Outline of new Adventure so far.

NWN-Aur, the Wayawrd Gnoll by ~SailorX on deviantART

Here is my Outline of my new adventure:

The Invasion of Aine.

Summary: The Invasion of Aine deals with a invasion of a celtic town in Eastern Utah by gnolls.  The reasons have not been put in the adventure but it's about stolen land.  The player characters are caught unawares and must deal with the invasion.  There's only one problem: Gnolls in Pathfinder have 1 full hit dice.  Thus they have one 1 level.  So, they, the gnolls, will be going up against PCs of 4th level.

Recommended: For a scientifically correct gaming experience, I'll be recommending Advanced d20 Magic.

Required: I am leaning to Psionics Unleashed since I know the 3.5 psionics system forwards and backwards.

THE INVASION OF AINE

I.               ACT 1 – CHAOS IN AINE

A.     The adventure is set in Eastern Utah.

a.     Specifically, Dinosaur Land.  Eastern Utah is verdant enough for habitation by humans or gnolls.

                                                                 i.     The gnoll tribes are wandering hunter/gatherers.

1.     They are a Neolithic society with the ability of crafting steel.

                                                                ii.     Humans on the raising of beef cattle and farming.

1.     Humans are a late iron age society.

                                                              iii.     Aine is a  human celt colony in North America, specifically, in Vernal, Utah.

B.     The Player Characters are humans who have to deal with an gnoll raid.

a.     PCs professions may include:

                                                                 i.     Barbarian – shepherd

                                                                ii.     Bard -- Storyteller

                                                              iii.     Cleric – Pagan Temple Priest

                                                              iv.     Druid – Mountain Wise Man

                                                                v.     Fighter – Town guard, warrior

                                                              vi.     Monk – Greco-Roman Athlete

                                                             vii.     Paladin - Town leader.

                                                           viii.     Ranger – Forest runner

                                                              ix.     Rogue – Tavern keeper

                                                                x.     Sorcerer – Tailor/Seamstress

                                                              xi.     Wizard – Alchemist

                                                             xii.     Psion – Sculptor

                                                           xiii.     Psychic Warrior – Town Warrior

                                                           xiv.     Soulknife – Scout

                                                             xv.     Wilder - Musician

C.     The gnoll invasion is led by gnoll females, to be consistent with their hyena inspiration

a.     The leader of team 1 is Akwasibah, a gnoll Mother of the Fighter class.  She has the equivalent rank of colonel or captain.

b.     Makena, gnoll Mother rogue of the group and leader of team 2.  She has delusions of grandeur.

c.      Shani, gnoll Mother sorceress.  She leads team 3, and she is the kind one.  She is along to make sure no blood is spilt.

d.     Lusala, leader of team 4 and a male.  He’s a psychopath.  He is “one who cannot be tamed,” a berserker.

D.    The inhabitants of Aine includes:

Rifts to D20

Okay, so this yet another Rifts post.  This isn't an actual conversion, but giving you some ideas on how to DIY Rifts to d20 by yourself.  I bet there are tons of Conversions out there, all taken down after Kevin wants to steal his work back.  After all, there is a Fanwork Ban.  One of the most notorious ones in the RPG industry. Kevin (Hi Kevin!) forbids people from converting RIFTS to other settings and publishing the rules anywhere, and makes legal threats against people who do publish them.


Kevin, there is this thing, called an Internet.  Did anybody ever tell you how it's architecture is set up?  Give it up, you lost. 


Ahem . . . On to breaking the Fanwork Ban!  (The Defend IP Act must have a clueless fan boy with irrational man love for it somewhere in Michigan -- or wherever he lives now.)


RIFTS is something of a game where you take Tolkien's Middle Earth, World Mythology (I don't know why you would, the First Story is based on a Planetary Constellation anyhow), the tropes of Science Fiction, 4 color Superhero comics, the Old West, Anime, and Horror of all kinds.  Put it all in a pot, add water, simmer and stew.  What you get is the Chop Suey of all RPG settings.  However, I say Chop Suey instead of Goulash because it actually tastes good and goes down easy.


