I've kind of been wanting to get into some world building...been very inspired reading the Iron Gods AP, the Tech guide, and all my old Eberron books, along with lots of World War 2 histories and alternate histories (Robert Conroy (1945 and Himmler's War), Harry Turtledove (Worldwar series), Wolfenstein : The New Order, The Man in the High Castle) , and Final Fantasy 6's Magitek armor.
I'm also very intrigued by things in Golarion (especially Nidal and Cheliax, the Hellknight orders and the Starstone).
So, enough background, I want to start with designing some very cool "mech" type equipments, both for PCs to use, and for them to battle. How would you build a battlesuit and a panzer tank using the Tech Guide, and incorporating Eberron style innovations (wand sheaths, etc.) I know this is kind of non-specific, but I'm hoping some ideas present themselves.
How would you give each one a "flavor"? I'm thinking of having nations that focus on a different type of arcane magic (There's definitely going to be a more necromancy - focused Karrnath / Geb type nation, and a summoning - focused Cheliax type )
Can anyone point me to other resources that might help me focus on nailing these down? How do you think these things would look?
I can only point out other resources. ** spoiler omitted **
I have that AP!! I only skimmed over that installment though, definitely going back to check it out.
I'm thinking one of my nations will be based in part on WW2 Germany... they're going to have the quickest tanks, and a national devotion and obsession with bloodlines. There's going to be a lot of a particular kind of sorcerer, maybe they'll interface with the tanks in some way?
The Tech Guide has a suit of power armor, I believe. Is that more-or-less you thought process when you say 'battlesuit' or do you mean something else? That's a very loose phase.
Yeah, that's a start I guess, I know it was vague.. sorry about that.
My thought process is more along the lines of Magitek armor from Final Fantasy 6. A blend of magic and technology, more like a mech warrior kind of thing that might not be out of place in a slightly more advanced Eberron type setting...these things would be the cutting edge of technology and wouldn't necessarily rule the battlefield or be ubiquitous, but would be regarded as elite, expensive pieces of machinery requiring a skilled pilot with special abilities.
They wouldn't be like on Golarion, relics of an alien civilization, though alien tech might have been involved somewhere at their inception.
Does that help clear it up some?
You will probably be better off with a system built with these things in mind.
I guess a cross between the Iron Man suit and the Avatar mechs. Definitely more of a vehicle than a suit of armor... no flight capability, that would be for a different specialized vehicle, Eberron style airships beefed up (again more like the Highwind from Final Fantasy 7, and the air force from FF 4).
Since I want to have a few nations with a strong affiliation with a particular kind of magic, what suggestions would you give for a spell like ability for different vehicles from different nations to have? I'm definitely thinking nothing is going to shoot conventional bullets (except for regular firearms, but the only ones even semi mass produced will be the gunslinger kind, not modern weaponry. Swords and bows will still be the majority of equipment for armies)
I'll take another look at the vehicle rules and the tech guide powered armor and see what I can dredge from those.
This is my inner sci-fi geek coming out, too. Jedi are definitely an inspiration in mixing science and magic.
You will probably be better off with a system built with these things in mind.
Maybe.. but I want to use Pathfinder, it's what I know, and it's grown a whole lot. I'd use 5th edition but it's still in its infancy, PF has a wealth of rules and crunch, and Golarion itself suggests to me that Paizo believes PF can handle any type of game, and I'd tend to agree. Again, these things aren't going to be commonplace, I'm going for a slightly more advanced "The Germans are working on secret weapons and we need to develop our own!!" kind of feel from WW2. They're out there but they aren't mass produced, but they definitely impact battles.
Tank
Steam Giant
Air Vehicles (several sub-pages)
Technological Armor
Technological Weapons
Not saying Pathfinder is the best system for this, but it does try. (And I still want to see a hybrid between Pathfinder and Mutants & Masterminds . . .)
With respect to national arcane school specialization:
The Thassilonian Empire had sub-empires ruled by different Sin Mages (Thassilonian Specialists), each specializing in a different school of magic. See Thassilon, Runelords, and Thassilonian Specialist (Archives of Nethys version and d20pfsrd.com version, the latter of which is somewhat deflavored but easier to read (strangely, the Archives of Nethys lists this as an archetype, although not in archetype format, while d20pfsrd.com doesn't).
With regard to setting, is this going to be an alternate history, or in past (Thassilonian Empire, perhaps?) or future (evolved?) Golarion?
Steam Giant
Air Vehicles (several sub-pages)
Technological Armor
Technological WeaponsNot saying Pathfinder is the best system for this, but it does try. (And I still want to see a hybrid between Pathfinder and Mutants & Masterminds . . .)
With respect to national arcane school specialization:
The Thassilonian Empire had sub-empires ruled by different Sin Mages (Thassilonian Specialists), each specializing in a different school of magic. See Thassilon, Runelords, and Thassilonian Specialist (Archives of Nethys version and d20pfsrd.com version, the latter of which is somewhat deflavored but easier to read (strangely, the Archives of Nethys lists this as an archetype, although not in archetype format, while d20pfsrd.com doesn't).
With regard to setting, is this going to be an alternate history, or in past (Thassilonian Empire, perhaps?) or future (evolved?) Golarion?
Those are awesome starting points. I totally forgot about Thassilon.. that's a pretty good inspiration, too. Minus the connection to the seven deadly sins. Thanks for that.
