Shattered Crystal - Spelljamming in a binary system
Campaign Setting; Binary System; Races & Classes selection


This Campaign will have many new races and classes and should be a bit of fun. Set in a Swashbuckling type environment (but with a twist you'll find out later). Will also have some Steam Tech, as well as primitive Firearms (blunderbuss type weapons). I am trying to keep it a good party, but avoiding LG, unless the LG is more of a weak tendency. I don't really want an extreme Moral Majority type Paladin preventing Swashbuckling adventure! Neutrals are okay as long as we don't have too many in the group. You are heroes overall I would hope.


I also want you to have two characters. One should be pretty normal and the other doesn't need to be. Or two half normal characters. By normal I mean standard DnD races, and standard DnD classes.

So a dwarven ranger and a tiefling warlock, would be fine. Or a Changling rogue and a Human Artificer would be two half normal characters the only reason I want some normal is that the strange characters may have a harder time in the campaign. If you were all Rat people no one would talk to you and the campaign would end immediately. Some some mix of strange and not strange is what I hope for. Don't worry, I will get you all together in a group, no matter what your origins.


If I were to advise one to buy one book it would be Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, since it is the most recent version of DnD we will be using. It would be best to have in the hardback, real version since it is essentially a players handbook and DMs guide put together. It has all the standard rules, feats, spells, etc for the DnD game. Otoh, the pdfs are free on the internet in torrents, so start with the pdf and when you want to buy a real book, get the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook.


BTW, pardon my rant: Pathfinder is the company that broke away from Wizards of the Coast when they decided to screw over all their old players and make a new edition 4.0 and fire half their staff who made both Dungeon and Dragon Magazines. Wizards made 4.0 which is a really dumbed down version of Dnd, and Pathfinder evolved 3.5 edition into 3.75

 


Pathfinder roleplaying game Core Rulebook

Standard Races

 

Standard Classes (but this is edition "3.75" so they have new features)

*    Barbarian - bad asses, with Rage and fighting ability.  High hit points.

*    Bard - much improved class.  Well rounded, thieflike type spell caster.  Use Charisma for performance and skills, great diplomat type.

*    Cleric - much improved class.  Divine spells which boost combat of self and party.  These spell boosts can really turn the cleric into a fighting machine!  Also, nice feature is the ability to convert any memorized spell into a healing spell of the same level.  So essentially you convert memorized spells to healing and no longer need to memorize healing spells, just convert the other spells on the fly to healing.  Nice needed change.  Also, huge number of deities to follow each which give some little bonus.  A War deity might grant usage of a sword weapon feat for free, etc.

*    Druid-much improved as the druid can turn into animals that are bad ass as well as have badass animal companions.  No longer a weak cleric without armor.

*    Fighter-standard fighter, but now fighters have lots of fighting feats and ways to really kick ass in combat.  Feats are a great way to improve combat ability, and fighters have a lot.  Paladins and Rangers also get feats, but not merely as many

*    Monk - have improved due to the feats they receive.  They are much more like cinematic "Kung Fu" type monks and can do some Jedi like things!

*    Paladin-standard paladin but with a few extra fighting feats and spells

*    Ranger-standard ranger with spells but with added feats, also needs to either become an Archer type specialist or two weapon specialist (not the Advanced Player's Guide below expands these specialties further), so they become really good at some certain style of combat.  Not as good as a fighter, but then they have spells and additional skills the standard fighter does not.

*    Rogue (Rogues turned into a real badass combatant.  Back stabbing can be done at range, throw a dart into someone's back and get like +6d6 damage for instance at higher levels.  They really end up being a guy who runs around combat working their enemies blind side.  Really became lethal in 3rd edition DnD.  Now they are even better.  Percy and Oceanus will now kick some ass in fights as long as the don't engage in direct melee

*    Sorcerer - A spell caster, much like a wizard.  Has fewer spells known than a wizard, but does not need to memorize them prior to casting.  If they have a spell level they haven't yet casted that day (like a third level spell for instance) they could cast any of the third level spells they knew.

*    Wizard - standard wizard, but with new features such as bonded item (wand, ring, staff) also familiars that grow in power as you level up.  No longer does that toad familiar get killed with one magic missile, it has serious hit points

 


Pathfinder Advanced Player's Guide

 

5 new classes

*    Alchemist (make potions and other chemicals, and bombs that he throws as explosives.  If someone takes this, I would also add in additional powers from another book called the Complete Alchemist, such as magic dusts blown at enemies threw blowpipe, etc.)

