I think the Sleeves are a good bargain for one purpose - they're a cheaper Hat of Disguise for people who only needed to look like "a ___" rather than "the ___" (but who do need to change the look a lot or need to have the look last for a long time, and thus don't want to just use potions*)
People who want to blend into different crowds (disguise as a patron to get into a club, disguise as a waiter to get into the back, disguise as a cook to get access to the food supply... as long as there's enough people, there's no need to change your actual appearance aside from possibly a couple small details).
People who want to easily switch sides (your uniform is whichever side is winning, perhaps)
People who want to blend into nobility (fashion is pretty expensive, especially if you need multiple sets of clothing, jewelry, etc. - or if you might be doing things which would lead to expensive clothing being destroyed or dirtied... which is generally what PC's are up to if they're in upper class events).
People who need to blend into groups with difficult-to-acquire uniforms (guards, religious, etc. - you can't just buy the uniform, and disguising yourself with similar looking clothes sometimes would just be ridiculous).
People who want to look like they're wearing skimpy clothing in the winter / hot clothing in the summer / hiding the fact they're wearing jewelry in a slum / etc. ?
People who just think it's cool to keep up with changing fashions or different cultures with a couple flicks of the wrist.
It's not a replacement for a Hat of Disguise, but it's cheap enough for a frivolous luxury or backup plan for some - and it allows these types of shenanigans for characters too poor for a Hat of Disguise (or who have something else in the Head slot - the Wrist slot doesn't have that much competition for some characters). The Hat holds up to more scrutiny, and can be used to better imitate specific people (or people who look very different than you) or to disguise from people who might know what your face looks like (or to hide a distinctive feature, like fangs or a burn)... but it's an order of magnitude more expensive.
* Disguise Self potions would, I think, last for 40 minutes at most, and only allow for 4 changes. If someone wants to do these kinds of acts for a long period of time (staying for a ball without having to watch the clock like Cinderella, for example) or who wanted to do these kinds of acts on a semi-regular basis, potions get pricey and add more risk of being noticed. (they hold up to more scrutiny, however - so it's a payoff)
However, it's still a raw ruling for people who depended on the Sleeves as a replacement for keeping track (and carrying!) of a billion different types of clothing types that could come in handy. It is a "paperweight" for people who didn't need any of the "blending in" properties the sleeves actually grant, and there isn't really a replacement for it that I'm aware of (but perhaps one will be made eventually - but priced and with a slot intended for such an item, rather than priced and slotted with the intention of making an illusory item [what the proper price and slot is, I don't know - it could even be cheaper (at least for items which covered only a specific set of clothing items) ] ).
My predictions for book 2, The Advanced NPC Guide...
Rabble (Commoner/Warrior): Gaining the Warrior's BAB combined with the Commoner's terrible proficiencies, the Rabble lets you play out all your peasant revolt fantasies. Use the Angry Sign Holder archetype to start play with a masterwork sign with up to 1 word/level written on it.
Bureaucrat (Commoner/Aristocrat): For characters who have some of the stylings and training of nobility... but only some. The Tax Collector archetype is OP.
Dreamer (Commoner/Expert): The know it alls of the village - Dreamers get a modified version of the Expert's "choose 10 skills to be class skills" selection. They can pick 10 skills which become skills that the Dreamer thinks she is good at. The Drunken Dreamer archetype gains the ability to add even more skills to this selection with each alcoholic beverage consumed.
Pet Lover (Commoner/Adept): Did you ever want to be a peasant, but with a beloved rabbit, dog, or other animal from the Familiars list? Or did you ever want to be a Wizard, but without any of that magic stuff? This is the class for you. The Shepherd archetype lets you gain multiple familiars (which despite the name can also be ducks, geese, chickens, or pigs), but you split the levels between them.
Page (Warrior/Aristocrat): Before they were knights - before they were even squires - children of the elite trained to be pages. Act with all the entitlement of the nobility while gaining useful weapon proficiencies at 20th level. The Hostage archetype gives you a special power pool which your captors can use to keep your rebellious family members in line.
