I will gming a gritty zombie infestation themed survival campaign, with daily horror for the masses and great opportunities for inhuman detached politicians. Players will rule a small company of various misfit people of modest extraction (great continuous funnel game here) that stick together to survive in a savage world.
I intend to create a world that is more Barbaric Conan-movie like than renaissance. There will be a few very advanced cities, but most of the world will be tied to bronze age. Iron (and cold iron) will be rare and precious (it can harm otherworldly creatures). By the way, In my campaign, Mithril is the elven name for an alloy of silver (that can harm ethereal daemons, so its as precious as mighty cold iron). Hopefully, that will not break the world economy by giving first level elf character enought treasure to buy a small country (Bronze is a good substitute for iron. No need for Mithril)).
For the general mood, think "Conan meets Black Company". With torches and pitchforks.
One of the ancient civilization in my setting is the empire of Nÿss. It's my excuse for a half-elf. Here's the pitch:
The old empire of Nÿss history is one of greatness, betrayal, and demise. The sorcerers kings of Nÿss were accomplished daemonologists and necromancers, and were rulling the land aeons ago, by their unmatched strength and the fairness of their laws. Unfortunately, their thirst for power was luring them deeper and deeper in a web of daemonic pacts. They plotted against the gods to gain forbidden knowledge, they tricked powers from beyond the stars, they cheated on many daemons.
And, ultimately, they failed.
Maimed in its very essence, the mighty human civilization that attained immortality was unable to procreate. Their once pure and cruel race of violet eyed, dark skinned proud people was doomed to extinction; their males unable to mate, their females unable to give birth. Figthing adversity with arcane knowledge, they devised a mating ritual that allowed their female to bear children conceived with non human partners. The best fit was with elven slaves.
Note: They bred with other semi-humans and many otherworldly creatures, but those lineages are now forgotten. They could make good NPC.
Unfortunately, the dillution of their blood went on part with the dimming of their power base. The Undying Rulers of the Nÿssians were feeling more and more detached from their empire and their responsabilities. Most retired to their secret dwelling, and succumbed to many-years long slumbers.
Feeling the time of the ancient race of Nÿss was over, more dynamic ethnics that were shadowed by the Undying Rulers challenged the half blooded children of Nÿss, and conquered by war, commerce, and politics the land that was once a great unified empire. Soon, the fearfull respect turned to hatred revenge, and, except in some old cities burried in deep jungles, the lithe Maiden of Nÿss suffered from gruesome and painfull deaths at the hands of uneducated masses.
The Nÿssian will be basically half-elves, with two iconics characters classes available:
- Soul Huntress: A thief variation on the Courtesan theme with a bit of Nÿssian Necromantic lore. It should be played as a D&D bard.
- Sorceress: A kind of witch that taps into ancient Nÿssian mysteries to awaken and use places of power (based on a mix between a spell-less cleric and a wizard).
I will post here class templates, house rules, lore, various content, and philosophical whimsical stances
Feel free to use it as you like and to contribute. This setting is as much yours than mine.
Please be indulgent with my modest english language skills, I'm not a native english speaker.
In my setting, metal armors are rare, and most people are from rural areas. Therefore, I wanted another option for the warrior. The hunter is less focused on close quarter combat, but gains wilderness related abilities, and increased efficiency with ranged weapons. This warrior variant can act a a guide, a tracker, etc... and should be the third best fighting class after Warrior and Dwarf.
Hit Points: 1d10.
Weapon training: as Warrior.
Armor: as full metal armors are rare and impede use of wilderness related abilities, Hunters usually wear leather armors, and use no shields to limit encumbrance.
Alignment: as Warrior.
attack die: as warrior.
Mighty deeds of arms: applies with ranged combat only. When looking at the Halfling class (a kind of specialist fighter with stealth), enabling MDoA with every weapon seems imbalanced
Initiative: as warrior.
Action Dice: as warrior.
Luck: apply to wilderness abilities rolls.
Wilderness abilities:
- sneak and Hide (as halfling).
- track prey (I will think about that later)
Hunter:
The hunter gains an extended threat range when using bows, or javelins (but not crossbows, as it is more a technological war weapon than a hunt weapon). Additionally, when using those weapons, damage rolls are increased to 1d8 to reflect the hunter's expertise, and the Hunter can do MDoA.
Skills: gains the Wilderness skill. This skill can be used for area knowledge, plant identification, foraging, orientation in wilderness, making arrows, finding shelter, etc...
[Note: This character class is inspired from the "Thanaturge" character class from a player-made module for the video-game Neverwinternights. This (very good) module was "Bone Keening, Art of the Thanaturge" from Wes Lewis.]
To be short, the Sorceress is a half-elf dual class wizard and (near spell-less) cleric that can:
* use divination
* use maledictions.
* speak to animals and dead peoples.
* create and control Thralls (mind-less undead).
* brew potions.
* turn into an ethereal animal.
* cast some spells.
All Nÿssians maids have the following racial traits:
* starsight (very good sight in low light environment, such as moon or star light).
* Sensitive to Iron (as elves). Cold Iron is deadly for them (wounds cannot be healed by magic. Only half of natural recovery rate with medical care).
* language: Common, Nÿssian (ancient dead language), and Elf.
* giving birth: Nÿssian are women only. They can bear children from either human or elf father. If the child is a female, it will have Nÿssian genotype. If it is male, it will share the genotype of its father (and will be considered Elf or Human). Player choose freely the character ancestry (but most are from human lineage).
* violet eyes.