*    Cavalier (presumably much like the old Cavaliers back in the day.  A fighter type, dedicated to a cause, who rides horses and other mounts.

*    Inquisitor (this is a cool one!  Dedicated to wiping out the enemies of your god.  However, you are above the law of your church and are allowed to fight very dirty.  Much like Van Helsing who worked for the pope.  Also, can cast spells mostly from the cleric type spell list.  Is better than it sounds and is worth a read!)

*    Oracle (eh, doesn't sound that good.  Lots of divination type spells to predict future)

*    Summoner (a spell type who calls forth a creature to do his bidding.  The creature improves over time with the hero, to the point of sharing each others hit points, etc.

*    Witch (a classic witch, casting hexes and spells, not your run of the mill hippy new age religion type, the kind with the wart on her nose and evil laugh  Neat character, although probably a little hard to play a good witch since they cast curses, etc., but it is still doable.)

Expanded Core Classes:

Loads of options/specializations for the standard classes of DnD.  These rules allow you to replace standard feats of the character class to more specific to a type you want to specialize in.   So you loose some feats you might not need and gain new ones you wanted.  Look at these specializations!  There is a Drunken Master Monk!  Yeah!

*    Barbarian (breaker, brutal pugilist, drunken brute, elemental kin, hurler, invulnerable rager, mounted fury, savage barbarian, superstitious, totem warrior, )

*    Bard (arcane duelist, archivist, court bard, detective, ,magician, sandman, savage skald, sea singer, street performer)

*    Cleric (Many many new "domains" that give different types of spells)

*    Druid (aquatic druid, arctic druid, blight druid, cave druid, desert druid, jungle druid, mountain druid, plains druid, swamp druid, urban druid, animal shaman-bear/eagle, serpent, wolf)

*    Fighter (archer, crossbowman, freehand fighters, mobile fighter, phalanx soldier, polearm master, roughrider, savage warrior, shielded fighter, two-handed fighter, two-weapon warrior, weapon master)

*    Monk (drunken master, hungry ghost monk, ki mystic, monk of the empty hand, monk of the four winds, monk of the healing hand, monk of the lotus, monk of the sacred mountain, weapon adept, zen archer)

*    Paladin (divine defender, hospitaler, sacred servant, shining knight, undead scourge, warrior of the holy light, antipaladin-no you can't)

*    Ranger (new combat styles-crossbow/mounted combat/natural weapon/two-handed weapon/weapon and shield, beast master, guide, horse lord, infiltrator, shapeshifter, skirmisher, spirit ranger, urban ranger)

*    Rogue (acrobat, burglar, cutpurse, investigator, poisoner, rake, scout, sniper, spy, rogue-swashbuckler, thug, trapsmith)

*    Sorceror (aquatic, boreal, deep earth, dreamspun, protean, serpentine, shadow, starsoul, stormborn, verdant)


Iron Kingdoms Character Guide

 

Races

*    Multiple Human Subraces (mostly to add flavor to your character)

*    Gobbers (civilized goblin) Dex +2, Str -2.  Favored class: Rogue

*    Ogrun (civilized partogre) Str+4, Int-2, wis-2.  Strong Half Ogre types.  Not really half ogre, but intelligent ogres with a somewhat Klingonesque culture in regards to honor and combat.  Favored Class: Barbarian

*    Trollkin (civilized part troll) More like a smaller ogrun than half troll, since intelligent and no Regeneration.  I think the troll name is a misnomer.  In any case a humanish Troll.  Str+2, Con+4, Dex-2, Chr-2.  Favored Class: Fighter

 

Classes

*    Standard Classes, plus

*    Arcane Mechanik - Creators of Mechanika (magic/steam powered robotic hulks)  need high Int and Dex.  Can cast Arcane Spells as well as create mechanika.

*    Bodger - Repairman extreme, many Rogue-like skills as well.

*    Fell Caller - Trollkin Bards of a sort.

*    Gun Mage - Sorceror who uses a gun as a spell focus to shoot spells, etc.


