The Untamed Tundra (PF, WIP, Help please)

[Bearpunch]

The Tundra

"The new world they called it; a land of untapped potential just waiting to be... tapped. I jumped on the wagon, or boat really, hoping for a new lease on life. Instead, there was nothing.

An endless plain is what awaited me at Victory Shores, followed by a dead forest, blanketed in snow. That is as far as I dared to travel, as the creatures were nigh-unstoppable, and the locals were... unfriendly. What worse is that the boats stopped coming, new settlers never showed up. And boats that go back, are never heard from again.

So here I am, stuck in the little village of Victory, waiting for the boats to get back. There has been a strange stillness lately, and it disturbs me greatly. I feel my life may be nearing its inevitable conclusion."

--Saren Mortanshire, days before his death at the hands of a Remorhaz

Forgive the passable at best intro, please. What I want from this setting is similar to the points of light setting, but civilization only lay on one side of the map. What that essentially means is adventurers will have one or two main towns, and host expeditions into the Tundra.

Now, don't get me wrong, this is not a place where the party go back and forth into the wilds like some sort of boss rush game, but expeditions are important to the setting, maybe you will even stumble upon a town that is struggling to survive against the beasts that live in the tundra. Maybe you will come across some locals that seek to join your cause in taming the lands and claiming it from the beasts.


Locals vs. Settlers
An integral part of the setting is determining whether you were brought in from one fo the boats, or from the Tundra, as it determines the classes and races you can pick from. This decision is referred to as your Heritage from here.

Settler races/classes:

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RACES:
Dwarves: technologically obsessed humanoids, Dwarves are the leading race in Netharia, the homeland of the settlers. Without most of their technology, most Dwarves are lost in the Tundra, and there have even been rumors of Dwarves resorting to Arcane Magic (with the Worlds Collide feat) to replace the void of technology in the Tundra.

Humans: the slave and serf caste of Netharia, Humans are seen as waste by Prest, help by Dwarves, and slaves by Halflings. There are legends told in Human legends that Netharia was once ruled by humans. This, of course, is not true. Humans are the most common race to settle the Tundra, mostly because they stowed away on Dwarven ships and managed to eke out a living. Humans have revolted, and as such, are no longer slaves in the untamed plains of the Tundra, but stick to the farthest reaches of civilization.

Halflings: the most politically savvy race in Netharia, halflings are a witty, charming, and dubious race. They can be great allies, or incredibly evil villains. Halfling society generally dictates power over anything else, so those that stick to such a creed rigidly are the more powerful political leaders in both the Tundra and Netharia.

Prest: the warrior caste of Netharia, the Prest make up the largest portion of Netharia's army, and are not afraid to let everyone know. Very brash, very cocky, and surpisingly intelligent, the Prest make very cunning warriors and even more loyal companions. Their history is a storied one, told in-between bouts of ale at taverns all over Netharia and Tundra.
PREST RACIAL TRAITS:

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Prest
An honorable and powerful race of warriors, the Prest is a brutal and surprisingly intelligent people. Their civilization thrives on conquest and in the land of Nitheria, they are the secondary caste, directly behind the Halflings in political standing. They stand anywhere from 5’5 to 6’8, and fighting is the number one thing on their minds. With dark purple skin and angry, stoic faces, many humanoid races are fearful of them, but for all of their negative demeanors, they are not nearly as dumb as they look and are actually very loyal once befriended. Prest are long-lived, with fables of venerable warriors living up to 500 years, though the average lifetime is about 200. They start to notice the ware of age at 150, but live to be strong until they die.

Prest racial traits
+2 str, +2 wis, -2 cha: The Prest are strong and mentally resilient, but a bit angry towards strangers
Medium
Low-light vision
Scary:Prest receive a +2 to intimidate checks
Armor training: Prest ignore 1 armor check penalty on jump and climb checks, for every 4 class levels. Additionaly, Prest do not have their speed reduced by armor, but their speed is still reduced by a heavy load.
Weapon proficiency: Prest are proficient with Battleaxes, Warhammers and Greatswords, and treat the Bastard Sword as a martial weapon.
Forceful: Prest add +1 to the DC of any saving throws against force spells that they cast.
Slow Speed: Movement speed is 20 feet
Languages: Common, Prest with a high Intelligence score can choose from either Dwarven or Halfling

Classes:
Paladin, Antipaladin, Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, Gunslinger, Cavalier, Samurai, Inquisitor, Rogue, Monk, Sorceror, Alchemist

Local Races/Classes:

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RACES:
Gnomes: savage and wily humanoids, the Gnomes have scratched out a rather large area in the Kothari Mountains to live in, defending from wayward invaders with brutal efficiency. Another race from the Fey, they instead have forsaken "Great Satyr", and chosen to live off of the land they now reside in. That being said, they are actually rather friendly to outsiders, as long as those outsiders know their place. Gnomes skin is generally an icy blue, but can run to almost any shade of blue, and their hair is almost exclusively white, though it isn't impossible for it to take on wilder colors.

