I figure that it is likely that someone has done this already, but I have been thinking that a fantasy Stargate game would be a lot of fun to game in.
I figure that it is best to have the SpellGates be artifacts, mostly to keep them from being replicated by crafty PCs or NPCs. However, I still need a convenient way to control them. This brings up two things to consider, ease of use and power source.
The Stargate series tended to use a dial-device. That might still be worthwhile, especially if you consider that people will not have a computer that generates, dials, and maintains a database for the characters. That said, I wonder if someone will cite a Pathfinder version of a computer that would/could do the same. Regarding power source, it would probably run on charges of some sort.
I do not like the idea of it being powered by a character's spells, because who wants to "waste" their spell allotment just to power the gate. But then again it might not be so bad if it was just one for the trip there and one for the trip home. Maybe have a spell level being worth a given distance variable. A level-one spell could go for a closer star, or some other structure.
I could also see characters using a magical device, maybe a rod to control a gate. Depending on the parameters between origin and destination it could use a variable amount of charges.
When I was looking at the Pathfinder Society the other day, I was thinking that they might be a good source for people that would go through the gate, adventure around the galaxy, and do good deeds as they uncover artifacts and explore.
I do not think that a nation necessarily needs to be "in charge" of Golarion's gate travel. But I could imagine what the different nations might try to do if it were discovered that someone had access to it. The Elves might have it, as there is a gate network of sorts in the Elven lands, and that be where they went when they left Golarion. Not a different plane as it seems to indicate, but perhaps just a different planet.
You could always use runes to power the gates (just like in Star Gate but the magical equivalent, and they would be scattered all over the world). The characters would have to adventure to find these special rune stones and then have to figure out what order they go in to activate the gate for specific locations.
So, you are saying that I should use a bunch of different rune-stones that can then be activated in a certain order to get somewhere? That does enable me to control potential locations and the like, and it also gives a reason for adventuring. That is a pretty good idea, actually.
Thanks, there are some good ideas in that thread. I am thinking about keeping it fantasy, though. But I do have the Stargate book (and all of the DVDs). :)
Living Arcanis did this, with the portals of Anshar.
You can still find a lot of their 3.0/3.5 stuff around, and it's a snap to convert.
Paizo has used bound outsiders to power big complex devices in two of their APs, FYI.
I think that I will have there be two different types of gate networks as per Golarion "canon". See Elf Gates.
The Ancient gates, which are those that travel to different worlds, could be powered by the use of Mythic Power (as per Mythic Adventures). The reason that people cannot get them to work is because they are not of at least the first Mythic tier. Then a Mythic character can use one of their Mythic Power uses to power the gate.
Here is another link, you might like.