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We are just coming to the end of Stolen Land, and I am about to drag every one back to Restov for a social event. It started out as a ball, but now has a Noble investiture, awards ceremonies for the PCs and a wedding between a PC and an NPC (who started off as a PC)

I have a dozen PC's split across two groups and each of them will receive a few BP personally.

In a few weeks time I will need to describe 30 or 40 individual nobles - who may (or may not) have some sort of Venture Capital type offer to make to the PCs.

That is an awful lot of descriptions I need to come up with. And I know I get repetitive and stale. If anyone has any Noble / Courtier / Celebrity descriptions knocking around - I would appreciate it if you would share :)

I know there are some in earlier threads, and I will go back and collect them later - but I would still be grateful if anyone has anything they can share.

Thanks.

I am running Kingmaker for the second time, and I have taken the opportunity to refine the world a setting a bit more.

While it has taken a while to work out - this is my take on the Rogavia, Golka, Skyfall story :)

The Rogarvia

Choral Rogarvia was a Sorcerer / Dragons Disciple when he conquered Issia and Rostland intent on welding them into the single nation of Brevoy. And he had a plan, not a piddling little plan like building a new nation – that was just a stepping stone to his greater plan of making himself a ‘Power’ - an immortal, godlike, power.

To achieve the first part of his plan he sold his soul and the souls of his children and their children for rule of a united Brevoy for 200 years. Why Brevoy? Well he wanted Skywatch, because he had learned of the strange powers it guarded. Powers that the Aldori hadn’t learned about, powers that only a serious caster could appreciate, that only the best could use, and only the very best could bend to their will. Choral knew he was that good.

This was why he subjugated most of Issia and Rostland before turning his attention to Skywatch. Once he had destroyed the Aldori fort and secured the tower itself, he started to build a town around it. Over time Skywatch grew into a small walled city and an important Rogarvian stronghold. Unlike New Steven, where they ruled the city via a network of family nobles and subordinate houses, they ruled Skywatch with an iron fist. Outside the city was fairly normal, they appointed a number of minor nobles to oversee the farms and land for them – but inside it was all Rogarvian Magistrates, Guards and Officers – supported by a secret cadre of sorcerers and bards.
Family Rogarvia grew and cemented control, but all of the magically gifted offspring were sent to Skywatch - it was those family members without naturally abilities who were left to rule New Steven and Brevoy – and they certainly had enough strength and guile to do that.

When Coral disappeared it was said that he went into the Gronzi Forest. He didn’t. He locked himself away in the basements of Skywatch as he studied it and worked out how best he could bend its powers to suit his will. Eventually, he managed to take that power for his own – and he is now a Mythic Lich.

When time came for the contract to be upheld, Choral threw up a major spell shield around Skywatch, to protect those inside from the immediate wrath of Asmodeus, for it was to that great devil he had pledged their souls.

Asmodeus took the souls and (in a fit of pique) the bodies of all of those Rogarvians he could reach, and then smashed his hand down upon the world, causing and earthquake and creating a gate between hell and the lowest mines in Brevoy – so that eventually the land and many more souls would come to him. However, that earthquake had an effect on the Golka Mines and caused on of the seams they had been mining to slip badly, and throw everything out of alignment. While the main entrance to their mines is still there, up by High Delve, you go a few yards inside and there is just a solid wall of stone and rock.

Since then, Choral has been busy – the regular citizens of Skywatch were allowed to die from hunger – before being raised as Skeletons and Zombies. Member so the family were allowed to convert themselves to any type of sentient undead they could or they would be converted to Ghasts and Ghouls. One day soon, when the army is built, Choral will drop his spell and his undead army will march to reclaim Brevoy for its undead Lord.

(Just for the hell of it and because I can) As the spell shield drops, it attracts Asmodeus’s attention. He has been waiting for it. Not because he has been done out of any souls (the contract still hold and sooner or later all of those souls WILL come to him, and he has all the time in the word) but because he wants to know what Choral tried to trick him. With a wave of his hand, he repairs the earthquake damage that has been blocking the Golka and his army of devils in. Now the Golka, heavily reduced from the war with the devils have a way out. With an Army of devils following them!

Three way war - Humans (with the PCs as Champions) Vs Undead, Vs Devils ….

