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There really isn't all that much conversion needed;
- Ranged NPCs: switch out something to make room for Firearm Proficiency.
- Smart NPCs: switch out a feat for Technologist, move some skill points to Knowledge Engineering.
- Gear: keep in mind that the Technic League has access to the Technomancer prestige class, which can Recondition timeworn items and recharge them. So, that means they may be carrying timeworn items that are fully useful to the bad guys, but which won't totally overwhelm the PCs' wealth if they loot them.
The laziest way is to wait until I post my Technic League NPCs to the Palace of Fallen Stars (GM Reference) thread in this subforum. I just posted Captain Akradenn as an example. My players are socializing with the Technic League (!!) and so I want more details about individual Technic League members than the default. Which others do you want?
For creating Captain Akradenn, I started with the default Technic League Captain on page 33 of Palace of Fallen Stars. I asked myself how could I display his Shoanti heritage and his interest in technological melee weapons and armor? I own Pathfinder Player Companion: Varisia Birthplace of Legends, which is a solid reference on the Shoanti. Alas, no Shoanti wizards, so I decided to give him a Shoanti tattoo and a Shoanti shield, the klar. For his interest in technological melee weapons and armor, I gave him a stun baton and made the klar technological. I almost gave him a null blade instead of a stun baton, but that would have put him way over NPC 10th-level wealth and required another feat.
But the default Technic League Captain is not proficient in stun baton. I swapped out a level of wizard and gave him a level of fighter for martial weapon and medium armor proficiency and a bonus combat feat. I considered fighter archetypes that replaced heavy armor proficiency with something useful, but adding an archetype was not worth the trouble. The bonus combat feat went to Improved Shield Bash so that I did not have to track changes in his AC when he attacked with the klar.
I had to rearranged his feats to give him Arcane Armor Training and Arcane Armor Mastery so that he could cast without arcane spell failure in elven chain and activated hard light klar. I carefully tracked the feats to make sure they were legal and plausible:
1st Wizard 1: 1st level feat no longer relevant, human bonus feat Toughness
2nd Wizard 2
3rd Wizard 3: 3rd level feat no longer relevant
4th Wizard 4
5th Fighter 1: 5th level feat Arcane Armor Training, fighter bonus feat Improved Shield Bash
6th Wizard 5: wizard bonus feat Craft Magic Arms and Armor
Joined Technic League and retrained original 1st-level feats to Skill Focus(knowledge Engineering) and Technologist via retraining rules in Ultimate Campaign
7th Technomancer 1: 7th level feat Craft Technological Arms and Armor
8th Technomancer 2
9th Technomancer 3: 9th level feat Arcane Armor Mastery
10th Technomancer 4
He had fewer spells due to losing a level of wizard, and he needed spells that aided melee, so I rewrote his spell list significantly. I swapped him from universalist wizard to evoker wizard for the additional spells. Evoker fits the fire theme of the Shoanti Sklar Quah from the Cinderlands of Varisia.
I also rearranged his stats, but kept a 15-point build. The weight of armor and weapons required Strength higher than 10. This adjusts other values, such as saves, and I might have missed an adjustment or two. A few errors are tolerable.
I kept the skills and non-combat gear of the default Technic League Captain. I had no reason to change them.
And that is how to adapt an NPC. Most adaptions are simpler.
To be honest, I'm a lazy GM. NPC Guide? Yes Please!
The module is lazy in the same way. Notice the battle mages in the Technic League compound, room D7 on page 36 of Palace of Fallen Stars. Those aren't hired guards like the sellswords beside them; instead, I believe they are junior Technic League members. The expected value of a 6th-level NPC's gear is only 3,450gp. A technological stun gun, the cheapest technological firearm after the single-shot flare gun, costs 3,000 gp. Sixth-level characters cannot afford technological weapons, so we can use pre-constructed NPCs without change for anyone below 8th level.
Unfortunately, the rules in the Tech Guide, while awesome, require some reskinning to make NPCs from other sources usable in Iron Gods. For instance, i would love to have a whole series of adversarial encounters with the Captains of Starfall (and their own minions - I see them as being very Zhentarim-esque).
Each GM has their own vision of the Technic League. I have been treating the Technic League as already in control of Numeria, but split by factions which cause most Technic League members to keep secrets from the others. My party flies around Numerian in a spaceship and the parts of the Technic League that let them get away with that are too embarrassed to tell the rest of the Technic League.
What would be exceptionally useful, is a shorthand way to port the NPCs from the guide into usable Tech classes. Obviously, in Iadenveigh and in the barbarian lands, not much would need to change. But in Scrapwall or Starfall? However, it seems like it could be done fairly easily.
