Greetings all! I know this is a Paizo.com, but it seems the Campaign boards are setting agnostic, so here it goes...
I am looking to gauge interest for a game set in the Forgotten Realms, starting in 1372 DR (3rd edition timeline). For those familiar with events but not necessarily dates, this falls in the era a bit after the Time of Troubles but well before the Spellplague, in the year in which Bane is reborn and the City of Shade returns from the Demiplane of Shadow. This was the timeline kickoff for the Forgotten Realms in 3rd edition. For a game concept I am considering either a somewhat "classic game" set in the Dalelands & Moonsea, or an "urban game" set in Waterdeep, the City of Splendors.
A bit about me - I am a longtime gamer who recently moved away from my longtime gaming community and figured I would join these boards to add to my reduced gaming options. I got my start with the Black Box set (1991) then quickly moved into playing was playing 2e for the better part of the next decade. This lead into 3rd and 3.5 editions, which I and my home group 'stayed with' in its next evolution, Pathfinder 1e. Though I dabbled in D&D 4e (and then 5e), I have always returned to Pathfinder. I was playing on PbP boards and in chatrooms back during the 2e/3e transition, but haven't returned to this format in quite a few years. VTT games over the past two years have reignited the internet as a gaming option, so here I am.
I'd be interested to see what you do for sure!
Much love for the Realms. I'd be interested.
This is totally my jam. Lots of love for the Realms so would definitely be interested. Similarly, I got my start during 2E but most of my playtime was throughout the 3/3.5 era.
Sounds amazing!
Sounds interesting.
I am always a fan of Forgotten Realms games, and I definitely prefer Pre-Spellplague!
Could you share a little more about your two game concepts? Would you be having players vote on which to use?
Beyond the obvious from the title (PF1e), what are you thinking for mechanics and options?
Definitely interested. Love the 3e era of FR and Moonsea and Waterdeep are some of my favorite places to adventure.
Sounds interesting
Showing interest. The timeline is helpful to jump in, and easy to research.
Alright, I am excited to see some interest. I honestly wasn't sure if there would be much interest for Forgotten Realms on here. A few people have asked (here or in PM) for some more details, so here we go.
Let's get started with some thoughts on Character Creation. Be advised, these are JUST THOUGHTS right now - this is not a recruitment, and none of this is final.
Ability Scores Forgotten Realms is "High Fantasy" and characters should feel like they could grow into an epic hero like Elminster or Drizzt. Now, I am an old soul and like rolled ability scores, but find you can end up with a wide range which can leave some characters feeling 2nd class. As such, I generally use a flat number of points that can be assigned to ability scores (1-to-1). Why flat as opposed to "Point Buy"? I feel Point Buy unnecessarily ranks the fabled "18". Considering that 16, 16 and 18, 13 are both 20 pts, most characters would benefit more from the former than the latter.
Races the Realms are a land of diverse people, so I would be open to most Core, Featured, and Uncommon Races. Please understand that some races will have difficulty with interactions in some places. I also have somewhat unorganized notes my group uses for FR subraces in Pathfinder, I will clean that up and include it as well.
Classes Core, Base, Hybrid and Unchained classes. Gunslinger if built thematically (guns are extremely rare; only gnomes of Lantana had firearms, a gift from Gond during the Time of Troubles). No 3rd party classes (or other material for that matter).
Level I have enjoyed many in person games that have started at 1st level, but recognize that PbP is a much slower creature. Starting with a few levels of experience can both give a lot of definition to the characters, and allow them to get deeper into storylines faster. As such, I am thinking somewhere in the 3rd to 5th level range.
Skills I will be using Background Skulls.
Traits I will be using the Traits, likely allowing 3.
Feats my group has played with characters gaining 1 feat per level since 3rd edition, I see no reason to stop. For a long time, we also allowed each character to get a "bonus package" of feats, kind of a class themed set. In recent years we replaced that with the EitR Feat Tax rules. Not sure which I'm leaning toward yet.
High Fantasy vs Power Gaming the details above likely jump out as great ways to pursue a munchkin build. I have been blessed for years to play with a group that will use extra options to flesh out a character, giving them definition, rather than single mindedly focusing one thing to a razor point. When we get to the recruitment phase, I will be looking for characters that are thematic and dynamic, rather than obvious power builds. Just my 2 copper.
