everchanging02
First Post
Hello, everyone.
I hope this is in the right place, as with the vast number of forum topics it is difficult to ascertain where I should put this, or if I should even be sharing this on the forums.
What I would like is some honest feedback and suggestions on a homebrew Pathfinder setting that I am working on.
To give some background on myself, I have played D&D since roughly the release of 3rd edition, and about two years after I started I took a serious interest in building my own worlds. The games I enjoyed most in the 3/3.5 era were a low-magic style, where magic items were rare and spellcasters were uncommon, sometimes even persecuted. I have played Pathfinder since its release as a separate RPG, and it has been my group's go-to system (we've tried others, but all have ended up failing).
To give some background on this setting, this is the second iteration of a setting that I have called Ardium. I spent at least 3 months developing the first iteration, upon which I am expanding with this iteration, and I am a few weeks into this iteration. What I developed the first-go-around was a rough history following up to the current state of the world, a 14-deity pantheon, a map with limited detail but including hexes, a generalized list of power groups and foes, an 18-plane cosmology, and a detailed 'end boss' from whom the current state of the world can be considered a 'gift.'
What I am working on this time around is a different region of the map (with generalized environs), revising the history, revising deities, altering the 'feel' of magic (minor changes), and bumping up the 'heroic' aspect of the game.
Below is what I came up with to start the game. The Primer is the expression to my group about the intent of the game. It is purposefully lacking detail, because I want character creation to be a 'group effort' instead of the 'I'll make what I want and hope everyone else makes something different' that our games usually end up as. Character creation should be straight forward, but reasoning behind it may not become clear until later updates.
Primer
I plan to run a new Pathfinder game. I would like exactly five people. The concept is Good vs. Evil – you are the Good Guys. Character creation will happen during the first session. The second session will see the start of the game.
(Notes on Primer - My group has this tendency to favor 'going evil' in games - a habit I want to try and break. The players also tend to create their own characters without concern for what anyone else is making, which makes it highly improbable to end up with a well-rounded party.)
Character Creation
Level 1
Core Races only (Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc (maybe), Halfling, Human)
20-point Buy
No Guns(linger)
No Spellcasters to start
Revised Advanced Class Guide Playtest is allowed (the physical book might even be released by the time the game is run)
No more than one of each class (hybrids are exceptions)
Traits and Drawbacks are allowed, but optional
No starting equipment – you are naked and penny-less
Backgrounds are optional, with GM approval; if you do not have a background, I will make one for you.
Your character has amnesia – they know their name, their profession, and their background (if you made one)
(Notes on Character Creation - 1st level start is a formality, as the plan is to give out 2nd level during the first session, but requires exposition. Half-Orcs are 'maybe' due to the current state of the world and its history - probably a 'no'. Guns may be introduced at a later time, but our group tends to not like their flavor. Spellcasting has some overhauls and a huge amount of background related to its practitioners - all of which will be addressed in the exposition. It is supposed to be a low-magic setting. 'One of each class' is to see some diversity in the group and hope for a more well-rounded party - see Primer notes. )
Brief History/Background, as Known to the Civilized Races
Some hundreds of years ago, the civilized races of Men, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes had built vast empires, reaching a kind of 'Golden Era'.
Then, for some reason, the civilized races grew paranoid of the gods, and so started the Gods War (working title). The devout were hunted down and executed, and the gods themselves were locked away on their distant planes (except for at least one) using powerful magic.
In the aftermath of the Gods War, the civilized races realized the power of the magic used to end it, and so they sought out the practitioners of the arcane arts to destroy them, as well. Ultimately, civilization collapsed and the barbaric races (goblinoids, orcs, gnolls, ogres, lizardfolk, and kobolds) took over the world.
However, during the Golden Era, the civilized races had developed prisons which used sophisticated magic. One of these prisons was made in secret by the cooperation of a group of multi-racial individuals that foresaw the eventual fall of civilization (due to the precursors to the Gods War). They bound the essence of some of the planes (specifically Temporal) to this prison, and stored within it heroes who could champion the return of civilization at a later time.
