From what I've read, I really like where they're taking Pathfinder Reloaded. I'm really hoping to try to include some of this even before it comes out. I expect this game to start in August and Reloaded isn't scheduled to come out until November. I don't want to wait that long. The big points that I want to include from Reloaded in this campaign are:
- No More Alignment!! - Getting rid of "lawful good" etc, and replacing with anathemas and edicts.
- New Dragons - Pathfinder Remastered is replacing the old chromatic and metallic dragons with non-OGL dragons based on the 4 types of magic (arcane, divine, occult, primal).
- True Schools of Magic - Since 1st edition D&D, spells have been broken up in "schools" (illusion, conjuration, etc). The new schools are meant to be like universities.
From the characters made for the boxed set game, and some reading I've been doing lately, my inspiration for the basis of the campaign is "Keep on the Borderlands" mixed in with some of Kevin's "Insane Asylum" campaign, with a touch of "Nausicaa Valley of the Wind" mixed in. PCs will be starting at a keep in the woods with reasons to set out to explore and adventure. I'm hoping this will help me "go back to basics" and run something more "old school" and less "politics and intrigue" as I need some practice there. I also want to try to figure out how I can work in something in the campaign that'll help with writing Kaernest Setting stuff in the future. Not sure how I'll do that yet. Perhaps having the keep run by a dragon?
Setting[]
Riverwood Keep, a toll castle and fall back point on the edge of the Lost West.
Characters[]
- Starting Level - I plan to start the characters at 1st level, despite how characters finished off Otari.
- Ancestries - To take a step toward running Kaernest, I'm going to restrict Ancestries to:
PCs[]
- Delta - Fluvarri (frog people) Cleric (Brad)
- Gila - Qnassi (lizard people) Wizard (Jackson)
- Morwen - Verdanni (plant people) Druid (Safya)
- Phineas - Humans Fighter (Daniel)
- Sajen - Verdanni (plant people) Monk (Cori)
- Sniplu - Kampanni (pixie people) Bard (Jason)
Intro[]
Many years ago there was a thriving society to the west but then the cataclysm hit. Earthquakes, fires, lightning storms, tornadoes, and even floods hit those lands. It's been 470 years since the cataclysm, and now people are starting to head back into those lands to see what is there. Tales come back of lands covered in a forest of fungi and dangerous elephant sized bugs. There's a new frontier as explorers, academics, and ambassadors head into the lands.
The adventurers have signed on to a border fort to help protect it from bandits, monsters, and what ever else might come out of the west. Riverwood Keep collects taxes from those going into and out of the new frontier as well, and serves as a fallback for those in the frontier, to resupply, heal up, and report back.
House Rules[]
Alignment (or lack thereof)[]
As mentioned above, we won't be using the old alignment system, instead using the updated "anathemas and edicts" where and when possible, along with holy, unholy, and sanctification.
Magic Items[]
Pathfinder expects characters to have at least a certain level of magical armour and weapons at any given level. Instead of making players pay for that and chase it, it's going to "just happen" (It's totally acceptable for someone to claim that they're the ones crafting the runes for the party and handing them out.) so the PCs will be at these steps. There won't be magic item shops available, so buying items won't be a regular thing.
Anyone and everyone can craft items. Instead of paying gold, having the right components to make magic items will be more important. If you want to craft a Ring of Protection, you'll need to find a monster/creature with a High AC and use some of their hide to craft it, or if you want a Bag of Holding, you'll need the stomach from a Displacer Beast. On the flip side of that, and related to above, there won't be a common market for magic items, so selling items won't be so much of a thing. (However, gifting/donating them to your local dragon can totally be a thing.)
No Character Left Behind[]
If someone misses, they don't get the XP, but if the party levels, they get enough XP to keep up in level. If only one or two characters level, they can remain ahead; this is reward for making every session and allows bonus XP to have some value. Once a third character levels, everyone else follows up. Likewise, character death will bring the new character in at min XP for the lowest level of the party. (Hopefully this isn't an issue.)
Rule of Cool[]
I'm a fan of the rule of cool, but I balance it with risk and reward. This means if you're trying to do something outside of the rules, I'm good to go with it, however, expect there to be a risk involved. If you fail at "cool", then it's likely that there will be consequences.
Schools of Magic[]
Forget the old "Illusion", "Conjuration", etc. Schools of Magic are now more like, "Abaddos University of War Magic" or "Fistandantulus' School of Chronomancy". Along these lines, I fully expect to add in some fighting schools as well, ala 7th Sea (and actual history). More factions is more better.
Sessions[]
Session 0[]
Went over player expectations and made sure everyone was on the same page. Talked about house rules and made a few decisions.
Campaign planning