InsideOwt's page

Well said! Congrats to the Top 32, whoever you are! Thanks to Paizo for producing this event!

Now to roll up a daul-cursed deaf/blind oracle!

Wish me luck! :D

Neat! :D

Hairpins of Mind-Melding
Phew, complex is right! Lots of little nitpicks, too. Hearing, sight and smell aren't all senses. You missed taste and touch. Sharing senses as if by the spell of the same name is awkwardly worded, because of the noun between the "share senses" and "as the spell". I'd italicize the spell and remove the "as a spell by the same name" entirely. Your concentration check needed is weird. Spells don't have default DCs, conditions do. They often use spell levels... Also, you say what the concentration is, then you later give a bonus to it.
Not a bad item, but it needs a lot of polish.

Thanks so much for the feedback. :)

Great post.

Hetero marriages as heir producers is a still going to be very important, unless heirs are frequently chosen through adoption or selection, as the Romans often did. Would gay relationships then be open secrets of child-producing hetero married homosexuals, or would there be a role for gay couples? The safe uncles you can trust because they have no ambition of putting their own child on the throne, much like eunuchs in Imperial China. Or would a certain number of homosexual folk have biological kids just to stay in game, and then pursue their actual love interests?

It is important to remember that homosexuality is not a modern invention. No man, in a medieval setting, would be conisdered to be a homosexual because many men of power might take another male to bed if he so desired. It was not uncommon for men of court or royalty to have their wives and lovers besides, be they men or women. A 'homosexual' man would indeed have a wife and probably many children but also have his male lover close at hand, living in his holdfast and likely a member of his court. These powerful men could get away with just about anything and they often did.

In the case of a pagan pantheon, similar to the greek gods or celtic/nord gods, homosexuality is often a practice of the divine forces and as such would not be considered devious by mortals.

Consider the setting, consider the social structure and religious factors. There is not right or wrong answer, it is all fantasy. :)

Here is an item I created for the Cleaves Dugeon Cards. I considered submitting it last year but the item seems too complex so I decided to go with something more simple.

Hairpins of Mind-Melding

Aura moderate divination; CL 8th

Slot head; Price 65,000 gp; Weight —

Description

This set of matching decorative hairpins creates a permanent telepathic bond, functioning as the spell of the same name, when worn by two individuals. Also, each bonded individual can share senses with their bonded companion, three times per day, exactly as if they had cast the spell of the same name with the exception that all senses (hearing, sight and smell) are shared with the caster.

The effects of share senses are only be felt by the caster, though the spell can be used simultaneously by each individual. While under the effects of share senses any attempt to cast a spell requires a concentration check (DC of the spell + spell level) in order to succeed. The effects of share senses can be ended by the caster as a swift action.

Additionally, any mind-affecting spell cast on a bonded individual requires that both bonded companions make a saving throw. If either bonded companion succeeds their saving throw, both individuals are guarded from the effects. This bond ensures positive mind-affecting effects are shared by both companions.

An individual wearing both hairpins experiences great mental fortitude, receiving a +2 bonus to saving throws made to resist mind-affecting spells and a +2 bonus on concentration checks.

If one or both of the hairpins are removed, damaged or destroyed any and all magical effects are removed.

Construction

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, share senses, telepathic bond; Cost 32,500 gp

Very nice! So usefull! :D

#1

Business: Black Dog Tavern
Goods/Services: Alcohol and Spirits/Food and Provisions/Rooms/Companionship
Owner/Operator: Macol Tesmotter, aka: 'Miss T', 'Mom'

Description: The Black Dog Tavern is an rickety old haunt known for its colorful staff and questionable clientele. Originally a respectable ale house, the Black Dog has come to be known as flophouse and brothel under the direction of 'Miss T', the tavern's ostentatious transvestite manager.
The Black Dog is also said to house a lost-boys gang of miscreant rag-tag orphans who have come to be called the Black Dogs.

Notable NPCs:

Miss T, Macol Tesmotter (Human, expert 3): A flamboyant transvestite who acts as owner/operator of the Black Dog. Aside from handling the tavern's day-to-day affairs she also acts as a caretaker for the group of orphans she lets live in the tavern's basement. Though generally pleasant, if not a bit too friendly, Miss T has a short temper and no tolerance for playing games, especially when they involve money.