The setting is still up in the air, sort of. I'm working on it. I know the feeling I want to evoke is similar to reading through and playing an Eberron module..stealing the plans for the mech suit would be an entire story arc for me that I'd love to GM. Then maybe gathering materials to make a prototype, and finally using them in some fashion in the final stages. (for me, some of the most fun. I'm not big on sandbox type GM-ing, but I love good stories.)
I'm leaning towards having a Karrnath type nation...with undead (both intelligent and non) more integrated into society than in Eberron, more like Geb, but more cosmopolitan. Definitely ruled by a lich, or I might just borrow Arazni, she's a really great villain with an awesome backstory. I'd get to use one of my favorite 3.5 PrCs here, the Bone Knight.
For a conjuration / summoning type of nation...I'm thinking of a place where not only is human slavery condoned, but there are demons and celestials alike held in thrall by powerful wizards, backed by devils and infernal cultists. I really strongly would base it on Cheliax, and include some form of Hellknight order.
Enchantment, would be a place devoted to a god / goddess like Apollo or Sune...A place of breathtaking beauty (I'm picturing Qualinost from the old Dragonlance novels) but full of intrigue, and with laws concerning attractiveness and appearance...
Then there's the Germany type nation, which is on the cutting edge of technology and is the aggressor in whatever conflict is going on, even if it's not full scale war...fully evil, with a bent towards purifying bloodlines... this place will be full of sorcerers with some bloodline (suggestions?), and the results of the genetic research and breeding programs have brought the people of this nation to a Chosen - Inspired level... in fact the Inspired from Eberron might be the perfect model here.
I'm really just brainstorming, you've got my imagination working now...thanks!! keep it coming my way!!
D20 Mecha, if you can find it (there may still be online SRDs available), has rules for creating any thing from form-fitting power armor to giant mecha and from scooters to battleships. It was designed to work with pretty much any d20 system game (there are guidelines for converting the mecha points used for the design into various forms of currency, including gold pieces).
Though there are probably better options out there, it could help.
I'd recommend throwing in a ring of shady arms dealers who parcel out just enough of these advanced battlesuits to keep conflict going, but not quite enough to tip the balance in favor of any one nation. Got to keep that profit margin growing, you know!
Depending on how far you want to take it, intelligent magical armor can give an AI/power armor (aka Jarvis?) type feel to things as well.
For the mech suite I would also take a look at the synthesis *duck*
Instead of handling it as Armor (increase AC) I would give it HP (maybe with hit zone depending on the size).
For the mech suite I would also take a look at the synthesis *duck*
Instead of handling it as Armor (increase AC) I would give it HP (maybe with hit zone depending on the size).
Don't duck, that was pretty much what the archetype was made for. They just did a bad job of implementing it.
That being said, definitely take a look at the Aegis class from DSP (Dreamscarred Press). You can punch it in at d20pfsrd. Despite it being a psionic class, it isn't actually very psionic-y and can be run with minimal or no psionics if the GM (or you) don't want to bother with the system. It is extremely well balanced and made to fill a similar niche the synth was created for.
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I'm leaning towards having a Karrnath type nation...with undead (both intelligent and non) more integrated into society than in Eberron, more like Geb, but more cosmopolitan. Definitely ruled by a lich, or I might just borrow Arazni, she's a really great villain with an awesome backstory. I'd get to use one of my favorite 3.5 PrCs here, the Bone Knight.
Which setting is Karrnath from? I can't find it on Pathfinderwiki.com, and if it is in Eberron, I must have missed it in the brief time I had to look over the setting (printed) book (which I have to say was pretty awesome back in 3.5th Edition days -- not sure about 4th Edition days).
For a conjuration / summoning type of nation...I'm thinking of a place where not only is human slavery condoned, but there are demons and celestials alike held in thrall by powerful wizards, backed by devils and infernal cultists. I really strongly would base it on Cheliax, and include some form of Hellknight order.
This does sound like Haruka, the Thassilonian realm of Sloth, as well as being an echo of the more decadent part of Cheliax. On Earth, it sounds like the American Confederacy and its aftermath.
Enchantment, would be a place devoted to a god / goddess like Apollo or Sune...A place of breathtaking beauty (I'm picturing Qualinost from the old Dragonlance novels) but full of intrigue, and with laws concerning attractiveness and appearance...
Without the laws concerning attractiveness and appearance, this could be Italy (and I think that some of my relatives from there would agree . . .).
Then there's the Germany type nation, which is on the cutting edge of technology and is the aggressor in whatever conflict is going on, even if it's not full scale war...fully evil, with a bent towards purifying bloodlines... this place will be full of sorcerers with some bloodline (suggestions?), and the results of the genetic research and breeding programs have brought the people of this nation to a Chosen - Inspired level... in fact the Inspired from Eberron might be the perfect model here.
This sounds like an echo of the Wrathful part of Cheliax. Although an actual Nazi-type nation would probably try to send all of the Sorcerers, Bloodragers, mixed-blood types and to concentration camps as being impure, except that they might accept one type that they believe would help them win (as seen in the Axis alliance).
If you're looking for something along the lines of a battle-mech suit using the AT-ST walker Stats (from the Saga Edition of the Star Wars RPG)(WoC) as a basis for what you're looking for... it's essentially the same as making a vehicle that has a walking speed, instead of wheels or tracks, and is powered by anything from magic to fusion reactors to something in-between. just my two cents.