The Star Shaman's Song (Inactive)

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The world is new, beautiful, and deadly. Nomadic hunter gatherer clans find safety around bonfires. The stars are not yet fixed in the sky. An abundance of terrible lizards and gigantic mammals dwell in forests, swamps, hills and plains. At the center of the world, a great volcano spews new lands, pushing the world you know apart. But for now all reality is unfractured; the primal elements of the universe still are connected to the material plane. One who is swift or hearty enough can walk from the swirling element of Air to the raw Earth, or from Fire to Water. One who is willing to risk their soul can follow the long path to the land of the dead.

This recruitment is for a Pathfinder 1st Edition campaign set in a primordial world inspired by the new Planegea setting for 5E by Atlas games, but not hueing to all of its particulars. Plaegea is not yet published, but should be by the time it matters to us. As I was preparing this, I saw that the next 2E Adventure Path is set among the Mammoth Lords, so I'll likely draw ideas from that as well, but, again, this game is 1st Edition.

The setting is pre-historic. It is not a traditional setting that exists on a planet on the material plane. There are powers that make things the way that they are. Any attempt to create writing, numbers above 9, wheels with axles, money, or other technology above a certain threshold draws the attention of the Hounds of the Blind Heaven. No one and nothing survives their attention. That said, this is still high fantasy. There are spells and enchanted items and magical beasts and wizards and witches and clerics and all that.

Themes: Discovery, exploration, horror, creation.

Players: I’m looking for 4 players who are interested in exploring their characters and this new world, who post consistently, and who support their fellow players and the GM (that’s me!) to tell kickass stories. I’m not about arguing with people.

Posting Expectations: I expect to post once a day during the week. Posting on weekends is a bonus. My posting schedule is different from most that I see on the boards. I can’t post during the day (Eastern Time) from work. I usually make all of my posts in a two hour block at night, so I can’t post 7 times a day. This causes my campaigns to move slowly but steadily.

Me as a GM: I do PbP to have fun and tell stories. My style gives more agency to players than is often found in games. I tend toward an improv based “yes-and” philosophy where we affirm each other’s contributions to build a world/story together. I try to listen to what players are telling me with their character builds. If you build a grappler, I would not put you in a whole campaign where everything is incorporeal or covered in poison spines. Not that I’ll make everything fit you, but I’ll take my cues for adventures from the things you show me you want to do.

Characters and Character Creation: I’m leaning toward all characters being members of the same human clan. The theme of discovery for characters paired with players discovering the differences with new versions of old races is appealing. That said, I might be interested in a single outsider. There is something in the Mammoth Lords book about clans taking giant children and raising them as sort of guardians. That, foundlings, or visitors from another clan could work.

1st level

Abilities: 20 point buy.

Classes: All Paizo classes and some third party classes allowed. Obviously, many things will need to be reflavored to fit into the setting, and rules for acquiring spells will be different. For example, there can be wizards even though there is no writing. You copy pictographs onto rocks, or have a set of scrimshaw bones or something. Magic knowledge is encoded in ways other than writing.

Spellcasting: Any spellcasters that learn or acquire their casting from entities function differently. Those entities aren’t abstract. Clerics still get their spells from gods, but those gods might be a bear in a cave or a 6 armed gorilla who haunts a patch of woods or a river dolphin who lives in a bend of the river or a tree. The influence of those gods is geographically limited, and they only have access to certain spells. At the same time, what spells you ask for can change the deity. Witches and Shaman similarly are negotiating with actual entities for their patrons and spirits. Some magic will work differently in different places. A swamp may suppress fire magic, for example.

Animal Companions/Familiars/Mounts: Similarly to spell acquisition above, these creatures will be something to interact with. You want a Smilodon mount or companion, you are going to have to go find one and befriend it. You want a certain familiar, you might have to track it down.

Skills: Everyone gets +2 skill points per level. Background skills are also in play. Obviously some skills are inappropriate.