And this is where the players come in...
Creation Story and the Real Story of the Gods War (Work In Progress - the content is mostly for fluff, the end result is what matters)
The cosmos was created by an over-deity called Evax. He created the planes, the gods, and also begot a son. After he laid out the foundation, he moved on (short attention span). His son, named Dravis, lived his immortal life never knowing much about his father. He resented this, always wondering why his father had left him. He wanted to ask his father this, but his limited power (nearly on par with those of the gods) did not allow him to pursue his father across 'dimensions.' He figured that if he caused enough havoc in this cosmos, his father would surely come to address it. So he plotted and schemed. He first sought to destroy his father's creation by warping humanoids into monstrosities, to ravage the material plane. This bore the goblins, orcs, and gnolls. However, something didn't go to plan - it was as if something was undermining his work. He did research, creating further monstrosities such as the ogres, trolls, and lizardfolk.
Finally, he discovered what was causing his efforts to fail: Aeons. These beings subtly influenced the cosmos to prevent extreme catastrophe - exactly what Dravis wanted - and so he knew he had to deal with these beings. As the humanoids became stronger and stronger, they revered the gods for their advancements, and Dravis then understood that the Gods would need to be quelled, as well. As humanoid civilization reached a peak, he acted. He convinced the gods that the humanoids (their worshipers) were being manipulated by the Aeons, and that they would need to be removed from the cosmos lest they allow the Aeons to rule over even them. The seed of paranoia was planted, and the gods sealed the Far Realm (the Aeons' home plane) off from the rest of the cosmos.
Dravis had a final obstacle in the way: the gods themselves. To deal with them, he would need powerful magic, akin to the gods, and the cooperation of the mortal races. He enticed a group of powerful spellcasters - were they to perform a specific ritual, they would be granted magical power beyond imagine. The only catch was that massive humanoid sacrifice was needed, specifically those with ties to the gods. (This bit is contradicted by the previous iteration, and will likely see revision to incorporate some of that content.) Thus started the Gods War, and culminated in the sealing off of the six outer planes - leaving but one god (Nature) available to the humanoids.
Finally, Dravis had succeeded! Evax would have to return to save his creation! But hundreds of years passed - the barbaric 'monsters' ruled the land, forming their own empires - and Evax was nowhere to be seen. Finally, Dravis went back to researching - what else could he do to garner his father's attention?
First Play Session
The first session is supposed to be where each party member awakes and sees a tiny, smiling myconid (an aspect of Nature) beckoning them to follow. As they do, they find some basic equipment, each other, and various monsters to combat (the 'prison' creators wanted to discourage the curious from finding these hidden heroes). As they near what they can only assume to be the exit of the 'prison', they meet an ancient elf. He gives them the exposition, and explains that each of them must choose a totem to guide them. The totem is chosen by interacting with a sort of shrine dedicated to one of the ability scores - corresponding with the six Mythic paths. However, the Hierophant's totem is destroyed beyond usability (due to the Gods War), leaving five - one for each player. Upon choosing a totem, the group instantly gains 2nd level, 5 more points to invest into stats, and tier 1 Mythic. They are also allowed access to a collection of equipment that will grow in power with them (almost like Weapons of Legacy, minus requisite feats). Finally, they are supplied with one, final, necessary component: the last remaining divine caster - a shaman.
This sets up the game for lots of heroics and an easy way for the GM to control the group's moral compass - limited healing.
Spellcasters
Because spellcasting has been dead to the world for several hundred years, I don't want this game to have the high-magic that seems to run rampant in Pathfinder. However, Pathfinder is our system of choice. I debated how to tackle this problem, considering the Spellpoints system from 3.5's Unearthed Arcana and the like. I dismissed Spellpoints, as they are not wholly balanced and focus heavily on damage (a 3rd lvl Wizard casts a 30-minute Mage Armor for 1SP, but a two-missile Magic Missile for 3SP). More than anything, I wanted spells to be special and not just wantonly slung around. Under Spellpoints, I was thinking of using a healing system similar to Hit Points to simulate this.
