Pathfinder 1E Living Pathfinder

[Binder Fred]

I think we should start really small then allow only one character, keep the dieties to around 9 (one for each alignment), and one starter city.

For the NE god, I submit Oblanck - The Ashen Lord, The Last King, The Great Eater, He That Stands at the End - major God of entropy, senescence, disintegration and lost knowledge. His avatars are naked giants shaped from ash or ancient dust, with hungry coals for eyes and a crown of shattered diamonds as their only apparel (symbolizing forgotten memories). Oblanck rules all things forgotten and in the end he will rule it all, forever alone.

Watch out for that first adventure, shipwrecked the PC's are the only survivors and must venture up the coast to the fort and safety. And that will be a grand adventure.

Would you consider moving the starting point back in time a little (i.e roleplay the actual voyage leading up to the wreck)? I'm really looking forward to my first character standing on that dock in the old world, looking at a great caravel and knowing that tomorrow - tomorrow! - I set sail for the new world...

 

[Living PF Judge]

It's me HM,

Ok couldn't hold out any longer and I thought we may need the social group to keep things together like character gen and different parts of the world.

So how do you like it the social group is: EN World D&D / RPG News - Living Pathfinder and I hope every drops in.

HM ( I mean.. LPFJ )

 

[renau1g]

I just did...

 

[GlassEye]

I find points of lights are fine for some things, but I wouldn't base the whole setting around them.

I rather see the old world as a closely packed area of compeating *civilizations*, followed by more spread out barbarian nations/nomadic tribes further inland. Major cities in the civilized old world would be linked via permanent-gate "highways", with rogue faery ring portals in the "points of light" outback flickering on and off into the network according to cycles of the moon, holy days, only when sunlight hits a certain peak, etc (ex. the mining town of Germanium has its gate connected to the network only on the first day of the week, provided a certain ritual sacrifice is propriated at the proper place). That way we have (1) civilizations and (2) semi-isolated points of light with a way for DMs to isolate any one as plot and/or circonstances demand.

I think it's important that for some reason, gates, teleportation, dimensional travel, etc DO NOT work in the new world, including the separating sea -- at least no one has succesfully transported over more than a few yards and been seen again. Is it the blocking influence of hostile gods, contamination from the elemental realms/spirits of the land or is something fundamentaly *different* about the the spacial/dimensional nature of the geography over there? Whatever the case, if you want to go anywhere in the new world, you'll have to get there the hard way: by actually travelling the interveening distance. This is so the Exploration/Lost in the wilderness aspects are *fully* in force at all times in that part of the world (no chance you'll stumble into a village with an open gate and high-tail it back home). I envision it as a very pionneer spirit, sweat of your brow, nothing worthwhile is ever given away sort of a place.... What do you guys think?

I guess it rather depends on what you mean by 'a closely packed area of competing civilizations'. When I read that I imagine several countries very close with large populations competing for the same resources similar to Europe with little interior wilderness. The reason I suggested small locations in a points of light type place was 1) so that there would be a reason why we hadn't ever heard of those rival countries until well into the progression of the game 2) so that it wouldn't limit low level adventures and 3) so that the characters could be involved in growing the world (beyond the distant 'new continent' idea).

I think the portals, should we eventually decide to go with that idea, should be fairly rare and a new discovery. A network of established highway portals throughout the old world pushes things to a whole new level of complexity. I certainly agree with and like the example limitations that you have come up with for portals. I also think creation of the portals should be beyond the capability of anyone in the world so that they have to be found and then deciphered. Adventure may discover a portal; further adventure discover how to operate it; and still further adventure once they manage to open the gate to wherever and whatever is on the other side of that distant portal.

I'm not sure I agree that limiting teleportation type spells is necessary to maintain the validity of exploration adventures.

Here are a few of the ideas churning around in my head. Start with one human sea-side nation-state of a small size with an integrated halfling population, a nearby dwarven hill-fort, a forest with elves and gnomes, and plenty of wilderness to provide adventure appropriate for low level characters. Plus rumors of peoples beyond the local area. This way the world grows as the characters push out from the base town. Politics can develop in game and can be directly influenced by the characters involved in those adventures. I would really like the characters to be important to the world and I feel a highly developed 'old world' seriously inhibits this aspect of play.

 

[Walking Dad]

I find points of lights are fine for some things, but I wouldn't base the whole setting around them.

I rather see the old world as a closely packed area of compeating *civilizations*, followed by more spread out barbarian nations/nomadic tribes further inland. Major cities in the civilized old world would be linked via permanent-gate "highways", with rogue faery ring portals in the "points of light" outback flickering on and off into the network according to cycles of the moon, holy days, only when sunlight hits a certain peak, etc (ex. the mining town of Germanium has its gate connected to the network only on the first day of the week, provided a certain ritual sacrifice is propriated at the proper place). That way we have (1) civilizations and (2) semi-isolated points of light with a way for DMs to isolate any one as plot and/or circonstances demand.

