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Critiques and comments for a planned Iron Age Celtic setting.
Looking at ideas for a setting I plan to develop for publication next year, tentatively called Iron Age Celts. Although Pathfinder Compatible there are some unique aspects and class restrictions I am considering and would like honest critique on direction and what I shouldn't do.
The three elements that make this setting stand apart from a typical PF setting, are:
1. As a society, the Celts are illiterate. While they can certainly learn to read and write the languages of civilized kingdoms to the south (something akin to Etruscan and Greek/Mycenaen city-states), the Celtic religion forbids them from recording the rituals they perform - including spell casting. Years of training and rote memorization is required.
Bards and Wizards perform arcane casting through tattoos of animistic and Celtic knotwork tattoos they bear and are trained tattooists for the clan. Meditation required to activate daily spells worn as tattoos. Scrolls are Celtic knots tied in rope with gold, silver or bronze wire interlaced with hemp. Knots are untied to cast Knot Scroll.
The Wizards of the setting are called Myrddin, and simply remove "spellbook" and "scroll" from a Wizards mechanics, replace with Tattoo casting, and its all flavor from there. Myrddin live apart from clan society though serve as advisors, tattooists (work as a type of magic item granting some wondrous item or AC enchantment bonus, DR, or other attribute placed into a tattoo.)
2. The Pathfinder Druid being more of a shifter doesn't really fit a Celtic Druid, so Druid is restricted from the setting. Druid is now a trait and applies to the Druidic caste which includes the historians, law givers, divine and arcane casters of Celtic clans. Classes that can take the Druid Trait include: Bards, Sorcerers, Witch and Oracle, the latter better fitting the idea of a traditional druid.
3. The Fighter is restricted from Celtic society, as Celts lack the discipline and driling that fighters receive in training. The replacement class is the Clan Warrior. Though I haven't drawn up the class yet, I've got some ideas on direction I want to take.
Clan Warriors serve as the defenders, raiders and heroes of one the many clans of Celtic society. Clan warriors are restricted to medium armor, (no breastplate) and any shields (including Tower Shields, as the Roman Scutum was borrowed from the Celts, and unless I'm mistaken Scutum qualify as Tower Shields.) Clan warrior's are skilled in a variety of simple and martial weapons, though each clan has its primary weapon of choice that differ from clan to clan.
Shield Training replaces Fighter Armor and Weapon Training. Shield Training follows the same progression as Armor Training, granting +1 AC and +1 Shield Bash damage with each acquisition. The shield is the most common armor available to warriors, as scale, ring and chain mail is expensive and reserved for clan leaders and champions. Various helms are available as well.
Because Celtic warriors are known to fight as berserkers at times in combat, I was thinking of adding half progression Rage Powers, so they gain 5 Rage Powers by 20th and no Mighty Rage.
I want to introduce a new Combat Maneuver called Salmon Leap, against a flat-footed opponent, make a verticle jump to make a single attack as a standard action that bypasses Shield AC bonus, but grants an Attack of Opportunity.
Instead of Fighter feats (no fighters) there are different Clan Warrior feats, reserved to this class. Improved Salmon Leap is one such feat that denies Attacks of Opportunity when performing this combat maneuver.
Many types of weapons, most of those used by Romans were Celtic weapons originally, so gladius, pilum, as well as falcata (stats like falchion), gae bolg, spear, dirks and other weapons. Though each clan will have one primary weapon of choice.
While bows should be used, Celts use slings for much of their up close missle combat, but the sling is such a sad weapon in Pathfinder. I am creating a war sling that using larger stones that cause d6 damage instead of d4 and has 19-20 critical threat range.
Rogues and Rangers exist as special kinds of warriors for the clans, especially for stealthy and wilderness adventuring.
Gestatae might replace barbarians, but flavor changes rather than mechanics.
Charioteer is a martial Prestige Class that includes driving a chariot, and attacking from it with throwing spears.
The setting will be filled with Fey, new and old, a first campaign involves a war between the ogres, trolls and giants (fomorians) led by the Winter Hag, in an effort to oust the humans from their former homelands during the last Ice Age. The Winter Hag hopes to obtain the components necessary to enact a ritual that will usher in a new Ice Age - PCs will follow a full adventure path (perhaps up to 20th level) to stop that from happening.
Other campaign ideas is to introduce a "Roman Invasion" attempt by one of the civilized militant states from the southern coastal fringes of the Celtic World.
