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McWOD leveled the field between humans and the monstrous races with the Awakened class. I presume you are planning a template for Human PCs to keep them viable. (Possibly the Champion you mentioned or some variant of it.) Yes. That is what the Champion is for. The main version covers Paladins (and Anti-Paladins), and it also comes with a monster hunter archetype for those who don't want divine characters.
Does anyone have ideas for more monster templates or archetypes? I'll work on this. If I get enough monstrous humanoid requests like Lizardfolk, Serpent Folk, and Gnoll I may make another template and set of archetypes for them. Yes, I know the Bestiary classifies these all as humanoids. I still think of them as monstrous humanoids.
@ Freesword I plan to have the templates end at level 20 for balance reasons. I'm using the McWOD class features as inspiration. I can add in an intelligent zombie archetype for the Lich (Perhaps attempts to create mindless undead occasionally malfunction and create something intelligent?). The Skeleton archetype is for a skeletal Lich, but a second skeleton archetype that's more like this intelligent zombie could exist. As you can see, I'm using archetypes for monster templates heavily. It's FAR easier than creating 20 level templates for a whole army of creatures, and it what will make this project not too massive to complete. I was going to deal with the casting classes by doing what you suggested. The affinity for certain types of spells is measured by each class spending fewer components to cast spells with certain effects. Each class has a list of effects it gets discounts on when creating. I might cut down on the number of spellcasting classes and use archetypes to create the feel of the missing ones. In particular, Sorcerer, Witch, and Wizard really should be merged, with Wizard the main class and Sorcerer and Witch as archetypes. With the McWOD magic system, they aren't different enough to be separate classes. Same with Druid and Cleric. In these cases, archetypes work better. Basically, there'd be a couple spellcasting classes (which fits a system like McWOD that only had one class in mind), and archetypes would create the variety. Bards, Inquisitors, and Maguses are grouped together do to their spell progression with archetypes again differentiating them. Rangers all use the Skirmisher archetype (so no spells) and the Paladin isn't a class (To be a Paladin, get the Champion template and dedicate yourself to good. I like this, because it means Paladins can be of any class, allowing a wide variety of styles. It's also an obvious use of the Champion template, which I created for those who would rather not play a monster.). Alchemists will be in this document, but Summoners won't. Summoner is the one class I refuse to try and work with. As you can see, archetypes are a common theme here. They take a massive project and make manageable by allowing me to make a few main classes and templates, then allowing them to be customized, instead of making me make a massive amount of stuff.
My friend, do not chew off more than you can swallow. I've done much, much worse. You've seen the threads. This is probably one of the more sensible things I've come up with. This actually shouldn't be very difficult. McWOD is OGC, so a lot of stuff can be borrowed from there, and as for the new monsters, coming up with some new powers for an established monster isn't overly difficult, especially if the lists of powers to choose from aren't too massive. Brining over the magic system will be the hardest thing, and even that won't be to bad, as it's all there in McWOD. It'll be more time consuming than difficult. That's why I'm thinking this should be the first thing we come up with, not Voyager. It's Voyager that bites off way too much.
Yup. There are a couple things I really like about McWOD. First, the magic system. It's specifically built for casting custom spells, and the mechanics are excellent. It also uses a spell point type system, not spells per day. I love it. The second thing I like is how the vampires, werewolves, and what not increase in power with level. I have an idea for something like this in Pathfinder. First, completely retool the spellcasting classes so as to use McWOD spellcasting (McWOD is OGC, and what I plan on making is free, so I do not foresee any trouble in using it's magic system.). Secondly, instead of monster classes (in McWOD the classes are Awakened, Demon, Vampire, Mage, and Werewolf) this would have templates, and each player gets a template and a class (or classes if multiclassing). Templates give you new powers at each level or every other level, just like McWOD monster classes. Change some of the Pathfinder classes so that this thing is technology level neutral, requiring very little tweaking to go from medieval times to the modern day or something in between. Change what monsters are available (Awakened and Demons from McWOD would go under Champion, and Mage would be achieved by taking a class with spellcasting, not a template [I want vampire mages and the like to be permissible]): Vampire
Monster templates have archetypes, just like classes: Vampire
Like the idea? It's basically Pathfinder, but everybody has a monster character and the tech level is easily changed. Does anyone have ideas for more monster templates or archetypes? I'm open to adding some. Suggestions? Comments?
