Ideas for spellcasters from the days of yore…

While I was thinking on my next “reskinned” core race for Sword & Sorcery Golarion, I unavoidably started pondering about which spellcasters class I would allow on such game. As usual, I’m not a great fan of divine spellcasters on these campaigns. However, as I already had written about a campaign without divine casters, I wanted something new; a different approach. I also figured out that a second reason: I could use this new campaign frame to run a game centuries before the current timeline of Golarion.

Well, I knew that I didn’t wanted alchemists, bards, clerics, inquisitors or paladins. Druids were in. Shamans were a necessity (maybe I should build a better class). Rangers were in only in their spell-less version (maybe Bards too). Summoners were out (too “anime” or “high fantasy” for me) – but could appears as NPC villains. Witches were too “medieval” and needed a proper “reskinnning” (or just an alternate version).

Oddly, I found myself putting Wizards as a NPC class (for races like Serpentmen). Finally, I thought of only two spellcasters that I knew I really wanted in my game as player-classes: the Oracle and the Sorcerer. Both classes had the right “feel” for a Bygone Age/S&S game. The fact that they were spontaneous casters with a limited number of spells known would make each player character more unique – which I find fitting with a number of pulp fantasy or Classical Age casters.  

But I wanted something more…

I was musing about dividing PC magic in three basic groups:

(what follow is just some mental ramblings, I had these ideas just a few hours ago)

Spells would your usual spells known for each character;

Charms would represent a new type of magic item. They would work as a scrolls (probably cheaper), but the caster wouldn’t be limited to his spells known. In fact, he would have a “charm grimoire” (it doesn’t have to be a book, it could be a staff, runes, tattoos, familiar etc). Charms would be one-use-only expandable dweomers that only its creator could use. Things like bizarre potions, powders, symbols, living snakes etc. Charms would be the result of Sorcerers and Oracles trying to surpass their innate limitations of knowing just a few spells. They also would allow these casters to have a good excuse for searching old ruins and temples for “forbidden knowledge”;

Rituals would be your classic Cthulhu stuff. Powerful dweomers that required time, expensive/exotic/weird components and locations. I would probably steal stuff from the Incantations and d20 Cthulhu.

Another idea that crossed my mind is that both Sorcerer and Oracles would have the option of crafting a talisman. Talismans are special casting focus. They allow the caster to ignore, when casting, either a verbal or a somatic component. However, it’s expensive to create a talisman and if it’s stolen, the caster becomes vulnerable to their enemy magic (or something crazy like a geas-like effect).

That’s it for now. If I ever get to organize it better I’ll post my thoughts on a future post.

Worldbuilding - Planet Hopping

Sometime ago I wrote an article about running Planetary Romance adventures with Pathfinder. A great part of that post was dedicated to make Golarion more “user-friendly” to old Science Fiction/Fantasy adventures (in particular to Jack Vance’s Tschai novels).

Time to upgrade that a little.

This article is in response to Sean Holland’s suggestion, from the Sea of Stars (a great Pathfinder blog by the way, check it out!). He said that traveling to other worlds should be one of the options in a Planetary Romance game.

As to the possible choices of destination for a Planet Hopping campaign, I believe that Spelljammer’s approach a good start: crossover with other settings, including not only those of Pathfinder (other planets of Golarion’s solar system) but also of D&D/AD&D and other RPGs (GURPS, Warhammer etc), besides movies and novels. Another option would be an episode-like structure, where each planet is actually an isolated adventure. In fact, I believe you can blend these two styles, depending on your group’s responses.

So, here’s how we have it: genre blending and a picaresque approach. These are (for me) the mandatory rules of a good Planetary Romance campaign. More epic or serious campaigns, with “closed” or very peculiar mythologies/cosmologies (Exalted and Dark Sun come to mind) aren’t good candidates (without massive changes), but anything wrote by Vance or campaign settings like the first D&D worlds – Blackmoor, Greyhawk or Mystara (coincidentally there’s also a “Blackmoor” on these last two) are perfect.

Another trait that I find salutary to these campaigns is a loose approach to canon material – both the Gamemaster and the players must interact with these scenarios with an open-mind. Old known settings shouldn’t be set on stone and even a well-known scenario can be tweaked here and there to suit the campaign’s needs. Let me preach my personal RPG credo yet again: the idea is to have fun, not originality.

