[Archipelago] Roughs

[Eliahad]

Hey Runelord Folk,

I'm going to be adapting Pathfinder rules to fit a steampunk/early gunpowder Victorian-esque airship setting. Which means don't think too hard about classes yet, as a lot of the core classes are going to change, or at least be adapted to the new setting.

Adventure Synopsis: It takes money to own a ship, and more to own a flyer. It’s been two weeks in Drydock (the airship mooring in the Hub), and the crew is itching to depart, the Hub is Company Ground, and that doesn’t sit too well with most. Thankfully the Captain has a lead on a job. Nothing fancy, just a supply run to one of the Arms. But simple doesn’t mean shiny…

Here are some broad strokes!

Available Classes:
Captain (Bard/Rogue Hybrid)
Medic (Cleric/"rogue")
Gunner (Fighter/Gunslinger Hybrid)
Scoundrel (Fighter/Rogue Hybrid)
Alchemical Engineer (Alchemist/Sorcerer Hybrid)
Sorcerer (Sorcerer)
Adept (Monk/Wizard)
Missionary (Monk/Cleric)

Profession:
In addition to their Class, everyone is going to have a Profession. While the Class will determine your combat and general abilities, your Profession will determine your 'class' skills. So if you want to be a Gunner Companion, well that's your business. We'll need a pilot and a mechanic, too, to sail the skies.

The Ship
This is going to be up to y'all to build. Here's what I can let you know about it in a general sort of way.

You would love to say you came by your ship honestly. As far as anyone knows, you did, though the loans you took on for the freedom of the open sky have been weighing on your mind of late. She's a transport, with a standard Spelldrive (with a few choice modifications, of course) and a large primary float, and a couple of stabilizing bags. She's nothing fancy, but she's yours...

Your ship will have: A bridge/helm (above decks), a mess/kitchen (below decks), an infirmary (below deck), a spelldrive/engineering room (belowdecks, stern), a gunnery deck (though it's up to you to buy cannons if you so choose), enough crew quarters that all crew have their own bunk/room (I'm being kind), Spare rooms for cargo and passengers.

The configuration of such and the decoration of these places are entirely up to you.

The Spelldrive requires magic for propulsion, generally in the form of magical items fed to its furnace. Spells can power the drive as well, though only in short bursts. You have enough charge to do the job, you know that, but getting home...well, best not to think of that.

I'll put up more info in the next couple of days. I just wanted to get something down this evening!

[Cazmonster]

You still can't take the sky from me.

[Mike]

The elevator pitch from the old boards 5 years ago:

It is a steampunk version of Firefly. The world is one giant ocean with islands and island chains scattered across the water. Steam powered airships are the fastest way to travel from chain to chain. Big cities may have a Victorian-steam feel to them, but most settlements should feel very American-old-west.

Personally, I would like to keep some of the emphasis on building player-character connections into character/group creation, and I still love Darcs's idea for creating a Relationship Chart for each character to give the four-word summary about how that character feels about each of the other main characters in the game.

The original setup thread is here: http://www.nerdprideradio.com/forums/vi ... .php?t=930

[Bluedevyl]

Man, I'm pumped about this one... Reminds me of a game I played in college that was a homebrew a buddy of mine made called "Shattered Worlds", but less Star Trek and more Firefly... This will be great!

[Mike]

As we consider the character classes and how to design/hybridize them for Archipelago, I think the various "style" mechanics would be a perfect fit for this game, and I encourage their use in as many classes as possible. When I say "style" mechanics, I'm talking grit/panache/luck. You earn points for being amazing and get to spend them on being more amazing. Those mechanics encourage lots of swashbuckling and derring-do, which seems perfect for this.

[Elle]

My Ron wanted to be a swashbuckler in my game but I wouldn't let him. But I did read all about panache points and it amused me. Is this a world where one could play a witch? Because I've been wanting to play a witch for a loong while now and maybe this is my chance! Steampunk witch? Btw steampunk is actually having a major influence on home decorating trends. A thing I wish I knew less about but....

[Mike]

From the old forums. Don't know if Eli wants to keep any of this:

Background

The Authority
The heart of civilization is the Consolidated Authority of Kalmana, Barrier Chain, and the Clades of Tethos (simply known as The Authority). The seat of the Authority's power is the city of Kalmana on the island of Kalmana.

