| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is an interest check in a campaign idea I've had for a while. It is partially inspired by the Goblins comic, but I take it from a different route. Home brew world using E7 variant Pathfinder rules.
Nexorus is a nation on the rise. While not the most magically inclined, nor the most technologically, they have taken their gift for hybridizing there arts and used it to push their military to heights the world has not seen. The primarily human nation has been swallowing up competitors, and pushing non-human humanoids, such as dwarves and gnomes, to a position of servitude and serfdom - while outright "monstrous" races such as kobolds and orcs are put to the sword by the hundreds - usually after they are worked nearly to death in camps.
A few nations resist the Nexorans, but most cow to their bullying to remain independent, as the humans of Nexorus swallow up competitors.
You are one of those monsters. You begin in one of those camps...and what happens next...is up to you.
I'm always up for playing a monster PC... though I have a feeling that 'griffon' may be a bit too much of a monster even for this game. :D
I'd enjoy this too. I will await further information/build guidelines.
I should point out the theme is maintaining your "humanity," as it were, when the world around you is monstrous. There are meant to be parallels between Nazi Germany and the Nexorans. The monstrous races range fr as weak as kobolds to as strong as ogres (with rules in place to balance them out from the Monsters as PCs section in the bestiaries, and effective negative levels at level one). I'll give the full list if I end up getting enough interest. Meanwhile, you're battling your inner nature to organize a civilized defense to stand up to the Nexorans...
So its also got a bit of a nature vs. nurture theme, as well.
Dotting
Interested. I've always liked the monsterous races.
I think there's enough interest for you to post the full list, given it's not even been two hours and you have six people. :D
Interested. How powerful of characters are you looking at? I've always wanted to play a minotaur or centaur but the obvious power issues have prevented it.
Now that I'm back at my computer where my notes are, here's the allowed monster list I have:
1. Boggard (Bestiary I page 37)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 2 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
C) “Terrifying Croak” ability DC increases by ½ per class level.
2. Bugbear (Bestiary I page 38)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 2 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
3. Cyclops (Bestiary I page 52)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 5 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
4. Dire Corby (Bestiary III page 80)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 1 negative level until you balance out the levels.
C) “Screech of Doom” ability DC increases by ½ per class level
5. Gargoyle (Bestiary I page 137)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 2 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
6. Gnoll
A) Use the Advanced Races Guide version on page 225.
B) No negative levels, level adjustment, or other penalties as a result.
7. Grippli:
A) Standard rules
8. Hobgoblin:
A) Standard rules
9. Kobold:
A) Standard rules
B) May take one alternate racial trait without giving up one as a result of weaker power.
10. Lizardfolk
A) Use the Advanced Races Guide version on page 226.
B) No negative levels, level adjustment, or other penalties as a result.
11. Minotaur (Bestiary I page 206)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 4 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
12. Nagaji
A) Standard rules
13. Ogre (Bestiary I page 220)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 3 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
14. Orc
A) Full orcs only, not half orc
B) Standard rules
15. Ratfolk:
A) Standard rules
16. Sahuagin (Bestiary I page 239)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 2 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
C) 3 negative levels/CR3 if you choose 4-armed variant.
17. Skum (Bestiary I page 253)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 2 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
18. Strix:
A) Must take the “clipped wing” variant.
B) Otherwise Standard Rules
19. Tengu
A) Standard rules
20. Troglodyte (Bestiary I page 267)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 1 negative level until you balance out the levels.
C) Stench DC goes up by ½ per class level.
21. Troll (Bestiary I page 268)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 5 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
22. Vanara:
A) Standard rules
23. Vishkanya:
A) Standard rules
24. Wayang:
A) Standard rules
25. Yeti (Bestiary I page 287)
A) Use “Monsters as PCs” rules from Bestiary 1, page 313.
B) 2 negative levels until you balance out the levels.
C) “Frightful Gaze” DC increases by ½ class levels.
This list is obviously subject to change - I'm not 100% on being cool with the Viskanya, for example, as it might not be "monstrous" enough when compared to the standard group. I might also allow other Bestiary stuff, but likely not - I'm trying to stick with the core bestiary for player monsters.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Damn! I'd like to play at least 3 from this list :) Tell us more!
So no centaurs? :'(
No. Everything is purposefully bipedal and following a standard humanoid physical structure.
As I said, the theme is maintaining your "humanity" (or your morality, as it were) in the face of everything around you being horrible.
I'm tossing the alignments for this game, subsequently banning paladin and antipaladin because Smite become effectively either useless if they only affect evil/good (since there will BE no alignments) and way too powerful if they affect everything (basically just an upgraded cavalier's challenge).
Instead, I will use a morality system based on the New World of Darkness rules. The lower you dip in morality, the more likely you are to acquire a mental quirk or disability.
