Iron Age Celtic setting ideas...

[gamerprinter]

Fey Bloodline Sorcerers

Here's a thought. Offer two optional Fey Bloodlines for Sorcerers of the setting: Seelie and Unseelie.

Since these are optional bloodlines, I can offer many of powers and abilities specifically tied to the setting.

Bloodline Fey (Seelie)
Class Skill: Knowledge (Fey) and Skill Focus: Knowledge (Fey)
Otherwise the same as the Core Fey Bloodline Sorcerer.

Bloodline Fey (Unseelie)
Class Skill: Knowledge (Fey) and Skill Focus: Knowledge (Fey)
Otherwise same as Core Fey Bloodline, except for differing Bloodline Powers:

Dazing Touch (Sp) at 1st level gain Daze as spell, however affects any creature touched not limited by hit dice, once affected is immune to its affects for 24 hours.

Woodland Stride (Ex) at 3rd as per Core fey bloodline

Create Fey Portal (Su) at 9th level you can create a portal to enter the Fey Realms, in affect Plane Shift then create another Fey Portal within 100' + 10' per level distance from where you first enter the Fey Realms in any direction.

Gift of Binding (Su) at 15th level you can perform a service or provide a gift that exceeds the value for an exchange of services or goods, if the second party accepts you can place a Lesser Geas, as per spell. Chiefs, kings and sovereigns are immune to this ability. The value should exceed the bargain by 5 times or greater. Opponent gains a Will DC of 10 + half your sorcerer levels (minimum of 1) + CHA modifier

Soul of the Unseelie (Su) at 20th level you gain immunity to poison, DR 10/Cold Iron, creatures of the animal type do not attack you unless magically compelled to do so. Once per day you can Create Fey Portal that automatically joins a Fey Path for safe travel through the Fey Realms.

I may come up with an alternate list of Seelie Bloodline powers as well.

GP

 

[Sylrae]

I like the bloodline, and I'll read the post above it tomorrow morning.

 

[gamerprinter]

Runemaster (wizard) base class and Myrddon PrC

Runemaster (Wizard)
HD d6, Good Will Saves, Skills: 2+Int modifier, replace Knowledge (planes) with Knowledge (Fey) and Knowledge (Local)/Knowledge (history) with Knowledge (clan).

1st level: Arcane Bond, Arcane Mark (Sp) at will, Arcane School, Cantrips.
2nd level: Skill Focus: Craft (carving runestaves)
3rd level and above follow normal wizard features progression...

Spell Access: as per Sorcerer/Wizard list
Spellbooks and Scrolls are replaced with arcane runestaves. Spells are cast into the staff at the beginning of each day, thus only requires command to release spell.

Runestaff: 6' long

Spellcasting: casting takes 10 minutes + 10 minutes per spell level to carve runes to hold the spell onto the runestaff. Runes cover 1 square inch per spell level, four 1 square inch areas can be placed in circumference around the runestaff. The top 12 inches of the runestaff resembles a cudgle (shillelagh) and can be used like one. Thus 60 inches of height x 4 square inches means a runestaff can hold 240 levels of spells. A command word is uttered to release the spell and the rune leaves a burned blackened area. Once spent that area can nolonger hold a rune replacement. Perodically the runestaff needs to be replaced.

Myrddon (Tattooist Artificer) Prestige class
HD d6, Good Will Saves, Skills 2+Int modifier
Prerequisites ability to cast Permancy spell (thus 10th level Runemaster)

1st: Gain Forge Ring as a bonus feat, Skill Focus: Craft (tattoo)
2nd: Gain Create Arms and Armor feat
3rd: Gain Create Wondrous Item as a bonus feat

Tattoos like runes cover 1 square inch per spell level (permancy spell not required) and are placed on fingers for rings, and onto various locations of the body as a magic item slot. Tattooing is a painful art using a small wooden mallet and needle stick that is dipped into iron based blue ink and tapped in application. It takes 10 minutes + 1 hour per spell to place a completed tattoo. The myrddon can only create wondrous item tattoos of those items that can be worn, thus she cannot create wands, rods, or staves (not including runestaff).