Elves: Savage and bloodthirsty magicians that wreak havoc on the Tundra. No settlement is safe from an Elf attack for long. Humanoids are treated as either a sacrifice, or a meal. They wish to appease their bloodthirsty false god "Great Satyr", so the elves will be brought back into the Fey. Despite their barbarous ways, several Elves do exist outside of their brutal, tribal ways and live among Humans peacefully. (See Elven Tribes to determine origin)

Humans: the most "civilized" of the Tundra races, the Humans and have banded together to form small pockets of civility where none lies. The largest Human settlement in the Tundra is Sunkin, a fabled city deep within the Dead Forest. Humans are very open to travelers, and may or may not aid them for free.

Tengu: The Tengu are a very rare and secretive species, living mostly on The Peak, they are wary to travelers, sometimes even aggressive, if the pack leader deems them as dangerous. The Tengu are a complex and mysterious race that thrives off of a pack mentality and a tribal code, many scattered villages lay around The Peak, and as part of their adulthood ceremony, the Tengu are sent out on their own for however long it takes for them to learn "what it means to be Tengu". These directions are cryptic however, and many Tengu simply leave and never come back.

CLASSES:
Sorceror, Witch, Oracle, Summoner, Druid, Ranger, Barbarian, Fighter, Bard, Magus, Rogue

Geography/important locations
The geography of the Tundra is a mixture of plains and mountains. Constantly snowing all year round, the Tundra is harsh and cruel, and suffers from a lack of food. Most animals are carnivorous and plants are rare, mostly sticking to damp, dark caves.
Important locations:

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Kothari Mountains: home of the Gnomes, as well as many a Remorhaz, Kothari is the largest mountain range in all of Tundra, as well as the most dangerous. Yeti are common, and actively compete with Gnomes for territory and food. When travelling in the Kothari, be prepared for wolves and yetis abound, and for your sake, don't disturb the Remorhaz.

The Remorhaz aren't your only problem, however. Orcs are numerous in the Kothari, and as savage as the Elves. Speaking of the Elves, the Orcs hatred for their pointy earerd country-men is so intense, it drives the entire race at war. Elves and Orcs are constantly fighting over territory, and some say the only reason either haven't taken over is because they are constantly fighting. On the plus side, this means that areas near the Kothari aren't normally attacked by Orcs or Elves.

Important locations and people in the Kothari Mountains Range:

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Cauldron Lake:

not so much of a lake as a sheet of ice, Cauldron Lake, as it was named by the settlers some time ago, is home to a coven of cannibalistic witches. These witches have no boundaries, and any traveller caught on the ice of Cauldron Lake by the witches are never heard from again. Except for their screams, of course...

And if you do get past the witches, I suggest sticking in the shallows. There are legends, but only legends of horrible sea serpents sticking beneath thin sheets of ice, waiting for prey. Locals call them Marpentis, while the settlers just stay away.

The Witch Hunter: High in the Kothari lies a Prest Inquisitor from Nitheria that believes it is his solemn duty to rid the world of the Cauldron lake witches. Inquisitor Black (sometimes morbidly referred to as the Black Death) is a ruthless, former high general of Nitherias holy crusaders, but was relieved of command when he burned a village to the ground because the elders would not surrender to his will. Very rarely, he will ride in on his pale white horse down the mountains and into the town of Sunkin, to restock, and maybe lay waste to a few "sinnners", sinners being people he doesn't like.

Many wonder why his god does not forsake him, and strip him of his duties as an Inquisitor, but the truth is that he is no Inquisitor, not anymore. In his youth, he was a kind-hearted man that protected the innocent and carried out missions for his god under cover of night, but when he lost his love in a battle some 70 years ago, he went mad with rage. Consumed by his anger, he fell, and became an Antipaladin. He died high in the Kothari after he was relieved of command. However, in some cruel twist of fate, the Cauldron lake witches cast a curse on him to keep him alive until he could destroy all of them. He is not quite as evil as his title would assume, but he is far more concerned with his quarry than with the affairs of mortals, and he does not take kindly to rumors and hearsay.