The system is worthy of converting to d20, because d20 still has a lot going for it that makes the Palladium System look like it's 30 years old (actually, 40, but whose counting?)


The major problems are these:


Mega-Damage: Most fans say -- use SDC damage, it's much better. Convert everything over to SDC and use SDC weapons.  However, I say use a rule in d20 that would work that much better.  It's called Damage Reduction.  

Some magic creatures have the supernatural ability to instantly heal damage from weapons or ignore blows altogether as though they were invulnerable.

The numerical part of a creature's damage reduction (or DR) is the amount of damage the creature ignores from normal attacks. Usually, a certain type of weapon can overcome this reduction (see Overcoming DR). This information is separated from the damage reduction number by a slash. For example, DR 5/magic means that a creature takes 5 less points of damage from all weapons that are not magic. If a dash follows the slash, then the damage reduction is effective against any attack that does not ignore damage reduction.

Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury poison, a monk's stunning, and injury-based disease. Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

Attacks that deal no damage because of the target's damage reduction do not disrupt spells.

Spells, spell-like abilities, and energy attacks (even nonmagical fire) ignore damage reduction.

Sometimes damage reduction represents instant healing. Sometimes it represents the creature's tough hide or body. In either case, other characters can see that conventional attacks won't work.

If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation.

Overcoming DR

Damage reduction may be overcome by special materials, magic weapons (any weapon with a +1 or higher enhancement bonus, not counting the enhancement from masterwork quality), certain types of weapons (such as slashing or bludgeoning), and weapons imbued with an alignment.

Ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an enhancement bonus of +1 or higher is 

treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Similarly, ammunition fired from a projectile weapon with an alignment gains the alignment of that projectile weapon (in addition to any alignment it may already have).

Weapons with an enhancement bonus of +3 or greater can ignore some types of damage reduction, regardless of their actual material or alignment. The following table shows what type of enhancement bonus is needed to overcome some common types of damage reduction.

There you have it, Damage Reduction.  Damage Reduction can effectively replace Mega-Damage points.  For biological creatures made with carbon-based chemistry.  Vehicles and piloted Robots (Mecha) have something similar -- Hardness. 

Skill System based on a percentile: Okay, there is a lot of skills.  Only SpaceMaster and Rolemaster beats the number of Skills.  However, they are based on percentiles and you have to roll low to succeed in your skill.  However ICE was experimenting with Target Numbers with their Middle Earth Adventures RPG, and this became the basis of Shadowrun and other modern RPGs.  Roll a die, beat the target number, and you succeed.

The d20 System uses a TN-based skill system, called DC.

P.P.E., ISP casting system:  The spells can be cast by any wizard by any level.  The psychics can cast psychic effects based on their effective power level.  This is governed by Potential Psychic Energy and Inner Strength Points.  This is basically to replicate book wizards.  But Authors have one superiority over games.  Rifts is a goal-oriented game (i.e. uses Levels).  An Author can write a story about a befuddling wizard's Apprentice who can control the weather. 

Pathfinder still uses the casting system based on Jack Vance's Dying Earth series, but there are ways to overcome this (Advanced d20 Magic anyone?). 

Combat Progression: As you attain more levels, your combat experience increases.  This isn't half bad, as the Palladium game system is rules oriented.  And yes, you do get better at hitting and/or killing people as your experience increases in real life. 

While combat systems in Rifts are leveled, however, the Pathfinder/d20 System uses feats -- leveled feats -- to achieve this.  Fortunately, you can get feats every odd level or so.

O.C.C.s: Last point, the Occupational Character Class is blown up out of proportion in RIFTS.  Great idea, poor execution.  Similarly, the prestige class has been also blown out of proportion during Wizards' run of the d20 System.  In Pathfinder, you don't have this problem, but you're getting into the problem of Class Bloat. 