Medic (Warrior/Adept): For the warriors who need a few adept spells (mostly based around healing) now and then. The Treaty Medic archetype gives up armor and weapon proficiencies again, but gains auras of sanctuary which sometimes work against specific foes.
Caravan Guard (Warrior/Expert): Men of arms who have traveled the world and gained odd knowledge and training here and there (a lesser version of the expert's skill selections). The Greedy Mercenary archetype lets the character switch not only their allegiance, but even their alignment once per day.
King Mage (Adept/Aristocrat): Mage Kings are arcane masters of great power who meddle with the affairs of kingdoms. King Mages, on the other hand, are nobility who can dabble a little with a couple spells. The Evil Stepmother archetype gains use of some witch hexes as well (and an alignment restriction).
Scholar (Adept/Expert): Some men acquire the great secrets of the arcane by long study, ceaseless experimentation, and the occasional dark bargain. Others are more interested in the theory behind the magic than actually gaining any magical power themselves. The Philosopher of Alchemy archetype exchanges knowledge about spells for knowledge about formulae.
Quest Giver (Expert/Aristocrat): The best combination of plot convenient knowledge and authority (and the promise of reward, without too many questions about why they don't solve it themselves). The Dying Breath archetype gains the ability to deny death for up to 1 hour per class level, but only if they are continuously explaining parts of the plot.
The Slayer and the Barbarian: The two sides of fighting. On one hand, the clever, trained, and resourceful soldier. On the other, the intuitive and brutal warrior.
The Bard and the Inquisitor: The magic fighters. They can be sneaky-but-with-magic, leaders-but-with-magic, divine-champions-with-swords, arcane-champions-with-swords, or anything in between.
The Witch and the Oracle: The magic users of the world - whether they have shamanistic ties to the world, strange and uncontrolled powers, or studied and well known magical arts. They are distinctly magical, with a flexible selection of powers that are more than just more spells.
That leaves me with two more slots for wild cards. I think the Investigator (for alchemy and other options which aren't well covered by the magic users, as well as clever fighters which aren't quite covered by Slayers/Bards/Inquisitors - it also keeps in grit/panache concepts via an archetype, if I heard correctly) and the Expert (because we'll still want a simple and flexible class for quick NPCs) will do.
Choral the Conqueror (Choral I | 4499 - 4509)
Possibly not technically a Rogarvia (if that just was the name of the house established by the Nikos-Choral alliance*), but definitely related. United Brevoy through conquest, had the whole dragon stuff, etc. He eventually left the kingdom to be ruled by his descendants and his fate is unknown.
Given that he ruled for only 10 years (and 4499 is just the date of his alliance with the Surtovas and the marriage, so even less than that when you include the time it took to pacify Rostland), it's quite odd that "his descendants" took over.
Either:
A) The actual marriage was between Choral's son and Myrna Surtova, thus forming house Rogarvia. The son would then be able to take over 10 years later.
B) The marriage was between Choral and Myrna Surtova, but Choral had previous children as well. This would explain why the main branch took over, while the current king (Noleski Surtova) would be descended from the Choral-Myrna branch (which was for one reason or another exempt from the Vanishing**, which only affected Choral's firstborn line?).
B.5) Choral had a son (and heir) and also a daughter (Myrna Rogarvia) who married Nikos Surtova. This would also make Noleski a direct descendant of Choral.
C) There was a Regency period, probably with Nikos Surtova unofficially running the show.
D) You have a 10 year old king (at best) right after the warlord who managed to unite two previously warring kingdoms just disappears.
Urzen Rogarvia (Urzen ?? | ??? - 4699)
Urzen disappeared, along with his potential heirs, for mysterious reasons.
It's suggested that the common people of Brevoy didn't care much for the Rogarvias (but people stayed in line because of Rogarvia's military strength and the possibility of draconic intervention). The latter kings may have been cruel and/or demanding.