I'm just gauging interest at the moment. Would anybody be interested in something that makes some changes to Monte Cook's World of Darkness? Here is what I'm thinking of: Instead of monsters as classes, do monsters as templates and have a separate list of classes. When creating a character, choose a class and a template. You may multiclass, but you may not take more than one template. Templates give players new powers at the same rate as McWOD monster classes. Mage is a class, not a template. Adding archetypes for monsters. They're like Pathfinder class archetypes, but for monster templates. Stuff like psychic vampires, werecats, and werebears. Maybe adding some new monsters. Would anyone be interested? Should this be put out as a supplement that requires McWOD, or a standalone RPG? Does anyone have any questions or suggestions?
So, I've posted a couple threads asking for, namely, some tech ideas for Voyager, and there is a playtest for some of it's mechanics, but Voyager lacks an all encompassing thread. Voyager is a set of alternate tech levels for Pathfinder. It's not that I don't like the medieval era, I just don't want all, or even most, of my Pathfinder games to take place there. Voyager aims to take Pathfinder beyond the medieval era by adding in rules for several new eras to play in ranging from the 1500s to the modern day. There is something I want to make clear from the get go. Voyager is not Pathfinder Modern. At all. It may bring the game into much higher technology eras than vanilla Pathfinder, but it still assumes the common existence of magic, non-human races, and other fantasy tropes at every level. Even when the PCs are decked out with lots of high tech, this is still very much a fantasy RPG. Furthermore, Voyager doesn't even try to paint a realistic picture of it's tech levels. Pathfinder doesn't do so with medieval technology (the Pathfinder tech level is a chaotic mash-up going from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance). Instead of strict dedication to it's tech levels, Voyager brings in LOTS of speculative technology at every level. I believe I shall let TV Tropes do the explaining of these tech levels (Be cautious. TV Tropes is awesome, and it WILL devour your day if you let it. It does it to me all the time.) Dungeonpunk/Magitek I always liked the idea of Eberron, but never read much about it or any of the books. I am doing my own take on the basic idea for Voyager. Clockpunk - Roughly 1500 to 1800 Steampunk - Roughly 1800 to 1920 Dieselpunk - Roughly 1920 to 1950 I also have an unnamed tech level taking something roughly similar to Dieselpunk from 1950 to the modern day. A possible name for this is Jetpunk. Cyberpunk and Post Cyberpunk may also be included if demand is high enough. Voyager also offers Biopunk, but not as a stand alone tech level. I think it works better as an add-on to other tech levels, as I can see it fitting well in a variety of settings. Each tech level has a massive influx of new technology, including weapons, gear, vehicles, and such. Voyager also has plenty of class archetypes to bring the core and base classes into the modern day (Expect Cavalier fighter pilots. It WILL happen.), plus new skills, skill uses, feats, and combat mechanics, including rules for air and naval combat. Voyager also has a Superhero system (which I think would be cool in anything from 1920 on), but it is strictly optional. If you as a GM don't want your players shooting laser beams out of their eyes, don't allow the system. That goes for pretty much everything in Voyager. There will be much more stuff when finished than can or should be used in one game, and not everything in Voyager will fit every setting. So, that's what Voyager is. Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions? I'm working on a Google Sites Wiki for Voyager now.
Or, at the very least, just thread OPs. Here are some reasons why I think this should be allowed: PbP recruitment threads could have accepted players placed into the OP so that prospective players can see at a glance if it is full or not before posting an application. Third party publishers could edit the OPs for their Compatible Products threads as updates to their work are made so that people can get. Homebrew creators could edit OPs to include updates. Discussion threads (like the medieval warfare one) could post summaries of the debate so far so that people don't have to go through hundreds of pages to see if something has been covered. OPs that are not particularly clear can be clarified.