The island of Kalmana sits at a perfect confluence of currents. The Corinthian Current and the Riverlord Current are the main trade currents, moving clockwise in massive ocean-spanning circles, and Kalmara sits right between them like a rock in a grinder. And with the proliferation of airships, Kalmana is fortunate enough to sit exactly in the stream of the westerly trade winds. All of these things, plus Kalmana's size and generous harbors makes it a perfect trading city. Unfortunately, it is also the locus for the foulest weather the known world has to offer. Rain is a daily event on the coal-stained cities of the island, and storms regularly batter her shores. So Kalmara has built itself tall and strong to withstand the worst the elements have to offer. It is not pretty, but Kalmara is strong and wealthy, and since the last of the Barrier Rebellion was crushed 10 years ago, there are none who can stand against them.

Currency
The Authority exclusively uses credits, which they established as the official currency. Outlying islands may still use local currencies or outdated currencies, but those are worthless in any of the legal markets of the core islands. The gold Dominion is one of those outdated currencies.

Geography
It is a world of ocean, populated by cities on scattered island chains. There are ocean currents and air currents that move traffic from place to place and help shape trade routes. None of that has to be accurately mapped at this point--we just need a general sense of it.

More importantly is to know that the lone giant island of Kalmana sits at the center of the known world. It is a dark, steampunk, coal-powered industrial city and sea port. Surrounding Kalmana are various islands of the "empire". Technically, all of the known world is subject to The Authority, but control is obviously tighter closer to Kalmana. On the fringes, local powers may pay only lip service to The Authority, and sometimes not even that.

The islands closest to Kalmana will generally be more "civilized" and technologically advanced. These are very much Victorian steampunk cities. Further out, islands come more and more to resemble a frontier or "Wild West" setting, but obviously all with a more nautical theme.

[Eliahad]

Oh we're going to keep it! I'm going to add to it a little bit, let me know if you want me to change or alter any of these things. These are all thoughts and notes in no particular order. If you want to take something and run with it, go for it! I in fact started writing these in no particular order and I have to run. If anyone has an idea, put it up on the boards and we'll work it in and flesh it out.

The Hub

The Island of Kalmana is the largest of the Archipelago.
The house of the Authority is known as Kalmana among the elites, the Uppers, the ones that get their fancy schooling in the colleges. But for the traders, the rum-runners and the Lowers, it's simply called The Hub.

The districts of the Hub have their own flair and personality and are, in no particular order: The Spire, Drydock, Wetdock, Gaslight, The Uppers, The Shades, The Lowers and the Market.

The Spire

At the heart of the Hub, on the larger of the two mountains of Kalmana, rises the Spire. The Spire is a huge tower thought to be a relic from an older time that the Authority transformed with copper and iron. It is the symbol of the Authority’s power and their base of operations. It is from the Spire that the Edicts are given and it is to the Spire that prisoners are brought to answer for their crimes.
The Air-carriers the huge capital ships, the pride of the Authority’s fleet, moor in the upper levels and cast their shadows on the city below.

The Wall

The Spire is surrounded by an enormous iron and stone wall hundreds of feet high and covered in watchtowers and canon placements. Authority guards are on constant vigilance for anyone that might try to infiltrate the Spire. There are gates at the 8 points of the compass rose, though they only open for those bearing the Authority’s writ. Each gate is decorated with two angel-like statues, sword in one hand, shield in the other. The story is that while those statues — called The Watchers by some, and The Seraphim by others — while those statues still stand, ‘evil’ will never penetrate the heart of the Authority.

Drydock

Across from the Spire, on the smaller of the two mountains, lies Drydock, the primary Airship mooring tower. For a fee anyone can dock their boat, though the preferred mooring bays are owned by the Company outright. While the Drydock tower is tall, it is nothing compared to the grandeur of the Spire.

The Company

Short for the Archipelago Spice Trading Company, the Company's influence can be felt throughout the Archipelago...(more on this later, I have to catch my ride...)

The Shades

The Shades district lay in the valley between the Wall of the Spire and Drydock. Most of the day it is spent in the shadow of one tower or the other, hence its name, which isn't helped by its equally shady reputation. If you need something done, and done quietly, the Shades probably have your answer.

