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Owain Northway,
Just as crags, valleys, knolls, canyons, seas, plateaus, woodlands, rivers, and jungles form an earthly geography, so too does the tapestry of magic and lore form an assortment of extraordinary structures and currents that sometimes transform the mystical landscape like the changing of the tides or the tectonic shift of an earthquake.
Qwilion of Questhaven
Within these pages, I will present a number of mystical site qualities that are to be found within the mystic locales of Questhaven and its Protectorate. While in the minority, doted through the land there are mythical geographic locations where magic is altered and enhanced or where supernatural effects flow like gentle fountains or erupt like pyroclastic volcanoes. In my studies, I have learned how site qualities, history, and the effects of powerful, ancient rituals shaped my homeland, and seen them become the stage for many an adventure, with its terrain deciding the outcome of even more battles amongst those who have joined the Questor’s Society.
Here are a few examples:
Baneful Influence
Ages ago, a great crime, a shattered oath, or some other wrong brought a terrible curse against the people who once dwelled here. Their descendants dare not walk this ground, for their crimes echo in the fabric of the area. They cannot find rest here, and spells gain a malevolent tinge when cast against them, burning flesh and battering aside their defenses.
Effect: Pick one or more specific ethnicity, organization, race, species, or creature type. When members of the chosen group(s) are in this area they feel ill at ease like some malevolent being is readying to attack them, if they sleep here they are subject to the effects of a nightmare spell (no save). If the chosen groups are affected by a spell or supernatural ability in this area, the DC of the effect and attempts to overcome the chosen groups SR gain a +4 circumstance bonus. When they attempt to cast a spell or use a supernatural ability, they suffer damage (untyped raw magical energy) equal to the effect’s caster level (or HD if supernatural). These areas can be deceptive, for their effects are sometimes difficult to notice.
Example: The first ward of the ruined draconic city of Olothuntryr “The City of Artisans, The Wayward City” appears lush and filled with life. Animals caper down the ruined avenues, while vines, underbrush, and massive trees grow among the ancient walls. However, a closer inspection reveals hundreds of ogre, troll, hill giant and various other giant skeletons tangled in the roots and beneath the foliage. The shattered remnants of the city gates bear half-erased draconic runes warning of death, woe, and doom.
Energy Flux
In some areas, a specific type of magical energy is stronger or more plentiful than normal. Spells that draw on this energy type are more powerful here than elsewhere, as they can access the unusually intense available energy. In other cases, a specific type of energy might be weaker than normal. Spells that draw on this energy type are weaker here than usual. An area usually has an energy flux that reflects its nature or history.
Effect: The energy flux trait features two forms: high and low energy. When you use it, pick one or more spell descriptors, acid, air, chaotic, cold, curse, darkness, death, disease, earth, electricity, emotion, evil, fear, fire, force, good, language-dependent, lawful, light, mind-affecting, pain, poison, shadow, sonic, or water . In a high-energy area, choose a 0th or 1st level spell effect of the chosen descriptor that all creatures in the area with an intelligence score can use as a spell-like ability. Spells and supernatural abilities with the chosen descriptor(s) have gain a +2 circumstance bonus to caster level and a +1 circumstance bonus to DCs in high-energy areas and a -2 circumstance penalty to caster level and a -1 circumstance penalty to DCs in low-energy places. A single area might have high energy for one descriptor and low energy for another.
Example: The Burning Flats a mystical section of the desert known as Damnation’s Pit was created in the aftermath of a magical explosion has a high-energy level for fire but a low-energy level for shadow. Creatures there have an innate ability to use burning hands; this includes the desert falcons that use it to cook their prey.
Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting!
The magics of the Far East have a strange effect on the flows of magic when used in lands dominated by western culture, in these places this type of mystical site appears. Other times it can appear based on an edict issued by a kingdom banning the use of weapons in a region, or where a gifted teacher establishes an influential school of martial arts, at these mystical sites weapons not native to the cultures of the Far East become useless and everyone gains some ability with hand to hand combat.
Effect: Within this site, non-eastern style weapons always miss as if the subject had made a critical fumble. If a creature within the site has levels in monk, her AC and unarmed damage is treated as a monk of five levels higher. If the creature has the Stunning Fist feat, she can make one additional stunning attack per day. If the creature is not a monk, she gains the AC and unarmed damage of a 5th-Level monk (although she does not add her Wisdom bonus to her AC). This AC bonus functions just like the monk's AC bonus.
Example: Oni street and Kami lane that run near the wyrd (elf/ogre mage) abode of House Deimos, is a community from the far eastern lands of jade, who were originally brought here as slaves by the Immortal Emperor Cynmark near the end of his reign, though its parameters change this area is a mystical site for Far Eastern Fighting. This has made it a nexus for brawls started by local gangs and adventurers.
