Thanks to everyone who has replied thus far! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious before coming back to post today after such a prolonged absence, but you folks have been understanding as can be. It's not only a relief, but it's also humbling in it's own way. Paizo really does have some great people that have made their home here on the boards!
@Ayreth: Feel free to make that change if it fits your character better, as I'm all for people playing what they want.
@Autumn Longbriar: It's interesting not only seeing a halfling in Zeitgeist- they're rare even in the actual AP- but one that sort of breaks away from the usual stereotypes and embraces something more complex. Well done! I've added your character to the list of ones I need to review in a few days once I get the rest of these responsibilities handled.
@Philo Pharynx: That sounds like an absolutely horrible situation and I'm sorry I worried you folks enough where that sort of thing came to mind.
@namo: Thanks! Hopefully it won't be more than a few days before I can get things back to normal around here and get back to posting.
@gyrfalcon: Thanks! And hey, that's pretty impressive, both the game and the fact that you've kept chugging alongside it for that long. I can tell from your character that you've been at it for quite a long while in forum gaming considering how well put together she is.
@Slyness: Thanks! Hopefully all of us here can avoid life's least pleasant curveballs as much as possible.
@Crisischild: Thanks! Things are definitely on the up and up so far, knock on wood.
@Violant: It's probably going to be a minimum of 2-3 days before I get back to work pulling the review process together and probably a few days from there before I finish up, so probably a decent little chunk of time will be open for people who want to make last-minute 180's on their characters or create entirely new ones.
Regarding Spheres, there's no real right or wrong way to building a gestalt. I've seen people go full Might, Power, or Guile, or blend things like in Champions. You can really make just about anything work, although as with the basic Pathfinder stuff, it can take a little more work to optimize certain ideas. I won't lie though: gish characters are VERY fun in Spheres, so I can see why a lot of people are flocking to that sort of build.
Also, thanks for the tidings! My main concern has been alleviated, so now it's just playing cleanup with all the little things that have cropped up in the meantime.
@Grumbaki: Oh yes, it was an awesome enchantment for sure! I know it was used a LOT in power-gaming threads back in the 3.5 era as a way to optimize casters and dexterity-focused characters. No surprise there really, considering that it allowed casters to finally benefit from armor without cost and allowed dex characters to finally have a decent touch AC courtesy of being allowed to realistically wear something above leather/studded leather. I am pretty impressed you decided to try and emulate it with Pathfinder-only enchantments, materials, and modifications.
@Arcantos: If you're REALLY hard-up for something to spend gold on and still ruminating on armor, there's an armor enchantment from 3.5 called Clothborn that basically removes all the penalties and makes it clothing. Can't really remember what it cost though, just that it was a great enchantment that I'd be willing to allow. I think it came from one of the Scarred Lands books since Baron Mirth from the Blood Bayou wore a set of clothborn fullplate.
Excellent, excellent! I will probably begin the review process in a day or two for those who have already finished and give everyone else maybe a week to finish everything up out of fairness. This way I can be more efficient with everyone's time and not end up repeating the mistake I made with my Coliseum Morpheuon game's review process. For context, I waited until everyone was finished before starting reviews, which lengthened the recruitment by about a week or so longer than it probably needed to be. I don't want to make that mistake again, which is why I will be tackling those initial reviews soon.
Question: How many folks need additional time to finish their characters up? Just figured I'd ask since it seems like the discourse is slowing down a bit. I'm perfectly willing to begin the review and selection phase if everyone's more or less finished.
@Léonie Crouet: Don't feel too bad about it, as I myself conked out in my chair after I replied about three hours ago, with the website still up! I just now woke back up from my unintended nap and decided to refresh the page to see if anyone replied yet. So yeah, being tired and it causing a goof or two is definitely something I can relate to and sympathize with.
@Lady Calista Lisia Da Romano: Limited-use SLAs generally aren't replaced in Spheres because there isn't always a viable replacement option.
@Fury of the Tempest: Oh, you needn't worry, I have ideas for how to handle that whenever it becomes pressing. Probably one of the simplest solutions is a magic boon- or empowering death energies- from a fey that could 'evolve' an animal companion or such. Other things including a blessing from one of the beast god shrines in Elfaivar, some weird relic from the Age of the Ancients, coming across a foe whose own companion has magical barding/armor/claw sheathes/whatever, etc. At this stage of the game, basic companions should be fine as-is.
@Fury of the Tempest: Companions get max HP per HD and that's basically it. The game isn't particularly harder than the original, so they don't need ABP-lite and such.
@namo: Ah, I thought you meant just generic weapon proficiencies! My bad.
I'd say that whether firearms are considered Simple for standard proficiency lists or not kind of depends on where the character was raised. Consider this: a character raised in Crissilyir, where most technology is banned per The Clergy that runs the nation, likely isn't going to have any proficiency with it unless they're in the criminal underworld or such, while someone from Danor or Drakr is very likely to have some baseline knowledge about firearms at the very least. That's kind of where I'm at with it because, at the end of the day, Zeitgeist's world lorewise has different tech levels and firearm distribution depending on the countries in question. So in the interest in keeping things more lore-friendly, I'm inclined to throw out the dreaded 'it depends' ruling, much as I hate the ambiguity.
@Léonie Crouet: Looks good so far! I definitely appreciate the extra work tying her into the setting a little more. Just one minor quibble: Heward Sechim's Alkahest Factory hasn't been open but for a few years as of the opening of the campaign, so her parents wouldn't have been able to meet there unless she's five years old or under. I can't remember which two people mentioned that as a background element, so I can't remember if I'd made it clear or not here in the thread.
Yeah, the Tinker Sphere is large enough for nearly an entire party to dip their toes into and not have much overlap, if any. It more than makes up for how terrible its predecessor, the Tech Sphere, was. Definitely one of the best Spheres written in my book.
Regarding the talk about the variety of character themes/campaign traits being used, that's important because it IS going to have an impact on selections. Having a broad range of character themes/campaign traits is definitely my preference since each one can open up a huge range of new options, story beats, and NPC interactions. And me, I'm the kind of guy that loves being able to provide a lot of cool and unique options tailored to certain niches as it is, so it's doubly important for me.
@Ana Brunas: Do you need help figuring out how gestalt works for spheres? The differences are minimal, but I can understand how it might seem confusing at first.
@Fury of the Tempest: I'd rule no on that substitution.
@namo: No, you would only gain Gun Training if you get Gunsmithing from a more traditional source, such as class features, talents, feats, etc. I probably should have made that bit clearer, so sorry about that.
@eriktd: I assume you're talking about this text? "If you gain a gizmo talent temporarily, or retrain a gizmo talent you already possess, you can no longer maintain that gizmo (including gizmos crafted with costly projects) and the gizmo becomes completely nonfunctional after 10 minutes of losing the talent." That's just a clause there to prevent people from cheesing the system to gain permanent features for effectively no cost.
As for making gizmos permanent, I'd allow that, but with certain restrictions that prevent abuse. Examples of abuse would be creating a mechanoid army at virtually no cost, creating boatloads of civilian appliances that end up derailing the game and turning it from an AP into a crafting sim, etc.
I answered the question about firearms further up in this post. That was totally my bad for not providing more clarity.
@Ayreth: I mentioned them under the race section. "Changelings are something I added as well and are referred to as 'Witch-Kissed'. Legends can't really agree on whether they are children of hags or were touched in the womb by the magics of the fey titan Granny Allswell, but they have a dark reputation in Crisillyir because of the church's stance on anything 'fey-shot'. Most nations aren't as hostile to changelings though, even if they can sometimes come off as strange."
@GM_Panic: Generally any Spheres-legal archetypes are fine in my opinion.
@Annalina "Lina" Vell: Ah, fair enough on Thrax! Unreliable narrators are always fun to play around with in backgrounds and such.
@Ana Brunas: Oh yeah, there's definitely no deity that's fits into the Brigh niche. Part of Zeitgeist's themes are the clashing of the old and new, and it's pretty explicit with gods and organized religions fitting into the 'old' category, while philosophies are definitely more into the 'new' category.
@GM_Panic: Where are you planning on having the samurai stuff come from? Danor, the motherland of the tieflings, is canonically French-coded based on the accent section of the player's guide (page 30, if I recall), some names sprinkled throughout the AP, etc. So that may be a problem if you're looking for a more traditional samurai depiction with katanas and everything. There are small eladrin enclaves in Elfaivar that break out of their usual Indian theming and are mentioned as being Japanese-inspired, if that's the route you want to go. It would be prudent to remember, however, that eladrin and tieflings largely hate each other due to the humans who would later become tieflings being behind the death of Srasama and the resulting near-extinction and mass-enslavement of their race, as well as tieflings largely viewing eladrin as being indirectly responsible for the Great Malice that shattered the leylines of their land and twisted their people into their current form.