(But none of this will happen until after book six is resolved :)

I have two PCs (in a Kingmaker-like game) who are looking for brides. I am using many of the kingdom/building rules to put a campaign element around a set of converted D&D 1e modules. It is fun

However, two of my characters are currently looking for potential brides - and I want them to have a choice. And I know can get very predictable when I write a lot of NPCs at once. So any thoughts or ideas that might help spawn something different would be good.

It is a strange campaign - it that we only get together once per year - and then play solidly for a weekend so the Pcs will use a (sort of) mail order bride system :) The Bride can be CR2 at the very most!

PC1: Is a Dwarf (Fighter Rogue) who has recently come into possession of a nice hill that already has tunnels rooms and all sorts. It wasn't made by Dwarves (Obviously) but now he intends to do it up. He works for the local nobles and is seen to be a 'rising star'. There are two wealthy dwarven families locally - one runs a brewery and the other runs an Inn. There are a couple of more traditional Dwarven Mine holds within travel distance. One high up in the mountains, the other as part of a lowland, coastal multi-racial setting.

PC2: Ia a human Mage/Cleric of Nethys. Scion of an old noble family, he has just been given title to a nice lakeside villa (a couple of miles from the nearest town). He too works for the local rulers and is seen to have potential (what PC isn't?). He has two wealth aunts on the look out for suitable candidates. One group of people who are influential locally are the 1/2-elf children of an CG eleven priest of Desna. They are all half-siblings (or varying ages) with different mothers.

Has anybody developed Skywatch? We are at the end of our game, and the final scenes took place inside skywatch - although as there was only one scene, I didn't need to develop the area.

Now one of my PCs has decided they want to settle in Skywatch and develop it as a small city state - which fits quite well with the compromise they agreed with the factions in Brevoy.

If anyone has developed any maps, plans, buildings etc for the old city (in my game it is completely devoid of life) I would love to take a look and maybe steal stuff :)

We have just completed the Kingmaker modules - although we are still playing out the last couple of weeks of the campaign – and I thought it would be good to add our voice to the ‘We’ve done it’ group. First off, my party and I liked the modules and we have had a great time playing through the scenario – so if any of the comments below appear negative – please remember we enjoyed Kingmaker and all had great fun playing it.

Note: From here onwards this post is littered with large scale plot points (but not too much detail). If you don’t want to know the broad plot – stop reading now.

Unlike some groups who have commented on here, we thought the overall story line flowed quite nicely. It started off with an objective to ‘clean up’ the greenbelt which moved on to ‘Establish a kingdom’. After that there was a threat from the west (Varnhold) a threat from the East (Fort Drelev), a threat from the south (Pitax) and a Threat from afar (Nyrissa). Each time the threat was more powerful and needed more thought, better skills, etc – to deal with.

For us, it flowed. I think it helps that I skimmed through all six books before we started and knew when an encounter was foreshadowing something. That (perhaps) meant that I could emphasise it a bit more in game. Having said that, the party followed plenty of Red Herrings as well - BUT they recognised links back to previous encounters.

We enjoyed the city and kingdom building rules for a while, but they can be a bit of a distraction as the party moves through the story. I think we moved to a semi kingdom in the background mode about halfway through book three. I asked the players how they would like to develop – and they left it to a group of NPCs (ie me, the GM) to oversee the detail. That worked really well. The players feel they own the cities / kingdom but it doesn’t take up a huge amount of game time.

We employed a similar technique for the mass combat – one of my players is a full on war gamer and would turn his nose up at the basic rules. Another finds the tactical combat rules tedious. So we finished up with PCs fighting their own fight with the generals of the opposing army - with a battle raging around them. The outcome of the fight between the principals (and a few dice rolls) decided what sort of damage the army had taken.

However, both the Kingdom Building and the Mass Combat elements added something positive to the game.

One thing that disappointed me was the way the Stolen Lands were designed originally. It is portrayed as a wild lawless place, with no roads or paths and nothing but a few hunters and woodsmen making a living there. However, there are two different groups of bandits making a living robbing traders that travel the Green Belt / Gnarlmarches, as well a man who made a living out of building and operating a bridge!

If I ran King Maker again I would draw in a few paths that mule trains could follow and I would add a few minor settlements along the way, probably at the various fords or crossing points. That gives the players a bit of structure to work with (but without making it too easy) and makes both the story and the economics work (after a fashion). It also gives some minor settlements to be incorporated into the new kingdom, and adds a bit to that side of play.

As I said at the start, we are now playing the campaign out. I used the potential civil war in Brevoy, with a stand off between Surtova and Restov to stabilise the Northern Border. Now that is coming to a head (almost) as per the guidance for civil war in book six. However …

My party have just been in Pitax doing stuff!