It's "I won't become the thing I hate" - only instead of humans fighting monsters, it's monsters fighting humans, and in themselves, they're proving that the humans are the true monsters.
This is a bit more esoteric than my usual game style. That's why I tossed out an interest check. It's not just "rawr, I'm a monster, killin' stuff!"
...and of course there's some "build up a resistance, stop the empire" in there, because I played way too much Final Fantasy back in it's golden ages, before part X.
Further, I'm capping the effective level at 7, using the E7 rules (after 7th you just get feats) - so you really need to think outside of the box when you get to higher challenges. You can't just expect to use brute force to win eventually.
I suggest taking a look at the "In the company of Monsters" line of PDFs, because they cover not only minotaurs, but gargoyles and even frikkin unicorns. A rather great set of 3rd party bits that manage to allow somewhat more balanced playable races.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Super interested, Definitely into it. I even have a couple PC's already that fit the mold. Probably gonna go with my kobold. Poor guy never gets into a campaign that lasts.
Edit: I echo the significant balance issues possible. A cyclops with a scythe would get real scary, real fast with an auto 20 each day.
Wow! This sounds very interesting! Interestedly!
I am super interested. It's a shame I'm not sure of my connectivity for the next week. Hopefully when you announce the formal recruitment I will still have time to apply when I get back.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If/when I do the formal recruitment, it will likely be after I'm done recruiting for my other game I'm currently recruiting for.
So...look for sometime after this coming weekend.
As far as balance is concerned, I'm not overtly concerned with that right now. I can probably tweak the race list allowed. I just used the "Monsters as PCs" rules as a base, applying the CR as a temporary level adjustment, blah blah blah.
Look, here's the thing for how I feel about munchkin players - changing the rules won't stop them. If you tell someone not to put any stats below 12, and they give you five 12s and a single 18, well, you've got the same mindset as the guy who put 7s. That player will give you trouble in some other arena - you need to just talk to people like adults, make adjustments where adjustments are necessary, and tweak it so it works.
This obviously needs some more hammering out of the details based upon the reactions, though...at least on the crunch side of things.
I would agree with that. I'm still interested in seeing more of the game too. So, count this as a solid vote of yea.
Edit: the other game sounds interesting too, but I feel like I'd be missing a lot as I'm very unfamiliar with 3.5 settings.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Minotaur Bard. =^^=
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I love Goblins! Count me in.
Bugbear (do wikkawaks count?)
Hobgoblin
Troll
Vishkanya
... dang it, TGTG.
I'm going already start with the questions, though...
Derro
Gray*
Kasatha*
Lashunta*
Panotti[url]
[url=http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/humanoids/silid]Silid
Skulk
Svirfneblin
Syrinx
Tabaxi*
or
Xulgath
... allowed?
(I'm guessing, "No." - especially the kasatha - but it doesn't hurt to ask.)
*
Thank you for your time. :)
Sounds cool
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I can haz?
Pretty much all no.
Derro - No - too b@~!$&+ crazy as a race.
Gray - No - phasing ruins the game at too early a level
Kasatha - No. They don't really have a place in my homebrew. You want four arms? Play a sahuagin and eat the level adjustments.
Lashunta - No. Too close to humans, not "monstrous" enough.
Panotti - No. Same reason as Lashunta.
Skulk - No. Same reason.
Svirfneblin - No. Gnomes are not a playable race, and there's no underdark or darklands in this homebrew for a seperate race to evolve..
Syrinx - They'd have to have a "clipped wing" variant similar to the Strix, because 1st level flying kind of breaks the game. Just play a strix.
Tabaxi - I didn't allow catfolk. Why would I allow a "better" catfolk?
Xulgath - Just play a troglodite.
Monster campaigns are always fun. The one I'm sort of currently in is going almost nonexistently slow, the GM is very busy IRL.
I will say that the Kobold race is very very weak because of their -4, +2, -2 stats. There's only a few builds they can even somewhat be competent at, and even then they have to deal with -2 con.
I'd suggest that instead of just the extra racial trait (none of which would really solve their problems), you could give them a feat or two that has to be from their racial feats list. Then it's still restricted, but gives good flavor and maybe some neat ability.
Other option is just make them a more standardized stat like +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Str. Their racial traits wouldn't really make it imbalanced, imo.
I probably wouldn't play as one, but I love kobolds, so I just wanted to suggest a few things to make them more appealing.
Another question, which classes will be allowed?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Another question, which classes will be allowed?
Paizo stuff only. No paladins or antipaladins. That's about it. I don't feel like going through the same ringer with the other game about third party stuff. Just...no third party stuff, because I don't want to deal with it.