So, basically, you have to limit your class options. 

For a Rifts conversion to Pathfinder you will need:

* One Rifts book, you might have several. 

* Pathfinder RPG (Paizo)

* Pathfinder's Bestiary and Bestiary 2

* D20 Modern (WotC)

* D20 Modern Weapons Locker (WotC)

* D20 Mecha (Guardians of Order, defunct -- or Dream Pod Nine)

* Dragonstar Players Handbook or D20 Future (for laser and other energy weapons)

to go around the "Theme Park" of Rifts you might find these handy:

Rifts: England -- Pick up a copy of the Arthurian Legend for Pathfinder. I think it's made by RPG Objects.  Sprinkle in a copy of (3e) Forgotten Realms -- especially the Dalelands and Cormyr; and simmer. Don't forget the laser weapons!!

Rifts: New West -- Deadlands d20 with D&D monsters, robot horses with carbines sticking out of their noses, and laser guns! :)

Rifts: Japan -- Pick up a copy of BESM d20 and you pretty much crossed the line into Rifts: Japan. 

RIFTS: Dinosaur Swamp -- pick up a copy of Prehistoria d20 from RPGnow.

Superheroes: There are strong differences between Mutants and Masterminds and Pathfinder judging by DC Adventures.  While you can have Superheroes in RIFTS (ala Heroes Unlimited), Mutants and Masterminds is the d20 System totally rebuilt around the 4 color Superhero Comic genre.  Although you can solve some problems with RIFTS using Mutants and Masterminds 3rd edition, your best bet is to convert the entire game of Rifts to Mutants and Masterminds.  And given Kevin Seimbedia's mindset while he wrote Rifts, you might be much more successful at doing so than by using Pathfinder as your base. 

Yeah it's weird, but if you read Rifts, the whole thing is ridiculous when trying to apply Real World physics.  And Mega-Damage makes sense, how? that kind of stuff.  Judging how ridiculous the whole game is, Rifts is probably inspired by 4 color comics.  

Since even Marvel and DC have "theme park" locations in their universes, they carry on certain antiquated ideas.  And even their heroes are ridiculously overpowered (Superman, for instance, is PL 14, while Wonder Woman is PL 15, while Captain Atom might be misjudged by Green Ronin; while the Hulk maybe the most powerful being in either universe in terms of raw, muscular strength!).

Rifts is, quite simply, trying to stick a 4 color-universe made up of square pegs and putting it into circular holes and using a hammer to force them in.  The game works, kinda, but you have to suspend your Disbelief when you are exposed to better games. 

Everything Else: You're pretty much on your own.

Step-by-step-by-step:

Since Kevin is ridiculously backward in his thoughts about the OGL, you will never ever see an official conversion of Rifts to d20, or Mutants and Masterminds.  There is a clause in the OGL that simply says that Wizards has the right to take your work (but everyone else has the same right).  However, due to the amount of material that Palladium has published over the years, I can only focus on the classes in the main book.  For the rest, you are on your own. 

Borgs:  There are no rules dealing with Cyborgs in Pathfinder or in Dragon*Star.  In d20 Future, however, there are rules dealing with bionic enhancement (they were published in Dungeon once, I believe).

Coalition Stuff: d20 Modern Fast Heroes and Strong Heroes with the Soldier Advanced Class.  SAMAS pilots, however, are Mecha Pilots. 

Cyber OCCs:

Crazy -- You have Mind over Matter implants that supercharges your brain.  I suggest either Smart Heroes or Charismatic Heroes with the MoM implant.  Crazies also get a Sanity score and are governed by the Insanity rules found in Call of Chthulu d20. 

Cyberknight: Psychic Warrior or Soulknife class with the code of Chivalry.  They have cyberarmor bonded to their skin.

Glitter-Boy: Mecha Pilot class from BESM d20 piloting a Glitterboy! :D

Headhunter: Strong Hero, Tough Hero, or Fast Hero with cybernetics.  Your typical Shadowrunner. 

