My first something short and sweet is nearly complete. It's been ten years since I had written something for Atlas Games, and it's time for that (Elementalism in Occult Lore) to be "officially" updated for Pathfinder. So, I have some questions for you:
How do you feel about the Elemental Sorcerer (Water, Fire, Air, and Earth)?
Would you like to see some tweaks for the Elemental Bloodlines? Some additions and some tack ons?
Anyone would like to see some added flavor for the Elemental Bloodlines?
How about a better Elemental Council?
Since it's going to be third party published, tell me some expectations and I'll do my best to meet them.
I'm going to be destructive here: Elemental mages have been done to death, my first reaction is BOOOOORING!
While some pdfs by SGG had nice ideas, even they did not really excite me that much and their rules are stellar...so...no idea how you can make them exciting again. I don't think we need more bloodlines/tack-ons. SGG's Beyond Bloodlines was my favorite sorceror supplement precisely because it didn't add yet even more useless bloodlines nobody ever plays to the mix. Supplements that offer ORIGINAL (not e.g. bardic, witch etc. abilities) in EXCHANGE for bloodlines...now that is interesting.
Just my 2 cents.
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I more or less agree with End, they have been done a lot. This is one of the times you need to look at what others have done on the topic, then make sure what you have in mind is either new or something old with a new twist.
If I was going to do something like that. I would make a elmentalist a new class myself. Do 5 spell list one for each element and then one general they all get. So they would get 4 of the 5 list in the end with one being their specialty or something like that. Or maybe give them all the spells but make sure it is more limited than a wizard and then give them some special powers. Like bloodlines only more of them.
Or as End said, start with a Sorcerer, limit their spells they can learn with a smaller list but give them more "bloodline" powers. Make them a Sorcerer archetype, just using the base class as a starting point but don't make them technically sorcerers if you know what I mean.
I more or less agree with End, they have been done a lot. This is one of the times you need to look at what others have done on the topic, then make sure what you have in mind is either new or something old with a new twist.
If I was going to do something like that. I would make a elmentalist a new class myself. Do 5 spell list one for each element and then one general they all get. So they would get 4 of the 5 list in the end with one being their specialty or something like that. Or maybe give them all the spells but make sure it is more limited than a wizard and then give them some special powers. Like bloodlines only more of them.
Or as End said, start with a Sorcerer, limit their spells they can learn with a smaller list but give them more "bloodline" powers. Make them a Sorcerer archetype, just using the base class as a starting point but don't make them technically sorcerers if you know what I mean.
I did that. I did make an elementalist class myself. For 3.x instead of Pathfinder.
If I was going to do something like that. I would make a elmentalist a new class myself. Do 5 spell list one for each element and then one general they all get. So they would get 4 of the 5 list in the end with one being their specialty or something like thatIsn't that basically the elemental wizard variant from apg?
Besides that, I agree with Endzeitgeist and Dark_Mistress, please, pick something new and original to do.
Then buy a copy of Occult Lore from e23, and use the spells in an Adventure PDF. Show me it's being used. I wrote Elementalism in Occult Lore to be used and updated by other Publishers in their products. That was it's purpose, to be used by other publishers.
Every spell I've written in that book was leveled according to how spells were leveled in the original PHB for D&D (3rd Edition).
0 level was designed as a cantrip.
9th level spells are god like. Not as in, Planet Venus has a close Flyby with Earth and stops it's rotation Catastrophe god-like, but god like in altering the Weather or Landscape to a significant degree.
Example: 0 level -- Colored Smoke -- a spell which magically changes smoke as compared to Acid Rain (9th Level) which magically mixes Sulfur Dioxide with the rain in a rainstorm, creating a potent mix of Sulfuric Acid and doing damage to everything within the rainstorm's area.
Show me it's being used, show me you are using it. If it's not being used, it's been ten years and now that Pathfinder is out, it's time to update my work.
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To the original poster of this thread: You know ... I hate to say this, but both this thread, and the other one you started, are kind of ... I don't know ... odd. The tone is very self-serving and almost antagonistic in a strange way ...
Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I don't think your tone is doing you any favors or earning a ton of good will so far.
To the Op: If you#re confident in your elementalists, then go for it. I only wanted to provide advice - and I think that today noone cares for yet more elementalists. Why not create something original for the system you're trying to break in, instead of conjuring up memories from 3.X-days of old that not many people have fond memories of nowadays?
Just my 2 cents, of course.
