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So... World Building time!
For clarity, this was already done, but I wanted to clarify my previous sentence, here. :)
Also...
... I need to introduce a new class! Which is an old class!
Via an order and in-world lore!
The ancient Order of Assassins has long inhabited the northern regions of the world. There, they train their members in the elite art of focus, subtlety, and death strikes; and imbue many with a powerful connection to the darkness they use as their tool. They Order has spies and ears across the northern region of continent, and will soon hear of any who seek their services; upon a consideration of whether or not the Order desires to listen (but not accept) a Contract, it will send a Negotiating Agent to contact the person who seeks them. If the Contract is found worthwhile, the 'Agent will negotiate an agreeable fee (which is always impressively large) and guarantee the end of the target; an Assassin (who's skill is appropriate) is chosen for the task, and given instructions. If the Contract is found unworthy, or the offer is insulting (or the seeker is simply insufferable enough), the 'Agent will either withdraw, or (if reasonably incensed, or it seems expedient) demonstrate Assassin skills upon the seeker, leaving the corpse to be found, with a note explaining what the corpse was seeking to do, and explaining that, should the still-living would-be target so choose, the Order may be able to take care of other would-be targets; and in the meanwhile (in most cases), a "small fee" (usually the price of the contract) has been taken from the would-be target. The implied warning, is that the would-be target can just as easily become an actual target, should the Order choose.
While the Order accepts Contracts, it does not do so lightly; all potential Contracts are carefully weighed and considered even before an agent is sent. Further, the Order will not assign a contract to one of their members that said member finds morally or ethically distasteful. But if the Order does assign a Contract to a member, that member is expected to fulfill it, or else a Contract will be placed upon both the now-defunct member, as well as the target.
The Order also has special (unpublished and unknown) rules. They will never act to Assassinate the politically, socially, or physically infirm or powerless (without important other justification), nor will they act against those who they feel are "innocent" in some way (though this may or may not necessarily match up with most people's views on the matter).
Order of Assassins Benefits
== == == == == == == ==
To enhance their operatives, The Order of Assassins often imbue their agents with a special boon - by connecting their flesh to the darkness, a follower gains natural resistances and an excellent ability to cloak themselves with darkness. Of course, if they ever accidentally use such abilities when it isn't necessary, the Order's hand in a given affair is revealed, or their agent is - something the Order cannot permit (and take steps that such failed Agents do not continue to harm the Order). Thus, some members are delayed (or even outright denied) such a boon, should the Order be uncertain of their dedication, loyalty, motivations, or self-control; and some few, doubting themselves, defer (either permanently or temporarily) gaining such a gift.
DARK CREATURE TEMPLATE
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., lowlight vision
- Defensive Abilities
- > character HD: 1+ 5+ 11+
- > DR/magic - 5 10
- > Resistance 5 10 15
- Shadow Blend (su): gain concealment in any light other than bright; suspend/resume free; gain 50% miss chance from concealment instead of 20% (still not total concealment)
== == == == == == == ==
ASSASSIN CLASS
The ancient Order of Assassins's have perfected the skills of studying a creature to guide their assault. They master poison, learn to resist it, and master their skills in death, and subtlety. The assassin takes Contracts (usually handed by the Order), and make their money by eliminating these targets swiftly, efficiently, and thoroughly.
Prerequisites
Class Traits: D8 (moderate), good reflex, 6+ skills
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), Use Device (Cha)
Proficiency: crossbow (all), dagger (all), dart, rapier, sap, shortbow (all), short sword; light armor, no shields; gain catch off-guard and throw anything bonus feats
- LVL SPECIAL
- 1 death strike (death or paralysis), studied combat, studied strike +1d6, poison use
- 2 hardiness v. poison +1, inspiration, uncanny dodge
- 3 fasinate, poison-friend (10% discount), studied strike +2d6
- 4 death strike (true death), hardiness v. poison +2, hidden weapons
- 5 studied strike +3d6, uncanny dodge [improved]
- 6 death strike (quiet death), hardiness v. poison +3
- 7 poison friend (20% discount), studied strike +4d6
- 8 hardiness v. poison +4, hide in plain sight
- 9 death strike (inspired death), studied strike +5d6; (b) improvised weapon mastery
- 10 death strike (shadowed ashes), immunity to poison, poison-friend (40% discount)
Death Strike
An assassin may make a single successful attack on a creature subject to the studied target ability (see below) into a death strike, either paralyzing or killing the target (assassin's choice) if the attack successfully lands.
If the target detects the assassin or recognizes the assassin as an enemy, the death attack fails (though the studied strike functions as normal). If the victim of such a death strike fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the assassin's class level + the assassin's Int modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim is rendered helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the assassin. If the victim's saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal studied strike.
If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the assassin does not launch the attack within the duration of the studied combat, a new studied combat is required before he can attempt another death attack. A target can only be the subject of a specific assassin's death attack once per 24 hours; but if an assassin expends an additional Inspiration point (if it has any), it may make additional death attacks; this basically doubles an inspiration cost.
- True Death: At 4th level, a target successfully killed by a death strike is harder to bring back from the dead. raise dead or similar magical effects must succeed on a caster level check with a DC of 15 + the assassin's level, or the spell fails and material components are wasted.
- Swift Death: At 6th level, whenever an assassin kills a creature using his death strike during a surprise round, he can also make a Stealth check, opposed by Perception checks of those in the vicinity to prevent them from identifying him as the assailant. If successful, those nearby might not even notice that the target is dead for a few moments, allowing the assassin to avoid detection.