There's 190 years to fill. It's hard to get a good basis for the lifespan (or at least average length of reign) of Rogarvias, since I don't think we know Urzen's birth or coronation dates and Choral just disappeared.
Going arbitrarily to Wikipedia's List of Kings of Spain for a baseline, it seems reasonable to switch kings every 30 or so years (barring those who have really short reigns - often due to disease*** - or really long reigns [see: Queen Elizabeth II] ). That gives us about 7 kings after Choral (including Urzen).
Here's a possible timeline (assuming a regency, for variety's sake):
Choral the Conqueror | 4499 - 4509 (disappeared)
United Brevoy with sword and flame (and, not mentioned as much in history, some good negotiation skills). Bold, clever, and charismatic. Choral always had the long term in mind, making sure his family would be well entrenched in a longstanding realm. However, as with many men who always are looking to the future, Choral always seem impatient and dissatisfied with the present.
Interregnum | 4509 - 4520
Myrna is declared regent for her son, Cibor Rogarvia, along with an absurdly large council of "advisors" from every major family (as each demanded to have some influence in the situation). In truth, Nikos Surtova controlled most of the workings of government. Surtovas got many important positions in government which they have managed to keep in the family ever since.
Cibor Rogarvia | 4520 - 4572 (died, age 72)
A fairly unremarkable king, not used to command and fairly dependent on his advisors. Still, trade flourishes, swordlord rebellions are put down, and the influence of Issian nobility in Rostland increases during the stable years of his reign.
Bonamis Rogarvia | 4572 - 4603 (died, age 74)
A bold knight who was known for his code of laws, which were generally seen to be fair and reasonable (and which also reduced the number of succession crises happening in the minor noble houses, thus solidifying the borders of the major noble houses to the borders we recognize today [with minor changes] ).
While he was good at lawmaking, it bored him and he really wanted to have a good war. He responded with great force to the minor revolts during his reign and tried to provoke Restov and the remaining swordlords into rebellion while pushing for aggressive actions against rising powers in the River Kingdoms (which actually caused many to back down from their plans of River Kingdom domination, frustrating him greatly).
He attempted to re-establish control in the Stolen Lands, but colonization was sluggish and prone to disasters.
Vuyic Rogarvia | 4603 - 4605 (died, age 24)
Died from a plague caught in the Icerime Peaks - presumed to originate from Ioberia (may have been poisoned).
Sudomir Rogarvia | 4605 - 4618 (died, age 77)
Bonamis' younger brother (ascending to the throne due to the death of Bonamis' only heir - Sudomir's descendants would become the royal line up until the Vanishing). Known for his great interest in the observatories in Skywatch.
Daris Rogarvia | 4618 - 4649 (died, age 67)
Known as an avid hunter and collector of artwork (which is often credited to his Lebedan mother). He left New Stetven much more cultured and beautiful - with statues, parks, and a more refined style. He also left the kingdom near the brink of debt.
Edert Rogarvia | 4649 - 4670 (died, age 74)
Edert famously quarreled with his father over expenses, and many thought he would be the answer to the debt crisis. He was, but most found that his solution of heavy taxation - while effective - was not what they had been hoping for. Some see Edert as a harsh and uncaring king while others see him as an efficient bureaucrat who did what he had to to keep the kingdom running.
Urzen Rogarvia | 4670 - 4699 (disappeared, fate unknown)
Urzen eased the taxation of his father, but his shy nature (especially after the death of his first wife) made it difficult for him to win back the trust of the peasantry.
--------------------------------------
* In which Nikos Surtova and Choral the Conqueror decided not to fight but to peacefully unite Issia under Choral's control. This included the marriage of Myrna to... someone. I don't have the relevant books here (Stolen Land and the Inner Sea World Guide), and a quick search online brings up two conflicting stories: Either she was Choral's daughter and married Nikos Surtova, or she was Nikos' daughter and married Choral. The second makes more sense and seems to be quoted more often.
** Or, if the Vanishing has to do with blood relationships, somewhere along the line there could be a bastard. Or, if the Vanishing was purely a mundane assassination string, Noleski just cut off everyone above him. It depends on how you run with that bit.