One more thing before I answer your question: you have Cleric/Samurai listed as your classes, but no mention of archetypes. I just wanted to clarify that this is a spheres game so there's no mixups there or anything.
As for Prestige and Honor, those would be two separate things. Prestige is one's standing within a given faction, while Honor is better characterized as more of a reflection on your one's moral fiber and adherence to traditional values.
Sorry about the holdup! I generally try to let people know when it looks like I will need more than a day before I post, such as what happened during my Coliseum Morpheuon recruitment when it looked like damaging storms were coming through my area, but that didn't happen this time. If you look at my record of posting these last few months, I've been fairly consistent posting almost every day, so these last few days have been an anomaly outside of the time I secluded myself to sort through applications. Let me get straight into answering questions so that people aren't inconvenienced more than the already have been.
@Ana Brunas: Generally speaking, gods do not make their thoughts on mortal affairs known in these modern times. As far as organized religions go, however, most of them are at least ambivalent towards it, if not outright distrustful. The Clergy in Crissilyir has banned most military tech and frowns on quite a bit of civilian-use technology as "sinful" and "encouraging both physical and spiritual sloth". Adherents of Seedism generally don't really care to use it since they prefer more traditional ways of doing things and some are openly hostile to it because of Danor being a pioneer of it, but generally they will tolerate it. The Old Faith of Risur is actively against ALL technology, as it views those things as in direct opposition to the natural ways of the world and the fey who govern it. Atheistic religions and philosophies tend to either embrace it or otherwise hold no negative opinion of it.
@ChrisAsmadi: You may take the SoO FCBs, yes.
@namo: How was your character changed during the Night of the Mirror Moon? I'm quite interested in the details on that.
There aren't a ton of options I'd ban outright, but there are some that make sense given how magic works in the setting. Planar travel and magical flight are considered things of myth and aren't suitable. Teleportation is stopped by loops of gold and long-range teleportation just isn't really used in modern times, so that needs to be kept in mind as well. Time Travel (but not time magic in general) is completely inaccessible outside of one very specific artifact because of the Arc of History. Just stuff like that which is generally covered in the player's guide.
You can swap those feats for a Guile progression, yes.
@Annalina "Lina" Vell: Interesting background! Loving the 'good ol' homegrown Risuri' vibe I'm getting from her. I just have two minor critiques.
One, samsarans aren't a race, "devas" are, they just use samsaran stats. Like I said, a minor thing when all's said and done.
Two, there were no wizard kings in the last 500 years, at least none that would fit a deva since the only things similar have been Risuri kings who gain powerful magic as a result of the nation's pact with the archfey and fey titans, and the deposed Dragon Kings of Ber who were dragons in the most literal sense and thus were powerful mages. I'm fine with something like 'archmage' or something like that though.
@Fury of the Tempest: Yes, you get the associated feat of your Character Theme/Campaign Trait for free.
@Monkeygod: Eladrin would speak Elven and Common based on the languages listed for Elfaivar, the eladrin's home nation. It's on page 30 of the player's guide, if I recall.
I'm handling FCB the same as I did in my Coliseum Morpheuon recruitment: there's no race restrictions on which FCBs you can take and you get an FCB for both sides of the gestalt.
There's no official writeup on Srasama, or really any of the gods for that matter, but I can give a few details on her faith from the time before she was slain. Just let me know what you'd like information on.
@namo: As eriktd pointed out, the feat tax PDF was revised to cover that.
Everything in the game has max HP per HD: PCs, their companions, NPCs, monsters, etc.
Myth-Weavers sheets are fine, as a few of my Coliseum Morpheuon players used those for their characters.
I honestly take a comprehensive look at characters in most of my games. Since the setting is so very important in Zeitgeist though, I'll probably be keeping an eye out for characters that seamlessly fit in.
@Fury of the Tempest: The Tinker As Guile Sphere optional rule is permitted for anyone who wants to go that route.
@eriktd: Companions do not get ABP-lite in this game since my take on Zeitgeist is more in-line with the regular AP. They definitely don't need it as badly as, say, those in my Coliseum Morpheuon game will.
@Slyness: Both your interest and exceptional taste in rules have been noted!
@Fury of the Tempest: Fair point on the Light Element! I'd agree that Illusion or Light are both appropriate for associated spheres.
Arhcetypes that replace Metakinesis would replace the options that, in turn, replace it, as well as completely removing Metakinesis options from the Utility Wild Talent Pool. Does that sound fair?
@Kardin Shattershield: Not a problem!
@namo: I would definitely prefer a general mix of backgrounds/themes. I'm not completely against the idea of there being overlap, but it definitely isn't as appealing.
I'm down for people using the Utilitarian Progression optional rule if it speaks to them more than the standard progression. I would like those who use it to make a notation in their character sheet somewhere that they are using it.
Good question regarding Tinker Projects! Hmmm... let's meet somewhere in the middle and say they're half the normal GP cost as a result of both purchasing parts and carefully scavenging components. Having them be completely free can mess with WBL, but having them be full-price when you can technically scavenge for components also feels unfair to the players.
Could you clarify what you meant about Deft Maneuvers and Improved Feint? I'm fairly sure you're asking if they can both modify the Feint CM, but a few other potential interpretations I could read into it. Just wanting to be sure so I can answer what you're asking and not some other question entirely.
I'll work with people who want to use the Faction Sphere if they're not interested in tying it to the R.H.C., as there are plenty of factions in the game that aren't immediately apparent from the player's guide. I will note one thing though: under no circumstances can a PC currently be in the upper echelons of the R.H.C. at this point, although they may certainly be up-and-coming stars considered the darlings of the agency, former 'middle management' that fell from grace for whatever reason, etc.
I've actually never thought about Ghost Stepper being weird with the talent levels it replaces, oddly enough, but now that it has been pointed out to me, I'll admit that is weird. Yeah, I'd be willing to allow you to replace the 6th level talent instead of 8th.
@ChrisAsmadi: I'd rule yes to Mirror of the Master applying to the ABP-lite bonuses since those are intended to replace the natural Christmas Tree list of magic items that the ability could potentially synchronize with.
@Ana Brunas: I can relate to that all too well. I've made some major goofs when I've posted half-asleep. I've caught most of them within the edit window, but some have slipped through.
@eriktd: Just making sure since those extra ranks help ease the skill rank drought every character eventually runs into.
@Kardin Shattershield: Both at the same time.
@Philo Pharynx: I know, I just wanted to mention it publically in case people started getting skittish.
@Fury of the Tempest: I'm not great at formatting or being super formal, so I'll just give you the changes.
My Spheres Kineticist Changes:
- The Kineticist now counts as a Spheres Mid-Caster and gains a Spell Pool equal to level+casting modifier. They also gain a Magic Talent at 2nd level and every other level, but these can only be spent on talents from the Destruction Sphere or the Sphere aligned with their Elemental Focus.
- Burn can be used in place of Spell Points and vice versa, with a conversion ratio of 1 Burn to 2 Spell Points. (Burn is a LOT more costly to a character than a Spell Point, hence the lopsided conversion ratio.) Gather Power and similar features that reduce Burn cannot be used to lower Spell Point costs, nor can things that lower Spell Point costs reduce burn. This replaces Internal Buffer.
- Kinetic Blast also counts as a Destructive Blast for the purposes of modifications. They count as having the Destruction Sphere as a Bonus Magic Talent. Additionally, Destruction Talents can be taken in place of an Infusion and Blast Shape talents count as Form Infusions, while Blast Type Talents count as Substance Infusions. (This means no doubling up by having four major modifications since Blast Shape/Form Infusions and Blast Type/Substance Infusions are homogenized. This makes sense to me since both Infusions and Destructive Blast-modifying talents have limits in their respective systems.)
- The Metakinesis features are removed from the list of class features, but they are re-added as options for Utility Wild Talents. In their original place, you gain your choice of either a Utility Wild Talent, Infusion, or a Magic Talent for the Sphere associated with your Elemental Focus at 7th and 13th level. (I am aware this puts you at a net negative in a vacuum, but bear in mind all the other benefits you're getting.)
- At 5th and 10th level, they may choose to replace the normal Infusion with an additional Elemental Focus. (This increases their elemental versatility and Sphere options if they choose to go that route, while not penalizing those who want a single Elemental Focus.)
