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Here's a link to an Open Game Content backhistory of Stormhaven, before I go on. http://www.purpleduckgames.com/scots2 DISCOVERY & FOUNDING
GROWTH
I think I'm going to make it just barely in the southern part of the Arcadian Ocean, possibly of Azlanti or Vudran design. Its position would make it a good trading post and help sell the "nexus" feel it has.
I've been looking at some older books of mine and reminiscing on old campaigns and characters. One book that caught my eye was Stormhaven, part of the Cities of Fantasy line by Mongoose Publishing. Nostalgia and interest from my fellow gamers has led me to a new goal: I want to fully "Pathfinderize" Stormhaven. The genesis of Stormhaven was that it was discovered by a dwarf merchant ship captain and his elven first mate during a storm. It's a great stone disk held up on four pillars. This is the description from RPGnow.com: "Among the mysteries of the sea, Stormhaven stands proud and defiant, a city built upon the relic of an unknown civilisation. Four great pillars support a disk of preternatural stone, its architects an enigma as great as the means of its construction. The new inhabitants settled centuries ago, giving the city its current name because the solidity and endurance it offers against the surrounding ocean is undeniable. Settlers erected their own dwellings on top of the disk and, when they crowded it too much, engineered a floating city latched to the four pillars. Magic is the lifeblood of Stormhaven, coursing through its very foundations and making life comfortable away from the shores of any nation. Its staunch neutrality ensures that the riches keep flowing, making Stormhaven into a monument to unfettered greed and hunger for power. It is the destination of choice for the most ruthless merchants, crime lords and politicians, where a silver tongue, quick wit and a fast blade are invaluable commodities, both on the lowly docks and the glittering palaces. Any adventurer with the right combination of ingenuity, strength and daring will find that Stormhaven embraces him like a lover and that no dream of wealth, no matter how extravagant, is beyond his grasp." I want to not only change the stats and NPCs to Pathfinder, but also help it work into the setting, and change the tone from the slightly campy 3.0 to the Pathfinder-exploration/realism we're used to. Does anyone have any idea one which of the Old Empires would have been likely to make such a city in the sea? I don't have any sourcebooks with me, so I can't even think of a proper place for it to be other than in a "sea."
Putting some ranks into Bluff would make you for a good attempt at Feint, which would deny the enemy Dexterity to your next attack.
Everything looking good. I like how you already have plans for political intrigue. Maybe Balgrund Ironhide could have some House Garess connections?
First session: Drawing inspiration from many of the other games that I have seen on the forums, I began the game in Restov. The players were invited to a feast hall run by the Aldori Swordlords, but the man waiting for them was none other than Lord Mayor Ioseph Sellemius. He presented them with the charter, and they agreed. They also met Maegar Varn, who was given his own charter, as well as Jhod Kavken. A short travel to Oleg's later, they ambushed Happs Bydon and his bandits, and after interrogating the prisoner, have all the information (and horses) required to ambush the Thorn Ford camp by nightfall. Overarching Plots: I plan to do away with Nyrissa. I do not think that she is well represented in the early adventure paths, so I do not want to incorporate her as an overall BBEG. Actually, my plan is to embrace the sandbox nature of the Stolen Lands and the Kingmaker AP. The Stag Lord, Hargulka (and his monster kingdom, a la Dudemeister), Vordekai, and the Tiger Lords will all (mostly) be seen as independent agents, all vying for control of the Stolen Lands in there own right. The only overarching plot I plan to have is Irovetti and Ilthuliak. I am toying with a plot point idea: Ithuliak was present during the Conquering of Issia and Rostland, and took a stand against the two red dragons in order prevent their southward march through the Stolen Lands. He slew the two female reds, but was severely wounded. He retreated to the Thousand Voices, and fell through a "bleed" into the First World. He will be the BBEG. I will tweak his spells, to make him focus more on enchantment and possess Finger of Death, and Irovetti will be his thrall instead of Nyrissa's. As for other minor points, I really want to focus on the idea that the Stolen Lands is untamed. I'm going to bring in Howl-of-the-North-Wind early, so my players now that there is some stuff in the Greenbelt that they cannot fight just yet.
Hello all. I'm writing this down mostly for my own benefit, in an effort to congeal my thoughts about my upcoming Kingmaker campaign. I haven't played Pathfinder for a couple years (due to grad school) but I'm doing a 5-week rotation in my hometown and I figured it would be a great time to do a marathon of games with my old gaming buddies. We figured doing an Adventure Path/Module would be the best, and Kingmaker won the vote! I've purchased all six portions of the adventure path (although I only anticipate getting through the first two) and read them extensively. My PCs are as follows: Human Ranger (affiliated with Aldori Swordlords)
Given the fact that they are missing a healer, I'm actually going to have Jhod Kavken become a part of their charter. He will start 1st level, like them, and will still have his motivations to secure the Temple of the Elk. However, he will help the PCs topple the Stag Lord, as a bandit king donning an antler crown and bringing terror to the Stolen Lands would be almost a mockery to Old Deadeye. As a huge fan of the Song of Ice and Fire series by GRRM, I'm going to be including a good deal of plot and intrigue and no small portion of redcelt32's write-up. I decided that King Regent Noleski Surtova was written as too isolationist and politically inexperienced, when he would know that his succession to the Dragonscale Throne would mean a potential civil war. Therefore, I made him more progressive, which effects the campaign start somewhat. In the past year, he has made several changes to the small council (including raising Lord Howlan Garess to Hand of the King) and has announced his intent to marry Elana Lebeda, thus binding his House to Rostlandic nobility. These and other changes have caused quite a stir, but people are talking more about wedding plans and council appointments rather than civil war. In fact, only two barriers exist for Surtova to declare himself the one true king of Brevoy: an heir (which he is working on) and the Crownlands belonging to House Rogarvia. House Surtova took over the Crownlands of House Rogarvia with a hands-off approach, which actually suited most of the Rostlanders just fine. However, it would be impossible to delcare himself King without the void in the power structure filled. He could take the lands officially for House Surtova, or he could divvy the lands up among the other Houses equally. Noleski, in a prudent manner, chose to raise one of the houses sworn to House Rogarvia to be the new High Lords of the Crownlands. This would make the Rostlanders happy, make this new High House in his debt, and leave the Aldori Swordlords of Restov unscathed in the power change. Enter the PCs with their charter into the Stolen Lands. The campaign will begin in Restov, with the PCs meeting the other groups, including Maegar Varn and representatives from House Drelev. The Hand of the King, Howlan Garess, will also be there, to lend the support of the Dragonscale Throne. Next:
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