Juicers: the class that fits the Juicer best is the Fast hero.  But remember, they are augmented by chemicals rather than expensive Cyberwear. 

Adventurer types:

--- Body Fixer: Dedicated Hero or Smart Hero with medic advanced class.

--- City Rat: Punked hero -- can be replicated with any d20 modern class except Smart. 

--- Cyber-Doc: Dedicated hero with medic advanced class specializing in using Cybernetics to treat injury and disease.

--- Operator: Dedicated or Smart hero specializing in mechanics.  Might have some psychic powers, in that case, give the player a wild talent feat and pick 3 psionic powers that can be machine related.

--- Rogue Scientist and Scholar: Smart Hero yet again!  One specializes in the Sciences and the other the Humanities.  Both may overlap.

--- Wilderness Scout: Tough hero all the way with an advanced class based on survival.

--- Vagabond: Catch all concept, may be any d20 modern class. 

Magic types:

--- Ley Line Walker: WIZARD class.  Not witch, not alchemist, not sorcerer, and not magus!  Wizard.  Bar none.

--- Mystic: a PC who plays a cleric that has dipped into the Psion class and sorcerer class for a couple of levels.

--- Shifter: Summoner Class from Advanced Player's Guide. 

--- Techno-Wizard: Alchemist or Wizard with item-creation feats.  However, we all know that the Artificer from Eberron is a better fit. :)

Dragon Hatchlings: Entirely possible to play.

Psychics -- Psychics are given better treatment with the Rifts: Mindscapes supplement.  Again, remember, I'm focusing on the main book so. . . 

--- Burster: Psion with Control Flames power who has dipped into the Pyrokineticist prestige class.

--- Psi-Stalker: Psychic vampires who feed off of emotional energy.  Psions for sure, but they have unique powers that need to be converted over.  Telepath is suggested. 

--- Dog Pack: There is a whole RPG supplement called Fursona that deals with this and is for Pathfinder.

--- Mind Melter: The PSION melts my mind! see PSIONICS UNLEASHED!

Merlin, inc.

The Detective Agency with a little magic, Merlin, inc. is a d20 Modern campaign with a Pathfinder twist.  You use d20 Modern to create your character, but Pathfinder rules to do it. Written in the style of a T.V. series, the PCs are hired by Merlin to investigate crimes of a Supernatural nature.

Set in West Valley City and Salt Lake City, the Urban environment, and both downtowns are the perfect place to handle crimes from Shadowkind and to investigate cases of the Unexplained.  After all, as things get close, Quantum fluctuations the Ether bring shadowkind to our Earth and century and also magic.  It's the PCs job to investigate these weird occurrences as Private Investigators of the Paranormal (no Department 7).  The Campaign is an open ended type of show.

Formula: The characters are Private Investigators under Merlin who investigate unexplained phenomena and the Shadowkind culture in Salt Lake City and it's vicinity.

Theme: Should everyone be governed by the Rule of Law?

Tone: A mixture of The Real Ghostbusters, combined with Castle and Mr. Merlin. And, since yours truly is a Martial Artist -- with some of the Martial Arts world combined in.  There is some seriousness combined with comedy.

 Set Pieces:

Standard Optical corporate headquarters stands in for Merlin, Inc. headquarters.  Merlin, Inc. is behind Standard Optical.  It's located on 1901 Parkway Boulevard, West Valley City, UT 84119-2092.


The inside of the detective agency.

Other locations:


* Magic Shop

* Prancing Pony on Redwood Road -- the Bugbear owner is a contact. (Wendy's Restaurant is used as a stand in.)
* Draco Industries.
* The Spider's Haunt (Upscale Restaurant).
* Hunter Village -- West Valley City suburb as a home base for the PCs. 


