Luna_Silvertear's page

Thanks guys for the assistance. Each of you have provided something for me to ponder on. DeathQuaker, You're right in the whole "forcing the box to fit the concept" bit. Indagare's idea on adding more nature oriented spells to classes like the Paladin and Inquisitor would be a workable thing to do. The deities having an alignment is more of my inability to separate the mechanics from the fluff (e.g. Cleric must be one step in alignment from their deity, Atonement spells, and other implications). I intend for the deities to be intimately involved with my setting. They'll be interested in most happenings and walk the world themselves at times. Swearing by them would be considered a very grave and unwise thing to. I'm quite certain that a lying thief wouldn't say something to the effect of "If I'm lying then let Dagda strike me with lightening!" because Dagda would do so. PCs would have a single Divine Intervention they'd be able to cash in in case of an emergency unless the deity doesn't consider it an emergency (Dian Chet, I've lost my Wand of healing!). I've never used RL deities in a fantasy setting and am not sure what kind of expectations that would bring. Much like someone playing in their Golarion and having their setting deviate from Canon. Still, I wish to create a world that would provide a unique experience to the players. After spending so long behind the screen, this incarnation of my world almost gets me hyped to be a player in my world.

I feel Ogma would be more LN than N. Also, I feel that Aengus Og's brother (Midhir [scumbag]), Manannan Mac Lir's wife (Fand [queen of the fey]), Brighid's sons (Goibniu [smith and brewer], Credne [worker of precious metals], and Luchta [woodworker]), and Flidais (huntress) should be included in this Pantheon list.

Still Researching... :D

The "Mechamagic", as the Thunderscape book calls it, has the greatest potential for breaking the game IMO. I want it to be available to the PCs, but at the same time I wish to treat it as artifacts would be. PCs would only be able to take levels in "Golemoid", "Mechamage", and "Steamwright" after great amounts of research (e.g. A wizard could find and ancient spellbook and a bunch of writs, study them extensively, and exchange his Wizard levels for Mechamage levels). How could I stress the Tech's rarity and still make it a viable choice for players to choose for their characters. Should I limit the number of levels allowed in an "Ancient" class? Ancient items would be easy to deal with. My treating them as minor artifacts and yet giving out small bits whenever PCs are exploring ancient ruins (Digging, as it is called in my world).

I don't suppose any of you are familiar with the Thunderscape book. If not, you should really check it out. The classes presented in the book are worth the price alone, and I NEVER endorse anything...unless it is my wife's cheesecake.

I don't suppose any of you would be willing to offer your respected thoughts and opinions?

Dotting for interest.

Heya guys. Recently I have lost most of the information on my Homebrew setting and have had to start from square one. Reimagining my world has been a tedious but fun process. Trying to recreate my fantasy setting infused with ancient steam tech has been the biggest hurdle, but after discovering Thunderscape: The World of Aden, my toolbox has never been so full.

Now, after that needless bit of rambling, I am seeking to utilize a Celtic pantheon in my world. I found a rather interesting list of God(desses)here (sadly without alignment) on the messageboards and have decided to use them. Therein lies my current difficulty and thus my need to pick the collective brain here.

Given the fact that the Celts were nature oriented, I've been wracking my brain trying to justify them in a setting where Steam technology is present (Mechamagic as it is call in Thunderscape when fused with magic) and is an ancient technology.

Secondly, In 2e Druids were the primary priest class of the Celtic Gods, which wasn't a problem since the Druid was an offshoot of the cleric. Since the division of the two into their own distinct classes, how do you all think I should go about justifying both in the setting. The Gods would most likely be neutral on one or both axis to facilitate Druids being their primary priests (making Paladins a bit of a dilemma). Where would the Cleric fit in? I had been thinking that they could be more of the "hands" of their deities while the Druids were the typical "stay in the temple" type.

Awesome 137ben. I'm about to start a solo campaign for a PC whom I have allowed above average stats and I'm just gonna roll random treasure for most important encounters.

The title says it all. Are there any random treasure tables for Pathfinder like the ones in 1e and 2e?

Luna_Silvertear wrote:

OMFG Somebody PLEASE translate Susan...