Critiques, thoughts?
GP
Looking at ideas for a setting I plan to develop for publication next year, tentatively called Iron Age Celts. Although Pathfinder Compatible there are some unique aspects and class restrictions I am considering and would like honest critique on direction and what I shouldn't do.
The three elements that make this setting stand apart from a typical PF setting, are:
1. As a society, the Celts are illiterate. While they can certainly learn to read and write the languages of civilized kingdoms to the south (something akin to Etruscan and Greek/Mycenaen city-states), the Celtic religion forbids them from recording the rituals they perform - including spell casting. Years of training and rote memorization is required.
Bards and Wizards perform arcane casting through tattoos of animistic and Celtic knotwork tattoos they bear and are trained tattooists for the clan. Meditation required to activate daily spells worn as tattoos. Scrolls are Celtic knots tied in rope with gold, silver or bronze wire interlaced with hemp. Knots are untied to cast Knot Scroll.
The Wizards of the setting are called Myrddin, and simply remove "spellbook" and "scroll" from a Wizards mechanics, replace with Tattoo casting, and its all flavor from there. Myrddin live apart from clan society though serve as advisors, tattooists (work as a type of magic item granting some wondrous item or AC enchantment bonus, DR, or other attribute placed into a tattoo.)
2. The Pathfinder Druid being more of a shifter doesn't really fit a Celtic Druid, so Druid is restricted from the setting. Druid is now a trait and applies to the Druidic caste which includes the historians, law givers, divine and arcane casters of Celtic clans. Classes that can take the Druid Trait include: Bards, Sorcerers, Witch and Oracle, the latter better fitting the idea of a traditional druid.
3. The Fighter is restricted from Celtic society, as Celts lack the discipline and driling that fighters receive in training. The replacement class is the Clan Warrior. Though I haven't drawn up the class yet, I've got some ideas on direction I want to take.
Clan Warriors serve as the defenders, raiders and heroes of one the many clans of Celtic society. Clan warriors are restricted to medium armor, (no breastplate) and any shields (including Tower Shields, as the Roman Scutum was borrowed from the Celts, and unless I'm mistaken Scutum qualify as Tower Shields.) Clan warrior's are skilled in a variety of simple and martial weapons, though each clan has its primary weapon of choice that differ from clan to clan.
Shield Training replaces Fighter Armor and Weapon Training. Shield Training follows the same progression as Armor Training, granting +1 AC and +1 Shield Bash damage with each acquisition. The shield is the most common armor available to warriors, as scale, ring and chain mail is expensive and reserved for clan leaders and champions. Various helms are available as well.
Because Celtic warriors are known to fight as berserkers at times in combat, I was thinking of adding half progression Rage Powers, so they gain 5 Rage Powers by 20th and no Mighty Rage.
I want to introduce a new Combat Maneuver called Salmon Leap, against a flat-footed opponent, make a verticle jump to make a single attack as a standard action that bypasses Shield AC bonus, but grants an Attack of Opportunity.
Instead of Fighter feats (no fighters) there are different Clan Warrior feats, reserved to this class. Improved Salmon Leap is one such feat that denies Attacks of Opportunity when performing this combat maneuver.
Many types of weapons, most of those used by Romans were Celtic weapons originally, so gladius, pilum, as well as falcata (stats like falchion), gae bolg, spear, dirks and other weapons. Though each clan will have one primary weapon of choice.
While bows should be used, Celts use slings for much of their up close missle combat, but the sling is such a sad weapon in Pathfinder. I am creating a war sling that using larger stones that cause d6 damage instead of d4 and has 19-20 critical threat range.
Rogues and Rangers exist as special kinds of warriors for the clans, especially for stealthy and wilderness adventuring.
Gestatae might replace barbarians, but flavor changes rather than mechanics.
Charioteer is a martial Prestige Class that includes driving a chariot, and attacking from it with throwing spears.
The setting will be filled with Fey, new and old, a first campaign involves a war between the ogres, trolls and giants (fomorians) led by the Winter Hag, in an effort to oust the humans from their former homelands during the last Ice Age. The Winter Hag hopes to obtain the components necessary to enact a ritual that will usher in a new Ice Age - PCs will follow a full adventure path (perhaps up to 20th level) to stop that from happening.
Other campaign ideas is to introduce a "Roman Invasion" attempt by one of the civilized militant states from the southern coastal fringes of the Celtic World.
Critiques, thoughts?
GP
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