And as a result of that Rudy, our ruler who is a bard, has decided to recruit a travelling company of entertainers to travel around their kingdom cheering people up and spreading the news of the wonder that is RUDY!

These entertainers will be part of the package of followers he gets with a leadership feat. Which pretty much means they nearly all need to first level. Just to make it more complicated - it was free leadership feat given to represent they retunie as 'Lords of the Land'. As such it came with the proviso that the followers could only have NPC classes ....

So - any thoughts for entertainers based on one level of an NPC classes would would be helpful. He won't be auditioning for a few weeks, but I would love to have a selection of people (good and bad) so that we actually run an in game audition /casting session :)

Shortly I am going to need a half a dozen L2 NPC aristocrats :) I have Tamary written up, but she has friends who share her predicament, and one of my PCs with a noble background has a couple of low level hangers on who are relatives.

So on the basis that my NPCs can be a bit "samey" if I knock a load out in quick succession - anyone got any ideas for NON-combatant L2 aristocrats?

A brief background and a basic skill set would be very helpful :)

My version of Tamary, is Char based with diplomacy, bluff and all sorts of girlish wiles. She has been courting my ruler (By messenger post) ever since she met him at a party in Restov some years ago. :)

Sometime soon (possibly next session) my players are going to go to Mivon and try and cut a deal to hire a unit of Aldori mercenaries :) And I suddenly realised that I don't really know what Aldori mercenaries look like.

Normally, I would sit down and build a few to get a feel for the way they work. However, I am really strapped for time at the moment - bits of Mivon still to write, bits of Drelev still to write. I finish one PT job on Friday and a second PT job (where I need to go out with a 'performance') on Sunday and starting a new FT one on Monday that is miles away .... Busy, Busy, Busy.

So I thought I might try and pick your brains :) What do your favourite lowish level (L5/6 ish) Aldori look like? What sort of gear do they have when they go to war rather than when they are duelling at The Sevier?

Hmm - that's another thought, they are bound to watch a duel. What sort of gear do they use when they are duelling as opposed to battling?

Any help with descriptions would be greatly appreciated.

Back in the day (literally years ago in the days of AD&D1) when most NPCs were considered to be 0th level characters and everyone else had some sort of character level - there was one, very special, NPC class … The Sage.

The description of the sage the (AD&D1) DMG is great - it gives all sorts of cool information for (what appears to be) a L8 NPC character. There are rules for concerning what the sage knows, what their subject area is, hit points, stats all sorts of things. From those it can be inferred that a fully developed sage is a L8 character.

This made me start thinking about how sages got to be wise old men and what sort of things they did in their youth – So I wrote it up as a fully developmental NPC class. Then used a sage character as the Party NPC for an online game I was running. And it worked really well.

Then the character moved on to an online AD&D (Skills & Powers) game, we rewrote him with those rules, and I played him as a Player Character. Mega underpowered, but with enough skills / brains to keep himself out of trouble – just.

Now I want to bring him back as an NPC in a PF game that I am running. It seems a shame to waste all that marvellous background and characterisation that went into his development. :}

I intend to re-imagine him using the Expert NPC class (It really is most appropriate in many way) however, I have a minor problem.

One paragraph from the original text describes the sage’s spell ability.

SPECIAL SKILLS: All sages will have some abilities with respect to spells, for their studies will have empowered them thus. … <snip>… find the maximum level of the spells known to the sage by rolling a d4 +2 to find a level between 3 and 6 … <snip> … Each sage will possess 1-4 spells of each level, but at any given time he or she will hove no more than 1 of each level available for actual use, the rest being contained in various source books. … <snip>

So a very limited ability - but the potential to have up to sixth level spells. I can see ways of doing this by house-ruling an Archetype, or even using feats and traits. But my question is …

In you experience of the PF rules – has anyone come across anything that grants really limited spell casting ability to a character?

If there is something there already, that suits, there is no point re-inventing the wheel :] However, even if it doesn’t work exactly for what I want, it might give me a comparison that I can use to help balance the new powers.

If anyone is interested in some very old build rules – you can find my version of the Fist Ed Sage here.

I am working out my storyline that ties Coral the Conqueror, House Rogarvia vanishing, Starfall sealing itself and losing contact with Glan Golka into one coherent tale that can play through the political lines of my campaign.