Hit Points: Max hit points.

Weapons and Armor: There is no metal or metalcraft of any kind. Weapons will be stone or bone. Armor will be hides.

Feats: I’m strongly considering Elephant in the Room rules, but we can decide that as a group.

Traits: Two traits. You can change the flavor of traits to make them match the setting.

What sorts of adventures will we be having: First I want to be clear that this is not a Me Thog, Thog Smash. sort of campaign. These people are not savages. They are as intelligent humanoids striving to make their way in the world. Clan is important. Many adventures will revolve around simple things like finding good water, hunting things bigger than your average party level would suggest is a good idea, finding a sacrifice to a god to get what you want from them. Many of the things that are a given in a typical campaign will become sources of adventure here. A lot of the direction the campaign takes will depend on the players and characters.

Recruitment will run until at least December 4th.

Sounds like a fun campaign to build for the Mammoth Rider prestige class. Now, do I want to be a Druid, Ranger, Hunter, Mad Dog Barbarian, something else with a pet? Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

Definitely interested, especially as I haven't actually seen you run Pathfinder before.

Very interesting....I will play around and see what I can come up with!

Definitely interested. I will work up a character in the next day or so.

Dotting for interest - another ST game is always appealing and this setting more so.

Am mulling a Shaman (Mammoth Spirit) pitch. Never played a Shaman, so could be a cool time to try one on for size. Mammoth Spirit archetype seems the perfect fit :)

I'll get something generated over the coming day (have a week off work so plenty of time to create :)

Mammoth Spirit has some really cool s!## in it actually, so should be neat to see in use.

This looks fascinating. I will think carefully on this, because I love the idea.

Would we be using the primitive human racial stats, or just plain human? I think the latter makes more sense, personally, but I'm not running it. xD

Characters and Character Creation: I’m leaning toward all characters being members of the same human clan. The theme of discovery for characters paired with players discovering the differences with new versions of old races is appealing. That said, I might be interested in a single outsider. There is something in the Mammoth Lords book about clans taking giant children and raising them as sort of guardians. That, foundlings, or visitors from another clan could work.

If that rings true then it might be prudent for all the humans to select the Tribalistic Alternative Race Trait? Seems fitting whilst providing cool flavour/mechanics to a collective?

Sounds like a fun campaign to build for the Mammoth Rider prestige class. Now, do I want to be a Druid, Ranger, Hunter, Mad Dog Barbarian, something else with a pet? Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

Mammoth Rider is one of my faves. But it takes forever to get to. Make sure the journey is fun to play.

Pre-history is absolutely fascinating to me and Far Cry Primal ranks as one of my favorite games ever. Count me very, very interested!

Definitely interested, especially as I haven't actually seen you run Pathfinder before.

I usually use the boards to play games I'd never get to play in person, and most of those aren't Pathfinder, but this one is both. I just wrapped up a Throne of Night campaign that has been going for a few years, so this is replacing that on dance card.

Would we be using the primitive human racial stats, or just plain human? I think the latter makes more sense, personally, but I'm not running it. xD

Standard humans. I might use the primitive stats for another group of humans. There will definitely be other primitive hominids around.

The human alternate racial traits offer lots of opportunities to differentiate characters. One of the reasons I am using background skills and giving 2 extra skill points is to make giving up "skilled" easier if that is how you want to go.

Pre-history is absolutely fascinating to me and Far Cry Primal ranks as one of my favorite games ever. Count me very, very interested!

There is a lot of Far Cry Primal art in my folder of concept art for this campaign.

Ouachitonian wrote:

Sounds like a fun campaign to build for the Mammoth Rider prestige class. Now, do I want to be a Druid, Ranger, Hunter, Mad Dog Barbarian, something else with a pet? Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

Mammoth Rider is one of my faves. But it takes forever to get to. Make sure the journey is fun to play.