Your goal is – at the first – the exploration of weird cultures (with different levels of technology/magic), different places and challenging situations (a sandbox campaign).

Another tip: use planets as Planes of Existence. Actually, I believe they’re better for this than Planes, as its easier for us to accept a desert or ice planet instead of an entire continuum of ice (like a Plane of Ice).

Attaching themes/forces/genres to each planet visited is a quick and easy way to fix it at the player’s mind. My own Chronicles of the Seventh Moon setting, while purely a fantasy scenario (so far), uses Orbs (Planets) instead of Planes. Each Orb has a particular aspect: Himaeris (Celestial Planet), Darana (Order), Elária (Elementals/Genies), Nikaz and Mezin (two Chaos planets, the remains from the sundering of the original Orb), Farnax (Demons) and dark Sheol (the Underworld). At the system's center we have the Twin Suns (Positive Energy) and, beyond, surrounding Creation, the Wall of Starts (a Dysonian sphere made of adamantine and filled with metallic towers – whose lights form the “starts” seen in heaven – managed by conscript Celestials that stand watch against invaders from the Nefarious Court of Azathoth).

Enough babble, time for some tables. The first one (d16) lists methods of transportation; the second (d30) is about planets. Both presuppose randomness and a picaresque, sandbox style of game full of references to well-known fictional planets (albeit I hope they can also give you some ideas). They also start from the premise that Golarion is a Science Fantasy world, not a pure Fantasy setting:

d30 Planets for a Pathfinder Planet Hopping Campaign

1. Another planet from Golarion’s solar system. It’s a good start and there’s (finally!) a book coming out on it.

2. Ice Planet. This is Hoth but with Pathfinder monsters. Mix it with Leigh Brackett's version of the planet (especially the icewalking aliens) and then add some "At the Mountains of Madness" goodness for extra flavor. Another suggestion is to make the entire planet a big living hungry entity, which feeds on magic and positive energy (that would mean lots of undeads once you get underground).

3. Desert Planet. Think Arrakis but with Tatooine aliens (although I would use Dragons Crime Lords instead of Hutts). You can keep the technology, but I would use it legacies from some fallen civilization (a good example would be the Jawas' transport and old droids from Episode IV). I would use Arrakis’ Spice as a psionic-inducing or magic-empowering drug. You can go totally Dark Sun with it by keeping technology rare and mysterious and adding tons of barbarians. 

4. Water Planet. Burrough’s Amtor is a start, but I would mix Savage Worlds’ 50 Fathoms and the awesome Pirates of Dark Water on it just for fun. Don’t forget kraken sorcerer-kings and gargantuan flying aboleths (the only thing from Forgotten Realms 4^th that I remember remotely liking).

5. Dark Planet. Z’ha’Dum. This is your sinister and gloom world, inhabited by those races that despise daylight. It’s common for planets like this be also Tomb or Ruin worlds, filled with monuments and legacies of old things. It could be inhabited by Shadows, Mindflayers, Mi-Go and Grimlocks. Of course, it must have something that the players desire – ancient technology or sorcery are always good options. More weird things would be a lost powerful starship, a world-destroying weapon (like this Shadow weapon), a trapped deity, clones, the last Jedi Holocron etc.

6. Weird Planet. This is Cykranosh. Strive for the bizarre. Leaden skies, greenish landscapes, fungoid forests and lakes of mercury. Its inhabitants are weird barbarian humanoids and strange alien demigods like Tsathoggua’s kind (besides a few oddball arcanists from far worlds). If you’re feeling lazy use Vornheim.

7. Tekumel. This is a pulpish world of bizarre culture and social customs. Imagine a hot and hostile planet, almost without metals, peopled by cruel and byzantine human and aliens – the repository of incredible old but advanced technology. In many ways Tekumel is Dark Sun’s equivalent for a Planetary Romance campaign.

8. Barsoom – enough said!... but it doesn’t hurt to add more: Alan Moore's version of Mars and Cubicle 7's great MARS sourcebook are good starting points. And if you want to really surprise your players, use Korriban's Red Sith instead of Barsoom's Red Men.

