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One of the most criminally-underutilized groups in all of gaming is the fey and I have no idea why. Maybe it's because they're harder to roleplay since they aren't depicted as thinking and behaving in a linear, predictable fashion. Maybe most people don't have a ton of literature to fall back on and therefore don't really know enough to like them. But me? I love fey mythology and the fantasy cultures they have. I love their otherness and their eccentric ways. So, since I've been looking for a game to run, why not feature the fey?
The idea for this game is to have the PCs play as as humans from Earth who- after a terrifying encounter with a shadowy monster one night- stumble into a faerie ring and find themselves within one of the Twilight Worlds on the other side of the Dream. There they meet a friendly face and discover that they are what is known as Dreamwalkers.
Dreamwalkers are humans with an inexplicable tie to the energies of the fey realm that affords them many unique powers. At their most basic level, they can walk through the hidden gateways that separate the two worlds and see through basic fey glamours. They can also draw on fey magic known as the Wyrd to become idealized versions of themselves with the power of heroes.
The Dreamwalkers will encounter many strange things during their time in the Twilight Worlds and will become embroiled in a dire plot that could have devastating repercussions for both the mortal world and the eternal lands of the fey.
I'm willing to discuss starting levels, what content I will allow, and the other minutiae of character creation with those interested in the idea.
Is this kind of game up your alley, dear reader?
What time period would this be set in? I have a character I would love to convert for this, but she's from a Victorian era recruitment
Interesting idea. I'm definitely interested.
Seems like this is one of those opportunities to use the Fey Sighted, Fey Magic, and Fey Thoughts type alternate racial traits that are on some races (like elves, but I know I have seen it elsewhere).
Are you only allowing humans (you said from earth, but not sure if it is a modern earth or a more urban fantasy type earth), and if so, will you add in other options, mandate options (I think the only specific fey one they have is Fey Magic), or are you creating your own?
Would love to hear more about it.
I'm interested and would like to hear more.
I love some fey action, so count me very interested!
I'm interested in hearing more so that I can start thinking about ideas.
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I have always been fascinated by the Fey, but uncomfortable with roleplaying it myself as a GM (for the reasons you stated), so I would love to see how this can work from a player's perspective! Definitely need more details before confirming though.
That's a big ol' YES from me!
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This is more of an information dump on a few cool bits and bobs rather than a full breakdown of everything about the setting and campaign. If you have anything specific you want to ask, I'll do my best to ensure you get an answer.
I had three ideas for the time period and I'd like those interested in the game to give feedback on those.
The first is 1886 at the height of the Victorian Era, two years before the Ripper Murders shocked the people of England. Fey stories can be interesting when set in this era and there's even a whole Changeling the Lost setting book about it which I might steal ideas from if we go that route.
The second is 1940 and would take place during World War II. Unlike the other time periods, I had a more specific idea for the PCs. They would all be teenagers living through the horrors of the war before their trip into the Twilight Worlds. It would be interesting juxtaposing the grim reality of a wartorn Europe with the deceptive tranquility of the fey realms.
The third is 1998 which I'm sure a lot of people can remember at least bits and pieces of. This is probably the game easiest to relate to for many people and would require the least amount of effort making believeable characters for it. It would suffer a little with the narrative compared to the other two time periods, but not by a lot.
I have a preference for the first and second idea, but I am not opposed to the third. I believe that this kind of game benefits from player input and so I'm asking those interested to vote/make a case for your preferred time period.
Whatever the time period, it will be the Earth we know. Every PC will be Human since there are no other races living among mortals. Well, none that any of the PCs know about at first anyway.
However, players will get the ability to customize their characters with the racebuilder. No overt changes- like extra arms or wings- can be taken, but almost everything else is fair game. Awakening as a Dreamwalker changes a person on a fundamental and metaphysical level. So you might gain the ability to see in darkness, walk through flame unscathed, or tree stride. Players will get 11 RP to play around with when customizing their Dreamwalker.
Dreamwalkers are also very spiritually sensitive. Wisps of Animus- spiritual essence left behind in a corpse- flock to Dreamwalkers and can show important memories and a creature's last thoughts... which I'm totally not going to use as a plot device from time to time. Not only that, but the animus of fey and other such creatures- known as Wyrd- also wends toward Dreamwalkers. Unlike mortal Animus, however, Wyrd empowers them and will allow them to take on aspects of the creature when they Dreamshift. Each of the aspects are known as Masques.