*** Or warfare. Those kinds of deaths tend to lead to overthrows (either because one house replaces another or because infighting destabilizes the ruling house), though. House Rogarvia seems to have been pretty stable (it sounds like they held Brevoy continuously for 200 years without any major periods of civil war in between), so I'd avoid these kinds of deaths.
(in no particular order, more or less off the top of my head)
Weights: There aren't really any large races to start our guesses off of. Ogres are said to be, on average, 650 lbs. The trox are similarly big and burly, so that might be a start.
Ages: Why not have a race that ages fairly fast, for once? A race that never grows old enough to rebel (of course, that failed - but it was the idea behind it), and is always curious because everything is always new. Something like:
adulthood in 5 years, middle aged in 11, old at 17, venerable at 25, max age 25+2d6
Long lived enough to not have to deal too much with aging and death in the middle of an adventure arc (and if the aging is an issue - maybe they never really grow old? They take a penalty once at 15ish - or just none at all - and then die at 25+2d6. Why breed a slave race which deteriorates slowly over time [and gets smarter!]? You want them up and running as normal right until they hit the expiration date), but short enough that they experience life differently (and generational play might be a major factor for long adventures).
Height: I'd put them as tall as a large creature might be expected to be, to emphasize just how burly and scary they are (and add more fun when walking around little people houses). They might have been made to walk on all fours in smaller tunnels, a behavior they probably try to avoid on the surface.
Relative: The appearance, the strength, the clans, and the burrowing sort of suggest some kind of giant cave ant as their long lost relative to me. Looks like they have a tail, so either the ancestor was a very bizarre ant (it's the darklands, though, so that's not too surprising) - or maybe there was some weird creature splicing involved.
Colors: Duergar hate cheer, so they're probably pretty drab and utilitarian greyish red, greyish blue, greyish green, greyish tan. Whatever got the job done. To follow that, perhaps bright colorations (a genetic rarity) are revered among some groups, due to how much they stick out compared to the others.
Habitats: Hmm, the stat block says tropical deserts - but I suspect they might like some jungles, swamps, and forests. After living in darkness for so long, I'd think they'd find a bit of shade to be comfortable.
On the other hand, maybe they keep a nocturnal lifestyle. They burrow into the sand during the day (if they aren't being ordered around - but slave owners would probably realize that the creatures worked better at night) and emerge at night to be a terror in the dark. Their burrowing might also help them find water for themselves (and their captors).
They've got to eat a ton. Either there's big prey around (I'm imagining several of them surrounding and bringing down elephants and the like just by sheer tenacity and grappling. In fact, these guys would be pretty epic hunters/hunted with a bulette - just clinging on for the death or life struggle as the bulette tries to rip them off - diving down underground [both have burrow] and leaping into the air in the process.), or perhaps they are forced into slavery partly because their captors can promise food (those who run find themselves hungry and without a lot of knowledge about how to fend for themselves in the harsh empty desert - if they don't die rampaging a nearby settlement, they return for promises of food).
Society: For some variety, I'd suggest that many of the clans haven't had any formal contact with each other since their emergence. Each adapts to the area around it. Some get enslaved, and the slave-born are a very different culture from the free-born.
Due to the divided nature, the short lifespan, and the slavery, they're a culture without a voice. Individuals learn and adapt so much, but are rarely able to communicate this in a really meaningful way. Those who do pass on knowledge must do so in ways that can quickly and easily be passed along. In enslaved societies, it's unlikely they'll learn to read much - it's probably by song (since stories are too threatening to the slavers).
In freer places, they might hold storytellers in great renown, or have simple dances and performances (think mini-plays, steeped with a lot of symbolism) which communicate many stories at once.
But when we talk about renown - how much renown can someone gain in such a short life? Perhaps they don't look at individuals the same way, since everyone is replaced so quickly. Society is more concerned about the community's story as a whole and how everyone contributes to this base of understanding.
