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So I'm working on a homegame that may begin sometime in the somewhat near future, and I thought it would be good to come up with my own campaign traits.
Setting: So the setting doesn't take place on Golarion, but on my own home-brew world. The setting for the campaign is a very 'Japan-inspired' archipelago on this world. In this continuity, Kineticists are descended from the gods, kineticists are hereditary (though not perfectly, it can 'skip a generation' and whatnot). Also Kineticists are essentially royalty (like the leadership of the nine great clans come from strong kineticist bloodlines, and while not all nobles are kineticists, they 'carry the gene' as it were.)
So, at the start of the campaign, the PCs are part of a large entourage from several of the great clans to put down a mighty Oni (spirit-demon-thing). They aren't really expected to do anything, they are basically there because each clan is sending an ARMY to put this thing down, even though only the best, brightest, and most powerful are sent. It is more of a show of force to the other clans than anything else. Of course, thing's don't go as planned.
For each campaign trait, I tried to make them very slightly more powerful than a normal trait, but also more narrowly focused. Here are my ideas. I'd like some input.
1) Jilted noble.
--You were of the samurai caste, but for some reason your clan no longer wholly accepts you as one of their own. Either through a misdeed you did, or perhaps the political machinations of a rival noble, you are disgraced somehow. You have been stripped of much of your prestige and sent by your lord on less-savory missions.
Gain Knowledge-Nobility OR Sense Motive as a class skill. Additionally, before your fall from grace, you were gifted with a katana made specifically for you. Start play with a Katana that you are considered proficient in. You are proficient in only THAT Katana, none other.
2) Noble Prodigy (Kineticist only)
--You are a prodigy at your particular bloodline of kineticist. You excelled from an early age at harnessing your great power, and have grown bold and confident (some would say overconfident) in your power. Your family is looking to see great things from you in the future. For whatever reason (showing you off to the other clans, or bullheadedly volunteering for this mission) has seen you accompany this great march.
Choose a single simple kinetic blast, if only a single ally is providing soft cover to your target, your target does not receive the +4 bonus to AC. Additionally, you gain a +1 bonus to knowledge (history) and knowledge (nobility) when dealing with your own clan.
3)Eccentric Noble (Non-Kinetisist)
--You are a strange noble. For some reason you have taken up one of the newer or more esoteric hobbies, and it has become almost an obsession with you. Perhaps you have managed to unlock the magic of song and become a bard. Or taken up the relativly new hobby of alchemy and devoted yourself to it. Regardless, few other nobles appreciate your eccentricities.
Knowledge (Nobility) is a class skill for you, and you gain a +1 bonus to such checks when dealing with your own clan. Additionally, your determination to stick to your chosen line of work despite the jeers of your contemporaries leaves you with a +1 bonus to will saves.
4)Apprentice (Spellcasters only)
--You are a student or apprentice of a powerful spellcaster who is going to take part in the ritual to seal the Oni. He has brought you (and possibly your fellow students) along to carry his supplies, and so that you may learn something about sealing Oni.
Your rigorus years of study have granted you a +2 trait bonus to concentration checks. In addition, your studies have given you a +1 bonus to knowledge (history) checks when dealing with ancient magics.
5)Twist of fate
--For some reason, through a bizarre and highly improbably series of coincidences and happenings, you find yourself at this confluence of the great armies. Perhaps it was a vision that it was your fate to be here, or a vague feeling, or perhaps it was nothing at all but circumstances conspired for (or against) you. For whatever reason, fate seems to have larger plans for you.
Whenever you are under the effect of a luck bonus of any kind, that bonus increases by 1 (does not stack with fate's favored.) In addition, whenever you are granted a re-roll of an attack roll or skill check through spell or class ability, the re-roll does not automatically fail on a 1.
6)Servant-- (there are two servant traits)
--You are a servant of some noble
Normal Servant: you are a typical servant to nobility, and have been dragged along as part of this noble's procession. You are quick and attentive to your master and always trying to please them without being told how. Sense motive is always a class skill for you. Additionally, you are always quick on your feet to answer your master's call. Gain a +2 bonus to initiative.