Lotely the Coin-Operated Clockwork Barmaid (clockwork creature, human, expert 3): This coin-operated construct acts as barmaid and house-keeper at the Black Dog and is an attraction that draws many curious patrons. Lotely's self winding mechanics are triggered by the insertion of a coin and people from far and wide come to watch the automaton whir around the tavern. How Miss T came to own Lotely is a mystery.

Wiely (human, commoner 2): Leader of the Black Dogs, Wiely is a rough and tough street-smart orphan. As he is the oldest, the younger orphans look up to Wiely and follow his lead.

Plot Hooks:

Hair of the Dog: A local business owner was recently robbed. As the criminals fled, the shopkeeper managed to grab one by the hair which yanked right out of the thief's head. The shop owner thinks that the Black Dogs are responsible and requests that criminals be found and be made to return what was stolen or pay for their crime.

Extraordinary Machine: Miss T's clockwork construct is a mechanical marvel and a local alchemist would love to get his hands on the machine to study it's inner workings. He promises to pay handsomely for a chance to peak under the hood and requests that the construct be acquired for him, legally or otherwise.

+7 Stickiness

Why does she do this? What does the power do for her?

Perhaps her immortal status requires regular infusions of power to sustain, and 'immortality ain't free.' As her delicate state of existence begins to unravel, she finds out that by draining a node, she can grant herself another century of 'life,' and, since she's got the army, and now is as good a time as any, she's going from node to node, stacking up more life for herself.

And now, all that node-energy bound up in her form, means that she's gonna have to die to fix the instability, releasing the energy to flow back into the 'safety net.'

I think this idea would work really well. As she drains more and more energy the holes get bigger and bigger until parts of the world begin to merge with the ethereal plane. How do you suppose she would harness the energy of the nodes? Is she using some agent or artifact to drain the power? Has pathfinder already listed important artifacts that I could possible retool for my story?

I don't really like the idea of physical shards within the nodes. It begs the question of why someone didn't discover them earlier, and raises all kinds of questions for when they get moved (Do the ley lines move too? What affect would dragging all the ley lines around have on everyone else? Why haven't they moved before?)

What I think might work better is to say that what seems to be the material plane is actually supposed to be just part of the ethereal plane (or vice versa), and the nodes were set up to keep the two separate. Think of a net bag - it's got strands and holes (which small things can slip through), but it keeps the things inside separate from what's outside. So the ley lines are a "net" keeping the ethereal away from the material, but the holes are big enough that smaller things (like people) can slip through. There might be physical anchors, but they're not mobile.

The evil queen might know what they are, and be seeking to let the material plane fall back into the ethereal (or vice versa) for some reason, or she might not realize this and have just discovered she can tap them for power, and she wants to drain them.

Very neat. I like this idea a lot. The shards would eventually give the PCs an excuse to go after the queen and reclaim the shards she has already collected, returning them to the immortal Thessa and setting things to rights. Perhaps as the PCs collect the shards, the separation between the ethereal and matieral planes begins to falter and strange events are happening as a result? Maybe the PCs and the queen don't realize that taking the shards would ultimately break the seal between planes and in turn cause the entire material world to be thrown into a form of purgatory?

Perhaps you could travel instantly between nodes for which you have already recovered the shard? But sounds like you don't want to go this direction.

Do the nodes move if you move the shards?

Does the shape of the power lines match up to the crack lines in the broken artifact? (Not sure I phrased that right...like if you cracked a coffee mug into several pieces and glued it back together but could still see the cracks...it could serve as a map, a way to deduce possible locations of additional shards).

I will hold off on the instant travel for now. Though I suppose limiting it to node locations of the shards you oppose would balance it a bit.

I would say the nodes do not move but perhaps go into a state of hibernation once the shard is removed from it.

I LOVE the idea of the shard cracks matching the pattern of the ley lines accross the globe. This being the method of finding hidden or unknown nodes could be really useful. Thanks so much for the good advise! :D

I kind of like the artifact shards idea. You could also twist that all up, so it's not exactly the kind of immortality the seeker had in mind. Rebirth/reincarnation instead of not aging, that sort of thing. Thinking back to 1st edition, artifacts always had side effects.

I suppose those who have control of the nodes could also achieve spell bonuses of some kind, representing more direct access to the lines of magical power? Could these nodes also be used as portals between one another, via the ethereal plane?

