Ancient Lands - Sword & Sorcery Campaign Setting, Take 3

[Yora]

Thanks, such encouragement is always highly welcome.
I finally finished moving and expect to have regular internet access again next week. Then updates should be a bit more regular.

[Yora]

I've been doing some homebrew creatures, which can be found here. Any comments regarding the stats should go into that thread, but any comments regarding the role of the creatures within the setting can be shared here, and would probably be more at place in this thread.

[Yora]

Building and Maintaining a Domain
The Pathfinder adventure path Kingmaker includes a relatively short and simple system to control and expand a territory that is ruled by PCs. These rules, along with rules for battles between armies, are going to be reprinted in the Ultimate Campaign book that will be released at the end of this month, and will then be put in the Pathfinder SRD for easy open access. However, the rules themselves are already open content since the release of Kingmaker, so replicating some of them here is not an issue in any way.

Now the Ancient Lands are not intended as a setting for campaigns of conquest or politics, but PC are expected by default to belong to one of the countless small clans that have staked out their small territories and have to defend them from outside threads and also make sure they won't be devastated by famines, monster infestations, or rebellions by challengers to the chiefs rule. Even if the PCs don't rule over the clan themselves, the Kingdom building rules might still be useful for GMs to see how the clan is doing and what happens in battles between armies, in which the PCs are only a few warriors among many. For this reason, I want to see how the rules can be adapted and what you are thinking about it. In any way, it would always be a completely optional element to games set in the Ancient Lands.

Domain Building
Not every chief or warrior who has a handful of followers behind them would be called a king, and in the Ancient Lands, that title is reserved for the most powerful rulers who have the loyalty of several major clans behind them. As such, I will instead use the term Domains, which is more general and generic enough to represent almost any territory. Also, not every major settlement is a city, as that term is used in the Ancient Lands for less than a dozen places that are almost legendary in wealth and power. Instead, the rules for building and running cities are simply refering to Town.
A village is any cluster of farms, but might also be a logging or mining camp. In the Domain Building rules, they are not tracked individually. The amount of villages and what people live and work there is not really relevant. Either a region is producing resources, or it is not. (More on that later.) A town is a commercial center where the people from the villages come to sell their food to the townsfolk and in turn buy all the things they can not make themselves at home. All the specialized craftsmen and merchants in a domain are assumed to be living in the towns and this also is where all the governing takes place.

Domains are based on a Hex-map. Every hex represents an area about 12 miles across. A hex can be either wilderness, farmland, or a town. A chief can lay claim to a wilderness hex, but that it pretty much meaningless until it is inhabited by people loyal to the chief and his warriors patrol the area. Again, the number of farms and villages is not relevant here. Also, it doesn't matter what kind of resources the area produces, it is simply counted as income for the domains treasury. There can of course also be farms and villages in the same hex where a town is, but for simplicity they are not counted towards resource generation and income.
There are rules for annexing a hex and converting it from wilderness to farmland, but I won't go into those here as they don't really matter right now. You can look them up when they are in the PRD.

Now the real meat of the Domain Building rules are the towns. Again, for simplicity, the normal homes of the townspeople that make up the majority of the town are not tracked. All that matters is the special buildings, like specialized craftsmen, temples, castles, and so on. At the end of every month, all the farmland hexes plus some buildings in the towns are generating income, but a great deal of it will also be consumed by the people living in the domain. But if you have a surplus in income, it is added to the treasury in the form of Build Points. You can spend these BP to increase your farmland by expanding it into new wilderness hexes or by creating new special buildings. This might include actually building new constructions like a castle or temple, but could also represent making special arrangements to get an alchemist to settle in your domain. Like offering tax breaks, providing infrastructure, giving bribes, and so on. While you don't actually build a new house with your own money and pay for the training of the alchemist, it still puts a dent in your resources.
Following is a list of special buildings you can build in any of your towns. If you conquer a town it obviously comes with already existing buildings. You might also decide to turn a small irrelevant village that the PCs have visted on their journeys into a town. In that case you could have the town already start with certain buildings for free, like a witch the PCs had dealing with earlier.

Town Stats:

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Defense Modifier: (See army rules later.)
Economy: Indicates how much income your domain generates.
Loyalty: Indicates how far your Unrest counter goes up.
Magic Items: Once per month, this building may have a magic item of this type for sale.
Stability: Indicates how reliable your income is and how well your domain fares against plagues, famines, and so on.
Town Base Value: Everything priced lower than this value can usually found in a store in the town.
Unrest: All kinds of unpopular measures increase the domains unrest counter. If it goes too high, economy suffers and some parts of the domain may rebel and are lost.

Update, 01.06.13

Buildings
This is a list of buildings that are available in any town in the Ancient Lands. A large number of buildings from those in Ultimate Campaign have been removed and some slightly altered. Buildings with asterisk (*) are new additions.The buildings listed here do not include any information used for the Settlement stats in the Gamemastery Guide, except for the amount of magic items available. These numbers will probably be adjusted down at some point in the future to reflect the relatively low amount of magic items in the Ancient Lands.

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Businesses

Alchemist - 18 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
Magic Items 1 minor potion or wondrous item
The laboratory and home of a crafter of poisons, potions, or alchemical items.

Black Market - 50 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +2, Stability +1, Unrest +1
Discount Dance Hall
Limit Adjacent to 2 Houses
Magic Items 2 minor items, 1 medium item, 1 major item
A number of shops with secret and usually illegal wares.

Brewery - 6 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Stability +1
A building for beer brewing, winemaking, or some similar use.

Dance Hall - 4 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +2, Unrest +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
An establishment for dancing, drinking, carousing, and holding celebrations.

Foundry - 16 BP, 2 Lots
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1, Unrest +1
Discount Smithy
Limit Adjacent to water district border
Special Increase the Economy and BP earned per turn by 1 for 1 Mine connected to this settlement by a river or Road
Processes ore and refines it into finished metal.

Herbalist - 10 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Stability +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
Magic Items 1 minor potion or wondrous item
The workshop and home of a gardener, healer, or poisoner.

Inn - 10 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
A place for visitors to rest.

Market - 48 BP, 2 Lots
Kingdom Economy +2, Stability +2
Discount Black Market, Inn, Shop
Limit Adjacent to 2 Houses
Upgrade From Shop
Magic Items 2 minor wondrous items
An open area for traveling merchants and bargain hunters.

Mill - 6 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
Limit Adjacent to water district border
Special With GM approval, you can construct a windmill at the same cost without the water district border requirement
A building used to cut lumber or grind grain.

Shop - 8 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House or Mansion
Upgrade To Market
A general store.

Smithy - 6 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
The workshop of an armorsmith, blacksmith, weaponsmith, or other craftsman who works with metal.

Stable - 10 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House, Mansion, or Noble Villa
A structure for housing or selling horses and other mounts.

Tannery - 6 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
Limit Cannot be adjacent to House, Mansion, Noble Villa, or Tenement
A structure that prepares hides and leather.

Tavern - 12 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House or Mansion
An eating or drinking establishment.

Trade Shop - 10 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
Limit Adjacent to 1 House
A shop front for a tradesperson, such as a baker, butcher, candle maker, cobbler, rope maker, or wainwright.

Witch Hut* - 30 BP, 1 LOT
Kingdom Economy +1, Unrest +1
Magic Items 3 minor items, 2 medium items
The home of a witch or sorcerer.


Infrastructure

Bridge - 6 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1
Special Shares the space with a river or Waterway lot
Allows travel across a river or Waterway, easing transportation.

Cistern - 6 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Stability +1
Limit Cannot be adjacent to a Dump, Graveyard, Stable, or Tannery
Special Can share lot with another building
Contains a safe supply of fresh water for the settlement.

Dump - 4 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Stability +1
Limit Cannot be adjacent to House, Mansion, or Noble Villa
A centralized place to dispose of refuse.

Granary - 12 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Stability +1
Special If Farms reduce Consumption below 0, store up to 5 BP of excess production for use on a later turn when Consumption exceeds the Treasury
A place to store grain and food.

Graveyard - 4 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Loyalty +1
A plot of land to honor and bury the dead.

Jail - 14 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Loyalty +2, Stability +2, Unrest –2
A fortified structure for confining criminals or dangerous monsters.

Monastery - 16 BP, 2 Lots
Kingdom Stability +1
A cloister for meditation, study, and the pursuit of various other scholarly paths. These are usually associated with a local shrine or temple.

Monument - 6 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Unrest –1
A local memorial such as a bell tower, a statue of a settlement founder, a large tomb, or a public display of art.

Paved Streets - 24 BP
Kingdom Economy +2, Stability +1
Limit 1 per district
Brick or stone pavement that speeds transportation.

Pier - 16 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Economy +1, Stability +1
Limit Adjacent to water district border
Upgrade To Waterfront
Warehouses and workshops for docking ships and handling cargo and passengers.

Shrine - 8 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Unrest –1
Upgrade To Temple
Magic Items 1 minor potion, scroll, or wondrous item
A shrine, idol, sacred grove, or similar holy site designed for worship by pious individuals.

Temple - 32 BP, 2 Lots
Kingdom Loyalty +2, Stability +2, Unrest –2
Discount Graveyard, Monument, Shrine
Upgrade From Shrine
Magic Items 2 minor items
A large place of worship dedicated to a deity.

Town Square* - 8 BP, 2 Lots
Kingdom Loyalty +1, Stability +1
Discount Cistern, Dump, Jail
A central square for public gatherings, making proclamations, and holding court.

Waterfront - 90 BP, 4 Lots
Kingdom Economy +4
Discount Black Market, Market, Pier
Limit Adjacent to water district border, 1 per settlement
Upgrade From Pier

Special Halves Loyalty penalty for Taxation edicts
Magic Items 2 minor wondrous items, 1 medium wondrous item, 1 major wondrous item
A port for waterborne arrival and departure, with facilities for shipping and shipbuilding.

Waterway - 3 BP, 1–2 Lots
Special Counts as water district border for adjacent buildings
A river or canal occupying part of the District Grid. At the GM’s option, a natural Waterway may already exist on the grid, requiring no action or BP to build. If you construct a City Wall that touches or crosses the Waterway, you must also build Watergates on the same turn.


Housing

Highborn Manor* - 24 BP, 2 Lots
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1, Stability +1
Discount Mansion
Upgrade From Mansion
A sprawling manor with luxurious grounds that houses a noble’s family and staff.

House - 3 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Unrest –1
Upgrade From Tenement
Special The first House you build during the Improvement phase does not count against the total number of buildings you can build during the phase
A number of mid-sized houses for citizens.

Mansion - 10 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Stability +1
Upgrade To Highborn Manor
A single huge manor housing a rich family and its servants.

Palace - 108 BP, 4 Lots
Kingdom Economy +2, Loyalty +6, Stability +2
Discount Highborn Manor, Mansion
Special You may make two special edicts per turn, but take a –2 penalty on kingdom checks associated with each special edict
A grand edifice and walled grounds demonstrating one’s wealth, power, and authority to the world, as found only in the largest cities and build by the most powerful High Kings.

Tenement - 1 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Unrest +2
Upgrade To House
Special Counts as House for buildings that must be adjacent to a House
A staggering number of low-rent housing units.


Military

Barracks - 6 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Unrest –1
Upgrade To Warrior Hall
Special Defense +2
A building to house conscripts, guards, militia, soldiers, or similar military forces.

Castle - 54 BP, 4 Lots
Kingdom Economy +2, Loyalty +2, Stability +2, Unrest –4
Discount Highborn Manor
Limit 1 castle or keep per settlement
Special Defense +8
The home of the settlement’s leader or the heart of its defenses.

City Wall - 2 BP
Kingdom Unrest –2 (once per settlement)
Limit Land district border
Special Defense +1
A fortification of one side of a district with a sturdy wall. The GM may allow for cliffs and other natural features to function as a City Wall for one or more sides of a district. You may construct gates through your own city wall at no cost.

Keep* - 34 BP, 2 Lots
Kingdom Economy +1, Loyalty +1, Stability +1, Unrest –2
Limit 1 castle or keep per settlement
Special Defense +6
The home of the settlement’s leader or the heart of its defenses.

Warrior Hall* - 28 BP, 2 Lots
Kingdom Loyalty +2, Stability +2, Unrest –2
Discount City Wall, Jail
Upgrade From Barracks
A large building to serve as a gathering place, training ground, and housing for the clans warriors.

Moat - 2 BP
Kingdom Unrest –1 (once per settlement)
Limit Land district border
Special Defense +1
A fortification of one side of a district with an open or water-filled ditch, often backed by a low dike or embankment. The GM may allow a river or similar natural feature to function as a moat for one or more sides of a district.

Watchtower - 12 BP, 1 Lot
Kingdom Stability +1, Unrest –1
Special Defense +2
A tall structure that serves as a guard post.

[Yora]

Since currently all signs are strongly pointing towards Pathfinder, I think it's time to finally get the races nailed down:

Character Races

Elves

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution: Elves are nimble but lack endurance compared to other races.
• Medium: Elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: Elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
• Keen Senses: Elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.

