The Campaign Builder's Guild

:) more info coming up!

On the note about changelings, you're right. I was thinking that magical tattoos would be applied to lawbreakers (exactly what the spell is; basically a mark of justice) that don't disappear. If said changeling tries to shapeshift it away, it can knock him unconscious.

Yes, that would work or the lawbreakers who got caught, but what about basic things like collecting taxes, weapons permits, deeds, and stuff like that? The way I handled it was to create magic items, that are imbedded at birth, which act like identifying tags. They contained basic stuff, like name, date of birth, profession, place of residence, etc. etc.  

The more urban the setting, the more dangerous this ability becomes.

Quote from: Endless_HelixOn the Changelings, the biggest problem with nations full of shapeshifters is that they can look like anyone, and consequently, keeping order is very difficult. Non-magical tattoos might not work because a changeling is capable of diguising scars and other things that show up on the skin. I look forward to seeing how you deal with this problem.

 

It stands to reason that within changeling culture, a "sixth sense" makes identifying one another, no matter what the outward shape, as easy as we recognise faces.  

Quote from: CYMRO

Quote from: Endless_HelixOn the Changelings, the biggest problem with nations full of shapeshifters is that they can look like anyone, and consequently, keeping order is very difficult. Non-magical tattoos might not work because a changeling is capable of diguising scars and other things that show up on the skin. I look forward to seeing how you deal with this problem.

 

It stands to reason that within changeling culture, a "sixth sense" makes identifying one another, no matter what the outward shape, as easy as we recognise faces.  

*nods* exactly.

Orcs coming up!

Quote from: CYMROIt stands to reason that within changeling culture, a "sixth sense" makes identifying one another, no matter what the outward shape, as easy as we recognise faces.  

That's one way of handling it. Perhaps it's phermone-based? Basically there should be a way around the identification for those times a PC *needs* to fool the Changelings, but it should be difficult to obtain, so it's not used on  large scale.

That's good. *steals it*

Orcs

 

Orcs were once a tribal people, living in their hundreds in the Spine mountains. The traces that remain are hard to find, as the orcs are now one of the most civilised races in the known world. Orcs are tall, imposing diplomats, usually wearing the finest clothes of Iracloth, woven and grown in their own homes. They are loud, intelligent and accented, slow to befriend other races and quick to argue and oppose. Their strong honour code and history of war present a strong image to the world, and others prefer not to argue with orcs.

 Settlements: Orcs prefer mountainous terrain for their settlements, and their homeland is almost all mountain. Many of their settlements are at least partially underground, and some of them are completely subterranean. Their architecture is usually carved into stone, roughly. Orc imports are very few, but exports include tobaca (for pipes), Iracloth (made from a form of flax grown in underground caves) and furs of all shapes and sizes.

 Psychology: Orcs are often brash and reckless, but they can control themselves. Orcs are smart and tough but not particularly charismatic (although people generally agree with them for some reason.) Many of them enjoy such civilised pleasures as wine (in large amounts), theatre (also in large amounts) and music (preferably loud and impressive). The only one of these three they have succeeded in themselves is wine, of which they make a large quantity.

 Religion: Orcs follow the Haarug Pantheon. Three gods, Haared, Aamul, and Gaaret make up the pantheon, and their priests have various ceremonies relating to the three. Priests can only be devoted to one of the three, but High Priests follow all of them.
Haared is the incarnation of wealth and pleasure, of all the good things in life. His priests carry aleskins, bags of gold and other such things, and often become drunk in their rituals to him as a sign of gratitude. Aamul is the warrior god, exulting in the fray of battle, and his priests carry several weapons wherever they go, and often wear bucklers or small shields even when at rest. Gaaret is the goddess of the three, and she watches over female orcs, children, reproduction, harvest, food, and other such home concerns. Her priestesses wear simple, woven clothes and are often teachers and mothers. Orc religion is a comfortable, simple affair.

Appearance and Biology: Orcs stand from around 7'9 to 8'7, with males usually slightly taller and more broadly built than females. Their skin has a green-tinged hue about it, and their hair comes in all shades of dark with an occasional white. Their noses are prominent, with slitted nostrils, and their eyes are almost always brown. Their ears are pointed and small (well, small for an orc) and their mouths have two upward-pointing fangs. All this gives them a large and impressive appearance.
Biologically speaking, an orc is little different from a human. True, an orc's sense of smell is much more powerful, and his teeth are sharper and with many more canines, but apart from that only the muscle structure is different (much more powerful). Orcs always have voices pitched much deeper than a human's.

 Other Races: Orcs have warred with changelings plenty, and dislike and distrust them as such. Apart from that, only their attitude towards elves is particularly friendly or non-friendly. Orcs distrust elves, having records of their history and original existence.

