| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
This is to discuss how to create a Native American campaign in Pathfinder. Continued from the Norse Campaign thread:
When Norse mythology is complete, I'm planning on doing a Native American version.I would love to see what you have for that. Its kind of hard to make a pantheon for Native American beliefs.There really isn't anything that could be considered a pantheon. Maybe a few beliefs common amongst most tribes, but nothing necessarily constituting a definable pantheon or even a god.
Egyptian, Greek/Roman, Inca, Aztec, Babylonian, Mesopotamian, Hindu, and other religions with actual pantheons should be exhausted first.
What would you call Coyote, Raven, Thunderbird, Asgayagigagei, or Kokopelli?
Here's a question: Does it -have- to be a full pantheon? I'd personally love to see something a bit more accurate and complex than a simple pantheon of deities.
What would you call Coyote, Raven, Thunderbird, Asgayagigagei, or Kokopelli?
What would you call Coyote, Raven, Thunderbird, Asgayagigagei, or Kokopelli?
Native American tribes all had varying beliefs, legends, myths, etc. so tying it all down to a single pantheon would not do it justice. I would sooner call it animism (though I'm not sure that fits exactly). Every animal, every forest, every stream has a spirit and a name. The great bear spirit is like the collective spirit of every bear living, dead, and yet to be. The spirit of [insert name of river] flows with the seasons, and may not be around in the winter or during a particularly dry season.
Certainly Raven and Spider and the Thunderbird and others are powerful figures, but I don't believe they represent a single entity, but a collection of spirits. Imagine seeing an entire unkindness of ravens at once. Which one would a tribal shaman declare to be "Raven" (capital R), and why?
|
Far as the divine casters go, you might consider dropping cleric altogether. I think the class lends itself to monotheism or, at least, the favoring of one deity over another and that seems to go against the idea of a culture that respects and venerates a pantheon of spirits, both helpful and harmful. Oracles, Druids and Witches, on the other hand, could fill the divine caster niche pretty well. This brings up a point about which classes you'd allow for such a campaign.
Most of the core classes work okay with a little fine tuning. If we're talking about a fantastical version of pre-European-colonization America populated by Apaches, Chippewas and Aztecs, I'm not really seeing fullplate, firearms and alchemical bombs. You might consider sticking to archetypes or swapping out things like heavy armor proficiency for some sort of alternate ability.
To be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing a generalized pantheon of deities for the Native American beliefs. Maybe use spirits in their simplest form that act as deities. They could also be worship as a whole or separately, like it was for the deities in the Eberron setting. It doesn't really have to be too complex.
I don't think one pantheon could realistically encompass all of the various cultures that are now collectively known as Native Americans.
However, its possible you can have something that is workable enough for a Pathfinder game that is both educational and fun.
|
|
If you want a pantheon, the old 1E Deities and Demigods book inluded sections for Native American and Meso-American Mythos you could use for some ideas if you can find a copy. The Native American section included Raven, Coyote and Snake-Man among a few other creatures, heroes and godlike beings. You could also look into using Kachinas if you want a group of spiritual beings who are already grouped and identified by purpose.
If you want a pantheon, the old 1E Deities and Demigods book inluded sections for Native American and Meso-American Mythos you could use for some ideas if you can find a copy.
AD&D Legends & Lore was available as a free download on Wotc old edition downloads before Wotc pulled that site..
It's still available from wotc under this link:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/2/fr_downloads/tsr9552.zip
|
The Weird West d20 products have some creatures in them you could easily convert.
As for the pantheon thing, I tend to agree against distinct deities. First of all, they're not really required, even for clerics. Just so long as the domains make sense, you're good to go.
Offered as for evidence of their lack of continuity: Devil's Tower. This is a geological phenomenon that many different tribes encountered during the same period of time. They each had a different origin story for it. Or slightly different, anyway.
Such a people having one mythology isn't going to represent them as well, I don't think.
I run native american like people in my campaign.
I am part native american, having some Awesasne Mohawk blood in me.
anyway, in my campaign world, they are nomadic wanderers, and their religious beliefs consist of the Spirits. The spirits are associated with ALL domains, and individual clerics can align with a single spirit or all spirits.
clerics can select any two domains at creation.
if a cleric players decides to align with a single spirit, i usually ask him to come up with some kind of ideal, such as Strength, or Weather, or whatever (such as a divine portfolio), and usually expect him to select domains that kind of go with the theme of the spirit.
For example, let's say that Bill want to play A cleric, and worship the Bear spirit. I'd associate Bear with at least the Animal, Healing, Protection, and Strength.
for more info, check out this site
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-totems.html
and for some good music, check out the Bear Creek singers on youtube.
one of the npc's right now in my campaign is a native american-type barbarian scalp hunter, looking to rescue his nephew from slavers.
for more info on scalping, check out this site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalping
have fun!
Trying to run a "Native American" campaign would be difficult without lots of thorough research into the different tribes. I myself probably would not be comfortable playing in such a campaign unless I had some concrete assurance from the DM that they had done this research. The people today known as Native Americans, or American Indians were not a unified group of people with a unified belief system, practices, or ways of living, nor were many of the tribes we associate with native archetypes in existence at the same time. Trying to create a unified pantheon of Gods encompassing the complex beliefs systems of these incredibly varied people would prove.. difficult.
Without turning this thread into a conversation about political correctness and cultural appropriation let me suggest that clerics in this game be devote to spirits, or ideas, as was suggested by Swordsmasher. Also, think of a few tribes you'd like to use as inspiration, and research these tribes to see what you come up with. .
|
|
Also, think of a few tribes you'd like to use as inspiration, and research these tribes to see what you come up with.
Anthroplogists think in terms of Culture Areas, for example, great plains, southwest, northwest coast, or culture groups, for example Iroquois, Pueblo/Anasazi, Dakota.
Good areas of Native American History to model 'adventure paths' on would be--
Founding of the Iroquois Confederacy and the great Law of Peace. It includes Oracles, Cannibals, Witches etc.
Anasazi Collapse--In 1100 there were hundreds of settlements in the old Anasazi homeland. By 1400 there 27 heavily fortified areas. A century latter there were three (Acoma, Hopi, Zuni). All the evidence points to drought, religous changes and civil breakdown.
Viking vs. NE coast Indians or Inuit vs Greenlanders.
Begining of Horse based buffalo hunting, with tribes. Introduce the horse. Tribes get it in different order.
Hope that helps.
Also, think of a few tribes you'd like to use as inspiration, and research these tribes to see what you come up with.Anthroplogists think in terms of Culture Areas, for example, great plains, southwest, northwest coast, or culture groups, for example Iroquois, Pueblo/Anasazi, Dakota.
You're a genius! That would most viable way of doing it.
America is no place for gods.
There isn't really a Native American pantheon.
You could just use the Pathfinder Native Americans.