Dark Secret: You are a servant of a noble, but also have some dark secret. Perhaps you have a history as a cutthroat, or perhaps you belong to a coven of witches, or hide a less-than-savory bloodline or power. In any case, you have become adept at hiding this dark half of yourself. Bluff and profession (servant) are class skills for you. In addition, you never have to make bluff checks when acting as a servant to hid your dark secret unless you do something to make your master suspicious.
7) Mercenary (There are two mercenary traits)
--You are a Mercenary hired by some nobility to bolster their forces, probably to look good to the other clans.
Professional Mercenary: you might be Ronin, a member of the exiled Tensai clan, or perhaps even a foreigner. For whatever reason you are consummate professional. Gain a +2 bonus on profession(Mercenary) checks and gain that skill as a class skill. In addition, you may use profession(Mercenary) instead of diplomacy or profession(merchent) whenever you are haggling or negotiating prices.
Mercenary with a Past: While you may be a mercenary now, that has not always been the case. You may have been a thief, street urchin, or other form of low-life peasantry in the dregs of a city. Either way, you cannot let people know. Gain knowledge (local) as a class skill. In addition, your years of living in filth has strengthened your immune system, gain a +1 trait bonus to fortitude.
Do the players already have specific characters in mind? Are these traits supposed to help them with creating a character background? Do your players have trouble coming up with an interesting character background on their own?
Because I could see this work the other way around as well ("What is your character's background? Interesting. I think we could work out a trait that reflects your character's story. What do you think of the following... Maybe you have something else in mind?"). It makes them feel special and gives them a motivation to come up with an interesting background story. And you circumvent the problem of obvious choices for certain classes/builds.
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Do the players already have specific characters in mind? Are these traits supposed to help them with creating a character background? Do your players have trouble coming up with an interesting character background on their own?
Because I could see this work the other way around as well ("What is your character's background? Interesting. I think we could work out a trait that reflects your character's story. What do you think of the following... Maybe you have something else in mind?"). It makes them feel special and gives them a motivation to come up with an interesting background story. And you circumvent the problem of obvious choices for certain classes/builds.
No, they don't have characters in mind, I haven't settled on players. And you're right, I could do it that way. The thing is, for the campaign to start, all players have to basically be at this big confluence of clans. I was hoping that with my traits, I could basically set down the ground rules (and more importantly feel) for where characters should be starting from. I also left a lot of wiggle room with some traits (notably the "Twist of fate") so that people who didn't fit into a specific category could have some room.
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All right, that makes sense. I think they serve that purpose well.
1) I'm not sure why a character would be proficient with only one specific weapon. If it is supposed to be an equipment trait, maybe the sword serves as a constant reminder to the character's failure, spurning them on to perform great deeds?
Not all of these traits are equally powerful. Gaining a bonus to Initiative is certainly better than a bonus on Profession (mercenary) checks.
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All right, that makes sense. I think they serve that purpose well.
1) I'm not sure why a character would be proficient with only one specific weapon. If it is supposed to be an equipment trait, maybe the sword serves as a constant reminder to the character's failure, spurning them on to perform great deeds?
Not all of these traits are equally powerful. Gaining a bonus to Initiative is certainly better than a bonus on Profession (mercenary) checks.
Yeah, that's why I want some help. I want them to be flavorful, but also to be all pretty good.
As for the Jilted noble trait, it is based off of the "Heirloom weapon" trait. I've actually found it useful for characters that want to use a specific weapon they aren't proficient in, but don't want to waste a feat. Since you can cast masterwork transformation, then later enchant it, it works so long as the item doesn't get sundered.
Jilted Noble
I would bet that the katana is significant in your campaign world, but you could open up the weapon choice a bit. Perhaps different weapons are significant to the different clans, or to different regions of the world. You could make it any weapon, or you could make a list of acceptable weapons. As far as the limited proficiency goes, I don't like it. Maybe say that the penalty for non-proficiency is reduced to -2 for weapons of the chosen kind. Maybe give full proficiency with a martial weapon, maybe allow certain exotic weapons if the charcater is already proficient in all martial weapon.