Campaign Episodes:


Merlin Inc. 101 -- Ensemble.  Premise:  The PCs pay a visit to the nearby Prancing Pony on 3500 S. and find that the cash register's takings for the day has been stolen.  The proprietor, an elf,  hires the PCs to find the missing money.  Little do they know that Merlin the Magician, now a Detective looking into retirement, is watching the PCs. 


102 -- Focus: PC #1.


103 -- Focus: PC #2.


104 -- Continuity.


105 -- Continuity. 


106 -- Focus PC #1.


107 -- Ensemble.


108 -- Focus PC #3.


109 -- Focus PC #4.


110 -- Continuity. 


111 -- Ensemble.


112 -- Focus PC #5.


113 -- Change of Pace. 


114 -- Ensemble. 


115 -- Focus PC #1.


116 -- Focus PC #2.


117 -- Ensemble. 


118 -- Continuity.


119 -- Focus PC #3.


120 -- Change of Pace.


121 -- Focus PC #4.


122 -- Ensemble.


123 -- Focus PC #5.


124. Continuity.


125. Continuity -- Series Finale.

Myth and Roleplaying

Once there was a hero . . .

Who took up arms . . . .

To save the beautiful princess . . .

From the Dragon.


Thus begins the discussion in the video: "Remembering the End of the World."  The video talks about a dozen or so Archetypes that exist in human myth: the Hero, the Princess, the Dragon, the Great and Wise King.

When gamers roleplay, they are taking on the roles of the mythic Archetypes in order to defeat monsters of Chaos -- both real and imagined.


Black Dragon by *BenWootten on deviantART

To say the least, we role-players which to relive the mythic archetypes.  In a strong way, we are re-enacting the stories and the legends of the ancient Mythmakers.  We are the Hero in the story, off to fight powerful chaos monsters such as the Dragon, or the Chimaera, or the Gorgon.  Especially with her long, disheveled hair of snakes.   We act the part of Perseus, Hercules, Achilles, Theseus, even Arthur and Saint George.

We relive these Archetypes.  But where do they come from?  Carl Jung however said that they were deep archetypes, a part of the human psyche that was in borne that couldn't go away.  However comparative Mythologist David Talbot has other ideas.

What if the Hero in the story was actually a planet?  The planet Mars.

In Roman Mythology, Mars was the God of War and Agriculture.  Unlike modern representations of Ares -- as an Evil god who wanted perpetual war and conflict; Mars was was a hero god -- who saved the Princess from the Dragon.

Mars was the prototypical hero.  As for the Princess -- what if she was also a planet?  The planet Venus.  But that still doesn't explain the Chaos Monster or the Good and Wise King.  Let us reveal these archetypes for what they are: a planet and a comet.  The Good and Wise King, the archetype for all kings here on Earth, is a planet.  The planet Saturn.

The Chaos Monster, the Dragon -- a monster who has remained in man's imagination for a very long time -- is a creature that has no basis in the biological world.  Part serpent, part bird, part tiger, part leopard -- the dragon is the combination of all life.  But it has long flowing hair and is associated with Lightning.

To be fair, the Dragon or Chaos Monster is a comet.  A comet of planetary size and proportion . . . once again, the planet Venus.   How can the Planet Venus be both the beautiful Princess and the Chaos Monster?  In ancient times, the Mother Goddess was also the Goddess of Death and Misfortune.  In India, Khali is or was worshipped as the Goddess of Life and Death.  The same is true of Aphrodite, who is the Goddess of Love and Death in Greek Mythology.  According to the Egyptians, the planet Venus is associated with the Goddess Hathor -- who could turn into the terrible lioness Sekhmet.  And the planet Venus is also associated with Isis, the queen of the Gods.

And as for Saturn as the wise and good king of Heaven?  In a revelation to Abraham about the stars and the planets Yahweh (Jehovah) revealed: "These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is ^aKolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest."


--- Abraham chapter 3, verse 3. 


Most Mormons, who have this revelation, believe that the star Kolob is in the Center of the Universe, or the Center of the Galaxy.   However, this tradition is wrong and in error.  Kolob is a planet.  The planet Saturn.  