- Elements chosen for Elemental Focus also grant the basic sphere package of an associated sphere and determine what spheres your magic talents can be chosen from. These are:
*Aether: either the Telekinesis and Warp Spheres
*Air: either the Nature (Air-related only, plus generic) and Weather Spheres
*Bone: Death Sphere
*Crystal: Nature (Earth-related only, plus generic)
*Dreams: either Illusion or Fallen Fey Spheres
*Earth: Nature (Earth or Metal-related only, plus generic)
*Fire: Nature (Fire-related only, plus generic)
*Light: Light Sphere
*Mind: Mind Sphere
*Time: Time Sphere
*Void: either the Dark or Warp Spheres
*Water: Nature (Water-related only, plus generic only)
*Viscera: either the Blood or Death Spheres
*Wood: Nature (Wood-related only, plus generic)
It's not quite as clean and elegant as I would want it, but that's what I was able to come up with in just a few days and the playtests weren't too weird. Kineticist was already underpowered, so a slight boost was called for. If you were looking at Legendary Kineticist, I'd probably axe an extra feature or two to bring it to rough parity, although I'm not 100% as to what I would choose; maybe Battle Burn since you can essentially use Burn and Spell Points interchangeably with my version.
@Namo: Keep in mind that we probably won't be using the naval combat rules from the Zeitgeist Expanded Player's Guide. While that still leaves a ton to read over, it does cut out one of the less useful and interesting sections.
I can certainly dig up my fixes for the Sage! I'll need a day or so to find it though, as it's buried somewhere in one of my Discord chats. I remember a few of the fixes off-hand: alterations to Chi-Gong (making the healing a standard action instead of a move action, for example, thus preventing an easy heal+sacrifice HP to deal massive damage combo that people often use it for; incorporating the errata that Vital Strike only multiplies the initial 1d6; etc.), fixes to Enhancer and Mental Escalation so that they do not completely crush the Enhancement Sphere (reduced max bonus and changed the level scaling, seeing as how an effectively permanent, untyped bonus over +6 to an ability by 9th level, RAW, is kind of absurd), Manipulator got a buff since it was kind of weak considering Esoteric Training options are BIG features, and Soul Stitching got a nerf (it's equivalent to 3+ talents invested in the Life Sphere as-is), to name a few.
My ruling on Gunsmithing is that it is NOT replaced by those who would otherwise get it, so you get both Gunsmithing AND Gun Training instead of one or the other. Like I said, I want to rule as advantageous as possible for gun users since they're far more common in this setting, yet it also makes sense for those trained in their use to be able to craft ammo.
@Ana Brunas: Glad you approve of how I envision the tech levels! I'm a big fan of both steampunk and teslapunk, something a lot of my friends could probably attest to since I didn't shut up about how cool I thought the setting for Lies of P was for weeks after beating the game.
@Crisischild: Oh yes, mechanoids are great!
And no rush, take your time. Real life always takes precedence. The recruitment isn't going anywhere for at least another dozen days or so.
@Philo Pharynx: True, true! To be fair though, I try to avoid being the GM that looks to one-shot PCs unless I make it clear beforehand that I plan on taking the gloves off, something I made clear in my Coliseum Morpheuon recruitment since the whole idea was for an uncompromising game where no one had to pull their punches and vets could enjoy both pushing limits and having their limits pushed.
And I agree heartily on your view of Incanter. It can do a LOT of heavy lifting when rounding out a gestalt character and sharpening their thematic focus.
@Monkeygod: Non-Spheres archetypes are on the table so long as they don't splice in Vancian content.
Nice catch on the Notorious Celebrity interaction! Hmmm... I'd probably rule that particular ability grants a Leadership score equal to your level for the purposes of attracting followers, functioning as sort of a pseudo-Leaderhip. My main goal with banning the Leadership feats was to cut out easy cohort access, although I still allow the Leadership Sphere because it requires heavier investment if you want useful pseudo-cohorts.
@Fury of the Tempest: Evolutionist looks interesting! I think I vaguely remember a player linking it to me years ago, but I don't think I allowed it since it was homebrew and I wasn't too well-versed in how it functioned. I will admit that I used the hell out of the Tome of Radiance stuff from Giantitp though.
@eriktd: Since this is your first foray into Spheres of Guile, just remember that some grant what is essentially free skill ranks. I overlooked it my first time using Spheres of Guile, embarassing as it is to admit.
@Violant: My take on Zeitgeist has the tech level being somewhere between Steampunk and Teslapunk, so I'd say that early electrical developments are starting to come to the fore.
The setting generally uses Commonplace Guns. But for the purposes of requisitioning gear from the R.H.C., it's Guns Everywhere. I'm willing to rule in favor of whatever would benefit a firearm-using PC the most, even if that requires a tiny bending of the rules.
@Master Han Del of the Web: Sorry about that! I really hated to shoot down that awesome idea, I just couldn't justify it no matter how much I tried to rationalize it.
@Crisischild: Considering the Technologist background gives access to a medium or large sized "Steamsuit" which is basically either power armor or a small-scale mech, I'd say that a large unit works just fine.
@Tavius: Do you honestly believe I'd make the PCs encounter an optimized sniper foe in a fantasy steampunk setting? Because, well... you're kinda right!
@eriktd: A 'techno-necromancer' eh? Looks pretty cool!
@Karshin Shattershield: Interesting! Those extendable claws definitely make sense given how ancient dwarves were allies of the ancient Demonocracy and there's likely some kind of fiendish corruption in select bloodlines.
@Crisischild: I don't have a set date in mind, but the idea is that it won't take as long as my Coliseum Morpheuon recruitment considering it's a whole lot less work-intensive.
@Fury of the Tempest: Almost finished cleaning up the archetype. To give a quick rundown of what the archetype's all about: Destructive Blast/Kinetic Blast are homogenized, your choice of Elemental Focus gives extra Wild Talent options taken from associated spheres, and the various Metakinesis features are replaced by extra Wild Talents (although the Metakinesis options ARE folded in to Utility Talent Talent options in case you want to take them!) and the standard pool of Spell Points that you can use to either spend with Sphere Talents OR to mitigate Burn point-for-point. That brings my take on Spheres Kineticist to a rough parity with other Spheres classes since Kineticist was already a little underpowered even in a first-party comparison.
@Violant: I would rule Catfolk from Ber would make sense.
@Kardin Shieldshatter: That is how Destructive Strike works, yes. Planning on blasty butt-strokes/muzzle-thumps/pistol whips with your firearms by pairing it with the feat that lets you make unarmed attacks with by smacking a foe with your firearm?
Precise Marksmanship is allowed, as is just flat-out making Called Shots in general.
As Fury mentioned, we're using ABP-lite, so Enhancement works as normal.
@ChrisAsmadi: The altered feat progression only applies to the characters themselves.
Tinker Tradition Bonus Talents are in play, yes. I thought I included it under houserules, but apparently forgot to add it in before posting.
@Master Han Del of the Web: The problem isn't so much justifying a gestalt thoughtwave entity in the game, it's that gestalt thoughtwave entities don't canonically come into play until near the end of book three.
@Tavius: This bald alchemist wouldn't happen to have been a science professor named Walter White, would he? Sorry, had to make a Breaking Bad reference when I saw a bald alchemist dealing drugs mentioned!
@Crisischild: Correction: airships don't exist YET! Not until much later in the AP anyway.
@Fury of the Tempest: I'm almost done tinkering with that archetype I was telling you about.
@Kardin Shieldshatter: Kardin's looking pretty solid so far!
@Violant: There's a race spoiler in the OP that details everything that's preapproved. I'm willing to hear out requests, but can't promise I'll grant anything outside of what I've mentioned.
And yep, the Tinker Sphere is allowed! Technomancy also is. Pretty much the only tech-related sphere that isn't allowed is Tech, seeing as how it is the inferior predecessor to Tinker.
@Monkeygod: Traditional drow society is matriarchal in structure, but males who participated in the Quest for the Moon- the great crusade to free the goddess Av's soul- were considered on par with the priestess caste. The Quest for the Moon is a largely defunct practice, and certainly not viable for PCs because of how much investment it requires. Drow society has largely dispersed into a sort of diaspora over the years as many members of the race have begun seeking novelty and stimulation in other societies in the aftermath of the nearly race-wide disillusionment with the Quest for the Moon.
Changeling society is largely based on what society they were born into since they're basically just fey or hag touched humans. Those in rural Risur tend to view them with equal parts fascination and apprehension, especially those belonging to the Old Faith. Crissilyir, on the other hand, tends to view them in an overwhelmingly negative light since they view the fey as almost earthbound devils due to fey being associated with Seedism. Changeling's ALWAYS have heterochromia and sometimes have a few additional quirks in their appearance: strangely-shaped birthmarks that resemble runes, highlighted locks of hair that are of an unnatural color, long and sharp nails that are naturally of a vivid shade or black, etc.
@johnsedwa: Advanced Talents and equivalents are allowed, but Deific Talents are not.
@Master Han Del of the Web: That idea is so damn cool that I hate to say this, but I don't think it would quite work for this game as-is.