- Second Death: At 9th level, when an assassin makes a death strike, a second attack made in that round against the same target (whether part of a full attack, an extra attack due to haste, an attack of opportunity, or similar) also functions as a death attack, requiring the same save against the effect, even if the Studied Combat effect no longer applies.
- Ashes Death: At 10th level, when the assassin makes a successful death strike, and the target dies, he can optionally cause the target's body to crumble to dust. This prevents raise dead and resurrection (although true resurrection works as normal).
Studied Combat
This functions similarly to the Investigator ability of the same name. An assassin treats each level of Assassin as two levels in Investigator for the purpose of determining bonuses. If an assassin gains access to a pool of inspiration (or similar ability), they may use this to enable a creature to become the target of their Studied Combat additional times within a 24-hour period, in the same manner an investigator can do so.
Studied Strike
This functions exactly like the Investigator ability of the same name. The extra damage increases by +1d6 every other level (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th). If an assassin gets Studied Strike from another source, the bonuses on damage stack.
Poison Use
Assassins are trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison themselves when applying poison to a weapon (see Poison).
Inspiration
An assassin gains a pool of inspiration like that of an investigator. This pool can only be used to allow additional studied combat, death attack, or fascinate effects (see below); it does not apply to skill checks. If the assassin has a different Inspiration, the points of the two pools stack and may apply to any of their abilities.
Hardiness versus Poison
At 2nd level, the assassin gains a +1 saving throw bonus against poisons. This bonus increase by +1 every two levels. At 10th level, the assassin becomes completely immune to poison.
Uncanny Dodge
At 2nd level, an assassin cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. An assassin with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him.
If an assassin already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.
At 5th level, this ability improves. At 5th level and higher, an assassin can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the assassin by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has assassin levels.
If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
Fascinate
Assassins are also trained in the use of subtlety. Starting at 3rd level, an assassin gains the ability to fascinate a target. This ability functions similarly to the bardic performance ability of the same name, save it only affects one target (the assassin's choice), and the DC is 10 + assassin's class level + assassin's intelligence modifier, and the target may be subject to a death strike, even if they previously thought of the assassin as an enemy. The assassin may use bluff, diplomacy, or intimidate as the skill associated with this ability.
Poison Friend
Starting at 3rd level, an assassin knows well where and how to get the best bargains for (and make the most out of ingredients for) poison. An assassin gains a discount on all poisons he purchases or creates. At 3rd level this discount is 10%, and increases to 20% at 7th, and 40% at 10th. This discount applies to the purchase price, if bought, and the crafted price, if created.
Hidden Weapons
At 4th level, an assassin becomes a master at hiding weapons on his body. He adds his assassin level to all Sleight of Hand skill checks made to prevent others from noticing them.
Hide in Plain Sight
At 8th level, an assassin can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as he is within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, an assassin can hide himself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. He cannot, however, hide in his own shadow.
If an assassin also has the dark creature template, they can hide any time their shadow blend ability would activate.
Hide in Plain Sight
At 9th level, an assassin becomes a master of making the mundane into deadly weapons. They gain improvised weapon mastery as a bonus feat, even if they don't meet the prerequisites.
== == == == == == == ==
And that's that! what do you guys think?
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Why do they do it? Money? Power (for themselves, or for a third party)? On behalf of some sort of supernatural being - if they have a connection to the Darkness, is the Darkness a principle of some sort, and if so, what does it stand for?
Apologies if one or more of those points are covered elsewhere...
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Why do they do it? Money? Power (for themselves, or for a third party)? On behalf of some sort of supernatural being - if they have a connection to the Darkness, is the Darkness a principle of some sort, and if so, what does it stand for?
Apologies if one or more of those points are covered elsewhere...
No apologies! These are perfect questions to ask.
The short version is they do it for "money" but that's the "low" view of looking at what they do, and, frankly, they purposefully shroud themselves in both mystery and hidden agendas (the latter of which may well vary - the world really doesn't know).
There are a lot of specifics that I've left out (such as how they avoid detection by divination, and I mean beyond the fact that this just isn't a world where that many people have that much divination that readily available), at least in part because I'm running this game right now.
To that end...
By surrounding themselves with mystique and (seemingly arbitrary) rules of engagement and targets, they protect themselves from needless retaliation; because they are hard to find and difficult to ferret out, and their motives are mysterious - but almost always beneficial to those who would be most receptive of "not purging them from the face of the world" - they wrap themselves in an air of invincibility.
Their motives vary, but, at their core, they believe they are sent to "punish" sin and profit along the way. They are servants and tools, but they have their own reasons - ranging from survival to revenge to socio-economic politics to seemingly-arbitrary "moral" judgement of people, places, ideas, and so on - but in the end, if described as a whole, they kill for money because that's what they do, and they take honor and pride in their organization because it's prestigious and plays an important role in the society, economics, and politics of their greater region.
In a way, they can be compared to a blend of several quasi-inspirations: the Daggermark Assassin's Guild of Daggermark, that order of ninjas in Batman Begins and Dark Knight Rises, "historical" (ish) ninjas, the generic Wu Xia stylized highly exclusive super-school of combat, and a bit of an "symbiotic" (if independent) "nation"-like entity. In fact, they consider themselves a power of their own, and can (and will) declare war, if threatened en-masse - something that, while costly for the assassins, inevitably goes poorly for the "aggressor"-state (as they tend to quickly lose all of the leaders who were previously bent on eradicating said assassins).
All that said... there aren't that many of them.
In my game world, at any given time, there are about 77 members of a given prestige class - this is a flexible number, not a hard one, based on rough mathematics by level - ranging from levels 1 to 10 in that class.