Dark Elves
The following traits are in addition to those of common (wood) elves.

• Darkvision: Dark elves can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Light Sensitivity: Dark elves are dazzled in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell (–1 penalty on attack rolls and sight-based Perception checks).

Gnomes

• +2 Constitution, -2 Strength: Gnomes are not very strong because of their short stature, but they are incredibly enduring and resilient.
• Small: Gnomes are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
• Slow and Steady: Gnomes have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Low-Light Vision: Gnomes can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Keen Senses: Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
• Hardy: Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
• Obsessive: Gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on a Craft or Profession skill of their choice.

Half-Elves

• Medium: Half-elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Half-elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: Half-elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Elven Immunities: Half-elves are immune to magic sleep effects and get a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
• Keen Senses: Half-elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
• Mixed Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race and have both the elf and human subtype.
• Skilled: Half-elves gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.

Humans

• Medium: Humans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Bonus Feat: Humans select one extra feat at 1st level.
• Skilled: Humans gain an additional skill rank at first level and one additional rank whenever they gain a level.

Kaas

• +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence: Kaas are exceptionally strong and tough.
• Medium: Kaas are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Kaas have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: Kaas can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Armored Hide: Kaas have a +2 natural armor bonus from their thick fur.
• Fearless: Nezumi receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear.
• Intimidating: Kaas receive a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate skill checks due to their fearsome nature.
• Sure-Footed: Kaas receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb skill checks.

Kaas are tall and powerful humanoids who frequently grow to seven feet of height and beyond. Their bodies resemble muscular humans covered in light brown hide and their heads resemble both mountain lions and wolves with horns like those of a wild goat or ibex. Their heads are covered in dark brown manes like those of a lion. Kaas are at home in the northern mountains and are strong climbers, but they have spread out into the lowlands many generations ago and can be found all over the colder climates of the Ancient Lands.

Lizardfolk

• +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence: Lizardfolk are exceptionally strong and tough.
• Medium: Lizardfolk are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Lizardfolk have a base speed of 30 feet
• Swim Speed: Lizardfolk have a swim speed of 15 feet. They can always take 10 on Swim checks and receive a +8 modifier to Swim checks.
• Armored Scales: Lizardfolk have a +4 natural armor bonus from their scaly hides.
• Hold Breath (Ex): A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
• Natural Attacks: Lizardfolk can make two claw attacks dealing 1d4 points of slashing damage and one bite attack dealing 1d4 points of piercing damage. (All three attacks are considered primary attacks.)
• Racial Hit Dice: Lizardfolk begin the game with 2 Hit Dice of humanoid. Because they are more powerful than most other races, lizardfolk characters count as one level higher for calculating XP to advance a level. Racial Hit Dice count as character levels for the purpose of gaining new feats and maximum skill ranks.

Nezumi

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma: Nezumi are agile but often erratic and short tempered.
• Medium: Nezumi are medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Normal Speed: Nezumi have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: Nezumi can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
• Armored Hide: Nezumi have a +1 natural armor bonus from their thick fur.
• Fearless: Nezumi receive a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear.
• Keen Senses: Nezumi receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.
• Sure-Footed: Nezumi receive a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb skill checks.

Nezumi are humanoids standing somewhat under 5 feet tall and are found in many of the southern jungles of the Ancient Lands. They are covered in short sand-colored fur and have faces resemling those of rodents or dogs. Often making their homes in the trees above the forest floor, they are very good at climbing and even jumping from tree to tree. Nezumi are very daring and at times might even seem suicidal when it comes to taking risks, but it has served their race very well against the many threats of the wilderness.

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The gnomes are pretty much a blend of the standard gnomes and dwarves. I am even considering giving them darkvision instead of low-light vision, but since they are a race that lives more in hobbit-houses than underground cities, low-light vision would probably be more appropriate.

The Kaas are inspired primarily by the Ferai from Primal with generous additions from the Cathar from Star Wars.

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The one thing I am still not quite happy about are the many traits of the kaas and nezumi that are identical to those of the other races. With the kaas I started with half-orcs as the base and for the nezumi I took halflings. Pretty much every trait the nezumi have is identical to that of another race, and kaas ability modifiers are the same as those of lizardfolk. Also kaas may be a bit strong compared to the other, so maybe I should remove the bonus to Constitution?
What do you think?

[Grinner]

Wow. You've got almost 11,000 views on this thread. People must like it a lot.

[Yora]

It suprises me as well. I assume having links in most of my forum signatures does it's part.
Malamundus and Exile have similar numbers of views compared to the amount of posts.

[Yora]

Ultimate Campaign has been out to pre-orderers and while it still takes a week for the pdf release, there is still considerable info floating around on what's inside it.

Specifically the leadership positions for the Kingdom Rules, which I mentioned briefly in the last post on Domain Rules. I also did a post on social roles and official position some times back, which you can see here. In this post, I'm combining the two to cover the leadership positions in the Domain Rules.

Leaders of the Clans

Ruler - The Chief/King
The ruler is obvious the supreme leader of the domain. In most tribes the chiefs are chosen by the heads of the most powerful families of the clan after the old chief has died, or more rarely has been forced to step down if he lost the support of the other leaders. But most often, a single family wields sufficient power that most of the smaller families will support them, making the title of chief somewhat hereditary, with the leaders rarely voting against the choosen successor of the former chief. (In the Ancient Lands, the position of ruler can not be shared by two individuals.)
If a chief rules over more than just his own clan, he is called a king.
Benefit: If the domain has a size of 1 to 20, the chief or king adds his Charisma modifier to one of the domains statistics of his choice; Economy, Loyalty, or Stability. If the domain has a size of 21 to 80, he adds his Carisma modifier to two of the statistics. If the domain has a size of 81 or higher, he adds his Charisma modifier to all three statistics.
Vacancy: If a domain is currently without a ruler, it can not expand its territory and every month the domains Unrest score increases by 4 until someone assumed power.

Viceroy - Vassal Chief
If minor chiefs pledge their allegiance to a king, they still retain their title and rule over the lands of their clan. However, they accept their king as their superior commander in times of war and have to pay tribute to the king. (More information once it becomes available.)

Consort
Heads of families, particularly chiefs, can be married to several spouses at the same time in most tribes. In some cases, the first or favored spouses can become members of the clans leadership in their own right, gaining significant amounts of power. There can be only one Consort among the clans leaders at any time.
(More information once it becomes available.)

Heir
The heir is a person chosen by the current chief to be his favored candidate as his successor. Often these are sons or daughters, but usually any person of clansman status can succeed a chief on the throne. Heirs are usually selected for their promissing talents and leadership skills and also have to prove their abilities before they can take over leadership of the clan, so they are generally quite deeply involved in the clans governance.
(More information once it becomes available.)

Councilor - Town Elder
The position of the senior town elder is usually a highly informal one and involves no official selection or rank. The senior town elder is the chosen representative of the common people living in the town around the chiefs castle or manor. Since he has the most contact with the clans chief, he often is in close contact with the elders from the other villages, making him the spokesperson for all of the clans lowborn and freemen.
Benefit: The town elders Wisdom or Charisma modifier is added to the domains Loyalty.
Vacancy: If a domain has no town elder, usually if the chief refuses to hear the representative of the commoners in his court, the domains Loyalty decreases by -2 and Unrest increases by 1 every month. In addition, the domain does not gain any benefit from festivals being held.

General
The General is the primary military leader of the clan after the chief himself. In larger kingdoms, he even ranks above the vassal chiefs. The duty of the general are to see that the domains troops are well trained and equiped and he is in charge of scouts patrolling the domains borders.
Benefit: The generals Strength or Charisma modifier is added to the domains Stability.
Vacancy: A domain without a general takes a -4 penalty to Stability.

Grand Diplomat - The Herald
Heralds are among the most trusted assistants of the chiefs and have the duty to speak on their chiefs behalf when visiting or recieving the leaders of other clans. The position of herald is often given to a sibling or child of the chief or one of his most closest friends as any of their mistakes or errors in judging their chiefs responses can have dire consequences for the clans alliances or lead to war with other clans.
Benefit: The herald adds his Intelligence or Charisma modifier to the domains Stability.
Vacancy: If a domain has no herald it recieves a -2 penalty to Stability. The domain can also not issue any promotion edicts (any kind of effort to raise morale other than festivals).

High Priest - The Shaman
While every major village and town has a shaman (who often has a couple of apprentices as well), the shaman of the chiefs town has a particularly important role in the clan. He is not just a massenger for the people of the surrounding land, but also for the clans ancestors or guardian deities. As such, he is an important advisor for the chief and his word also has a great influence over the clans warriors and commoners.
The Shaman must be an oracle of at least 3rd level or higher.
Benefit: The high priest adds his Wisdom or Charisma modifier to the domains Stability.
Vacancy: A domain without a shaman takes a -2 penalty to both Loyalty and Stability. Every month the domain has no shaman the Unrest score increases by 1.

Marshal/Spymaster/Warden
The marshal is a senior warrior in charge of security within the chiefs castle and the local town, as well as maintaining order within the domain. His warriors see to the safety within the domains villages and hunt thieves, smugglers, and other criminals.
In the Ancient Lands, the positions of Spymaster and Warden usually tend to overlap with that of the marshal.
Benefit: The Marshal adds his Dexterity or Intelligence modifier to any one of the domains statistics; Economy, Loyalty, or Stability. He can change his focus once every round.
Vacancy: If a domain has no Marshal, it takes a -4 penalty to Economy. Also, the domains Unrest increases by 1 every month.

Royal Enforcer - The Champion
Next to the general and marshal, the champion is one of the clans senior warriors. His primary role is to see to the safety of the chief and his family, but he also is frequently given the task to deal with any kinds of trouble that falls outside the marshals responsibility. Ocasionally, he will also act as a kind of ambasador for the chief if sending the herald would give the wrong impression.
Benefit: The champion adds his Strength or Dexterity modifier to the domains Loyalty. In addition, the domains Unrest decreases by 1 every month.
Vacancy: There are no penalties to not having a champion.

Treasurer - The Steward
The steward is the chiefs most important advisor and the overseer of the domains economy and finances in addition to directing the servants and slaves of the chiefs household. As such, the steward often works closely together with the senior town elder as they see that the domain prospers. Many chiefs have no interest in dealing with keeping the people fed and the warriors paid and often leave it entirely to their stewards to handle these things as they see fit. In most tribes, these things are traditionally the resonsibilities of the wife of the head of the family and the majority of stewards are the wives or sisters of the chief.
Benefit: The stewards Intelligence or Wisdom modifier is added to the domains Economy.
Vacancy: A domain without a steward takes a -4 penalty to Economy. Also, the domain can not collect any taxes while the position of steward is empty.

--

I put the positions of marshal (police), spymaster (espionage), and warden (militia) together, as tribal societies usually don't have such a sophisticated system of law-enforcement and intelligence. The position of warden is easily scrapped, since defence is either the domain of the general or the marshal.
However, the spymaster might possibly be better included in the position of champion. The royal enforcer has the job of beating up and killing enemies of the nation, while the spymaster collects information on inside and outside threats. Maybe that would be a better combination, what do you think?

[Yora]

Spellcasters & Spells
Now that I feel commited to the Pathfinder rules as much as someone like me probably can ever get, I want to get the whole issue of spells get hammered out.

I've gone once more over the spell lists for oracles and sorcerers in Pathfinder and even this spontaneous variant of vancian spellcasting simply doesn't work for what I have in mind how magic in the world work. And I really don't want to have magic work one way in the rules of the game while saying it works differently when it comes to narrating things.
The best magic system in any RPG that I've seen to this day is Bruce Cordells Expanded Psionics Handbook system. Since it is also made specifically for d20 games, this will be what I use as the baseline. The system is very simple. A character knows a number of spells like a sorcerer, but when casting a spell it does not use up a spell slot for the day but a number of spell points. With 10 spell points, you can cast 10 spells costing 1 SP or 2 spells costing 5 SP, or any other combination imaginable. However, the best thing is, that spells are augmentable, which is a bit like a build-in metamagic option.
The basic charm spell costs 1 SP to cast and works like charm person. When you are 3rd level you can cast the spell using 3 SP and having it work as charm magical beast for example. Once you are 5th level you can cast the spell paying 5 SP and have it work like charm outsider. If you want to. The number of SP you pay can be anything from as low as the minimum number to cast the spell, to as high as your caster level. Similar, a fireball costs 5 SP and deals 5d6 fire damage. Pay 8 SP (for which you need to be at least 8th level) and it deals 8d6 points of damage. Very easy, but much more flexible than prepared spell slots.
The XPH has a form of metamagic feats that require an extra mechanic, but in an Ancient Land games characters will be mostly 3rd to 8th level and with just 2 to 4 feats there are much better options to pick. (Like gaining more spell points per day or additional spells known beyond your normal limit.) And since almost every spell automatically comes with the option to make it stronger, I decided to simply forget about metamagic feats altogther, which also means we won't have to bother with the special mechanic that enables characters to use them.