Working on it.

Thanks man. Death actually operates in my flat world as a deity and I could never pin Susan down as a character. Most of my players are unfamiliar with the Disc, with the exception of one player who, when she had the chance to ask Death a single question, asked Him if he knew how to forget. The player and I had a good laugh while the other didn't get the reference.

OMFG Somebody PLEASE translate Susan...

I would also heartily recommend Thunderscape. The group I play with has been very much enjoying it lately.

If nothing else, there should be plenty of material there for you to take for inspiration.

I've just given the PDF a look over and will probably be purchasing the Hardcover as soon as finances allow. There are plenty of things for me to use and loot.

I thank you for your help guys, but the questions I seek answers for remain unanswered. XD

I think this is more difficult to do without third party. There are two major third party books that go steam-magi-punk that I think will work out for you but to know which one you'd want I'd need more details about what you want to do with your campaign.

The books are Thunderscape: World of Aden, and Pure Steam.

I'm not familiar with the former, but the last one I was made aware of early this morning. I've been using what I can afford and have access to. I'm not creating a steampunk world in the sense of traditional steampunk, but as a "supplement" to a traditional fantasy setting. Perhaps I don't understand what you mean.

Hey guys! I'm currently working on building my own campaign world. I want to go for a Steam setting, or more accurately, Magitech. I've converted most of the Steam and Steel book and its add ons. I've also looted relentlessly from Eberron and am re flavoring a few things such as the Dragonshards. I intend for this world to have already gone through it's "Golden Era". Technology and its melding with magic was done by the ancients. Their ruins dot the world, evidence of a once multiracial empire now long forgotten. I've taken inspiration form many places and have a few questions I wish to pose to this community.

1.) In present times, people have become interested in the ancient ruins and various technologies. In addition, I wish to allow a conversion of the Artificer from Eberron as a playable class "unlocked" after a certain amount of questing involved. Due to the nature of the class, how will I be able to maintain a measure of control on the level of magic items the PCs have? I had considered that, since it is a reemerging tech, that PCs would only be allowed a max of five levels in the class at first. they would be limited by their understanding of the tech. Is this a wise move?

2.) I have found a rather lengthy archetype for the Magus called the Gun Magi. If you all don't mind, I would like to post it here not only as a resource for others to use and I would seek advice in converting it to a spontaneous casting class that is Charisma based.

3.) In line with the first question, How do I allow the PCs bits of technology without overpowering them but giving them the illusion that they are able to pretty much create many machines (eventually). Anyone familiar with the Steam and Steel book will know about Super-Heavy Armor, which is essentially a mech suit.

Compared to many others, I am still a fledgling GM. Have I bitten off more than I can chew?

Thanks guys. I've already begun building things back up. The hardest thing to deal with will probably be my near complete conversion of EN Publishing's Steam and Steel to Pathfinder. Sure, it was only 3.x, but quite a bit of work went into it.

I'll probably make a map in Inkarnate or even do a hex map of the starting country since I have transplanted Karameikos to be adjacent to the country my players are in. I'm not an organized person, but I had never truly realized how much work I had put into creating my world in only five years. Wow. The world breaking artifact sounds like an interesting idea. In my world, Death (much like in the Terry Pratchet discworld novels) has his hand in the world. Indeed all the deities do. Perhaps I could mimic the "Time of Troubles" mentions in Forgotten Realms lore. I'm disheartened, but if I just sit down and start with a small area, I can rebuild...only this time around I may loot a bit more from Ebberon.

So I have found that my notes and map of my campaign world have been destroyed and honestly, it's put me in a bit of a shlump. I am not sure where to even begin. I'll have to start back at square one, of course, but I'm a little disheartened. Any advice?

You guys are fantastic! I was actually thinking that Bargle could be researching how to become a steam lich, delving into ancient ruins searching for technology pre dating the golden age of Traladar...sound promising?

EDIT: Bargle's secret lair could be on the isle of dread inside the temple of elemental evil, but to get to it you must traverse the tome of horrors... (players must roll up at least three extra characters.)