Dead Forest: This dark and saddening forest display a past Tundra that was hopeful, maybe even prosperous, but something happened to change it all. Those are all legends, however. As large as it is legendary, the Dead Forest earns its name by being filled with the dead (both plants and creatures). Those seeking solace or shelter in the thick brush of the forest are greeted instead by man-eating fungi, savage Elves and maybe even the Wendigo.

Deep within the forest you will find Sunkin, deeper towards the exit, you will enter the Walking Woods:

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Sunkin: A massive human settlement lieing directly in the middle of the Dead Forest. A relatively peaceful city, Sunkin is constantly attacked by bands of Elves, and its walls have worn thin. The citizens are always looking for travellers to induce into the ranks of their gaurd, forcibly or no.

The city of Sunkin is led by a human named Marcus, who forged the town himself with his bare hands twenty years ago. He was starving and dieing from his wounds, when he saw the sun for the first time in his life. He had heard tales, but the majesty of the shape took hold of him, and instilled power in the man, allowing him to build the town and thrive until others joined him. Sunkin is now the most powerful human society in the Tundra.

However, Marcus is aging, and getting weaker. He is kept well by his Oracles for now, but even divine magic can go only so far. The problem is, Marcus has no relatives or children, leaving Sunkin in a state of civil unrest. Marcus' death awaits, and all those in the city seek the power of leadership in the town. Civil war looms over the sleeping city, and risks tearing it apart.

The Walking Woods:Upon first appearance, it looks like a nice place in the Tundra. It's surprisingly warm, the trees are all alive, and sometimes, the sun even shines. However, then you notice that there is no grass, and you see something move out of the corner of your eye. Before you know it, a tree trunk has swiped you twenty feet, and you are staring directly at a shambling mound. By the time they realize the Walking Woods really are alive, it's too late.

Karinthor, King of the Elves: though the Elven tribes are far too seperated to have an actual "king", that doesn't stop Karinthor from attempting to unite all elves under one banner. This is disconcerting for many, as the elves are numerous and savage enough to wipe out most settlements on the Tundra.

Karinthor has two tribes allied underneath him already. He is powerful, and gaining more power. He has even developed his own form of elven, Karinthan. His entire goal is to ally all of the elves and to gain Great Satyr's attention and favor, so he can bring his race back to the fey.

The Back of the Dead God: Named for its claim to be the back of Del'trix, dead god of lore, The Back of the Dead God, or Deadback Mountain, is an inhospitable place, full of monsters of any size and shape. Horrors from beyond the realms, creatures that clawed their way from the Core into the Tundra, and more "natural" creatures, such as the Linnorm and the Frost Worms.

The monsters and evil humanoids aren't your only problem should you choose to travel to the Deadback, as the weather is the fiercest in all of the Tundra. During the day, it hails , and at night, the snow covers you like a sinister blanket, syphoning the warmth from your body. But with the night and the snow bring the hordes of undead. No one knows for sure where they come from, but the undead are the reason, not the linnorms, or even the frost worms, that the Deadback Mountains are so feared. Any type of undead can be found, and they seem to be gone by the morning. Travelers who see these monsters may just be crazy, as the settlers claim them to be, but the locals know better.

Important locations and people in the The Back of the Dead God:

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Herbert, the Reanimator: The source of the undead is a powerful (formerly) human lich, the only in all of Tundra, who has gone mad, and creates undead from the corpses of those lost on Deadback Mountain. He is far too insane to make a coordinated army, or to take much territory, but apparently, his partner, an alchemist Elf is crafting a potion that will give Herbert his intelligence back, if only temporarily. If this potion ever works, the Tundra is in for a horrible surprise, as the army of Herbert is thousands strong, and ever growing.

Herbert was a Sorceror that travelled to Tundra because he was wanted in Netharia for horrible experimentations on corpses. He claimed that he found the secret to bringing the dead back to life, and just needed to perfect it. Once he arrived in Tundra, he met an Elf, Cain to aid him in his experiments. Herbert ended up finding the secret to becoming what he calls a Lich, an immortal undead in complete control of his mind. However, as the first of his kind, something went wrong, and Herbert's mind is gone now, he hangs on by a thread. He blindly sends undead at random to bring back more experiments. The worst part of his affliction is that he is sometimes capable of acts of his former brilliance, which is why Cain is working so hard on the serum.

The Peak: though most travellers steer clear of The Peak, most creatures there are at least neutral to outsiders. The Tengu will even be friendly to those that show them equal respect. Though The Peak is the largest, and only settlement of strictly Tengu, they can still be found outside of The Peak. The Peak lies at the very tip of a mountain, called Deadback Mountain, and is a rather large plateau, rather than a small tip at the top of most mountains. Even the locals call Deadback Mountain an anomaly.