Prestige Classes (Usually started at ~6th lvl if you plan ahead)

*    Battle chaplain - warrior priest

*    Blackclad - master of elemental forces

*    Mage hunters - mage killing weaponry

*    Pistoleer-specialist with weapon

*    Rifleman-specialist with weapon

*    Secondstory man - rogue plotting daring heists

*    Warcaster - control warjacks in combat

 

  

Iron Kingdoms Liber Mechanika

 

Has many prestige classes available starting at ~6th lvl

*    Field Mechanik - works with Warjack units in combat, to repair during battle

*    Ironhead - steam powered fighter (mechanik wearing steam armor)

*    Preceptor of Cyriss - a cleric of Cyriss, god of gears

*    Mechanist - creates small servitor creations/manikins/clockworks


Eberron Campaign Setting

 

We are not in Eberron fyi, but will use the items in bold The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook also contains the rules for the standard (nonbold) races.  They should be the same or better in Pathfinder, but you will not find the bold ones shown below.

 

Races (from Eberron Campaign Setting):

*    Human

*    Changelings (essentially half human half doppelganger.  Can change their appearance at will)

*    Dwarves

*    Elves

*    Gnomes

*    Half-Elves

*    Half-Orcs

*    Halflings

*    Kalashtar (sort of Psionic Monk Humans-not real crazy about them and they are LG usually, but if someone wanted to play them its all good-perhaps a CG drifter?)

*    Shifters (essentially half human half were-creatures who can partially shift into animalistic-humanoid forms.  Kinda cool.  don't turn into were creatures, but can grow claws or teeth, etc. for fighting.)

*    Warforged (essentially sentient humanoid robots-fantasy versions of Data, but originally built as war-machines.  However, look more like Iron Man's armor than Data.  Neat.)

 

Classes: (none really in this book, they are all better in Pathfinder)

The Eberron book lists standard classes.  However, the Pathfinder  Roleplaying Game - Core Rulebook, or the Pathfinder Tome of Secrets has them as well in an updated form, we are calling "DnD 3.75 edition."  Usually the differences, are simply improvements to the ones in the Eberron book, so the character has more powers using the Pathfinder version. 

 


Planar Handbook

 

Planar Handbook (2004)

Races: (any and all if you have a good reason)

*    Assimars (half Celestial "part angel" humanoids, but no wings.  Usually good, love being Paladins) +2 Wis, +2 Chr, Favored class: Paladin

*    Bariaurs (Neat small centaurs, but rather than horse, they are four legged goats with human torso and head and with Ram horns on head) note: Satyrs have two goat legs, these are four legged centaur types.  +2 str, -2 chr favored class: Ranger

*    Buommans (humans who lived in Astral Plane for millennia, now weird monk-like humans. +2 Wis, -2 Chr.  Favorite: Monk

*    Mephling (Not advised.  3 feet tall Half mephit - an imp like creature, can be Fire, water, earth, air subtypes with various bonuses.)

*    Neraphim (Not advised.  Slaad type creature - Slaad are like Sleestack, hated by all)

*    Shadowswyfts (Not advised.  humanoids from Plane of Shadow) +2 Dex, -2 Con. Fav: Rogue

*    Spikers: Not allowed.  Freaking Hell Raiser demonoids

*    Tieflings: (Humans with Demon or Devil in their ancestry.  Always have 2 features of their heritage.  Horns, or Hooved feet, barbed tail, etc.  Looked at with distrust. +2dex, +2 Int, -2 Chr)

*    Wildren (Lame Chimp-dwarven people) +4con, -2 dex -2 chr

 

Classes: (normal classes with planar type features)

There are just standard DnD classes in this book, but with substitution of normal feats and powers earned at certain levels, with powers of a planar type.  Hence a bard at lvl 12 gets the ability to play music and open a rift into another plane.  Neat rulesets in here, that we may want to explore as the campaign continues, but not necessary to know at start.  Suffice it to say the classes in there are standard and you may want to look at them if you want your classes to have a different type of planar slant.

 


Tome of Secrets

Races:

*    Half-Ogre (Big, strong, but dumb) +4 Str, +2 Con, -2 Int, -2 Wis

*    Ratkin (not advised, results of an experimentation on Dire Rats.  Essentially Ratmen, not wererats.  +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Str,)

*    Saurian (Kinda neat Dinosaur humanoids.  Ancient, noble race, tend towards Lawful) +2 Con, +2 Chr, -2 Int

 

Classes from Tome of Secrets:

*    Artificer (a magely type who makes different types of magic items and uses them rather than having spells

*    Knight (as expected but nice extra powers—but sort of bad for a Swashbuckling campaign, so I would prefer no knights)

*    Priest (a Priest is a Cleric, but more dedicated to the spells, and less to fighting.  Clerics can wear Plate armor and have good AC, but priests get light armor max, but a few more spells for example)

*    Shaman (casts spells from Druids list, Wisdom is important, good at fighting and healing spirits (elementals, fey, ghosts).  Shaman not best choice for Swashbuckler campaign, but is available if wanted.

