World Guides

[Craig1234]

As I'm approaching the end of a decade-long run of RotRL (it's been quite a haul), I've been thinking of developing my own adventures for my players next. I have plenty of ideas stored up that just need to be organized and developed, but I don't know where to put it. My mind went immediately to picking up a world guide and getting to know it as the setting, and then I could use that as the framework for my story (and probably use a bunch of other hooks to pull it all together).

Therefore, I did a quick search and found several, but realized that they seem to overlap one another (for instance, "Campaign Setting, The Inner Sea World Guide" and "Campaign Setting: Cheliax, The Infernal Empire" - even though Cheliax is part of the inner sea guide).

Having never seen any of these books before, I was left wondering what is the difference between a campaign setting and a world guide (if there is one), and how do they fit together - I wouldn't think twice about buying one, but I won't be buying several.

I'd appreciate any assistance you can provide clearing this up.

Also, any suggestions for where to set it would be good. A key part of the story requires a nation where magic is illegal (not absent, just illegal, requiring the players to be careful about where and when they pull out the magic stuff).

Thanks again

[Waterhammer]

Inner Sea World Guide is the overview. Campaign Settings go over a smaller area in greater detail

[SheepishEidolon]

Craig1234 wrote:

A key part of the story requires a nation where magic is illegal (not absent, just illegal, requiring the players to be careful about where and when they pull out the magic stuff).

That would be Rahadoum. Check out the wiki article for a first impression. Compared to other nations, there is little material, including no dedicated Campaign Setting book, but IMO there are enough hooks to make up something.

"Inner Sea World Guide" (mentioned by Waterhammer already) has four good pages on Rahadoum. When you check out the reference list at the bottom of the wiki article, you will see more books mentioned: "Campaign Setting" is the outdated predecessor of Inner Sea World Guide and "Lost Omens World Guide" is the newest overview, for Second Edition. However, both books only have about 2 pages on the nation and are less inspiring reading IMO. "Tombs of Golarion" finally describes a clockwork dungeon in the area - which seems solid but not outstanding.

[SheepishEidolon]

Sorry, have to correct myself: Rahadoum just outlaws most religion, so most divine spellcasters have to keep a low profile there.

Arcane magic is met with rejection in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, as both Northern countries suffered from conflicts with the neighbouring winter witches. Far away there is a hobgoblin kingdom and they deeply hate arcane casting as "elf magic" - but that's probably too exotic as a setting. Those are the closest things to forbidden arcane magic I remember right now.

Personally I'd change Rahadoum to also outlaw most arcane magic. Since there is only limited material about the nation, you risk few inconsistencies.

When it comes to your players: What incentive do they have to play a caster in such a setting? Be the handicapped underdog and successful with it? Be sneaky and not get caught? Change the nation in favor of them / their religion?

[Grankless]

The county of Barstoi in Ustalav has illegalized magic of basically all kinds. They also suck ass over there.

Also, Rahadoum has had a lot more written about it since ISWG, in both Lost Omens World Guide and Lost Omens Legends, as well as various pieces of short fiction. (Druids are completely kosher since their magic doesn't come from divine entities at all, it's just arbitrarily divine because of legacy stuff in 1e). Did you know they invented vaccines?

[Craig1234]

Grankless wrote:

The county of Barstoi in Ustalav has illegalized magic of basically all kinds. They also suck ass over there.

Also, Rahadoum has had a lot more written about it since ISWG, in both Lost Omens World Guide and Lost Omens Legends, as well as various pieces of short fiction. (Druids are completely kosher since their magic doesn't come from divine entities at all, it's just arbitrarily divine because of legacy stuff in 1e). Did you know they invented vaccines?

I have in mind bits of story that would essentially become 3 or 4 modules in a related main quest line (kind of like an adventure path, but much less of a railroad approach). The second chapter would be in the lands where its illegal, so at creation time, they won't know its coming. There are paths where they can get it legalized (by essentially overthrowing the govt) or they can try to fly under the radar, however they prefer. As they complete the main objectives in the area, they move away, so they won't need to hide it permanently, just for a portion of the story. The reason I ask about where it could be like that is because, as a rule, magic is fine everywhere else.

That said, having just looked over these little tidbits, ideas are already morphing, so looks like inner sea guide, here I come.