The seeker of the shards is the half-giant queen of the enemy nation. She has lived for a very long time and some have already begun to see her as immortal. In truth, my plan was to have her be a powerful intelligent undead and either be a lich or sustained by a lich. Perhaps she wants the shards to regain her human flesh and harness some incredible power.

My loose concept for the shards is as follows:

One day immortals ascended to heaven, leaving the mortal plane behind. One immortal, Thessa, did not ascend and instead decided to stay behind as a steward to her people. The immortals took pity on her and left behind an artifact that could one day help her to ascend to heaven should she choose to.
Sometime later an evil naga spirit known as Luzramul captured the mortal daughter of another immortal. Thessa rescued the daughter but the naga spirit had truly meant to steal the artifact from Thessa which it did. When it attempted to use the artifact, it shattered, releasing a terrible energy that created a massive crater, now know as the inner sea.
The shards of the artifact were then collected by the Kashindri, a race of angelic giants, who hide them all over the world to protect them from falling into the wrong hands.
Since these ancient times the Kashindri have long died out but their ghost remain bound to the nodes and try to guard against any who taking the shards.

There are alternates to the origin of the artifact and its splintering but I won't bore you with all of that.

The nodes themselves enhance magic energy and act as stable shifting points between the material and ethereal plane. As for being able to teleport between them, I feel that would make the adventure too easy as the PCs could just jump from node to node to protect them. Having them travel on foot to each site seems like a more complicated adventure.

I really appreciate the thoughts though and will for sure consider making the shards have an undesired effect.

The homebrew campaign I have been running has come to an important point in the story and I am at a bit of a loss. Here is some information on the background of the campaign and what the players have faced so far:

*Joined up with the King's Army to face a mutual threat
*Reclaimed a ruined fort that would be the setting of a large battle
*Rode south to recruit more aid for the war effort
*Defused a secret war and recruited the help of two warring tribes
*Returned to the fort and engaged in a huge battle
*Turned the tide of war by achieving a great victory
*Received news that an important sight to the north was under attack
*Rode to the north to discover the enemy and face it head on
*Followed the enemy into the Ethereal Plane

So, in my world there are ley lines of magical energy and physical manifestations of concentrated magical energy known as nodes. These nodes have been researched by magic users but as of yet no discovery of their origin or use has been made.

It seems the invading army has taken a great interest in the nodes and has been conquering and expanding their empire to hold power over more and more of them. The PCs have found out that the nodes themselves link the material plane with the ethereal plane and they serve some greater purpose.

Now here is my issue: What is their purpose?

I have thought that perhaps each node holds within it the shard of a powerful artifact that can grant the owner of all the shards immortality. So the PCs quest would turn to preventing the enemy from collecting the shards and attaining immortality.

I am not 100% sold on this plot, there are so many things left unanswered and so many holes to fill. Any advise on which direction to take the story would be greatly appreciated!

The Council revised:

1 Ottar Velsking LN middle age human male Warrior 1/Expert 3
2 Amira Velsking LG middle age human female Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
3 Crag Crompton N old human male Expert 4
4 Eliza Crompton NE old human female Commoner 1/Expert 2
5 Devin Wortherson NG middle age human male Cleric (Sarenrae) 1/Expert 1
6 Banetta Wortherson middle age human female Commoner 1/Expert 1
7 Mikael Goreden NG middle age human male Expert 2
8 Bornel Buslem N middle age human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 2
9 Conroy Buslem NE adult human male Aristocrat 1/Expert 1
10 I suggest again our guide take this spot, then Ranger 3

@HerosBackpack, its an open project. But to me, the more the merry!

I don't think that the guide should have a spot on the council as he is more of a temporary figure. He would be paid for his services as guide and would probably remain to help setup the settlement but I can't see why he would be given consideration to be on the governing council.

He is hired help, not someone who cares about village politics. Perhaps the missing spot could be filled by a NPC developed by HerosBackpack? Mikael Goreden's tough retired carpenter father?

Is there room for an old city-builder to join in?

An old carpenter could easily be added to any family dynamic. Presently we are focusing on the families and assuming there is a labor force of minor, less note worthy, NPCs.

Thank you very much for all the advice! I would love to get in on Kingmaker so I will look into that and continue to peruse this forum for other games.

Thanks again! :)

InsideOwt wrote:

I am currently DMing two campaigns in my day-to-day and I would like to joining a game as a player, even if it is PBP. Anyone know of any games that are starting up or ones in progress that are looking for more players?