The organization itself, of course, is larger - you have those who are trained from the earliest of ages to eventually enter this class who live with and are part of the broader Organization, but aren't actual assassins - servants, merchants, and other minor entities. There are about three thousand, total, in the "Order of Assassins", of which about two thousand five hundred of which are too low level to be assassins. Of the remaining five hundred, there are only seventy-seven (give or take) Assassins (in the PrC) - but, generally, the remaining members support the actual members of that PrC.
There is a Council of Masters that the Order serves made up (mostly) of their senior assassins (usually the top eight assassins, and a few others), and three, five, or seven (always odd) other high-level wise and intelligent characters who are not assassins. There is a single Grand Master who is usually the highest level assassin (though he is chosen by the council), and is usually considered the first among equals. The Council generally works together to benefit the Order above all - taking whatever action they deem worthwhile to that end - and will raise a new member after one dies, and raise a new Grand Master after the current one expires. The Council is extraordinarily picky and discerning with whom they allow into the Council - only those who are the most dedicated to the Order as a whole ever achieve that level of political power, as a result.
There has only once been a division in the Council - three hundred years ago, a powerful monster ensorcelled three of the council (at the time, there were only five, total) and attempted to overrule the then-current Grand Master. The Grand Master was slain in combat after killing two of the corrupted council, and the remaining uncorrupted member led a fight against the other council member, the deceiving monster, and their corrupted loyalists. This rent the Order, and decimated their numbers, but paved the way for a reorganization, as the survivor (the one who was not corrupted) reorganized the Council so that there must be non-Assassins on it, as well, to ensure extra eyes and minds, and to help ward against corruption from within. The re-organization also promoted not just on skill, but loyalty, and other aspects found worthy of leadership. After the changes, the Order has been extraordinarily stable.
As for their connection to the darkness, it is simply one of practicality. They serve no particular higher being than the Order, nor have a definitive connection to any other plane, outside of the fact that imbuing assassins with the ability to blend into darkness is really useful, as it turns out, so they use that, when possible.
Does that answer all of your questions?
How many of 5th level and below?
896 + 608 + 468 + 304 + 224 = 1504 + 774 + 224 = 2278 + 224 = 2502
How many in total (from 1st to 16th level)?
> 896 + 608 + 468 + 304 + 224 + 152 + 112 + 86 + 56 + 38 + 28 + 19 + 14 + 9 + 7 + 4 =
> 1504 + 772 + 376 + 198 + 94 + 47 + 23 + 11 =
> 2276 + 574 + 141 + 34 =
> 2850 + 175 =
> 3025
Breakdown of demographics by level:
896 x 1st lvl (128 "PC"-class, remaining NPC)
608 x 2nd lvl (96 "PC"-class, remaining NPC)
468 x 3rd lvl (64 "PC"-class, remaining NPC)
304 x 4th lvl (48 "PC"-class, remaining NPC)
224 x 5th lvl (32 "PC"-class, remaining NPC)
152 x 6th lvl (24 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 24 assassin-class)
112 x 7th lvl (16 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 16 assassin-class)
86 x 8th lvl (12 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 12 assassin-class)
56 x 9th lvl (8 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 8 assassin-class)
38 x 10th lvl (6 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 6 assassin-class)
28 x 11th lvl (4 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 4 assassin-class)
19 x 12th lvl (3 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 3 assassin-class)
14 x 13th lvl (2 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 2 assassin-class)
9 x 14th lvl (1 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 1 assassin-class)
7 x 15th lvl (1 "PC"-class, remaining NPC; up to 1 assassin-class)
4 x 16th lvl (0 "PC"-class; up to 1 assassin-class)
The actual numbers of assassins of a given level are variable; generally speaking, the maximum number of assassins are relatively straight forward and line up with the numbers given: 1 at 10th, 1 at 9th, 2 at 8th, 3 at 7th, and so on, down to 24 at 1st level.
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I figure I'll expound a bit, since I can.
I think it's worth noting that there are three major "non-monstrous races" in the world, at large: dwarves, elves, and humans (and even these three are pushing the definition of "non-monstrous"...). As a result of the exclusion and limited nature of the dwarves and elves, the three main races are humans, half-dwarves, and half-elves; most of the latter two in these eras are the results of unions between other half-dwarves or half-elves, respectively.
Half-dwarves have a literal average lifespan between humans and dwarves (with their maximum of 160 venerable +5d20); otherwise, these are, statistically, half-orcs (though they gain familiarity with any weapon that has either "orc" and "dwarf" in it). Half-elves are identical to how they are in normal PF.
While in the source materials, dwarves and elves are so limited as to be found only in a single city or cave, I expanded this quite a bit - they are, though still quite limited and very rare, found spread abroad in various capacities.
Beyond that, however, you know, figuring that I was basing this (extremely loosely) off of 8-bit Theater and Final Fantasy I, I figured, I'd crib some more.
Given that this is kind of sandboxy, I figured this game would head in one of any number of directions (literally and figuratively) the PCs wanted (their only real "goal" explained, to date, over-all, is the one in which they end the evil Spearland for good).
To that end, I've created a rough description of few areas of the world, mostly basing them off of rough memories of 8-Bit, and FF, plus whatever the heck else I wanted.
These are as follows:
The Principal Locations to the Prologue, Corneria Lost:
- Corneria: the cursed lands, a region of five abandoned countries that have fallen into a terrible curse and Miasma; the original home of the PCs and the land the Light Warriors (and their legend) started from.
- Norfinswe: a cursed northern land of multiple abandoned small countries and townships, now almost entirely devoid of non-monstrous living things, and coated with a disquieting and deathly stillness; the original location of the Order of Assassins (“burka ninjas”), among other peoples; ancient ruins dot these places, long-abandoned due to curses and malevolent forces that seem attracted to them.