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From what I can see I have the following things to work with …

Choral the Conquerer came out of Ioberia, with a barbarian host and red dragons. He claimed Issia and Rostland to form Brevoy. (There are rumours he was a red dragon)

Choral destroyed the town, then investigated the observatory at Starwatch and started building a new settlement there.

After a number of years, once Brevoy was established, Choral disappeared.

Skywatch was rebuilt as a walled town by House Rogarvia

On the same day House Rogarvia disappeared and Skywatch sealed itself

Sometime that winter - all contact was lost with the Clan Golka in the Goloshkin mountains.

So, first of all a question - is there anything that officially defines Highdelve – apart from listing its population in The Inner Sea World Guide? If Not, I intend to use it as the name of the Dwarven Golka Clan stronghold, and use the population numbers to show how many dwarves have gone missing.

Personally, I can’t see House Garess having two major settlements in those mountains – But I can see it as the entrance way to an underground Dwarven citadel that used to lead down into the mines and even further down ….

Then it becomes a case of “We know where it should be, but there have been rock slides and avalanches and the roads were swept way, and the entrances buried. In fact, we aren’t even really sure exactly where we looking for the entrances. We expected them to make contact via one of the other entrances (we know they exist) but so far, there has been nothing”

TBH, it doesn’t really matter, I can always use the same story with a different name :}

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But back to the Plot …

Choral the Conqueror made a pact (probably with Asmodeus) for ‘Blood’. Once his ‘blood’ had ruled for 200 years – it would be reclaimed.

The vanishing: after 200 years the term was up, and all the blood was taken back. Along with the flesh and blood that surrounded it and the souls that went with it. Not a bad return on the loan of some blood for a few years. There are still a few minor members of House Rogarvia – those who were adopted into the royal house, and who control a few small manors, but they don’t amount to much.

The Blood: It isn’t really relevant (because the blood will have gone) But I quite like the idea of the Blood having given the family sorcerers extra bloodline powers - I can see a sorcerer with Destined, Dragon and Infernal bloodline powers all at the same time *Evil Grin*

Because of ‘The Blood’ some of his progeny grew into sorcerers / witches / oracles – and these were given the true legacy of his rule. They were told the secret of their blood, and that they were to find a way of surviving, and ruling, without blood. Control of the Kingdom and New Steven was given to the ‘Magic Free’ descendants – and they were allowed to rule as they saw fit - just so long as the casters were looked after.

These magic free descendants will literally pay the blood price.

Skyfall: Skyfall was given to House Rogarvia’s casters as their home and research centre. Deep within the citadel, towers, basement and crypts of Skyfall, powerful caster dynasties (all of house Rogarvia) planned and prepared. Each trying to find a way to get around the effects of the pact. On the day of The Vanishing, all sorts of contingencies went into place, one of which sealed the city from the outside world. I’ll work it out later - but I imagine it will be a combination of slowing time down, some sort of planar shift and scrying protections. Perhaps even some illusory elements and maze effects thrown in for the hell of it.

Since then they have been working things out amongst themselves. But now the power struggles are over, and they are ready to reclaim the kingdom for themselves. I can just see Choral (Now) as an awakened demi-lich sorcerer dragon disciple, sitting deep under Sky Watch. Hordes of un-dead (there were 6500 living residents when it was sealed) controlled by what ever high level un-dead I can dream up – spilling out and claiming Brevoy back from the living on behalf of House Rogarvia.
The Golka? Well that was revenge. When Asmodeus (or whoever the pact was with) realised that he had been denied (in part) he struck, intending to release a horde of under dark creatures into Brevoy though the caves, caverns and mines in the Goluskin mountains. However, the Dwarven Citadel was in the way. Worse, the huge earthquake he used to open up all those routes for the Underdark creatures, caused all the land slides and avalanches. That triggered all of the dwarves defences - and they are impressive. Since then they have been fighting for their lives and survival – and it has been a stand off.

But now that Asmodeus’s attention is attracted again by the Undead Rogarvians re-entering the world - he maliciously sends another series of earthquakes - and suddenly an enraged Underdark army appears on the other side of the kingdom.

Anything I have missed?

My campaign is just moving from RRR to VV and I have started to address the issues of Brevic politics more seriously.

The formation phase of the Stolen Lands nations - Varnhold, Drelev and (in our campaign) Newhaven – was little more than a sideshow/ amusement in Brevic politics. Manoeuvring for control of Rostland and the throne was much more important … This is my reading on some of that, tweaked slightly for my campaign. I would appreciate your comments on anything I might have missed.