Hi InsideOwt!

There is a subforum to look for PbP games forming up >HERE<. You can find all sorts of games starting up there. This subforum is more for games already in action.

Good luck!

Thanks so much!

Peers of the Gamer Connection I am looking for a Play by Post game starting up or looking for new players. Any tips that could point me in the right direction would be much appreciated.

I am currently DMing two campaigns in my day-to-day and I would like to joining a game as a player, even if it is PBP. Anyone know of any games that are starting up or ones in progress that are looking for more players?

I propose that Devin Wortherson is revised as the following:

Dovlin Wortherson - LG Human, Male (Cleric 1 (Sarenrae)/Expert 1)

I would also like to propose that Mrs. Wortherson is revised as follows:

Banetta Wortherson - NG Human, Female (Commoner 1/Expert 1)

Banetta is an able-bodied, stout woman with rosy cheeks and plucky demeanor. Though she is both intellectual and spiritual, she is also known to be quite bawdy and a flagrant gossip. She is both a caretaker and teacher of the village youth as well as the villager's practicing mid-wife and nurse.

I second Buslem family, and I assume the father and son are the councilmen?

Yes, Bornel and Conroy would be on the council as the representatives for the Buslem family.

InsideOwt wrote:

Weather and Climate: TBD

There are several options for describing the semi-arid region we've described. The first is that there simply isn't much precipitation. Due to factors such as geographic position, moisture-laden clouds simply don't appear frequently. Perhaps the settlement is in the rain shadow of the very mountains it sits next to, or another range in a distant direction.

I would like to second this to be the climate/weather:

Semi-arid with little precipitation

If anyone could elaborate a bit more on how seasons manifest and temperatures fluctuate it would help round this our a bit.

I would like to propose the fifth family to join the settlers:

Buslem Family:

Bornel Buslem - N Human, Male (Aristocrat 1/Expert 2)

Conroy Buslem - NE Human, Male (Aristocrat 1/Expert 1)

Tamary Buslem - NG Human, Female (Commoner 1)

Family Dynamics:

The Buslem's are a wealthy family who supplied a good portion of the initial start-up funding for the new settlement in hopes of reaping the rewards of the valley's rumored riches. Bornel, the family patriarch and successful merchant, hopped at the opportunity to cash in on the prospect of untapped wealth. Coming along for the ride are his two children Conroy and Tamary who have become accustomed to their fathers impulsive whims ever since their mothers unexpected passing.

Conroy is a keen-eyed contemptuous snot who is in it for all he can get. As his fathers second he manages the books and skims some of the top for his troubles. He isn't above selling someone out or conducting shady business practices to get ahead, even if it isn't always done legally. His only soft spot is for his younger sister who he regards as innocent and looks after with an uncharacteristically tender hand.

Tamary, Bornel's youngest, is a kind hearted girl who is not all there. After the surprising death of her mother when she was much younger she became mute and a bit dumb. Her condition was said to be caused by the trauma of her mother's death and she has never quite recovered.

Family Role:

The Buslem's act as the financial arm of the settlement with Bornel handling any mercantile ventures (trading and shipping/receiving of goods) while his son Conroy does the books, money lending and acts as the village treasurer.

Martin Kauffman 530 wrote:

I don't think a mine is such a good idea, as it would imply a rather high level of any previous settlement or culture. Perhaps... natural caverns, which might have been previously used by the hobgoblins to bury their dead. This might open the possibility of rumors of hauntings, or of vengeful dead. Perhaps a surviving hobgoblin shaman or cleric is even attempting to awaken hobgoblin ancestors to drive out the invading humans.

Most traditional mines were one, two-man operations. A mine operated by a relatively uncivilized group of hobgoblins is fairly reasonable.

No one is really disputing the hobgoblins ability to mine. What is missing is any motivation to do so. They are not exactly known as worldly merchants or hoarders of riches.

Officially Decided Details and Purposed Ideas

Terrain and Environment:

Weather and Climate: TBD

Crops/Livestock/Goods:

Primary Crops: Root Vegetables, Beans and Legumes
Primary Livestock: Sheep and Goats, Cattle (Small Herd)

Settler Motivations:

Enterprise and Riches

Common History of Area:

• Former Hobgoblin Territory
• Prone to Earthquakes
• Rumors of Supposed Riches

Government:

Village Council - 10 Members, Two representatives from each of the five settling families.