Having been away for a couple of years, it is great to be getting back into my RPG groove. I've been rifling through my old notes and campaign write ups and I came across my old copy of GAZ1 and had an idea that I seem to be having a hard time justifying for some unknown reason. I've been contemplating taking the Grand Duchy of Karameikos out of Mystara and reflavoring it a bit by adding minor steam technology to it. I never really GMed interactions between Karameikos and it's neighboring countries beyond simple mentions of trade agreements and having a place for various foreign NPCs to be from, so lifting it and adding it to my personal setting would please me for simple homage sake to say the least. However, I have this feeling that I'm...I don't know..betraying the setting itself by changing it. It's absurd to feel that way, I hope I'm not the only person to feel that way. Forgive my long winded exposition. I was hoping to find out if any of you have had nostalgia get in the way of working on your game. I'm anticipating running a game for a few people and I would like to overcome this idiotic and simple roadblock to put a spin on something I love very much.

Animal companion would be cool. A wolf would be awesome, but the Lyrakien is boss.

I love you, Nuclearsunburn, although our builds are a similar in an almost synchronized kind of way. The campaign began at level I actually was for a 20 point buy set up as your build does. I did end up using the arcane duelist archetype after working her backstory with another player (pally/Sorc eventual EK) whose character rescued her and vowed to be her protector. She carries a longsword but refuses to use it unless there is no other option. The other players (A rogue, a fighter, and a druid) absolutely love her and her backstory. The first two battles turned out quite well with the ROGUE hitting with his shortbow for an apparent +4 including the buffs from my Character (whose name is Evelyn Innocente). She's looking like she'll be a fun and wonderful character.

@Luna Silvertear : flavorwise, how about skipping the oracle levels and going with the Songhealer archetype?

I had considered thst, but part of my character concept is that she's blind (clouded vision) and is pretty much like a white mage from final fantasy. My first revelation would have to be channel energy. I usually play Arcane casters, so I'm trying to vary it up a bit and the MT always gets a bad wrap, so I'm trying to pull it off, even if I don't actually take levels in the class. Loss to caster level will hurt a bit, but such a combo can still be useful, especially if she isn't the only Divine caster in the party.

Luna_Silvertear wrote:

I want to build a buff/healbot. She is completely a support character. I want Oracle to be her primary class as there are some bard abilities gained that would find little use. The songhealer Archetype would be my best bet for what I'm going for. My goal isn't to min-max, but to find a way to make it fit my concept and still be useful.

What is the concept beyond 'buff/healbot'?

What Bard abilities in specific are you desiring overmuch here?

-James

It's mostly from a Roleplaying aspect. Abilities like versatile performance and well versed would be wasted along with most of the knowledge skills. When she came of age and her celestial heritage blossomed, instead of "revering" her, her father sold her as a slave to an evil lord who used her to hold his cup and sing for him...among other things. Her bardic performances are a must and achieving those at least up to level 5 or 7 might be as far as I need to go. I was thinking the class ratio would be best at 2 oracle levels for every bard level. I'm not sure what exactly you're getting at James. Are you speaking of feat/skill selection? Spell Selection? I've only planned those out to level 3 usually and go organically from there.

Luna_Silvertear wrote:

Hey guys, I've got a character concept I'm building around and would like some perspective on it. My goal is to make a viable support character with the possibility of going MT. The race would be Aasimar (Musetouched) with her first two level being Oracle and her third being vanilla Bard. The curse would be clouded vision and her mystery would be healing. What do you think would be a balanced build going into later levels? Would it be worth dropping into MT or should I stick to just the two? Oracle would be the primary class. Forgive the lack of cohesion in this post as I am very sleepy.

What do you want from the character? Forget the mechanics at first, and just answer questions like what the character will do in battle and out of battle... what do they 'bring to the table' for the party?

In general MT is a bad choice.. and a horrid choice for classes that get significant abilities beyond casting.

Depending on what you want I can give you off the top of my head a Oracle1/BardX human support-based build, but it might not fit your vision depending how you value each of the facets you've mentioned in your initial post.