For their interactions with others, I think they'd exhibit the best of youth. They're unashamedly inquisitive and thoughtful - they're trying to learn about and understand the world around them, and easily placated and fooled by the strategems of others (they were, more than other races, "born yesterday"). It's not that they're dumb or dull - but that they just don't have the experience to deal with everything at once. Hedonists, idealists, maniacs - they're basically what humans are to elves in most settings, dangerous but noble in a way.
Reproduction: If they die fast, they probably need to bear a lot of children fairly quickly. I'd lean towards eggs - then you have communities based around protecting those young, possibly without regard to who birthed who (there's no "father" or "mother" - just an "aunt/uncle" term for all people of the last generation).
Players who recognize the Jarl Damir, the priest Crispen, or the spy Anders should avoid this thread. Seriously, it is going to have many spoilers which you don't want to have spoiled.
This will also contain some spoilers for the books up to the Varnhold Vanishing, for those who are not in my group but still want to avoid such spoilers.
I recently became the GM of a group running through Kingmaker, right as we transitioned between Rivers Run Red and the Varnhold Vanishing. In order to fit with the college schedule (including players graduating), I've heavily modified the adventure.
As the quick finale for the school year, the party has just become shadow rulers of the Varnhold (more on that later) and is now focusing their attentions east to the centaurs who have been engaged in warfare with their now-ally. I'm working out ideas of what they'll be meeting. They're currently level 8 and mythic tier 1.
The Heroes:
(Deceased: Player replaced him)
Captain Adoni Ro’Vaugn: A clever and well intentioned half-elf swordlord in training (Chaotic Good Rogue/Sorcerer [Draconic Bloodline] with skill in charging into trouble and almost dying) from a minor noble family in Restov (who was fleeing a rather murderous uncle).
(NPC: My former character)
Jarl Damir Surtova:An overly ambitious minor human nobleman and tax collector unofficially exiled into the south by his distant second cousin, the king. Originally a cowardly bureaucrat, he has slowly grown to be a fairly responsible knightly figure due to the weight of the crown (which was fashioned from the horns of the Stag Lord’s helm, so many call him “the Stag Lord” now). (A NN --> LN --> LE --> LN Bard with a level of Cavalier aiming towards the Battle Herald prestige class, Mythic Path: Marshal)
(NPC: The cohort to my former character)
Darius of Port Ice: Damir’s bastard son (human), born into the criminal underworld and trained as an assassin - but redeemed by followers of Sarenrae (Lawful Good Monk with a level of Inquisitor for the Conversion Inquisition - primarily an armored tank and a shield for the cowardly Damir) who inadvertently sent him on a mission straight into the realm of the father figure he never had. Darius acts as the Grand Diplomat of Ithorn.
Brother Crispen: An elven friend of a friend of Adoni’s and an extremely zealous battle cleric of Sarenrae (who has a minor, but fervent, following in Brevoy). His somewhat sheltered upbringing in monasteries may be the cause of his zeal to convert all the Stolen Lands to his faith. (Lawful Good Cleric. Domains: Healing and FIRE. Mythic Path: Hierophant) Crispen became the High Priest of Ithorn, mostly since he was the only religiously motivated player character.
(Cohort)
Ignus: A human friend of Crispen’s and an aspiring blacksmith. Has a tendency to fail any kind of save, leading to many close scrapes with death thus far. (Lawful Good? Fighter) Ignus holds no council position.
Nemo Uesagi: A custom-shapeshifter-animal-race minstrel (Neutral Good Bard [Sound Striker] / Dragon Disciple. Mythic Path: Archmage) from the mysterious Gronzi Forest.
Nemo’s village needed a safe haven from the coming storm in Brevoy, and allying with the rest of the party (the character entered at the end of the first book) was the best way to achieve this. While he is sometimes arrogant of his arcane power and bloodline, Nemo often tries to do the right thing.
Nemo is the Councilor for Ithorn. He also tends to be the guy to turn to when anything magical comes up, and with Damir out of the picture he’s often the (masked, due to his inhuman appearance) face of the party.