The Colonies: The Tundra isn't all wastes and wilds, there are a handful of colonies on the Eastern coast of the continent. They are mostly free of monsters and dangerous elves, but they are not free of crime and betrayal, and even the occasional attack from the Beast...

Important locations/people in the colonies:

Victory: the very first colony founded in Tundra, Victory is lead by a Halfling named Gerald. Gerald tends to run victory bery loosely, much more worried about making money than tending to his duties. Any criminal in the city can do what they want if they can inflate his pockets enough.

The gaurds in the city laze around most of the day, and never really bother to prevent crimes. The gaurds are more like walls and obstacles to theives and brigands, and the criminals take every advantage of that. Some say Victory is in a state of total anarchy, and they would probably be correct.

The only other important figure other than Gerald in Victory is Thomas. Thomas is a human, and lived his entire live pre-tundra as a slave. That all changed when he organized the revolution that freed all humans in the Tundra. He now lives in a mansion on a hill, shutting the world away. Though he fought long and hard to get where he is, he has all but forgotten what he killed for so long ago.

Sarrus: A Prest ruled city in which much of the Prest culture is apparent. Statues of brave warriors and great scholars lay about the city everywhere. Stories and songs of the legends of Netharia are reverberated through the taverns and inns. The soldiers are ever vigliant and on-gaurd. The walls are made of heavy stone, and most buildings are as well.

Sarrus is not a place of peace and prosperity under the surface. The guards run the city with an iron fist, literally. The captain of the guard, and mayor, Saren "Iron-fist" Kayathis, makes sure everyone stays in line. Anyone caught disobeying the law; or upsetting the gaurds, is swiftly dealt with. Saren lost his hand fighting The Beast two decades ago, and has since ascended to rule the city. He is obsessed with the law, and will strike down anyone not obeying it without question.

That is not to to say Saren is evil, or that Sarrus is a bad place to be; as far as defenses and crime rate, Sarrus is a haven. But crossing the gaurds will get you killed. Saren is actually a friendly and valiant man, but he does not care for those who don't obey the law.

The Beast: a flying monstrosity that lays waste to the Colonies. The Beast is unslayable, and will not stop until its objective is completed. No one, settler or local, knows what the Beast is, but all fear it. Its motivations are unclear, if it even has any, and it seems to kill for pleasure, rather than necessity.

In appearance, it is spiky, brown, absurdly large and winged. It is said to live in the Kothari, but none know for sure, not even the gnomes. In reality, the Beast is a dragon of some sort (probably will be homebrewed, might use a certain dragon), a creature that has been extinct in Netharia for hundreds of years. Dragons have never been known to exist in the Tundra, and Netharians can't identify it because of its obvious physical differences to the bumbling red creations of legends.

Ares Isle: often called The Asylum by outsiders, Ares Isle is home to criminals and the insane from Netharia. When Tundra was discovered, prisons were overflowing, but they couldn't spoil the mainland with all of the murderers, so they sent them to an island off the coast of Tundra. And there they have stayed. The last prison boat came two years ago, and Ares Isle is full to bursting with murderous savages.

That's not to say there isn't some sort of structure. A man that calls himself King Waste exsists at the top of the food-chain, while his lieutenants; Prince and Princess keep the "peace". King Waste trades with the elven tribes regularly, having a mutual respect for eachother. King never tends to his subjects and only makes public appearances for executions.

Travelers to Ares Isle should be aware that they are never safe, and Prince and Princess are constantly aware of the goings on in the Isles, and are ruthless in their determination to keep everything perfectly anarchaic.

Life in the Tundra

Life in Tundra is difficult, settler or local, hardships are abound. Most settlers have brought over Musk-oken and use them for sustenance. Some take to hunting the local caribou. Those lucky enough to live in warm enough place for vegetables farm meager amounts at best. Fruit is basically non-existant, save for a stray berry bush.

Locals mostly live nomadically, with few exceptions (Sunkin). They follow the herds of caribou around the tundra and hunt other wildlife. The benefit of living in the tundra is that every creature, except undead or rotting, is edible in some way. It is surprisingly difficult to starve in the tundra.

Succumbing to the cold, on the other hand, is a much easier task.

Arcane Magic among the Settlers:
Most settlers will look down on users of Arcan magic, while particularly angry settlers will stone them, or even burn them at the stake. Expect extreme prejudice if you decide to play as a local Arcane caster, as settlers already dislike the locals, and are extremely prejudiced against the Arcane.