Cost of tattoo equivalent to cost of magic item as per Core rules, however a 5% reduction on price based on level of Myrddon (up to 15% reduction for 3rd level Myrddon).

Tattoos can be erased, DC = spell level + the Myrddon's level + Int modifier, the myrddon that created the tattoo can erase his own work at DC of spell level only. Erasing tattoos allows for replacement tattoos of greater enchantment.

GP

 

[gamerprinter]

Oracle and Witch work as is, but the Fey Bound...

Reviewing the Oracle and Witch, only a few additions:

Oracle gains the druid trait at 1st level, at 2nd level gains skill focus: on one of her knowledge skills. [Note: Knowledge (history) is replaced by Knowledge (clan) and Knowledge (planes) is replaced with Knowledge (fey) for the setting.]

Any curse and mystery in the final Beta is appropriate, though there will be more mysteries available in the APG, so only more options.

Witch gains the druid trait at 1st level, at 2nd level gains skill focus: on one of her knowledge skills. Scroll reading for a familiar learning new spells studies a rune carved on wood, stone or metal for the same duration and effect.

Fey Bound prestige class
HD: d6, BAB, Saves, Skill modifier and Skills list as per Witch class.
Prerequisites: Familiar, and ability to cast arcane spells.

1st: Fey Pact, gain a Supernatural Talent, pay Talent Cost.
2nd: Fey Pact, gain a Supernatural Talent, pay Talent Cost or pay sacrafice.
3rd: Fey Pact, gain a Supernatural Talent, pay Talent Cost or pay sacrafice.
4th: Fey Pact, gain a Supernatural Talent, pay Talent Cost or pay sacrafice.
5th: Fey Pact, gain a Supernatural Talent, pay Talent Cost or pay sacrafice.

Everything else here is still in development...

Fey Pact: the fey bound must make contact with a powerful supernatural (fey) being and must accept a curse or sacrafice in exchange for a supernatural talent, though the first selection must affect the fey bound personally. At higher levels she can apply the curse or sacrafice unto someone else.

Supernatural Talents: from spells as powers to Wild Shape - this is the least developed part of this draft prestige class. Other "talents" might be the service of a supernatural being, a one time powerful spell or effect

Possible curses: negative modifiers to saves, reduced hit points, armor class, ability scores, spell slots, obscured vision, deafness, lameness, stutter. If she chooses a curse to apply to herself, she has 24 hours to curse another transferring the curse to someone else otherwise it permanently affects her.

Possible sacrafice: destroy a favorite item, a favored magic item, or slay a favorite pet/steed, lose a finger, lose a hand, limb, even human sacrafice. Fey bound can apply the sacrafice to herself, or to anyone she casually knows (she cannot do this to stranger.)

Because most taking the path of the fey bound, are witch as base class, these practitioners have given much of the bad reputation that normal witches possess. Some fey bound only choose to affect themselves, while others regularly cure their kin and kith, or enemies she knows well. Those who make sacrafices of others or place curses on others are considered evil.

Needs work.

GP

 

[gamerprinter]

Racial Revelations

In the beginning keeping more historically minded, I was looking at a humano-centric campaign setting; that PCs were mostly human. But since I cracked open the door and let Sidhe Elves and Half-Sidhe (Elves and half-elves) into the posts up above, I've been doing some more thinking.

Always thinking the Picts were a fantastic race with good values into a Celtic setting, but mostly thinking them human has limited my scope on them. Some historic data suggest that the Picts were a different race from Celts, smaller, darker, perhaps Finno-Ugrian (like Lapps). The picts were known to be masterful fighters and wearers of tattoos. What if I made Picts into Dwarves?

The Pathfinder gnome already has a fey connection, something about their hair, size and disposition. So no need to add anything there, they already fit.