The truth of the Order's involvement with Spearland prior to the Light Warrior's arrival is sketchy and, at present, unknown (even to me, the GM; it'll vary based on PC stuff)... but what is known (to me, alone) is that the Peyotr-Aktivnyytrup* ("rock-active corpse")* is at the cause of the Earth Rot within the region. An ancient ruler, he long ago bound his corrupted soul to the Deep Crysmal functions of those mountains, using the Earth Crystal itself as his phylactery, and has become the earth fiend, as a result, but also killing the surrounding land.
Desperate for a place that lives, and angry with Corneria's "outrageous" attempt on "their" lands, the Order rallied people to Spearland's cause**, and activated an ancient artifact that enabled them to send over a hundred thirty six thousand creatures from that mountainous region into Corneria.
Whether or not the PCs "fix" the Norfinswe region, or not, is entirely up to them, in the course of the game. We'll have to see if they care to.
*
**
Other Countries:
- Pravoka [an eastern human and half-dwarf caste-based system with hints of merito- and plutocracy]
- Ailtarbia [a very solitary nation of ailtarin (elves); extremely decadent royalists and naturalists]
- Marshe [a very distant southland; hilly caverns and marshes]
- Duergarlund [a southern mountainous region where the dwarves once resided]
- Melmonde [a western plutocratic democracy]
- Terraria [a distant sacred western land dedicated to Terrari]
- Friggaria [a distant sacred eastern land dedicated to Friggari]
- Guru [an eastern savage series of thinly connected near-islands surrounding (and surrounded by) volcanic mountains; accessible only by its western port region]
- Ignaria [a distant sacred western land dedicated to Ignari]
- Omdolia [a large western kingdom made of multiple cities; once the north-most section of a now-fallen empire centered on Terraria; at tentative peace after decades of war with Ivalice]
- Ivalice [the southern neighbor of Omdolia; also once part of the now-fallen empire cetered on Terrarira; currently at peace (but rife with inner conflict) after decades of war with Omdolia]
What is that, I hear you say? "Still not enough." you cry?
Congratulations! There's more!
I will have some (small, minor) benevolence and place my information about Pravoka into a two spoilers for you.
Human Caste
- Triwangsa (“thriceborn”): high folk; wealthiest by far
- Dwijati (“twice born”): middle folk; relatively wealthy
- Ekajati (“once born”): low folk; peasantry and poor
- Eurtaak (“untouchable”): outcast
- Ainu (“alien”): separate/foreign people
Categories within Each Caste
Kuga/Bangsawan (nobility) > Samurai/Satrias (warrior/knighthood) > Shokunin/Tukang (craftsman) = Shonin/ Wesias (merchants/commerce) = Brahmanas/Saishi (priesthood) > Sabanto/Sudras (servitude)
Half-Dwarven
- Mong – descended from clan Mong; the most wealthy and prestigious
- Suem – descended from clan Suem; the second-most wealthy, but third most prestigious
- Hano – descended from clan Hano; the third-most wealthy, but second most prestigious
- Lsou – descended from clan Lsou; the least wealthy and least prestigious
- Azer – the constructed “clan”; the “creations” of the artifice flesh-forge from distant Guru
Categories within Each Caste
- Ossek (Council) [made of up three of each of the Dural]
- Dural (Honored) [there are thirty to fifty of each lower caste]
- Kamuk (Priest) > Ikor (Warrior) > Gamil (Secretary) > Ulter (Commoner)
Three hundred years later, a mass immigration of four dwarven clans from the Guru region were met with hostility (and had the same for the Pravoka people), until the various Kuga of Pravoka held another Grand Conclave and offered a truce for the same exchange that had created the Pravoka people in the first place; this time, however, only volunteers from the Eurtaak and Ekajati were offered – a volunteer system with powerful financial incentives were created to gather willing participants. The dwarven Ossek accepted, and the half-dwarven society came into existence. Except for the dwarves, all people not from the Prajati or Vokan descent are generally kept in their own regions – while intermarriage is accepted (or even encouraged), it is required that the Ainu sever the ties with their people, should they wish to join the caste of their spouse. Regardless, those of Eurtaak ancestry are prohibited from legal marriage to the Ainu people, unless they are of the Bangsawan of Eurtaak. This is for the protection of the Ainu - otherwise it is believed that the Eurtaak may well attempt to take advantage of the Ainu to gain an unearned higher rank or status.
The Half-dwarven people generally govern themselves. They inherited the Guru dwarven caste system, and use that in exclusion of the human Pravokan caste system. This system derives primarily from which of the four original clans the dwarves are descended, which more or less describes their wealth, though prestige is somewhat shifted about.
This has been the status quo among the various cities of the Pravoka region for the last five hundred years. Two hundred years ago, the city of Pravoka itself was established as a would-be capital for the region; it was more accurately a kind of reorganization of a number of local townships that had independently grown into each other’s borders, and overflowed beyond. The lesser towns of Abiangli, Baohaei, Hokuido, Kinkai, Kittaido, Sidelat, and Timburku were all reorganized as districts of Pravoka, while a central portion of each was turned into the Nawiat district for the Triwangsa who wished to move there.
Shortly thereafter, there was a unification war/independence war across the Pravoka region some ninety years back, which was eventually settled some thirty years ago with the treaty of Thronesend, in which the Bangsawan of the various places across Pravoka accepted a general Common Law, in exchange for mostly local independence and influence over Pravokan city Court (which would, in turn, establish and enforce the general Common Law).