Settlers and Notable NPCs:

Five Families: (Proposed)

• Velskings
• Crompton
• Wortherson
• Goreden
• (Fifth Family)

Guide: (Proposed) Half-Elf, Name TBD

The are can be dotted by mines, some once worked by humans and their demi human allies, the others by hobgoblin and other humanoid tribes. What raids and wars didn't collapse, the earthquakes have a few workable mines remain, but no one is sure of where or how many, except for the one the hobgoblins are aware of and using.

Demi-human? I am not sure what you mean by that.

Why would hobgoblins mine? It isn't an easy enterprise and unless there is some unknown pay-off I doubt the hobgoblins would bother.

The hobgoblins of course, could have taken a partially collapsed mine, made it work again, and set up a dungeon type complex complete with forge.

Where would this mine have come from? Was it a mine the hobgoblin's created themselves? If so, for what purpose?

Reading through all that has been posted so far it was purposed that a community of hobgoblins once had a settlement here and were all but wiped out by some major event (quake, fire, gorge, etc) and now have a much small presence in the valley.

If we were to make the remnant hobgoblins live in a mine I purpose that it is a really old mine created by humans many years before the settlers came. Perhaps that enterprise failed because of the hobgoblin threat and all that is left are some half collapsed mine shafts which the hobgoblins sought refuge in after their settlement was devastated.

InsideOwt wrote:

As you are familiar with this type of environment, would you like to take a stab at describing the native flora and fauna? Which kinds of critters are native to this valley? What are the usual weather patterns?

There's no single answer to any of this. As Winnegan's fake noted, there are several areas that can match this description in the western US alone, from the coast to the Rockies and spanning the entirety of the region stretching north to south. It results in a lot of variety.

That said, the domestic goods the settlers might try to cultivate in the area are more easily defined. Plants and produce need to be particularly hardy, as this close to mountains sudden frosts are common even in a warm growing season. Root vegetables, such as potatoes, would grow well provided the soil is well tilled. Beans and other legumes could also do well in such an environment. Irrigation would allow for a greater variety of produce, but a proper irrigation system is difficult to establish and maintain properly. It would likely be several generations before such a system could be put into place.

Sheep and goats are the most likely livestock to be brought; they can graze on low-lying plants and tend not to be too picky about what they eat. Cattle can work in small numbers, but if the size of a herd grows too large it can quickly decimate the land for several seasons. Regardless, any grazing animals will need large tracts of land, and their handlers will need to keep them moving to allow the natural vegetation the opportunity to regrow after being consumed.

I second this as the settlements initial sources of sustenance:

Main Crops: Root Vegetables, Beans and Legumes
Main Livestock: Sheep and Goats, Cattle (Small Herd)

@Odraude, I like the idea of special landmarks, but definately would be more natural or left over from the previous hobgoblin who had lived here. But for an idea, maybe something like Pomona Natural Bridge. And of course the remnants of the hobgoblin's settlement, maybe a burned out husk of a wooden fort-town.

Why would the wooden fort have been burned out? I thought it was a massive quake that flattened the Hobgoblin camp?

Perhaps we can incorporate the landmark into the destruction of the Hobgoblin camp by having remnant shacks teetering on the edge of a wide and deep crack (formed by the last major quake) that runs diagonally across the valley. Most of the Hobgoblin settlement toppled or fell into the gash when the land split.

With news of the families setting out to have their own lands, and a ranger of some account leading the way, this would draw the attention of an itinerant, and above all else mendicant bard 1/, seeing her fortunes in town would be better served if she were in the worlds oldest, and not her own chosen profession. The abandoned mines might be good for some loot, and the new settlement might be good for some stories and songs.

Hana Vacek (Havok) Half Elf Bard 1 The nickname Havok suggests itself from her name, but also when attempting feats of physical prowess, its what she unleashes on herself. Strength and Con are her dump stats.

I'll get her worked up once point buy is agreed to.

STOP

Hana sounds like a PC, not an NPC. Why would an NPC bard attempt any feats of physical prowess? What NPC bard has dump stats? Also, I don't think a fledgling settlement is a wise career choice for a bard.

Rannald wrote:

Then I third the the description. Definately a very western feel to it.