It's a free PDF. I refer to any speculative technology (stuff from fiction such as techno thrillers or comic books, interesting prototypes or abandoned proposals) that is supposed to exist from the 60s to the modern day or near (as in, up to ten years from now) future.
Thanks for the resources, Brambleman. They are appreciated. Yea, I don't want to argue proper terminology in this thread. That's why I changed the thread title (twice), so as not to provoke arguing. I want to discuss modern speculative technology.
I never really gave it that much thought. I'm pulling the phrase "I thought up a new subgenre" from the thread title. I do not feel like having a debate on the use of the word Punk or on when one has or has not thought up a new genre or subgenre. Do you have any modern speculative or prototype technology to point me to? I need as much tech as possible. That's what Voyager is all about: Pathfinder with tech levels other than ancient or medieval. It's got new skills and skill uses, feats, combat mechanics, and class archetypes to go along with the new tech, but the new tech is what it's all about.
Science Fiction is a very broad term. Clockpunk, Steampunk, and Dieselpunk are all Science Fiction. I suppose a more accurate term for Modernpunk would be Subgenre. I'll edit the OP.
It's for Voyager. Voyager is basically a project to take Pathfinder beyond the medieval era. Now, Pathfinder is much more a speculative technology setting than it is a realistic example of medieval technology (it's really a mash-up of several different medieval tech levels). If Pathfinder is basically a Punk setting, not a realistic medieval tech setting, I see no reason Voyager can't be the same. Instead of strict historical accuracy, Voyager has a LOT of speculative technology. It starts out in the 1500s with Clockpunk, boasting three different Clockpunk tech levels: 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s. Then it moves into the 1800s and Steampunk. Here we have three more tech levels, this time Steampunk: 1820s, 1860s, 1880s/90s. Afterwards we move into Dieselpunk, starting in the World War 1 era with a Steampunk-Dieselpunk hybrid tech level, then moving into a 1920s/30s tech level and a World War 2 tech level. It also has rules for Biopunk, which can be combined with pretty much any Steampunk or Dieselpunk setting easily, and therefore exists as an add on to other tech levels, not it's own tech level. Here is where I planned to end things. Then I had an idea, however. Modernpunk. Modern fiction has all sorts of speculative technology that doesn't actually exist. Remember the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier? Iron Man's suits? Those airships in the Ace Combat games? Super effective viruses and chemical weapons? Modernpunk is basically all that and more, in one setting. It gets two tech levels: 1950s/60s, and modern day. I'd love opinions on what should go into Modernpunk. I surely haven't seen all the cool speculative tech out there. I'm interested in both proposals or prototypes that never took off and totally fictional stuff. If any of you know of any, I'd love to see them. So far, I've got aircraft, armor suits, and WMDs. I know full well I'm missing a lot. I'd also like ideas for a different name. It starts in the 50s, so Modernpunk isn't necessarily accurate.
Plenty of us use houserules in our PbP games. Functionally speaking there is no difference between doing that and playtesting. There aren't even any requirements that the PbP be Pathfinder. Thanks for clearing that up. I'm going to go over the rules a few more times, and will have a playtest recruiting thread up tomorrow.
There are some firearms mechanics for Voyager that need to be tested to make sure they function as intended. It would also be great to be able to see if Barbarians, Rogues, and Druids have any issues in a firearms based campaign. I think they'll be all right, but I want to be sure, especially because the Voyager mechanics let Rogues sneak attack anything within their weapon's range increment. I want to make sure that's not more unbalancing than I think it will be. May I recruit some people and do a playtest adventure in the Online Campaigns section of the site, or is there a no playtesting rule?
Thanks for explaining everything. I'll just use this alias for official PAG posts. |