I see the halfling as an offshoot of the brownie race, say a brownie who has accepted a gift of clothing. Brownies are household fey and usually attach themselves to a particular piece of land or to a human family. Trading farm labor for a bowl of cream and porridge. Supposedly if you gift a brownie with more than the food, you have spurned the brownie. Thus a brownie who has accepted a gift has turned, and is now a halfling. Halflings dwell in family units and attach themseves to human lands assisting them as brownies do.

Another d20 Celtic resource mentions the idea of half-orcs being half-fomorians (half-demons) which is another possibility. Fomorians rather than being orcs are ogres or orogs (orc mix ogres) with the Fiendish template. I see Firbolgs as being a more intelligent race of ogres and consist of barbarian warriors and ogre magi. There would be standard ogres as well as hags in the setting too.

While I do plan to include giant races in the setting, the ogres are where much of the storyline surrounds.

Thoughts?

GP

 

[gamerprinter]

Some Bestiary inclusions

I am building a list of monsters and fey for the setting. I have categories of fey and other beings in addition to a list...

Unseelie Court: goddess queen, the Winter Hag, hags, ice giants (primitive frost giants), fomorian (orogs with fiendish template), firbolgs (intelligent ogres and ogre magi), ogre barbarians, fey goblins; baobhan sidhe, lhianon sidhe, love talker, fuath (monsters), sluagh (water demons), duergar.

Annis - strongest and largest of hag kind, often in company of ogres
Apple Tree Man - oldest apple tree in orchard, god figure and male dryad.
Baobhan Sidhe - fey vampiric succubus, a dancer
Barrow/Bog Mummy - powerful undead oracle spellcaster
Barrow/Bog Wight - undead clan warrior (often in service to mummy)
Bean Sidhe (banshee) - incorporeal female omen of death, ancestral to clan
Bluecap/Knocker - mining fey, expects to be paid a humans wage
Bogie - viscious fey goblin
Brag - viscious, prankster goblin, more powerful than a buggane
Brownie - household and guardian fey attaches itself to a family or property
Buckawn - brownie-goat centaur
Buggane - a fey goblin more powerful than a bogie
Cait Sidhe - fey vampiric cat
Cu Sidhe - fey guardian dog, green with large paws, and loud bark.
Firbolgs - intelligent ogres, clan warriors and ogre magi
Fomorians - orog (ogre orc mix) with fiendish template
Grig - sprite grasshopper
Grugach - a strong, but primitive diminuitive sidhe elf
Ice Giant - a primitive frost giant, club, rimed in ice
Kelpie - underwater tangleweed, kelp like fey plant being.
Kilmoulis - seelie goblin with huge nose, no mouth.
Korred - a chaotic, strong and fierce satyr-like fey being
Lhainon Sidhe - a fey vampiric song stealer succubus, targets bards
Love Talker - a fey male vampiric sweet talker, who drowns victims
Merrow - merling race, beautiful females, horridly ugly males
Oakmen - found in copse groves, protectors and pranksters
Pooka - fey shape-shifter prankster
Redcap - a particularly murderous and calculating fey goblin.
Roane (selkie) - a sealwere removes pelt as a fur cloak to walk among men
Spriggan - gnome-like fey
Swanmay - swanwere with a mantle of feathers (see Roane)
Water Horse (each uisge) - horse shape-changer invites riders, glues them to the seat and leaps into bodies of water to drown victims and consume.

This is the list so far, as well as the Unseelie list at top, plus the unmentioned Sidhe (elves) of the trooping Seelie. I'll probably come up with a few more.

On a quick glance of the Bestiary, many monsters are very appropriate: the existing list of fey beings, barguest, behir, mephits make great alternate fey and should be considered fey for the setting, linnorn make the ideal Celtic worm (dragon), all the included giant races, all the dire beasts, lycanthropes, aurochs, mastodon (elephant), and many more (haven't completely dissected the Bestiary for all the best gems.)

GP

 

[Glade Riven]

A few world questions...

