Hello! Any day now, we'll be unveiling the Kickstarter campaign page for The Ages of Allu Campaign Guide! We're still tinkering with the content, so if you have any suggestions about how to make our KS campaign the best one you've ever seen, drop by this thread with your two cents in hand.
Meanwhile, I'm using the brainpool here on Paizo's forums to get feedback on some of Allu's most intrinsic and distinctive features: the use of mythology, the five-element magic system, and now...reincarnation!
Well, we'll probably end up calling it something else, since reincarnate is a spell. But since all the souls in Allu automatically reincarnate, instead of moving to another plane, that druid spell will likely be eclipsed by other features unique to Allu. But I've always liked reincarnate (the spell), especially its element of randomness, so I hope to reproduce some of its spirit in a slightly more accessible form.
Why make reincarnation a central part of the campaign world? Because Allu is meant as a world with mythic scope, so one story could easily span many generations. But more importantly, we want PCs to feel that they can make heroic gestures, take incredible risks, and even sacrifice themselves for a cause...without losing everything they've worked so hard to build.
What follows are a few ideas about the unique role of reincarnation in the Allu campaign world. As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts -- suggestions to improve the system, or general reactions for or against them. Thanks!
1) Normal Reincarnation
All souls in Allu reincarnate, but most are reborn as infants, and with little or no memories of their former lives. This won't make a huge impact on gameplay, although it may mean that PCs can gain flashes of insight as their past lives return to them.
2) Reclaiming a Soul
Due to a compact with the gods, the Free Races of Allu can enact a ritual to "reclaim" a recently deceased soul. In this case, the dead PC or NPC returns with all their memories (and all their levels) intact. But the ritual has four specific requirements, and four factors of unpredictability.
3) Requirements
The reincarnation ritual:
- Must be enacted on the spot of the soul's demise, and within one month of the soul's death.
- Requires spell components costing at least 5,000 gp
- Requires a conclave of five -- that is, five members of different Free Races of Allu. None of them need to be spellcasters, although they do require written or oral knowledge of the ritual.
- Requires the casting of five spells (or the activation of magic items, or spell-like abilities), each attuned to one of the five elements.
4) Random Factors: Three Saves
When the ritual occurs, three saving throws are made to prevent geomantic or astrological forces from transforming the soul during its return. Any member of the conclave of 5 can choose to make the saving throw; the DC is (something like) 15 + HD of departed soul + # of times the soul has already been reincarnated.
- Fortitude: If the save fails, the soul returns as a different race (a random chart will include all the Free Races of Allu).
- Reflex: If the save fails, the soul's elemental affinity changes.
- Will: If the save fails, the soul loses memories (not necessarily levels, but possibly penalties to skill ranks etc.).
5) Random Factors: Elemental Infusion
While the other random factors may penalize the returning soul, the final random element is often a boon. Reincarnated souls receive an elemental infusion, and roll percentile dice:
01-30: No change
31-39: Sinews of Flame (permanent +1 Str)
40-49: Lightning Hand (permanent +1 Dex)
50-59: Bones of Granite (permanent +1 Con)
60-69: Aetheric Mind (permanent +1 Int)
70-79: Oceanic Insight (permanent +1 Wis)
80-89: Divine Kiss (permanent +1 Cha)
90-00: Sourcetouched (gain DR 5/-)
As you can see, between the lack of level drain and the potential bonuses, there are actually good reasons for Allu's heroes to court death. However, the rising DCs should discourage "frequent fliers," as they make it increasingly difficult to return intact, and in the same form as before. None the less, we recognize the potential for abuse with a system like this, even though the aim is to create mythic PCs who can embrace death and come back stronger.
What do you think? Would this system appeal to you or your players? If it's too complicated, which parts would you keep, and which would you throw out? And what should be call "reincarnation" in Allu?
Thanks for your feedback!
Very excited to read the feedback on this!