9. Jungle/Plant planet. This is Sfanomoë (or Venus). A world with living, intelligent and dangerous plant life (actually, here they're the ultimate predators). Burroughs' Amtor is, again, a good suggestion. Add Lovecraft's venusian blind lizardmen. Even though I think the movie sucks, you could also add Avatar's blue giants (maybe with psionics) to this Jungle World.

10. Cthulhu Mythos planet. I was tempted to use Yuggoth or Zoth, but Geoffrey McKinney's CARCOSA setting is a great mix of Sword & Sorcery and Lovecraftian mythos. Imagine a dark world, where barbarian humans are little more than cattle, raised from animal stock by Serpent Men, and attempting to survive alone amid Law-aligned technological Greys and the Chaos-loving horrors of Cthulhu.

11. Science Fantasy Planet. My first suggestion would be Eternia. It’s a perfect example for a world where both magic and technology coexist for long centuries. It gets even better if you use the idea that the Eternia is in synchronous rotation with its star. You can use this and steal a little from Zelazny's Jack of Shadow to make technology more reliable on the dayside and sorcery stronger on the darkside. Thundera is another good source of inspiration for a Medieval/Technological world. Finally, you can’t go wrong with Dragonstar. If you want to go gonzo here, read Planet Algol.

12. Alien Plant. Talislanta. Until now all planets listed have humans as natives. This is your “Humans are Aliens” world. If you doesn't know Talislanta (it’s free, check it out), just create a world where Pathfinder Core Races doesn't exist (or are legendary/mythic).

13. Beast Planet. This is the classical forgotten planet filled with dinosaurs, vast barbarian hordes and gargantuan beasts whose ferocity and power are disproportional to everything your players have met so far. A good Sauric Planet is filled with Serpentmen (and their advanced science) and Lizardmen. Don’t forget beastmen (Gnolls, Orcs, Goblinoids etc), giant nation and offworlders Earthlings (or Golarionlings).

14. Prison Planet. Another classic theme. You can make a magic version of it. Imagine if Tartarus was actually a planet, not a plane. Entire pantheons of defeated deities (or worse) would be trapped on its depths. In my own Chronicles of the Seventh Moon, the 5^th Planet – Farnax – is the prison world of demons and fallen celestials. 13 Moons surround Farnax keeping the seals that lock teleport abilities and watching for escape attempts.

15. Earth. This entry is (literally) just for fun. There are plenty of opportunities here: Hyberoen Age, Poseidonis, Averoigne, Castle Falkenstein, Gamma World, Rifts, Zothique or Dying Earth.

16. Counter-Earth. This is another classical idea. Take, for example, Golarion’s races and invert their roles. Orcs are the scions of an old, orderly and good culture. Elves are sadistic decadent dominators from another dimension. Drows are legendary divine beings who live in an underground paradise (Shangri-la?) and occasionally come to the surface to help others. Humans are barbarians that cyclically devour other civilizations. Etc. If again you’re feeling lazy, just steal ideas from the Warlords of the Accordlands setting (their elves and orcs, in particular, are great)

17. Dead Planet. This is a Corpse World. Get macabre! Take Ghorth and kill him. The planet could be either the Great Old One’s body or another deity’s body (or a Draeden’s body!). Don’t forget unsettling organic dungeons and underworlds. Good place for aberrations like beholders and mindflayers (I would make the mindflayers invaders with technology). Also a good excuse for tons and tons of alien undeads.

18. Machine Planet. Cybertron. Ok, this one is a little too radical, but it’s just a matter of description. Think of the classics (Metropolis and The Day The Earth Stood Still) instead of Bay’s horrible movies. Think of Asimov’s robots and Star Wars’ droids. Make it strange and new. For example: a cube-shaped world, ancient (very very ancient!), inhabited by Inevitables bent on resurrecting a dying star (or guarding the gates to a black hole). It doesn’t have to be exactly a planet – could be an orbital, Dyson sphere or any other structure.

19. Fantasy Planet. Mystara (it even has a fallen spaceship on it). The idea here is that the players find another similar world to trade and explore. Besides Mystara, I suggest Oerth (Greyhawk), Wilderlands of High Fantasy (especially in their original version), Warhammer 1^st Edition’s Old World, Earthdawn, Yrth (from GURPS Banestorm), among others.