-James

I was REALLY sleepy when I posted this morning...too much Doctor Who (Although I don't believe there is such a thing). Digressing, I want to build a buff/healbot. She is completely a support character. I want Oracle to be her primary class as there are some bard abilities gained that would find little use. The songhealer Archetype would be my best bet for what I'm going for. My goal isn't to min-max, but to find a way to make it fit my concept and still be useful.

Hey guys, I've got a character concept I'm building around and would like some perspective on it. My goal is to make a viable support character with the possibility of going MT. The race would be Aasimar (Musetouched) with her first two level being Oracle and her third being vanilla Bard. The curse would be clouded vision and her mystery would be healing. What do you think would be a balanced build going into later levels? Would it be worth dropping into MT or should I stick to just the two? Oracle would be the primary class. Forgive the lack of cohesion in this post as I am very sleepy.

I think Lurkers in Light are great antagonists that go unused too often. They could make up the main element of the bad guy faction (your level range allows for some generic ones and some with class levels).

The whole first leg of the adventure would be to figure out who are committing a serious of heinous acts in broad daylight.

Yeah, I agree with the Lurkers in Light. I was also considering Making Elves, half-elves, Half-orc, and Gnomes Fey type instead of humanoid...indeed, perhaps the Dwarf and Halflings would go well too. Perhaps even allow the Changling as an available race.

Hey guys! It's good to be back on the forums! I've been toying with the thought of a fey based campaign that is set in a small valley or similar area. I'd like to make it a sort of Unseelie Vs Seelie Courts kind of conflict, with a small mortal town caught up in the conflict with the characters eventually picking sides and traveling between the Material Plane and the Realm of Faerie. I think the campaign would last from Levels 1 to 7-10, making this a sort of low powered campaign. I wouldn't mind some creative juices from the community to help the brainstorming process.

Wow, I must say that this entire thread has become asinine. Having dealt with optimizers, both as a player and as a GM, my hatred for them stems from the player, not the build, but that was due to the fact that the GM wasn't giving my less-than-optimized character a chance to shine. He was too busy stomping a mudhole in the optimized character. Digressing, I GM a group now who, when I asked them not to Monty Haul, they all said. "Sure man, no problem". The one powergamer I had hated it, but it was mostly because he just wants to "win" the game. He builds characters and doesn't roleplay them. He wanted to play a Paladin beatstick, but got to rifling through UM and saw the Eldrich Heritage feat tree. I gave him the Skill Focus feat he needed for free, which the other players didn't mind. Now, he roleplays a paladin who is a distant son of a demon lord. He's not completely optimized, but he's decided to step out of his comfort zone to try something new. I rewarded him by designing an adventure just for him. He now has carries a redeemed unholy blade. He's become more confident in his roleplaying. Meanwhile, another player asked him for help with "optimizing" his illusionist. All in all, I feel satisfied as a GM. Yeah, having a group of min/maxers can be a bit troublesome, and we often forget that the GM is a player too. The GM has been removed to the position of a simple entertainer, which I believe is bad. Reiterating what has already been said, you simply need to be mature adults about it. Don't be sneaky and attempt to sabotage the character. Be upfront. I know not everyone is as lucky as I, so maybe my ramble here is completely moot, but at the very least I hope my perspective has been helpful.

How about this instead of point buy?

you roll 4d6 six times, discarding the lowest die each time. Place in order (Str, Dex,Con, Int, Wis, Cha) as rolled. Reroll any one ability score of your choice, taking the new roll if it’s higher. Then switch any two ability scores. Organic baby...I love it. drawing from my "old school" project, you could have ability scores cap at 18/20 and have them put the ability score point they get every four levels into the lowest or second lowest stat. Couple that with some ability score prereqs for classes and you're golden. Then again, I've got a group who are into this kinda thing.

Dear James,

I was inspired a few weeks ago and started this thread to help add some "old school" flavor to my future Pathfinder game. The thread got some great hits and really inspired me, but over the past couple of weeks, I've noticed what the guys over at the GrognardGames Youtube channel call a "renaissance" of old school gaming. I've also seen a comparative video on Old School vs. New School. I see this kind of "mindset" beginning to grow within the community and would like to hear your thoughts on it. I know you're a busy man, so I'll confine it to a few questions although I think it may need a much larger musing in the future to do it justice. I wish to start by saying I love Pathfinder. You guys have made a solid and beautiful system that, in my opinion, is the next step in the evolution of Dungeons and Dragons. Digressing, here are my questions.