@Fury of the Tempest: Oh you don't need to worry about that, it's going to be specifically for the Legendary Kineticist and will be compatible with many- although not ALL- third-party elements.
@Tavius: Oho, so that's the character you mentioned? Have you got any fun mysteries in mind that the good detective ended up solving? Not necessary, of course, just curious if you have any in mind.
@Master Han Del of the Web: That actually sounds really damn cool! I'd have to see how you were planning on flavoring it and all before I could say whether it would fit or not, but it sounds awesome as a concept and it could have some, shall we say, interesting repercussions somewhere down the line. Care to go into a little more detail? Technology levels are generally at the teslapunk level, with some things having weird magical science thrown in the mix, so it may or may not jive with the setting based on how you plan on flavoring it.
@Fury of the Tempest: Yeah, Scion is one of the few Spheres archetypes that feels... overcooked, I guess is the word? It definitely guts the core class of way too much of its identity and makes it kinda lame in my book. Give me up to two days to tinker and you should have a shiny archetype in your hands that is a far more loyal translation of the Kineticist to spheres. I already have ideas that can fix that the concept.
Yeah, those racial balance options you mentioned don't really jive with me, honestly.
Kitsune are something I can imagine, yes, but only from Risur, Elfaivar, Ber, or parts of the Yerasol Archipelago.
@ChrisAsmadi: I'd rule yes, but you definitely need to support it with your mechanics and background.
@Master Han Del of the Web: There are a few factions that might fit that description to varying degrees.
The "Conspiracy", as I'll be naming it to avoid story spoilers, isn't adverse to grotesque and unethical experiments in the pursuit of their goals.
Minor Spoilers for an Enemy Type in Book Two:
One of their creations is a type of mechanical construct powered by witch-oil, a black necromantic oil that draws in souls. That construct is powered by the souls trapped in the witch-oil. I think that definitely qualifies them as at least being capable and willing to perform 'hideously unethical science'. Losing something dangerous is unlikely since they are well-organized and intelligent beyond any foe in official Pathfinder APs, but there is a small chance that they might have slipped a time or two.
Danor's leader Han Jierre publically espouses a fiercely atheistic doctrine and believes that few things should stand in the way of progress, so it's likely that there would be inventors and scientists in Danor who flout natural laws as antiquated and unnecessary. Danor is on largely unfriendly terms with Risur despite overtures of peace though, so an escaped lab experiment of some kind is likely going to be viewed with even more suspicion than normal by the R.H.C.
Pemberton Industries, while mostly aboveboard, has secrets of its own.
Major Android Spoilers:
The glowing crystal 'soulcores' of the androids that house their consciousness and give them life were created by draining anima- the residue of the soul left behind in the body after the soul departs upon death- from a corpse and alchemically condensing it into a solid crystal. Yeah, I decided to go all-in on the 'Lies of P' angle with that race. So, while not super evil or anything like that since neither the corpse, nor the soul wasn't using the anima anyway, it could definitely be seen as crossing a line.
Other than those, there are certainly individuals who will cross the lines of ethics and human(oid) decency in the pursuit of scientific progress.
@Philo Pharynx: I'll allow Autohypnosis, but I don't want any actual psionics in the game outside of some monsters that will be using them later in the AP.
@Kardin Shieldshatter: I'm sure that it will be fun indeed! Zeitgeist offers such a different world, tone, and technology level that building characters for it is extremely novel compared to more 'normal' APs.
@Philo Pharynx: Ah, I should probably clarify that the 'free PrCs' just give abilities. Going to edit now!
Oho, going with your original concept? I dig the idea based on what you've revealed so far.
Welcome one and all! My default nomme de guerre here on Paizo is Pasha of the Nightsands and I bid you welcome to the recruitment for my second game here on the forums. There are quite a few absolute gems out there when it comes to third-party APs that GMs, for one reason or another, shy away from running. Chief among those is Zeitgeist: The Gears of Revolution, a massive thirteen adventure campaign that has received pretty much universal acclaim by those lucky enough to experience it for themselves. It is a truly grand experience and has everything an RPG player could want: compelling roleplay opportunities, fun and dynamic combat encounters that break the mold in many ways, and hard moral choices galore, all wrapped up in an intricate setting that the players will get to explore a huge vertical slice of.
If you haven't read it yet, I'd recommend looking into the free Zeitgeist Extended Player's Guide here on either Paizo or Drivethrurpg. It's 73 pages covers just about everything you would want to know: a full and player-friendly look at the setting, rundowns on races and religions/philosophies, thematic character backgrounds that we will be using for campaign traits, and more! The only thing I don't consider recommended reading is the section on naval combat at the end since it doesn't come up a lot in the AP and I'm thinking of handling it a different way.
There are some expectations you should keep in mind for this game.
Expectations:
- Zeitgeist is set in a world that blends steampunk and high fantasy genres. It's a place where guns, trains, and clockwork constructs exist alongside magic, planar conjunctions, and slumbering archfey titans. Feel free to lean to one side or the other or blend the two to your heart's content when crafting your character.
- The PCs are official members of Risur's peacekeeping force known as the Risur Homeland Constabulary or R.H.C. That means everyone should try and figure out how to incorporate that into their background alongside their campaign trait. More information on the R.H.C. can be found within the Zeitgeist Extended Player's Guide.
- This is a campaign that has a healthy dose of both combat, social, and investigative situations. If I were forced to eyeball it and give a breakdown based on what the percentages look like, I'd say it's probably 55-45 on non-combat and combat, respectively. The earlier game is a little heavier on non-combat situations while the late game is a little more combat heavy.
- There's quite a few hard moral choices that pop up over the course of the AP's thirteen adventures and few of them are clear black-and-white. These choices can have substantial impacts on NPCs and the sociopolitical sphere. Later choices can impact entire nations or even the world itself on a fundamentally massive scale. People like myself love that sort of thing, but I just wanted to make it clear for those who hate agonizing over complex moral dilemmas.
- Combat encounters are very unique and I mean that in the most literal sense. This isn't a game where 'unique combat encounters' just means putting together innovative combinations of bog-standard monsters or NPCs that elevate them, I mean that many of the encounters actually ARE unique. There are, if I counted correctly, 156 completely unique monsters in the AP that can't be found anywhere else: constructs powered by necromantic witch-oil, planar mandala beasts that continually reincarnate into ever more deadly forms, and aberrant thoughtwave entities whose presence twists minds and warps natural law are just a few of the unique monsters you'll encounter over the course of the AP. Not only that, but many NPCs come with unique combat abilities that can't be found anywhere else; one NPC, for example, has ferrokinetic powers that fans of Magneto from X-Men will no doubt fangirl over. So prepare to be amazed, astounded, and possibly horrified at some of the awesome combat encounters in store for the party.
- Zeitgeist explores a nice vertical slice of the setting. Players can expect to visit every major nation outlined in the Extended Player's Guide, meet NPCs of every race and creed, interact with every major faction in the setting, and even jaunt to a few planes during the later parts of the game. The thirteen adventures of the AP do an amazing job at allowing players to experience the wider setting in an organic way.
- Campaign Traits/Character Themes will continue to have an impact late into the game. Every adventure except for the twelfth one has ways to include these in meaningful ways. Some offer story beats that ties into a character's background, while others others give them ins with NPCs that would otherwise be difficult to approach, offer unique and innovative alternative solutions to the problem at hand, or offer more concrete benefits such as a Skyseer receiving a cryptic vision of the future or a Martial Scientist being able to learn new techniques from foes or tomes, for example.
- Many NPCs pop back up in later adventures if they are not dead by the end of the adventure they were introduced. This means that players will be able to build true friendships- or perhaps even relationships, should they be so inclined- with inhabitants of the setting. Not only that, but antagonists may pop up multiple times if they escape to become one of several things: thorns in the party's side, strained 'frenemies' who help or hinder as their goals and personalities dictate, or even potential allies with a redemption arc in a rare few cases. I'm going to be hard at working making notes of interactions players have with NPCs and doing my best to craft a living, breathing world that truly remembers and responds to PC actions.
For those who would like a bit more information on the setting than what the Extended Player's Guide offers, here's a few spoiler tabs with some random bits of information.
Miscellaneous Setting Details:
- There's an orphanage in the Cloudwoods of Risur known as Gallo's Home for Displaced Youths. The orphanage was founded almost two centuries ago to give displaced war orphans a home and named after an honorable nobleman from ancient times when the land was still known as Dassen. The orphanage's architecture is comfy and pastoral, and is built around, onto, and into a massive oaktree that soars over a hundred feet into air. Wide branches in the treetop were shaped into railed steps leading to gendered dormitories for the youths, classrooms, and faculty rooms. Mischievous, but ultimately harmless fey creatures will occasionally emerge from the Cloudwood to play games with the children or perpetrate minor pranks on the faculty. This is a good option for those who want to write their character as an orphan of some sort since this orphanage is canon and PCs may visit the place for a short stint earlier in the campaign.