Languages: Chaarok, or Orcish, is a harsh language of hissing vowels and long and sharp consonants. This gives orcs a heavily accented speech, especially with 'oy' sounds (which they pronounce as 'ah'), soft 'th' sounds (which they pronounce as sharp 't' sounds) and short 'a' sounds (which they prounounce as 'aa' sounds). Most orcs also know some of the human languages, and many know a smattering of the changeling tongue.

Stats:

*+2 Str, +2 Con, +2 Int, -2 Dex, -4 Wis.
*Medium size.
*Base Land Speed 30ft.
*

Powerful Build (Ex): The physical stature of orcs lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever an orc is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the orc is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. An orc is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creatureâ,¬,,¢s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. An orc can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subjectâ,¬,,¢s size category.
*Darkvision out to 60ft. Darkvision is black and white only.
*Scent (Ex): An orc can detect opponents, track, and sniff out objects by sense of smell. See the Scent description below.
*+3 bonus on Spot, Listen, and Sense Motive checks. Orcs have good sight and hearing and are uncannily good at seeing through deceptions.
*Naturally Magical: Orcs are natural magic-users, and gain +2 bonus MP at 1st level. This doesn't grant an orc the ability to cast spells or weaves. They must gain that through class features or feats.
*Low-Light Vision: An orc can see twice as far as a human in dim light conditions, such as torchlight, moonlight, candlelight etc.
*Automatic Languages: Chaarok.
*Bonus Languages: Amar, Ihasa, Mea'ma.
*Favoured Class: Manipulator. Oddly, orcs show a natural bent towards mind-affecting spells.
*LA +1.
[/list]

[spoiler Scent]
A creature with the scent ability can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at three times these ranges. The creature detects another creatureâ,¬,,¢s presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scentâ,¬,,¢s source, the creature can pinpoint that source. A creature with the Track feat and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarryâ,¬,,¢s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail for air-breathing creatures. Water-breathing creatures that have the scent ability, however, can use it in the water easily. False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odor completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures, and the base Survival DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10.
[/spoiler]

Elves, Ihueli

The elves were once two unified nations... now one is destroyed and the other divided, its population little more than brigands. Several hundred years ago, the people of Mahi invaded the elven nations of Ihuel and Damor, slaying and enslaving, murdering and capturing. The Damori were driven back in to the Deathlands, and the Ihuel were either destroyed or captured and put to work. Eventually, elves became docile and servile, the ultimate slave race. With the Mahi's collapse, many of them have found themselves free...

 Settlements: Ihueli Elves have a few small settlements of their own, but no cities (except for Mahiel, once the capital of Ihuel). Most of them remain in old cities, or begin to live in new communities set up in the war-locked new world. The ones who took best to their new freedom, however, the most rebellious, formed a group named the Halehwen. The Halehwen have set up their own tiny nation, centred around Mahiel's ruins (their new home). They have their own laws, and skin intruders alive if they enter without permission. Elves, however, are welcome. They are currently rebuilding parts of the city.

 Psychology: Most Ihueli elves are servile, docile, innocent slaves who are only now coming to realise their new freedom. Their free will, once no more than required to keep them alive, is growing. Some Ihueli stay as slaves, but many are rebelling, awaking from 'the Sleep'. These elves are agressive and often hate humans. Their community is growing in Mahiel.

 Religion: The Ihueli once had their own religion, but most of it is now lost. Only a few retained it during The Sleep, and although some of the ceremonial tenets live on (including the use of eagle feathers, a replacement for phoenix feathers, in ceremonies) the overall religion is lost to all but a few. It is swiftly regrowing, though, as the Halehwen are encouraging Ihueli to take it up once more.

 Appearance and Biology: Elves are, as a rule, short and willowy slim. Few of them are particularly strong or tough, although neither are they weak or soft. Most of them have above-average dexterity, but in turn almost all of them are shy of social interaction. Anyway, elves generally have attractive faces (who wants an ugly servant?), and all have pointed ears and cat-slitted eyes.

 Other races: Ihueli elves that have broken free of 'The Sleep' feel a bond of kinship to the Damari elves, but apart from those and other elves, the Ihueli have a general hostile demeanor towards other races which ranges from dislike to outright hatred.

 Languages: Most (but not all) Ihueli speak the language of Ihuel (which goes by the same name.) All of the elder ones (who still remember the days of slavery) and those still in slavery speak Me'ama or I'hasa depending on where they were enslaved. Many of them have learnt the new elven Handtalk, or Sign Language, which involves complicated and diverse gestures. This is used by Halehwen-based elves especially.