Then I resolved to keep the spells per day system that was already in place. I struggled with how I could simulate the feel for magic I was looking for. Ultimately, I merged the Spellpoint idea with spells per day as follows:
Divine Casters
I write the above with a focus on Arcane casters as I am not allowing Divine casters to be PC-playable. This is a many-fold choice:
Gods Revamp
In my first iteration, I had a fairly strong pantheon of 14 gods, built with help from Deities and Demigods. This included 4 Good gods, 6 Neutral gods, and 4 Evil gods.
However, looking over this, I saw the 4 Evil gods as a hindrance to my desire to promote a Good vs. Evil game with the party being the 'good guys.' Despite the fact that the Gods War locked away all but Nature, learning about the different gods might entice some in the group to pledge themselves to those that are Evil.
I thought of how The Elder Scrolls had the Divines and the Daedric Princes. I liked this idea, and so I separated my gods into such a format. However, using the 14 I had, I only had 4 Profanes, as I am calling them. I looked over the list of Sub-Domains from the Advanced Player's Guide and developed more of them to fit better into the idea (with a total of 12 Profanes - two might end up being dropped - to counter the 10 Divines).
So, how does this differ from the previous pantheon? The Profanes, having a more limited focus, also have less domains granted to them, and so have less power. Further, being evil, the Profanes will only grant power to NPCs - directly nipping any benefits for 'worshiping evil' in the bud.
I'm open to further suggestions on how to mechanically make Divines preferred over Profanes.
I will attempt to provide a list of these 'gods' at a later time, if there is interest.
I will lay out more as time permits.
I hope this is in the right place, as with the vast number of forum topics it is difficult to ascertain where I should put this, or if I should even be sharing this on the forums.
What I would like is some honest feedback and suggestions on a homebrew Pathfinder setting that I am working on.
To give some background on myself, I have played D&D since roughly the release of 3rd edition, and about two years after I started I took a serious interest in building my own worlds. The games I enjoyed most in the 3/3.5 era were a low-magic style, where magic items were rare and spellcasters were uncommon, sometimes even persecuted. I have played Pathfinder since its release as a separate RPG, and it has been my group's go-to system (we've tried others, but all have ended up failing).
To give some background on this setting, this is the second iteration of a setting that I have called Ardium. I spent at least 3 months developing the first iteration, upon which I am expanding with this iteration, and I am a few weeks into this iteration. What I developed the first-go-around was a rough history following up to the current state of the world, a 14-deity pantheon, a map with limited detail but including hexes, a generalized list of power groups and foes, an 18-plane cosmology, and a detailed 'end boss' from whom the current state of the world can be considered a 'gift.'
What I am working on this time around is a different region of the map (with generalized environs), revising the history, revising deities, altering the 'feel' of magic (minor changes), and bumping up the 'heroic' aspect of the game.
Below is what I came up with to start the game. The Primer is the expression to my group about the intent of the game. It is purposefully lacking detail, because I want character creation to be a 'group effort' instead of the 'I'll make what I want and hope everyone else makes something different' that our games usually end up as. Character creation should be straight forward, but reasoning behind it may not become clear until later updates.
Primer
I plan to run a new Pathfinder game. I would like exactly five people. The concept is Good vs. Evil – you are the Good Guys. Character creation will happen during the first session. The second session will see the start of the game.
(Notes on Primer - My group has this tendency to favor 'going evil' in games - a habit I want to try and break. The players also tend to create their own characters without concern for what anyone else is making, which makes it highly improbable to end up with a well-rounded party.)
Character Creation
Level 1
Core Races only (Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc (maybe), Halfling, Human)
20-point Buy
No Guns(linger)
No Spellcasters to start
Revised Advanced Class Guide Playtest is allowed (the physical book might even be released by the time the game is run)
No more than one of each class (hybrids are exceptions)
Traits and Drawbacks are allowed, but optional
No starting equipment – you are naked and penny-less
Backgrounds are optional, with GM approval; if you do not have a background, I will make one for you.