- There are two major crime families in Risur. One is a Flint-based street gang known as Kell's Boys who are notoriously cruel, slippery, and love to incorporate theatrics into their crimes. These knife-wielding ruffians, pimps, thieves, and hitmen are behind some of the most vicious and needlessly sadistic shakedowns and murders in Flint, but evidence and witnesses often seem to disappear when it seems the R.H.C. has them dead to rights. The other is the mafia style crime syndicate known as The Family whose roots are in Crissilyir. While they are brutal and unforgiving to those that cross them and their interests, The Family's members believe that honesty and loyalty are paramount and that the citizens of Flint deserves a better class of criminal that actually tries to help the commonfolk instead of preying on them. If you're looking for your character to have ties to crime syndicates, those two are great options: Kell's Boys provide an easy write-in for a criminal nemesis, while The Family gives a relatively sensible and morally-gray organization that players can have family members, or secret membership, in.
- The jagged peak of Cauldron Hill near Flint is an accursed place that was once home to witches who sought to emulate the ways of the long-destroyed Demonocracy. Horrifying atrocities were performed here- black magic rituals, depraved ceremonies devoted to fiendish lords, and mass human sacrifices just to name a few- and the veil between worlds is worryingly thin and stained with evil. Terrifying apparitions, unquiet spirits, and worse emerge from the forested shadows during the midnight witching hour on Cauldron Hill and roam the bounds of the cursed land until burned away by the light of dawn. Many unholy figures feature prominently in the chilling ghost stories and fell myths of Cauldron Hill: the Cackling Crawler, the Serpent-Maned Lion, the Abyssal Revelers, the Faceless Man, the Hanged Maiden, and Death's Shadow to name but a few. If you're looking for a spooky place to incorporate into your character's background, especially for those with the Spirit Medium campaign trait, it's hard to find something more appropriate than Cauldron Hill.
- Heward Sechim's Alkahest Factory is widely regarded as one of the better places of employment for the common folk despite the noxious fumes of the place since employees get to enjoy stable work hours, good pay, and a friendly boss who gets to know his employees. The factory is owned by Heward Sechim, who originally funded the factory's construction with a donation from his famous Skyseer uncle, Nevard Sechim, and views his lower profit margins as a small sacrifice to ensure his employees are treated with dignity. Those with backgrounds as common working folk, alchemists, or those with the Docker campaign trait looking for a decent place of past employment can use this establishment in their background if they're so inclined.
- Mitchell University, located in the Risur city of Slate, is the most prestigious school of higher learning in the nation. Curriculums cover everything from the arts and what we here on Earth would call STEM to archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, theology, and even martial sciences. Magic itself is not taught at the university, but arcane theorum- the study of theories concerning how magic works- and planar geometry- concerning the study of the planes visible through telescopes, the effects that occur when they become coterminous, and theories about the possibility of planar travel- are. There's also a field of study concerning the Ancients, the people of long ago- who were said to to wield great magics, walk the planes with ease, and call forth world-altering miracles- that is taught by the brilliant and beautiful Dr. Xambria Meredith, who is the university's youngest professor at the tender age of 28 and an avid scholar of the ancient world. Mitchell University's sister school, Pardwight University, is devoted solely to history, anthropology, and archaeology, and is joined by the Pardwight Museum of Natural History, which holds ancient relics and historical records of the world's past. These are good options for those looking to incorporate higher education and academics into their background, seeing as how they are the most prestigious institutions of learning in Risur.
- The Avery Coast Railroad is perhaps the most famous railroad in the world and was built by Danor. It travels through multiple countries along the Avery Coast and is popular with well-to-do patrons who enjoy looking at the pastoral countryside. Not really a massive piece of setting lore or anything, but it's relevant later and could be used as a classic and fun setpiece for a murder mystery in an investigative character's backstory.
- Nalaam is a city of extravagant decadence built in the mountains of Crissilyir. The decadent city's enormous wealth is fed by great mines filled with veins of gold and gemstones. Glittering casinos, lavish brothels, and even an arena, all unchecked by the conspicuously absent members of the Clergy, dot a cityscape of grandiose buildings- some built to resemble broad-topped trees, dragons, and other fantastical shapes- fashioned out of gleaming marble. This is the Las Vegas of Zeitgeist's world and those looking to incorporate elements of unchecked decadence, ritz, the rising and falling of fortune, and such into their backstories would be well-suited to looking here. I've also made this the place where Card Casting was created if you're one of the people who planned on using such a thing.
- Pemberton Industries was founded by the eccentric tech mogul Benedict Pemberton and is at the forefront of nearly all major technological development outside of Danor. Whether industrial machines built for factories, trains of black iron that run on coal, deadly firearms, clockwork constructs powered by magic and steam, or the artificial humanoids known as androids crafted through strange alchemy and and technology, Pemberton Industries sells nearly anything imaginable to clients from all across the world. Whether your character has the Gunsmith or Technologist campaign traits, one of the androids crafted by the corporation in the last two years that they have been manufactured in strictly limited quantities, or your character is just interested in technology and industry, it's easy to write Pemberton Industries into your background.
Gods:
It was mentioned in the Extended Player's Guide that there were two major religions followed in the civilized world- The Clergy and Seedism- which worshipped many gods. While these are largely on the decline outside of Crissilyir (for the Clergy) and Elfaivar (for Seedism) and devotees are sometimes looked down on as somewhat anachronistic and 'behind the times' by the increasingly secular populace of the world, it's important that I detail some of the gods in those respective pantheons to give people an idea of what they entail. Only a handful of these are mentioned by name and I had to craft the rest using vague descriptions- 'god of the night sky' or 'goddess of magnolias and beasts' for example- or a roundabout inference based on several planes being based on god-like beings from War of the Burning Sky. So the information you see here is pretty much the definitive rundown on gods since they were intentionally left vague in case a GM wanted to port their own into the game.
The Clergy, located in Crissilyir, worship four categories of gods and loathe a fifth category of archfiends that were worshipped by the ancient Demonocracy. The first group are known as the Old Gods, primordial deities worshipped since the time of the Ancients by the world's inhabitants and whom the planes were named after. The second group are the New Gods, who were worshipped in regional faiths and were later incorporated into the Clergy pantheon. The third group are the Four Archangels who serve the gods and are venerated as lesser gods in their own right. And the final group is actually a single god, the mortal who defeated the demonocracy and was said to ascend to become head of the gods. I'll detail all of these below.
THE ASCENDED GOD
-Triegenes the Fisher: A humble mortal fisherman who ascended to godhood and defeated the Demonocracy that ruled over the known world over a millennia ago before rising to his heavenly domain. He is worshipped as head of the Clergy pantheon and his teachings emphasize humility, bettering oneself, charity, and martyrdom.
THE NEW GODS
- Velkali the Weeping Lady of Oases: A sorrowful goddess of a long-dead culture of nomadic desert worshippers who provided succor to travelers by forming oases with her tears. She serves as a goddess of deserts, oases, and travelers.
- Erevus the Shadow King: An imposing god of the night sky, regal authority, and death who commands the turning of day to night so that mortals may have reprieve from the sun's burning gaze and rules as the fair and impartial judge of the dead. The sole recipients of his love are his gentle wife Lirana and their precocious daughter who was born from the blood that emerged when they cut their palms and bound their hands with ceremonial wedding ribbons.
- Lirana the Lady of Magnolias A gentle goddess of flowers (particularly magnolias) and beasts who cares deeply for all things that live and grow. She is the sister of Irisa and Illira, the bride of Erevus, and it was she who sowed the seeds of the ever-blooming paradise promised to the faithful in place of the Bleak Gate.
- Tunaht'ravi the Sun-Shrouded Destroyer: A fierce and destructive god of the sun, war, and destruction whose bow of burning light is said to have destroyed the world's second moon in a single shot. He is a wrathful god with no patience for the corrupt and wicked and he is said to serve as the destroyer of the pantheon's enemies.
- Zerona the Stoneshaper: An quiet and introverted, yet artistic goddess of earth, protection, and architecture who serves as a patron to artists and craftsmen, particularly those who craft pottery. She is said to have crafted the earthen jug that originally held the world's seas before Riyusuiken convinced her to pour out its bounty into the world so that life may take purchase there.
- Kolak the Worldforger: The inventive and orderly husband of Zerona whose portfolio of metal, lava, and the forge makes him the the pre-eminent blacksmith of the gods. Legends say that it was his hammer that beat the world into it's current form from the primordial chaos.
