Most important in mine is some fighter love. -- 3 Skill Ranks + Int mod per level -- Bravery is gone. Instead it is a players choice at lvl 2 of a bonus to either Will or Reflex saves.
As I lay awake in bed I've always wondered if others house rule that Outsiders (those formed from souls specifically) gain a limited form of regeneration. Their immortal soul tries to slowly rebuild them back to ideal. Basically after a month or two they'll regrow a limb. Punch a succubi's teeth out, she'll have them grow back in a week or so.
Considering a Reincarnated Druid NPC as a viable contact/healer for some PCs. Add in a penchant that he'd loves reincarnating all that fall around him should be good entertainment alone. Considering adding a much lower level ranger helper as a sidekick for him. The sidekick will be loaned out to provide some support. Like any good sidekick, he'll die.
I have a dreadful suspicion that this cross (if allowed) would look like a green Stewie Griffin.
Cleric/Rogue or Rogue/Cleric. Choice a neutral or evil god as a patron, he'll conceal it if needs be. Load him up on social skills to use his Charisma. Play up his priestly side, don't let them know of the rogue stuff. Have him become a core member of the community and someone the PCs would even trust. A little free healing, some advice, some bogus blessings, stuff like that. Then have him selling valuable information on the PC's, maybe even orchestrating a theft on a PC base when they are out of town. Get this guys fingers in the local politics some, but even more so in the underbelly of society. He could cause the PC's grief for years before they realize if ever he has been at the center of some of their woes. Have him tag along on a few adventures to establish some credibility. Imagine though the look on their faces when facing the BBEG and he stabs a caster in the back and switches sides at such a crucial point.
I severed my fey from some faerie realm. The whole lot are the result of divine tinkering (or punishment depending on the race). Even then they all still pay at least lip service to the same progenitor, who can be as whimsical as his fey. My sprites and such are pretty much the norm. Some are annoying, some are fun, others are nasty. Don't use satyrs, korreds, and many similar fey. Centaur got a more sinister reputation as raiders from the edge of civilization. Births are 90% male, leaving a shortage in breeding stock. In response they kidnap females of other races and use rituals to change them into centaurs. Harpies get tamed down some. They are actually civilized, claiming to be cursed kindred of the elves of old. Dryads got an overhaul. Woody looking maidens are okay, but I allowed tweaked them allowing them to change form into the 4E look for combat. Glaistig, possible the most viscous of the fey in my world (using the 3.5) can also be one of the more helpful if PC's help them. The overriding need for them to drink blood can lead some to amazing schemes to get reliable sources. Those that go to long with feeding risk becoming feral predators. Kitsune, I threw them into the fey since they fit the bill for my standards. Nymphs, beloved of their god. Promoted from other fey and humanoids in his service. Hags. I punted them out of the fey. All hags in my campaign are humanoid females who made a deal with the local demon lord for various reasons.
I love the Pleistocene Epochs (Ice Age) mammalian mega fauna so I used it heavily to create an ecosystem that could also support large mythical predators as well. Mammoths, Mastodons, and Wooly Rhinos form the real world extinct part of the great herds well away from civilized lands. Now toss in elk, moose, deer, oxen, bighorn sheep, and vast herds of bison. Damn dragons and a giants are eating well in my world. For natural carnivores; wolves, various large cats, and bears. In the rivers and lakes; pike and catfish are notables. Turtles, leeches, and beavers. Got to have some beavers. For avians; prairy chicken, various doves, song birds, hawks, eagles, and vultures. I'm also one of those DM's that try to keep the dinos out marginalized or out of the game.
The problem with fighters isn't with them, it's with the GM. Fighters can deal sustained damage, soak damage, and avoid damage better than most other class. Most casters are all about a few short bursts. GMs need to be able to cater situations where fighters can shine (that means not stopping and resting after a fight or two). Send in plenty of small mobs to keep the pressure on a party where fighters get to slaughter them.
Deep in the wilderness a 6th level fighter gets his Splint Mail dusted by a rust monster. Taking a few days of work at a long term base camp he rigs up a semi functional set by scavenging a piece meal set of light and medium armor taken from fallen foes. Finally those Ultimate Combat piece meal armor rules can really see some lovely use.
Basically my idea of a great long term campaign with slow progression. Fun stuff. A +1 weapon becomes a true treasure, and even has an awe inspiring name. Even then you could have PC literally running errand and currying favor just to get a few cold iron weapons or a single adamant one.
After reading some of the OP, I'd recommend a short pause to look at the video game Morrowind. Especially those deadric and dwemer ruins close to Red Mountain for that blasted landscape. The brutal intensity of ash storms, and some of the twisted life forms found on the island. The inspiration from that could be infectious.
I'd wing it and guess if someone one more enterprising in Golarion that struck upon a meteor strike might try to mine it. The resulting mine would look more like a primitive strip mine.
Mechanically it might be a no no but honestly I think you're stepping away from the Spirit of the Rules and focuing on the Letter of the Rules. Exactly. Mechanically speaking, I'd suspect someone is trying min/max damage with a two weapon fighter, so using the biggest hardest hitting sword fits the bill. My approach would be allow it with the large penalties, making it inefficient over the more conventional two weapon types. Still if the rolls favor the player, they'll have a great story to tell later. A -6 (-2 for the two handed primary, -4 for improvised) to hit with the primary hand is a hefty penalty to overcome, even with magic. I'd even look at tacking on an additional penalty to the secondary weapons attack rolls. I'd also allow large creatures to wield the great sword much like a bastard sword. It makes for an interesting monster as a boss. So yes I've dealt with the main subject before. From a role play stand point. What makes a better improvised weapon tale? Charging and ogre chieftain with a Great Sword in one hand and some other hefty weapon in the other. Or two weapon rending the barkeep in a tavern brawl with a pair of bar stools.
I'd probably consider it at that point an improvised weapon. The -4 to hit and the change to crits might balance it out.
I could see dwarves keeping a small population of swine in an underground farm. Hogs do fine in low light, can subsist on just about everything. Industrious dwarves could easily re purpose a played out mine into a farm. Remember also salt can be mined. Could have a unique dwarf culture around that. Still salt is very useful, and profitable. Salted Pork. I'd also envision a reclusive dwarf hold having small secret fields on the surface. Only a few feet across, where most people would walk by without a thought. There they'd grow barely and hops. Maybe some other greens that aren't as important to them. |