(leaving soon)
Thorvald Thorvaldson and Bofan Thorvaldson: Dwarven warriors (Thorvald is a True Neutral Fighter, Bofan is a Neutral Good Ranger with a wolf companion. I think they're Champion and Guardian respectively) who sought to find the secrets of their ancestors in the Stolen Lands (due to family legend). Both are sturdy in physique and loyalty. Thorvald has recently opened a thriving series of inns in the capital city. Thorvald serves as General while Bofan is the Marshal.
Anders: A former good-guy-crime-boss (Chaotic Good Ninja. Mythic Path: Trickster) in Restov who married into the Ro’Vaugns and “retired” to spying roles in Ithorn in order to give his family a safer place to live. Anders stepped into realm politics after the death of Adoni, and after an initial testing period (as the more lawfully bent party was very wary of the no-rules Anders) has mostly fit in with the council.
Anders is the current Spymaster of Ithorn.
(Cohort)
Hickory 47: A custom-android-esque-race living construct who fled his creator and lived with Anders’ former good-guy-gang. (reflavored gunslinger) Hickory just got introduced, but I don't think he's going to be taking a government position.
(NPC due to player absence)
Draug: A fearsome and not always perfectly sane Gnome (Chaotic Neutral - generally on the evil side - Barbarian) (who originally masqueraded as a Druidic guide) with an obsession with tea-bagging everything and rarely wearing appropriate clothing.
Draug is the Royal Enforcer of Ithorn, because nothing is more terrifying than Draug.
Basic Backstory (Stolen Lands and Rivers Run Red):
The party was probably originally commissioned under the command of Adoni who recruited Crispen and Thorvald and, in a fit of poor judgment, hired Draug as a guide. However, upon it getting ceremonial approval from the Dragonscale Throne of Brevoy, the expedition was “gifted” with Damir Surtova. The swordlords have not been particularly happy with us.
Through a gauntlet of misadventures, the merry band killed bears, allied with kobolds, and slew the Stag Lord in an only somewhat botched infiltration of his fort. Oleg was a staunch ally throughout, and is the Treasurer and general guy-who-runs-things-behind-the-scenes in the government. The party suspiciously accepted Akiros as a Warden and the enigmatic bard Nemo as a Councilor (after he brought them the gold they needed to begin their settlement). Thorvald’s relative Bofan also entered the story around this time.
Book 2 turned out to be mainly about interpersonal struggles in the new government, with the actual villains often taking more minor roles (story-wise, not gameplay-wise). In the religious tensions between the fervent Brother Crispen (Sarenrae) and the pragmatic Jarl Damir (Abadar), Crispen asked his superiors for helpers. They sent Darius, who had a... rocky initial relationship with his father.
[ One notable exception to the distant-villains was an ancient tower, imprisoning a similarly ancient demon-influenced lord of part of the Stolen Lands (the exact borders were not specified)... who we may have inadvertently released (but we killed him too! and we urinated in the ashes of his beloved, who we also killed! We’re the good guys!). ]
But in the Talonquake, the now character-grown characters all gathered to fight a truly terrible foe… and found that an essence of its power sought them after it died (Mythic Owlbear fight becomes the mythic ascension for the party).
And that’s where I became GM, inheriting a band of heroes (with fairly heroic actions - while Damir/Nemo/Thorvald sometimes chose ruthlessly pragmatic options, and sometimes the party was trigger happy, the party tended to try to deal honestly and fairly with everyone they met) testing out their new powers, beginning to feel confident in their ever so slowly growing realm.
My version of the Varnhold... not really 'Vanishing'... so far:
The party was then met with an eyepatched egotistical man calling himself "Duke" Maeger Varn, visiting their realm to berate them about the bandits they had (according to him) been neglecting to take care of in between the two states. Their ruler, Damir, had been reclusive due to assassination threats (that's how we're explaining him not adventuring with the rest) - so they went to deal with the visiting dignitary themselves.