*    Spellblade (sort of a fighter-mage.  Essentially casts/infuses "charges up" his sword/weapon with a spell then attacks with it delivering the spell damage in addition to the weapon damage.  Also a few spells.  Very limited spell selection, but you can charge your weapons for later usage)

*    Swashbuckler (as expected, fighter that uses dexterity more than strength, with precision strikes)

*    Warlock (hybrid type spellcaster, very few spell abilities, but can cast as often as wanted.  Can wear armor.  See my MSWord Document in the files section for a further writeup since two of you are already interested.

*    Warlord (fighter type, who in commanding others can gain all extra bonus to Hitpoints, AC, and to hit bonuses during combat.  Not too bad for a sea captain type, but other stuff is probably funner.)

*    Ranger can take Musketeer fighting style for using firearms, in addition to normal archery or two weapon fighting.  (so a nice character idea would be a Dwarven Ranger who uses Firearms rather than bows and arrows--which seem more human or elvish to me)

 

Extra rules from Tome of Secrets:

Drawbacks (pg 44).  Essentially accepting a drawback at character creation like "Albinism" or "All-thumbs" will allow you +4 extra skill points for your character to build with.  The Drawbacks, as expected, hinder you in some circumstances, but not that often, and give a few extra skill points to build with.  Personally, I love using drawbacks as it adds character to my characters and allows for a little extra roleplay, and extra skill points are always nice as well  See book for exact rules, but they give mild deductions along what you would expect from such a hindrance.  No more than 2 to 3 drawbacks allowed ever.
 

Abrasive attitude

Albinism

All thumbs

Animal antipathy

Awkward gestures

Bad luck

Bad shot

Bleeder

Clumsy

Cold aversion

Cowardice

Deaf

Deity's wrath

Easily read

Fanatic

Frail

Gullible

Hard of hearing

Heat aversion

Honest

Impatient

Ineffective racial trait

Intolerance

Lame

Magical ineptitude

Marked

Minority culture

Missing hand

Mute

Oblivious

One eye

Quick spell discharge

Restless

School deficiency

Short

Slow healer

Slow preparation

Slow reflexes

Slow to act

Spineless

Taboo proficiency

Uncomely

Weak fortitude

 

 

Occupations:

Another neat way to add Role-playing spice.  Essentially what your character was trained to become in childhood prior to you becoming and adventurer.  Gives a few extra skills in certain areas depending on the occupation. (listed to give you all some ideas for character development)  don't worry about what it gives you.  Think of what you would have been trained as or want as a background, and you get some freebies with it to add to the character.
 

Acolyte

Animal catcher

Apprentice

Arcane merchant

Arcane student

Athlete

Bandit

Beggar

Con artist

Courtesan

Courier

Courtier

Diplomat

Entertainer

Farmer

Fisherman

Gladiator

Guardian

Healer

Hermit

Hunter

Investigator

Laborer

Merchant

Miner

Noble warrior

Nomad

Pirate

Primitive

Scholar

Scribe

Seaman

Serf

Servant

Soldier

Squire

Stablehand

Tavern server

Woodsman


 Flintlocks and Fantasy. YES!  Guns, pirate style.  Extra Feats, skills, etc.

 

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Expanded Psionics Handbook

Psionic Classes:

Are available and would require reading the Expanded Psionics Handbook.  There are several different types of psionic character classes for someone who wants a character type with a lot of new powers, but will require that player to do the reading themselves.  I read that book years ago, and don't want to read it again if someone isn't going to play a psion of some sort.  But it is available in this campaign if desired. It can be a little on the too powerful side on occasion, but of course characters who are too powerful tend to get beat on extra hard by me anyhow  Wouldn't be too bad for someone if they wanted a different type of "spell caster" type, but with a completely different set of powers from wizards/sorcerers.  (Like looking at a whole new set of spells from 1st level on.)  Would be fun, but would require some work by the player to learn the spells etc.