To the Op: If you#re confident in your elementalists, then go for it. I only wanted to provide advice - and I think that today noone cares for yet more elementalists. Why not create something original for the system you're trying to break in, instead of conjuring up memories from 3.X-days of old that not many people have fond memories of nowadays?
Just my 2 cents, of course.
I do have something original. :)
A City of Psionics designed to be put into your campaign in a middle eastern area, away from the main focus of your campaign -- a place to visit. A city of Psions, Psychic Warriors, Wilders, and Soulknives. A place where your PCs can visit and see a thriving city of people who use the powers "of the mind."
A place of psionic villains, and psionic foes. Where four cultures have come to meet and homogenize into one. A place of desert elves, deugar, and humans able use psionics in a powerful way. A place where wizards are forced underground, either to use their powers in a side show act or work on their magic in hidden places so that they won't be found.
A place designed so it won't be prominent in your campaign. It's out of the way, out of the limelight. It's designed to be exotic, fanciful for your PCs. In other words, instead of a whole campaign world based on psionics, it's accessible enough for your PCs go and say: "Wow!" and marvel at it's wonders.
A place where stories are written and people say "There is this city where you can by exotic rugs, silks, spices, and perfumes! They have people there who create the best quality of steel. It's lighter than our native blades! Some of the people there are able to create things completely out of nothing!
"When I asked if they create ex-nihilo, they laughed! They say that they just visualize the thing and pull it from the Ether!
"I once visited one of their academies, and I saw a little girl lift a 50 pound stone without her physical strength. She just stood there and lifted her hand, and the stone lifted in the direction of how she raised her hand! Then she did a push with her hand and the stone flew in that direction about 50 ft!
"I went into one of their performances, and they have the sweetest music! They use crystal instruments, but most of the music I heard in my mind!
"We found out that a significant part of the city is involved in a conspiracy. But the conspiracy didn't come from humans, but little red leaches called puppeteers! We managed to trace them to their lair and did battle with a mind talking Worm-that-Walks made up of the things!"
"Everything they do they do according to their will. I tried to show them that magic was just effective. They laughed at me, at me, and said that they don't have to memorize anything from a spell book and that the spell book was just a crutch for my mind. They said if I ditched the Spellbook and saw how the Universe worked, I would be as powerful and capable as they."
* It's designed so that Gamemasters who like psionics and want to introduce it to their players won't have to just dump the Expanded Psionics Handbook or Psionics Unleashed on them, they can just introduce it by having them travel to the city and describe wondrous adventure for them, using the book a little at a time. When the PCs leave, the GM can put away the XPH or PU! and return to the Pathfinder RPG.
* The Architecture is based off of the setting of Arabian Nights with some architectural styles from the Levant and China. I was going use some Orientalist paintings from the 1800s to convey the feel of the whole city.
* The city is built around a cataract waterfall because of the pyramid that is in a cave behind the falls. The pyramid is from the time beyond myth -- and it's emanations attract the psionic and the curious.
* The city is built as a gateway to the east, it's the Western terminus of your world's Silk Road. You can get exotic spices, buy silks at a cheep price, and other exotic goods at the city. It's built to be an economic powerhouse.
* The city is a mix of Greek, Chinese, Vedic, Persian, and Levantine culture. You will see some Ancient Greek Architecture, Chinese influence in the little China Town at the silk road, and some Hindu temples while the majority is Persian culture (I've been scouring Wikipedia for some good examples, that's the other reason to use Orientalist paintings). The cultures are segregated into four major quarters.
There is a Hellenistic Quarter, a Vedic Quarter, a Persian Quarter, and a Levantine Quarter. There is even the aforementioned China Town.
* There are two ways to approach learning psionics. The Will and the Way is the Western Approach, and is taught in the Hellenic Quarter. The second way is the Chakra Way and that is the Eastern Approach, and is taught in the Vedic quarter.
* The city is polytheistic. Many Gods are worshiped there. However, half of the psionic community is taught to believe in one God -- the True Source. Otherwise, there are multiple gods -- if you create a cleric there, you can even create your own god to worship!
The highlight is the Eastern Temple of Zeus and the Western Temple of Buddha. They have statues built on either side of the falls. Zeus on the North Side, carved into the rock, and Buddha on the south side, also carved into rock.
* Formal training can be had for psions and soul knives. Psychic Warriors are trained in the city's Hellenic Military. Finally, Wilders are often too poor to receive formal training but somehow they "got it" and are able to figure out their power for themselves.
* There are a total of 13 prominent noble families. Some of them are involved in organized crime.
Does that count as original?