Kingmaker in the desert

[Dela]

Hi all,

after finishing Jade Regent in some weeks, my group and I would like to play Kingmaker, but with a twist. We would like to play "Shahmaker" -> Kingmaker, but in the desert with an arabian style.

Having played part 1 and some of 2, I think at least for those parts it shouldn´t be too hard to change most of the fluff.

But what about the rest? Do you think this could work?

Thanks in advance for your replies!

[T.A.U.]

It seems doable.
For the Kingdom building part:
Oases could be Landmark.
There are the cliff dwelling exotic settlements (like Petra in Jordan) you find in Legendary Games's Ultimate Rulership.

For the Plot part:
You could substitute the BBEG N. with a Powerful Genie.
The Staglord bandits with desert riders and so on...
The new Wayfinder 10 is about Katapesh and Qadira, so you could get some inspiration.

[Secane]

I have no ideal why, but once I saw this post, I envision Good-Alignment mummies as victims that need rescuing from the desert riders that are pillaging the mummies' tombs.

Something to throw your players off? (Players always stereotype enemies.)

[pennywit]

Hmmm ...

If you're doing Shamaker, your Golation setting options are Osirion, Qadira, Thuvia, and Keleshite. I don't have my Inner Sea guide with me right now, but didn't one of these nations have a history that involves janni heroes called the Five Winds or something? And wasn't there a castle or keep or something near the center of the country?

I think there's fertile ground in there if (as suggested above), you reskin Nyrissa and the other fey as djinn. In my mind's eye, I'm seeing a noble group (Pactmasters, IIRC) commissioning the players to bring civilization to the nation's interior. I'm seeing an altered KM map with no rivers, but instead isolated oases.

The patrons (reskinned sword lords) send one set of adventurers to each oasis, telling them to settle the oasis and bring civilization. I think farmland would be much, much harder to come by. Also, I think you would change the population figures for a settlement. The population wouldn't really be people living there, but rather traveling bands of nomads who occasionally check into town to trade.

[Icyshadow]

Maybe take some ideas from Legacy of Fire? Kelmarane and Katapesh are good sources for lore stuff.

[DundjinnMasta]

It may be great to combine this with some of the Legacy of Fire stuff. Especially replaci nth the first part of the module with the first part of Legacy of Fire!

[Mythic Evil Lincoln]

Sultanmaker and Pharaohmaker are also nice title options.

Caliphmaker?

[Orthos]

DundjinnMasta wrote:

It may be great to combine this with some of the Legacy of Fire stuff. Especially replaci nth the first part of the module with the first part of Legacy of Fire!

Yeah this would be my suggestion as well, look into mining stuff from LoF to fill out some of the more Arabian Nights feel to encounters.

[pennywit]

Mythic Evil Lincoln wrote:

Sultanmaker and Pharaohmaker are also nice title options.

Caliphmaker?

Don't forget noble NPCs.

Shah Arlatan
Sheikh Yabooti
Sheikh Brynn, owner of a great dairy works (also known as the Milk Sheikh)
Shaikh Rock N. Roll

[Ba Dum Tish]

Bwa bwa bwa bwaaaaaa

[00iCon]

Suddenly roads become the best choice to boost your economy. Sounds realistic. Oases become extremely valuable.

Bonus cred: do it in the Mana Wastes, it keeps monsters relevant at higher levels, and has an excellent delicate political situation. To me, it seems like the best choice to keep the power progression in line with the increasing tension as the kingdom expands.

[00iCon]

I killed the thread? I thought the Mana Wastes were a great idea. :(

I have no idea what the lower level encounters would be like, but the motivation for setting up a kingdom could be a region prospected to be rich in iron, sulfur and saltpeter with a hex of sparse palm trees.

[T.A.U.]

I think desert hexes with a river can have farms (like in the ancient Egypt long the Nile). Even UC rules said that you can build farm in a desert Hex with a canal, a coastline or a river.

For the setting in Golarion geography, the campaign could be a way to expand to east-south-east, away from the Inner Sea, but I don't know if there are some maps of the "middle-east" of Golarion

[thenovalord]

Actual a kingdom buildy thing in the sand would be very appealing indeed

[Hayato Ken]

Maybe you can give a bit more info on houserules and other modifications, also about story etc? Could lead to interesting answers and opportunities here maybe :)