- Ryuuon the Tsunami King: The honorable and wise dragon god of the water (particularly the seas and violent formations such as whirlpools and tsumamis), dragons, and wealth. His undersea palace is said to be formed of glittering coral the size of a nation and house many lost civilizations and cultures that the dragon god felt deserved preservation.
- Irisa the Bride of Storms: The honorable and graceful warrior goddess of storms, honor, and the hearth (particularly when it relates to marriage) who began as a deadly rival to the Ryuuon the Tsunami King before finding common ground and settling down with him in loving marriage. Storms on the eve of a great battle are said to be indicative of the goddess's interest and her holy texts say that the souls of faithful warriors do not pass into the Bleak Gate, but ascend to the heavens with the rays of light that pierce the clouds after a battle's end.
- Illira the Eternal Heart: The passionate, loving, and innocently fickle goddess of love, life, and luck whose gifts are given freely to all- but without any promise of keeping them- and she is said to visit the mortal world to spread gifts of romance (sometimes personally, texts say!), healing, and good fortune as suits her whims. More than a few ancient orders of knights pledged themselves wholly to her and designated mortal noblewomen as surrogates for their service to the goddess, although those old ways of chivalry are largely out of fashion in this new age of innovation and industry.
THE FOUR HEAVENLY ARCHANGELS
- Hezophiel the Reaper: The Archangel of Death who serves Erevus the Shadow King. The archangel wears different faces to different beings based on their view of death: to some, he wears the face of an old friend and gently coaxes their souls out with a smile, to others he is a stern and black-winged angel who emotionlessly reaps with neither mercy nor malice, and to others he is a grotesque gargoyle with eyes that flash with hellfire that rips souls from the hearts of the wicked and faithless.
- Aezusat of the Heavenly Word: The Archangel of Revelation who carries the words and will of the gods to the mortal world. Like his fellow archangel Hezophiel, he has three depictions: to some he is a glorious archangel who announces the will of heaven with a sacred trumpet and a voice like melodic thunder, to others he wears the guise of a bearded old man who offers words of wisdom to those seeking guidance, and to others who is a grim angel whose wings are covered in blood and whose trumpet turns into a sword to deliver an altogether different kind of message.
- Advorel the Glorious One: The Archangel of Justice with a centaur-like form covered head to toe in shining silver armor whose joints and grooves glow with the radiant energy of his concealed body. He alone among the archangels does not appear differently to observers since there is but justice in the eyes of the gods and he burns both literally and figuratively with the serene blue and white flames of Heaven's will.
- Linia the Voice of Truth: The Archangel of Truth is the sole female among her lofty brethren and it is she, whose beautiful eyes of glittering frost see the truth in all things, that served as the wise and impartial mediator for the heavens. She is said to have been slain during the war against the Demonocracy in the ancient past and is honored as a martyr by the Church.
THE OLD GODS
- Vona the Lady of Radiance: The goddess of the sun, arcane magic, and prophetic divinations. It is said that her light obscures truths that could lead mortals lacking in wisdom to ruin.
- Av the Slumbering Maiden: The goddess of the moon, fey, dreams, mirrors, and desire. She was once queen of the fey and ruler of all archfey along with her sister Srasama, but her soul was captured in the reflection of a beautiful moonlit lake and she slumbers there still awaiting rescue by a knight of purest heart.
- Avilona the Stormchaser Eagle: An avian goddess of primordial air who also had authority over the weather, notable deaths, and freedom. She was said to have been pursued- and in some apocryphal texts, slain by- Jiese the Flamebringer Dragon.
- Jiese the Flamebringer Dragon: A draconic god of primordial flame who also had authority over notable births, war, and strife. Was said to have mercilessly pursued Avilona the Stormchaser Eagle after the goddess spurned his claims of almighty power and authority.
- Mavisha the Tidebreaker Kraken: A kraken-like goddess of primordial water who also had authority over love, change, and sorrowful destinies. Was said to have changed into the form of a beautiful human woman in search of love, but was returned to her kraken form at inopportune times by the ebb and flow of the tides, cursed to eventually be hunted as a monster by every man she loved.
- Urim the Worldshaper Worm: The worm-like god of primordial earth who also had authority over wealth, luck, and auspicious meetings. Its alien songs were said to lure monsters and coax the earth's mana to condense into veins of valuable minerals.
- Apet the Distant One: The aloof, alien, and genderless god of time, fate, the cosmos, and unification is said to be an echo of the first word spoken by the multiverse's Lost Creator at the dawn of creation. It was said that all-seeing Apet bound the past, present, and future into the planar disc known as Reidra, the Arc of History, and that the deity awaits at the end of time for all things to become one in perfect unity as it was in the time before times.
- Nem the Desolate One: A primordial god of destruction, secrets, silence, and the dead into whose ebon maw all creation must fall. The Bleak Gate is sometimes referred to as "Nem's Maw" by the Clergy and often used in doomsday prophecies.
- Padyer the Immaculate: A vain minor goddess of scalding hot water and bodily cleansings.
- Caeloon of the Four Paper Winds: A minor monastic god of the four winds, calligraphy, and worldly wisdom sometimes worshipped by ascetics.
- Shabboath of the Severed Deeps: An alien god of sea monsters, lurking terrors, and maddening secrets who is more propitiated than legitimately worshipped.
- Bhoior the World-Turtle: An immense and ancient turtle god said have carried the world across its back on a journey through the cosmos, becoming a minor god of travel, pilgrimages, and eternity.
- Thralia and Ragosani the Bride of Rebirth and the Groom of Endings: A minor goddess of rebirth and plants and a minor god of death and beasts worshipped as keepers of the cycle of life and death.
- Amrou the Enbalmer: A minor god of funerary rites, salt, and and spiritual purification whose original worshippers were halflings.
- Wilanir the Guilty One: An ancient god whose back is bent and broken under the weight of sins and remorse- both his own and that of mortals- and serves as the patron of guilt, penance, and pain. Particularly popular among the Clergy's most brutal inquisitors.
- King Ron of Dunkelweiss: A minor dwarven god of breweries and vineyards who dwarven folklore claims ruled a great kingdom under the mountains in the ancient past.
- Etheax the Flamegiver: A minor fire god who first bestowed fire and patience- and thus civilization- to primitive mortals in the early days of the world.
- Drozani the Steward of Paradise: A minor goddess of the sky who is said to lead the faithful to an otherworldly paradise.
- Ascetia the Observer: A goddess of knowledge who is said to watch all history and governs the concepts of self-reflection and personal change.
- Elofasp the Hivemother: An alien goddess of insects, community, and obedience.
- Obliatas the Devouring Light: A sentient sun who is said to hunt down the wicked undead and erase them from existence.
-Iratha Ket the Deathly Reveler: A minor goddess of death, festivals, and music who takes the form of a graceful skeletal dancer decked in colorful flowers.
- Apo the Trapper: An eccentric and extremely minor god of traps, snares, and the void who is largely unknown to all but the most dedicated scholars.
- Guay the Dreamer: A god of dreams, art, and romance who is said to have brought his beloved bride into his dreams so that she would remain eternally beautiful and vibrant.
- Bonalithe the Stormclaw: An ancient god of lightning whose bolts were said to have formed the first dinosaurs from the primordial mud.
FORBIDDEN GODS OF THE DEMONOCRACY
Egal the Shimmering: The devil queen of slavery, conquest, and unquestionable authority who enslaves souls with great chains of gold that drag them down to the hells.
Ashima-Shimtu the Lady of the Forked Tongue: A demon princess whose purview is lies, spiritual corruption, and forbidden secrets and was once the prime patron of the Demonocracy.
Maensa'il the Wind of Torment: An elemental div pasha of tempestuous winds who enjoys sowing misery, mayhem, and suffering.
Honlow the Blood Sea: The demon god of blood, pirates, slaughter, and the seas who adores nothing more than witnessing acts of inhuman savagery.
*
SEEDISM
Seedism, the traditional faith of the eladrin and drow, is also a faith of many gods, but it does not separate deities into neat categories. Although there untold thousands of gods in the faith, only a few of the major ones will be mentioned here. Archfey are also venerated as servants of the gods and Av, the fey goddess discussed in The Clergy Section, is considered the sister of Srasama.
- Srasama the Goddess of Three Faces: Before her death at the hands of the Crisillyan Church five hundred years ago, Srasama was the triple-aspected goddess who wore the masks of the Warrior-Maiden, the Mother of Life, and the Vengeful Crone-Queen. Her faith was an esoteric one of balance and harmony between conflicting forces and her followers strove to maintain that balance, wearing each 'mask' in their life as best suited the situation: a brave warrior who stood for what they believed in, a compassionate and merciful caregiver, and, when necessary, a vengeful agent of retribution.