Scrapwall has no Technic League presence. It is several bandit gangs camped in a gigantic junkyard. However, since functioning technological items might be buried under the other junk, the Technic League ought to have spies there. Thus, when my party spent two months digging out and rebuilding a spaceship (the spaceship was supposed to be broken beyond repair, but I let the party have some fun), the Technic League office in Chesed heard about it and sent a six-member team to stop them--just in time to throw fireballs as the party flew off in the spaceship they had finished repairing three days before. Two Technic League members, 12th-level magus Neddrick Istavarti and 10th-level blackscale sorcerer Siliana Enton, I borrowed from the Returned to Sky Pathfinder Society scenario (but the blackscale sorcerer is credited to Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 167), another was a 9th-level ranger Machine Slayer from Numerian, Land of Fallen Stars, and the others were NPCs I picked out from d20pfsrd.
The party returned to Scrapwall at 12th level and found that Siliana Enton and many 6th-level minions from d20pfsrd had enslaved several Scrapwallers and forced them to mine for more technology in the treasure trove the party revealed. They defeated her and freed the slaves.
As for Starfall, oy vey. See my thread Inconspicuous PCs Unmotivated in Palace of Fallen Stars.
Did I mention: I don't have a good handle on all the rules yet. I try to learn as we go. Anyway, things like available feat trees don't just come to mind immediately, nor how they are used.
This forum is happy to provide you with assistance.
That being the case, for (let's say) skill, combat, and magic classes, what would be the necessary changes to equipment, feats, skills, and spells to make them usable as tech characters? It seems like each class has critical junctures at which a change to the character means greater changes down the line. Let's say, at the first level of the PFS Tiers?
As players play characters from 1st level to 20th level, those critical junctures shape the characters into effective adventurers with surprising combinations of feats and skills. But in creating or adapting an NPC, we just throw the classic feats onto the class and hope for synergy. Most feats for NPCs come from the Core Rulebook. The class guides have other suggestions.
Does that seem like something that anybody has tried?
Given how often my players derail adventure paths, improvising new NPCs is business as usual for me.
To be honest, I'm a lazy GM. NPC Guide? Yes Please!The module is lazy in the same way. Notice the battle mages in the Technic League compound, room D7 on page 36 of Palace of Fallen Stars. Those aren't hired guards like the sellswords beside them; instead, I believe they are junior Technic League members. The expected value of a 6th-level NPC's gear is only 3,450gp. A technological stun gun, the cheapest technological firearm after the single-shot flare gun, costs 3,000 gp. Sixth-level characters cannot afford technological weapons, so we can use per-constructed NPCs without change for anyone below 8th level.
That points out a problem though. From Book 1 - Both Meyanda and Sanvil Trett are grossly over-equipped (enough to qualify for a CR bump).
First of all, do you own Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars? It already has:To be honest, I'm a lazy GM. NPC Guide? Yes Please!
Unfortunately, the rules in the Tech Guide, while awesome, require some reskinning to make NPCs from other sources usable in Iron Gods. For instance, i would love to have a whole series of adversarial encounters with the Captains of Starfall (and their own minions - I see them as being very Zhentarim-esque). What would be exceptionally useful, is a shorthand way to port the NPCs from the guide into usable Tech classes. Obviously, in Iadenveigh and in the barbarian lands, not much would need to change. But in Scarwall or Starfall? However, it seems like it could be done fairly easily.
- Android Imposter
- Numerian Gunslinger
- Technic League Hireling
That same source also defines a "Technic League Contingent" (CR 10 encounter) as
- Technic League Arcanist (Lvl 8 Wizard) - which you would need stats for. (In a pinch, use this NPC.)
- 2 Gearsmen
- 5-8 Technic League Hirelings.
Another great source for Technic League NPCs is Wayfinder 16
That points out a problem though. From Book 1 - Both Meyanda and Sanvil Trett are grossly over-equipped (enough to qualify for a CR bump).To be honest, I'm a lazy GM. NPC Guide? Yes Please!The module is lazy in the same way. Notice the battle mages in the Technic League compound, room D7 on page 36 of Palace of Fallen Stars. Those aren't hired guards like the sellswords beside them; instead, I believe they are junior Technic League members. The expected value of a 6th-level NPC's gear is only 3,450gp. A technological stun gun, the cheapest technological firearm after the single-shot flare gun, costs 3,000 gp. Sixth-level characters cannot afford technological weapons, so we can use per-constructed NPCs without change for anyone below 8th level.