Arcane Magic among the Locals:
The locals use and abuse Arcane magic to its fullest extent, but harness it in the same way a druid would harness nature; it is natural and part of this world and must be respected. Therefore, power-hungry sorcerors and the like are rare among locals. A powerful spellcaster will be one of the most highly respected persons in a village.

Myths:

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The creation of the world (netharian):
In the time before time, the gods grew tired of their melancholy existence, and decided to band together to create a planet of perfect form and shape, with beings made in their image. So the gods took all of the other planets and stuffed them together to create the world of Netharia, but it was imperfect, something was missing. One of these gods, Del'trix, decided he would destroy the others and shape this world for his own. Though normally rivals, the gods banded together to strike Del'trix down. After several millenia of warring and several of the gods' death, Del'trix was struck down. His body going to waste in the Void, the gods decided that his remaining energy would be used to create the center of the world.
It was at this time that the gods decided to split from eachother, and create their own domains. (gods to be detailed later)

Elves and Gnomes' creation: Long ago, in a realm beyond the gods, the Great Satyr, ruled over all of his realm, the Fey. However, Great Satyr was a visious and mean monster, and one small group of the Fey decided to revolt, and Great Satyr, in an act of mercy he would soon regret, decided to send them off into this newly created world, so Great Satyr will never have to see them again. Throughout the years, Great Satyr has sent assassins from his world into our own, attempting to crush those who dared to revolt against him. It is rumored that this is the reason you can find creatures beyond explanation in the Tundra, but that is another matter.

One group of Fey, calling themselves the Elvenfolk, repented to Great Satyr, and asked for forgiveness, but none was received. Thusly, Elves of today kill and fuel their bloodlust against the races of this realm in the hopes one day that Great Satyr will notice, and take them back into his bloody embrace.

The Gnomish fey just wished to be left alone. They decided to go high into the mountains, and the weight of the air in the mountains was enough to make the gnomes shrink down to the size they are today.

Heritage feats: (feats based on whether you are a local or a settler)
Worlds Collide:
Prerequisites: 1 year in the Tundra (settler), 1 year among settlers (local)
Effect: With this feat, you have learned the ways of the world unfamiliar to you, and have learned to accept, even adapt their strange, foreign ways. You may now take class levels in the Heritage class list opposite of yours.

Elven Tribes:
The elves are not a unified faction of raiders, they are several splinter groups that sometimes work together for various reasons (to fight orcs, for example), but they are all equally dangerous, and they all have their own objectives and motives (language in parantheses):

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Karinthoran elves (elven, karinthoran): the most organized group of elves by far, the Karinthors serve Karinthor, creatively. Karinthor is the "High King of the Elves", or so he claims. The Karinthors are hostile to all other elves, as they refuse to join their grandeous army. If Karinthor were to somehow unite all elves, it would be the greatest threat the Tundra has ever faced.

Swamplings (elven, swamp): beware walking the swamps of the lowlands, for that is where the swamplings lay in wait. They stalk outsiders and caravans and strike when their prey is least protected. Oddly enough, the Swamplings rarely make use of their stolen merchandise, but instead kill for pleasure, and food. The swamplings, more so than any other elven tribe, are cannibalistic, they claim that devouring the flesh of other humanoids gives them great strength.

Skinstealers (Aklo): some elves have adopted themselves to become more like the fey, in hopes to gain favor with Great Satyr. Skinstealers do exactly as their name implies, they remove the skin from their victims and attempt to disguise themselves in it. They, however, have no powers of their fey namesake and simply lay the skin overtop their own. It is quite a disturbing sight, to see a wrecked caravan, find a survivor, only to find out that it is an elf in mans clothing.

[megahobbit]

Cool idea but maybe you could reflavor the ranger to make it like it was in adnd an outdoor survivilist who protects civilization in the wilderness, it would really seem to go with your setting.

[Bearpunch]

I will consider that, for sure. Reflavoring is easy.

[megahobbit]

Anyway seems like a cool idea. I really like the settlers vs local feel.

[Bearpunch]

Thank you, I am trying to keep that aspect mostly to undertones, but with enough info to possibly stage a campaign about the subject. For now I am just thinking of locations.

[megahobbit]

Just an idea but there could be a giant tar lake.

[motoko's ghost]

Is it wrong that I pictured this almost like "deadlands" only with pocket crossbows instead of pistols?

EDIT: that being said its an interesting concept, would the majority of the action be against whatever is in the tundra or the conflicts between the various races and the settlers/locals?

[Bearpunch]

Not that I dislike the idea, but what would be the reasoning?