What can I say; it's where I grew up. Minus the tremors and hobgoblin miners, of course. >.>

As you are familiar with this type of environment, would you like to take a stab at describing the native flora and fauna? Which kinds of critters are native to this valley? What are the usual weather patterns?

I think this is my new favorite thread!

Decided Official Details:

Government: Council of 10 (Two Family Heads)
Environment:

InsideOwt wrote:

I second the proposal for a council of 10, two heads from each family.

I like this as well, at least initially. As circumstances change, so too can the government, but this seems like a good place to start.

As for the valley itself, I like the idea of the seismically active valley, but something as barren as InsideOwt proposed rarely ends up supporting any lasting settlements. Even in Nevada's high desert, for example, there's ready sources of water and sufficient grazing land for at least select livestock. Essentially, if a new community cannot provide for itself, it is doomed to failure. Just consider the countless mining ghost towns found throughout the western United States as proof of this.

I'd say a mountain stream should flow through the valley. The ground is rocky, generally poor for growing crops, though it supports hardy native grasses and shrubs; this natural vegetation is enough to support light grazing animals, such as sheep and possibly small numbers of cattle, in addition to any native herbivores we add to the area as we progress. The valley itself leads into volcanically-formed mountains, that remain seismically active despite there not being an eruption of any kind in recorded history. The mountains are rumored to support glacial lakes and springs, and hardy trees grow upon much of their slopes. The valley opens up into the mountain's foothills, a region more suitable for crops yet still requiring more work than usual to generate any sizable harvest. Native grasses and shrubs grow here in abundance, in addition to small groves of trees near permanent and seasonal sources of water.

Essentially, a rough environment, with many obstacles for the community to overcome, but not so many that the odds of success are slim at best.

You are very right. If this settlement is not destined to be a ghost town it will need to be seated in a more comfortable landscape.

I second this description of the valley.

SmiloDan has it right. A homebrew Alchemist discovery (Hopping Bomb) is the proper direction. The goblins would have to make Handle Animal checks to ensure the frog gets hopping in the right direction.

If the Goblin fails the check you should have the frog turn in a random (1d8: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW) direction and hop off, exploding at the bottom of it's next turn.

This means the frog bomb could backfire on the Goblins which is all the more fun for you and the PCs.

Clever idea!

I second the proposal for a council of 10, two heads from each family.

As for the name, I like Tremens. Could Tremen be the lost family member? Tremen's March?

Alternatives: Perhaps the settlement is at a low point in the valley and so it was called Bottom Hollow, nicknamed Shaker's Hollow as it is known to be quake territory?

This sounds like a great idea!

I have to agree with Heaven's Agent that everyone who has posted NPCs is jumping the gun a bit. There are many things to take into consideration before generating NPCs to fill the village. Here are the details you've decided on so far:

Small Settlement (Reason: Enterprise and Riches)
Former Hobgoblin Territory
Threat from Quakes

Before creating further NPCs we should consider the following:

Topography: What is the environment like?

I would like to propose a dry dusty valley with sparse vegetation and ruddy red rock. Think 'Dust Bowl'. This would mean that the attraction to the valley wouldn't be for grazing or farm land but for the 'riches' to be found by mining.

Timeframe: How long has this settlement been a settlement?

I would like to propose that we 'pick-up' on the third generation of settlers which would give them time enough to have established buildings, dig wells, begin mining, setup social structure (mayor, police, etc) and root some family trees.

Motivation: Why would anyone settle this dangerous valley?

I would like to propose that rumors of riches buried in the rocky valley peaked the interest of some enterprising families who in turn banned together when the opportunity to seize the land presented itself. I would also like to suggest that the rumor of 'riches' was off the mark and to the present day little 'riches' have been recovered.

Danger: What is the threat level?

I would suggest that the Hobgoblin have not all been wiped out and some small groups still dwell in the darker spots of the valley, brooding to rebuild there numbers. There is also the threat of quakes and I think it is not unreasonable to say that minor quakes are experienced in the valley almost monthly while stronger quakes might happen once or twice a year, doing some damage.

Looking forward to seeing this grow. :)

Green world would be a plot effect, as a PC Viera could not get it (They lose the ability if they leave the wood for too long). Like I said, there is no mist in pathfinder, so I did not include it. I was not building Ivalice or a Final Fantasy game (If I wanted to do that, I would play ZODIAC FFRPG), just adapting the races. To include the mist would be a great many rules beyond just the Veira (Although I think a confusion/rage effect would be close, you still need rules for the mist). The Viera who leave the forest and learn to get along with outsiders would increase their charisma modifier and add ranks to diplomacy.