Since I'm on that topic, let me touch on Dreamshifting. Dreamshifting is something that I vaguely talked about in the opening post. Dreamshifting is similiar to a magical girl transformation, but it's more feylike and not as anime. If you played the Folklore game on PS3 back in the day, you probably remember Ellen's transformation sequence. It's sort of like that. Dreamshifting uses Wyrd to transform a Dreamwalker into a more battle-ready state. Clothing shifts to be more baroque and elegant. Some spawn ornate, curving armor. An intricate weapon spawns and floats before them ready to be taken and used. While Dreamshifted, they have access to all of their class abilities and can assume a Masque at will.
Masques deserve their own section since they play a big role in customization later on. Masques, as I previously mentioned, can be used to assume aspects of a slain fey creature. A Nymph Masque might give a CHA buff and charm-related effects while also making the Dreamwalker stunningly beautiful, while a Boogeyman Masque might give a DEX buff and terror-related abilities while altering their appearance to always be in shadow but for their glowing eyes and pointed teeth. I'm basing these on the Masquerade Reveler Masques, but they're not going to be one for one translations.
Let us move away from the crunchy talk into something more setting-based.
Earth- no matter the time period selected- will reflect real-world Earth of that time. There might be hidden supernatural elements, but it's all hidden like you would expect in a setting like Masque of the Red Death or one of the World of Darkness settings.
The Twilight Worlds are the lands of the fey and exist in a winding planar road known as the Faerie Path. I'm a big fan of Zombie Sky Press's 'The Faerie Ring: Along the Twisting Way' setting and I'm going to incorporate those world- and the archfey that rule them- into the Twilight Worlds. I was also a fan of 4E's Feywild and will incorporate a few of the fey dominions from there into the Twilight Worlds as well. I'll detail a few of the Twilight Worlds below.
The Dream is, well, the world of dreams that mortals touch upon when they sleep. Unknown to most, the Dream is actually the barrier between the mortal world and the Twilight Worlds, as well as the path that the souls of the deceased take. The Dream's very nature is influenced by the souls that touch it as well as whatever Twilight World is nearest at any given time.
The Eternal Twilight is the classical land of the fey, locked in an eternal twilight and filled with lush fields, babbling brooks, and ornate fey homes. It is known by many names: Tir na Nog, the Isle of Avalon, and the Fairyland are but a few. It is the natural beauty of Earth dialed up to eleven and few sights can compare in all the Twilight Worlds.
The Forever Sea is not actually a sea at all, but an endless sky. Islands and archipelagos float through the eternal blue sky along gentle breezes. Winged fey of all kinds wend their way through the gentle jetstreams and many pixies and sprites flit among the cascades of flowers found on the floating islands.
The Glassway is both a plane and a part of the Faerie Road. It's a place of crystalline mountains and flora made of colored glass. A strange fey people live here and seem to have been budded from the sentient land itself for some unknown purpose.
The Green Expanse- or the Eternal Forest as it used to be known- is the primordial woodland of the multiverse. Here the trees grow so large that the greatest towers of the humans seem small in comparison and the vines, creepers, bushes, and blooms all have a will of their own. The Green Expanse has been dangerous as of late for Dreamwalkers and the once-peaceful woods seem to observe visitors with malicious intent.
Nowhere is the place where all things lost go. Here, one can find lost ideas and religions, discarded and forgotten artifacts, and even living creatures forgotten in the multiverse. If one looks hard enough, one might even be able to find their own lost innocence or their lost past. But Nowhere hates to give up anything that it has claimed and those who come here in search of something lost only rarely get to leave.
Purgatorium- also referred to as Purgatory- is an in-between realm where souls who cannot find their way to their final destinations linger. The four islands of Purgatorium float within a void and are joined by bridges that allow souls to discard the things that weigh them down as they journey to the Soulstreams on the final island. At the center of the islands is a necropolis-city known as Perdition and is home to both souls who have lingered in Purgatorium so long that they have lost the will to leave and the mysterious fey known as the Psychopomps.
The Sea of Rahab is located beneath reality and is the home of the Chaosbringer Rahab, the living embodiment of chaos and entropy who rules her drowned kingdom beneath the waves and fights against the sleeping curse inflicted upon her eons ago. The fey believe that, when the cycles of creation can continue no more, all will fall into the midnight waters of the Sea of Rahab and will be devoured by the Chaosbringer, whose death will birth a new universe.