My next post will have some notes on the two potential games I mentioned in my opening.
Feats my group has played with characters gaining 1 feat per level since 3rd edition, I see no reason to stop. For a long time, we also allowed each character to get a "bonus package" of feats, kind of a class themed set. In recent years we replaced that with the EitR Feat Tax rules. Not sure which I'm leaning toward yet.
Oooh! I'm very interested in the bonus packages. The feat tax rules tends to be be pretty focused on melee and not offer spellcasters much benefit.
Skills I will be using Background Skulls.
Skulls in the background are creepy. Scary. Could even be used as foreshadowing...Very atmospheric. I like that. ;)
Sorry. Couldn't resist.
Are you leaning more towards Dalelands or Waterdeep-ish? Or is that still undecided?
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The feat tax rules tends to be be pretty focused on melee and not offer spellcasters much benefit.
That's because spellcasters don't need to take 7-feat-chains to be able to do half the things you could do with a spell :p
But yeah. I feel that. Even if martials need more love, being a spellcaster and receiving something so that you can flesh out your character, even if it's some extra traits, would also be nice. Most characters are so feat starved that they have a hard time investing extra feats in some fluff things.
Just by the record, I'm an old fashioned guy who loves classic Dalelands-style adventures.
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A setting I've been interested in but haven't gotten any experience with...an experienced GM with a developed sense of pacing who's looking for a story of adventure...and a generous character creation ruleset with an eye for theming and fun rather than munchkins?
How can I say no to that? consider this a big fat DOT.
What were you thinking on deities? Use the Faerûnian pantheon and associated domains from the 3E FRCS, modified as necessary to fit Pathfinder?
Sounds fun!
I am interested in joining with Thraag. I will update him when I see how many points, etc. you decide to go with.
I played & GMed the Realms back in the day - even ran City of the Spider Queen a couple times! - and love the heck out of that era. I would happily wrestle one...nay, several kittens, for a place in this game.
Character parameters sound really good, I like the opportunity to make a well-rounded character--I like capable, storied characters.
(I expect no answer to the following question until you open a recruitment): I'm curious about the point buy option in how that will pan out. What would be a typical array? Indeed could we have an option to a pre-genned array of stats (such as the option in standard 3E and Pathfinder of 8 10 12 13 14 15) to choose from if we're not keen on dithering over which point to put where?
Never played a game that allowed more than the usual feats, but definitely could make creating certain builds much easier. I presume this is on top of any bonus feats certain classes get anyway?
Thanks for considering running this, it sounds very fun.
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I played & GMed the Realms back in the day - even ran City of the Spider Queen a couple times! - and love the heck out of that era. I would happily wrestle one...nay, several kittens, for a place in this game.
{Announcer voice} We've secretly replaced his ordinary kittens with displacer beast, manticore, and chimera kittens. Let's see if he can tell the difference.
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I played & GMed the Realms back in the day - even ran City of the Spider Queen a couple times! - and love the heck out of that era. I would happily wrestle one...nay, several kittens, for a place in this game.{Announcer voice} We've secretly replaced his ordinary kittens with displacer beast, manticore, and chimera kittens. Let's see if he can tell the difference.
Oh. Oh yeah. This we MUST record.
Sounds really interesting! I enjoy Forgotten Realms but PF 1e is my favorite system for making a character.
I like Golorion but The Realms will always have a special place in my heart, I remember as a kid spending hours pouring over old 2nd edition campaign sets (I think The City of Splendours box set was my favourite although Dale Lands and Myth Drannor was a close second).
As it happens I'm running a Moonsea area campaign right now for the nostalgia :)
Dotting for interest.
Oh. Oh yeah. This we MUST record.I played & GMed the Realms back in the day - even ran City of the Spider Queen a couple times! - and love the heck out of that era. I would happily wrestle one...nay, several kittens, for a place in this game.{Announcer voice} We've secretly replaced his ordinary kittens with displacer beast, manticore, and chimera kittens. Let's see if he can tell the difference.
I hadn't thought about a monk/ranger until now, but...
Still here. No further news to my knowledge.
I hope everyone one has been doing well. I have been working on fleshing out my two game concepts for the past week, hoping one would "take the lead" in my mind. Frustratingly, I am excited about them both. Here is a quick 'preview' of each.
