sense, so when we get MW gear we can expand our equipment. Also once we start the bloodrager can carry a lot of stuff for you.

I may also look into drawback, I like your "trusting" idea, seems to fit the character

So trait-wise, I was thinking Berserker of the Society cause the whole society of the Hill-Man of Natla and some of the women rage...

That works and I like the modifications for your character and his background.

Three drawbacks I'm considering, all three fit into his background, but none if them really hit skills he is planning on focusing on. I think I would pick 'Vainglory' since I think this character will have a bit of an ego, but do you have preference Jack?

Vainglory
You compulsively seek recognition for your deeds, making it hard to act with subtlety.
Effect(s): You take a –1 penalty on Bluff, Disguise, and Stealth checks, and the save DC of any illusion you create is 1 lower than normal.

Righteous Indignation
You have difficulty controlling your temper after living in inhuman conditions.
Effect(s): Whenever a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from you, you must take it unless you succeed at a Will save against a DC equal to 10 + your level. You take a –1 penalty on Will saving throws against spells with the emotion descriptor that do not also have the fear descriptor.

Betrayed
You were reported to a dangerous authority and narrowly escaped death. You second-guess your instincts constantly, leaving you never sure whether or not to trust someone and endangered if you encounter that group’s agents again.
Effect(s): You can roll twice and take the lower result on Sense Motive checks to get hunches. You cannot reroll this result, even if you have another ability that would normally allow you to do so.

If I add a drawback, I would probably find a trait to help with initiative.

Three drawbacks I'm considering, all three fit into his background, but none if them really hit skills he is planning on focusing on. I think I would pick 'Vainglory' since I think this character will have a bit of an ego, but do you have preference Jack?

Vainglory
You compulsively seek recognition for your deeds, making it hard to act with subtlety.
Effect(s): You take a –1 penalty on Bluff, Disguise, and Stealth checks, and the save DC of any illusion you create is 1 lower than normal.

Righteous Indignation
You have difficulty controlling your temper after living in inhuman conditions.
Effect(s): Whenever a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from you, you must take it unless you succeed at a Will save against a DC equal to 10 + your level. You take a –1 penalty on Will saving throws against spells with the emotion descriptor that do not also have the fear descriptor.

Betrayed
You were reported to a dangerous authority and narrowly escaped death. You second-guess your instincts constantly, leaving you never sure whether or not to trust someone and endangered if you encounter that group’s agents again.
Effect(s): You can roll twice and take the lower result on Sense Motive checks to get hunches. You cannot reroll this result, even if you have another ability that would normally allow you to do so.

If I add a drawback, I would probably find a trait to help with initiative.

Vainglory and Righteous Indignation seem like really good fits for your character.

I like both.

Jack

1st to 2nd level gold.

Add 780gp to your starting total (NPC Heroic starting gold).

That should help.

Ninja'd by Jack, will edit:

Cool, will decide which, unless you want to give up a couple of traits :)

With your permission will add:
Exile
For whatever reason, you were forced to flee your homeland. Chance or fate has brought you here, and it’s here that your money ran out, leaving you stranded in this small town. You are also being pursued by enemies from your homeland, and that has made you paranoid and quick to react to danger.
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Initiative checks.

edit: excellent more money is always good, will investigate whether best to spend it on offense, defense or transportation.

I would like to start Børak with as well made of an axe as is possible. I found the crafting rules in the "House Rules" encyclopedia, but I didn't find the actual costs of purchasing those items. In the recruitment thread I found this:

3) I am considering using a modified version of the PF2E Playtest Crafting to give weapons/armor a bigger bump even if they are not magical.

Expert = Weapons +1 Atk, Armor -1 to ACP/ +1 -/DR
Master = Weapons +2 Atk, Armor -2 to ACP/ +2 -/DR
Legendary = Weapons +3 Atk, Armor -3 to ACP/ +3 -/DR

This works into the whole "Riddle of Steel" and discovering the secrets of weapon/armor crafting that was lost in Antiquity or found in a alien/lost civilization.

These would be in addition to magical bonus as well. So if you did find a +1 masterwork magic weapon it would also have a +2 attack bonus due to being masterwork (+3 Attack/+1 Damage). This is a pretty big benefit in a world that is a low magic environment.

I am not familiare with PF2E. Normally I would purchase a MW weapon for 300 gp + the price of the weapon. It appears that crafting an 'expert weapon' which seems to be equivalent to MW costs 200 gp. So does that make the cost of purchasing an expert weapon 400 gp. + the cost of the weapon?

If you wanted to purchase a weapon it would be the cost of the weapon + 200gp for Expert, or +2000gp for Masterwork, or +6000gp for Legendary.

Same for armor or shield just use the table and add the cost of the weapon to it.

Bear in mind that improved shield and armor (expert, master, legendary) provides not only a ACP bonus but a DR bonus.

Legendary items are very rare...like the broad sword Conan found in the tomb in the 1970's movie Conan the Barbarian...a long lost sword of a entombed king from another time.

Jack

If you wanted to purchase a weapon it would be the cost of the weapon + 200gp for Expert, or +2000gp for Masterwork, or +6000gp for Legendary.

Bear in mind that improved shield and armor (expert, master, legendary) provides not only a ACP bonus but a DR bonus.