Exultant Deeds:
At the site of an ancient hero’s triumph or the location of an infamous act by a treacherous villain, the force of those actions carry down through the ages to those who stand upon the same ground. Some are backed only by the legend of the original endeavor; others are backed up by the cause they served. One readily notices these locales because when a creature enters it visions of the exultant deed flicker at the edge of its minds, inspiring it to glory.
Effect: Choose a feat or list of feats associated with the act that created this site. Any creature that is standing on the site and seeks the same goal or serves the same cause as the sites creators gains access to that feat or list of feats.
Example: During the Battle of the Shifting shore Castle Journey, the last bastion of Questhaven, only the teamwork of its defenders saved it from being overrun by invaders from the primal world of the fey. Those who are within the walls of the castle now gain the benefits of all teamwork feats.
Fountain of Grit
In some places gunpowder especially in the Far East, has been around for ages, while in others its use in fire arms is a relatively new invention. These locales are often present where black powder was discovered or where the first true firearm was crafted. There are also a rare few sites that came into being due to an epic duel or battle with firearms. The rarest still are those sites that came into being through divine intervention. When within these mystical sites anyone can perform astounding acts of skill with firearms.
Effect: Anyone in this locale gains proficiency with all firearms and gains the Amateur Gunslinger (See ). If you are in this locale and already possess this feat or the grit class feature you gain the Extra Grit class feature. In Addition, firearms never misfire while within this locale.
Example: Just outside the city of Questhaven, along the main road of the city’s Antegate sits the Stable of a Thousand Flowers, which holds a massive number of mounts. Just in front of this structure and within the stables is a fountain of Grit, which has been created by the vast number of duels and battles, caused by the haunting of a gunslinger wraith.
Way cool! Nice creativity on this one, and a definite way to increase the cinema and fun of encounters. Are there some more social-skill affecting sites?
I gotta get this, the kung fu alley is pretty cool, and I'm already going to use the fountain of grit in my next game. Can't wait.
Are there some more social-skill affecting sites?
I am always Leary of messing around with skills as there are play-styles that still dislike them, I will make sure there are a few for you though.
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No pressure Steve! It just occurred to me that social-skill affected areas might be a cool tweak. Seeing as you do have 101 to play around with, a few might not be out of...place.
My homebrew campaign had various flux-zones with varied and weird effects that none of my staid strait-fantasy players ever appreciated, so many never saw the light of play. Updated to Pathfinder, they might look like this:
A former ancient battleground that nerfs Diplomacy checks
A ruined warrior society stronghold with a strong Intimidatory resonance (bonus to Intimidate, sunder checks and massive damage)
A chaos-realm imprinted portal site that gives a bonus to Disguise checks and skews Perception
A massacre site that improves the DCs of spells with the [emotion] descriptor
An overabundant spell-chasm that draws magic-hungry Outsiders (spelluse causes a risk roll to summon said beasts)
Anyway, let me know if you like any of these ideas! I got a head full of more...
@Oceanshieldwolf
If I hit a wall I will let you know.
Another 2 preview pieces.
Foes Interminable
The landscape of magic is often a boon to its inhabitants, but just as some forms of geography are inhospitable to life, the panorama of the eldritch and the revered can also be less than friendly. These sites are often defiled by the deities of wrath, an infamous act motivated by that sin, or the failed creation of some terrible, enchanted weapon.
Effect: When you enter this accursed site, choose any number of allies within 75 ft. This site turns everyone else within it against you and these allies; other trusted allies and companions believe the subject has betrayed them; people the victims have never met believe they are brigands, pirates and/or wanted criminals in disguise. All creatures that encounter you and these allies have their attitude toward the subjects become hostile (see the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook™). Diplomacy and Intimidation checks made to reverse the effects of this site are made at a –20 penalty.
Example: There is an otherwise unremarkable crossroads within the canyons The Shattered Labyrinth of the Protectorate; it is here that forces often encounter an elite group of wyvern-mounted hobgoblin magi allied with the Last Warlord. It is said this site was where the Last Warlord first failed to create The Blade of Reckoning.
Pool of Power
There are places where those with the aptitude can draw upon a reservoir of untapped eldritch and hallowed might. Scholars claim that a succession of adepts of many disciplines must use these areas for years; others claim these sites were where these mighty adepts of the arts died in epic battles, while religious leaders say these are the blessings of deities. The adepts themselves remain silent on the issue.
Effect: within these sites a creature can once per day draw on a number of class feature pool points (arcane points, ki point, grit points, moments of change, moments of chance, motes of time, etc.) equal to her highest mental ability modifier as if the points were in its class pool. If the subject is limited to a number of these points being spent in a given round, she can spend one additional point per round as a free action at any time during the round within this site.
Example: The Tarn of St. Oreithyia, Titan Prophetess of Tragedy and favored servant of Our Mother of Many Ways, is hidden somewhere inside a cirque along the northern ridge of Korvack’s Caldera. Explorers say this pool of power is currently under the control of a tribe of paranoid and violent cyclops time thieves who raise dire wolverines and other more dangerous variants here as guardians.
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