Where You At?

I've been silent on here as I've been working feverishly to promote Pure Steam on Kickstarter via YouTube, , Twitter, and anywhere else they'll like me write words.

If you're still reading this blog, I apologize for letting it rust like a car in the front yard.  We've made good progress so far, raising 58% of the required funds on Kickstarter at the time of this writing.  But we've only got three weeks to go, and I could really use the support of my core gamer friends (that's you!).

Would you mosey over to Kickstarter and drop some love?  It'd mean a lot. 

Pure Steam Update: PF Compatibility

Pure Steam was just granted a Pathfinder Compatibility License!  What does this mean?

1.  We'll be able to use Paizo copyrighted material, giving credit where it's due.
2.  We'll be able to put the Pathfinder logo on our products.
3.  A larger base will (hopefully) give our game a try.

Why is this so huge?  Well, Pathfinder is currently the biggest tabletop RPG on the market.  Yeah, suck it 4E!  I love this, because Wizards (imho) tried to screw Paizo out of business by taking back the Dungeon and Dragon magazine publishing rights.  Paizo has taken the once defunct 3.5 ruleset, revamped it, and crammed it back down Wizards' throat.

There are some great classes in Pathfinder which will suit Pure Steam well.  Examples are the alchemist and gunslinger. 

What are you looking for in a Steampunk setting?

Ahote, Restless One

I've settled in pretty well in Ohio, and have a solid gaming group here. I'm running a 3.5 game in Forgotten Realms. Also, I'm privileged to be a part of a Pathfinder game with the same group, and I get to just play one character (no DMing!).

My dude is a redux version of a PFRPG character from a previous game. I had to bust him down in level, but I really wanted to see what I could do with this concept.

His name is Ahote, which is Restless One in his native tongue.

Ahote is a currently a level 3 Human Barbarian/Ranger (levels 1 and 2, respectively. I'm pretty proud of the build, as I haven't seen anything like it before.

Good strength, better dexterity, and the other stats aren't much to brag about. He dual wields axes (the lighter of which is a throwing axe or tomahawk).

As a variant, the DM allowed me to use Whirling Frenzy instead of standard Rage, so I get an extra attack as opposed to the constitution boost whilst I freak out. So, at level 3, he gets three attacks with decent bonuses.

I always had an issue with the way rangers' animal companions seem to magically appear at level 4. I liked what one of my players, Brenna, did with Amrielle's horse companion. She simply started at level 1 with her horse, Star, as a pet. By level 4, the party was used to Star, and the bond between ranger and companion was already built. I am doing the same with Ahote and his companion, Little Cheytahk, his cheetah companion.

Why a cheetah? Well, Ahote gets the standard barbarian Fast Movement feature, and he makes good use of it. In the future, I hope to grab the Cheetah Tribe Sprint feat from the Forgotten Realms 3.5 Shining South sourcebook. Those with this feat can move up to 4 times their movement during a charge. This may seem crazy, but it's definitely balanced by the fact that it won't be used in dungeons (read: 90% of the game).

So, a barbarian/ranger with Native American influence, a cat familiar, dual weapons, one of which he likes to throw. Oh, and did I mention he's exiled from his tribe? Yeah, it wasn't until session 2 that I realized this guy is Drizzt and Wulfgar's lovechild.

Nonetheless, my dudes over at AvatarArt have cut me a deal to do 10 basic level sketches of him, so I can visualize him out as he levels up. Here's the first. Another one is coming soon.

Steampunk Classes, Part I

After two playtest sessions (ridiculously adventurously fun sessions, by the way), I'm looking into some of the rules and assumptions I started out with in this Steampunk Campaign Setting I'm working on.

I've been using the Fantasy Flight Games book Sorcery and Steam as a jumping off point (it's 3e generic, but it's pretty in line with the way I want to run things).

The basic pathfinder classes I want to use are:

Barbarian
Bard
Fighter
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer

I'm also considering the Cavalier, which is a marshall/knight type of class if you're familiar with 3.5.

Today I'm mulling also over the Musketeer class, which is presented in S&S as a unique character class. It's fraught with dead levels, which is something Pathfinder doesn't take kindly to, so I've been thinking of how to modernize it for the system. But I was thinking, does the musketeer need his/her own class? Couldn't a fighter accomplish the same?

What about the artificer class? This is also in S&S and it's essentially a skilled (8 skill points per level like the rogue) character who gets craft-related special abilities. I think something like this class is essential in a technologically advanced setting. It's especially relevant (and appealing) in a gestalt game (which mine will be, if you recall) due to the fact that you can be a creator character without sacrificing pulpy action (by taking a fighter class or something similar in conjunction with the artificer class).

Any other thoughts? What classes would (or wouldn't) work well in a world where religion isn't (necessarily) relevant and magic is outlawed but existent?

My Foray into Steampunk

I am but an infant standing before an ocean when it comes to the genre of Steampunk, but I am quite excited about the gaming opportunities it extends. A gnome escaping from a train heist by sealing the dining car's door with a glue bomb would be amazing. Or a group of half-orc tribesmen that take down the zeppelin of the local oppressive duke with bows and arrows, yeah, that's the ticket!

I'm a long way from making this a true sustained campaign reality, but so far here's what I know.

The world will be my own (sort of).
The geography will match that of our Earth, but history shall be quite different.
The 'civilized' world at this point currently reside on the continent we call North America.
There are approximately 36 nation-states. The two most powerful of which are the Federated States of Ullera and the Sovereign Kingdom of Rausch, currently allies which share borders.

Ullera sits between what we know as the Mississippi River and the East Coast, going north to the shores of the Great Lakes and south to the Everglades. It is a technologically driven state which in many ways mirrors the U.S. in the 1860s. Magecraft has long been outlawed here, but it is rumored to exist.

West of the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean spans the vast, sparsely populated Kingdom of Rausch. It's king rose from despondent orphanhood to a high position in the state church, eventually securing royal status by marrying ALL THREE of the prior king's daughters. He is highly respected and quite just.

Ulleran settlers, sick of coalsmoke-clogged cities, set east decades ago on all manner of craft (from dirigible to clipper to ship), but the harsh conditions and violent natives in the continents to the east have prevented Ullera from establishing meaningful colonies.

Gameplay will likely be limited to three player characters at a time. Pathfinder RPG rules will be used, augmented by third party steampunk expansions (mainly 3.0 books, actually). Players will all run gestalt characters (taking the best of any two classes).

Gameplay in the first campaign will include limited options. Greater options will be 'unlocked' as the world is explored (Example: once players encounter Knights of Rausch, the paladin class will become available.)

Players will start in Ullera (in game one), and race/class options will be limited to:

Races: Human, Half-elf, Elf, Gnome, Dwarf, Halfling.
Classes: Barbarian, Bard, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer.

Magic knowledge available to players will be limited to 3rd level spells until higher knowledge is unlocked.

Equipment: Modified black powder weapons exist. Reloading will take something like two full rounds (anything more will make it little fun for an RPG), which can be reduced by feats and class features.

There's plenty to flesh out here. Hit me up with questions. I'm sure there are aspects I haven't considered yet!