Faraenyl is a plane home to the Courts of the Seasons. Each controls part of the plane and their land reflects a particular season. The rulers of the Courts of Seasons wage wars for control over the capital city of Emora and, despite their best efforts, the city itself seems to conspire to keep certain Courts ascendent at certain times.
Shambhala is a mystical city found in human folklore. Those who have walked the Faerie Road, however, know that the truth is nowhere near so pleasant and avoid the cursed city and it's monstrous inhabitants.
Aralu, the Gaol of Always, is a prison used by the archfey for those who displease them. It is a place where prisoners are forcibly bound by mystical oaths and pacts such that escape is impossible. Even those who are not magically bound might find themselves lost forever within the seemingly-endless tunnels and caverns. The blood and mucus-covered bones littering some of the larger caverns indicate that some do find freedom, just not in the way that they had hoped.
Scáthebaile is the home of the Unseelie Court and their majestic queen, a darkly beautiful land where the sun never shines. But one shouldn't grow enraptured by the moonlit lakes or the clear, starry sky, lest the unseelie catch them unawares and subject them to a gruesome fate. The realm also has a curious effect on regular humans who enter and they are slowly turned into fey themselves.
The Bear Marches- also known as Manitou's Demense- is the home of the archefey who was once the Lord of the Wild Hunt. After his daughter was lost eons ago to an unknown fate, the archfey withdrew from his position and passed his mantle on to another. The primordial forest does little to soothe the Mourning Lord and he is usually absent, wandering the planes to spread trickery that holds valuable lessons, lose himself in passions with mortal partners, or follow some lead to his long-lost daughter.
Zussael is the name of both a city and the shadow plane that it is found on. It is home to the fey people known as the darklings and was once the demense of another fey people, all of whom vanished from the planes after the invasion of a shadowy terror known to the fey as the Adversary. The city of Zussael is a place whose paths change with the phases of the moon and whose throne is occupied by a tyrannical despot who punishes those among her people who display color or emotion.
Ramnus is a small plane filled with Grecian temples and villas. It is a place where records of every oath ever written or spoken can be found and where a person's sins scrawl across their skin in glowing golden script. It's archfey, Nemesis, was born from an acorn that Manitou cast his sorrow and anger into. She has made Ramnus the seat of her crusade against injustice.
Pelora is a wondrous nightmare, a plane of constantly mutating flesh and bone that births and consumes entirely new species. Spires of skin and bone, cities built within giant ribcages, lakes of bile, and badlands made of scabbed blood. It is a place of chaos and mutation where life is created and ended with with callous indifference.
Strangle Grove was once the meeting grounds of the Wild Hunt, but after Manitou's passing of the mantle and the destructive infighting between it's members, it became a haunted land. Fitting then that it's new lord, Red Jack, is a spectral kitsune and has consecrated the malignant wood as a shrine to death itself.
Annwn is the demense of the Wild Hunt and the land of the cursed fir bolgs. Wolves wend through dark forests and fields of poppies the color of blood sway in an invisible wind. Trophies of the Wild Hunt hang from the branches of trees and mark the path of an archfey formed from the collected spirits of the Wild Hunt, a many-armed monstrosity born of violence itself.
Those are but some of the Twilight Worlds that PCs may get to visit.
Fey in this game are not as monolithic in their definition as in other setting. They are divided into the subcategories listed within The Faerie Ring books.
Changelings were once other creatures who turned into fey. Swanmaidens, who were created from mortal women by means of a magical cloak, are an example of changelings.
Devatas are fey who serve as guardian spirits to those in the mortal realm. Domavoi, who are helpful house spirits, are an example of devatas.
Dreamkin are fey born of dreams or nightmares and exist both in mortal minds and the Dream itself. Boogeymen, who were originally born from mortal nightmares before they began corrupting human children into new members of their species, are dreamkin.
Fata are the seers among the fey who have powers of divination. Norns are a perfect example of fata.
Glooms are fey that have been warped or twisted from their natural states into something that never should have been. The Joystealers who were stripped of body and emotions are an example of glooms.
Gnomekin- also known as Elementalkin- are fey with powerful ties to one of the elements. Frostwind Viragos are a good example of gnomekin.
The Lost are fey who no longer truly exist, but still sometimes appear in reality. The ancient Gnomes who phase back into reality only to be drained of emotion and turned into Bleachlings, are an example of the lost.