Schools
As I mentioned in an earlier post some time ago, there are six schools of magic. Four general schools and two specialized schools.
Creation: Creation spells make creatures stronger and more resistant to damage, heal injury and illness, and also make plants come to live and summon spirits to fight for you.
Entropy: Entropy is the opposite of creation and entropy spells drain creatures of their strength, make them more vulnerable to damage, and cause fear.
Elements: Elemental spells control the basic elements, using fire to deal damage, moving earth and stone, using the wind to lift yourself and blow away enemies, and so on.
Spirit: Spirit spells affect the minds of creatures, making them obey magical commands and creating illusions, as well as seeing to distant places and create protections against spirits and demons.
Blood: Blood magic is one of the specialized schools that deals directly with the life-force within living creatures, causing both terrible injuries but also providing great srength.
Fel: Fel magic is powered by the magical energies of demons and the Void. Fel spells primarily deal with demons and undead, but also include spells useful to overcome magical barriers and protections.

Learning Spells
There will be two spellcasting classes, probably being called the Adept and the Shaman. The adept is a straightforward mage or witch while the shaman is a priest who is a more durable fighter and has special powers to deal with spirits. As of now, I don't plan on having separate spell lists for them.

{table=head]Class Level | Spell Points | Spells Known | Max. Spell Level
1st | 2 | 3 | 1st
2nd | 6 | 5 | 1st
3rd | 11 | 7 | 2nd
4th | 17 | 9 | 2nd
5th | 25 | 11 | 3rd
6th | 35 | 13 | 3rd
7th | 46 | 15 | 4th
8th | 58 | 17 | 4th
9th | 72 | 19 | 4th
10th | 88 | 21 | 5th[/table]

In addition, adepts get additional spell points based on their Intelligence score and shamans based on their Wisodm score.

{table=head]Ability Score | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th
10-11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
12-13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5
14-15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
16-17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15
18-19 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20
20-21 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 25[/table]

Since the maximum spell level is 4th, any spellcaster who can reach an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 14 by 7th level has access to all spell levels. So making a character that starts with only a 13 in that ability score at 1st level is not severely limited. (But still a bit weak when it comes to the save DCs of his spells and the amount of bonus spell points.)

Spells
This list is not complete yet. The aim is to get to a total of about 50 spells.

Spoiler

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Animate Corpses
School: Fel
Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: one or more corpses
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Spell Points: 3

With this spell, you can temporarily animate nearby corpses as skeletons and zombies with up to 5 HD in total.
The undead can be made to follow you, or they can be made to remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific kind of creature) entering the place. They remain animated until they are destroyed or the spell ends. A destroyed skeleton or zombie can't be animated again.
Regardless of the type of undead you create with this spell, you can't create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead. Any additional undead you create are not under your control. You can chose which ones to release from your control.
Augment: For every additional spell points you spend, you can create additional undead worth 1 HD.

Beast Sight
School: Creation (polymorph)
Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: personal or touch (see text)
Target: one creature
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: yes (harmless)
Spell Points: 1

This spell alters your eyes to give you the sight of a wild animal. Your eyes gain the appearance of a cats eyes and you gain low-light vision.
Augment: You can augment this spell in one or more of the following ways.
1. If you spend 2 additional spell points, the spells range changes from personal to touch.
2. If you spend 2 additional spell points, you gain darkvision 60 ft. instead.
3. If you spend 4 additional spell points, you gain blindsight 30 ft. instead.

Charm
School: Spirit (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 1

You reach out with your mind, finding the emotional strings that most apply to your target. With delicate influences, you twist those emotional strings, making your target view you as a friend (treat the target’s attitude as friendly). If the creature is currently being threatened or attacked by you or your allies, however, it receives a +5 bonus on its saving throw.
This does not enable you to control the affected person as if it was an automaton, but it perceives your words and actions in the most favorable way. You can try to give the subject orders, but you must win an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Retries are not allowed.) An affected creature never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful orders, but it might be convinced that something very dangerous is worth doing. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the charmed person breaks the effect. You must speak the person’s language to communicate your commands, be good at pantomiming, or have some other method to communicate, such as mindlink.
Augment: You can augment this spell in one or more of the following ways.
1. If you spend 2 additional spell points, this spell can also affect an animal, magical beast, or monstrous humanoid.
2. If you spend 4 additional spell points, this spell can also affect an aberration, dragon, or outsider in addition to the creature types mentioned above.
3. If you spend 4 additional spell points, this spell’s duration increases to one day per level.
In addition, for every 2 additional spell points you spend to achieve any of these effects, this spell’s save DC increases by 1.

Based on the charm person and charm monster spells, and the empathetic connection power.

Cloak of Shadows
School: Entropy (Darkness)
Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Effect: Cloud of shadows covering you
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Spell Points: 3

You wrap a hazy mist of shadows around you like a cloak. You remain visible within the translucent, amorphous enclosure. This distortion grants you concealment (opponents have a 20% miss chance), thanks to the rippling haze shrouding your form. This spell also allows you to use Stealth without having any cover to hide begind. You can pick up or drop objects, easily reaching through the haze. Anything you hold is enveloped by the cloak. Likewise, you can engage in melee, make ranged attacks, and cast spells without hindrance.
Augment: If you spend 4 additional spell points, the shadows can spread and affect one creature adjacent to you. If the creature moves away from you, it loses the protection.

Based on the concealing amorpha power.

Dominate
School: Spirit (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: 4
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level); see text
Target: One humanoid
Duration: 1 day/ level; see text
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Spell Points: 7

You can control the actions of any humanoid creature through a telepathic link that you establish with the subject’s mind.
If you and the subject have a common language, you can generally force the subject to perform as you desire, within the limits of its abilities. If no common language exists, you can communicate only basic commands, such as “Come here,” “Go there,” “Fight,” and “Stand still.” You know what the subject is experiencing, but you do not receive direct sensory input from it, nor can it communicate with you telepathically.
Once you have given a controlled creature a command, it continues to attempt to carry out that command to the exclusion of all other activities except those necessary for day-to-day survival (such as sleeping, eating, and so forth). Because of this limited range of activity, a Sense Motive check against DC 15 (rather than DC 25) can determine that the subject’s behavior is being influenced by an enchantment effect (see the Sense Motive skill description).
Changing your orders or giving a dominated creature a new command is a move action.
By concentrating fully on the power (a standard action), you can receive full sensory input as interpreted by the mind of the subject, though it still can’t telepathically communicate with you. You can’t actually see through the subject’s eyes, so it’s not as good as being there yourself, but you still get a good idea of what’s going on.
Subjects resist this control, and any subject forced to take actions against its nature receives a new saving throw with a +2 bonus. Obviously self-destructive orders are not carried out. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as you and the subject are on the same plane. You need not see the subject to control it.
If you don’t spend at least 1 round concentrating on the power each day, the subject receives a new saving throw to throw off the mind control.
Protection from evil or a similar effect can prevent you from exercising control or using the telepathic link while the subject is so warded, but such an effect does not automatically dispel it.
Augment: You can augment this spell in one or more of the following ways.
1. If you spend 2 additional spell points, this spell can also affect an animal, magical beast, or monstrous humanoid.
2. If you spend 4 additional spell points, this spell can also affect an aberration, dragon, or outsider in addition to the creature types mentioned above.
3. For every 2 additional spell points you spend, this spell can affect an additional target. Any additional target cannot be more than 15 feet from another target of the spell.
In addition, for every 2 additional spell points you spend to achieve any of these effects, this spell’s save DC increases by 1.

Based on the dominate person and dominate monster spells, and the mind control power.

Entangling Vines
School: Creation
Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./lvl.)
Area: Vines, roots, and branches in a 40-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min./lvl. (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex partial; see text
Spell Resistance: No
Spell Points: 1

You call upon the spirits to manipulate matter in the affected area, including wood, grasses, bushes, and even trees, to entwine creatures in the affected area or those that enter the area, causing them to become entangled. Affected creatures can break free and move half their normal speed by using a full-round action to make a DC 20 Strength check or a DC 20 Escape Artist check. A creature that succeeds on a Reflex save is not entangled but can still move at only half speed through the area. Each round you concentrate, you may once again direct the debris to attempt to entangle all creatures that have avoided or escaped entanglement.
Augment: This spell may be augmented in one or more of the following ways.
1. For each additional 2 spell points spent, this spell can affect an area 5 ft. larger in radius.
2. By spending an additional 4 spell points, this power causes 2d6 points of damage per round to creatures that failed their Reflex save.
3. If you spend 2 additional spell points, the duration becomes 1 round/level.
In addition, for every 2 additional spell points you spend to achieve any of these effects, this spell's save DC increases by 1.

Based on the entangle spell and entangling debris power.

Faerie Fire
School: Creation [light]
Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: creatures and objects within a 5-ft.-radius burst
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: none
Spell Resistance: yes
Spell Points: 1

All creatures within the burst are outlined, and shed light as candles. Outlined creatures do not benefit from the concealment normally provided by darkness (though a magical darkness effect functions normally if more spell points were spent on the darkness effect than on the Faerie Fire spell), Blur, invisibility, or similar effects. The light is too dim to have any special effect on undead or dark-dwelling creatures vulnerable to light. The faerie fire can be blue, green, or violet, according to your choice at the time of casting. The faerie fire does not cause any harm to the objects or creatures thus outlined.

Fear
School: Entropy [fear, mind-affecting]
Level: mage 1, priest 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: one living creature with 5 or fewer HD
Duration: 1d4 rounds or 1 round (see text)
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: yes
Spell Points: 1

The affected creature becomes frightened. If the subject succeeds on a Will save, it is instead shaken for 1 round. Creatures with 6 or more Hit Dice cannot be frightened by this spell, only becoming shaken even on a failed save.
Augment: You can augment this spell in one or more of the following ways.
1. If you spend two additional spell points, the range of the spell increases to Medium.
2. For every two additional spell points spent, the spell can affect an additional creature.
3. If you spend two additional spell points, instead of becoming frightened on a failed save, the subject becomes panicked.
In addition, for every additional spell point spent on augmenting the spell, the spell can frighten a creature with one more HD. For every two additional spell points you spend, the save DC increases by 1.

Fireball
School: Elements [fire]
Level: 3
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
Spell Points: 5

You create an explosion of fire that deals 5d6 points of damage to every creature or object within the area. The explosion creates almost no pressure.
Augment: For every additional spell point you spend, this spell’s damage increases by one die (d6). For each extra two dice of damage, this spell’s save DC increases by 1.

Based on the fireball spell and the energy ball power.

Fire Bolt
School: Elements [fire]
Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
Spell Points: 1

You create a bolt of fire that shoots forth from your palm and strikes a target within range, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage, if you succeed on a ranged touch attack.
Augment: For every additional spell point you spend, this spell’s damage increases by one die (d6). For each extra two dice of damage, this spell’s save DC increases by 1.

Based on the energy ray power.

Flame Blast
School: Elements [fire]
Level: 3
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 20 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
Spell Points: 5

You create a cone of flames extending outward from your hand, that deals 3d6 points of fire damage to every creature or object within the area.
Augment: For every additional spell point you spend, this spell’s damage increases by one die (d6). For each extra two dice of damage, this spells’s save DC increases by 1.

Based on the burning hands spell and the energy cone power.

Featherfall
School: Elements (air)
Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Until landing or 1 round/ level
Spell Points: 1

You recover instantly from a fall and can absorb some damage from falling. You land on your feet no matter how far you fall, and you take damage as if the fall were 50 feet shorter than it actually is. This power affects you and anything you carry or hold (up to your maximum load). You can cast this spell with an instant thought, quickly enough to gain the benefit of the spell while you fall. You can cast this spell even when it isn’t your turn.
You can either glide carefully to the ground or let yourself crash into the floor without any damage to you.
Augment: You can augment this spell in one or both of the following ways.
1. For every additional spell point you spend, this spell reduces your damage as if the fall were an additional 50 feet shorter.
2. If you pay 4 additional spell points, the spells range changes to close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) and you can target any creature or object.

Based on the featherfall spell and catfall power.

Fog
School: Elements [air, water]
Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 20 ft.
Effect: cloud spreads in 20-ft. radius from you, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Spell Points: 1

You create a bank of fog, which is stationary once created. The fog obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature 5 feet away has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker cannot use sight to locate the target).
A moderate wind (20+ kph), such as from a gust of wind spell, disperses the fog in 4 rounds. A strong wind (30+ kph) disperses the fog in 1 round.
This spell does not function underwater.
Augment: You can augment the spell in one or more of the following ways.
1. If you spend 2 additional spell points, the spells duration is 10 minutes per level rather than 1 minute per level.
2. If you spend 2 additional spell points, the spells range increases to Medium (allowing you to create banks of fog not centered on you).

Based on the obscuring mist and fog cloud spells.