[Bearpunch]

Is it wrong that I pictured this almost like "deadlands" only with pocket crossbows instead of pistols?

EDIT: that being said its an interesting concept, would the majority of the action be against whatever is in the tundra or the conflicts between the various races and the settlers/locals?

My apologies, I missed your post last night.

Well, that depends, I'm not entirely sure what the setting of Deadlands is...

I'm trying to build this with a sandbox style in mind, so either of those avenues would be viable, but the focus I want to push is civilizing a land that doesn't neccesarily want to be civlized.

I want to be able to push settlers vs. locals, but I also want a party of settlers and locals to be able to work together. I suggest I will craft an overworld tone of warring states, but not leave it in such a place as to there being nothing outside of the conflict between the two sides.

The wilderness will be a lot like the wilderness from Dark Sun; an obstacle to pass through, and thus a large part of the world, but not the focus. There will be plenty of fights against elven raiders and defending against local tribes, etc.

[Yora]

Just an idea but there could be a giant tar lake.

Yoink! I feel free to steal that.

[Icedaemon]

I advise you to think of races not just as the playable races of the world, but as, as the real-world definition of race indicates, subgroups within species. The settler races are thus easy - dwarves, humans and halflings are all members of the same species, but different races thereof. Halflings and dwarves are more long-lived (though perhaps not to the extremes that dwarves reach in standard D&D) and thus see the humans as too short-lived to obtain wisdom or perhaps even education. How the weak and feeble halflings rose to prominence during an earlier era, when strength and reach mattered more than any amount of charm or political power will still need an answer. As they are one species, stats for dwarf-halfling crossbreeds will probably be needed, but easy.

The blue-skinned gnomes remind me of the uldra of Frostburn, who fit the untaimed frozen continent supremely well. I would recommend making them an another species, with those two races. While the uldra could completely replace elves, keeping elves as the third race of this species can also work. Uldra are fey, resistant to cold and capable of speaking with animals, similar but slightly more magical compared to the gnomes. This would lead to the Uldra seeing the gnomes as their lesser cousins. Due to their elflike looks, the Uldra would be close to those as well, who are likely regarded as overgrown but barbaric and unintelligent cousins. This would remove half-elves, who really don't fit the setting all that well currently. As the Uldra are merely LA+1 in 3.5, they could be LA+0 in pathfinder.

For the monster species, I likewise suggest you look at things from the angle of 'which species look like they could exist together'. Caribou (Frostburn), elks , megaloceroses are all just forms of elk and fit together well, for instance. Consistency is good, although it should not reach monotony.

[Bearpunch]

feel free, it wasn't my idea, though I will probably end up putting one in, once I find a good spot for it...

[Icedaemon]

If you intend on using dragons, I advise to stay away from the chromatic/metallic ones, instead relying on the more serpentine and less often-used river dragons and imperial dragons.

I would also have alchemist among the settler races' class choices. Some gnomes might also go for alchemy, but it does suit the more industrialized settlers better.

[Bearpunch]

Oh, why thanks, I was just considering cutting dragons because they didn't fit. They might still be in after all, after some reflavoring. If dragons are included, then they will not be intelligent, suave, hoarding monsters. They are unintelligent, savage failed experiments of the gods.

[Icedaemon]

Thanks. That was mostly an addendum to my first post's point, separate for clarity. I believe the river dragon fits your purpose best.

Why are rogues not on both lists? The class has enough variety and possible background to justify it being normal for the races of the tundra as well. Also, I take it the locals worship, if anything, the natural world and the fey? The latter would fit even better if you went with the elves and gnomes are more mundane offshoots of a fey race, methinks. I sadly cannot spot any extra-mighty forms of fey in the list though.

Additionally, as you intend to have remorhazes play a big role, remember to include other forms of giant centipede as well - for the sake of consistency within the natural world, as above. The remorhazes ought not be so closely tied to the giants though, possibly instead even more unintelligent or linked to a fey race immune to both cold and heat.

[Bearpunch]

*lots of good ideas*

Here I go again, missing posts...

The Halflings are not weak in physical stature. They took over a lot of land in the days before true government in Netharia, competing only with the Prest. They decided then that a treaty was in order, giving Prest full charge of military, while politics and other such "unpleasant things" were left to the Halflings. Unknown to the Prest of course, this was just a wily way for Halflings to get free soldiers.

I think I will leave Uldra out, simply because I do not have the source for them (unless they are on an srd somewhere). I feel like I may make a new race if I can think of a good enough concept for the locals.

