Interest check, The many facets of Golarion


Recruitment


So i've been quite heavily invested into the pathfinder lore for a while now and i love characters who really fit into the setting of the world they are in. Non-adventurers. i was thinking of running short campaigns that would last 3-4 sessions each. Players would have to make a new character for each campaign that would fit in with each group. there would be required reading for every campaign so the players would have to put in more effort than normal campaigns. All required reading would come from my own materials i have purchased and can share though i would also highly encourage you to support paizo and buy your own copy. The focus would to build specialized characters with those feats you never would want otherwise. most campaigns would take place between levels 3-8, mostly because anything higher would be a stress to build characters so frequently at such a high level but also i find those levels the most fun to play at.

Here's an example:

This next campaign you will be playing as Ninth battalion, You must play a dwarf. you will be a part of a special forces battalion and/or a victim of an attack by the dark elves and have been roped into said battalion for reasons. Expect tight spaces, dim lights and drow.

Required reading: Inner sea world guide, all sections related to dwarves and the underground. Pathfinder Companion: Dwarves of Golarion. as well as Pathfinder Chronicles: Faction Guide, "Ninth battalion" section.

Recommended reading (not provided): [insert list of optional paizo products or 3rd party blogs about underground caves and dungeoneering]

All traits, feats and spells introduced in these books are legal.

---------------------------------------------

Obviously i would put more effort into a full description. anyone with an ongoing subscription to pathfinder material would finally be able to use the full library in their campaigns. Not all campaigns would be good, some would be evil, and though your characters would be staying in a single setting through out most of their play time as a player you could experience the vast and expansive world of Golarion in small campaigns. We would NOT be a PbP We would be using roll20 or D20pro most likely. Is there any interest for this?


I *really* like the idea of multiple short scenarios where you specify character creation quite tightly, your dwarven example for instance was great! Bouncing all over the map getting to try different concepts and things you'd never consider in a long-term campaign is just gold!

My only question is your mention of '3 or 4 sessions', do you plan to run this live via Roll20 rather than PbP?

If so, sad to say I'll have to pass as don't have the time for a dedicated evening, no matter how good the concept!

Grand Lodge

I'm with Zen on that point, if its live rather than PbP I will have to pass. otherwise I think that this is a fantastic idea, I may bring this up with my real life group as a distraction between long campaigns.


Sounds like this could be fun! It would also be a great way to jumpstart new characters that could be used in other campaigns!


Yes. It was planning to be live. I've tried being a player for forum and it is just so slow, and I don't know anything about forum roleplay. I could try but I offer zero guarentees lol. I would probably need some help figuring out what's going on


I think it would be fun to GM and play at the same time! This is a tentative interest check. Here are some scenarios I think would be cool.

1. Gangs of Riddleport- PCs are rising stars in one of the local Sczarni gangs in Riddleport. Expect typical 'Mafia jobs', turf wars, and situations that make you wonder just how far you would go for money and power. Typical Mafia fair.

2. Heirs of the Ebon Sands- PCs are undead Drow of House Shraen, located within the Black Desert in Orv (Deepest layer of the Darklands,). Expect weird and wondrous locales, undead, dark magic, and twisted aberrations. Don't really know how to describe this!

3. Last Stand of the Elves- PCs are all Elves living peacefully in the wilds of Kyonin, until the darkness comes and they are forced into a desperate last stand against the forces of the exiled demon lord Treerazer. Expect a grim, horrific scenario filled with demons and twisted abominations. Very Diablo-ish.

4. Aria of Crimson Tears- PCs are all natives of Karcau, the artistic center of Ustalav, who become involved in a terrifying series of events that involve them in a sinister plot by occult forces. Expect heavy RP, lots of investigation, and scenarios that encourage out-of-the-box thinking, as well as occult forces (Mortal and otherwise,). Very Sherlock Holmes-ish.

5. The Lost City- PCs are Qadirans that aid a mysterious stranger, who gives them directions to a city thought long lost to the sands. Expect cinematic action, a trek through the desert, and a grueling search through a lost city. Very Indiana Jones-ish or Aladdin-ish.