Your character has amnesia – they know their name, their profession, and their background (if you made one)
(Notes on Character Creation - 1st level start is a formality, as the plan is to give out 2nd level during the first session, but requires exposition. Half-Orcs are 'maybe' due to the current state of the world and its history - probably a 'no'. Guns may be introduced at a later time, but our group tends to not like their flavor. Spellcasting has some overhauls and a huge amount of background related to its practitioners - all of which will be addressed in the exposition. It is supposed to be a low-magic setting. 'One of each class' is to see some diversity in the group and hope for a more well-rounded party - see Primer notes. )
Brief History/Background, as Known to the Civilized Races
Some hundreds of years ago, the civilized races of Men, Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes had built vast empires, reaching a kind of 'Golden Era'.
Then, for some reason, the civilized races grew paranoid of the gods, and so started the Gods War (working title). The devout were hunted down and executed, and the gods themselves were locked away on their distant planes (except for at least one) using powerful magic.
In the aftermath of the Gods War, the civilized races realized the power of the magic used to end it, and so they sought out the practitioners of the arcane arts to destroy them, as well. Ultimately, civilization collapsed and the barbaric races (goblinoids, orcs, gnolls, ogres, lizardfolk, and kobolds) took over the world.
However, during the Golden Era, the civilized races had developed prisons which used sophisticated magic. One of these prisons was made in secret by the cooperation of a group of multi-racial individuals that foresaw the eventual fall of civilization (due to the precursors to the Gods War). They bound the essence of some of the planes (specifically Temporal) to this prison, and stored within it heroes who could champion the return of civilization at a later time.
And this is where the players come in...
Creation Story and the Real Story of the Gods War (Work In Progress - the content is mostly for fluff, the end result is what matters)
The cosmos was created by an over-deity called Evax. He created the planes, the gods, and also begot a son. After he laid out the foundation, he moved on (short attention span). His son, named Dravis, lived his immortal life never knowing much about his father. He resented this, always wondering why his father had left him. He wanted to ask his father this, but his limited power (nearly on par with those of the gods) did not allow him to pursue his father across 'dimensions.' He figured that if he caused enough havoc in this cosmos, his father would surely come to address it. So he plotted and schemed. He first sought to destroy his father's creation by warping humanoids into monstrosities, to ravage the material plane. This bore the goblins, orcs, and gnolls. However, something didn't go to plan - it was as if something was undermining his work. He did research, creating further monstrosities such as the ogres, trolls, and lizardfolk.
Finally, he discovered what was causing his efforts to fail: Aeons. These beings subtly influenced the cosmos to prevent extreme catastrophe - exactly what Dravis wanted - and so he knew he had to deal with these beings. As the humanoids became stronger and stronger, they revered the gods for their advancements, and Dravis then understood that the Gods would need to be quelled, as well. As humanoid civilization reached a peak, he acted. He convinced the gods that the humanoids (their worshipers) were being manipulated by the Aeons, and that they would need to be removed from the cosmos lest they allow the Aeons to rule over even them. The seed of paranoia was planted, and the gods sealed the Far Realm (the Aeons' home plane) off from the rest of the cosmos.
Dravis had a final obstacle in the way: the gods themselves. To deal with them, he would need powerful magic, akin to the gods, and the cooperation of the mortal races. He enticed a group of powerful spellcasters - were they to perform a specific ritual, they would be granted magical power beyond imagine. The only catch was that massive humanoid sacrifice was needed, specifically those with ties to the gods. (This bit is contradicted by the previous iteration, and will likely see revision to incorporate some of that content.) Thus started the Gods War, and culminated in the sealing off of the six outer planes - leaving but one god (Nature) available to the humanoids.
Finally, Dravis had succeeded! Evax would have to return to save his creation! But hundreds of years passed - the barbaric 'monsters' ruled the land, forming their own empires - and Evax was nowhere to be seen. Finally, Dravis went back to researching - what else could he do to garner his father's attention?