A temperate land of dense, ancient forests interspersed with bountiful farmlands and quiet hamlets, the Dalelands are an idyllic fantasy... but behind every fantasy is a darker reality. The truth is the Dalelands stand threatened from without and within. With greedy Sembian merchants plotting acquisition in the south, the Zhentarim having all but conquered the Moonsea to the north, and the City of Shade holding dominion over Anauroch in the west, constant aggression abounds. Even the 'allied' nation of Cormyr is home to countless nobles looking to expand their holdings by stretching into the lush lands north of them. That speaks nothing of the threats hiding in the shadows of the Dales. Both drow and hooded cultists have been spotted seeking the lost elven realm of Cormanthyr, orc tribes grow strong in both the Deserthmouth Mountains and Thunder Peaks, and dark whispers abound of dangers long forgotten in the past.
But the folk of the Dales are stalwart of heart and strong of mind, and whenever great dangers arise, some among the simple people rise up, to become heroes worthy of legend. In these darks days, such heroes are needed... who will answer the call?
Waterdeep - the City of Splendors, and Jewel of the Sword Coast! Mention it's name across Toril and everyone will imagine a massive city beyond compare, where any fantasy can be made real. A city built upon the ruins of cities come before, and riddled with a thousand holes, none greater than the mythic Undermountain. In truth, Waterdeep is a peaceful, well ruled city with almost 200,000 residents, but whose walls can hold more than a million at peak times. Overseen by Piergeiron Paladinson and the council of masked lords, the city is a bastion for the good and free people of the Realms.
Yet in a city of so many, countless evils lurk near the surface. Many other nations hold Waterdeep in contempt, and work to see it undone, pirates hunt those vessels who seek safe harbor, and the wilds of the Sword Coast north are home to many dangerous beasts. The city itself is no less dangerous, with roving bands of cutthroats and brigands, sadistic nobles offering up worship to foul deities in hidden cults, or some monstrous creature summoned forth in a ritual gone awry. What is more, whispers of dangerous foes, including Xanathar, the Shadow Thieves, and the Knights of the Shield, all plot to reclaim parts of the city they once controlled. What twist of fate will bring together a company of unlikely adventurers, who will set forth a path of intrigue and glory amidst the Greatest City on Toril?
So as can be seen, my excitement builds for both. I would love to hear people's thoughts and questions about each. And let me preface by saying that, at this time, I am not interested in running two games. I would much rather focus my commitment on one strong story.
Now, onto a few other questions...
Pantheon Yes, we will be using the Forgotten Realms pantheon, as it stood during 3rd edition. We will adjust any necessary domains on a case-by-case basis.
Ability Scores I will happily include a couple pre-generated ability score sets for players who don't want to worry about developing a set themselves.
EitR vs Feat Package I think the EitR rules create a broad balancing stroke, and turn a lot of feats into combat maneuvers (rightly available to all). The Feat Packages helped to add flavor, but were generally developed on a case by case basis. I still am not 100% sure how I will handle the two, possibly in some combination that I have not worked out.
Old School Forgotten Realms though I have run FR since 3rd edition, my initial exposure came from my brother who was DMing FR back in 2nd edition, starting with the "revised" campaign setting boxed set. My personally owned first FR book was Volo's Guide to Waterdeep, which I still have.
I *dearly* love the Forgotten Realms, and would love to play in either game! If a magic dagger was at my back however, I would say I lean slightly towards The Dalelands.
The feats package concept sounds pretty cool! I tend to give a bonus 'background feat' or two for the games I run, which are non combat, non metamagic feats that add flavor or fluff to a character(like skill focus or the +2 skill feats). We also do a feat very level at most of my tables(virtual or otherwise).
Would we be allowed mechanical options from the various FR books, possibly updating them to PF where necessary?
It's not because I'm one way or another, nor because I like one over the other... It's just right here, right now, I'm totally into a classic Dalelands story with its folk heroes and bucolic landscapes.
I happily dug out my forgotten realms 3.0 campaign copy and started re-reading it again :D I may have a concept for either setting already in mind. I still have the grey Forgotten Realms campaign setting box components in my shelf.
I've got character concepts in mind for both settings. :)
While both settings are cool, I think I'd like a good Waterdeep story. I love city adventures that go all fantasy noir.