Hold
School: Entropy (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Level: 3
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: one humanoid creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D) (see text)
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: yes
Spell Points: 5

The subject becomes paralyzed and freezes in place. It is aware and breathes normally but cannot take any actions, even speech. Each round on its turn, the subject may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect. (This is a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.)
A winged creature who is paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A swimmer can't swim and may drown. A creature on solid ground is immobilized in a statue-like manner, not falling down unless pushed (it automatically fails all strength and dexterity checks to resist being tripped).
Augment: You can augment this spell in one or both of the following ways.
1. If you spend 2 additional spell points, this spell can also affect an animal, magical beast, or monstrous humanoid.
2. If you spend 4 additional spell points, this spell can also affect an aberration, dragon, or outsider in addition to the creature types mentioned above.
3. For every 2 additional spell points you spend, the spell can target an additional creature within range.
In addition, for every 2 additional spell points you spend to achieve any of these effects, this spells save DC increases by 1.

Based on the hold person and hold monster spells.

Illusory Image
School: Spirit (figment)
Level: 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: visual figment that cannot extend beyond five 10-feet cubes (S)
Duration: Concentration
Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)
Spell Resistance: no
Spell Points: 1

This spell creates the visual illusion of an object, creature, or force, as visualized by you. The illusion does not create sound, smell, texture, or temperature (but see Augments, below). You can move the image within the limits of the size of the effect.
Augment: You can Augment the spell in one or more of the following ways.
1. If you spend 2 additional spell points, sounds (but not understandable speech) are included in the spell effect.
2. If you spend 2 additional spell points, smell and thermal illusions are included in the spell effect.
3. If you spend 2 additional spell points, you can move the image within the spells range for its duration.
4. If you spend 2 additional spell points, the spells duration changes to 1 min./level, rather than lasting only while you concentrate. You must still concentrate in order to move the image.
In addition, for every additional spell point you spend this way, the size limit of the illusion increases by one 10-feet cube.

Based on the silent image, minor image, and major image spells.

Illusory Terrain
School: Spirit (glamer)
Level: 3
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: one 30-ft. cube/level (S)
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with)
Spell Resistance: no
Spell Points: 5

You make natural terrain look, sound, and smell like some other sort of natural terrain. Structures, equipment, and creatures within the area are not hidden or changed in appearance. You can use this spell to hide trails, caves, ponds, and similar features that fit within the spells area.
Augment: You can augment this spell in one or both of the following ways.
1. If you spend two additional spell points, the duration changes to 1 hour/level. If you spend four additional spell points, the duration changes to 1 day/level.
2. If you spend two additional spell points, you can alter artificial structures and object like masonry walls, bridges, or carts as well.

Based on the hallucinatory terrain spell.

Invisibility
School: Spirit (glamer)
Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: You or a creature or object touched weighing no more than 100 lb./level
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) or Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: yes (harmless) or yes (harmless object)
Spell Points: 3

The creature or object touched becomes invisible, vanishing from sight. If the recipient is a creature carrying gear, that vanishes, too. If you cast the spell on someone else, neither you nor your allies can see the subject, unless you can normally see invisible things or you employ magic to do so.
Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the subject carries but that extends more than 2 meters from it becomes visible.
Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as stepping in a puddle). The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. (Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible characters perceptions.) Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, cut the ropes holding a rope bridge while enemies are on the bridge, remotely trigger traps, open a portcullis to release attack dogs, and so forth. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear. Spells that specifically affect allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose, even when they include foes in their area.
Augment: You can Augment this spell in one or both of the following ways.
1. If you spend 4 additional spell points, the spell doesn't end if the subject attacks.
2. If you spend 2 additional spell points, this spell can affect an additional target within range.

Based on the invisibility and greater invisibility spells.

Read Thoughts
School: Spirit [Mind-Affecting]
Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped emanation centered on you
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: No
Spell Points: 3

You know the surface thoughts of the mind of any creature in the area that fails a Will save. A target that succeeds on its save is not affected by this manifestation of the power, even if it leaves the area and then reenters the area before the duration expires.
Creatures of animal intelligence have simple, instinctual thoughts that you can pick up. If you read the thoughts of a creature with an Intelligence of 26 or higher (and at least 10 points higher than your own Intelligence score), you are stunned for 1 round and the power ends. This power does not let you pinpoint the location of an affected mind if you don’t have line of sight to the subject.
Each round, you can turn to use this power in a new area. The power can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Augment: For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power’s save DC increases by 1.

Strength of the Beast
School: Creation
Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Spell Points: 3

You call on the power of an animal spirit to increase one of your physical ability scores (choose either Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution). The spell grants a +4 enhancement bonus to the ability score you choose, adding the usual benefits provided by a high ability bonus.
Augment: You can augment this spell in either one or both of the following ways:
1. For every 5 additional spell points you spend, this spell grants a +4 enhancement bonus to another ability score.
2. If you spend two additional spell points, the spells range changes to touch and its target to any creature.

Based on the bears endurance, bulls strength, and cats grace spells and the animal affinity power.

[Yora]

NPC Compendium
So far only a list, but these are all the generic NPCs I've planned out as of now. Might get to writing down the stat blocks tomorrow or early next week.

Spoiler

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Warriors
{table=head]Name | CR | Class | Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha | Gear
Militia Recruit | 1/3 | War 1 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | fabric armor, spear, sling
Militia Warrior | 1/2 | War 2 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | fabric armor, light shield, shortspear, 3 javelins
Militia Veteran | 1 | War 3 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | leather scale armor, heavy shield, battleaxe, 3 thrw. axes
Militia Leader | 2 | War 4 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | scale armor, heavy shield, longsword, 3 throwing axes
Archer | 1/2 | War 2 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | fabric armor, longbow, dagger
Veteran Archer | 1 | War 3 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | fabric armor, longbow, short sword
Elite Archer | 2 | War 4 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | leather scale armor, composite longbow, short sword
Hunter | 1/2 | Exp 1/War 1 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 8 | fabric armor, handaxe, shortbow
Tracker | 1 | Exp 2/War 1 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 8 | fabric armor, dagger shortbow
Scout | 2 | Exp 2/War 2 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 8 | leather scale armor, short sword, composite shortbow[/table]

Soldiers
{table=head]Name | CR | Class | Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha | Gear
Warrior | 1/2 | Ftr 1 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | hide armor, spear, 3 javelins
Veteran | 1 | Ftr 2 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | leather scale armor, heavy shield, battleaxe, 3 throwing axes
Sergeant | 2 | Ftr 3 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 10 | leather scale armor, heavy shield, longsword, 3 throwing axes
Elite | 3 | Ftr 4 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | chainmail, heavy shield, longsword, 3 throwing axes
Light cavalry | 1 | Ftr 2 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | leather scale armor, scimitar, composite shortbow, warhorse
Heavy cavalry | 2 | Ftr 3 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | scale armor, heavy shield, battleaxe, 3 javelins
Berserker | 1 | Bbn 2 | 17* | 11 | 16* | 8 | 10 | 9 | hide armor, heavy shield, battleaxe, 3 throwing axes
Veteran Berserker | 3 | Bbn 4 | 18* | 11 | 16* | 8 | 10 | 9 | scale armor, greataxe, 3 throwing axes[/table]

Bandits
{table=head]Name | CR | Class | Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha | Gear
Thug | 1 | War 1/Rog 1 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 9 | fabric armor, battleaxe, light shield, dagger
Bandit | 2 | War 2/Rog 1 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 9 | leather scale armor, light shield, short sword, shortbow
Mercenary | 3 | Ftr 2/War 2 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | scale armor, heavy shield, battleaxe, 3 throwing axes
Bounty Hunter | 3 | Rng 2/War 2 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 8 | chain shirt, short sword, composite shortbow
Bandit Veteran | 3 | Rog 2/War 2 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 9 | scale armor, greataxe, 3 throwing axes
Bandit Leader | 4 | Rog 2/War 3 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 11 | scale armor, heavy shield, longsword, 3 throwing axes
Pickpocket | 1/3 | Exp 1 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 8 | dagger
Thief | 1/2 | Exp 2 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 8 | fabric armor, 3 daggers
Burglar | 2 | Exp 2/Rog 1 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 8 | fabric armor, 3 daggers
Spy | 3 | Exp 2/Rog 2 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | masterwork dagger, 2 daggers
Assassin | 2 | Ftr 1/Rog 2 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 8 | fabric armor, short sword, 3 daggers
Master Assassin | 4 | Ftr 2/Rog 3 | 11 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 8 | chain shirt, masterwork short sword, 3 daggers[/table]

Spellcasters
{table=head]Name | CR | Class | Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha | Gear
Apprentice | 1/2 | Adept 1 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 8 | dagger
Witch | 1 | Adept 2 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 10 | dagger
Junior Mage | 2 | Adept 3 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 10 | dagger
Senior Mage | 3 | Adept 4 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 10 | masterwork dagger
Novice | 1/2 | Shaman 1 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 10 | quarterstaff, sling
Acolyte | 1 | Shaman 2 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 10 | fabric armor, light shield, mace, sling
Junior Shaman | 2 | Shaman 3 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 10 | leather scale armor, light shield, mace, sling
Senior Shaman | 3 | Shaman 4 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 10 | leather scale armor, light shield, masterwork mace, sling[/table]

[Yora]

Traits
Once more I come with both ideas as well as a request for feedback regarding what you people are thinking about them.

Traits in Pathfinder work pretty much as you expect them to. You get two traits at character creation that give a little bonus to something or another. A bit like additional racial features.
However, Ancient Lands is always about people and stories and not about character builds and optimization, so traits might potentially be an addition of questionable benefit. Players are supposed to get as much as possible away from the idea of overcomming obstacles with their character sheet and instead consider what a person within the campaign might do. So I believe limiting traits significantly from the hundreds of options in the SRD is unavoidable.

As I see it, I think a good way to start is to set what kinds of traits characters can have. Based on things I've been working on earlier, I would say one good category would be Background Traits, as a way to pick up the concept of all characters being of specific social backgrounds, like highborn, freeman, or outcast.

With the second trait, things are not so clear and there is a wide range of options available. One which I think could be quite interesting would be a Terrain Trait, to indicate in what kind of environment the character grew up. With the Ancient Lands being almost entirely wilderness and the people being highly exposed to the forces of nature, that could be a quite important theme. Characters from an arctic region would be able to cope better with cold, characters from an aquatic region better in dealing with being in water, and so on. However, the basic concept of the Ancient Lands lends itself very strongly to having all the characters in a group be from the same settlement, so they would usually all share the same regional background, making it a bit less notable.

This is just the first bunch of ideas I am having, but I'm not entirely sure where to go with this exactly. So any form of input and comments would be very much appreciated.
We didn't have a lot of those in the last weeks.

[Zap Dynamic]

If you're looking to build a setting that focuses on people and stories, have you done much looking into storytelling games? Games like Microscope, Pilgrims of the Flying Temple, and others (many of which are free material) are written in such a way that characters are given a huge amount of creativity established from a set of small, elegant rules.

For traits, one idea you might consider is telling players that they can choose any 1 "Benefit" for their characters, but it must be accompanied by any 1 "Hindrance." These would be sentences the players write themselves (e.g. "Gram the Barbarian can smell a thief from a mile away, but can't spot a liar in broad daylight."), and they would need to work with the GM to settle on benefits and hindrances that would make a meaningful contribution to their game.

Benefits and Hindrances could be considered storytelling "trump cards," that allow the player to totally forsake the rules (probably only once per day), or their actions could be more strictly codified. Either way, they should be sentences that give the player both an advantage and a drawback that will do interesting things to the stories being told.

You could provide a little more structure to this system by adding in your idea of "terrain traits" and the like. You could establish a given number of categories (terrain, people, creatures, history, etc.) and require that each Benefit and Hindrance must relate to one of those categories. These could be as specific or as general as you want, and the list of available categories could be custom-tailored to each campaign.

Actually, I think I may do something similar in my own setting. Thanks for spurring the thought! Of course, you're welcome to use any or all of this idea if you'd like.

[Yora]

That's an interesting idea to approach it. I have to think about that.

[Yora]

Spells (cont.)

Spoiler

Show

Cone of Cold
School elements [air, cold, water]
Level 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range 30 ft.
Target cone-shaped spread
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half
Spell Resistance yes
Spell Points 3

You create a cone-shaped blast of supercooled air that deals 3d6 points of cold damage to every creature or object within the area.
Augment: For every additional spell point you spend, this spells damage increases by 1d6. For each extra two dice of damage, this spells save DC increases by 1.

Daze
School spirit (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Level 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one humanoid creature of 4 HD or less
Duration 1 round
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance yes
Spell Points 1

This spell clouds the mind of a humanoid creature with 4 or fewer Hit Dice so that it takes no actions. Humanoids of 5 or more HD are not affected. A dazed subject is not stunned, so attackers get no special advantage against it. After a creature has been dazed by this spell, it is immune to the effects of this spell for 1 minute.
Augment: This spell can be augmented in one or more of the following ways.
1. For every additional spell point you spend, this spell can affect a target that has Hit Dice equal to 4 + the additional points.
2. For every additional spell point you spend, increase the duration of the effect by 1 round.
3. If you spend 6 additional spell points, the target is stunned for 1 round instead of dazed.
In addition, for every 2 additional spell points you spend to achieve any of these effects, this spell’s save DC increases by 1.