1.) What edition did you play first and how had your playing of that game, and subsequent editions, influenced your work on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game?

2.)With all the retro-clones coming out seeking to capture the gameplay of the older editions, there is a difference between the gameplay of an edition and the "mindset" of the game. Can I ask you to describe what you would do to achieve that mindset and feel of an old school game in your Pathfinder game?

3.)I know you guys at Paizo really listen to the community. If this..."Renaissance" continues, do you think it will affect Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and how it is played? Perhaps modules will be released that will help capture that feel, like the reboot of the Tomb of Horrors back when 3.5 was going strong (I've noticed that the Complete Campaign book will have rules on building strongholds, a seeming nod to older editions).

4.) What was your first D&D character and how did it feel to play the game for the first time? Do you have a fond memory about them?

Once again, I know you're busy and I'm sure you may not be able to spare a lot of time to answer such questions in great detail (if they even need such detail), but I thank you for taking the time to read this long ramble. I can't believe that the game has come this far, and I can honestly say that Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder have been a big part of my life. Thank you for all you guys at Paizo have done.

So the player who wanted to play a Dwarf Paladin rolled for it in front of me. After the reroll and switching of two scores, we arrived at this BEFORE racial modifiers.

STR:15
DEX:18
CON:12
INT:10
WIS:14
CHA:16

He switched INT and CHA and rerolled his DEX, which was 3. Needless to say, he got lucky.

@The Rot Grub

The Racial modifiers apply BEFORE qualifying for a class.

Luna_Silvertear wrote:

I really want the players to roll their ability scores BEFORE the plan their characters.

Didn't you say that one of your players was talking about playing an old dwarf paladin PC? What if the rolled stats don't align?

At that point, I was going to use the point buys system, and the ability score prerequisites are still up in the air.

Bump?

I was thinking of using the Ability Score Prerequisites listed here for the core classes in my game. I really want the players to roll their ability scores BEFORE the plan their characters. Also, I'll be using the organic method of roll 4d6 discard lowest (maybe reroll 1s), place in order, and swap two scores (I hope that is correct). I will allow them to roll two columns of scores and pick the better one. Apply the Class Prerequisites in addition to the race/class restrictions (Rerolling all over again if it results in a "hopeless" character) and I think I have a pretty old school, albeit limited, way of generating a character. I won't be using traits, but I WILL be using the percentile rolls for generating a background as detailed in GAZ1 Grand Duchy of Karameikos, possibly altering or creating new tables for Half-elves and Half-orcs...something I will need help on from you grognards. Overall, I would like some advice on things thus far...perhaps someone could roll a character and see what they can come up with using my aforementioned race/class restrictions and the ability score prerequisites detailed in the link at the beginning of this post (using only CRB, or course). Another point and highlight I find likeable from the earlier editions is the ability to build strongholds. I think this would fit well with the feel I'm going for, but I can really find any rules on this in Pathfinder. Perhaps I'm just looking in the wrong place. IF someone could direct me to the proper location, or at least give me some basis to go on, I'd be grateful.

The sickness is actually what is filling up the graveyard of this particular village. Some are rising as undead still carrying the sickness. Some are zombies while a few are Allips.

@Mark Hoover

Perhaps I should call it The Wasting Madness?

I found this simple list on the Immortals (I'm assuming they're gods, but due to the social stigma of the day, they're called Immortals) of Mystara. I know close to nothing about the Immortals individually, but you could search Pandius or look at the old books about them. It's only a hop, skip, and a step from this to bring them up to Pathfinder standards...and speaking of that...I may or may not, in the future, embark on a quest to obtain information on Mystara and bring it up to date with all the Pathfinder changes to the rules. There was an attempt to bring Mystara into 3e, but I assume it lost it's momentum. I believe the Known World has spent too much time in the metaphorical basement. Time to clean it up and bring it back to the light, but that is something for a different forum.