The party fairly quickly realized that Maeger was trying to meddle with their affairs in an attempt to eventually take over their land. They got rid of him as gently and firmly as they could.
A visit by a certain Lady Jamandi Aldori confirmed that Maeger's desire was to be proclaimed the leader of the settlements Restov had made in the south, and that he was winning the political battle due to rather unspecified power. Also, some emissaries went missing in his realms, and she wanted the party to find out about it.
They also found out that Lady Aldori's steward was a spy - in fact, he was the treacherous uncle of Adoni (and step-uncle of Anders) - but that's been more or less a sidenote so far.
(They then had their first mythic-vs.-mythic fights. They had heard about a great Roc and its lovely eggs in the mountains. Despite how the dwarven part of the party - usually used as the meatshield and muscle - was busy [players were busy, so the dwarves were off training their troops], and despite hearing suggestions that the Roc was a personification of the storm itself, the squishy side of the party bravely marched in...
...and were soon cowering in a rained out tower. "Tempest", the ancient Roc, had a bit more power than they were expecting. You could say that it was a... shocking experience. They managed to run away with an egg by some clever usage of magic and teamwork later on.)
Maeger Varn's sister, Katrin Varn, was left in the party's realm as a diplomat (and to spread Varnhold propaganda). In a surprising twist, the paladin-esque cleric Crispen wooed her (coached both in and out of game by the bard) and the two fell in love.
She mentioned that she had lost a friend in an ancient ruins, under unspecified circumstances. Crispen bravely gathered the party to investigate.
They found the ancient ruins and fought their way through a creepy labyrinth to find the now-insane Ariadne (Katrin's friend) and an ancient cyclops who declared himself "The Keeper of Fate". After his first few words (which were exactly as melodramatic as you would expect from a Keeper of Fate), they brutally murdered him.
They realized that while many of the magical equipment of the Keeper of Fate died with him, one important artifact - the one the whole facility was built around - was missing. An "Oculus of Fate" which absorbed mythic power and powered the great surveillance of the Keeper (who was set their by the ancients to keep great [mythic] power - and the dangers that grew with it - from ever recurring on the planet).
When they left, they headed towards the now burning city (in reality, it was just a combat between the Roc Tempest and the Varnholders - a bit of a bait covered railroad on my part) of Varnhold and found Maeger Varn waiting for them... with the oculus in his eye.
After realizing that Maeger was actually killing people to absorb their mythic power, corrupted as he was by the promise of power, there was a grand fight between the two parties.
The good guys won, partially due to the power of love (as they got Katrin to switch sides), and they've been setting up a puppet government in the Varnhold now, under Restov's blessing (as Restov just wants someone in charge).
What to do with a Horde of Centaurs?:
So now the party seems to be focusing on the issue of the centaurs (and on getting Manticore quills - as Nemo wants the reward for that quest).
I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with them. Vordekai and the ancient-protector-Nomen are out of the story (the battles with the Varnhold took the position of big-bad, and I want to focus on Brevoy for the later portions), so the centaurs are just the thorn in the Varnhold's side.
I don't want to make the centaurs purely savages, but I don't want them to just be "noble savage" misunderstood good guys instead.
I have some idea for centaur politics (revolving around a matriarch and three consorts - each of which have their own motives which the party can anger or aid), but I'm not sure how the centaurs should meaningfully affect player adventures in the area, especially without making fights get a bit cookie cutter.
I do have ideas for different types of centaurs-with-class-levels (some Zen Archer monks for the classic steppe archer, some barbarians for the spearmen, etc.), but I'm not sure what goals the players can have in the area (aside from just killing centaurs when they randomly encounter them).
A Twist of Fête:
While the centaurs and some other minor threats (you remember those bandits Maeger mentioned?) are likely to be the focus of the summertime, I do want to use the opportunity to delve a little into Brevic politics.
I want the civil war.