Lightning Arcs
School elements [electricity]
Level 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target up to five creatures or unattended objects; no two targets can be more than 15 ft. apart.
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half
Spell Resistance yes
Spell Points 3

You create arcs of lightning that hit up to five targets within range. The lightning deals 3d6 points electricity damage. You can not hit the same target multiple times.
Augment: For every additional spell point you spend, this spells damage increases by 1d6. For each extra two dice of damage, this spells save DC increases by 1.

Lightning Bolt
School elements [electricity]
Level 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range 120 ft.
Area 120-ft.-line
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half
Spell Resistance yes
Spell Points 5

You create a blast of lightning that deals 5d6 points of electricity damage to every creature or object within its path.
Augment: For every additional spell point you spend, this spells damage increases by 1d6. For each extra two dice of damage, this spells save DC increases by 1.

Magic Weapon
School spirit
Level 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one weapon or fifty projectiles (all of which must be in contact with each other at the time of casting)
Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object)
Spell Points 1

This spell gives a weapon a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls. An enhancement bonus does not stack with a masterwork weapon's +1 bonus on attack rolls.
Alternatively, you can affect as many as fifty arrows, darts, or bullets. The projectiles must be of the same kind, and they have to be together (in the same quiver or other container). Projectiles, but not thrown weapons, lose their transmutation when used. (Treat darts as projectiles, rather than as thrown weapons, for the purpose of this spell.)
You can't cast this spell on a natural weapon, such as an unarmed strike.
Augment: You can augment the spell in one or both of the following ways.
1. For every 4 additional spell points you spend, the enhancement bonus increases by +1.
2. If you spend 2 additional spell points, the spells duration increases to 1 hour/level.

Ray of Cold
School elements [cold, water]
Level 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect ray
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance yes
Spell Points 1

You create a blast of cold air that deals 1d6 points of cold damage if it hits a target.
Augment: For every additional spell point you spend, this spells damage increases by 1d6.

Ray of Electricity
School elements [electricity]
Level 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect ray
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance yes
Spell Points 1

You create a blast of lightning that deals 1d6 points of electricity damage if it hits a target.
Augment: For every additional spell point you spend, this spells damage increases by 1d6.

Suggestion
School spirit (compulsion) [mind-affecting, language-dependent]
Level 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./level)
Target one creature
Duration 1 hour/level or until completed (see text)
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance yes
Spell Points 3

You influence the actions of the target creature by suggesting a course of activity (limited to a sentence or two). The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the activity sound reasonable. Asking the creature to do some obviously harmful act automatically negates the effect of the spell.
The suggested course of activity can continue for the entire duration. If the suggested activity can be completed in a shorter time, the spell ends when the subject finishes what it was asked to do. You can instead specify conditions that will trigger a special activity during the duration. If the condition is not met before the spell duration expires, the activity is not performed.
A very reasonable suggestion causes the save to be made with a penalty (such as –1 or –2).
Augment: You can augment this spell in one or more of the following ways.
1. For every 2 additional spell points you spend, this spell can affect an additional target.
2. If you spend 4 additional spell points, the duration increases to 1 day/level and you can delay the suggestion from taking effect until a set of specified circumstances triggers it. The target makes a single Will saving throw when the spell is cast and does not get a second saving throw when the suggestion is triggered.
In addition, for every 2 additional spell points you spend to achieve any of these effects, this spell’s save DC increases by 1.

Summon Demon
School fel (summoning)
Level 1
Casting Time 1 round
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one summoned demon
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
Spell Points 1

This spell summons one 1st-level demon that attacks your enemies. It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. As a free action, you can mentally direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. The spirit acts normally on the last round of the spells duration and dissipates at the end of its turn.
Augment: For every 2 additional spell points you spend, the level of the spirit increases by one.

Summon Spirit
School creation (summoning)
Level 1
Casting Time 1 round
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one summoned spirit
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw none
Power Resistance no
Power Points 1

This spell summons one 1st-level spirit that attacks your enemies. It appears where you designate and acts immediately, on your turn. It attacks your opponents to the best of its ability. As a free action, you can mentally direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. The spirit acts normally on the last round of the spell’s duration and dissipates at the end of its turn.
Augment: For every 2 additional spell points you spend, the level of the spirit increases by one.

Thicken Skin
School creation
Level 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range personal
Target you
Duration 10 minutes/level
Spell Points 1

Your skin or natural armor thickens and spreads across your body, increasing your natural armor bonus by +1.
Augment: You can augment this spell in one or more of the following ways.
1. For every 3 additional spell points you spend, the bonus increases by 1.
2. If you spend 2 additional spell points, you can cast this spell on another creature with a range of touch.
2. If you spend 6 additional spell points, you can cast this spell as a swift action.

Spells that are still missing but planned are light, darkness, hold monster, fear, sleep, cure wounds, heal disease, restoration, resist energy, web, shape wood, shape stone, change body, invisibility, remove fear, read thoughts, illusory image, and illusory terrain.
Really pretty basic stuff, but it's meant to be relatively simple and straightforward magic.

But if anyone has ideas for spells that should be added to the setting, they are as always highly welcome. Particularly in regard to blood magic and demon magic there is still much need for more spells.

[Yora]

I think I am getting pretty close to getting spellcasting wrapped up. But there are still some open issues that need to be taken care off, and maybe some of you might have something helpful to say about them.

Arcane Spell Failure:Divine spellcasters and psionic manifesters in D&D and Pathfinder can cast their spells in full armor just fine without any restrictions. An oracle or a kineticist psions are pretty much sorcerers and nobody gives them a second thought, so I would say arcane spell failure has no meaningful effect on class balance, so I simply won't bother with it. Everyone can cast in armor with no restrictions.

Spell Lists: There really aren't that many spells. Less than 70 as of now. And I feel that between a witch and a shaman there really isn't that much of a difference. Now a shaman would probably not cast fireballs and a sorcerer might not now a healing spell, but I don't feel it's worth making two separate spells lists just for that. In the Conan RPG, priests are just sorcerers who also work in a temple, in the Wheel of Time game Initiates and Wilders are also mostly interchangeable, and in Dragon Age the elven druids have all the same spells as all other mages. If someone wants to make a fire and lightning shaman, so be it.

Material Components: Since nobody ever keeps track of them or even remembers them, I say scratch those as well. Restoration is the only spell that has an expensive material component under the standard spell system, but you don't really have to remove permanent negative levels that often and to tell the truth, negative levels suck anyway.

Verbal and Somatic Components: Psionics does not have them and again nobody ever complains that it makes them overpowered. However, in psionics, lightning arcs and fireballs can simply shot from your forehead, which I think would be a bit inappropriate.
So I would say I leave them in, where it would be weird to cast the spell with the hands tied or without using your voice. They are not really important though.

Metamagic: Personally, I am very much inclined to not use metamagic at all. With augmentation, you can improve almost any spell as it is without any metamagic feats. And since most PCs will be 3rd to 7th level, most metamagic feats are either not that useful, or too expensive to use. So I don't think it's much of a loss.
The main reason is that in the psionic rules, metamagic requires the use of psionic focus, a mechanic I really don't want to include just for the few situations in which a character actually does happen to use a metamagic feat.
An alternative would be to use metamagic feats, but handle them like for bards and sorcerers, in that you can use them at any time, but it increases the duration of the spell to at least 1 full-round action. Which I frequently have people start ranting about, since they make sorcerers super bad or something.
Another possibility would be to allow metamagic without any restriction. Any spellcaster can use metamagic feats every round without an increase in casting time.
I'm really not sure what to do with this one.

[Yora]

Today, TriOmegaZero from the Paizo forums gifted me the new Ultimate Campaign as a pdf with leftover money from a Kickstarter, because I was unable to use Paizos shop with my German bank account. Since there's a lot of stuff regarding non-combat activities, and managing small kingdoms, and armies, I consider it a donation to this little project, which certainly is worth mentioning here.

[Zap Dynamic]

I haven't had a chance to look at it myself, but have you looked at Adventurer, Conqueror, King? It's all about moving from the adventuring phase into domain-level play, and is supposedly the modern authority on stuff like that. The information in the book is based on medieval data, but it could be adapted pretty easily.

At the very least, I think these posts from their blog would be great research for you.

Starting From the Ground Up pt. 1
Starting From the Ground Up pt. 2
Demographics of Heroism
The Secret Ratio

Enjoy!

[Yora]

Thanks for the links, this is highly appreciated.

But it seems to go in the direction of actually calculating such things and keeping track of an "economy" and populations, and so on. While that is often tempting, I've personally come to embrace fudging and handwaving such things. The "1 in 2000 is 6th level or higher" thing I quite like, as I did something very similar (also with a 3:1 ratio for each increasing step), just with a lot more 0 level NPCs.
But when it comes to counting populations in a country or settlement, as well as what's in store in the shops and how much loot you can sell, I've come to feel a lot more comfortable with just not bothering about it. With few magic items and no magic shops in the games I run as well as in the setting, loot and cash becomes rather meaningless pretty soon. At 4th level you want to deck yourself out with masterwork weapon and armor and maybe stock up on potions and buy yourself a horse, but mostly it's just that little stuff for food and lodging, that isn't worth counting the copper pieces for.
Also ACK is a BECMI retro clone, a type of game I am particularly not too thrilled about. But they might have some good books on society fluff that might still be worth looking into.

Which brings me to something I just read in Ultimate Campaign. It has a system that tracks the more abstract resources of Good, Labor, Influence, and Magic. Goods is all the material stuff you have, like building material and trade goods; Labor is how much laborers you can call on to build stuff for you; Influence is how many favors you have with the locals; and Magic your stock in potions, magical ingredients, scrolls, which aren't tracked in detail. If you want to build houses or recruit followers, you don't "pay" in coins but in these resources. If you want to build a small keep, you need to have material, workers, and some favors to call in. You can reach deep into your coffers and simply buy them on the open market, but that's a lot more expensive than using material you already have, workers you got cheap, and services you already earned from people in your debt.

As I mentioned with the Kingdom rules, most of the "adaptation" work for Ancient Lands will probably consist of cutting out a great deal of the options. Clockworkshops, greenhoses, and scriptoriums would be of no use and running a trading company or inn would be a bit out of place for the theme. But there is still lots of fun stuff to build your own little stronghold and gather a bunch of tough men to hold the fort and patrol the countryside while you become one of the big fish in the area.
I still have to get through those whole 180 pages and I hope the sub-systems are going to be up on the SRD in a month or so (which paizo already planned, but it takes some time).

[Zap Dynamic]

Hahaha, as I was reading your first paragraph I started brainstorming ideas to streamline ACKS' stuff. Then I got to your second paragraph, and realized what a great idea that is! I'm working with a system called Warrior, Rogue, & Mage over at my own campaign setting, and I think Labor, Goods, and Magic are great analogues for the three main stats. Influence could be calculated cumulatively for the whole party, and all four of these things could be added into treasure tables.

Since I don't have Ultimate Campaign, I think I'll see if I can build my own mechanic based on those four resources, with a lot of that "secret ratio" stuff thrown in.

Thanks for the idea!

[Yora]

I only browsed it, but I think Goods, Influence, Labor, and Magic are meant to be also used as quest rewards.
Complete a quest and in addition to the payment in gold, you also get some Influence. If you raid a bandit camp, you not only take their weapons and armor, but also some Goods from their storerooms.

[Yora]

Allegiance
In the Ancient Lands, the PCs are not just wanderers passing through new villages all the time, but are expected to have some kind of outstanding role in the society of their clan and homeland. Allegiance is a simple systems that has only a minor impact on the stats of a Character, but can be a very strong reminder to players for what their characters believe in and stand for, which often can quite easily fade into the background. By having them as defining traits of a characters ability and written down on the character sheet, it becomes easier to remember that many characters are created to have different views and morals than their players.

Allegiance
Allegiance is a simple system from d20 modern that replaces Alignment in settings that don't have clear distinctions of good and evil or care in any way about order and chaos. Somehow the Conan d20 RPG seems to be the only other game that ever made use of it, and I think it is very much appropriate for the Ancient Lands setting as well.