Increasing the CR without changing the encounter rewards the party with more XP after a hard-fought victory.
The Challenge Rating system is less reliable in Iron Gods than in most Paizo adventure paths. Technological items are overpriced so they throw off the estimate about combat gear. On the other hand, abilities such as Hardness 10 on robots are very difficult to overcome without expensive equipment. In my campaign, the entire party equipped themselves with adamantine weapons at 7th level due to adamantine's ability to bypass hardness less than 20.
First of all, do you own Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars? It already has:
- Android Imposter
- Numerian Gunslinger
- Technic League Hireling
These NPCs are written up in the Archive of Nethys at Source=Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars. On the other hand, buying the PDF of Numeria, Land of Fallen Stars was worth the $14 price.
Nearly all the encounters from the entire AP are over-equipped. Nearly every treasure horde has too much loot. Each book of the AP averages roughly 80-100% more loot than it should.
Of course, tech items usually cost twice what an equivalent magic item would cost, so it balance out.
I don't think the NPC equipment in this AP is really an issue... at all.
Let's start with this one. Usable with the Technic League patrol listed above.
Technic League Lieutenant (CR 7)
Human (Male/Female) Wizard (Evoker) 6/Technomancer 2
LE Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +7
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +1 defection, +1 dodge, & +2 Dex)
hp 38 (8d6+8),
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +7
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Masterwork Dagger +5 (1d4 Piercing or Slashing, 20/x2)
Ranged reconditioned Laser Pistol +6 vs Touch (1d8 fire, 20/x2, 50ft) or Fragmentation Grenade +6 (5d6 slashing, 20ft radius)
Special Attacks Intense Spells (+3), Force Missile (1d4+3, 7/day)
Spells Prepared (CL 7th, Concentration +11)
Cantrip (4) - Detect Magic, Jolt, Light, & Prestidigitation
1st - (5+1) Expeditious Retreat, Mage Armor, Magic Missile x3, & Technomancy
2nd - (4+1) Invisibility, Protection from Arrows, & Scorching Ray x3
3rd - (3+1) Fly, Haste, & Lightning Bolt (Refl 18) x2
4th - (2+1) Remove Radiation, Enlarged Irradiate (Fort 18), & Resilient Sphere (Refl 19)
TACTICS
Before Combat If given time to prepare, the Technic League Lieutenant casts mage armor and fly on him- or herself and then casts haste on him- or herself and six of their minions, favoring any robots over human hirelings. (figured in)
During Combat If the Lieutenant can catch foes at a safe distance, he/she will use their enlarged irradiate to cripple as many foes as possible; else he/she will support their minions with their spells or Laser Pistol. The grenade can be dropped as a bomb from a flying wizard, or used to cover an escape. One possible tactic for the Lieutenant would be to cast resilient sphere on him- or herself, and then use the laser through the sphere.
Morale Justly fearful of his superior, the Technic League Lieutenant does not flee until reduced to less then 5 hit points; using invisibility & expeditious retreat if possible.
STATISTICS
Str 10 (+0), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 19 (+4), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 13 (+1);
Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Combat Casting, Enlarge Spell, Exotic Weapon (Technological Firearms), Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Know: Engineering), Spell Focus (evocation), & Technologist
Skills Disable Device +13, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (Arcane) +15, Knowledge (Engineering) +18, Knowledge (Geography) +15, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +15
Languages Androffan, Common, Kellid,
SQ arcane bond (amulet [Technic League badge]), efficient construction, recondition (laser pistol), technic spell mastery (remove radiation), & technical expertise (+2),
Gear timeworn Laser Pistol (10 charges), Fragmentation Grenade, Masterwork Dagger, Potion of Cure Serious Wounds, Ring of Protection +1, Veemod Goggles with Black Veemod, Brown Chipfinder, White Access Card, 5 Batteries, Spellbook (59 pages, 1,220 gold) Technic League badge (50 gp), explorer's outfit, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch (violet garnet 500gp, 2 silverdisks, 4 gold), flint & steel, ink, inkpen, iron pot, mess kit, soap, spell component pouch, trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin.
SPELLBOOK
4th – Rebuke Technology**, (Remove Radiation**), Resilient Sphere;
3rd – Fly, Haste, Irradiate**, Lightning Bolt;
2nd – Invisibility, Protection from Arrows, Protection from Technology**, Scorching Ray, Shatter;
1st – Burning Hands, Detect Radiation**, Expeditious Retreat, Floating Disk, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp, Technomancy**;
Cantrip – Acid Splash, Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Ghost Sound, Jolt**, Light, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost, Read Magic, Resistance, & Scoop**; Prohibited: Enchantment & Necromancy;
** (Non-Core spell)
Prohibited: Enchantment & Necromancy
NOTE
The remove radiation spell is not normally learnable by sorcerer/wizards, the Lieutenant has it only because of Technic Spell Mastery. Other wizards & sorcerers cannot learn the spell from his/her spellbook.