I'm thinking that their achievements may give them the honor of having a fête in their honor in Restov (which will, of course, go horribly wrong in the end) as an opportunity for them to meet with the movers and shakers in Brevoy (as they get to choose who they want to ally with when the war comes, and then can have adventures gaining the trust of allies to build up a coalition).
But I'm unsure how to do this without boring even the more social-situation focused players. Ideas? What other ways can I introduce the major noble families and other allies (to avoid just dumping it all at once)?
Wow!
And to think, that the solution was THAT easy... Oo
Well to solve the problem with the technical feats,
I suppose one can use something like a d'ni racial template, or just enhance core human race giving him something like an "amature tinker / amature technican" racial trait...
And to show the d'ni high versatality one could use instead of "+2 to atribute" something like "+1 to 2 attributes"
That I think would make them idea of advanced human-aliens taste and not so godlike as azlanti were in core rules
I don't think the D'ni are depicted as that much more versatile than humans (especially when compared to how humans are portrayed as the jack of all trades among fantasy races - if anything, the D'ni are less versatile, as they tend to be stuck in their ways). For a D'ni race, I'd go with:
Humanoid (D'ni)
Medium sized.
30 ft speed.
+2 to one ability score.
Skilled: D'ni gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.
Languages: D'ni begin speaking D'ni and Common. They can start with any languages they like (except secret languages, like Druidic) if they have a high enough INT modifier.
Low-light vision
Light sensitivity
Focused Study: D'ni gain Skill Focus in one skill as a bonus feat at 1st, 8th, and 16th level.
D'ni Engineering: D'ni treat Disable Device and Knowledge (engineering) as class skills. They gain a +2 bonus to all Craft and Profession checks related to stone.
Cavern Dweller: D'ni treat all non-magical difficult terrain as normal terrain when underground.
Alternate traits:
Xenophobic: These D'ni begin only speaking D'ni. They gain no extra starting languages from high INT. In addition, they gain a language for every two ranks they put into Linguistics, instead of every one. In exchange, they gain a +1 bonus against mind-affecting effects (except for fear). This replaces their normal languages.
Surface Born: These D'ni lose the Light Sensitivity and Cavern Dweller traits.
Magical Linguist: These D'ni gain a +1 bonus to the DC of spells they cast that have the language-dependent descriptor or that create glyphs, symbols, or other magical writings. They also gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against such spells. Members of this race with a Charisma score of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—arcane mark, comprehend languages, message, read magic. The caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to the user's character level. This replaces the bonus Skill Focus feats at 8th and 16th level.
All in all it's a couple of race points more than a human, with a couple extra benefits, but not universally better (and most of the benefits are fairly minor).
What would a character of Atrus or Yeesha from Myst game-series be at Golarion or just using the Pathfinder system?
The first idea that come to mind is the scribing type of bards
On second thouth maybe Oracle with Lore mystery...
Any suggestions?
The Pathfinder Chronicler prestige class from the Core Rulebook:
- Bonuses to Knowledge skills as well as Linguistics and Profession (scribe).
- Extra saving throws (characters in the series are always needing Reflex, Fortitude, and Will saves - there's madness, fire, dangerous terrain, and diseases all over the books in particular)
- They inspire other people with their speeches and, unlike bards, even with their writings!
- To get into the prestige class, you need to write a great book.
Bards are probably the best class to level in before you hit level 5-6 (when you can get into the prestige class), but there's lots of options. I'd go with the Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger
- Guns (or gun-like objects) aren't uncommon in the D'ni-verse.
- The Mysterious Stranger uses CHA as their main stat, which is the same that Pathfinder Chroniclers use for a couple of their abilities. Of course, Pathfinder Chroniclers don't seem to need a lot of charisma, so a regular Gunslinger (which uses Wisdom - a fitting stat for some of those characters... not so much for others) would also be fine.
- It's a non-magical but clever and resourceful (good saving throws, high Dexterity, targets touch AC) adventurer which uses technology to their advantage.
The main thing you're missing that would be really thematically fitting is Disable Device as a class skill - but there's at least one trait which can get you that.