Every character has up to three Allegiances which can be set at character creation or added and even switched at a later point during play. An Allegiance is a strong conviction and loyalty to some sort of ideology or moral system, which can be a philosophy, religion, organization, person, or even a concept. A character with an Allegiance believes truly in whatever ideals the group, person, or religion stands for and in many situations these ideals determine what they consider to be right or wrong. Simply being a member of an organization or follower of a person does not automatically mean the character also has to have an Allegiance to them. A warrior might join the guard of the town because he wants to do everything he can to protect the townsfolk, but if the rest of the guards are brutal thugs who use their position for their own gain and bully those weaker than themselves, the warrior surely would feel no loyalty to them and also not have any Allegiance to the Town Guard. On the other hand, the bodyguard of a highborn leader might have been wrongly accused of treason and forced into exile, but still be loyal to his master who thinks him a traitor and therefore retain Allegiance to him.
The main purpose of having Allegiance is to serve as a guideline to what a character would do in a situation where the player is not entirely sure what would be the right or wrong thing to do. Assume a mercenary has Allegiance to his company, but notices some of his brothers in arms stealing from their current employer. Should he report them or cover for them when the theft is detected? Having an alignment of Lawful Neutral would be of no help in this situation and the player might feel that it would be the right thing to report them based on his own understanding of justice. But he wanted his character to be a cold and ruthless mercenary so he gave the character the Allegiance "Mercenary Company". A quick peek on his character sheet reminds him of this and he can take this as a guideline to cover for the other mercenaries. While it goes against the players ideals, his character puts his loyalty to his companions over everything. A priest might have Allegiance both to his order as well as to the High Priest. If the High Priest starts to oppose the order in some way, which side will the character pick? If the player is torn about whether the High Priests actions are justified or not, checking which allegiance is ranked higher might be a basis to make this descision.
Particularly in the Ancient Lands setting, where things are never meant to be black and white, and players are highly encouranged to make characters who are sometimes of questionable character but not outright bad people, Allegiance appears to be a very useful tool to keep focus on this aspect.

A character can have up to three Allegiances, ranking from highest to lowest. Probably the most common Allegiance in the Ancient Lands is loyalty toward ones own clan, which almost any character should have. Even those people who don't actually do still at least pretend to do so. The closest followers, retainers, and the companions of a lord usually have their master as one of their loyalties as well. If a character with the Leadership feat has a cohort or followers, these also surely have their master as one of their Allegiances. Other common allegiances are loyalty towards a specific organization, like a mercenary company, a band of warriors, or the shamans of a shrine.

When a PC is dealing with an NPC and they both have a way to learn that they share an Allegiance, the PC gets a +2 bonus to all Charisma checks made to influence that character.
On the other hand, if the NPC knows that the PC has an Allegiance that is opposed to one of his own, the PC suffers a -2 penalty to these checks.

Honor
Honor is a very simple system from Ultimate Campaign that also serves as a system for Reputation (which in UCam is the name for a different system). Since people from different cultures and even from different groups within the same culture, have quite different ideas about what is right to do and what makes a person respectable, the Honor system rather focuses on something that could also be called Integrity, Trustworthiness, or being firm in following your own principles. A brutal warlord might be feared and hated, but if he always stays true to his conviction of sparing those who surrender to him and never mistreat his warriors and their servants, this still creates a certain sense of trustworthiness. If people have to deal with him, they know what to expect and which of his offers and promisses they can trust and rely on.

Having a Honor Code is optional and there are no penalties for not having one. But if a character choses to follow a code of honor, he must take it as one of his three Allegiances. Only if the code of honor is one the most important loyalties for a character does it actually mean something.

A new character begins play with a Honor score equal to his Charisma Score plus his Character Level (or HD). For an NPC who isn't known to be either particularly honorable or dishonorable, the Honor score is equal to his CR × 5. The Honor score rises and falls depending on the characters actions and his honor code. The Honor score can get as high as 100 and as low as 0, however a character who does not have a code of Honor has no honor score at all.
The Honor score is not only an indicator of fame and reputation, but also a way to call in special favors that go beyond the normally reasonable. By throwing the weight of your reputation onto the scales, you may convice another person to grant you the favor, but in doing so your reputation also gets slightly blemished and you lose a small amount of Honor that decreases your Honor score by 1d6 to 5d6 points depending on the favor. After all, a truly honorable person follows his ideals out of personal conviction, not for his own gain.

[Yora]

Turns out comming up with some Honor Codes isn't actually that easy...

One step is to come up with what codes there should be, the other one is to come up with specfic rules about what is honorable and what not. I've got some ideas so far but nothing definite yet. So I think I just share them here so you can tell me what you think.

Highborn Code: The highborn code applies to chiefs, the members of the "court", and all other highborn or clansmen of high reputation who aspire to greter "political" power. More than for anyone else, people following the highborn honor code are expected to see after the interest and safety of their clanspeople and speak up on their behalf. Any insults or threats against the clan are also an offense to the highborn themselves and their honor demands that they defend the reputation of their clan.
Actions that show that a character is a capable leader and willing to stand up for the clans interest increase the honor of a character with the highborn honor code.
Warrior Code: Warriors respect strength and expect that a person does not give in or retreat needlessly, but also that the power of a clearly stronger opponent is recognized and accepted. While being defeated bring shame, disrespecting a stronger warrior is even worse. Followers of the warrior code increase their honor by defeating powerful opponents and winning battles, as well as defending the people of their clan and its guests.
Hunter Code: While turning ones back towards ones own people is usually considered a deep character flaw, people who do so can still earn the respect and recognition of both highborn and warriors. Followers of the hunter code increase their reputation by performing great feats of skill and courage, and by risking their lives in protection of even those whom they owe nothing.
Mercenary Code: Characters who follow the mercenary code can never be of highborn or clansmen status, but it is their reputation that earns them the status of freemen instead of common outcasts. Mercenaries increase their honor by completing contracts for honorable employers and showing great acts of professionalism and being reliable. They lose honor for abandoning their employers and engaging in wanton slaughter and pillaging.
Shaman Code: The shaman code applies both to shamans as well as their novices, acolytes, and even common servants that work in a shrine or temple. Followers of the shaman code increase their honor by performing tasks for spirits and serving the people who come to the shrine in search for help. They dishonor themselves by being disrespectful to spirits and failing in their duties to their people.

One thing I notice very often is that I tent to slip into a way of thinking of the Ancient Lands as a world of Mongols, Vikings, and Cimmerians, while loosing the focus on elves, lizardfolk, and gnomes out of sight. I think this is one point at which these things might start to get a more solid grip on the whole setting one way or another. I rather want to avoid to create another Conan world and really want the ancient elves to be a major central theme of the setting, so whatever ideas you might have to give elven and lizardfolk culture a greater hold in the overall society of the Ancient Lands, please share them, everything would be useful.

[Yora]

(This is a copy from an older thread two years ago. Still love the idea and want to keep it.)

Taint
Demons and undead have no place in the natural order of things and their mere presence causes a corruption of the life energies of the land and living creatures near them. This corruption is known as Taint, and it warps and twists everything it comes in contact with. Negative energy is tainted life energy in its purest form, so all undead creatures and spells that use negative energy or death effects carry the Taint. Demons are another source of Taint, since their nature is completely different from the natural order of the Material World and the Spiritworld. Even the most well meaning and benevolent demon has this effect on anything it comes in contact with outside the Void. Demons who want to avoid causing damage to mortals usually refrain from passing over from the Void unless absolutely necessary and rather communicate through magic or lesser servants whose smaller life force is less corrupting on the natural world.
Taint is a disturbance in the natural energies of the worlds of Mortals and Spirits and will eventually disappear. However, this process is slow and may take years or even centuries, depending on the strength of the corruption. Places and objects become tainted by their continuous exposure to Taint, which is often found in the lairs of necromancers or the temples of demonic cults. Another common source of Taint are warlocks, sorcerers and more rarely shamans, who channel the powers of the Void to increase their magical power.

Gaining Taint
Characters gain Taint by being exposed to highly tainted places or objects, or by casting spells powered by demonic energy, or by being targeted by such spells.
In places with mild taint, characters have to make a DC 10 Fortitude save for every full day they have been exposed to the taint. In areas of moderate Taint, characters have to make a DC 12 save for every full hour, and in areas of strong Taint a DC 15 save for ever minute. The DC increases by +1 for every interval during which the character stays in the area. On a failed save, a characters Taint score increases by 1. Characters who have never been tainted have a Taint score of 0.
For tainted objects, a character is exposed by having the item in his possession, but he has to make a first check immediately on touching the object, just as if he had been exposed to it for one full interval.

Effects of Taint
A characters Taint manifests as a penalty to his Constitution and Wisdom scores. A character with a Constitution score of 14 and a Wisdom score of 11 who has a Taint score of 3 effectively has a Constitution score of 11 and a Wisdom score of 8. Characters with the Taint Suppression feat take no penalty to Constitution and only half the penalty to Wisdom.
When a character with a Taint score of 1 or higher is reduced to an effective Constitution score of 0, he dies and turns into wight after 1d4 hours. If the Wisdom score falls to 0, the character dies as well and turns into a wraith after 1d4 minutes.

Cleansing Taint
Some spells can reduce a characters Taint score.
Remove Affliction (remove curse, remove disease): This spells reduces a characters taint score by 1 point, but it cannot reduce a taint score below 1.
Restoration: This spell reduces a character’s taint score by 1 point per four caster levels, but it cannot reduce a taint score below 1 unless augmented.

Cleansing entire places is very difficult and requires a long series of difficult and expensive magic rituals. It is only very rarely done and usually tainted places are simply abandoned.

Taint Supression
Prerequisite: Con 13, Wis 13, character must be tainted.
Benefit: You take no penalty to your Constitution score for being tainted and only half the normal penalty to your Wisdom score.

I want to keep this relatively simple, but if anyone has ideas how to improve it, please speak up.

Adventure Site: Stormkeep
Deep inside the forest, three days from the nearest elven settlement, stands a single mountain that rises high above the surrounding trees. The entire top has been carved out into a large castle, which is the largest known fortress in all of the Barbarian Lands and if fully inhabited would easily be the continents greatest city. Despite being one of the largest and best preserved ruins of the fey, pretty much nothing is known about it at all. There are no hints whatsoever, who build it for what purpose, and why it was abandoned. The size of stone tables and benches, and the staircases that run everywhere through the ruin indicates that it was probably inhabited by shee, but that is where common knowledge ends.
While storms are not particularly common in the area, those who have been in the city all reported extremely strong wind that almost constantly blows through the narrow allies and makes it dangerous to get to close to edges that don't have high railings. There are no large flying beasts like griffons or wyverns living on the cities spires, and even on the inside it's mostly rats, bats, and other vermin. The most probable reason for this is, that the entire place is haunted. Reports are conflicting about what kinds of being are haunting the place. Some say it's spirits, ghosts, or wraiths, and there are even occasional claims of demons. How many of these creatures are haunting the massive fortress is anyones guess. What is known is that the whole place is mildly tainted. Even explorers who have left the place before nightfall report of feeling an unnatural fatigue that often lasts for days afterwards. For attempts to delve deeper into the ruins magical protection is needed and some adventurers tell of halls that made their protective charms break and rot away the moment they set foot inside it.
The outer parts of the city are relatively easy to explore, with the strong winds being the only thing that may be difficult to deal with. However, it is believed that the corridors and stairs reach all the way down to the mountains base and that the whole mountain has been hollowed out by the castles builders. There are some open shafts that provide air and a slight amount of light to parts of the deeper chambers, but once one leaves the outer streets and the rooms directly adjacent to it, the entire ruins lie in complete darkness. Only the outermost portions of the ruins have been explored, and there are no known tales of anyone ever making it up all the way to the highest spires.

Since it has been thousands of years that the entire place stood empty, almost all wooden furniture and tapestires have been rotten away ages ago. But there are some rooms that are remarkably well preserved, assumedly by magic, and still show some of the cities original splendor. Even while the outside streets are covered in dust and small plants have cracked open many of the stones, one can still see that the original architecture was much more advanced that anything mortal masons can do in the present age. Unlike most fey ruins, the stone blocks that make the outer buildings added to the rock have no rounded edges and are seamlessly fitted together.

Character Names
Lizardfolk: f: Bisra, Dakra, Dara, Draga, Enra, Iskra, Kire, Majai, Matei, Mihal, Mukai, Nada, Raija, Ruka, Ruza, Soia, Vorja, Yaga; m: Adon, Aran, Atar, Ator, Bogan, Bragor, Dajen, Dragan, Enyo, Goran, Hakar, Hazan, Karoj, Kero, Komur, Magjar, Rato, Razan, Ruzar, Sarka, Tagaj, Toron, Utam, Verko.
Wood Elf: f: Adven, Aina, Anya, Asta, Birte, Bodil, Eha, Elin, Elren, Hanna, Kaya, Maren, Maya, Nea, Valdis; m: Anerin, Arvid, Asger, Bevin, Dag, Dagfin, Fannar, Frey, Gunne, Haldor, Halvad, Keld, Keran, Kivan, Kyell, Nevin, Raga, Raiken, Sarel, Sevrin, Sindri, Stian, Teven, Tyge, Tyko, Yalma, Yan, Yeven, Yngwe.
Dark Elf f: Aiko, Airi, Akane, Akio, Aya, Ayaka, Ayane, Chika, Hanako, Kazue, Kyo, Mayu, Mika, Miku, Ran, Shiori, Umeko, Yua; m: Ayumu, Daiki, Haru, Jiro, Juro, Kaoru, Katsu, Kazuo, Kenta, Kohaku, Kuro, Masaru, Naoki, Noboru, Riku, Shin, Shun, Taiki, Takuma, Yasu.
Gnome: f: Aderyn, Afanen, Alis, Brid, Brona, Dagna, Dorean, Eadan, Filda, Fiona, Hailyn, Helmi, Ida, Kadi, Kaili, Katriona, Kerwen, Kora, Maewe, Mair, Mari, Moirin, Mona, Moyra, Murna, Naomi, Roshin; m: Aban, Ahren, Aidan, Anrai, Aran, Bran, Dulin, Garin, Goban, Gorim, Kahal, Kean, Kevan, Kolan, Konn, Neirin, Nial, Oran, Rogar.
Northern Human: f: Agi , Aino, Alma, Amu, Anu, Anya, Dora, Ella, Enni, Hanna, Inka, Kadri, Kati, Mara, Mari, Nora, Pinya, Rina, Ruha, Sara, Satu, Seiya, Taika, Taru, Terye, Trinu, Yana, Yanne; m: Ahti, Akos, Alvar, Ari, Artu, Arvo, Atto, Bandi, Bran, Elek, Iva, Kai, Kimi, Mika, Miksa, Oren, Pavo, Simo, Veli, Vilyo, Yani, Yaska, Yuha, Yuhan, Yuka.
Western Human: f: Aga, Agata, Alma, Aneta, Anka, Anna, Anya, Bara, Borna, Branka, Dana, Dariya, Darya, Dora, Draga, Elena, Ena, Ida, Ines, Katka, Katka, Maya, Mila, Nika, Nina, Sara, Sona, Stana, Tonka, Yaga, Yela, Yelka, Zoya; m: Alen, Davor, Edi, Eney, Fedir, Goran, Ivika, Matei, Matik, Mato, Miran, Pavo, Taras, Yaksa, Yaku, Yanes, Yanko.
Island Human: f: Batari , Cinta, Eka, Kanya, Kasi, Kaya, Kiri, Mawar, Mayli, Mona, Utari; m: Adi, Aku, Anaru, Batar, Dian, Hata, Kimo, Ruha, Sunan, Surya, Yuda.