As for the feat packages, I can see how it might be difficult when there are over fifty base classes. Perhaps you could post a couple that you've done and then let us propose our package with the character? Obviously subject to nerf-batting if people go too wild.
Both sound cool, got to love some old school forgotten realms. I'd probably play something quite different for each, likely classes I've not played before (pathfinder has so many!)
Admittedly I'm more familiar with the post-spellplague lore, but I'm down to learn. While I could go for one or the other, my preference would probably be for the Dalelands because I recently finished a Dragon Heist campaign.
Likewise, I think both themes sound fun, and are more than worthy of a game. I'm sure I could come up with a character for either setting. That said, my personal lean would be towards The Dalelands, since I have never actually played in a campaign set there. I've played characters from there, but never actually rp'd any time in any of the Dales.
* shrug * But Waterdeep is always cool, too.
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I'm almost a tabula rasa when it comes to FR lore. I read a trilogy of Drizzt novels once years ago. The Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow and The Two Swords, I believe. I know a tiny bit about Waterdeep from the great board game but have no familiarity with the Dalelands, so as long as folks are okay with someone who's interested but not quite brushed up, I'm willing to go for either and see where the road takes us.
Thanks for the answers and info, I’d still be very excited to play. I’ve been throwing around character ideas and both settings are classics and I’d enjoy either but right now given the choice, a great Waterdeep campaign probably shades it for me.
As far as stats go I have always preferred rolling. You can always weight the dice a bit so that it's not as random. Besides, people like to roll.
Not everybody is into rolling. With point buy you know what you're getting an dyou know characters start on an equal footing. When people try to reduce the randomness you can get weird combinations. "Roll 3d6, reroll 1's, keep the two highest and add 6. Roll three sets of six and choose a set."
I won't reject a game from rolling,
I tend to prefer EitR to just throwing extra feats at people. Feats are not created equal, and while a martial could pursue a feat tax with extra feats a wizard could become an omni powerful caster.
The issue is that EitR provides lots of combat feats. Depending on the build, I've seen people who get 5+ feats that they would have selected otherwise. Few spellcasters gain any benefit from this at all.
I don't think that spellcasters should get as much benefit as EitR, but there surely must be a happy medium between nothing and omni-powerful.
Both setting options sound great. Overall I'd very slightly prefer Dalelands, although a super-intrigue-focused Waterdeep adventure would definitely intrigue me.
I am not familiar with EiTR (I tend to stick to Paizo-only in my own games); would someone be willing to provide a link?
I think you would be better served doing 1 feat per level than EITR.
link EITR
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EitR is a nice attempt to get rid of some feat taxes and prereqs. I like how precise and smart they are; they truly focus on the characters that actually need the review. Casters and the classes that benefit the least from the EitR are already considerably more powerful, especially at higher levels, so the EitR rules just tilts to get things more balanced. Spellcasters don't need the help and believe me, even in games heavily using EitR and other martial-helping things, like free Stamina feat for fighters, spellcasters have strong representation and are much stronger at higher levels.
EitR is a nice attempt to get rid of some feat taxes and prereqs. I like how precise and smart they are; they truly focus on the characters that actually need the review. Casters and the classes that benefit the least from the EitR are already considerably more powerful, especially at higher levels, so the EitR rules just tilts to get things more balanced. Spellcasters don't need the help and believe me, even in games heavily using EitR and other martial-helping things, like free Stamina feat for fighters, spellcasters have strong representation and are much stronger at higher levels.
but that depends on the level of the game. If it's a high-level game, I'll give you that. But low-level casters need help more than martials.
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EitR is a nice attempt to get rid of some feat taxes and prereqs. I like how precise and smart they are; they truly focus on the characters that actually need the review. Casters and the classes that benefit the least from the EitR are already considerably more powerful, especially at higher levels, so the EitR rules just tilts to get things more balanced. Spellcasters don't need the help and believe me, even in games heavily using EitR and other martial-helping things, like free Stamina feat for fighters, spellcasters have strong representation and are much stronger at higher levels.but that depends on the level of the game. If it's a high-level game, I'll give you that. But low-level casters need help more than martials.
Agreed, but I should say arguably - evokers being able to get precise shot without point blank shot already get a great advantage!
Personally interested in both games!