@Mark

It destroys the body and makes the victim go insane. When they die, their bodies turn a sickly purple, which means the virus is airbone. What is the damage it should do?

@Stefan

Dude...you're racist...lol.

In my game, humans can be of any class, but they can't multi class, while demi-humans can multiclass once...with the exception of my BBEG, because he can break the rules in order to be an awesome BBEG.

@Mark

Well, I'm thinking the BBEG will be a Wizard(Necromancer?...maybe Enchanter)/Cleric/Mystic Thurge Lich and he's trying to take over Karameikos by attempting to magic jar the crap out of Duke Stefan...

I've just printed GAZ1 and have a basic plot for my entire campaign. Now, I'm not sure how to make said plot come about without railroading too much. The setting will be, of course, Mystara, and the campaign will take place in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos. Your thoughts?

@The Rot Grub

I agree with your comment on the race/class restrictions, so this is a one time thing for this one group only. That said, I personally would find it fun to play in such a game myself, but that's just me. Maybe I should get into Castles and Crusades, get some of the 2e AD&D books, or go back to OD&D.

@Mok

That sounds like a plausable breakdown of the level progression I'd like to have. I know I'll be running slow advancement, which roughly equals...20 enounters, If I'm correct? 4th or 5th level is where I want to end this leg of the adventure. I'm hoping to get to level 20...Hmm...the adventure will be nonlinear and I haven't gone beyond what I've already posted as far as creation goes. I still have so much more planning...

@LazarX

So even though they gave him the gold, he killed the emperor anyway...that's a d*ck move...

DrDeth wrote:

Luna_Silvertear wrote:

@

Willow bark from a Dryad's tree. (Obviously must be a willow)

[

Cool. But why a willow? Willows were not known for healing.

Oh, yes they are. The salicin in the bark was a major precursor to the development of aspirin.

Which is why I picked it.

@Pax

I'm an inexperienced GM compared to you, and my confidence in my "just roll with it" abilities are a little lack luster. That said, I would've given all my dice to be at your table that night. It must've been amazing to watch. I've currently got an overview of a plot for my game. I'll post what I've got thus far. It should be more than enough to last maybe 4-6 sessions. This is a very basic outline and gives me time to plan what happens afterwards.

There is an unnatural plague in town. The party has 10 days to find a cure.
The ingredients for the cure are:

• Water from the source. (A spring)

• Willow bark from a Dryad's tree. (Obviously must be a willow)

• A dream mushroom. (A highly toxic mushroom with halucinogenic properties...maybe found in a demiplane)

• A drop of Celestial blood. (The mayor's daughter is secretly a Sorceress with the Celestial Bloodline)

  ----

• The ingredients must be mixed in a bowl made of mythril. (There is an old dwarven keep [maybe] on the other side of the mountains north of town)

• The ingredients must then be mixed into a medium for consumption that was made with love and care. (The town is known for its wine. The medium will be two bottles from its first pressing over 100 years ago)
  

This will be an adventure beginning at first level. I don't know what level they should be at when the adventure is complete as I still have to figure out why someone put the plague on the town and who did it. I've also got to create the plague itself in case one of the PCs catch it. I've left the details kind of vague so I can drop it into any setting, which will most likely be Mystara in the Grand Duchy of Karameikos. What level do you guys think this adventure should end at and is 10 days long enough time for the PCs to accomplish their goal while maintaining that sense of urgency?