That’s a very good point. I’m thinking I might do something different, actually. How do you feel about the Leadership feat? I’m thinking a Druid who, at 9th level, uses Awaken on his animal companion. That makes it a Magical Beast and ineligible to be a companion, but by taking Leadership at the same time, I can keep it as my cohort. (Alternatively, keep my non-awakened companion and awaken some other animal as my cohort. But there’d definitely be one of more awakened animals running around.)

I don't have any problem with that.

GM, how would you rule the interaction between the geomancer and naturalist archetypes for the occultist? They both alter how mental focus works, but they ways they alter it don't have any conflict. Just figured I'd check to make sure it was alright before I commit to any sort of build.

I don't think you could take both. Once you take one of those archetypes, I don't think you have mental focus anymore. When you take geomancer, you now have geomantic focus instead of mental focus.

I haven't spent much time with occult rules, so I could be wrong.

What are you getting from Naturalist that you want? I'd be fine with you ignoring Natural Focus and taking Tree Talker and Reflect on the Land at the appropriate levels.

All geomantic focus does is give you the archetype's resonant powers when in contact with terrain (whatever that means). Essentially, geomantic focus makes the land serve as your implement instead of an item. If it fully changed mental focus to geomantic focus, it would specify that it replaces mental focus, rather than altering it.

Thematically, it seems like investing mental focus into the land would mesh well with Natural Focus from Naturalist, giving you a stronger connection to the nature spirits it references.

I've built a lot of occult characters, so I feel decently confident in my interpretation of it. Ultimately, up to you though.

Dotting for interest I like the idea of a primal world. Sounds interesting and I love discovery it’s such an underutilized theme.

I agree that thematically it works well. I can't see how natural focus is going to break the game, so go ahead.

Awesome! Still awash with ideas, so it's hard to say exactly what I'll go for at this stage. I'm definitely gravitating towards a geomancer/naturalist occultist, building towards using Panoply of the Warrior, flavoring it as using an ancestral axe and shield.

My first instinct is to build a soulbound summoner. Would that be okay, GM? Any suggestions on what eidolon subtypes might be appropriate for the campaign?

I’m looking into a Goliath Druid. For background in this primitive world I’m assuming giants are a thing is there any lore on them you’d be willing to dish out?

I was wondering if the mahrog could be considered for this campaign, or would it be too powerful? The mahrog are a primitive people that refused to accept any technology. Perhaps this time period would be their Golden Age?

Another question, GM. If I was to play a nonhuman, specifically an elf, would you want me to tie them into the lore that's offered in the little setting primer of Planegea or are we just using the world as inspiration?

I was wondering if the mahrog could be considered for this campaign, or would it be too powerful? The mahrog are a primitive people that refused to accept any technology. Perhaps this time period would be their Golden Age?

I'll allow it. I calculate it at 11 RP.

I’m looking into a Goliath Druid. For background in this primitive world I’m assuming giants are a thing is there any lore on them you’d be willing to dish out?

A goliath would likely be a foundling or stolen as a child by the clan and raised as one of their own. The easiest way to handle a goliath would probably be to say they are a juvenile or runt stone giant. Possibly for some reason they don't grow to full size away from their own people. Poor nutrition or lack of access to some important magic or something.

Giants are generally rivals/enemies. I don't want to get too much into the details so as to avoid spoilers, but I can PM you more info.

Another question, GM. If I was to play a nonhuman, specifically an elf, would you want me to tie them into the lore that's offered in the little setting primer of Planegea or are we just using the world as inspiration?

My first instinct is to build a soulbound summoner. Would that be okay, GM? Any suggestions on what eidolon subtypes might be appropriate for the campaign?

Ancestor, Elemental, Kami, Protean, Shadow, Twinned, Void all seem most likely to me.

Angels, Demons, and similar outsiders are a little too "advanced" for this place to me.