The various Pravoka townships (especially those of the city of Pravoka itself) are ancient enough that the old ruins of older towns were excavated by the half-dwarven people and turned into massive sprawling sub-cities; these use the local river systems and exotic machinery to create power, pump, and make massive refineries, giving Pravoka its distinctive smell. The trade with the savage peoples of Guru has enriched the lands of the Pravoka region, and twenty powerful “Houses” (basically mercantile concerns and specialists split along Categories of both human and half-dwarven kinds, two from each category) have arisen over time to cover multiple aspects of society.
Eighty years ago, during the war, one of those Houses created a special method of turning the various half-dwarven corpses into lifelike constructs via fire magic and a combination of copper, zinc, tin, and gold imbuement, and ancient Shabti ritual magic discovered in the Guru region. This gave rise to the fifth and final “caste” of half-dwarven people, the Azer – a sentient bronze-and-fire construct-like “race” crafted from the dishonored dead of the half-dwarven people. Though sentient, these creatures bear no memory of the lives their previous bodies (what little was left, after the ritual) held. Generally, they were created from un-recognizeable war-corpses, and have had masklike visages sculpted over whatever features used to exist. Derogatorily called the warforged, as a result, these have become a kind of servile outcast among the rest of Pravoka; especially now that the war is over, they no longer have a place in society, and are treated poorly by others.
Originally designed from combinations of various attempts at inexpensive revival of fallen soldiers, attempts to make new "super soldiers", and to allow the "dishonored" to work off their various real-life debts after-the-fact, that the Azer were entirely unconnected to their previous life and their general expense made them less useful in the first and last; and, though they work as soldiers, their weakened wisdom and charisma make them less than ideal as commanders, in most cases. Still, the ready access of rich veins of copper, tin, zinc, and gold in the Pravoka area made them relatively easy to mass produce them for the war effort, before the treaty (which forbids their creation). Though technically citizens by the treaty, they are generally ill-treated.
Which title or linguistic affects used are chosen by the person - generally they will choose the linguistic affectation they prefer that matches the rich cultural heritage they wish to celebrate. Thus, a Samurai may have a Satria child, and the child need not shave his head or have the ceremonial topknot (but has its own symbolism to keep up with).
EDIT: Oh! I almost forgot!
Changlings exist, and they are a pastiche of both Eberron and Pathfinder Changelings, as I'd previously created here (though with a different backstory). Fun!
Also, Lashunta exist (), but they aren't really a present force - they are kind of like the Lunarians from FF4, in that they come from another world (incidentally, another world that elves invaded from the fey and went native within), but haven't really made an impact in this one, yet.
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Hah! I'm glad you like it!
While my ideas are based on other things I like, I enjoy the remixes. As can be (and has been) said of the English languages to other languages, I don't so much borrow other ideas, as mug them in a back alley and rifle through their pockets for loose change. It's like Christmas only larceny and illegal*!
*
Trust me, though: fun as it is, you don't want me attempting an online thing. I suck at it.
:/
Buuuuuuuuuuuut: language!
The Pravokan language is a complex mishmash of the ancient Prajati and the Vokan languages. A given speaker has their own linguistic preferences, and this generally derives from their family's or personally-chosen cultural trappings. In general, there are at least two words for every concept, though a few words are unique to each root language, as some concepts simply didn't exist in the other culture. Anyone who learns Pravokan as a language has the basic concept of this down - in theory it's not too different from learning any other complex language derived from others.
In practice, the complexity of two very different linguistic constructs means that an Ainu, even a lifelong inhabitant, regardless of accent or lack thereof, is often linguistically marked as "different" just based on the way they interface with the two languages. Similarly, education, which is inevitably a mark of wealth, becomes painfully obvious, quickly. While most Pravokan are comfortable switching between the two, among the more educated (usually the more wealthy), there is a distinctive cadence and set of unwritten and unspoken rules followed; how much of these rules are followed usually shows where a person's education ends.
Caste note:
Generally, anyone of a higher caste is higher than anyone of a lower caste. This doesn't translate perfectly when dealing with the Ainu, but otherwise holds as a general rule. That said, kuge of a lower caste are effectively equals of a higher caste's sabanto; with enough wealth, one can ascend withing one's own cast. This means that there is, technically, Ascension possible between castes - kuge or bangsawan of a lower cast can wed sabanto or sudras of a higher caste. This caste-based upward mobility requires at least a generation.
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Wait... So we aren't doing the Thelma and Louise cross country crime spree... but I already made the mix tape...
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"Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows, everything that's wonderful is what I feel when....we're together...brighter than a lucky...penny...everything..."
Oops, wrong tape.
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If you were to make Rise of the Runelords into Gravity Falls. Who would be the main party. And what classes would you make them.
I'm thinking Brodert Quink for Grunkle Stan.
Also, we now have season one in it's entirety.
Grunkle Stan is clearly a rough-and-tumble Mesmerist, Occultist, Investogator, Alchemist, or Rogue (Charlatan, Counterfeit Mage, Cutpurse, Eldritch Scoundrel, False Medium, Knife Master [reflavored for brass knuckles], Makeshift Scrapper, Master of Disguise [sort of], Rake, Sharper, Smuggler, Spy, Swindler, Thug, or Underground Chemist). Slayer might work!
'Ford could do some of the same, but Relic Raider or Scavenger rogue works for him instead of the liars. He could also do some Magus or even some Arcanist archetype (but I don't know which).
I think you had a good idea for Dipper, but another might be the Snoop rogue archetype; alchemist, investigator, occultist, or bard.
Zeus is pretty strictly "make stuff" guy, which lends itself to occultist.
You have a good (well, evil) Mabel already. :)
Robby does music, but poorly - so more untrained thug rogue than bard. If he is a bard, though, he'd be an emo sorrowsoul archetype.
Pacifica is a diva bard.