Mogwoi are an ancient type of fey who were born on Earth instead of the Twilight Worlds and are bound to the mortal world. The elusive Dryads are an example of mogwoi.
Peri are fey with ties to realms that deal more directly with the mortal sphere. The Psychopomps of Purgatorium are a good example of peri.
Quiddities are fey whose existence are bound to objects. Nereids, who are bound to their shawls, are an example of a quiddity.
Sidhe have strayed from their roots as spirits of the natural world by meddling too much in mortal affairs. Some are tricksters, others are malicious kidnappers who enjoy the taste of human flesh. The Glaistig are an example of sidhe.
Sovereigns are a special class of fey and are known as the oldest and most powerful of their ilk. Each is unique and powerful beyond mortal measure. Archfey like the Prince of Frost, Manitou, and the Queen of Air and Darkness are all part of the Sovereign distinction.
Yokai are fey with the strongest connection to the natural world. Some of them actually are components of the natural world. Mites, with their bonds to vermin, are an example of yokai.
Since this kind of game really benefits from player input, I want to pose some questions to you all and see where that takes things.
Level: I know that I want PCs to at least be level 5. Anything lower than that and games can be a bit of a drag. What I want to know is what specific level you want? 6-12 is the range I'm really looking at, so something within that range will likely be weighted more when I take player input into consideration.
Gestalt: Yes or no? No need to make arguments for or against it, just say yes or no on whether you want gestalt.
Story Beats and Tone: What story beats are you looking to hit? Do you want things all in the Twilight Worlds or do you want some Earth stuff thrown in too? Do you want to explore fey oaths and bargains in greater detail than I was planning? Do you want a more classically heroic take on the campaign or do you want something darker like you might find in Changeling the Lost/the Dreaming and older fairy tales? Do you want to have a missing sibling whose trail you pick up after becoming a Dreamwalker? I just want to know so I can structure and stylize the campaign in a way that players seem to want more.
Third Party: Do you want any third party? Psionics and Akhashic aren't going to be allowed because they don't really fit the magical faerie motif.
Time Period: Which of the three time periods are you interested in?
Level: I've never played a pathfinder game where my character was higher than level 3 that lasted longer than a session, so I'm in for whatever level is selected.
Gestalt: Never done it before, so either is fine for me
Story: Classically heroic is more my beat. Faraenyl sounds fun, as does Nowhere, but I also like the idea of jumping back and forth from feywild to Earth.
Third Part: I prefer no third party.
Time: This wasn't listed with the other things but was at the beginning. The first two time periods sound better to me.
Good catch! I added time period to the survey.
So interesting.
Level: I'm thinking somewhere around 7, but I'm okay with whatever level.
Gestalt: Yes, please.
Story Beats/Tone: I'm not so much into horror... dark is okay, as long as it isn't dark that can't possibly be overcome or made better. I like a little bit of hope that we can make a difference. :) I think both earth and Twilight Worlds could be interesting, but am fine with whatever in that regard. I think what I like is some exploration of fairy magic and magical items... not out of greed. I love the story, really. But I do like some nice interesting magical items or abilities as well.
Third Party: no opinion. I don't think I know anything offhand that would fit, but am open to it if someone else does.
Time Period: Okay with any, but kind of leaning towards 1940. I love Connie Willis, and her time traveling stories set during World War II are amazing, so I like the feel of that time period. I also like the juxtaposition of the Twilight Worlds as an escape from that harsh reality, perhaps deceptively so in many cases of course.
1886 or 1998 are my top picks for time period. Gestalt would be awesome, though I’d also suggest feat tax rules. Level 5 or 6 seems like a good range. I’m a big fan of Spheres, so that’d be my preferred 3pp.
Incredibly interested regardless but my preferences:
Time: Victorian Era
Level: 5
Tone: Dark/Gothic/Horror
Gestalt: Ideally no, but I can adjust
Setting: Real Earth, with short voyages or long time spent in the fey realm
Other Preferences: Feat Tax Adjustment but no other 3pp
With a bit more thinking, 1940 seems like a really cool time period as well. In terms of game theme, a split between Earth and the Twilight Realms seems best, and I can hardly imagine the fey without oaths and bargains.