[Elle]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/23 ... 23fbf4.jpg

She could be an alchemist I suppose, or that's a cauldron.

[Eliahad]

That pic is awesome, Lucy. I'm totally thinking that Alchemical Engineers should be able to choose between bonding with a ship, which helps them maintain the ship and lets them push the ship to greater limits. OR, in the alternative, they can choose to have a mechanical companion that they can tinker with.

Sorry I haven't posted much, things have been ridiculous the past week, both in the physical reality and my own headspace. I'll get some bigger things laid out this weekend, I think. Hopefully...

[Eliahad]

Sorry I didn't post up, guys. It was not a good headspace weekend.

I did look through all of the classes that are available on the d20pfsrd website.

Here's what I think should be available as is: Gunslinger, Oracle, Vigilante, Witch, Swashbuckler

What needs to be tweaked: Alchemist (to become the Alchemical Engineer), Bard, Ranger, possibly Inquisitor and Magus

What needs to be created: Captain...and well anything else that we'd like.

So, the Inquisitor brings in the question of faith and Archipelago. I think there should be religion, but I'm not sure that there should be a pantheon like other mythologies. That would mean the three opposing groups would be The Authority (the government), The Company (the merchants) and The Faith (religion). Actually, I think that's awesome, and using the generic names just sounds right.

[Bluedevyl]

Hey, just out of curiosity, since I currently find myself with an abundance of spare time, would you like some help fleshing out the classes and whatnot, or would you rather do it solo? Just wondering if I can help defray the workload in any way

Cheers!

[Mike]

I can't speak for Eli, but I'm pretty sure help is welcome here. We are collaborative.

[Eliahad]

Yes, please! As long as we are all willing to adjust things so that they all fit properly with everything else, I think we can incorporate pretty much anything into the game. So if you have an idea for something awesome you want to include, post it up!

Here are my thoughts on two classes if you want to take them and run with them:

Alchemist ---> Alchemical Engineer -- Keep Bombs, replace mutagens with "Mechanical Bond." Mechanical Bond lets the alchemist choose to either have a mechanical companion or bond with a ship. I would also like to replace the poison/immunity bonuses with a "Jury Rig" pool, that is like Panache, but for skill based situations.

Captain/Commander: Sort of a Bard/Rogue hybrid. Has a commanding aura that works similarly to bard song, but is generally always active. Also has a command pool, that lets the captain confer bonuses to other people and is replenished when they succeed. The captain should also have some perks for themselves, but I don't know what these should be yet.

[Mike]

The Aura of Command is good. For balance, should prolly be limited to rounds per day, but activation is a free action.

Then a luck/panache/karma pool that fuels bennies for the crew is a slick idea. Refueled by certain types of crew success or also by the captain risking/sacrificing of himself for the crew.

[Bluedevyl]

So one of the things I was thinking for the Alchemical Engineer is if they choose to bond with a ship, should they be able to choose a type of ship, so they aren't locked into one specific vessel, and then take feats or maybe a prestige class to gain affinity with a specific vessel? That way, they aren't locked into one ship if something were to happen to it.

[Mike]

I would view it like a familiar or animal companion or spirit guide. If the bond is broken for any reason, there's a lengthy/pricey process for making a new bond. I wouldn't even limit the type of vehicle, other than it has to be mechanically powered and maybe of minimum size.

[Bluedevyl]

So I've started roughing out the Captain with some ideas. Here's my thoughts so far:

Hit dice: d10
Weapons: Simple and Martial
Armor: Light

Aura of Command: the captain, through sheer force of will, can buttress and aid those under his command. Once every 4 levels, the captain can choose to add another aspect to their aura

Return fire: once per round, the captain can grant an ally within his aura an immediate attack at their highest attack bonus.

Repel Boarders: Allies within the captains aura receive +2 to attack and damage

Courage under fire: Allies receive +2 to saves

Brace for impact: Allies receive 1d6+ captain level temporary hit points

what do you guys think so far?

[Elle]

S/he's kind of like a paladin/bodyguard, which I like. Maybe some other class skills related to leadership/CHA based?

[Mike]

Wow. I like that. I think that's exactly the sort of thing Eli was going for. I might have suggestions, but I might now. I'll have to look when my mind's a little clearer.