These are just basic ideas. If I crack open one of my several campaign setting books, I'm sure I could think of more unique ideas! :)


The Silver Prince wrote:

I think it would be fun to GM and play at the same time! This is a tentative interest check. Here are some scenarios I think would be cool.

1. Gangs of Riddleport- PCs are rising stars in one of the local Sczarni gangs in Riddleport. Expect typical 'Mafia jobs', turf wars, and situations that make you wonder just how far you would go for money and power. Typical Mafia fair.

2. Heirs of the Ebon Sands- PCs are undead Drow of House Shraen, located within the Black Desert in Orv (Deepest layer of the Darklands,). Expect weird and wondrous locales, undead, dark magic, and twisted aberrations. Don't really know how to describe this!

3. Last Stand of the Elves- PCs are all Elves living peacefully in the wilds of Kyonin, until the darkness comes and they are forced into a desperate last stand against the forces of the exiled demon lord Treerazer. Expect a grim, horrific scenario filled with demons and twisted abominations. Very Diablo-ish.

4. Aria of Crimson Tears- PCs are all natives of Karcau, the artistic center of Ustalav, who become involved in a terrifying series of events that involve them in a sinister plot by occult forces. Expect heavy RP, lots of investigation, and scenarios that encourage out-of-the-box thinking, as well as occult forces (Mortal and otherwise,). Very Sherlock Holmes-ish.

5. The Lost City- PCs are Qadirans that aid a mysterious stranger, who gives them directions to a city thought long lost to the sands. Expect cinematic action, a trek through the desert, and a grueling search through a lost city. Very Indiana Jones-ish or Aladdin-ish.

These are just basic ideas. If I crack open one of my several campaign setting books, I'm sure I could think of more unique ideas! :)

Number 5...I REALLY like number 5!


And those were just BASIC ideas! Glad to see they interest someone already! And yes, I admit I like #5 as well. Of course, I've always had an obsession with 1,001 Arabian Nights, so I suppose that's why! :)


Never mind VDZ, I suspected as much >.<

You have however inspired me to consider running something along the same lines here via PbP!

I'll bounce it around in my head for a while and see if I'm sure I can sustain it, then if I do run with this then I shall namedrop you in the recruitment post, thank you for the inspiration :D


Silver, those sound very cool. #'s 2 and 5 really stand out to me. Perhaps even a combination of the two?


Hey Fiendish Zen, if we can get some players, you want to weave the events of our storylines together, to create a 'historical timeline' for future campaigns, where the decisions of past scenarios change the setting for future ones? I think it would be awesome!

Psychicmachinery, #2 would have exploration, but trust me when I say it's a LOT different! Already formulating ideas for each of these scenarios and more. Here's some more ideas.

6. Dark Dealings in The Hive- PCs are wandering space mercs in Golarion's solar system (Alien races like Androids and Lashunta are welcome, as are galactic monster races like Brethedans, Flumphs, Triaxans, Witchwyrds, ect.,). The characters are in a Thriae bar on Verces called The Hive, meeting up with a mysterious client. Expect urban adventuring, strange adversaries, and plenty of firearms. Very Mass Effect-ish.

7. Manawasteland Justice- PCs are residents of a small town within the Mana Wastes, whose town is being ravaged by surprisingly well-organized bandits who have access to items reminiscent of that used by nearby Numeria's Technic League. Expect harsh survival, strange weather, lots of technology-wielding bandits, warped monsters, and robots. Very Fallout-ish.

8. Arcane Academia- PCs are all Wizards (Or some sort of arcanist,) at the Acadamae Arcane in Korvosa, nearing graduation. They become embroiled in sinister schemes and magical mayhem. Expect magic-wielding foes and otherwise magical beings, as well as scenarios that require intellectual solutions. Very Harry Potter-ish.

9. Glory of the Einherjiar- PCs are all adventurers, bravely slain in the Land of the Linnorm Kings. Given a second chance at life by a Valkyrie, the PCs must thwart an alliance that could spell doom for the land. Expect epic battles, cold weather, Giants, and various fire and cold subtyped creatures.