Wendy is a Skald (dancing nature archetype or focus; or urban) or Ranger.
Little Gideon is very much so either bard or Mesmerist. He's got Leadership.
Buddy is more of a legitimate huckster than Stan; maybe a Consigliere or Swindler.
That's the largest recurring characters that seem to have classes. Also, <spoiler>.
Hope that helps!
EDIT: This is a decent approximation!
EDIT 2: Hey, Reverse Gravity Falls! Wikia, and nifty picture!
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Order of Assassins (“burka ninjas”),
I wanted to explain this.
While, generally speaking, the Order has a lack of identifying clothing when on missions of subtlety, there are times when they want to be known as themselves.
To that end, when they are on "official" (or at least "more obvious") business, or when they are simply around the lands of the Order, they have a traditional dress code. This code applies equally to both males and females, with minor adjustments on undergarments to best support and hold body shapes.
The headgear looks similar to that of traditional burka (especially this one, or the old FFT black hood). The rest of their outfit also reminds of a burka, but the legs are pilazzo pants-style; and uses various ties and silken scarf-like belts (though these are well-secured and leave nothing dangling, and thus little to grab onto). Weapons are often concealed in within hidden pocket-like spaces of the clothing itself, when necessary.
The primary colors of these are various hues of black, dark brown, and deep mottled greens; while black, brown, and red are considered the "official colors" of the Order, deep mottled greens tend to be better at hiding in heavy foliage, and red tends to be useful in hiding absolutely nowhere.
There are red outfits of the same, but these are almost exclusively used by the negotiating agents on official business, which has lots of black and brown ornate elements and intimidating and impressive-looking fancy bits, and rarely requires the full suit (but may, depending on what the clients would find most intimidating/impressive).
While we're mentioning stuff, Corneria's national colors were red, white, and gold; a neighboring nation, Ilinia (one of the PCs' home country, part of the Corneria region, which was also lost), had red, black, and gold as its colors.
(In fact, the five nations generally have "like Corneria, but one different" color scheme: Ortislyne has Red/Blue/Gold, Garsylvania has Red/Green/Gold, and Thatolnia has Black/White/Gold.)
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A slight quibble, it's Soos, not Zeus.
A slight quibble, it's Soos, not Zeus.
TELL THAT TO MY MIND.
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Dude! You don't wanna argue with him. He's got aliases on his aliases. He'll destroy you.
Dude! You don't wanna argue with him. He's got aliases on his aliases. He'll destroy you.
TELL THAT TO MY MIND.
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It must be heavy, here let me hold that for you.
It must be heavy, here let me hold that for you.
TELL THAT TO MY MIND.
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Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays! ^-^
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Man, I really want to play this guy (picture in the free-to-download Bonus Bestiary), in Eberron.
Like, I really want to play this guy.
2,600 gold-worth of treasure, means I can afford an intelligent item.
It would be an intelligent ring (500 gold), that was able to light up or not at-will (as you do; strictly speaking, this is not necessary, but I figured it would make sense to be magic to enchant as so it could be intelligent), with a 12 intelligence (500 g, +1 ego), 10 wisdom and charisma, an alignment that matches the dragonne's (perhaps even able to change alignment to match his, but that might cost extra and be out-of-budget), with empathy, speech (+500 gold), senses (30 ft.), and mage hand at-will (1,000 g, +1 ego); that's a total 2,000 gold and a total of +4 ego. It speaks Common and Draconic (thus can communicate both with the dragonne and others; that's the reason for the 12 int).
That leaves 600 gold left over for stuff.
A masterwork backpack (50 g), a sack, iron pot, iron vial, and waterskin (8 s+1 s+1 s+1 g=2 g), an adventurer's sash (20 g), 10 days trail rations (5 g), silk rope (10 g), large tent (30 g), big blanket (5 s), journal (10 g), and ink and pen (8 g, 1 s).
Creature comforts are for the dragonne; the writing implements are for the ring. Mage hand allows the ring to store or retrieve stuff from the various satchels and things for the dragonne who (and write stuff with a pen), though he has opposable thumbs, likely has difficulty reaching his back.
That's: 500 s + 20 s + 200 s + 50 s + 100 s + 300 s + 5 s + 100 s + 80 s + 1 s = 720 s + 450 s + 185 s + 1 s = 1170 s + 186 s = 1356 s.
600 g = 6000 s.
~ 6000
-1356
= 4644
That leaves 464 gold and 3 silvers, and 10 coppers.
Basic backstory is the guy is that he was minding his own beez, when, alla sudden, he gots mad cappy-'tchured, and thrown in a daggum movin' zoo by bad Halfling jerks from the Sharn Mafia, dig? So during the shipment, bad stuff happen (as you do), and Sharn coppers busted their mad attempts at smugglin'. Guy got tossed out, an' attacked by other thug-critters, and landed in the house of a kindly (if not super-well-off) artificer, who helped nurse him, and make a ring that speaks to (and for) him. Artificer permanently peaced out (via thug-attack and back stabs) before the ring was fully tested or dragonne fully recovered, and the dragonne lay the beatdown on those thuggers, chasin' them out to the street and endin' 'em all; in his wanderings through the rain looking for any he might of missed, shortly thereafter, he came across another murder, and mistook it for the same badguys... (cue the opening of the first adventure...).
EDIT: to be clear, most of his stuff was bequeathed to him by said artificer; the artificer in question just happened to bequeath him with his exact CR (not WBL)-worth of stuff...
Now all I need is for* someone** to*** run**** me***** through^ all^^ the^^^ adventures^^^^!
*
**
***
****
^
^^
^^^
^^^^
EDIT: for clarity and prettiness (I hope).