Even though Half-elves dont fit all too well, I still want them to be an option, as people like playing Hybrids. I will probably make Half dwarf/Halflings as well, something akin to a Mul, but opposite? Small, but strong and hardy?

The monsters will be placed in detail once I get a day to look through the SRD beastiary, but you've brought me to a good start.

As far as worship, you are mostly correct, the fey is the most worshipped by the locals, along with a few barbaric (probably soon to be homebrewed) gods (for purposes of Oracles).

As for rogue, I was just stupid and forgot to put them into both lists.

You're right about the alchemist, but do you think they would need reflavoring, considering Arcane magic is outlawed in Netharia?

[Icedaemon]

If elves and humans are from different species, half-elves would probably be runty and not likely to survive childhood even when cared for, at the very least infertile and incredibly rare.

I realize that 'arcane' is a specific form of magic but, honestly, should that really matter as much? Wizardry and sorcery are outlawed and mistrusted because they entail magic that is not derived from the gods, but from twisting reality itself, power beyond what mere mortals should have. Witchcraft is odd magic with alien patrons. Alchemy on the other hand can hide in plain sight. Even if the magical aspects thereof are seen as evil and heretical, most people would not always be able to tell where chemistry ends and the magical elements come into play. As long as the alchemists seem to mostly be scientific, they should not be in big trouble. Even then, the idea that they achieve magical ends via concoctions might seem less 'a god am I'-ish to people.

If you don't have frostburn, either substitute a (probably modified) form of fae for the Uldra, or create a facsimile. These could work, though they would probably need a bit of change. Leprechauns even might work, though they would be the chaotic and barbaric ones in that case or Lurkers-in-light if you really want to go for a dark campaign. Refluffing the quicklings would be the easiest path to something similar to what I suggested - an alignment shift to lawful or even NE and an actual society would work well enough.

[Bearpunch]

Ahh, I didn't think about that, but then again, humans are native to the Tundra as well, so they might be derived from a similar species.

I was thinking of simply reflavoring them to be the most brilliant of scientists. Nothing magical at all, just finding the proper ingredients int he proper amounts.

Just to clarify, do you mean an ancestor as a player race or a monster? Because I want to avoid "elf syndrome" with the races, or have a directly connected ancient ancestor.

[Icedaemon]

What is elf syndrome?

The basic idea is 'unless the world was directly created by gods less than a million years ago, numerous distinct sapient species is a bit silly'. If the elves, gnomes and some others are members of one species which has ties to the fae while the rest are the component races of a humanlike species, things are a bit more realistic, which is generally good for a campaign which from the looks of things is not so centered on high adventure and flashy fights but survival, complex conflicts and such.

As a side note, these, along with the quicklings, fit the races/subspecies/relatives of the gnome-including species well. These might work as well, possibly as the infiltrators of the high fae lords.

[Yora]

There were different races of the human species living on earth at the same time, it's just that only a single one did not go extinct.

What helps with plausibility is to have some divine "uplift" several of the primitive humanoids to the modern creatures they are.

[Weirdlet]

I like the way you've flavored the elves, makes me think of the Others from A Song of Ice and Fire. I notice that you mention halforcs, but don't put them in the list of PC races.

[Bearpunch]

I like the way you've flavored the elves, makes me think of the Others from A Song of Ice and Fire. I notice that you mention halforcs, but don't put them in the list of PC races.

That was from an earlier version of the Tundra that still had half-orcs, before I realized half-orcs didnt fit, and made the Prest. :D

Icedaemon

Having the "humans, but better" race.

So a fey origin story for the Tundra (specifically Gnomes/Elves) is what you're thinking? Further pushing them (along with Tengu) into the "alien" category. I like that. The fey origin wont be confirmed, but it will be one of the many legends.

Yora

In general, I still want my campaign setting to look like fantasy, but a much darker, harsher fantasy, so since tyeing it (the races) in a nice bow is a very fantasy thing to do, I'm trying to at least imply that.

[Wyntonian]

Oh man.... I'm glad I looked at this. Mind if I jack your format for interesting places? I'll stick around, see how I can help. I've yet to check out pathfinder, but I know 3.5.

[megahobbit]

Something else I can see is settler vs settler conflict. If the settlements are each settled by diffrent countries conflict would emerge over resources and terrotory. Each side would also want to get the natives on its side. (Think french and indian war) Another thing to think about is diffrent religions would send missionares to convert the natives.

[Bearpunch]

Oh man.... I'm glad I looked at this. Mind if I jack your format for interesting places? I'll stick around, see how I can help. I've yet to check out pathfinder, but I know 3.5.

Steal anything you like, but some credit would be nice.

