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:

Spoiler

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.

Alchemist (18 BP; must be adjacent to 1 house): The laboratory and home of a creator of potions, poisons, and alchemical items. Town base value +1,000 gp; 1 minor item; Economy +1.
Barracks (12 BP): A small building where additional warriors in the chiefs service are stationed to defend the town together with the townspeople. Defense Modifier +2; Unrest –1.
Black Market (50 BP; must be adjacent to 2 houses): A number of shops with secret and usually illegal or dangerous wares. Town base value +2,000; 2 minor items, 1 medium item, 1 major item; Economy +2, Stability +1; Unrest +1.
Brewery (6 BP): A building for beermaking, winemaking, or similar use. Loyalty +1, Stability +1.
Brothel (4 BP; must be adjacent to 1 house): A place to pay for companionship of any sort. Economy +1, Loyalty +2; Unrest +1.
Caster’s Tower (30 BP): The home and laboratory for a mage. 3 minor items, 2 medium items; Economy +1, Loyalty +1.
Castle (54 BP): The home of the clans chief and the heart of the towns defenses. Halves cost of Mansion or Town Square in same town; Economy +2, Loyalty +2, Stability +2; Defense Modifier +8; Unrest –4; limit one per town.
City Wall (8 BP): City walls do not occupy a city block — rather, purchasing a city wall fortifies one of a district’s four outer borders. A city wall cannot be built on a water border. Defense Modifier +4; Unrest –2.
Dump (4 BP): A centralized place to dispose of refuse. Loyalty +1, Stability +1.
Granary (12 BP): A place to store grain and food. Loyalty +1, Stability +1.
Graveyard (4 BP): A plot of land to honor and bury the dead. Economy +1, Loyalty +1.
Guildhall (34 BP; must be adjacent to 1 house): A large building that serves as headquarters for a merchant companies or similar organization. Town base value +1,000 gp; halves cost of Pier, Stable, and Tradesman in same city; Economy +2, Loyalty +2.
Herbalist (10 BP; must be adjacent to 1 house): The workshop and home of a gardener, healer, poisoner, or creator of potions. 1 minor item; Loyalty +1, Stability +1.
Hero's Grave (4 BP): The resting place of a famous hero, often the founder of the clan. Loyalty +2, Unrest -1.
House (3 BP): You help the people in the town to build better houses increasing the standard of living in the town. Houses serve as prerequisites for many other buildings. The first house you build during any Improvement Phase does not count against the total number of buildings you
can build during the phase. Unrest –1.
Inn (10 BP; must be adjacent to 1 house): A place for visitors to spend the night. Town base value +500 gp; Economy +1, Loyalty +1.
Keep (27 BP): A smaller version of the castle. Usually the home of the chief or one of his most loyal followers entrusted with governing the area. Economy +1, Loyalty +1, Stability +1, Defense Modifier +4, Unrest -2, limtited to one Keep or Castle per town.
Mansion (10 BP): A single huge manor housing a rich family and its slaves and servants. Stability +1.
Market (48 BP; must be adjacent to 2 houses): An open area for mercantile pursuits, traveling merchants, and bargain hunters. Town base value +2,000 gp; halves cost of Black Market, Inn, and Shop in same town; 2 minor items; Economy +2, Stability +2.
Mill (6 BP; must be next to a water border): A building used to cut lumber or grind grain. Economy +1, Stability +1.
Palisade (3 BP): A much cheaper alternative to stone walls. Defense Modifier +2, Unrest -1.
Piers (16 BP; must be adjacent to a water border): Warehouses and workshops for docking ships and handling cargo and passengers. Town base value +1,000 gp; +1 Economy, +1 Stability.
Shop (8 BP; must be adjacent to 1 house): A general store. Town base value +500 gp; Economy +1.
Shrine (8 BP): A small shrine or similar holy site. 1 minor item; Loyalty +1; Unrest –1.
Smith (6 BP): An armor smith, blacksmith, or weapon smith. Economy +1, Stability +1.
Stable (10 BP; must be adjacent to 1 house): A structure for housing or selling horses and other mounts. Town base value +500 gp; Economy +1, Loyalty +1.
Tannery (6 BP; cannot be adjacent to a house): A structure that prepares hides and leather. Economy +1, Stability +1.
Tavern (12 BP; must be adjacent to 1 house): An eatery or drinking establishment. Town base value +500 gp; Economy +1, Loyalty +1.
Temple (32 BP): A large place of worship dedicated to a deity. Halves cost of Graveyard and Shrine in same town; 2 minor items; Loyalty +2, Stability +2; Unrest –2.
Tenement (1 BP): A staggering number of low-rent, cheap housing units. Tenements count as houses for the purpose of fulfilling building requirements, but building too many tenements can increase a kingdom’s Unrest quickly. You can build a house over an existing tenement for 2 BP. Unrest +2.
Town Square: A central meeting place where the elders and leaders of the town gather to discuss matters of public concern and where the chief adresses his people. Loyalty +1, Stability +1.
Tradesman (10 BP; must be adjacent to 1 house): A shopfront for a tradesman, such as a baker, butcher, candle maker, cooper, or rope maker. Town base value +500 gp; +1 Economy, +1 Stability.
Warrior Hall (20 BP): A central meeting hall were the accomplished full time warriors of the clan gather and train. Since this is basically the headquarter for military forces in the area, it makes the town a lot more secure. It also promotes pride in the clans might and displays the forces that the chief commands. Defense Modifier +2, Loyalty +1, Stability +1, Unrest -1.
Watchtower (6 BP): A tall structure that serves as a guard post and landmark. +1 Stability; +2 Defense Modifier; Unrest –1.
Waterfront (90 BP; must be adjacent to a water border): A port for arrival and departure when traveling by water, facilities for building ships, and a center of commerce. Town base value +4,000 gp; 3 minor items, 2 medium items, 1 major item; halves cost of Guildhall and Market in same town, halves Loyalty penalty for tax edicts; Economy +4; limit one per town.
Witch Hut (10 BP, may not be adjacent to more than one house): A lesser version of the casters tower. A witch can provide vital services, but is generally mistrusted. 2 minor items; Economy +1, Unrest +1.

[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.

--

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.

Spoiler

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?