I remembered there was some discussion on here about a postal service campaign on here, and brought it up to my players and they liked the idea of it as a future campaign. I want to set it in Golarion to save time on worldbuilding. What nation would be best for this? Ideally one that's developed enough that a private mail delivery company could sprout up, but dangerous enough that mail carriers would have to be armed adventurers.
I feel like the natural starting point for a postal campaign is Andoran, since they're enthusiastic about civic institutions and would believe things like "anyone can send letters to anyone else, and we'll deliver them" which would be a rare thing to believe in a country with an established aristocracy (who can just afford private couriers, and who cares about the underclasses.)
That said, a Galt postal service campaign works for many of the same reasons, but there are a lot of things you'd need to work out to get around the particular issues of living in Galt (e.g. does the mail just persist continuously in periods of revolutionary change just because everybody wants to send letters and the postal service is neutral here?)
My third thought would be the River Kingdoms.
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The Taldan League of Deliverers once delivered mail across the far-flung Taldan empire. League runners would get your package, even if you needed it transported from the Crown of the World all the way to the shores of the Western Sea.
The Taldan Empire is but a shadow of its former self these days, with countries like Cheliax, Andoran, and the so-called River Kingdoms holding sway over those lands that once swore fealty to Oppara. And yet even though they are no longer swear political allegiance to Taldor anymore, the League of Deliverers will still deliver packages to these places anyway.
It is simply what a Deliverer does.
Perhaps the Empire of Kelesh would be interested in couriers? I don't know if it's developed enough to put something in but I do remember a somewhat large Earth empire that invested heavily in roads.
Cheliax might also go for it. Albeit with certain Rules. Although now I'm imagining someone trying to send Explosive Runes as a letter.
My vote would go for Chelliax and have it be a city adventure, diabolists make for fun clients.
I also like the idea of the Linnorm Kings region for a more wilderness based delivery adventure.
The shackles could be a lot of fun too, pirate mail :)
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Another option might be Nex, which seems kinda high-tech/high-magic advanced society.
Osirion is also an option. At least in PF1 it was portrayed as somewhat up and coming, getting back from a long period of stagnation. Setting up an international postal service might be a way for them to raise their profile as a (would be) great power located at the crossroads of the Inner Sea and Obari Ocean. They've got plenty of interesting neighbors to deliver mail to:
- Nex, Alkenstar and the Mana Wastes
- Geb
- Their own interior (sign here mr. mummy)
- Okeno
- Jalmeray
And of course all the usual Inner Sea suspects
I feel like the natural starting point for a postal campaign is Andoran, since they're enthusiastic about civic institutions and would believe things like "anyone can send letters to anyone else, and we'll deliver them" which would be a rare thing to believe in a country with an established aristocracy (who can just afford private couriers, and who cares about the underclasses.)
That said, a Galt postal service campaign works for many of the same reasons, but there are a lot of things you'd need to work out to get around the particular issues of living in Galt (e.g. does the mail just persist continuously in periods of revolutionary change just because everybody wants to send letters and the postal service is neutral here?)
My third thought would be the River Kingdoms.
The River Kingdoms seems like it would result in the most normal campaign. Normally, you would need important reasons for why a mail man would get into random battles. Is your letter important? Are they trying to get the location of the recipient?
But River Kingdoms? People will just rob you because they think you have a cheese of the month club package, and they don't want to go out to get lunch.
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I feel like the natural starting point for a postal campaign is Andoran, since they're enthusiastic about civic institutions and would believe things like "anyone can send letters to anyone else, and we'll deliver them" which would be a rare thing to believe in a country with an established aristocracy (who can just afford private couriers, and who cares about the underclasses.)
That said, a Galt postal service campaign works for many of the same reasons, but there are a lot of things you'd need to work out to get around the particular issues of living in Galt (e.g. does the mail just persist continuously in periods of revolutionary change just because everybody wants to send letters and the postal service is neutral here?)
My third thought would be the River Kingdoms.
The River Kingdoms seems like it would result in the most normal campaign. Normally, you would need important reasons for why a mail man would get into random battles. Is your letter important? Are they trying to get the location of the recipient?
But River Kingdoms? People will just rob you because they think you have a cheese of the month club package, and they don't want to go out to get lunch.
I think it's a great destination, but it doesn't have to be your home base for that. I'd say the ideal home base is a country that's sorted enough to have a mail service, but surrounded by quirky neighbors that the PCs can be sent to.
I feel like the natural starting point for a postal campaign is Andoran, since they're enthusiastic about civic institutions and would believe things like "anyone can send letters to anyone else, and we'll deliver them" which would be a rare thing to believe in a country with an established aristocracy (who can just afford private couriers, and who cares about the underclasses.)
That said, a Galt postal service campaign works for many of the same reasons, but there are a lot of things you'd need to work out to get around the particular issues of living in Galt (e.g. does the mail just persist continuously in periods of revolutionary change just because everybody wants to send letters and the postal service is neutral here?)
My third thought would be the River Kingdoms.
The River Kingdoms seems like it would result in the most normal campaign. Normally, you would need important reasons for why a mail man would get into random battles. Is your letter important? Are they trying to get the location of the recipient?
But River Kingdoms? People will just rob you because they think you have a cheese of the month club package, and they don't want to go out to get lunch.
'Oy, we robbed the mail coach, an' instead'a da Cheese 'a da Munf package alls we found was dese deeds ta gold mines!'
River Kingdoms is probably better as a destination or obstacle, it's not quite stable enough to support starting the service itself.
I can see Nex or Alkenstar, maybe. Not Geb, they're still reeling from the battles between Undead Parcel Service and Festering Express.
(And if you deliver armour, you have to call it MailMail.)
I feel like the natural starting point for a postal campaign is Andoran, since they're enthusiastic about civic institutions and would believe things like "anyone can send letters to anyone else, and we'll deliver them" which would be a rare thing to believe in a country with an established aristocracy (who can just afford private couriers, and who cares about the underclasses.)
That said, a Galt postal service campaign works for many of the same reasons, but there are a lot of things you'd need to work out to get around the particular issues of living in Galt (e.g. does the mail just persist continuously in periods of revolutionary change just because everybody wants to send letters and the postal service is neutral here?)
My third thought would be the River Kingdoms.
The River Kingdoms seems like it would result in the most normal campaign. Normally, you would need important reasons for why a mail man would get into random battles. Is your letter important? Are they trying to get the location of the recipient?
But River Kingdoms? People will just rob you because they think you have a cheese of the month club package, and they don't want to go out to get lunch.
'Oy, we robbed the mail coach, an' instead'a da Cheese 'a da Munf package alls we found was dese deeds ta gold mines!'
River Kingdoms is probably better as a destination or obstacle, it's not quite stable enough to support starting the service itself.
I can see Nex or Alkenstar, maybe. Not Geb, they're still reeling from the battles between Undead Parcel Service and Festering Express.
(And if you deliver armour, you have to call it MailMail.)
I think that instability might be why "mail men" means a heavily armed group made up of mercenaries and magic users able to fight their way through all sorts of dangers.
Yeah. it is not a place for a regular service, and a normal mail service would likely fail, or at least deal with something so petty that neither the enemies or even the party bother with it. You would have to be a specialized service, which might fit better for making "adventurers" necessary.
That instability also means that it is easier to have random acts of theft and violence without being a big 'thing'. A group of 50 bandits try to attack you on the road in Andoran? Then the knights will get involved, and then you will have to deal with various questions, etc.