Ghost Paint
Ghost paint is a special kind of warpaint used by the dark elf barbarians of the southern jungles. It consists of a white paste made from bone powder, chalk, and mud that is painted on the skin of warriors and enables them to channel the totem spirits of their clan. The complete patterns are only known to the high priests while apprentices learn only their most basic forms and are thought more advanced forms as they rise in station and magical power. When applied by a shaman, fragments of the totem spirits take possession of the warriors, granting them parts of their power.

First level shamans can make level 1 patterns that provide a +1 bonus to all skill checks based on a single ability score. First level patterns take 1 minute to apply.
Third level shamans know how to make level 2 patterns. These grant the warrior a +2 bonus to one ability score. It takes 10 minutes to create a level 2 pattern.
Fifth level shamans can create level 3 patterns which can grant either a +4 bonus to a single ability score or a +2 bonus to two ability scores. Level 3 patterns take one hour to make.
At seventh level shamans are tought the secrets of making the complete level 4 patterns. These allow the totem spirits to take complete possession of the subject.

Ghost paint lasts for an entire day and ends when the wearer falls asleep. However, it is considered highly dangerous to sleep with ghost paint and all warriors and shamans who recieve it know the ritual to end the effect when it is no longer needed. Sleeping while the spirit is not yet dismissed is believed to allow the spirit to take permanent possession and devouring the soul of the subject. Simply washing away the paint does not end the effect and the ritual must be performed even if the wearer fell into water and no traces of the paint are visible.

Level 1 patterns are applied to to temple guards and veteran hunters and scout every morning before they begin their tasks, usually those of a spirit that enhanced their awareness or skill at stealth. Shamans also often wear them once they have mastered their creation. In war, almost all warriors are given such patterns. (In the case of dark elf shaman NPCs, patterns can be treated as permanent magical items.)
Level 2 patterns are reserved for high ranking shamans and the clans most seasoned veteran warriors. They are sometimes given to other scouts and hunters for special tasks.
Level 3 patterns are only used for special occasions, like important rituals or to prepare high ranking warriors for important duels or great battles.
Level 4 patterns are very rarely made and only in the most desperate time. Very few shamans know the complete patterns that allow the totem spirits to take full possession of a warrior or shaman. Except for very special cases, complete patterns are never removed and their wearers slain after the emergency has passed. Once someone has been completely possessed by a totem spirit, it is regarded as completely unpredictable when and under what circumstances the spirit might return and be a terrible danger to anyone in its presence.

Timeline of the Ancient Lands

Age of Spirits
ca. -8,000: The naga start to capture lizardfolk and make them into a slave race to build and maintain their new and growing kingdoms.
ca. -6,300: Giants leave their primitive lifestyles behind and found a number of early kingdoms using weapons and armor made from heavy black iron.
ca. -6,000: The first castle of the shee is build in the mortal world.
ca. -5,670: Naga mages discover the existence of the Void and begin the creation of sorcery.
-5,109: An unnamed naga sorcerer makes direct contact with a highly powerful void spirit and becomes the first warlock.
ca. -4,500: In the northern forests the shee start to pay closer attention to the wild elves and teach some the basics of working bronze and magic.
-4,371: Careless naga warlocks cause the first large scale invasion of demons into the Ancient Lands. For several centuries demons rage through the Southern Jungles.
-3,811: With powerful magic the demons in the southern jungles are trapped and defeated, leaving behind the Black Jungle, a large and blasted wasteland that is haunted to this day.
-3,046: In the Southern Jungles the naga experience the greatest uprising of their lizardfolk slaves, which successfully overthrow their masters and found the Sun Empire.
-2,413: A group of elven warriors slay an old green dragon, gaining the respect of many shee and causing quite a commotion among both the shee and the elves, regarding the relationship of the two races.

The Age of Clans
ca. -2,000: Elves educated by the shee set out into the world to create their own nations.
ca. -1,200: Dark elves discover huge hives of large insects in the southern mountains.
-657: During an intense battle between rival factions, naga sorcerers accidentally sink an entire city below the Inner Sea. While first protected by their dark magic, the surviving inhabitants are slowly transformed into water genasi.
-512: The Smoking Mountain collapses, leaving behind the Demon Pit, a series of underground portals to the Void.
-372: Gnomes of the Great Northern Mountains master the creation of steel, but do not share their secrets with other races. However, they create many of the oldest and greatest magical weapons still wielded by great warriors throughout all the Ancient Lands.
-252: In a meaningless war between clans of the elves and kaas, an elven sorcerer general summons a horde of demons that consume most of both armies and turning the surrounding valleys into the Ashlands, haunted by the fallen warriors.
-71: Elven explorers encounter the human nomads of the great plains beyond the Western Border Mountains and return to the Ancient Lands with many new and wondrous goods.
1: The Alliance of Stars is formed, establishing the first elven kingdom on the mainland.
154: The Dark Fortress is build to guard one of the two major passes through the Border Mountains that separate the Ancient Lands from the Great Plains in the west.
162: A powerful kraken takes over the sunken naga city, soon becoming the greatest power below the Inner Sea.

The Transition Wars (73-417)
173: As competition for control over the lucrative trade with goods from the west starts to heat up, wars over the few trade routes erupt, marking the beginning of the Transition Wars.
214: Gnomes start to trade their famous steel with other races, making many of their cities incredibly wealthy but also drawing the Northlands into the Transition Wars.
248: To secure their hold over important trade routes, elven lords hire human mercenaries.
303: On the coast of the inner sea, elven sorcerers become the permanent rulers of a major port city.
332: After decades in the service of elven lords, many human clans migrate permanently into the Ancient Lands, settling mostly in the marshlands south of the Northern Forests.
379: Adventurers discovers tunnels leading down to the Underworld under the ruins of the Dark Fortress, rebuilding the fortifications to trapping the aberrations below.

The Age of Kings
417: The Transition wars come to an end and the first true city states arise.
(426: The oldest living elves are born)
(636: The oldest living humans are born)
726: The present day.

--

I decided to not make use of Traits for the Ancient Lands. You simply select a Background (mandatory) and Allegiances (optional). That's already enough to keep track of and customize your character.

Under the Domain Rules, certain buildings affect what magic items can be found for sale in any settlement. I don't make use of the Settlement rules that deal with population numbers, crime rates, and so on, and magic items would be the only thing. Since there are no actual "magic item shops", I think it might be for the best to leave out these additional magic items from buildings like a temple or shrine. Nobody needed those lists for 30 years, so I don't see why to change it now.

[Yora]

Generic NPCs

Notes: The fabric armor and leather scale armor are identical in their stats to leather armor and studded leather armor respectively.
Shield bonuses are calculated into touch AC but not included in flat-footed AC (that's simply not how shields work).

These NPCs include no modifiers for race. To make NPCs of a specific race, a GM only has to add the racial modifiers and traits, but in many cases that is not neccessary and they can be used just as stated here.

Warriors

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Militia - CR 1/3
XP 135
Warrior 1
Medium humanoid
Init +0; Senses Perception +1
DEFENSE
AC 12, touch 10, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor)
hp 6 (1d10+1)
Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +0
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee spear +3 (1d8+1/x3)
Ranged javelin +1 (1d6+1)
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +1, CMB +2, CMD 12
Feats Weapon Focus (spear)
Skills Perception +1
Gear fabric armor, spear, 3 javelins

The regular militia man is usually a lowborn or freeman, or a clansman farmer who expects to take up arms to defend his home and his village. While these people have their own weapons and are trained with them, they usually have not much experience if any, and can hardly be called warriors.

Veteran Militia - CR 1/2
XP 200
Warrior 2
Medium humanoid
Init +0; Senses Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +1 shield)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +0, Will +0
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee battleaxe +4 (1d6+1)
Ranged javelin +2 (1d6+1)
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +2, CMB +3, CMD 13
Feats Weapon Focus (battleaxe)
Skills Perception +2
Gear 3 javelins, leather scale armor, light shield, shortspear

Veteran militia are militia men who have already seen some amount of actual combat and have made real experience. They are more hardened that the simple militia men and often make up a major part of a villages defenders, sometimes even the bulk if the village is in a particularly hostile area.

Elite Militia - CR 1
XP 400
Warrior 3
Medium humanoid
Init +0; Senses Perception +3
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 shield)
hp 22 (3d10+6)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee battleaxe +5 (1d8+1/x3)
Ranged javelin +3 (1d6+1)
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +3, CMB +4, CMD 14
Feats Toughness, Weapon Focus (short sword)
Skills Perception +3
Gear battleaxe, heavy shield, 3 javelins, leather scale armor

Elite militia have seen their fair share of battle and often have earned their place among the actual clansmen and highborn warriors, but they are still primarily farmers and craftsmen and only take up arms in times of war or attacks.

Light Cavalry - CR 1
XP 400
Warrior 3
Medium humanoid
Init +0; Senses Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +1 shield)
hp 19 (3d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee scimitar +5 (1d6+1/18-20)
Ranged javelin +3 (1d6+1)
STATISTICS
Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 9 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +3, CMB +4, CMD 14
Feats Mounted Combat, Weapon Focus (scimitar)
Skills Perception +2, Ride +3
Gear light shield, 3 javelins, leather scale armor, scimitar

Few people can afford a horse and train to ride it into battle and almost all of them are highborn or clansmen. While light cavalry troops consist of experienced warriors, they often lack the training and equipment for direct charges and instead are mostly used to quickly attack the enemies rear or chase after fleeing enemies.

Archers

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Archer - CR 1/3
XP 135
Warrior 1
Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses Perception +1
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 6 (1d10+1)
Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +1 (1d4/19-20)
Ranged longbow +3 (1d8/x3)
STATISTICS
Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 9 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +1, CMB +1, CMD 12
Feats Weapon Focus (longbow)
Skills Perception +1
Gear dagger, fabric armor, longbow

Like militia men, common archers come usually from humble backgrounds. They often support the main forces of the clan during battle.

Veteran Archer - CR 1/2
XP 200
Warrior 2
Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +0
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee handaxe +2 (1d6/x3)
Ranged longbow +4 (1d8/x3)
STATISTICS
Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 9 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +2, CMB +2, CMD 13
Feats Weapon Focus (longbow)
Skills Perception +2
Gear fabric armor, handaxe, longbow

Veteran archers tend to be more skilled and experienced than common archers. They often accompany patrols and particularly in elven lands often serve as the main sentries for remote villages.

Elite Archer - CR 1
XP 400
Warrior 3
Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses Perception +3
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 19 (3d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee short sword +3 (1d6/19-20)
Ranged longbow +5 (1d8/x3)
STATISTICS
Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 9 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +3, CMB +3, CMD 14
Feats Deadly Aim, Weapon Focus (longbow)
Skills Perception +3
Gear leather scale armor, longbow, short sword

While usually rarely found in any large numbers in most clan armies, elite archers are more common in elven clans. They are often used in ambushes to weaken enemies before the main battle.

Cavalry Archer - CR 1
XP 400
Warrior 3
Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses Perception +2
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 19 (3d10+3)
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee short sword +3 (1d6/19-20)
Ranged shortbow +4 (1d6/x3)
STATISTICS
Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 9 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +3, CMB +3, CMD 14
Feats Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat
Skills Perception +2, Ride +4
Gear leather scale armor, shortbow, short sword

Cavalry archers have extensve training in shoting from horseback, which makes them very valuable troops in combat.