Being bipolar and the son of a schizophrenic man (I just got lucky, I guess), Adamantine Dragon is spot on with his info, and Cornielius has a great idea, but allow me to help expand on it. Say you have to make a Perception check to notice something hiding in a bush. Your character you see her brother standing by the bush and he says "There's something here." to which your character responds aloud "Brother says there's something in that bush". I'm sure there are other ways you can use the above example...like with making a Knowledge check or Spellcraft check, but don't forget the...I hesitate to call it the "bad part" because my father told me when I was young that God didn't give him his illness so that he may be crippled by it, but to make him strong enough to overcome it and make it his own. Digressing, your brother could tell you not to trust the rezzed PC. He could taunt you asking "Why have you replaced me? I thought you loved me?" She should be a little paranoid and suspect even little things to be malicious. I have instances of such paranoia, and let me tell you...EVERYTHING is directed at you. People are always talking about you and they want to see you in pain. I'll leave it at that. Even though I know it is all imagined, it feels so real sometimes. I've revealed a little more about myself than I ever wanted to on the internet. I hope what I've written here will help you flesh out your PC, but please remember that just because someone is mentally ill doesn't mean they're bad. It's the negative connotation that people have put on it. I know a few decades ago I'd be locked up, so please treat it seriously and respect it. You may find a newfound respect for people like my father and I. I'll give you a little tip: Being "crazy" just means you can bend a little more than a "normal" person before you break, which is an ironic statement given the fact that "normal" people already view us as "broken". I know I don't. Happy Gaming.

The bard's Cure X Wounds id a vestige from AD&D when they were an offshoot of Druid, which is true to RL lore. In druidic circles, the bards are the lorekeepers.

Hey guys, do you know of any other conversions of old modules other than Tomb of Horrors and White Plume Mountain? What about sequels?

If the goal is to recreate the old style of game, then whether a rule is better or not isn't necessarily relevant. Good or bad - level limits for demihumans was one of the distinctive feature of D&D games "back then". Whether that feature will bring feelings of fond nostalgia or irritation will depend on the group, I'd imagine.

It's nostalgia for the group of vets. While they like how 3e opened up all class/race combos, for my specific game, they don't mind going back. I've already run it by them with some of my own changes. One of them will be playing a Dwarven Paladin, something not allowed by RAW in 2e, but I am allowing it because I am the GM and I am the final law. This will probably be a one time thing Odraude. If I run my game for a younger set of players, or a different set of players, I'll most likely remove that little rule if they're not up to it.

For what it's worth, I've written several posts on my blog about how to make Pathfinder play more like earlier editions of the game. For example:

General advice on making the game have an old-school feel (e.g. a list of ability score prerequisites for classes)

Making spellcasting model 1E/2E spellcasting

Removing alignment from the game (this one is splitting the difference - older editions had alignment, but there were extremely few mechanics based around it, unlike now)

I hope these help!

These links are awesome, especially the first one. Point 4 specifically caught my attention. I think, for my game, I will have the players roll 3d6 reroll 1s or 4d6 drop lowest; Roll two columns and take the better one; use those ability scores to create a character (I may include the ability score requirements for the core classes found in point 4 of the first link in Alzrius' post and my quote of it); and encourage them to build their character organically. Now, the vets I'll be running the game for will probably not mind these changes, but newer players might not like it at all...and that is to be expected. As to why I won't really get into details as I can't do so without losing my tact. I've got a vid you guys should check out by Andrew and Jason (DawnforgedCast and Darkageof respectively) over at Youtube that goes along with our discussion in the thread.

Old School v. New School

It's almost two hours long, but you can listen and go do something else on the interweb (I'm listening to it as I type this and jumping over to GAZ1 to prepare my Mystara Game for Pathfinder). I hope it inspires some thought here. I'm trying to get a hold of Jason to invite him to drop by here, but he's a bit difficult to get in touch with. Anyway, let's keep this thread going. I'm loving this so much, I hope you guys are too.

Luna_Silvertear wrote:

Hmm, I've been looking at GAZ13 and I must say that the precursor to drow is awesome. When did the subterranean elves become demon spider worshiping feminists? I think they, like the goblins of Pathfinder, need a reflavoring.

Long before then. The original Drow modules date to the late '70s.

The elves in GAZ13 weren't precursors but a reflavoring for D&D.

Wow, I didn't know that.

Hmm, I've been looking at GAZ13 and I must say that the precursor to drow is awesome. When did the subterranean elves become demon spider worshiping feminists? I think they, like the goblins of Pathfinder, need a reflavoring.

EDIT: Wow...403 posts.I'm glad my thread has inspired such discussion.

Alrighty guys, I've noticed what you all have written and what I remember from watching as a child that there weren't any "Ye Olde Magick Shoppes" around in 1e or 2e. I wonder when that changed and why. It also made me look at the Master Craftsman feat, which I think is pretty cool now that I look at it..