First Play Session
The first session is supposed to be where each party member awakes and sees a tiny, smiling myconid (an aspect of Nature) beckoning them to follow. As they do, they find some basic equipment, each other, and various monsters to combat (the 'prison' creators wanted to discourage the curious from finding these hidden heroes). As they near what they can only assume to be the exit of the 'prison', they meet an ancient elf. He gives them the exposition, and explains that each of them must choose a totem to guide them. The totem is chosen by interacting with a sort of shrine dedicated to one of the ability scores - corresponding with the six Mythic paths. However, the Hierophant's totem is destroyed beyond usability (due to the Gods War), leaving five - one for each player. Upon choosing a totem, the group instantly gains 2nd level, 5 more points to invest into stats, and tier 1 Mythic. They are also allowed access to a collection of equipment that will grow in power with them (almost like Weapons of Legacy, minus requisite feats). Finally, they are supplied with one, final, necessary component: the last remaining divine caster - a shaman.
This sets up the game for lots of heroics and an easy way for the GM to control the group's moral compass - limited healing.
Spellcasters
Because spellcasting has been dead to the world for several hundred years, I don't want this game to have the high-magic that seems to run rampant in Pathfinder. However, Pathfinder is our system of choice. I debated how to tackle this problem, considering the Spellpoints system from 3.5's Unearthed Arcana and the like. I dismissed Spellpoints, as they are not wholly balanced and focus heavily on damage (a 3rd lvl Wizard casts a 30-minute Mage Armor for 1SP, but a two-missile Magic Missile for 3SP). More than anything, I wanted spells to be special and not just wantonly slung around. Under Spellpoints, I was thinking of using a healing system similar to Hit Points to simulate this.
Then I resolved to keep the spells per day system that was already in place. I struggled with how I could simulate the feel for magic I was looking for. Ultimately, I merged the Spellpoint idea with spells per day as follows:
- Cantrips can be used a number of times per day equal to Caster Level plus Relevant Ability Modifier.
- Spells are regained per day in a number of 'spell levels' equal to Caster level plus Releveant Ability Modifer. This means a 3rd level Wizard with a 16 Int would get 6 'spell levels' back per day. If the Wizard had depleted all the spells allotted to him the previous day, he would be able to regain two 2nd level spells (total of four spell levels) and two 1st level spells (total of two spell levels), or a similar combination for that day.
Divine Casters
I write the above with a focus on Arcane casters as I am not allowing Divine casters to be PC-playable. This is a many-fold choice:
- The 'moral compass' of the party will not be tempted to 'go evil.'
- Healing is mostly controlled by the GM.
- All but one of the Gods were locked away from the world during the Gods War, and so there is limited power and options.
- One possible set of quests for the game is to free the gods, and so divine casting may later become an option.
Gods Revamp
In my first iteration, I had a fairly strong pantheon of 14 gods, built with help from Deities and Demigods. This included 4 Good gods, 6 Neutral gods, and 4 Evil gods.
However, looking over this, I saw the 4 Evil gods as a hindrance to my desire to promote a Good vs. Evil game with the party being the 'good guys.' Despite the fact that the Gods War locked away all but Nature, learning about the different gods might entice some in the group to pledge themselves to those that are Evil.
I thought of how The Elder Scrolls had the Divines and the Daedric Princes. I liked this idea, and so I separated my gods into such a format. However, using the 14 I had, I only had 4 Profanes, as I am calling them. I looked over the list of Sub-Domains from the Advanced Player's Guide and developed more of them to fit better into the idea (with a total of 12 Profanes - two might end up being dropped - to counter the 10 Divines).
So, how does this differ from the previous pantheon? The Profanes, having a more limited focus, also have less domains granted to them, and so have less power. Further, being evil, the Profanes will only grant power to NPCs - directly nipping any benefits for 'worshiping evil' in the bud.
I'm open to further suggestions on how to mechanically make Divines preferred over Profanes.
I will attempt to provide a list of these 'gods' at a later time, if there is interest.
I will lay out more as time permits.
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