20. Dead Zone Planet. Magic, technology, psionics, divine magic… one type of power just doesn’t work on this world. Maybe an ancient machine dumps the planar energy necessarily to work magic. Or a very territorial tech-fearing deity disturbs all ships that get close. You can mix this idea with other concepts from this table.

21. Krypton. Ok, not necessarily that Krypton, I’m talking more about the concept than the place. Imagine a planet where Pathfinder Core Races gain strange powers or deity-like abilities. This can be something silly as fly at will or immortality, to weird stuff like the ability to grant clerical-abilities to your “followers” or to resurrect natives. And don’t forget about crystals and ice landscapes – this is “our” Krypton, after all.

22. Mecha Planet. A world with mechas! Yes, it’s (another) odd option, but I love mechas. I suggest either Escaflowne (mechas that look like fullplate-armored giants and are powered by dragon hearts, besides being linked to their pilots through blood rituals… what isn’t to like?) or Green Ronin’s Mindshadows. Coincidently, both worlds are very open settings that can be easily adapted. Iron Kingdoms is another option (although it doesn’t have “true” mechas). Exalted’s cosmology isn’t friendly to this type of madness.

23. Spelljammer: Shadow of the Spider Moon’s solar system (from Polyhedron #151). It was a very cool setting

24. Pick a Plane of Existence, any Plane, and change it to a Planet. I recommend Planescape’s Carceris or Mechanus. Mystara’s Nightmare Dimension is also a cool candidate. Magic: The Gathering’s planes are also great sources of ideas (like Mirrodin, Ravnica and Phyrexia). Beyond Countless Doorways also has great places to be “planetized”

25. Its no Moon! This isn’t a planet, but something else. Suggestions are a fleet of ships or a flock of giant space creatures, an asteroid belt, gas cloud (maybe with worlds or islands inside – check Sundered Skies). Roll on Strange methods of Planetary Travel for ideas.

26. Destroyed Planet. This planet was recently destroyed by some force or entity. Roll again to known what type of world it was. Maybe its Doom is coming to the player’s planet. Ignore 25+ results (or use a d24).

27. Wandering Planet. Your world is propelled through space (and time?) either by magic (a deity?), ancient technology or just bad luck. Either way, this world can visit other star systems (maybe be teleporting itself when it reaches a system’s borders). Maybe this planet (or moon, or asteroid) is the only known way of space travel. Imagine if your players have to survive through some months on a Dark or Beast Planet to arrive at their destination? Roll again to get a better idea of this world. Ignore 25+ results (or use a d24).

28. Living Planet. Ok, this world is literally alive. It may treat itself as a deity (maybe even with clerics). Roll again. Ignore 25+ results (or use a d24).

29. Phasing Planet. This world can either phase in and out of the continuum space (perhaps going to another Plane of Existence) or it actually can change itself completely – like the planet from Blackout, that’s is filled with nightmarish beats when night falls, or a world where every single inhabitant is a lycanthrope, or a wasteland world whose dominant civilization lives in the Ethereal Plane and only phases in the Material during certain eclipses or planetary alignments.

30. Multiclass Planet. Roll twice and mix both entries to create a third planet. Ignore this entry when rolling for multiclass planets. Ignore 25+ results (or use a d24).

D16 Strange Methods of Planetary Travel

1. Spacefaring riding beast. Like eating space mead and riding a shantak.

2. Magicships. Witchwyrd voidship (spelljammer), Mercane’s Glasscity (imagine a giant crystal orb with a small city inside of it, full of Mercane traders), a Derro Hivecraft, ship with Ethersails (capable of traveling to other planets through the Ethereal Plane)

3. Technological Spaceship. You can use Greys (read Carcosa) or just Minflayers (which are a perfect fit). Or just an old scoundrel smuggler with a centuries-old piece of junk that he calls a spaceship. While many players may cringe at this type of technology being available, you can always tweak things a little. Two suggestions: 1) Spaceships are legacy from a previous age ruled by technology. They’re passed ahead through family lines like ancient secret traditions (like castle and land in a feudal soctiey); 2) They’re a monopoly of either a reclusive mutant or hidden alien race; 3) They’re intelligent and the passengers must appease these weird “metal creatures” before being granted the right to enter them – maybe all negotiation goes through a caster of “priests”.