Since I'm going with an alternative to alignment with the morality system, anything that is dependent upon alignment will be a no-go, so no getting smite as a cleric, or anything like that. Protection from Evil isn't a spell. Those kinds of things. On the plus side - no alignment restrictions for Monks, Druids, etc.
I haven't really fleshed out the gods on this world, so feel free to come up with your own if you're a divine character.
I like lizardfolk a lot, so I'll take that one!
I'm thinking of classes, can I take Kineticist occult class?
I can haz?Pretty much all no.
Derro - No - too b#$+$+~ crazy as a race.
Gray - No - phasing ruins the game at too early a level
Kasatha - No. They don't really have a place in my homebrew. You want four arms? Play a sahuagin and eat the level adjustments.
Lashunta - No. Too close to humans, not "monstrous" enough.
Panotti - No. Same reason as Lashunta.
Skulk - No. Same reason.
Svirfneblin - No. Gnomes are not a playable race, and there's no underdark or darklands in this homebrew for a seperate race to evolve..
Syrinx - They'd have to have a "clipped wing" variant similar to the Strix, because 1st level flying kind of breaks the game. Just play a strix.
Tabaxi - I didn't allow catfolk. Why would I allow a "better" catfolk?
Xulgath - Just play a troglodite.
... but... but... my alien theme...
#whine;D
Also,
http://paizo.com/posts#newPost
... plus a boot to the Paizo.com main page happened at some point I was trying to respond to this earlier. I've no idea what I said at the time. Oh well.
I actually didn't notice the sahuagin! I'm not too interested in them - not an aquatic guy myself - but thanks! I appreciate the clarifications! :D
I'll probably readjust this guy for whatever specifications get specified. Imma play a melee kobold. 1 Inspired Blade Swashbuckler/ Daring Champion x. Turn's out you can really pile on the hurt without so much from stat's when you have x2 level to damage.
Unless I come up with something else I like, but I already have so many Lizardfolk.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Going for a Gnoll.
Question, PB or Roll?
I always do point buy.
20 for this game, unless you have racial HD, then the rules from the bestiaries, which I think is +4,+4,+2,+2,0,-2, IIRC.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Still kicking around ideas in my head... Warpriest kobold is sounding like fun, though.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Race Info
I'm interested in the game and have an idea for a Cyclops Oracle or a non-martial Yeti of some sort but was wondering what you will use for stats. Will it be straight out of the bestiary or something else? Oracle won't work if it's straight out.
What are your thoughts on, a Grig, Leprechaun, Sprite or a tooth fairy? Though one or two of these might be a little more human-like than others, their inhuman size provides a pretty steep barrier of potential bigotry and ridicule. You mentioned flying is broken at level one but does that change if the creature is tiny sized?
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
E7 rules are a modification of the E6 rules for 3.5 D&D to Pathfinder. The hard and fast of it is this - the level cap is 7th level, and after that you start to earn feats, instead of levels.
4th level spell slots can only be filled with metamagic slots of lower level spells (or with lower level spells unmodified), OR you can cast those 4th level spells as a ritual that takes 10x longer than the usual casting time.
Considering some of the more powerful races will have challenge rating adjustments, it could take quite a while for them to catch up with lower power races in terms of levels, as they will be capped at 7 minus their CR until they buy off those CR as per the Bestiary "Monsters as PCs" rules.
If you google Pathfinder E6 or D&D E6 you should find more info on it. It's a popular variant.
No grigs, sprites, leprechauns, or tooth fairies. Humanoid bodied small to large non-fliers are my modus operendi in this one.
I have decided to put this recruitment up later this weekend thanks to the heavy response, and the overwhelming response to my other game.
Unfortunately I didn't get on the other GreenTea game, so I'd like to try for this one. Is this going to be the recruitment thread or are we going to have a different one? :)
I will have another thread up. It will be a slight delay as I have some personal commitments keeping me busy for a while, and as a result one game is a slight handful. I will update here when I post the actual recruitment, though.
I am vaguely interested, the premise sounds great. I am generally not too keen on E7, but I might as well try it out first.
I would be keen on trying a lizardfolk, nagaji, ratfolk or vishkanya.
Well, I did not make it in time to your other recruitment, but I will try to for this one.
Sounds quite interesting of a premise, if you ask me. I will wait for the proper recruitment thread to show us the rules, but paint me interested.
Occult classes? Alchemy? Guns? Playing a rat folk gunslinger who built a gun from scratch inside a concentration camp would be pretty insane. Also are there dragons in the setting for things like bloodlines and such?
Yeah, gunslingers, alchemy and the like exist, but you won't start with that free gun (though I can probably let you jury rig something as part of the escape plot).
Expect a recruitment up tonight folks. I think I'm gonna ditch the morality conversion and keep alignment just to simplify life. Players can rp without necessity for mechanical restraint.