Have you seen this, Luna?

It is neat, but I am unfamiliar with the AGE system at all. Man, reading all this stuff about The Known World is making me want to play in it. I've been told that you're doing something right when you wish you could be a player in your own game or world. Not having a game right now is driving me crazy.

I can't decide if I should use 15 point buy in my game or roll for stats using 3d6 reroll 1s or 4d6 drop lowest. I'll repost my list of changes from upthread here. I've placed a couple of notes in italics

• 15 point buy character creation with max hp at 1st level and the chance to roll for starting gold or taking average. Slow Advancement on XP.

  I still can't decide if I should point buy or have them roll for stats. Pros and cons of each?

• Ability score cap at 18/20, depending on the class in question (e.g. Casters, not including Ranger and Paladin, will have their primary casting stat capped at 20. The 20 cap for most other classes will be in Strength.) The ability score point gained at 4th level intervals will go into the lowest or second lowest stat.

• Class/Race restrictions much like what were in AD&D. I will be allowing Half-Orcs remain as character options as well as Barbarian and Monk. The Sorcerer will be limited to Arcane Bloodline only. I will be sticking to the CRB only. I will probably also try to bring the Bard back to it's druidy root and modify the spell list accordingly, either by stating that bards get their spells from the druid spell list or some other way. Multiclassing will only be allowed in one other class based on the same limitations due to race. There will be no Prestige Classes.

• No Item Creation feats. Magic items will be rare and the subject of quests. I will keep ability score modifying items to a minimum. I will be allowing them to use the craft skill to make/repair their armor and such if need be.

  I'm on the fence about Craft (Alchemy). Should I allow it, or will it mess up the feel that I'm going for? As far as the CRB is concerned, there really aren't many alchemical items that can be created.

• Wandering Monsters could be much more power than the PCs. They way you guys talk is that I should never wear the GM kiddy gloves with vets and to do so would seem to be an insult. I must kill PCs...a lot.

• Only rare monsters will have class levels, and they will be Warrior or Adept, unless it is a Lich or something. Kobolds speaking in their own language only seem to say the word "Kobold". If a Kobold speaks in Common, it must end every string of speech with the word "Kobold".

• Magical healing outside of general hit point healing (e.g. Restoration and the like along with Raise Dead and such) will be more expensive and have material components that will probably be the subject of quests.

• I need more randomness, like some sort of gumball machine, which would be fun to implement in game.

I've be able to get my hands on eleven of the old gazetteers for The Known World, not including the Dawn of Emperors...it was a little difficult, but it helps to know where to look. It'd be nice if the new TSR could lay hands on the old Mystara affects. WoTC let the copyright go out on the name Mystara, but nothing else.

Hey guys, OP here to throw some more thoughts into the pot. This has little to do with the rules. Tell us all your most memorable adventure or campaign (condensed) from 1e or 2e. Answer a few questions:

1.) What about it did you love the most?
2.) Is there something you'd change about it?
3.) Were you running homebrew or a module?
4.) What would you do to emulate, convert, or otherwise bring the same experience to your Pathfinder game.

I'd simply love to get some of those Paizo peeps over here to here about their experiences with 1e and 2e and how it came to affect them as players/GMs and what they carried over from those experiences into Pathfinder. I know they're lurking here somewhere...Personally, I'd love to see them put out something truly retro...even with the art.

This thread is absolutely amazing. There are so many minds together here discussing the roots of the game we all know and love. I remember a time when I was ridiculed for playing...although that doesn't compare with what some of you faced when the game was first born. I am comforted by the fact that there are so many people here sharing their stories, memories, and thoughts on the game. I know that ultimately it is the people that have brought the game into this wonderful era of play and acceptance, even if it is only among other players in some cases. I'll be posting an update on my "old school" game soon, including a plot concept for the campaign for your reading pleasure and critque. This thread has greatly influenced my own campaign world as well and I may post snippets about it here when the mood strikes. I've also got another thought to throw into the pot, but I'll save that for later today. I wonder if anyone else is going to go for that old school feel as I am in my game now...or at least try it out.