I think it's important that for some reason, gates, teleportation, dimensional travel, etc DO NOT work in the new world, including the separating sea -- at least no one has succesfully transported over more than a few yards and been seen again. Is it the blocking influence of hostile gods, contamination from the elemental realms/spirits of the land or is something fundamentaly *different* about the the spacial/dimensional nature of the geography over there? Whatever the case, if you want to go anywhere in the new world, you'll have to get there the hard way: by actually travelling the interveening distance. This is so the Exploration/Lost in the wilderness aspects are *fully* in force at all times in that part of the world (no chance you'll stumble into a village with an open gate and high-tail it back home). I envision it as a very pionneer spirit, sweat of your brow, nothing worthwhile is ever given away sort of a place.... What do you guys think?

We could create the setting of the old continent in advance and leave open the new one for sandbox style adventures. But being a living world, ones a hex has been explored, the details are hard rules for this hex (meaning: another adventuring group / DM entering the hex has to maintain the original description).

About teleporting: What about the different continents counting as different planes in respect of transport magic. So magic travel would be possible, but harder and not low level.

That's what I was thinking. In the old world (more established one) you can get from place to place easily if you wish, but can still use the older method of foot or hoof (although highly dangerous).

In the new world it is just the fort and you have arrived via ship or have been around a few months helping before an adventure is posted. Thinking a posting place where jobs of varying difficulty will be listed and you then go to where the job foreman will give you the details. (Still working on all that.)

The thing is I have brainstormed about 11 adventure ideals for the new world and now thanks to BF I have a 12th.

12. Old worlders wish to erect a portal sight, near fort. Area needs to be cleansed and guarded as locals don't want the high magic to taint the natural order of the area. Possible high lvl 10-12th lvl adventure.

I will most diffently be DMing alot in the New Frontier zone,

Watch out for that first adventure, shipwrecked the PC's are the only survivors and must venture up the coast to the fort and safety. And that will be a grand adventure.

HM

The portals could be actually permanent planar gates in my idea. And they can only made from one 'plan' to the home- 'plane' of the caster.

For the NE god, I submit Oblanck - The Ashen Lord, The Last King, The Great Eater, He That Stands at the End - major God of entropy, senescence, disintegration and lost knowledge. His avatars are naked giants shaped from ash or ancient dust, with hungry coals for eyes and a crown of shattered diamonds as their only apparel (symbolizing forgotten memories). Oblanck rules all things forgotten and in the end he will rule it all, forever alone.

Sounds good. But why don't we want to give different cultures different pantheons? The social group member who creates a character from the culture makes his setting. I got a great idea for an evil controlled pseudo Egypt setting (a bit combining Cheliax with Osirion plus a new twist).

Would you consider moving the starting point back in time a little (i.e roleplay the actual voyage leading up to the wreck)? I'm really looking forward to my first character standing on that dock in the old world, looking at a great caravel and knowing that tomorrow - tomorrow! - I set sail for the new world...

Seconding this! My brave explore from Nakareth will be soon ready!

...

Here are a few of the ideas churning around in my head. Start with one human sea-side nation-state of a small size with an integrated halfling population, a nearby dwarven hill-fort, a forest with elves and gnomes, and plenty of wilderness to provide adventure appropriate for low level characters. Plus rumors of peoples beyond the local area. This way the world grows as the characters push out from the base town. Politics can develop in game and can be directly influenced by the characters involved in those adventures. I would really like the characters to be important to the world and I feel a highly developed 'old world' seriously inhibits this aspect of play.

Sound really intriguing!

BTW: I'm now proud member of the LPF social group.

 

[HolyMan]

Everyone's ideals sound great I will set up a new world thread (in LPFSG) to garner ideals. Also like GE's ideal it is a start small and learn of the world as we grow there should be a central hub in the old world but it does mean the PC's will know everything about everything. If there are mysterious nations out there then they can be discovered over time.

About the gods I believe there should be one pantheon but the gods appear to different people's in different ways. So Oblanck may be know to the dwarves as Sever, The Forge Breaker and still is the same but to the dwarves lost knowledge of their craft or disintergation (rusting) of weapons and armors.

Will make a thread for this as well.

HM

 

[Walking Dad]

My quasi-Egypt pantheon is nearly ready. Never was a big fan of all cultures have the same gods. I like more the pathfinder approach...

 

[Maidhc O Casain]

HM - Sorry, I ninja'd you on the world building discussion. Haven't started a Pantheon discussion, though . . . I never was much good with designing deities.

 

[HolyMan]

My quasi-Egypt pantheon is nearly ready. Never was a big fan of all cultures have the same gods. I like more the pathfinder approach...

Well if it is ready then you should make a thread for it in the Social Group and we can give it the once over. I'm all for either way we play it, just not looking forward to that work myself.

@Mowgli no ninjaing [sp? is it even a word?] being done the LPFJ account was only to make the group everyone should make all the threads from here out.

HM

 

[neofax]

Is the goal here to have a Pathfinder Society type setting where the actions of all characters has consequences and repercussions on the setting? If so, you may want to take a look at the Pathfinder Society rules (freely downloadable) and base it off that. The rules are pretty simple and fair. I play in PFS via MapTools and would like to get involved in this endeavour.