Level: Probably 6th or 10th. 6th because there's a whole game mode built around the supposition that 7th level is where you start seeing a gap between what martials are capable of and what spellcasters are capable of (look up E6 from D&D 3.5 for discussions on this.) 10th because lots of classes unlock cool new options/abilities at 10th level, especially modular" classes like witches and rogues.
Gestalt: No. I'm indecisive enough when choosing one class. :)
Story beats/tone: I think I'd prefer something that stays almost entirely in the fae realms, with only brief interactions with the real world. Horror would be fun.
Third-party: I personally am not the least bit familiar with any third-party options, so I wouldn't use them even if they were available.
Time period: My vote would be 1880s.
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While I'm not going to app (Cause I have a ton of games I'm in anyway), I thought I might offer a suggestion cause your ideas are really interesting:
Instead of being all from the same Earth, perhaps the group comes from very similar but not the same Earths (i.e. the worlds are mostly identical, but minor things are different, like different names of things level of minor changes)? That way, you could allow all of the eras that you want to run.
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Ooh, I'm getting more interested. Answers to your queries:
Level - I'm good with any starting level, but level 5-7 is my sweet spot for Pathfinder. Most characters can at least mostly do what they want to be doing without it being too over-the-top.
Gestalt - Prefer no, but it's not a dealbreaker.
Tone - I concur with Zanbabe: dark, but not utterly hopeless. Think Brothers Grimm instead of Lovecraft.
Third Party - Even if it's allowed I probably won't use it (unless it's Elephant In The Room feat tax rules, which I do recommend and use in my own games.
Time Period - Been there, done that with 1998. ;) I'd prefer 1880s or 1940s, ultimate preference I think 1880s.
sounds fun!
level: don't really care though i assume it only really affects our dreamshifted selves.
gestalt: no preference
tone: serious but whimsical.
third party: drop dead studios' spheres of power is a well balanced subsystem that opens up a lot of options for people. also, elephant in the room feat tax reductions. martials need love.
time period: 1880s. i'm running a PTU game in a similarly themed region. this could scratch my player itch.
I'll leave this open for about another nine hours. Noon today is the cutoff point for giving your input on the survey to determine the shape of this game.
Level: 5-7 is definitely the sweet spot, I think.
Gestalt: I say maybe/yes if there are only 3-4 characters, but no if there are 4-6. It's a nice way to round out roles & characters when you're tight on players.
Third Party: Definitely Elephant in the Room. Spheres of Power/Might or Path of War could be fun?
Tone: I think it depends. For the 1880s or 1998 time, I think "dark but not hopeless" hits the sweet spot. For 1940 which is already a dark time, I think having it more Alice-In-Wonderland light would be a nice juxtaposition.
Time Period: My preference is for the 1880s.
Level: I think level 8 at maximum, as it opens the opportunity for some interesting prestige classes, maybe even 2-3 levels in it. But I wouldn’t go higher than that. Lower (4-6) would be fine too, I like the E6 system.
Gestalt: I’d rather not, but if it’s a small party and the rest of the world is powered up accordingly, then maybe.
Third Party: I prefer only Paizo material. Maybe Elephant in the Room if you want something a little more martial.
Tone: I don’t like “dark just to be edgy”. If it’s dark, I’d rather it be intelligently built, like White Wolf’s Changeling.
Time Period: I prefer when it’s closer to the Middle Ages. I don’t like all the guns and high tech thing around, unless it’s like a true plot device (like the Iron Gods AP).
hmmm...I'm interested. I would be super interested in making a character based from an indigenous culture of the Americas.
Level: E6 is nice. Plus, homebrews tend to sputter out before they get too high.
Gestalt: not really my thing.
Third Party: same.
Tone: Reasonably dark. Stranger Things dark? :D
Time Period: no particular preference.
An addendum to my initial post: I'd prefer if the game was evenly split between the fae realm and real earth, and if we and others who had seen past the veil or whatnot had our class abilities in the real world
Hello! This seems a very nice idea with a lot of potential. Let's do your survey!
Level: Around level 6 is when classes start to really shine in their niches. Less than that and you're just a ball of numbers and feats. Too much more than that and the game starts to clog, unless you reach there by gameplay. Also, I hate, and I really mean it, E6.
Gestalt: I love gestalt, but there's always the risk that characters are all too much alike. I wouldn't mind, as long as people is responsible enough to not go for a "I can do everything" kind of guy.