- The Ten-Headed Lion, Guardian of Sacred Places: The Lion was a sacred guardian beast and loyal protector of holy places in the pantheon who valued its service and loyalty to the pantheon and its people above all else. Many sacred places of the eladrin people were guarded by eidolons of the Ten-Headed Lion shaped from raw dreamstuff and brought to life with sacred rituals.
- Hewanharimau the Betrayer: The former eladrin god of beasts who created the curse of lycanthropy and was cursed to become the first rakshasa and cast out of the pantheon into the Dark Beyond. He was feared by the eladrin as a sort of devil figure in their mythology and was considered a god of savagery, slaughter, betrayal, and curses who was not to be worshipped as a god, but propitiated to avoid ill-fortune.
- Dhebisu the Justicar of the Star-lit Wilds: The mischevous eladrin paladin goddess of justice, the stars, and plants who wore verdent armor grown from vines and flowers by the world itself, a cloak spun from the tapestry of night that she could use to hide in plain sight, and a hair ornament made of a fallen star that infused any weapon she carried with radiant starlight. She believed in standing against evil no matter the form it took and it was she who slew Hewanharimau's godly form by driving a crossbow bolt into his heart.
- Ingatan the Trickster: An unpredictable god of trickery, fire, and knowledge who helped the eladrin people as much as he hindered them. His ways were inscrutable, but was said to always have a long-term goal in mind that guided his decisions; in one myth, he traded mortals knowledge and the secrets of fire in exchange for stories of the mortal world, but let that same flame he gifted them burn their homes down as a lesson to never seek that which is beyond their ability to handle.
*
The Old Faith of Risur is the folk religion of ancient Risur and is still practiced by royalty and more rural regions. The Archfey and Fey Titans venerated and propitiated in equal turn. The simplest way to categorize these being is the Archfey of the Unseen Court (more civilized and prone to interact with mortals), the Archfey of the Hedgehog Court (wilder and more likely to oppose the ways of civilization), and the Fey Titans, who are essentially intelligent fey kaiju bound to the mortal world who made pacts with ancient Risuri kings.
THE UNSEEN COURT (the reigning archfey court)
- Thisraldon the Mirror-Monarch, Ruler of the Unseen Court: Thisraldon is the leader of the Unseen Court and is an elegant, witty, and thoroughly fey ruler by all accounts. Their gender shifts to match the preferences of those viewing them and they both wield the original Vorpal Blade that slew the Primal Jabberwocky and possess an unrivaled mastery over lost dweomers, illusions, dream magics, and mirror-based sorceries.
- Astla the Snow Princess, Archfey of Winter: The graceful and achingly beautiful archfey of winter whose moods shift from faerie passions and flights of romance to emptiness and deep depression. Many of her worshippers are male and also see themselves as her prospective suitors, serving her needs for just a glimpse of her wintry perfection.
- Karrast the Flameblade, Archfey of Summer: The haughty gloryhound and warmonger of the Unseen Court who desires nothing but battle and glory. His nature makes him a close friend of Olazdor and the two regularly engage in friendly duels despite being in opposing courts.
- Furg the Toadstool Sage, Archfey of Knowledge: The sagacious and tricksy archfey of knowledge wears the form of a giant toad and loves to pit his wits against mortals. He is a consummate schemer whose antics provide much amusement to the Mirror-Monarch.
- Sallin the Dryad Queen, Archfey of the Forests: For all her power, the Dryad Queen is surprisingly demure and gentle and is known to appear to adherents of the old ways in Risur on occasion to bless their festivals and use her life-giving magics to grace their lands with a bountiful harvest. Despite her relative pacifism and gentle nature, she loathes the fey titan known as the Voice of Rot and works to undermine his schemes every time he awakens from his slumber.
THE HEDGEHOG COURT (the rival fey court; has no official ruler)
- Beshela of the Melodious Waves, Archfey of the Sea: The ever-charming, but mercurial archfey of the seas who holds dominion over the seas near Risur. She considers the fey titan She Who Writhes to be her dearest friend and sometimes the seas echo with the melodic songs she composes for the fey titan.
- Olazdor the Unyielding Storm, Archfey of the Winds: The brash and straightforward archfey of the wind and skies who spurns the trickery and decadence of the fey for the straightforward pleasures and thrills of the hunt. He once led led great hunts against mythical beasts in Risur's ancient past as part of his pact with the nation.
- Lavac the Almighty Herald of Ill-Fortune and King of All Gremlins, Archfey of Misfortune: The small, hyperactive, and thoroughly malicious archfey of gremlins born of the fey titan Granny Allswell loves nothing more than spreading ill-fortune, misery, and cruel pranks. It's said that he often appeared to witches in the ancient past in the form of a bipedal black goat to bestow them with the power to spread misfortune and engaged in debauched rituals with attendees.
- Lerina the Reseen Marauder, Archfey of Fury: A former elf risen to the status of a fey demigod, she is the very embodiment of rage and vengeance whose weapons crackle with thunder and lightning. Legends say that an ancient wrong visited upon her by the Unseen Court is the reason for her wrath and that she will stop at nothing to see Thisraldon destroyed forever; the Mirror-Monarch, of course, views this with amusement and secretly indulges her revenge fantasies.
- Darbony the Satyr Prince, Archfey of Revelry: The first satyr ever created, this easygoing archfey cares little for anything beyond celebrating life and indulging in hedonism. He sometimes joins Sallin the Dryad Queen during choice mortal festivals to indulge himself.
FEY TITANS (currently slumbering archfey kaiju gods even older than the Courts)
- The Ash Wolf: The fey titan of fire whose grief over his mate's death in ages past fuels a burning desire for vengeance against those that wrong him and a desperate desire to protect those he still cherishes. Was once revered for his ability to help mortals find their true love and for helping those lost in the wilderness find their way back home.
- The Father of Thunder: This wild and gregarious fey titan of storms loves nothing more than running wild and free across storm-lashed planes, downing alcohol by the brewery, and rutting with anything that falls for his charms (only USUALLY while in the form of a mortal). Was once revered for his ability to bless both the soil and wombs with an unnatural fertility that ensured plentiful crops and the birth of strong, healthy babies.
- She Who Writhes: The incomprehensible fey titan of water in the form of a monstrous kraken of unimaginable size whose moods change with the tides. Was once revered by sailors for her ability to calm the seas to ensure a smooth journey and her bringing the bounty of the seas to mortals in the form of fish and washed up treasures of the deep.
- Granny Allswell: The mad fey titan of the earth who sees herself as the grandmother to all children, is the actual mother of all gremlins (who were naughty children she twisted into sinister fey), and taught many traditions of witchcraft that have been passed down through the ages. Was once revered by parents who sought to teach their children right from wrong (and avoid Granny's witchcraft and kidnappings) and miners, who sang songs praising her to prevent cave-ins.
- The Voice of Rot: This is the fey titan of death and the end of all things who takes the form of a rotting serpent with a single milky white eye. Few sane beings worship the Voice of Rot since it is known to patiently set in motion schemes that bring the world closer to the end times, but it used to be propitiated with the sacrifice of humans and animals to sate its hunger for death and lull it back into a deep sleep.
New R.H.C. NPCs:
I've added several NPCs who either belong to the R.H.C. or are affiliated with it. These NPCs will pop up at various points in the AP and I'm fine with them being incorporated into PC backgrounds.
- Adam Vistahl "The Thunderblade": Adam Vistahl is one of the most famous war heroes of the Fourth Yerasol War and was instrumental in many of Risur's key victories. Legends of his selfless bravery and heroism are darkened by rumors of vengeful and uncompromisingly brutal massacres of Danorans, but few who know him after his stint in the military believe the darker rumors since he comes off as one of the most easy-going and friendly people you'd ever meet, if a little unserious and lacking in adherence to rules and protocol. He turned down a top position in Risur's military after the war to work at the R.H.C. since he considers himself a man of action, not a glorified politician draped in war medals purchased in blood. He pioneered the use of gunblades and fights with blitzkrieg tactics designed to end a battle as soon as possible. He has been assigned to King Aodhan's personal guard during the maiden voyage of The Coaltongue as extra security at the start of the game.
- Lady Veronique "The Blue Rose": Lady Veronique is a halfling woman whose noble family moved from Danor to Risur in the wake of the Great Malice. Although she has a caustic tongue, a deeply eccentric personality that runs hot and cold, and is notoriously fussy and demanding, she is undeniably brilliant and renowned as one of the most skilled detectives in the world. Even her fierce rival, the uptight and self-interested Inspector Margaret Saxby of the R.H.C., begrudgingly recognizes her talents and occasionally retains Lady Veronique's services for particularly difficult cases. She is the owner and sole field agent of the Blue Rose Detective Agency and generally only takes cases that either appeal to her fixation on unraveling complex mysteries, have a huge payday, or someone manages to appeal to her vanity or vaunted sense of noblesse oblige. It's not a well-known fact, but rumors circulate that Lady Veronique secretly funnels the majority of her profits to charity programs. She is currently 'on vacation' and is busy investigating a string of bizarre ritualistic murders near The Nettles.