4. Gates. They’re either technology (Stargate or New Gods) or eldritch portal (built by Mi-go, Serpentmen, Aboleths, Golarion elves etc) works.

5. Astral travel (John Carter-style). The player characters create new bodies at the new world. If “dead” they could awake back at Golarion. It’s a good idea for a first trip; the players could be “banished” back to Golarion and forced to find another way to return to their new world.

6. Find a Spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. I can’t explain why, but the idea of a true spaceport, with a Western/frontier feel, inside of a Fantasy world, always fascinated me. I suggest Numeria or the Mana Wastes.

7. Ythian body exchange. A classic! Don’t forget that it also deals with Time Travel (and Thindalos Hounds). Send the players to the beginning of the Age of Darkness or the fall of Azlant, or even the far future when Golarion is ruled (again) by Serpentfolk and true humans don’t exist anymore (replaced either by color-coded humans or just hordes of mongrelfolk).

8. Krull’s Black Fortress. It’s so cool. And something this big must be hard to gain, placed tons of bad guys inside of it. If there was need for a cool reason to dominate a megadungeon, it’s this.

9. The Demiplane of Doors. A weird (artificial?) realm of doors and gates that leads to many other planets (or just a steampunk version of Sigil). Instead of a demiplane, you could place this nexus inside an ancient space elevator orbiting over Golarion.

10. Ancient gargantuan ship. A relic from past ages or another galaxy that either it’s intelligent or only works through arcane means. Think of it as big weird moving dungeon.

11. Magic backlash caused by the destruction of an artifact, a major demon/dragon or by the interruption of a ritual.

12. Worlds collide! Instead of going to another planet, the planet goes to Golarion. A new world appears in the skies and its inhabitants start an invasion! A lesser variant is to use an Asteroid to travel between planets.

13. Inside something big and alive. Like a star dragon’s or spaceworm’s gut. The characters are swallowed (maybe voluntarily) by a gargantuan creature (or kaiju?) that travels between worlds. Organic dungeon.

14. Death. After the dead of the entire group they could awaken on some strange world. Is it the afterlife? Could it be Sovyrian?

15. Ethereal Plane. It doesn’t need to be exactly the Ethereal. It could be the Astral, Shadow or any other transitive “boring” plane. If this is common knowledge, there could be “Star Routes” through these planes, leading to strange times, planets, places etc. You can even call the Ethereal your Hyperspace.

16. Magic items. A unique artifact – like a magic carpet – or maybe more “mundane” arcane paraphernalia, like potions. Imagine if Thuvia’s alchemists managed to create a potion that placed the target in a deep sleep and then transported him to a specific world. Of course, these formulas would be a secret as important as the sun orchid elixir.

The Chronicles of the Seventh Moon, Session 7

Day 2, Solar Month, 757 years since the Fall of the Gods, early summer

After the ambush by the goblinoid horde, all healers and clerics were summoned by the Eye’s captain – Zana of Taranis – to treat the wounded. Among the troops, the Sentinels suffered the worst – more than half of its soldiers died (the Hammers of the Dawn were, in fact, responsible for saving the survivors). Both mercenary outfits – the Daughters of the Unicorn and the Erased Rune – suffered small, but considerable, losses. To make matters worse, the Road Marshal himself was gravely wounded, crushed by a rock thrown by the half-god Gór. The army command was given to the warbard Mellius. At the adventurer companies, the Circle of El’dar was reduced to two members, with its leader dead and its bard missing.

While the soldiers recovered, the horde outside literally vanished with nightfall. The fact that such huge numbers of goblinoids could come and go in a blink of an eye suggested that magic was involved (or secret underground passages).

The paladin Hilguen searched for the vanyr barbarians to present his condolences over death of Lysurg Chief-Father, their leader. Beltia thanked him, but said that her father fulfilled his Wyrd. She told the aasimar that Lysurg left frozen Vanidrad to find his fate with the “Red Man” (the luminar ogre faced by the party had red skin). Hilguen found the ash wizard’s tranquility unsettling and didn’t fully understood the ritual made over the barbarian’s body, but though better than bring up the subject.