 Stats:

* +2 Dex, -2 Cha.
* Medium size.
* Base Land Speed 30ft.
* +3 bonus on spot and listen checks. Elves have sharp eyes and hearing.
* Low-Light Vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in dim light conditions, such as torchlight, moonlight, candlelight etc.
* +3 bonus on move silently checks. Elves tread lightly.
* +1 bonus on will saves against mind-affecting spells and effects (a servile, still Sleeping elf doesn't gain this bonus. I suggest only NPC elves should be still servile)
* Automatic Languages: I'hasa OR Me'ama OR Ihuel.
* Bonus Languages: Elven Handtalk, Chaarok, Amar + the two automatic languages not chosen.
* Favoured Class: Warrior.

Next up and coming are the Damari elves, Rimfolk, and bestial races!

[note]Also, find the Mahi Mechanics Thread here, containing all the Houserules, new classes, new equipment, skills, PrCs and other stuff you need to run a game in Mahi![/note]

So why did you stat the Ihueli elves if they were "totally destroyed"?  Seems kind of contradictory to me.

Quote from: limetomSo why did you stat the Ihueli elves if they were "totally destroyed"?  Seems kind of contradictory to me.

Err not seeing the totally destroyed bit. One nation was destroyed and one was reduced to slavery.

Totally destroyed? How are they totally destroyed?

They lost their culture, most of their language, their lands, religion, freedom, and even their sense of self... they're only now regaining that, sure. But not destroyed.

If you read CAREFULLY, you will see that yes, one culture was enslaved (the Ihueli) and the others were driven out and almost totally destroyed (the Damari).

Damari elves



Thought to be manevolent and emotionless, the Damari are strong-willed, tough, and vicious. Of course, they have to be. Their homeland is a destructive, terrible place of mist and cold, where terrible beasts roam freely. Their blades are said to be the best in the world, forged from cold iron, but it is rare that another will get his hands on them.

 Settlements: Where the Ihueli were enslaved, the Damari were not, but they have few settlements in the Deathlands. It is said by some that there are ruins there filled with Damari, but there has been no concrete evidence of such. They do have several new foothold settlements in Mahi, however, and they are many. About a hundred of them recently crossed Mahi and joined the Ihueli in Mahiel.

 Psychology: The Damari are hardened by battle, war, and life. A Birthgift is always given to them by their parents, and it is invariably a curved Damari dagger. Most Damari children kill their first creature at the age of eight and have taken over a hundred skins by the time they're thirteen. At sixteen, they're considered mature and are given a curved longsword, and are expected to use it. This makes for a tough, unyielding, deadly individual, and most Damari kill without thinking.

 Religion: According to scholars, the Damari once had the same religion as the Ihueli. Sadly, that too is lost now. To an outsider, they don't appear to have a religion, and what they do have doesn't involve gods as such. Instead, Damari skin enemies alive. This practice is supposed to help the elf involved absorb the creature's strength and spirit and improve himself. Outsiders who comment detrimentally on this generally end up skinned themselves.

 Appearance and Biology: Damari are short and willowy, have catlike, slitted eyes and  pointed ears. There the resemblance to their cousins ends. Damari didn't go through a breeding program, meaning that their attractiveness, if they have it, is natural. They're tougher than your average Ihueli, are just as dextrous, and are even worse at social interaction. Their skin is a dark greyish colour, adapted to the Deathlands by some long-forgotten camouflage reflex, and their hair is generally dark too.

 Other Races: After all this time, the Damari no longer feel any apathy for any elves, despite what the situation between them may have been before the breaking. They distrust and even hate humans, as they were the ones who drove them out in the first place. Changelings they are friendly with, as they trade with them frequently, and orcs they have no experience of.

 Languages: Damari Elves speak Damara, the tongue of their long-lost homeland. Most of them know elven handtalk, and many know Ihueli. Some know the modern human tongues, and almost all know the tongue of the changelings (they trade with the Sea Folk frequently.)

 Stats:  

* +2 Dex, +2 Con, -4 Cha.
* Medium size.
* Base Land Speed 30ft.
* Automatic Weapon Proficiency with the Longsword, Javelin, and Scimitar.
* +3 racial bonus on spot, move silently and listen checks.
* +3 racial bonus on hide checks whilst in rocky terrain.
* +1 racial bonus on fortitude saves against cold effects.
* +1 racial bonus on will saves against mind-affecting effects.]
* Low-light vision: An elf can see twice as far as a human in dim light conditions, such as torchlight, moonlight, candlelight etc.
* Automatic Languages: Damara.
* Bonus Languages: Amar, Elven Handtalk, Ihueli, I'hasa.
* LA +1.

Quote from: Golem011...one is destroyed and the other divided... ...and the Ihuel were totally destroyed, captured and put to work.

guess[/i] its clear that they weren't totally destoryed.  I probably confuse too easy, or something...

I meant destroyed as in as a culture rather than as people.