Hunters

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Hunter - CR 1/2
XP 200
Expert 1/warrior 1
Medium humanoid
Init +5; Senses Perception +4
DEFENSE
AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10 (+1 Dex)
hp 10 (1d10+1d8)
Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +2
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee handaxe +2 (1d6+1/x3)
Ranged shortbow +2 (1d6/x3)
STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 10 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +1, CMB +2, CMD 13
Feats Improved Initiative
Skills Climb +6, Handle Animal +4, Knowledge (nature) +4, Perception +4, Stealth +5, Survival +4
Gear handaxe, shortbow

Hunters not only possess great skill and experience with their bow, but also numerous woodland skills, which can often be a great boon to any warriors they accompany into the wilderness.

Tracker - CR 1
XP 300
Expert 2/warrior 1
Medium humanoid
Init +1; Senses Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 14 (1d10+2d8)
Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +3
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +3 (1d6+1/x3)
Ranged shortbow +3 (1d6/x3)
STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 10 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +2, CMB +3, CMD 14
Feats Skill Focus (Survival)
Skills Climb +6, Handle Animal +5, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Perception +5, Stealth +6, Survival +8
Gear dagger, fabric armor, shortbow

While not really warriors as such, trackers are experts in reading tracks and finding trails of both intruders and refugees. They often accompany the warriors when hunting for escaped captives or hunting down enemy scouts in the clans territories.

Scout - CR 2
XP 600
Expert 2/warrior 2
Medium humanoid
Init +2; Senses Perception +5
DEFENSE
AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +2 Dex)
hp 20 (2d10+2d8)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +3
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee shortsword +4 (1d6+1/x3)
Ranged composite shortbow +5 (1d6+1/x3)
STATISTICS
Str 12, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 10 Wis 10, Cha 8
Base Atk +3, CMB +4, CMD 16
Feats Skill Focus (Survival), Stealthy
Skills Climb +6, Escape Artist +3, Handle Animal +6, Knowledge (geography) +5, Knowledge (nature) +5, Perception +5, Stealth +7, Survival +8
Gear composite shortbow (+1), leather scale armor, shortsword

Scouts are not only good hunters and trackers but also tend to have quite an amount of battle experience as well. They often patrol the outermost borders of a clans territory and are send out before advancing armies to inform them of any enemies nearby and also give detailed accounts of their numbers and strength.

I hope all the numbers and the equipment is correct. If anyone notices any mistake, please let me know.

[Yora]

Dealing with the dreadful issue of spells again. Right now, this is the list of spells I have:

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Animate Corpses
Beast Sight (low-light vision, darkvision, blindsight)
Charm
Cloak of Shadows (20% concealment)
Cone of Cold
Cone of Flames
Control Air
Control Body (blood magic body control)
Darkness
Daze
Detect Magic
Dispel Magic
Dominate
Drain Life (life stealing)
Earth Walk (spider climb)
Entangling Vines
Ethereal Form (incorporealness)
Faerie Fire
Fear
Featherfall
Fireball
Fire Bolt
Fog
Grease
Gust of Wind
Heal
Hold
Inflict Pain
Illusory Image (silent image and other)
Invisibility
Jump
Light
Lightning Arcs
Lightning Bolt
Magic Weapon
Ray of Cold
Ray of Electricity
Ray of Fire
Read Thoughts
Remove Affliction (disease and poison)
Remove Fear
Resist Energy
Restoration
Share Pain (take half of allies damage)
Sleep
Speak with Nature (animals, augmentable to plants and rocks)
Stone Shape
Strength of the Beast (bulls strength, cats grace, bears endurance)
Stunning Blast (daze in cone area)
Suggestion
Summon Demon
Summon Spirit
Thicken Skin (barkskin)
Transfer Life Energy (heal hp by taking damage)
Transformation, Minor (alter self, beast shape I)
Transformation (beast shape II, polymorph)
Vulnerability to Energy (double damage from energy)
Vulnerability to Weapons (double damage from weapons)
Wall of Fire
Water Breathing
Weakness (-2 to all rolls)
Web
Wind Wall
Wood Shape

I think this covers almost anything that would not be better served with a lengthy ritual. Spells that could be added are fly and levitate, but I am not sure if I should. They are cool, but give the PCs a lot of additional potential. Any thoghts on those? And additional effects that you think would be great, but are not on the list yet?

[Yora]

So, it is done. For now.
Since it's 25 pages, I just link the pdf and won't reformat everything for the forum.

Ancient Lands Magic System

I might do some minor tweaks in the future and maybe add some more spells, escpecially fel spells, but this is pretty much what spellcasters will be working with.

The Adpet class will be a basic spellcaster like a wizard, and for the Shaman class I have planned to give access to the mysteries of the Oracle revelations. Adepts will need some other boon in compensation, but I'm not yet quite sure what that one will be. Maybe some additional spells known, or a simple bonus feat on 1st, 5th, and 10th level like wizards and psions have in D&D.

[Yora]

Magic Items
Yes, more "system" and still not a lot of "setting". But I feel like establishing what things exist and which things don't is a rather important part in creating a coherent world that is in itself plausible. And I think soon this part is finally covered completely. After that there are still spirits and demons that need to be statted, but then it's really going to be about cultures, places, and people.

Overall, the main guideline is that characters don't really need to have any magic equipment. Healing potions and restoration potions, as well as scrolls of summon spirit and energy resistance are expected to be relatively common for PCs from early levels on, but permanent items are rather rare. I actually intended that magic is always temporary and that the normal laws of physics take over again once the spell effect has ended, so they have a duration of hours at most. Not yet sure how I explain that a magic weapon can stay magic for thousands of years, but this is another detail that explains why magic items are special.

The magic item tables in Pathfinder have minor, medium, and major magic items. For the ancient lands, minor and medium items are instead classified as lesser and greater items, while anything that would be a major item is instead a lesser artifact (since no mortal alive can make them). Or as another reference, everything with a price greater than 30,000 gp would probably be out of the power range that is appropriate for the Ancient Lands.

Personally, I tend to to favore enhanced equipment over items that go into the overly fantastic and the magic item tables here are probably showing it. As a result, the tables are mostly enhancement bonuses that can be added to pretty much any piece of equipment or clothing, with relatively few specific items.

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General Enchantments
{table=head]Effect | Base Price | Example
Ability bonus (enhancement) | Bonus squared x 1,000 gp | Belt of Strength +2
Armor bonus (enhancement) | Bonus squared x 1,000 gp | +1 chainmail
AC bonus (deflection) | Bonus squared x 2,000 gp | Ring of protection +2
Natural armor bonus (enhancement) | Bonus squared x 2,000 gp | Amulet of natural armor +1
Save bonus (resistance) | Bonus squared x 1,000 gp | Cloak of resistance +2
Save bonus (Fort, Ref, or Will) | Bonus squared x 300 gp | Boots of Reflexes +2
Save bonus (specific) | Bonus squared x 250 gp | Ring of Fear resistance +3
Skill bonus (competence) | Bonus squared x 100 gp | Cloak of elvenkind
Spell resistance | 10,000 gp per point over SR 12; min. SR 13 | Mantle of spell resistance
Weapon bonus (enhancement) | Bonus squared x 2,000 gp | +1 longsword
Effect | Base Price | Example
Single use, spell completion | Spell level x caster level x 25 gp | Scroll of lightning arcs
Single use, use-activated | Spell level x caster level x 50 gp | Potion of remove affliction
50 charges, spell trigger | Spell level x caster level x 750 gp | Wand of fireball
Command word | Spell level x caster level x 1,800 gp | Cape of the mountebank
Use-activated or continuous | Spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp² | Lantern of revealing
Special | Base Price | Adjustment Example
Charges per day | Divide by (5 divided by charges per day) | Boots of teleportation
No space limitation³ | Multiply entire cost by 2 | Ioun stone
Multiple different abilities | Multiply lower item cost by 1.5 | Helm of brilliance
Charged (50 charges) | 1/2 unlimited use base price | Ring of the ram
Specific Enchantment | Base Price | Example
Energy Resistance 10 | +18,000 gp
Low-light vision | +3,000 gp
Darkvision 60 ft. | +7,500 gp
Blindsight 30 ft. | +15,000 gp
Concealment (command word) | +21,600 gp
Total Concealment (command word) | +50,400 gp
Invisibility (command word)| +21,600 gp[/table]

Magic Weapon Enchantments
{table=head]Special Ability | Base Price Modifier
Bane | +1 bonus
Defending | +1 bonus
Distance | +1 bonus
Flaming | +1 bonus
Frost | +1 bonus
Ghost Touch | +1 bonus
Impact | +2 bonus
Keen | +1 bonus
Mighty Cleaving | +1 bonus
Returning | +1 bonus
Seeking | +1 bonus
Shock | +1 bonus
Spell Storing | +1 bonus
Throwing | +1 bonus[/table]

Magic Armor Enchantments
{table=head]Special Ability | Base Price Modifier
Arrow Deflection | +2 bonus
Bashing | +1 bonus
Ghost Touch | +3 bonus[/table]

Rods and Staves do not exist. Rings fall under wondrous items, since there really is nothing special about them except that you can wear two of them.
I also think that it's really not worth it to have Item Creation Feats. Instead, when PCs should for some reason attempt to make a magic item, the crafting DC is 15 + the caster level for the item. This is 10 higher than normal, since you basically ignore a major prerequisite (which is normally +5 to the DC and can not be done with the Item Creation feats).

The prices for items with specific saving throw bonuses are not 100% fixed yet, as I have to think some more on how useful they are in practice.

As always, if anyone has any items or enchantment that might be working great for the Ancient Lands, please share them in this thread.

[Marcus Amakar]

Just posting to say that I really like what I've read in my skimming of your work.

[Yora]

Magic Items I

BRACERS OF DUELING, GREATER
Aura moderate creation; CL 8th
Slot bracers; Price 25,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
DESCRIPTION
These wristbands look like normal protective wear. The wearer gains a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls and a +1 competence bonus on damage rolls with melee weapons. Both bracers must be worn for the magic to be effective.
CONSTRUCTION
Cost 12,500 gp; crafter must be proficient all simple and martial weapons

BRACERS OF DUELING, LESSER
Aura faint creation; CL 4th
Slot bracers; Price 5,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.
DESCRIPTION
These wristbands function as greater bracers of dueling, except that they grant a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls and no bonus on damage rolls.
CONSTRUCTION
Cost 2,500 gp; crafter must be proficient all simple and martial weapons

FALCON HELM
Aura faint creation; CL 3rd
Slot helm; Price 2,500 gp; Weight 1 lb.
DESCRIPTION
This helmet is plated in copper and brass and etched with motives of bird wings. It grants a +5 competence bonus on Perception checks.
CONSTRUCTION
Cost 1,250 gp; beast sense

MASK OF NIGHT
Aura moderate creation; CL 5rd
Slot face/eyes; Price 9,000 gp; Weight —
DESCRIPTION
This is a simple black wooden mask that covers the upper half of the wearers face. It grants the wearer darkvision with a range of 60 ft.
CONSTRUCTION
Cost 4,500 gp; beast sense

SHADOWCLOAK, GREATER
Aura moderate entropy; CL 7th
Slot cloak; Price 50,400 gp; Weight 1 lb.
DESCRIPTION
As a standard action, the wearer of this cloak can shroud himself in a cloud of dark wisps of shadows, granting him total concealment (50% miss chance).
CONSTRUCTION
Cost 25,200 gp; cloak of shadows

SHADOWCLOAK, LESSER
Aura faint entropy; CL 3rd
Slot cloak; Price 21,600 gp; Weight 1 lb.
DESCRIPTION
As a standard action, the wearer of this cloak can shroud himself in a cloud of dark wisps of shadows, granting him concealment (20% miss chance).
CONSTRUCTION
Cost 10,800 gp; cloak of shadows

WINTER WOLF CLOAK
Aura moderate creation and elements; CL 5th
Slot cloak; Price 34,200 gp; Weight 1 lb.
DESCRIPTION
This cloak is made from the pelt of a winter wolf and protects the wearer from the deepest cold, granting him resistance against cold 10. If the hood with the winter wolves head is worn up, the wearer can exhale a 20 ft.-cone of frozen air that deals 5d6 points of damage (Reflex save for half damage) three times per day as a spell-like ability.
CONSTRUCTION
Cost 17,100 gp; cone of cold, resist energy

I am always in search for more items that fit the setting, so anything that you think might fit can be posted here as well, be it complete descriptions or just ideas for items I could make. (But put them into spoilers, to keep them easily separate from the "official" entries.)

[Yora]

I probably have reached the stage where it now really is all about cultures and geography, but I don't feel like working on that right now.
Does anyone have suggestions for any other things that need to be adressed in a setting that have not yet been written up in this thread?

[Zap Dynamic]

Have you updated the table of contents in the 2nd post? It looks like you've added some stuff to the thread beyond what's in that post.

In general, I think it's a good idea to keep unnecessary info out of the setting. Players aren't likely to read pages and pages of information anyway. If it feels like it's time for cultures and geography, then it's best to start working on them.