Noble Prodigy
You say that kineticist have a special place in your world, and that cool, but I'm not a fan of class-specific traits. And in this case, its a blast specific trait as well. You could widen its appeal a bit if you make it available to all spellcsters, and say that when making a ranged touch attack, the soft cover changes from +4 to +2.
Eccentric Noble
You mention specifically a hobby. Since the focus is on that - instead of noble clans - why not grant a bonus on a single skill, such as a perform or craft, or knowledge on a certain creature type.
Apprentice
I believe that knowldge checks on ancient magic would be Knowledge (arcane), instead of (history).
Twist of Fate
Depending on the chosen class, the character may never have a luck bonus or a re-roll. Rethink the benefit so that it can apply to anyone. Since the character seems to be lucky in that he or she is at the right place at the right time, or somehow finds what is looked for, you coud grant a bonus on certain Perception checks or once a day can retrieve an item as a swift action.
Servant
Instead of saying there are two servant traits, just give each one its own name. Thats what you did for the three noble traits.
Household Servant
I like the benefit.
Servant with a Secret
If I recall correctly, literally every class except barbarian has profession as a class skill, so there is no need to grant that. How about a bonus on Bluff or Slight fo Hand? Change the about keeping the secret to a +10 bonus on the Bluff check.
Mercenary
Same as servant.
Professional Mercanary
You can do better than a bonus on a Profession check. Will you be giving enough downtime that the character will have time to make a little money on the side? How about a bonus on a handy skill, such as gathering information, or hiding weapons, or following tracks? Something else?
Mercenary with a Past
Is being a mercenrary a prestigious enough profession in your campaign world that it would be a disgrace to have previously been a thief or an orphan or the child of a coal pedlar? I don't understand the fluff text of this.
You mentioned different clans in your opening post. Are all characters members of the same clan? If not, maybe you could create two traits (noble/retainer) for each clan? That way, the players can choose between different options instead of picking the (more or less) obvious one.
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Jilted Noble
I would bet that the katana is significant in your campaign world, but you could open up the weapon choice a bit. Perhaps different weapons are significant to the different clans, or to different regions of the world. You could make it any weapon, or you could make a list of acceptable weapons. As far as the limited proficiency goes, I don't like it. Maybe say that the penalty for non-proficiency is reduced to -2 for weapons of the chosen kind. Maybe give full proficiency with a martial weapon, maybe allow certain exotic weapons if the charcater is already proficient in all martial weapon.
Like I said, this campaign takes a lot from ancient Japan, and a Katana was a sign of nobility and was considered 'the perfect weapon.' As for the trait, I modified Heirloom weapon, which gives you proficiency in one specific MARTIAL weapon (but you are only proficient in that heirloom weapon, not any other.) And it doesn't give the weapon to you for free.
Noble Prodigy
You say that kineticist have a special place in your world, and that cool, but I'm not a fan of class-specific traits. And in this case, its a blast specific trait as well. You could widen its appeal a bit if you make it available to all spellcsters, and say that when making a ranged touch attack, the soft cover changes from +4 to +2.
I took this off of the Deadeye bowman trait, which is the same, except it only works with longbows, and only to followers of Erastil, and doesn't give the bonus to knowledge Nobility.
I should re-work the description. It's meant to fill the trope of the noble with too much time on their hands that devotes themselves to a particular . . . shall we say endeavor full force that is not common for nobility. Like growing plants (druid) or taking on the newest fad of the empire (alchemy) or poetry (bard.) Since many of those classes DO NOT make knowledge nobility a class skill, I wanted to make sure that they could still be nobility.
Eccentric Noble
You mention specifically a hobby. Since the focus is on that - instead of noble clans - why not grant a bonus on a single skill, such as a perform or craft, or knowledge on a certain creature type.
Apprentice
I believe that knowldge checks on ancient magic would be Knowledge (arcane), instead of (history).
In Golarion, knowing about the ancient Jitskin empire, or Thassalon, or Azlant, would be history. They were all super into magic.
Twist of Fate
Depending on the chosen class, the character may never have a luck bonus or a re-roll. Rethink the benefit so that it can apply to anyone. Since the character seems to be lucky in that he or she is at the right place at the right time, or somehow finds what is looked for, you coud grant a bonus on certain Perception checks or once a day can retrieve an item as a swift action.