The party’s elf, Heian, presented his condolences to the Circle of El’dar – only the elven archer Taerim and the druid Cadimus had survived. Touched by their grief (or just searching for fun), Heian charmed the guards of the Lower Gate, helping the druid to leave the Lighthouse and hunt for his missing friend. Heian also sent his familiar Valquir to scout the area.

Later at that same night the drakzya paladin Raniasha Midriara formally asked for a private audience with the Hammers. At the meeting it was revealed that she had left her native land of Khazantar hunting one of the Nekalsharazar’s Black Spawn*. It seemed that the creature had not only eluded Raniasha but also escaped to the mythic Tower of Impossibilities**. Raniasha searched for the one of the four Weirds – oracular elemental spirits of old – and was given the following riddle: “Search for the Inverted Pyramid within the Hammer of the Twin Suns”. She reached the Eye of the West a few hours before the goblinoid ambush and learned that an adventurer company called “Hammers of the Dawn” was coming. They deduced that the “Inverted Pyramid” (a symbol and title of Radenshan) must be the small aldarian artifact found by the Hammers.

After examining the metallic pyramid, the drakzya thought that it was in fact a moving planar nexus, capable of opening the gates to predetermined locations – probably old aldarian complexes, extradimensional vaults, hidden chambers, lost worlds and more dangerous places. Granted permission by the group, she activated the aldarian pyramid – giving beforehand instructions for Heian on how to shut down the gate. For mysterious reasons, she also urged the Hammer to never use the pyramid when Calazia, the Purple Moon, was full. Forbidding the party of following her, she opened a gate to the mythic extradimensional tower and disappeared. As a token of gratitude, she gave the group a drakzya amulet and the name of a contact among the half-dragons of Khazantar.

*Nekalsharazar is an elder dragon imprisoned below the far eastern nation of Khazantar. Elder dragons are a semi-divine age category and represent the dragon patriarchs of their each true dragon lineage. Only two so far have figured in the campaign’s history, the other being Gromunfang, buried below the Mountains of Eternal Fire by a human luminar hero some centuries ago.

**The Tower of Impossibilities is the abode of the Archmages – a mysterious sect of human spellcasters. The Tower is reputed to be a demiplane touching all the Seven Moons, and before that the ancient demesne of Radenshan, the dead god of magic.

The Eye of the West – the Lighthouse Keep of the Derenthi

The fortress called Eye of the West rests over a promontory overlooking the region directly west of the Mountains of Eternal Fire and controlling the only road capable of supporting a marching army. It was (before the War of the Dark Banners) the literal gate to West Aldar (including amazon-ruled Cimeris, the merchant-city of Kir, the Crimson Savannah, the fey courts of Onires and the far Heresiarchies of Elusia). The Eye was built with the help of Karnite dwarves. Directly above it, the Road of the Mountain reaches the Dancing Flames – a mountain pass surrounded by old obelisks that keep travelers safe from the heat, lava and salamander clans.

The Eye was fortified last time by the Marquis Arbav “Longbeard” Vaurus, an Old Noble who was graced with a dakh-kashak (a dwarven blood-weapon). The dwarves call the Eye “Arbavukan” (Arbav’s Hold). Unfortunately, the Vaurus family vanished after the Marquis’ grandson challenged one of Gromunfang’s Spawn, many years ago.

Built with dwarven techniques, the Eye literally pierces the crude stone of the Mountains of Eternal Fire. The Road, which starts at Baer’s Tower, reaches the Eye’s Lower Gate and then goes up, through a spiral cave system, until the High Gate. It’s whispered that the Vaurus knew a mechanism that would collapse the entire tunnel system in case the inner citadel was invaded. Inside the excavated caves, the dwarves installed an inner courtyard, with enough space for two wagons, eight horses and ten complete rooms – including pumped hot water system for bath and other necessities. The Eye’s dwarven foundations keep made it resistant against the recurrent earthquakes of the Mountains (called “The Wyrm’s agonies”).

The exterior courtyard at the Eye’s top is surrounded by high tick walls. There’s more space for wagons and mounts, barracks, a forge, a (hot) pool, a citadel and a small chapel dedicated to the Seven Flames Pantheon. Inside the inner citadel rests the mortal remains of Anatrion, the Serene, Devanthar’s Martyr, whose spirit is said to watch over the Lighthouse and to protect it against undeads and black necromancy.