Incidentally, I mean, c'mon: imagine a dragonne, wielding a byeshk hammer and/or a doube-bladed scimitar. Just... just c'mon~! :D
Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays! ^-^
TELL THAT TO MY MIND.
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Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays! ^-^TELL THAT TO MY MIND.
don't mind if i do
though the last time i did that, i was told to mind my own businessbut i didn't pay them any mind
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C-c-cOMBO BREAKER~!
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Now all I need is for* someone** to*** run**** me***** through^ all^^ the^^^ adventures^^^^!
By the way: yes, I do, in fact, know these adventures and have run most parts of most of them in the past and read all of them. I don't care! Fun adventures! :D
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Guess who has 300... 301 aliases.
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Is it... Orthos? I'm guessing it's Orthos. Right?
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Orthos vs Captain Yesterday death-match! The winner becomes emperor of FAWTL!
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Is it... Orthos? I'm guessing it's Orthos. Right?
You are correct. Resistance is futile.
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Yet...
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You are correct. Resistance is futile.Is it... Orthos? I'm guessing it's Orthos. Right?
Don't you mean 'Resistance is FaWtL ?'
Ha! Ha! Ha! Paizo.com self-referential joke time!
Paizo.com self-referential joke time!
I thought every time was that time!
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I'll have to FAQ that. It's the only way to be sure.
Arg! Power surge in post-creation!
I have Lazurus, but due to being in Incognito mode on Chrome, I probably lost stuff anyway. >:(
(This comes from the phone.)
Update on the gamewolrd houses may have to wait...
I'll have to FAQ that. It's the only way to be sure.
You might want to use some protection, or (even better) be dedicated to only one - otherwise you're buckin' for a disease or somethin', there, guy.
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Now he tells me. Pschaw!
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The trade with the savage peoples of Guru has enriched the lands of the Pravoka region, and twenty powerful “Houses” (basically mercantile concerns and specialists split along Categories of both human and half-dwarven kinds, two from each category) have arisen over time to cover multiple aspects of society.
I wanted to expand on this a bit!
First, as a reminder, the castes of Pravoka are pretty important here.
As noted, there are twenty "Houses" of various sorts - twelve human houses and eight dwarfkin.
Each category within the caste system has two "Houses" devoted to accomplishing things that are related to the interests of that category. These Houses, though very powerful and startlingly wealthy, are legally prohibited from gaining Triwangsa status (if human) or from joining the Ossek (if half-dwarven); further, they are absolutely prohibited from political maneuverings involving such. By virtue of their other skills, influences, and wealth, the heads of the houses are never lower than Dwijati (if human) or Dural (if half-dwarf), by default, though newer folk may or may not have achieved that status.
Each of the Houses represent a "natural" magical affinity for what they do, via spell-like abilities, that allow them to, as a house, accomplish things others can't even approach. Anyone with these natural talents are inherently marked via a tattoo-like sigil.
- For the human Kuga or Bangsawan, you have Scribing and Shadow.
- For the human Samurai or Satrias, you have Handling and Sentinel.
- For the human Shokunin or Tukang, you have Detection and Making.
- For the human Shonin or Wesias, you have Finding and Passage.
- For the human Brahmanas or Saishi, you have Storm and Warding.
- For the human Sabanto or Sudras, you have Healing and Hospitality.
- For the half-dwarf Kamuk, you have Lore and Stone. These Houses are Mong and Hano.
- For the half-dwarf Ikor, you have Blood and Mission. These Houses are Hano and Lsou.
- For the half-dwarf Gamil, you have Memory and Writing. These Houses are Mong and Suem.
- For the half-dwarf Ulter, you have Labor and Strength. These Houses are Suem and Lsou.
As for specific powers, I'll get back to that, but later.
(For the short version, it's just look at Eberron for a few basic ideas; there is, however, more variety than that.)
I also want to do more with the Azer, but I want to post this before another power surge...
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...
...
... and away we go!
BASIC
- Ability Score Racial Traits: Specialized (-1 RP) Azer have durable bodies, but weak wills and little persuasiveness or commanding presence. +2 Constitution, but take -2 to Wisdom and Charisma.
- Type: Outsider (fire, constructed body, native) (10 RP) Azer are outsiders with the constructed, fire, and native subtypes. They lack darkvision, unlike normal constructs.
- Size: Medium (0 RP) Azer are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Speed: Slow (-1 RP) Azer have a base speed of 20 feet.
- Languages: Linguist (1 RP) Azer begin speaking Provakan and Trade. Those with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic). If a GM permits, the character may take a secret languages, if their previous life was an entity that knew such things; this is extraordinarily rare, however, and will likely have bad consequences on Azer.
- Hit Dice: 2 HD (2 RP) Azer have 2 HD, naturally. Unlike most outsiders, they only have good fortitude saves. Their class skills are limited to Climb, Craft, Perception, and Profession. They have a best attack bonus, however.
DEFENSE RACIAL TRAITS
- Brazen Flesh (2 RP): An azer's body holds elemental flames within it. By spending a move action, an azer may engage that fire to deal non-lethal fire damage equal to hits hit dice; this creates light equal to a torch that emanate from their bodies. As a full-round action, they may emanate lethal damage equal to half its hit dice; and radiate light as if a daylight spell, in addition to the lesser effect. Azer often use this ability to aid them in forging objects with their hands.