[Note: In the campaign I will be gming, the Nÿssian sorceresses will be the stereotype of "witches" and unfortunate savant women burned by the inquisition. The "violet eyes" will be a common-tale feature of most witches in backward villages. The campaign will take part centuries after the Fall of the nearly forgotten Nÿss empire.]
[optional rule] To play a Nÿssian, the player should roll:
* a minimum Persona of 13 (their blood is infused with their ancestor magic).
* a maximum Strength of 13 (Their flesh is weakened by arcane manipulations).
Weapons: dagger, club, shortbow, short sword, staff, darts. Sorceresses rarely wear metal armor (and never Iron), as it affect the more subtle parts of their art.
Alignment: Neutral. Sometimes Evil.
Caster Level: as Wizard.
At will abilities:
* control one owned Thrall. Thralls are neutral undead created by Nÿssian. They are mindless constructs (dumb golems) of bone, flesh, or shadows...
* spontaneous divination: Sorceress are slaves to the forces of Destiny. As a compensation, they gain some insight on important topics, although those predictions are often cryptic in nature. The sorceress can have hints about what lies in the spiritual world.
* speak to mighty animals. Mighty animals are the creatures that can be seen as the True Rulers of a place. Usually, a little rodent is to primitive to speak, but the mighty wolf leader or the old dire boar that roam the swamp are both good candidates to use this ability.
[Note: divination is a GM tool to offer advices, riddles or visions of doom to the character.]
Cleric abilities (uses cleric rules for spell/heal/turn):
* maledictions
* necromancy (speak with dead peoples).
* create circle of power.
* brew potions.
Maledictions is the luck related ability. If a Sorceress falls prey to the wrongdoing of an enemy, she can curse this enemy to drain its luck. The sorceress regains all luck she has spent so far, and her enemy lose this same amount of luck. The luck loss will take the form of painful events, and can lead the enemy or its family to death. This destiny related ability is powerful, and could affect a town, or even a supernatural patron. It is important to notice that this ability takes effect only as a retribution against personal offenses. A Sorceress should not use this ability against rampaging monsters that target anybody.
Necromancy: the Sorceress can compel dead creature to speak to her. The proximity of the corpse is mandatory to use this art. This power doesn't grant automatic translation of languages.
Potions: I will post soon some example potions. As most Sorceress powers are tied to a place of power (sedentary by nature), potions should give some options for a wandering (i.e without place of power) Sorceress. Minor potions shall be created with alchemical apparatus. Major Potions need a Circle of Power.
Circle of Power: A sorceress draws its magic from places of Power. The old cemetery, the land in witch the bones of the soldiers of clashing armies are buried, or the deep grove of an eerie dark forest are suitable places. The place has to be old, dormant, and have a sinister history. By creating a circle of power, the Sorceress claims the place as hers. This lengthy ritual may require symbolic acts and valuables at GM discretion. Claiming a place of Power is claiming the surrounding land. To keep it is to impose one's will against the denizen of the surroundings (such as subverting the local lord politic power, or reaching an agreement with the local wolf pack).
Sorceress greater abilities (need Circle of Power):
* cast spells (those spells are related to the place of power history, and are lost if the sorceress is cut from its power circle). Cast as Cleric spells.
* create Thrall.
* [optional] control more Thralls.
* Divination: by taping into her Circle of Power, a Sorceress can gain insight about the domain she claims, or the destiny if its denizen.
* Turn into ethereal animal. Each Sorceress has a latent animal form (the shape of her soul). With the help of a Circle of Power, the sorceress can assume this shape. As is is semi ethereal, the sorceress cannot affect the physical world, and can see clearly what happens in the spiritual world. When assuming this form, the sorceress has damage reduction 10 againts all physical attack, except when attacked with silver (and mithril) weapons. This form is usefull for transportation or spying.
[Note: Places of Power shall be created with the same care as Patrons: they have an history, a mood, conditions to activate, have a heart (on which the Cirle shall be drawn), and gives access to spells related to their nature. Those spells (from one to ten) should be drawn form the cleric list (but if a wizard spell is suitable, use it). A place of power can increase the number of Thralls a Sorceress can control (at GM discretion). Such places comes with power and responsibility. Do not let the Sorceress forget this last part.]
Arcane Power:
On exceptional circumstances, daemons may manifest when a Sorceress Ritual goes awry, or is exceptionally wicked. The Sorceress may bargain with the entity, and take it as patron. When a pact is sealed, the Patron bestows an eerie familiar to the Sorceress. This familiar act as a "living grimoire" that fuel Sorceress wizard-like powers. The familiar shares its loyalty between the sorceress and the Patron, and can cast Patron Bond and Invoke Patron (usually for a price).
[Note: Those patrons are always of the unsavory sort. Most of them have a very peculiar interest on Nÿssian, either because those souls are delicious, or because the Patron has been wronged by the ancient race of Nÿss, and seek revenge. To have a Patron allows a Nÿssian Sorceress to use wizard powers (the circle of power is not mandatory once the pact is sealed). Please note that the death of the familiar cut the sorceress from its wizard powers. Bargaining with patrons should be interesting. Patrons want to subdue Nÿssian very dearly. They may be generous with their "demonic" power, for a sweet price. Unless with common wizard, they actually seek Nÿssian souls. It's a dangerous way for the Nÿssians. All arcane power bestowed to Nÿssian should have an evil, corrupting taste.]
skills:
* the Sorceress can handle dangerous substances with care. She gains "use poison" ability.
* She gets the "Nÿssian Sorceress" class skill. This class skill encompass herboristery, gather plants, ancient Nÿssian history and mysteries, intimate knowledge of body mechanics (Nÿssian sorceress are usually good medics).
Please be indulgent with my modest english language skills, I'm not a native english speaker.
