A couple of questions


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion

Sovereign Court

These are aimed largely at the Paizo folks, but I'd love to tap the brain trust of really creative fans here, too:

1) What would you suggest as a regional/racial/cultural bonus feat for Sanos Forest gnomes? The rest of my all demihuman party consists of two orphans and a runaway - I thankfully didn't need to worry about Elven or Dwarven feats. But with everyone sitting on two feats to start with thanks to the bonus feats, my fourth player's poor happy-home-life gnome is looking a little Feat-lite.

2) Would I be far off in assuming Erastil's Herald is a Stag of some sort?
Or would it be more of a Hound, which better combines hunting and home life?

Liberty's Edge

cappadocius wrote:
1) What would you suggest as a regional/racial/cultural bonus feat for Sanos Forest gnomes? The rest of my all demihuman party consists of two orphans and a runaway - I thankfully didn't need to worry about Elven or Dwarven feats. But with everyone sitting on two feats to start with thanks to the bonus feats, my fourth player's poor happy-home-life gnome is looking a little Feat-lite.

If you have access to Complete Mage, I'd suggest Fey Heritage.


cappadocius wrote:

2) Would I be far off in assuming Erastil's Herald is a Stag of some sort?

Or would it be more of a Hound, which better combines hunting and home life?

I would definitely say some sort of celestial hound. Just looking at Old Deadeye's portfolios, the hound makes much more sense;

Farming: Seriously, what farm doesn't have a dog?
Hunting: The tracking bloodhound or labrador.
Family: Dogs are pack animals, strengthening the tie here.
Trade: Uh... Well, you need a good companion with you on the road?

Anyway, and maybe this is just me, but I really can't see the god of the hunt using prey as his herald. My suggestion, following with what the guys did for Desna, make Erastil's herald an advanced (CR 8) celestial dire wolf, only give it the appearance of some type of hunting dog like a german shepherd or golden retriever. That should be a good starting point for you.

Dark Archive Contributor

Shisumo wrote:
If you have access to Complete Mage, I'd suggest Fey Heritage.

That's a good suggestion. :)

Sovereign Court

Well, I'll have to take a look at Complete Mage. Is that feat appropriate for a non-mage character?


Or the Fey Bloodline feat, from Dragon Compendium, Volume I, available from Paizo! :D

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut

Lilith wrote:
Or the Fey Bloodline feat, from Dragon Compendium, Volume I, available from Paizo! :D

You could also craft a new feat by borrowing elements from the Fey Bloodline defined in Unearthed Arcana (which is also part of the SRD). The initial "step" of bonus provided by the Fey Bloodline offers a +2 bonus on Hide checks. And, since you're talking about the gnomes of the Sanos Forest...and Forest Gnomes themselves get a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks (or +8 in a wooded area) from the Monster Manual...I think you've got a good case for saying that a Sanos gnome should have a bonus on Hide checks.

But that only makes up about half of an equivalent regional feat similar to those that appear in the Player's Guide. Now you need something simple like a +1 on Fortitude saves for being hardy as a old gnarled oak tree or something. Or maybe a +1 on Reflex saves for being spry as a squirrel. That ought to be enough. And it's about the same equivalent as the City-Born feat for other PCs.

Now, if you'd prefer something a bit more "magical" rather than skill-based and save-based bonuses. You could take a page from the Varisian Tattoo and do something similar whereby Sanos gnomes get some kind of boost to their normal spell-like abilities. Maybe they can cast speak with animals, dancing lights, ghost sound, and prestidigitation at +1 caster level? And, since that doesn't have that much of an immediate effect, maybe tack on an extra spell-like ability for something like know direction or pass without trace (something that Forest Gnomes can do naturally). That might make for a nice general compromise.

Or, with a prerequisite of Spell Focus (illusion) or Spell Focus (enchantment), you could let a Sanos gnome gain a greater connection to the fey realm so that he can cast ghost sound (for illusion) or daze (for enchantment) an additional number of times per day equal to his Constitution modifier with the DCs remaining Charisma-based...but at +1 caster level. Again, this mimics the Varisian Tattoo feat for Sanos gnomes who are spellcasters, but it limits it to just the two most likely schools of magic that Sanos gnomes would practice.

Just a few additional ideas for you,
--Neil

Liberty's Edge

cappadocius wrote:
Well, I'll have to take a look at Complete Mage. Is that feat appropriate for a non-mage character?

Sure. It just gives a bonus against enchantment effects. It's also the start of a feat tree that does, in some places, focus on spellcasting, but there are some feats that don't (who doesn't like getting DR?), and there's no need to take the tree any further if you don't want to anyway.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

For gnomes from Sanos Forest, any sort of fey-related bonus would be cool. And as for Erastil's herald... a big stag does make sense. Not sure what it'll eventually be, to be honest. But chances are good it's some sort of stag-like creature.


James Jacobs wrote:
And as for Erastil's herald... a big stag does make sense. Not sure what it'll eventually be, to be honest. But chances are good it's some sort of stag-like creature.

Aw nuts... And here I was hoping for a great big celestial pooch...

Dark Archive

James Jacobs wrote:
And as for Erastil's herald... a big stag does make sense. Not sure what it'll eventually be, to be honest. But chances are good it's some sort of stag-like creature.

You can do what you like, but its going to be a hound in my campaign :)

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

amethal wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
And as for Erastil's herald... a big stag does make sense. Not sure what it'll eventually be, to be honest. But chances are good it's some sort of stag-like creature.
You can do what you like, but its going to be a hound in my campaign :)

*nods* Maybe a LG Hellhound Canomorph or a Hound Archeon on their summon monster lists?

But definately going with the hounds.

Heck, might even add Faithful hound to their clerical spell lists.

Scarab Sages

I can appreciate the traditional stag as the symbol of the god of hunting but let me chime in and add my vote for a hound as well. Make the god of hunting focused on the hunter side of the equation, not the prey side.

Sovereign Court

I like the hound idea, BUT let's not forget that every single major European hunting deity from Artemis to Cernunnos was associated with the stag. The stag is the mighty king of the forest, the largest mammal any European was likely to see after the Mammoths and Cave Bears went away, and as likely to kick the ass of any primitive hunters as it was to be brought down.

I'd be as happy with a Great Hart as I would be with an Ailbe.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

It's also worth noting two things here:

1: Erastil's herald isn't on the scedule to appear in Pathfinder yet, and probably won't be, for years.

2: Even though I invented Erastil, and he's been a deity in my homebrew campaign for decades, I've never been a big fan of him and haven't done MUCH thought about his herald. He's mostly one of those gods that I put into my game because every pantheon NEEDS a hunter/farmer/small community type god. He's not someone my charactes would probably ever worship. All of which is saying that I can't wait to see what Sean Reynolds comes up with for his herald a few years from now when we finally get around to talking Erastil in Pathfinder! :)

I'm saying it could be a stag, a dog, a wild boar, or anything, really!

EDIT: Turns out that some time a few years ago I did write up a Faiths & Avatars style writeup for Erastil (among mot of the gods in my campaign) back in late 2nd edition. And there, his heralds are in fact elks and stags and caribous and deer.

Dark Archive Contributor

James Jacobs wrote:
I'm saying it could be a stag, a dog, a wild boar, or anything, really!

Anything...?

[url="smurf"][/url]

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