I'm not sure why I gave the Bangaa a penalty to Int looking back... Also, they are described as being almost blind, with blindfolds playing a part in there fashions. To properly create the Bangaa they would probably need blindsense and a level adjustment.

Finally to the point of a fly speed being given to a player race, you have to balance it to the race. The moogles are small and have a strength pnalty, low combat damage. They make good arcane spellcasters which get flight fairly early anyways.

I have presented the races the way I would make them and why, that is all I can do.

Like I said your work is good and, a bonus, its balanced. I am just being a bit picky considering I am trying to put together a setting for my players and they are tough critics. I'm just trying to look at it through their scrutinizing eyes.

One I have worked out my version, balanced as I can, I will post them along with their racial pages in the homebrew forum. Keep yours eyes peeled if you are interested.

Thanks for all the info. :)

Read Voodoomikes race builder (on the forums) when it comes time to write your versions of the races.

I will, no doubt, use this to balance my versions.

The nu'moe were about 4 feet tall in the games, they are like a dwarf IMO.

There is no official quote on Nu Mou height that I can find but considering how hunched and small they are I would say they are roughly the size of Gnomes. Debatable.

The moogle gets a +2 int, +2 cha, that alone allows them to excel at any arcane magic, and some divine magic.

I suppose that is fair but I am not sure I am comfortable with the drafted version. May have to tweak.

The bangaa have unrivaled senses and perceptive abilities. Not wise maybe (this is debatable), but I think it fits (+2 to str and Con would cost 4 more points, they would have to be rebalanced).

The Bangaa have small eyes which might mean bad vision. It does say they have strong senses of hearing and smell but a -4 to sight based with a plus +4 to sound based seems too out of whack considering Viera only get a plus two...and look at their ears. Maybe a -4 sight, +2 hearing, +2 smell based Perception checks? Also, you didn't address the -2 to INT, Bangaa are not unintelligent.

Seequ's are rotund pigs that waddle everywhere, it seems perfect to me. Who says they cannot see on the dark? Honestly, I needed to round off their abilities and that seemed like a perfect fit.

From Final Fantasy Tactics A2:

"Though one would not think it to look on them, seeq are remarkably quick and agile, making for formidable foes and valued allies. They are not, however, terribly bright, and their moral compass has lost all direction. They lust for gold, jewels, and the like, often adorning their bodies with such, whether ill-gotten or otherwise." - Description

Also, you fight some Seeq in FFXII and they are not slow moving.

Viera: "Missing the green world" is roleplay. Mist frenzy is campaign specific while I made these for any game. It would be more of a world effect. And despite how beautiful the may be they are reclusive, unskilled in outside interaction, and distrustful of outsiders. That defines a charisma penalty. Physical appearances are only a small part of charisma. Also, not everyone would think bunny girls are beautiful, that is a matter of opinion.

The 'Green Word' is a spell-like ability used by Viera to communicate with nature. Granted, Viera who leave the wood eventually loose this ability so perhaps it should be a feat? All Viera a sensitive to Mist, having not effect them in any capacity seems odd.

I agree with you on not granting Viera a CHA bonus. But a CHA penalty? That seems suited specifically for viera who stay isolated in their woodland home.

InsideOwt wrote:

Would a +2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Dex be unbalanced or game breaking?

Paizo made a deliberate choice to have player races have 1 mental and 1 physical stats so every race can be good at something physical (rogue/ fighter/ ranger/ monk/ etc) and something mental.

So it's not necessarily a matter of game breaking as it is a game design thing, they don't want players to feel pigeonholed into a class or set of classes. Your example would be very difficult to make into anything other than a straight caster.

Non-player races vary from these standards.

Perhaps the Nu Mou should be a non-player (optional) race? I could live with that.

Kierato wrote:

Viera

+2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Cha

I'd argue that any race of bunny-eared, tall lingerie models would not be penalised in charisma. (Seriously, I think the Viera are so reclusive because they don't want others to see them running around in their unmentionables so much).

Missed that, I would completely agree.

These are balanced against the core races. What important elements are missing?

Well, lets see.

Bangaa - Bangaa are not unintelligent or particularly wise but are instead strong and gruff. I think +2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -2 Charisma would be better suited for a Bangaa.