That's a neat idea. Basically I just took the Fate's favored trait and added a little to it. I'll think about it.
Servant
Instead of saying there are two servant traits, just give each one its own name. Thats what you did for the three noble traits.Household Servant
I like the benefit.Servant with a Secret
If I recall correctly, literally every class except barbarian has profession as a class skill, so there is no need to grant that. How about a bonus on Bluff or Slight fo Hand? Change the about keeping the secret to a +10 bonus on the Bluff check.
Servant in general: I was basing my stuff off of the Curse of the Crimson Throne traits, and several of the campaign traits in that are broken down into two options for the same backstory.
Servant with a secret: Or always able to take ten? I'll think about it. I basically want to give them an ability where they don't have to constantly be making bluff checks EVERY TIME they meet a noble.
Mercenary
Same as servant.Professional Mercanary
You can do better than a bonus on a Profession check. Will you be giving enough downtime that the character will have time to make a little money on the side? How about a bonus on a handy skill, such as gathering information, or hiding weapons, or following tracks? Something else?Mercenary with a Past
Is being a mercenrary a prestigious enough profession in your campaign world that it would be a disgrace to have previously been a thief or an orphan or the child of a coal pedlar? I don't understand the fluff text of this.
I think I'm going to ditch the mercenary traits all together and make some different ones. If people want to be mercenaries they can take the twist of fate trait. And to answer your question, Japan have a VERY strict higherarchy-based caste system. Trying to move or act above your station was usually punishable by execution. So was most acts in defiance of the caste (such as being a thief or pickpocket). So yes, that was bad. I will OF COURSE make all of this known to any potential players before they sign up so that they know what they are getting into.
You mentioned different clans in your opening post. Are all characters members of the same clan? If not, maybe you could create two traits (noble/retainer) for each clan? That way, the players can choose between different options instead of picking the (more or less) obvious one.
There are nine clans. I don't want to make nine MORE seperate traits, especially if there's a chance NONE of them will get used. I may post the idea for the game on the boards though, so that others can use it.
If your campaign uses campaign traits, one of your background traits has to be a campaign trait, so if you're implementing these campaign traits in your world, they WILL be used, because they have to be.
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If your campaign uses campaign traits, one of your background traits has to be a campaign trait, so if you're implementing these campaign traits in your world, they WILL be used, because they have to be.
Sorry, no, yes. What I meant was let's say I create 9 'servant' or 'nobility' traits for the nine different clans, then everyone takes twist of fate or mercenary traits, then that's a lot of work wasted.
Speaking of, I think I'm going to scrap the mercenary traits. They don't fit the campaign too well and anyone who really wants to play a mercenary can take twist of fate (I'll re-work it to be more broadly appealing)
Instead, I realize I didn't have a trait for the footsoldiers (called Ashigaru in Japanese). Once again I have two options:
Ashigaru: You are a member of the Japanese foot-soldiers. You have been taught in military tactics and the art of war.
Grunt: You are a grunt, forces to carry heavy packs long distances, dig ditches, or other manual labor. This has given you a higher-than-normal endurance. Gain a +1 trait bonus to fortitude saves. Additionally You gain a +1 trait bonus to either profession (sailor) or profession (soldier) and that skill is always considered a class skill for you.
Weapon specialist: You are part of a unit specializing in a weapon. Choose spears, swords, bows, or crossbows:
Spears: When you deal a critical hit with a spear or longspear, you deal an additional 3 damage.
Swords: When you deal a critical hit with a longsword or shortsword, you deal an additional 2 damage.
Crossbow: When you deal a critical hit with a light or heavy crossbow, you deal an additional 2 damage.
Bow: When you deal a critical hit with a short or longbow, you deal an additional 3 damage.
Additionally, You gain a +2 trait bonus to all craft, appraise, and spellcraft checks when dealing with weapons for which you can benifit from this bonus damage.
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Granting Profession as a class skill doesn't do anything. Literally, there is only one class in the game that doesn't already have it.