Let's start with this one. Usable with the Technic League patrol listed above.
** spoiler omitted **...
Darn it. Haste was not fully applied.
Corrected Stats
Human (Male/Female) Wizard (Evoker) 6/Technomancer 2
LE Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init +2; Senses Perception +7
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +1 defection, +1 dodge, & +2 Dex)
hp 38 (8d6+8),
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +7
OFFENSE
Speed 60 ft., Fly 90 ft.
Melee Masterwork Dagger +5/+5 (1d4 Piercing or Slashing, 20/x2)
Ranged reconditioned Laser Pistol +6/+6 vs Touch (1d8 fire, 20/x2, 50ft) or Fragmentation Grenade +6 (5d6 slashing, 20ft radius)
Special Attacks Intense Spells (+3), Force Missile (1d4+3, 7/day)
Spells Prepared (CL 7th, Concentration +11)
Cantrip (4) - Detect Magic, Jolt, Light, & Prestidigitation
1st - (5+1) Expeditious Retreat, Mage Armor, Magic Missile x3, & Technomancy
2nd - (4+1) Invisibility, Protection from Arrows, & Scorching Ray x3
3rd - (3+1) Fly, Haste, & Lightning Bolt (Refl 18) x2
4th - (2+1) Remove Radiation, Enlarged Irradiate (Fort 18), & Resilient Sphere (Refl 19)
TACTICS
Before Combat If given time to prepare, the Technic League Lieutenant casts mage armor and fly on him- or herself and then casts haste on him- or herself and six of their minions, favoring any robots over human hirelings. (figured in)
During Combat If the Lieutenant can catch foes at a safe distance, he/she will use their enlarged irradiate to cripple as many foes as possible; else he/she will support their minions with their spells or Laser Pistol. The grenade can be dropped as a bomb from a flying wizard, or used to cover an escape. One possible tactic for the Lieutenant would be to cast resilient sphere on him- or herself, and then use the laser through the sphere.
Morale Justly fearful of his superior, the Technic League Lieutenant does not flee until reduced to less then 5 hit points; using invisibility & expeditious retreat if possible.
STATISTICS
Str 10 (+0), Dex 14 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 19 (+4), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 13 (+1);
Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 15
Feats Combat Casting, Enlarge Spell, Exotic Weapon (Technological Firearms), Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Know: Engineering), Spell Focus (evocation), & Technologist
Skills Disable Device +13, Fly +3, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (Arcane) +15, Knowledge (Engineering) +18, Knowledge (Geography) +15, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +15
Languages Androffan, Common, Kellid,
SQ arcane bond (amulet [Technic League badge]), efficient construction, recondition (laser pistol), technic spell mastery (remove radiation), & technical expertise (+2),
Gear timeworn Laser Pistol (10 charges), Fragmentation Grenade, Masterwork Dagger, Potion of Cure Serious Wounds, Ring of Protection +1, Veemod Goggles with Black Veemod, Brown Chipfinder, White Access Card, 5 Batteries, Spellbook (59 pages, 1,220 gold) Technic League badge (50 gp), explorer's outfit, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch (violet garnet 500gp, 2 silverdisks, 4 gold), flint & steel, ink, inkpen, iron pot, mess kit, soap, spell component pouch, trail rations (5 days), and a waterskin.
SPELLBOOK
4th – Rebuke Technology**, (Remove Radiation**), Resilient Sphere;
3rd – Fly, Haste, Irradiate**, Lightning Bolt;
2nd – Invisibility, Protection from Arrows, Protection from Technology**, Scorching Ray, Shatter;
1st – Burning Hands, Detect Radiation**, Expeditious Retreat, Floating Disk, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp, Technomancy**;
Cantrip – Acid Splash, Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Ghost Sound, Jolt**, Light, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Open/Close, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost, Read Magic, Resistance, & Scoop**; Prohibited: Enchantment & Necromancy;
** (Non-Core spell)
Prohibited: Enchantment & Necromancy
NOTE
The remove radiation spell is not normally learnable by sorcerer/wizards, the Lieutenant has it only because of Technic Spell Mastery. Other wizards & sorcerers cannot learn the spell from his/her spellbook.