10. Midnight's Bloody Kiss- PCs are all residents of Nidal and members of Pangolais' Umbral Court. They would be banding together to perform some sort of dark rituals, the living and unliving reagents must be acquired either stealthily or with force. This campaign would mainly be an exploration of Nidal, since it is such an obscure nation. Expect gloom, shadowy monsters, humanoid foes, and actions that should make characters wince OOC.

11. Scions of Radiance- PCs are all residents of Hermea, an island in the Steaming Sea rules by a Gold Dragon dedicated to perfecting humanity (PCs MUST be Human or a near-human, such as an Aasimar!). PCs would be residents of his utopian society, enlightened and sufficiently advanced enough that they warrant Mengkare's personal attention. Expect a set of 'divine trials', involving things like combat, diplomacy, problem-solving, tests of morality, ect., all set within a closed complex easily the size of a small city.

12. Pride Goeth Before the Fall- PCs are all siblings who discover a hidden tome in their ancestral home. The book details a heroic legacy, along with the location of an ancient keep atop a mountain constructed during Earthfall. What they find there will shock them beyond belief. Expect an epic journey, dark portents, inclement weather, dangerous terrain, and foes varied and terrible.

13. Strange People in a Strange City- It's a sandbox in Kaer Maga, enough said! :P

14. A World Apart- PCs are explorers from all around Golarion. After coming across tempest-lashed waters near Tian-Xia, they are thrown off course and wash up on the shores of Sarusan, whose shores have not been explored since ancient times. Expect savage monsters, strange terrain, magic unseen in the civilized lands for thousands of years, culture shock, and a mysterious people of unknown intent.

15. Fury of the Eye- Similar to 14, but they were sailing near the Shackles and were swept into the Sodden Lands.


I think one of my main pulls to this was making niche characters that would never swim in a normal campaign as well as exploring all the different lands.

an idea i had been bouncing around in my head was an elaborate heist. Oceans 13 style, with characters that are specifically tailored to their job, an acrobat, a face, a bruiser, an appraiser and theif, all with those skills you would never normally see (like the rogue trick for climbing rope or something)

The heist? Steal from the living god Razmir in his city of Thronestep

Run yours however you want to run yours :P but i think one thing that the idea was hinging on was the players knowing what they are getting into and building characters around that. always give an "Expect this:" for challenges, but of course don't reveal much about the story.


VDZ, that would definitely fit things like Gangs of Riddleport, Aria of Crimson Tears, The Lost City, and several others. I didn't put what skills because I'm curious which ones PCs would be interested in. The Lost City, for instance, would require a LOT of specialization (For that matter, nearly ANY good 'adventuring' venue does!). The roles would be like this: scholar, desert survivor/guide/nomad, merchant, professional tomb raider/thief, bodyguard/merc, ect. In Gangs of Riddleport, I would have 5 main 'roles': enforcer, stealth specialist, faceman/mastermind, problem solver/tech or magic expert, and spotter/caser. As for the more 'adventurey' type ideas, the combat roles will be much more specialized, like Glory of the Einherjiar: giantslayers are not exactly typical characters to make, unless you know ahead of time what to expect. Or another example, Manawasteland Justice: not many GMs are up for high tech, gunslinging scenarios, so this would give PCs a chance to explore a more 'modern in Golarion' trope. Does my reasoning make sense?


If anyone is still interested, post here! Also, sorry for stealing potential candidates VDZ, but I was simply appealing to those not interested in Skype and similar venues. Hope you did not take offense. :)


No that's fine. It's difficult to get real time players anyway. We aren't. Competing for the same people


Any more interest?

Grand Lodge

I'm still interested. I'm thinking #5, 6, 9 possibly others depending on what happens.


I would definitely be interested in a PBP version of such an idea. Mostly so for discovering news things about Golarion regions that I know next to nothing about.


Ok, I had a few PMs about this over the course of about a day, so let's start a recruitment thread! Everyone, I will be creating The Lost City of the Sands as a thread soon. Check back here if you do not see it within the hour!


Thread is up for The Lost City!

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