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
* Dwarves
*
Elves
*
Gnome
*
Half elves
*
Half Orcs
*
Halfling
*
Humans
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)
*
Wizard (elemental schools, focused schools)
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)
*
*
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
*
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
*
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
*
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
==============================================================
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.