If you are playing through the campaign - you probably ought to skip this thread :}

House Surtova: “Currently the most influential house in Brevoy – they control Port Ice and New Stetven and claim to the regency of Brevoy.”

They want to be kings – and that says it all really. Since the Vanishing, they moved into New Steven and took over some of the farmland to the south. They have a border down there (somewhere) where their influence comes up against the expanding Aldori claim.

Ideally they want control of that fertile land that House Aldori now seems to control. Not only that Restov is a hot bed of dissent. Those are the two main thorns in their side. But they were both fairly weak.

Developing colonies in the south was seen as a diversion, an experiment that would probably fail and something that would divert strength and resources from both House Aldori and Restov. However, that seem to have backfired and Newhaven (in the green belt) appears strong and is opening up a new trade route down through The Tuskwater.

Nor has their attempts to woo the other houses gone too well. They have been most successful with House Lebeda, but the others need something to draw them into the cause.

House Lebeda – “The Lebedas of Lake Reykal are known as the most “Rostlandic” of Brevoy’s noble houses, having inherited a good deal of Taldan blood and tradition, including a fondness for sword fighting and an appreciation of the finer things.”

Were originally quite supportive of the southern expansions - They used to be able to ship goods straight from Lake Reykal down though the Slough to Mivon and beyond, but since the Slough has become a dangerous place for shipping, their trading position is weakened. They were banking on Drelev opening up the trade route again. However, that hasn’t happened and House Lebeda’s position is weakened.

As for Rostland/Restov/Aldori – House Lebeda was originally inclined to let the Aldori drift back into Rostland and reclaim some of their territories there. They preferred to have a weak House Aldori rather than a strong House Surtova. However, with the green belt developments opening up a second trade route, Restov and the Aldori can grow strong again (perhaps at the expense of the Lebeda)

Relations with House Surtova – As things have developed, Lebeda now sees House Surtova as a natural ally. Trade goods have to be shipped though The Lake of Mists and Veils – and House Surtova control the main port. House Surtova also control New Stetven and have become a strong house. Currently House Lebeda is House Surtova’s strongest ally.

House Garess: “The valleys and lowlands of the Golushkin Mountains are the domain of House Garess, founded on both the defensibility of the mountain terrain and the mineral wealth the house has brought out of the peaks for generations.”

House Garess is the weakest of the traditional houses - their strength was built on their relationship with The Golka Clan of Dwarves, when that clan’s holdings were sealed in The Vanishing, their main source of income dried up. Over the last few years House Garess have been inward looking – still investigating the Golka stronghold and coming to terms with a Dwarven Heir.

The southern colonies were of no great interest to them, and they want to keep themselves to themselves and not rock any boats at the moment. However, they are sandwiched between House Lebeda and two Hourse Surtova holdings (Port Ice and New Stetven)

House Orlovsky: “From Eagle’s Watch on the slopes of Mt. Veshka, House Orlovsky seeks to remain above the conflicts in Brevoy, both figuratively and literally.”

House Orlovsky is in a bit of a dilemma - they find it difficult to support the Surtova claim to the crown, but they find it difficult to do anything that damages the nation of Brevoy as a whole. Sooner or later they need to decide. House Orlovsky are aware of the Tensions between Surtova and Aldori/Restov – and is happy while they remain at at stand off. They are also aware of the building relationship between House Lebeda and House Surtova – and monitor it.

Initially they had little interest in the Southern Expansion, expecting their would be minor success at best, however, all that has changed. The most successful of the new nations is lead by a member of House Orlovsky (The Baron of Newhaven has Noble Born: Orlovsky as a campaign trait) and while his family have never been important in the house, it does make things more interesting – and more complicated.

House Lodovka: & House Medvyed:

One focuses on the lake of Mist and Veils – the other focuses on their forests and mountain home. As far as I can see neither are particularly political. Both will do as little as they can - but both will ‘nudge’ things to suit themselves. Unless they can see a clear advantage - they will probably go with the status quo, so long as they aren’t asked to do too much.

Restov and House Aldori: Their fates are intertwined.

Both are outside the system and had little influence. Now the Aldori have increased their influence in Rostland and they want as much of their old lands back as they can. Restov is a hotbed for revolutionaries anyway - but now there is a new trade route opened up through the Tuskwater they can trade much more easily and they are strengthening.

Not only that the new nations owe Restov a debt of gratitude, if nothing else.