Third Party: Feat taxes should be a customary subject at elementary school. Apart from that, I love Spheres, but they don't mix well with the core rules - they seem to be made for full-spheres games.
Tone: I'm a sucker for classic epics. Being the game that it is, though, it's screaming for some dark touches and a pinch of psychedelia. A mix of real world and Dreamland would be perfect for me and would allow for dilemmas like "keeping the masquerade". Much like Werewolf: The Apocalypse.
Time Period: In my opinion and experience, Pathfinder works just meh when firearms are too common, so I'd vote for 19th Century.
Oooh, this sounds SO cool, but also seems like way more involved than what I am personally looking for right now (I overindulged in Gameday sessions), but I am definitely going to bookmark this and lurk <3
Since fey is an interest of yours, do you think you might run whatever time period doesn't get picked in the future? Or will this be more of a long-term game?
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I was a little late getting back today, but consider the survey closed!
Based on input from you all, the following will be what I'm going with when designing this campaign.
Time Period: 1886 won by a large margin, so 1886 is the time period we're going with.
Level: Level 6 was what people seemed most comfortable with.
Gestalt: Another close one. Since opinion was split so heavily on the subject, I'm going to strike a compromise. Players can choose between having a free variant multiclass without having to pay the feats for it or a free archetype without sacrificing class abilities. You will also get to bump up either BAB, HD, FORT, REF, or WILL one stage as well. I've seen this done before on Discord and it hits a nice halfway point between gestalt and no gestalt.
Third Party: The consensus is allowing some third-party, but not going hogwild with it. I'll allow things that make sense within the context of the game. Path of War and Spheres would both fit since they are more easily rationalized.
Elephant in the Room: I never thought to ask about this, but people want it and they shall have it.
Story Beats: It seems that people want a Changeling the Lost or Brothers Grimm vibe to the campaign: dark, whimsical, occasionally trippy, and with a nice seasoning of hope to keep it from being bleak and nihilistic. The game will also shift between Earth and the Twilight Worlds, with a heavier emphasis on the Faerie Road and the Twilight Worlds.
I've seen a few people wonder how powers will work on Earth since Dreamshifting requires Wyrd energy to work.
Well, Dreamshifting can be done freely anywhere but Earth. On Earth though, Dreamwalkers have to pull raw Wyrd from the Twilight Worlds if they don't have a source to draw from. While that might seem innocuous, it isn't. It creates temporary holes in the Dream and things from the Twilight Worlds can enter Earth.
The energies unleashed from a Dreamshift can also expose mortals to the energies of the Dream in a process called Dementing. Most of the time it just strains mortal minds and causes temporary distress and amnesia. Sometimes it can snap the mind in half and cause psychosis. Out of those, some turn catatonic and remain locked in their own minds for years. Others slowly descend into a homicidal mania and eventually go on a murderous rampage.
So while PCs can Dreamshift in the mortal world, it is inherently risky and something that should be kept to a minimum unless they acquire a source of Wyrd that they draw from.
It's my intention for this game to last for quite a while. Several years actually. But I love fey enough where I might run another game later at some point. I don't want to create too much work for myself at one time though and won't commit to running another game until this one hits a nice stride.
Sounds great, and the halfway point between normal and gestalt is super interesting. :D
I think there are a few questions still open
--How do you do HP? Roll for each level, or average for each level, or some other option, like max for first and then average plus one after?
--The 11 RP for customizing our characters... is that a permanent alteration, or are those alterations only applicable when dreamshifted?
--How many traits, and can you trade a drawback for an extra or not?
--Stats. I can't remember if you mentioned this, and just scanned back through and don't see it. Do you want us to roll, and if so, how many times... straight, drop 1s, best out of three, etc.? Or, are you doing point-buy, and if so, how many points?
There are probably things I am missing, but those are some things that I thought of that I need to know before I can finalize a character.
This sounds amazing. :D I'll start pondering character ideas. Will you continue this thread as a recruitment, or will a new recruitment thread be started up? Also, further guidance on the mechanics of character creation will help so that I can get started with the crunchy bits.
Once again, Zanbabe has read my mind.
Also, 11RP instead of human features or on top of them?
And let me see if I caught the concept. When we have access to Dream stuff, we "transform" in what we would call a PC class. Then, what are our stats meanwhile? NPC class?
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I will open a new recruitment thread once I get everything ready. A link will be put here once it is posted.
No one has asked yet, but I'm aiming to select five players.