- Constructed Body (see racial traits): A constructed body is immune (poison, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, and effects that cause the sickened condition). It gains a +2 bonus against effects that cause paralysis and sleep. It cannot heal damage naturally, and takes damage from positive energy effects. Effects that deal negative energy damage or repair objects instead heals half the normal damage for it. It is vulnerable to any effect that normally only applies to metal objects or undead, and is treated as an object (for example, as if it were wearing metal armor for chill metal). It does not need to eat, breath, or sleep, and but may gain benefit from comestible items, if it so chooses. At 0 hit points, it is disabled, as most creatures, but does not risk further injury in acting. It is destroyed when its negative hit points equal its constitution score.
- Resist Level Drain (1 RP): An azer takes no penalties from energy drain effects, though he can still be killed if he accrues more negative levels than he has Hit Dice. After 24 hours, any negative levels an azer takes are automatically removed without the need for an additional saving throw.
OTHER RACIAL TRAITS
- Past Life Knowledge (2 RP): Shabti remember bits of their past lives. As a result, they treat all Knowledge skills as class skills.
- Forged Soul (-2 RP): An azer is an artificially created being through internal magical essence forced in the shape of a 'normal' soul. As a result, it cannot be raised or resurrected.
BAM! Enjoy.
I arbitrated some of the RP a bit.
Tell me what you think!
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Wait, why were you incognito?
That's really only for...
..ahem...
I don't want to know.
Wait, why were you incognito?
That's really only for...
..ahem...
I don't want to know.
I can guess what you're thinking of, and, frankly, though its really real use is for not having to worry about cleaning history; that is not why I don't want my history there.
(Besides, every session they remind you that it doesn't hide my visit from my "employer, your internet service provider, or the websites you visit" so I don't think it's really all it's cracked up to be, in that regard.)
I use my history as a method of revisiting places I like or need to look at again for various reasons or visit frequently to auto-fill stuff.
In Chrome, stuff from your history is more likely to pop up when you search things, so, for example, if I visit some webcomics regularly, it's easy to pop them once into a non-incognito window, and then they always come up. But it's also an easy way to go back and look at stuff that I've "saved for later" - I just look at my history, and go, "Oh, yeah, I wanted to look at that more later" and can then go do a project, because it's saved in my history, and my history isn't clogged with the last fifty Paizo posts I've made since then.
And while I can select things on-at-a-time, it's a chore.
While power surge+post loss is a pain (and it is), it's also not as constantly time-grueling as having to pick through dozens of different pages, refreshes of those pages, an entire comic's archives, and so on, just to find that neat thing that Drejk made last month.
(That said, I haven't actually been visiting his blog stuff in non-Incognito in a while. I need to trawl his posts at some point do that.)
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Past Life Knowledge (2 RP): Shabti remember bits of their past lives. As a result, they treat all Knowledge skills as class skills.
[sic]
OOPS.
This was a copy/paste error. The Azerforged should not have this as a racial ability. That drops their RP total down to 11. The Racial HD may take up more than just two RP, though: I'm unsure.
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Orthos vs Captain Yesterday death-match! The winner becomes emperor of FAWTL!Well I didn't vote for them.
You don't vote for the emperor of FAWTL! You become emperor when my arch nemesis kills everyone else in the underworld thread!
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Incidentally, where do the powers/specialities of the different houses come from? Are they divine gifts, or do they come from genetic meddling by outside forces (these could be one and the same, I suppose) a la the Great Houses in Steven Brust's books?
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Orthos vs Captain Yesterday death-match! The winner becomes emperor of FAWTL!
Hm, emperor, huh? Tough call.
I like Orthos's policies on "not being crazy" even though he seems distant and not quite as relatable, but the captain says what everyone is thinking, even though I'm pretty sure him as ruler may mean the end of the world.
...why does this seem like a poorly veiled political joke?
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Anyway, didn't we just elect TL president a few months ago? What is this, a coup?!
There is a Hippo in the Lion's Den people, I repeat, there is a Hippo in the Lion's Den. This is not a drill!
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It's absolutely a coup.
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Incidentally, where do the powers/specialities of the different houses come from? Are they divine gifts, or do they come from genetic meddling by outside forces (these could be one and the same, I suppose) a la the Great Houses in Steven Brust's books?
Good question!
The short answer, as well-enunciated by the most learned sages on the subject, is "I'unno. *shrug*" - for while the GM actually does know, no one in the game-world does. For all intents and purposes, this power seems, eh, "natural"^ (at least as natural as such things can be).
... it's functionally just a side effect-cum-stable mutation of the the ancient Guru magic, and the "natural"^ impurities in the Provakan region (specifically the metals and dust found therein).
See, around two thousand years ago, the creation of four powerful and corrupt creatures out of concentrated elemental energy, tainted various parts of the world with odd "radiation" effects. This one was a side effect of the invention of the process that the later more powerful Peyotr-Aktivnyytrup () would "perfect" before falling into somnolence for eight hundred years after his murder-suicide. He has only recently awoken, causing the issues where his phylactery is, in the Norfinswe region.
Destroying an Peyotr-Aktivnyytrup, however, leaves lingering radiation... like that around the Provaka region.
On that note, however, it's worth noting that "divine" forces are a wee bit different than in other games - in many ways intentionally more generic and less well-defined, even to the point of splits among religions that hypothetically revere the same deity over that deity's actual personality, decrees, apparent gender (if any), and other such things. Though I might have already mentioned that, so I won't go into that more, now - not until I know what I've already said. :)
^
It's absolutely a coup.
What kind? Sports or Chicken?
Anyway, didn't we just elect TL president a few months ago? What is this, a coup?!
There is a Hippo in the Lion's Den people, I repeat, there is a Hippo in the Lion's Den. This is not a drill!
Wait, we did?! When did this happen? Why does no one tell me these things?!
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You've been Bushing around, so I took the liberty of Cheney-ing behind the scenes while you were taking yet another vacation at the ranch.