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Hello all, I'm planning to start running CC this weekend. My group just wrapped Crimson Throne, and I'm hoping to accentuate the contrast between the two APs by making Carrion Crown a lot less focused on magic. This is mostly because solving problems using magic seems out of keeping with the AP's gothic feel; I don't want my players to feel helpless, but I'd rather reward them for solving problems creatively and resourcefully, in the tradition of plucky gothic heroines.
Here are the rules changes I've decided to adopt. For those of you who have run chapters of CC so far (or anyone else who has an opinion), can you identify any serious problems here? Are there any points in the AP that I'll have to make significant changes to?
1) Superstition and Myth
This Golarion will be substantially different. The PCs will enter Ustalav from other, more "civilized" regions where magic is no longer practiced. Like the English characters in Dracula, they will consider magic to be mere superstition, until they start to encounter it directly.
Obviously, this restricts the PCs' class options considerably. I have allowed an Alchemist (science, not magic) and a Monk (physical training, not magic). One PC wants to play a Witch, but I've told her that (a) she doesn't understand her powers, and (b) she'll need to keep them well hidden, or face persecution or worse.
2) Monotheism
To more closely parallel gothic literature, I've amalgamated the major churches into one "All-Father" religion. Its clerics do not practice magic (see Healing below). Old cults still exist here and there, but they are considered demon-worship.
3) Spell Acquisition
I'm going to control spell acquisition, deciding when & how my Witch character will gain access to spells. This will allow us to use only spells that stay faithful to the gothic atmosphere of the game. To compensate for this handicap, I'm allowing her to cast spells spontaneously, like a sorcerer.
4) Magic Items
Few. Rare. But early on, I plan to give each character a Legacy item (maybe hidden in the Restlands crypt), which they can tailor to suit their own needs throughout the game. Otherwise, I plan to convert most of the magic item treasure into mundane items or gold. Cursed items are also a distinct possibility.
5) Healing
With no clerics and few magic items, PCs will need some alternate means of staying alive. Besides the long-term healing options from the Core Rulebook, I figure their Legacy items may be able to provide magical healing.
Also, they can perform triage by using the Heal skill, as follows:
--Full-round action: gain 1d6 temporary hit points per level (DC 10)
--Standard action: gain 1d6 temporary hit points per level (DC 15)
--Move action: gain 1d6 temporary hit points per level (DC 20)
PCs can only perform triage once per encounter (either on themselves or another). 1d4 rounds after the encounter ends, all temporary hp disappear; if this reduces a PC to less than zero hp, she falls unconscious but remains stable until healed.
6) Other Bonuses
To give them some extra boosts and advantages, I'm offering a 20-pt ability score buy; 2 traits per character; and a system of "Hero Dice" with the following rules:
Every level, and whenever you perform heroic or innovative actions, they will receive bonus d6 dice called Hero Dice. These provide an extra game mechanic that allows PCs to give themselves various boosts when needed. Hero Dice can be used as follows:
--Before any roll, declare a number of Hero Dice and roll them along with your normal dice. The results will be added together, and the Hero Dice expended.
--You may expend a single Hero Die to perform an extra move-equivalent action in a single round of combat, even if you are performing a full-attack action.
--If you propose a specific heroic action that would normally contravene the rules as written, I may consider allowing it in exchange for one or more Power Dice.
I realize that's a lot of stuff to change at once, but it makes more sense to me to introduce it all at the outset than to change things as I go along. Any feedback you have would be most helpful.
I've played a lot of Ravenloft, and while I see what you're trying to do I don't think this is the best way to get "Gothic" terror across.
Gothic is about presentation and mood. It's fear of the unknown and description. Trying to force it by removing abilities doesn't make players afraid, it makes them frustrated. The effect is putting them up against creatures that are way above their challenge level, and while ok once or twice it isn't going to be sustained throughout the entire campaign.
A few things that jumped out at me:
- Lack of the ability to channel positive energy will be a problem in Harrowstone, especially if you're removing most of the items (like the siphons). They're going to be sick of fighting things they can't hurt or that outclass them before the end of it, and there's still 5 other books to go.
- If you aren't letting the witch learn new spells you're better off limiting the class and reflavouring the sorcerer (or have them use the Accursed bloodline).
- The addition of Hero Dice is counter-productive to the entire method of stripping away the magic and items and such, because those will become the new safety blankets and negate much of the atmosphere you're trying to create.
- Monotheism isn't an important staple of what makes something gothic. It happens to show up because of the culture, but you don't need a monotheistic religion for something to be gothic. If anything, simply have the majority of places be part of the Penitent Pharasama sect and you'll get the same effect without having to re-write the entire culture.
One of the reasons I like Carrion Crown is because it already has the appropriate themes and settings in there. All that is required to make it dark and gothic is the GM's presentation of the material.
Rule of Fear has some suggestions, but I also suggest you check out the Ravenloft fan site "The Fraternity of Shadows". They have a great number of suggestions on how to run gothic horror games.
Evil DM Tricks
I realize I may be coming off as short, but I've made mistakes like this before. I can promise you that players will always be far happier with fear that was based on the narrative compared to fear that was based on the mechanics.