- Chloé: One of the androids manufactured by Pemberton Industries using alchemy and teslapunk technology, Chloé was requisitioned by the R.H.C. to serve as a secretary and maid for HQ, as well as a handler for field agents who can contact them via magical messages in the event of emergencies. Although she is emotionally-stunted like most androids and has trouble logically processing human behavior at times, she is soft-spoken, polite, graceful, and seems to have a soft spot for small animals and children. A small contingent among the R.H.C. have started treating her like a living being instead of a simple construct despite Inspector Saxby's orders to the contrary. She will be the party's handler from the latter half of book one onwards and will contact them via magic any time HQ needs to get in touch with them.
- Francesco Armani Salviato da Vendricce: Franceso is a man whose family's roots stretch back deep into Crissilyir and he is proud of both his heritage and accent. He's a massive extrovert with both a gregarious, fun-loving personality and a fiery temper, and opinions of him in the R.H.C. are split down the middle. No matter what others think of him though, he performs his duty admirably and without complaint, and has a particular fixation on getting gang members from Kell's Boys off the streets and into a cell. He is known to have clear-cut tastes in attire and coffee and makes frequent trips to the Signora del Luna Cafe, Dozy Miccini's Cobbler Shop, and the bimonthly Brave Hall Fashion Expo in the city of Flint.
Now it's time for character creation guidelines!
Starting Level and Gestalt:
Characters should be built as 5th-level gestalt. Because the Spheres system has a few unique gestalt interactions, I'd recommend checking out the Gestalt section on the Spheres Wiki for more details if you haven't already.
Classes, Prestige Classes, and Spheres:
All Spheres-oriented classes, Prestige Classes, and Spheres on the Spheres Wiki are allowed except for the following: the Veilweaving Sphere, the Tech Sphere, the Raveler class, the Aeronaut prestige class, the Bokor prestige class, the Alternate Justicar prestige class, the Trinity Angel prestige class, and the Trinity Knight prestige class.
Additionally, any class with a Spheres archetype is allowed so long as you take one of those archetypes and have no Vancian spells, psionic manifesting, veilweaving, etc once everything is said and done. Again, I'd like to keep this game purely Spheres.
Races:
I'm normally a 'kitchen sink and the refrigerator too' kind of GM when it comes to allowing players to pick from a wide variety of races, but the list is a bit smaller in this game to keep things more thematic to the setting. If your race is below the race builder RP values for the Drow, then you may add 'free' alternate racial abilities- taken from that specific race and no other- until you reach (but do not exceed!) that value.
- All the core races, which are more or less as depicted in the ZGPG.
- Eladrins, also pretty much as-written in the ZGPG.
- Deva from the ZGPG are mechanically Samsarans now, but the lore hasn't changed.
- Tieflings are largely unchanged from the ZGPG depiction of them.
- Aasimar were canonically the Deva in the original version of Zeitgeist, but since I changed Deva to be the more logical Samsarans, I've changed Aasimar as well. In this, they are rare individuals born blessed to human families of strong faith in Crissilyir where they are hailed as living saints. It's a VERY rare occurrence, so probably only a few thousand exist in a continent filled with millions of people, but they're an option nonetheless. Aasimar are largely indistinguishable from normal humans save that they are transcendently attractive, their skin has no imperfections and can neither scar nor blemish, and their irises are rich and vibrant colors that you would see in the richest of gemstones.
- Androids are an experimental creation of the famous tech mogul and inventor Benedict Pemberton that he based on his new steel duplicant technology. That last bit about steel duplicants existing IS canon, so I have some ground to stand on lore-wise when it comes to justifying androids. These are, thematically-speaking at least, similar to Pinocchio from Lies of P: nearly-imperceptible from humans on the surface, but with clockwork bodies under their synthetic flesh and an alche-magical core formed by condensing leftover spiritual residues into a solid magical stone that houses their 'soul'. As of the start of this AP, only high-priority clients like the R.H.C. and nobility have access to androids and the race is still considered little more than intelligent property by most of the known world, although there's something of an underground movement that feels they are 'human' in every respect that matters and have been staging protests to have androids recognized as free citizens.
- My version of Drow in this game is that they are fey-touched elves like their Eladrin cousins, but their ancestors pledged themselves to the fey goddess of the moon and dreams Av rather than the Srasama and the rest of the Seedism pantheon. This is why their flesh is grey like lunar shadows and their hair is the color of spun moonlight. Also, unlike Golarion's drow, THESE have actual pupils and irises and are NOT evil, but they are generally well-educated, curious, and somewhat elitist and snooty. Many of them left the forests of Elfaivar and have come to the increasingly industrialized nations of Risur and Danor in search of stimulating diversions.
- Changelings are something I added as well and are referred to as 'Witch-Kissed'. Legends can't really agree on whether they are children of hags or were touched in the womb by the magics of the fey titan Granny Allswell, but they have a dark reputation in Crisillyir because of the church's stance on anything 'fey-shot'. Most nations aren't as hostile to changelings though, even if they can sometimes come off as strange.
Now, I'm willing to hear out requests for weirder races, but there are three caveats here. First, they must be easily rationalized within the setting itself- Gnolls, Kobolds, Minotaurs, and Orcs all exist as civilized races in Ber, so they're pretty easy to accept, for example- and not too far outside the bounds of what is 'normal' for Zeitgeist's world. Second, they must be cleared with me. And third, I'm only allowing a hard maximum of two party slots for these 'weird races' out of the six that will be available.
Backgrounds and Campaign Traits:
If you've read the hefty Zeitgeist Player's Guide, you're probably aware that the campaign has some really sick backgrounds- the character themes section if I remember the correct bookmarked section- to represent a character's past before they joined the RHC. Those backgrounds are pretty awesome and have a lot of variety to them.
Well, those are basically your super-powered campaign traits and you get both the associated feat and the abilities and features- but not BAB, HD, saves, etc.- of the first level of the associated three-level prestige class for free. You also gain the remaining two levels of abilities for the associated prestige class at 7th level (when you would normally qualify for one of the PrCs) and 10th level (the earliest you could max out the PrC).
There's one last thing I want people to bear in mind, although it doesn't have any real bearing on character creation itself: every adventure has cool inclusions for every background, so don't treat it as something to ignore past character creation. Skyseers, for example, have cryptic visions of the future in every adventure, while Martial Scientists learn new martial techniques from various sources and Yerasol Veterans are minor celebrities and war heroes that open up new roleplay avenues and social solutions to potential problems. Your background/campaign trait is something that will follow you for the rest of the game and will provide you with far more benefits than are immediately apparent.
Ability Score Generation:
We'll be using a 30-point buy. No score may be lower than 7 or higher than 22.
You also gain the ability score point from leveling and an additional +2 to any ability score you wish.
Automatic Bonus Progression-Lite:
You gain all the benefits of Automatic Bonus Progression except for the following: Armor Attunement, Legendary Gifts, and Weapon Attunement.
Gear, Crafting, and Gold:
You have access to 7,500 GP to spend as you please.
You may precraft up to one third of your GP, but only for yourself.
You may not under any circumstances purchase or craft magic items like the ability score boosters, tomes, rings of protection, cloaks of resistance, etc. The ABP-lite system we're using was intended to cover those.
Feats and Traits:
Feats are changed so that you gain one every level instead of the norm.
Finally, everyone can pick up to three traits. Not interested in including drawbacks, so there's no need to ask about those.
HP:
You get full HP every HD and a static +5 bonus HP.
Houserules:
Background Skills
Custom Traditions (try to make them make sense within the setting)
Elephant in the Room
Firearm Rarity: Guns Everywhere when buying from the R.H.C., variable elsewhere
Free Combat Stamina and Skill Unlocks for everyone
Bans and Changes:
- Leadership and similar feats and abilities are banned, but not the Leadership Sphere.
- Any cheesable meta-modifiers such as Sacred Geometry are banned.
- Anything that grants access to Vancian magic or other systems of casting outside of Spheres is banned. Akashic Mysteries and Path of War content are included in this ban.
- The Sage class is not banned, but I do have some mandatory adjustments that must be made to certain abilities. More details on those if anyone expresses interest in playing the Sage.
I think that's everything! If I've goofed up and missed a core component of character creation or there's some obscure optional rule or interaction you need ruling on, just let me know here in the forums. Which reminds me: unless there's something that you deliberately want to keep hidden from the other players- secret membership in The Family, a dark secret that you want to reveal later, etc.- then I'd prefer you post any questions here in the thread. It's easier and lets my answers be visible to everyone.