Something else I can see is settler vs settler conflict. If the settlements are each settled by diffrent countries conflict would emerge over resources and terrotory. Each side would also want to get the natives on its side. (Think french and indian war) Another thing to think about is diffrent religions would send missionares to convert the natives.

Ooh, that would be interesting... I think I will detail a few countries now.

[Icedaemon]

I would not use orcs and goblins. They are far too commonly the go-to foe-beings. The elves already fill in for the orcs well enough, for starters. If there are swamplands south of the tundra, boggards can also serve as a menace. Likewise, the fey gremlins can be interesting foes.

You should also rethink languages. If the settlers merely hail from two nations - one run by dwarves, the other by halflings then language would be fairly simple. The halflings language would probably be the trade language in their holdings, while the dwarves use a simplified form of Old Dwarven as a common language. The tundra people on the other hand have no reason to have purely racial languages - gnome holds far apart would speak different dialects and elven tribes are unlikely to cooperate enough to all speak the same tongue. This would help differentiate possibly reasonable elves from certainly hostile ones - the settlers would assume that the language of the nearest tribes is the elf language, not knowing that the farther tribes have different tongues. Everyone speaking 'common' would be nonsensical and counterproductive in a land where the unwanted arrival of another civilisation's settlers is a constant factor.

These canine beings might live in regions too cold even for whatever quasi-fey beings you would have as the third or fourth tundra civilization. Reasoning with them would be difficult, but again not impossible. They can easily be reflavoured as fey who arrived later and whom some elven tribes seek to emulate. These could be grouped with them, allies or even part of the same species.

These could be an added danger of attacking the strongholds of elves most insistent on rejoining their fey forebears.

these and these could, similarly, exist as the beasts the fey lords loose upon their most hated (and perhaps even feared) foes.

These could be the minions of the witches of Cauldron lake, a breed of some vaguely hyena-like woodland creature twisted by dark magic. Sans the odd tail, a weaker animal version can be a reasonably common creature.

[Bearpunch]

I will use orcs, because I like them, but goblins will go.
Languages are something i hate messing with, but you are right. As for half ling being the trade language, should I give settlers half ling as a bonus language?

I will look at those links when I get to a computer.

I apologize for my brevity and any misspellings, because I'm on my friends iPhone.

[Omeganaut]

The Prest I fear are perhaps too strong. Even for pathfinder. These guys are tailored to be great warriors. Wis is the one stat very useful for fighters, and you gave them another bonus to their will saves, which is generally the weak point for fighters. And then they get some awesome weapon proficiencies, armor proficiency, intimidate bonus, and low-light vision. I'd take some of that away, preferably the will save boost, and replace it with something to help non-melee classes.

I'd also specify the races of all the major characters you haven't previously. Its always good to know where the baddies came from so you can understand their motivations better.

[Icedaemon]

Where and how would the orcs fit thematically? Are they simply violent natives like the elves? Do they live in the southern regions of the mostly tundra-covered continent, with a civilization strong enough to resist and defeat Netharia's expeditionary forces that would otherwise probably prefer to colonize the warmer regions?

[Bearpunch]

The Prest I fear are perhaps too strong. Even for pathfinder. These guys are tailored to be great warriors. Wis is the one stat very useful for fighters, and you gave them another bonus to their will saves, which is generally the weak point for fighters. And then they get some awesome weapon proficiencies, armor proficiency, intimidate bonus, and low-light vision. I'd take some of that away, preferably the will save boost, and replace it with something to help non-melee classes.

I'd also specify the races of all the major characters you haven't previously. Its always good to know where the baddies came from so you can understand their motivations better.

I wanted them to get a bonus to intelligence, but when I posted it for editing, I was told to change it to wisdom. I can remove low-light and some weapon proficiencies. Remove Bastard Sword?

Yeah, I always forget to specify races. I'll do that.

Where and how would the orcs fit thematically? Are they simply violent natives like the elves? Do they live in the southern regions of the mostly tundra-covered continent, with a civilization strong enough to resist and defeat Netharia's expeditionary forces that would otherwise probably prefer to colonize the warmer regions?

They live mostly in the mountains, where the elves don't tread. The Orcs are numerous and savage and powerful, but rather dumb, of course. Therefore, I figured they would fit in like Elves, but the Orcs and Elves are constantly warring. Orcs HATE elves, and they aren't sure why (there is a reason, of course). Thanks to the constant warring between elves and orcs, most of the time, settlers and locals are safe from raiding parties, but not always. Ensures a little survivability in the PCs and NPCs, starts up a bit of infighting between the factions, and squeezes the Orcs in.