Hmmm, didn't think about the DR :) So maybe some offense, some defense and some transportation.... thinking about buying a camel...

Will purchase a breastplate with an armored kilt. The description for the kilt says:

Adding an armored kilt to an existing set of armor has the effect of creating a new type of armor,

So is seems I would be purchasing heavy armor.

ALLENDM wrote:

If you wanted to purchase a weapon it would be the cost of the weapon + 200gp for Expert, or +2000gp for Masterwork, or +6000gp for Legendary.

Thank you, that answers the question

ALLENDM wrote:

Bear in mind that improved shield and armor (expert, master, legendary) provides not only a ACP bonus but a DR bonus.

Hmmm, didn't think about the DR :) So maybe some offense, some defense and some transportation.... thinking about buying a camel...

Will purchase a breastplate with an armored kilt. The description for the kilt says:

PFSRD wrote:

Adding an armored kilt to an existing set of armor has the effect of creating a new type of armor,

So is seems I would be purchasing heavy armor.

That is correct. That is why I mentioned the DR here because sometimes with all the HR you overlook little things that can really help.

Jack

This is RH's Bloodrager

So, after a few additions, I moved my sheet to a Icon, May I present Børak the outlaw of Natla. I will start putting Pen to paper fingers to 'word document'? to record his background.

Where do we want to meet at? It will effect his next two languages. He work his way through one of the northern countries picking up that language, then pick up the language of the country we meet in.

Extra brownie points if you know where the name came from. Without googling it of course :)

Off the top of my head Borak is a town in Croatia...but other than that I am hitting a wall at the moment... The only reason I know that is due to being there a few times in the 90's.

So sad...

So I started looking up words in other languages, Borac is 'fighter' in Serbian. and Croatian so you get half credit :) It remended me of the character El Borak yeah. go ahead and google that one But Borak was taken and I didn't want to do Boarack, so I gave it a 'Northern twist' and ended with Børak

Sorry for being quiet...having to get ready to reopen our museum and so this weekend was busy!!

Here is the base crunch for my character...I hope this version is better suited for the game.

Sorry for being quiet...having to get ready to reopen our museum and so this weekend was busy!!

Museum? do tell!

I have updated the HR with the Wounds Heal Faster... Updating the HEAL skill and the natural healing in the HR's.

This just clarifies natural healing of lost HP and Ability damage as well as the benefits of the HEAL SKILL in XOTH.

Also I am working on spells. One thing I wanted to bounce off all of you is aomething my RL group did years ago for a short campaign using SENSE as a toned-down version of DETECT.

In the nutshell, the range is your immediate area (5 ft square) +5 ft every two levels. Duration 10 minutes per level. It just gives you a tingle, chill, sensation that what you are trying to sense is nearby...(within your area). No direction or type or aura... So you can sense it then as you gain additional caster levels you would be able to detect it... This would allow me to bump up the DETECT spells and still give casters the ability to sense these things.

Which I feel plays into the Sword & Sorcery world. Thoughts?

Sense instead of Detect, it does seem like a bridge to being able to pick up the existence of a magical item nearby. How would it relate to increase in caster levels?

Duration and range would increase. Range by +5 per every 2 levels and duration by 10 minutes per level. So it would still really be short in range...even at 6th level it would be 15 ft. At first it would be your immediate square...at 2nd and 3rd it would be 5ft out, 4th and 5th it would be 10 ft out. This would allow me to bump the detect spells out to higher levels so that they are still available but simply at higher levels.

Sense Magic
Sense Cosmic Evil

0 level spells.

That makes good sense, sadly the 'bloodrager' has no 0-level spells.

Which is fine, I only took bloodrager over barbarian to avoid the 'Savages' - 4 on saving throws against creatures with the frightful presence ability. When we get closer to Børak actually being able to cast I'll go through the list of spells and find out which ones work in Xoth and which ones don't.

I like the idea of sense instead of detecting. I can see Isa casting around and then feeling the hairs on her arm rising as she 'senses' the existence of magic in the area...

Running the museum means that we have to be ready for visitor safety as well as that of the staff...so many new procedures have had to be implemented. A limit of people within any specific area, no touching of anything, restricting bathroom usage, etc. It is a whole new ballgame with opening when the virus is still out there.

1st to 2nd level gold.

Add 780gp to your starting total (NPC Heroic starting gold).

That should help.

In some ways that's huge...

Much thinking needed.

ALLENDM wrote:

1st to 2nd level gold.

Add 780gp to your starting total (NPC Heroic starting gold).

That should help.

In some ways that's huge...

Much thinking needed.

I figured it would... I forgot to add that into the list since you are 2nd level.

Oookay... extra money bought nice stuff. Just waiting for the DM to take it away :D Conan won and lost a hundred fortunes and was always changing weapons etc.

I'm down to 8 silvers... which fits fine.

The character is more or less done... polish on name, background, naming his masters sword (now his) all remaining... as well as languages.

Thinking of my name as

Shang Chu Yun, Disciple of Lu Buwei, last of the LiuXingMen school of Swordsmanship. Aka "Shang", "Shang the Swift", "The Flying Thief" and "The Taikangian".

The sword will be the famous "Tear of Heng-O' ".*

*Ancient Chinese name of the Moon Goddess.