The recruitment isn't up yet since this was just the interest check and planning thread. If you want to get started though, here are some of the things you asked for and more.
HP will be treated as maximum. It keeps variability down.
The additional racial abilities are in addition to your normal human traits and are permanent since they are the result of Wyrd binding itself to your character's Animus. Being immune to fire damage or being able to see in the dark is as intrinsic to your character now as the beating of their heart.
Two traits. I'll allow you to trade a drawback for an extra one.
Thirty point ability score buy.
Automatic Bonus Progression while Dreamshifted. Weapon and Armor Enhancements from ABP stack instead of subtract from a magic weapon/armor's enhancement. Clothing counts as light armor for the purposes of attunement. Gear gained when the PCs first Dreamshift counts as already being attuned.
You will get Background Skills. There is honestly no point in witholding those from PCs.
PCs will have no gear at the start of the game. When they first Dreamshift, they will have access to gear equal in value to 8,000 GP.
Dreamshifting is what awakens you to your "class". Your abilities will be locked behind Dreamshifting, but your hard stats like HP, saves, and BAB are static between normal form and Dreamshift form.
So, while you are much hardier and more capable than the normal level 1-3 NPC class human, you are still very mortal while outside of Dreamshift and should be more cautious as a result. This ties into the whole dark side to Dreamshifting. Do you use it more in the mortal world to influence things at a risk to those around you? Or do you try to handle things more like a normal human would? Without Dreamshifting having a cost, it would be far too easy for PCs to be Bronze Age comic book heroes while on Earth and that isn't the vibe I was going for. Earth is a much grittier, harsher reality than in the Twilight Worlds and I wanted to reflect that.
Sounds great! Super looking forward to this.
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So I was going to ask about the fluff in character creation (whether we should have to be from a specific place in the World, if we know each other, etc) but I guess it will all be explained in the recruitment thread.
For those of you who want to have a look, I present you the year 1886.
So, I know we aren't actually in recruitment yet, but I have been looking at the race builder and trying to figure out what my base human + 11 RP would be like and I have one question. You said extra arms or wings (overt changes) were disallowed, but could you have something like claws? That allows you a claw attack, but they wouldn't necessarily have to be overt if they were retractable. Is that over the line, or is it okay?
This is intriguing. Is there a specific reason you're going with pathfinder ruleset over say, Changeling?
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I guess I am a bit late to the party, but this sounds very interesting to me as well!
In regards to your questions, if you need any more input:
Time period: I'd prefer 1880 or 1940 over 1998. There's something romantic about the late victorian era; still old-fashioned and classical, but on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will eventually majorly change life for everyone. Alternatively, world-war two makes for probably the most action-packed state the world has ever been, and makes a good setup for high stakes and potential in-party drama if the PC's are from different earth factions.
Gestalt: i would be in favor of this since it's something new to me, and I'd like to explore new concepts over those I've already done a lot.
Starting level: Hm... I'd probably go for level 7, which is where most classes have unlocked their essential class features and lower level spells, but have enough room to grow further. It also leaves enough customizable room for people if they want to do a multiclass build.
On the story: Classically heroic seems fine to me. I'd prefer/expect the fey and Earth to be linked and be influenced by major events in the other, so that both storylines have to be resolved succesfully to avert disaster. It seems more interesting to me that way, and to not make earth trivial I'd expect people using mostly their wits and human limits to achieve their goals there.
Third party: I don't know, probably on a case by case basis. I like the idea of exploring new stuff but a lot of third party material is extremely overpowered.
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HOLY HECK!! I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS!! I WOULD TOTALLY ENTER INTO A FAE BARGAIN TO PLAY IN THIS GAME!!
Okay, now that I got my hype and excitement out of the way, I do have one important question:
You only have 10 posts on Paizo and I always worry about new GMs with crazy awesome game concepts(despite all the work you've already shown us).
Any sort of assurances you can give us that you'll stick around, and not be overwhelmed by PC applications or the game itself?
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Bravo on this concept Caoimhe, I said I wasn't going to compete in any more recruitments for a while, but with this level of customization available and such a cool story concept, there's no way I can turn it down. . .
Very cool on every level.
So...
If this isn't happening for a couple months then I am still interested.
I would be very interested in this game as well! Assuming I didn't miss the recruitment already...
Will you please post a link here to recruiting once you're ready for this game? Otherwise I will never find it, lol. Thanks!