Sword & Sorcery Golarion - "Reskinning" Core Races (Part III)

In the third installment of Sword & Sorcery Golarion I’ll try to turn the half-orcs into something more along the lines of the works from the Great Three . Here, my first instinct was to turn half-orcs into Neanderthals, Picts or some degenerate human race; but that has been done to death I believe, so let’s try something (almost) new. Remember, the idea is to look first to the Core Race’s stats.

Voormis

(reskinned Half-Orcs)

The lords of Cheliax and Taldor dismiss the tale about savage degenerated hordes and black rites honoring things from the Dark Tapestry as pitiful excuses of incompetent captains and rangers. Nonetheless, men around the lands of Varisia and Ustalav whisper that the Voormis or “beastmen” of the Hold of Belkzen where there worshipping the profane things below Mount Voormithadreth even before the Age of Darkness. An antiquarian from Magnimar claims to have found Thassilonian records that mention Voormis around the lands now called Belkzen during the apogee of Azlant and maybe before that. Some madmen, properly locked (and later burned as heretics) in Ustalav screamed that the Voormis’ barbarian demon-god, Tsathoggua, may have whispered the nefarious secrets that put the wizard-king Tar-Baphon on its path to lichdom.

The Voormis are a three-toed, umber-colored, fur-covered cave-dwelling of degenerated humans (if you believe in Absalom’s sages). Barbaric and isolationists, Voormis resist fanatically against all subjugation attempts, defending the lands around Mount Voormithadreth which a fervor equivalent to the staunchest Mendev crusaders. Until a few centuries ago the Voormis also resisted civilizing attempts (especially conversion), until a particular cunning Voormis warlord called Belkzen (legends claims that he possessed human blood) learned to forge iron and united the local tribes against foreign armies. Together with the extensive Darklands below the region and the race’s innate underground skills, Belkzen’s Hordes killed forever all domination dreams around those wastelands forsaken by the gods.

Many Voormis have mixed human blood, usually from exiled Kellid, Shoanti and even Ulfen barbarians. These mixed-bloods usually have less fur and more fingers, albeit without reducing their savagery and disturbing traditions.

Voormis’ are used as berserkers and raiders by many unscrupulous warlords.

Commentaries: At first I was going limit myself to change half-orcs to Neanderthals, but after the Gar I wanted a different take on the “degenerated human race” and Clark Ashton Smith’s Voormis were just asking to be used in my Sword & Sorcery Golarion. Not only the race has the right flavor, but also (for me) a disturbing aspect, besides being connected with the Cthulhu Mythos (and "The Seven Geases" is an amazing short story).

In game terms, I recommend forbidding Voormis’ player character from using the half-orc’s Ability Score bonus to Intelligence. I would also remove Weapon Familiarity and give them a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (Dungeoneering) and Survival.

More weirdness for Kaer Maga

I mentioned last week the Iridian Fold, an exotic land whose natives can be seen sometimes on the weird streets of Kaer Maga, City of Strangers. Due to my love for all things weird (I’m talking here about weird/strange fantasy), I’m naturally attracted to settings like Planescape, Bas-Lag, Kaer Maga, Vornheim and other bizarre vistas. Below are some groups I created for my (yet-to-be-run) Kaer Maga campaign.

Adepts of the Eternal Wheel: this arcane sect originated in Old Thassilion, probably as an off-shot of the mysterious Cult of the PeacockSpirit. These monks and mystics believe that is possible for a mortal to ascend beyond the Great Sphere and the gods, but to reach this exalted state they must travel the Path of the Eternal Wheel. The Path is made of the Nine Steps of the Spirit: each step represents an alignment. The Adepts must live at least nine years of their lives for each alignment. The Ninth Step would represent the True Neutral alignment. Due to these harsh requirements, most Adepts either give up or go irrevocably mad. There are rumors of strange powers bestowed and of the servitude of creatures from the beyond the known planes among Adepts of higher rank. Other tales link the mystic sect to the earthbound demons known as rakshasas.