Moogle - A Moogles aptitude for the arcane. Though their abilities with mechanics is played up in FF12, they are skilled magic users.

Nu Mou - These are small creatures, not medium. They are slow moving so I would put -2 into Dex and reduce base land speed to 20ft.

Seeq - Seeqs are agile but there is no bonus to Dex. They are not slow despite their appearance so their base land speed should be normal. And who said they can see in the dark?

Viera - Missing the Green Word and Misty Frenzy, both of these could be circumstantial I suppose but two major things that are common among all Viera.

Oooo, neat! These are good bases but there are some important elements missing. Thanks so much for reposting!

InsideOwt wrote:

Would a +2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Dex be unbalanced or game breaking?

Oh ya a Cleric Race :) +2 wisdom, +1 extra skill point per level.

Tell you what..

Come out with a -2 Str, +2 Int, +2 Cha race = And you can make a bard happy :)

Really I am trying to adapt the world of FFXII's Ivalice to Pathfinder d20 and I was asking to figure out the racial traits for a Nu Mou which is essentially a cleric race. I don't want to pigeon hole it too much though.

Would a +2 Int, +2 Wis, -2 Dex be unbalanced or game breaking?

Ah, yes, I stand corrected.

This may seem like a silly questions but after looking over the races in the core book I was left wondering why none of the core races have a +2 to the Wisdom Ability Score as a Racial Trait?

Is this for balance reasons? Would characters with a higher base wisdom need some complicated level adjustments? Please cure me of my ignorance!

Thanks!

The competition is fierce this year! Congrats Top 4!

Just started this one today! Since I've only got three players, I rolled up a GMPC to hopefully even the odds a little. So we have:

Calliope -- The GMPC. Cleric of Gozreh, was helping transport halfling slaves out of Chelliax via the Bellflower network, but they left to become pirates in the Shackles.

Kilroy -- Gnome Archivist Bard, came aboard in the Shackles, has a scholarly interest in the Mwangi Expanse, has proved surprisingly useful in lecturing monsters.

Valentina (Val) and Benedict (Ben) -- Brother and sister bounty-hunting team (she's a sniper rogue and he's a fighter) who were bringing Jask in on behalf of the Sargavan government.

So far they have made friends with everyone but Ishirou (and even he's indifferent), warmed up enough to Jask to take his manacles off and after a couple of days even gave him back most of his stuff, and got Sasha her baby dinosaur. (They also killed the other baby dinosaurs in the nest for meat. And the mommy dinosaur. And a snake and the bats I threw at them. Okay, I don't think they actually ate the bats, but they probably would have tried.) They also explored the Jenivere and two of the other ships, though sadly not the interesting ones.

I'm hoping to get them to the Brine Demon next session.

Nice group. My party did eat the bats...they are barbarians after all.

I've skimmed the first three books, and very briefly skimmed the last three. Obviously a more thurough reading of the first book should be on my list of to dos.

This is always a good thing. My suggestions and arguments are based solely on the rules of the Pathfinder setting.

My point with anthropology is that it isn't as broad as just anthropology. It should be seperated by culture. Saying "I understand culture" is sorta like saying "I speak other language." But honestly I feel this same way about survival...so maybe it's a me thing.

I was simply saying that the skills an archaeologist might have would be of use for this particular adventure path. If it is the word archaeologist that is tripping you up consider the following: Profession (Excavator), (Historian) or even (Prehistorian).

The rules support your argument...or rather what you said above does a logical explanation of the rules. I just don't feel that's how things should be. When I run games, there is no Profession (trapper), it's part of survival. To me scavenging food is part of it, but so is hunting. Killing a deer and preparing it for food for you to eat isn't that much different from killing a deer and preparing the meet for others to eat, after paying you.

I am sorry if you have an issue with the rules and luckily for you a DM can run a game anyway they prefer. It is a bit odd that in your games there are no professional trappers or trackers as these were common professions appropriate for the time period. Survival is the ability of a PC to survive which doesn’t automatically mean that they know how to hunt, kill and butcher animals. Profession (Hunter) would allow a PC to kill animals with ease and they could even make a living doing it. Profession (Butcher) would allow a PC to get the most meat off of a corpse, meat that people would pay for. The point is that anyone relying on Survival is not an expert at hunting, tracking, trapping or butchering, nor could they make a decent living doing any of those things (according to the rules).