1. Is a potion of Bull's Strength made from mistletoe harvested with a golden sickle?
2. Will there be a Mehir Delivery Service?
3. And, on a slightly more serious, what of mainland Celts? Have they been pushed off in your world, not on the mainland at all, or are there still tribes of celts on the mainland?
4. How much does Irish folk history play a role? Things like the displacement of the Danner by the Celts.

 

[gamerprinter]

A few world questions...

1. Is a potion of Bull's Strength made from mistletoe harvested with a golden sickle?
2. Will there be a Mehir Delivery Service?
3. And, on a slightly more serious, what of mainland Celts? Have they been pushed off in your world, not on the mainland at all, or are there still tribes of celts on the mainland?
4. How much does Irish folk history play a role? Things like the displacement of the Danner by the Celts.

1. I haven't made altered spell components and such for the setting yet.
2. Menhir's were moved and constructed by a neolithic people before the arrival of the Celts, thus the Celts are unaware of how they were built. (answered this seriously, even if you were being funny...)
3. Mainland Celts are already part of the setting. As mentioned earlier this thread, this is a western Europe analog, not an Irish or British Isles only analog. Although currently, I've only developed an Isle of Hybreni map (Irish analog), but I've already begun to work out the rest of continental area. Celtic cultures of the setting include analogs for: Gaelic, Brythonic, Gallic and Celtiberian tribes
4. Don't know about Danner - a quick Google has me unsure.

One more point you may have missed is that the comparative time analog if this were Earth, is 600 BC, so Rome is just a village (if there's such a place here...), the Celts have not yet been absorbed into another culture (Roman) yet, there is no Christianity analog. Some Teutonic tribes have moved into the original Celtic (Danube area) homeland, so there is a primitive Dane/Saxon culture (called the Easterlings by the Celts) in existence in the setting.

Also there are remnants of the Formorian and Firbolgs in the highland areas of both the analog Ireland and British Isles, whom are under the Caillech Bheur or Winter Hag, a pre-Celtic goddess - there's much reference to Celtic Folklore history, though from many years of study, I've never heard of Danner.

GP

 

[Glade Riven]

1 & 2 had to do with a comic called Asterix (which are technically Gauls, but there's some culture sharing across Europe), so it was an awkward attempt to be funny . It also doesn't help that I horribly misspelled danann as danner.

Otherwise, my question (as in, the origenal indigionous "peoples" such as Fomorian, Fur bolg, Danann)

 

[gamerprinter]

Tuatha de Danaan...

Ah, the Tuatha de Danaan, that's what you mean. Technically by the Book of Invasions, the Tuatha de Danaan preceeded the Milesians (Celts) of Ireland, though spoke the same language, they went under the knowes, or went west (?) and became the Celtic gods, and the eventually the first fey of Ireland.

In my Celtic universe, there's the prime material plane, and there's the Fey Realms which contain both the royal court of the Celtic gods, led by Danu (to which Tuatha de Danaan means "children of Danu") as well as Anwynn, the Underworld (land of death.)

The original homeland of the Celts, under the Halstatt culture was based in the regions surrounding the Danube River that flows west into the Black Sea. Most rivers have goddesses associated with them. Being the original homeland, "Danu", refers to the Danube.

Although much of surviving Celtic culture and documents are Irish, I don't mean to be overly Irish-centric. While much is known about Welsh, Manx, and Cornish culture, more survives of Irish, but little of Gallic and Celtiberic culture beyond what was recorded by Roman historians. However we do know of some of the gods worshipped in Britain and on the continent that were not part of the Tuatha de Danaan, that I mean to incorporate into the pantheon of Celtic gods.

So if you peaked at my last map posted in the thread, the two stone figures at the top of the map are labeled: Dagda the High King and Lugh the Long Handed - the Tuatha de Danaan is definitely incorporated, but since this map is specifically for my Ireland analog (Hybreni). As I develop the rest of the Celtic world I plan to incorporate aspects of local Celts as much as I can and as resource material available plus my imagination, while always referencing the greater dirth of Irish Celtic material as well.

A cultural juggling act, incorporating what I can, as it fits the setting, but part of the challenge of relying on history, while still be fantasy based only.

GP