The Servants of the Source: this semi-religious order is readily recognized by its red hooded members. The Servants are famous for converting “monsters” and barbarian humanoids to the ways of good and order. They happily buy living intelligent creatures and slaves from evil races like orcs and ogres. These creatures are taken to the stronghold of the order, in the lower levels of the city. After a few weeks these creatures return to the world “redeemed” (in game terms: with lawful and good alignments). The secret of the order is that its members keep an ancient celestial bound within its fortress. From the blood of the good outsider the Servants are able, through a harrowing ritual, to slowly change the alignment of any creature. The irony is that the Servant themselves are far from good, but believe that their “taint” is a necessary sacrifice. The order was founded by a group of ex-paladins.

Hagga, the Soul Keeper: this night hag offers sinister services, mainly among them the ability to store a part of a subject’s soul in old green candles. If the soul-giver later dies, all that its allies have to do is to carry the body (intact and healed) to the hag for it to be revived (as the spell breath of life, but without the time requirement). Other less known service provided by Hagga is the ability to swap souls between bodies. This last ability is usually paid by old nobles or monstrous creatures trying to live among human and other races.

The Brotherhood of the Beast: this group of lycanthropes is a living paradox. They walk openly around the city, clad in hags and bells, to denounce their condition. The Brotherhood works as bouncers and mercenaries inside Kaer Maga. They hunt and exterminate wild and uncontrollable lycanthropes. Rightly feared, they also have a secret agenda: spreading their “Gift” (lycanthropy) to the rulers and leaders of the City of Strangers.

The Kobold Fires of Gondor!

Ok, not exactly kobold fires, and unfortunately neither the warning beacons of Gondor. The good folk at Open Design are offering a free AGE System adventure at their site, dealing with fire beacons – Who Watches the Watch Fires. The adventure is easily adaptable to the Dragon Age RPG setting. This is the same scenario that showed up (for 4^th Edition) on Kobold Quarterly #18.

Sword & Sorcery Golarion - "Reskinning" Core Races (Part II)

Continuing with our Sword & Sorcery “reskinning” of Pathfinder Core Races I’ll now treat of another famous theme of pulp fantasy literature: Ape-men!

Ape-Men

(reskinned Halflings)

Called Ape-men by the original Chelaxian explorers of Sargava, these lite and agile humanoids have their bodies covered with a fine dark fur and slight simian features, including tails. They’re natives from the Mwangi Expanse, where they’re known to be territorial and elusive. Local tribesmen call them the Gar or the Hidden Folk and it quickly became a fashion among wealthy Chelaxian aristocrats to possess Apen-men slaves. At first, Gar slaves were used as entertainers and later even as scouts during Cheliax’s imperial wars. Although bestial in appearance, the Gar are a non-violent race, which contributed to their enslavement (and higher prices). Many, however, managed to escape their masters and hid among Avistan’s forests.

At Garund, the Ape-men guard old ruins – an sacred tradition lost amid the race’s origin. Gar are clearly half-human and many debate if the entire race is artificial or a degenerated version from some forgotten human folk from the Mwangi Expanse’s deeps. A few speculate the heresy that the Gar may actually be the oldest human race in Golarion.

Commentaries: Ok, this one was hard. Halflings are already seen with prejudice by many gamers and while elves and dwarves are common in most setting, Tolkien’s creation isn’t. Mechanically speaking, Pathfinder halflings are agile, lucky and even charming or shrewd. I can’t explain why but this mix, in my opinion, is a good start for an Ape-men race. I’m not talking about savage brutes and throwbacks (we’ll got those in a moment), but of a race of primordial tricksters with a very (very!) long history and potential secrets. If you read the Malazan Book of the Fallen, think about the Eres. Even Pellucidar’s Apemen are a good inspiration (note the difference that Burrough made between them and the Sagoth).

I believe the Gar add a nice (and exotic) variety to a Sword & Sorcery party. The fact that halflings are slaves in official Cheliax is perfect fit for the Gar.

In game terms, you can either use halflings racial traits as written for Ape-men (in which case they’ll be a small race), or add the following changes: remove Small, Slow Speed and Weapon Familiarity; add Brachiation (climb 20 ft.) and Prehensile Tail.

Gar can use their Prehensile Tail to hang (if carrying a light load or less) or to execute crude manipulating (any Dexterity or Dexterity-based skill check using their tail for precision-based tasks suffer a –10 penalty, reducible to –4 by spending a Feat slot).