Of course, a soulbound summoner is just pulling the eidolon out of themselves, right? So the power sets for any of them could work, since it is just something from inside you.

Mythicman19 wrote:

I’m looking into a Goliath Druid. For background in this primitive world I’m assuming giants are a thing is there any lore on them you’d be willing to dish out?

A goliath would likely be a foundling or stolen as a child by the clan and raised as one of their own. The easiest way to handle a goliath would probably be to say they are a juvenile or runt stone giant. Possibly for some reason they don't grow to full size away from their own people. Poor nutrition or lack of access to some important magic or something.

Giants are generally rivals/enemies. I don't want to get too much into the details so as to avoid spoilers, but I can PM you more info.

My bad I should have linked, Goliath Druid as in the Druid archetype. The idea being they are human looking up to or maybe imitating the larger races.

LOL sorry, my brain went to the Dungeons and Dragons race. That archetype absolutely makes sense.

It’s a good Archetype, especially for this game. I was thinking about that one myself.

How do you feel about a non-human who isn't an outsider? A Half-Orc is my primary thought.

If not, just plain human is also nice.

All good! Sorry if I snagged your idea, my initial idea was a shaman and I didn’t wanna overlap to much so figured I’d try a Druid for the first time.

Sounds fun! I'm still thinking of concepts, but since you mentioned third party content, I wanted to ask: would you allow Spheres of Might? I don't have a specific idea yet, but I feel like it opens up a bunch of concepts, if it's a system you're comfortable with (and if the build is designed with a primitive world in mind).

Oh, I hadn’t noticed that some 3pp might be allowed! If Spheres are accepted, I might build a worldsoul incarnate.

All good! Sorry if I snagged your idea, my initial idea was a shaman and I didn’t wanna overlap to much so figured I’d try a Druid for the first time.

NBD, Druids are flexible enough we could both be in the same party and fill different roles.

GM: since there's no coinage, how do we figure starting equipment?

OK...here is my first stab for a character in this game. Let me know if he fits or if you are looking for something different.

I think I'd rather avoid 3pp systems like Spheres of Might and Spheres of Power.

For classes, I was thinking of things like Legendary Rogue, Spell-Less Ranger, some of the Rogue Genius classes.

Mythicman19 wrote:

All good! Sorry if I snagged your idea, my initial idea was a shaman and I didn’t wanna overlap to much so figured I’d try a Druid for the first time.

NBD, Druids are flexible enough we could both be in the same party and fill different roles.

GM: since there's no coinage, how do we figure starting equipment?

Let's just go with standard gold for buying equipment. Roll or take the average for your class, your choice. Buy normal weapons/armor/equipment, then make them of the appropriate materials. That won't be perfect but it should get pretty close.

We will start with using the alternate crafting rules. If that doesn't work we will try something else.

OK...here is my first stab for a character in this game. Let me know if he fits or if you are looking for something different.

** spoiler omitted **...

I didn't crunch every number, but that looks good to me. You noted that you don't have to use the primitive human, right? I'm fine with using it, but just wanted to make sure.

How do you feel about a non-human who isn't an outsider? A Half-Orc is my primary thought.

If not, just plain human is also nice.

I'd be fine with a half-orc raised with the clan.

I'm going to duck out of this one - realistically I've a full dance card as/is, with a couple of games to commence...

Will however be lurking on this one! Enjoy :)

I am definitely interested. Daniel Stewart already had the same idea I was having myself so I will need to think it over some more.

LOL..well if Black Dow is leaving, I had originally made a shaman...I can go back to that if you want to take the Brawler KHT!!

Play what makes your heart sing! I'll figure it out for sure. <3

There are so many archetypes and different builds we could all pick the same class and still feel very different, so it should never be an issue.

An Exemplar, Hinyasi, Snakebite Striker, and Steel Breaker party would be well rounded and distinct, for example.

I'd make the character you really want to play. There is no need to optimize characters or the party.