The word kolob is related to the word qelb, an Arabic word that means to turn around -- to rotate.  According to Yahweh, the planet Saturn was meant to be the lesser light (yes, Genesis says it was the moon).  The star which was the nearest unto God's throne.   It was to be used according to the times and seasons, as one revolution of Saturn's poles was to be as a day unto Yahweh -- one thousand years according to our reckoning here on Earth.  In ancient times, Saturn was worshiped by astronomers who were heathens.


Saturn became Osiris to the Egyptians, Saturn to the Romans, Chronus to the Greeks, Huang-di to the Chinese, and Brahma to the Hindus.  As the unmovable first sun, Saturn became the prototype for all kings on Earth.  The good and wise king, who brought prosperity during Man's golden age -- the Garden and the Time of Perfect Virtue. 

These are the archetypes that satisfy Roleplaying, but lets focus on the Dragon for a moment.

I'm interested in Astronomy and Mythology on how they relate.  When David Talbot talked about the Dragon being a monster that has no place in nature, it clicked when he said that the dragon was a comet.  In China, comets are seen as good luck.  However, in Europe, comets were seen as things of dread.  They are both these things.




I wanted to model my own dragon, my own representation of the comet Chaos Beast.  Although I have the DAZ Eastern Dragon and can use it at any time, modeling my own would be a challenge.  I thought I would base it on the paintings of this man in Nikko.  He draws the dragon with only two arms and a long sinewy tail.  How to accomplish this feat?

By using Pixologic's Z-Brush.  Z-brush allows one to sculpt completely in 3D with an orb of modeling clay made out of energy.  The program works in billions of polygons, allowing one to sculpt in fine detail.  After the initial sculpture is complete, I can paint it (texture it).  Afterword, one can export it to DAZ Studio 4 Pro and use the figure setup tools to set the dragon up and articulate it.  After this is done, I can then save it in DAZ Studio (with DS presets) in order to prepare the model for sale in the Renderosity Marketplace (DAZ Studio only, however enterprising people should be able to set it up for Poser).  Along with it's Maya and Vue counterparts.

The idea is to prepare a creature that represents a comet, seen in the sky.  Although uniformatarists scoff at the idea of Cataclysm or Catastrophe -- these are what the archetypes represent.  They represent stories of Catastrophe from days gone by.

Worgen Pathfinderized

This page updates the Worgen to Pathfinder.  Enjoy. :)

In the World of Warcraft The Worgen are an Alliance Race, the inhabitants of Gilneas. As the Graymane Wall kept people out of Gilneas, the Worgen curse had ravaged the inhabitants of Gilneas transforming them all into the deadly Worgen. These werewolves of Azeroth are the humanoid combination of humans and dire wolves, looking much more beastial than human.

The Foresaken fear and revile the Worgen, and the Foresaken Queen Sylvanas Windrunner has marched an army upon the Gilneans and the Greymane tribe of Worgen (at the orders of Garrosh Hellscream). To help fight the Foresaken, a secret druid sect within Darnassus had come to help the Worgen. The Druid sect bring Druidism to Gilneas, which a significant number of Worgen embrace.

With the fall of Gilneas to the Cataclysm, most Worgen and Gilneans escaped to Darnassus with their king, King Genn Greymane.  Lord Crowley and a few stayed behind and made alliances with the Worgen pack in Silverpine Forest in order to free Gilneas from the horrors of the Foresaken.

Classes: In World of Warcraft and true to their humanity the Greymane Worgen can become mages, warlocks, warriors, priests, and rogues. The Gilneans also study druidism and know how to hunt. As hunters, their beastial natures can aid the Worgen in their relationship with animals. Especially wolves.  A significant number of Graymane Worgen are barbarians because they give in to their animal natures, however not a few are Tinkerers (engineers).

Appearance: Greymane Worgen are the combination of humans and dire wolves. They look mostly humanoid, except with claws on their hands, a wolf's hind legs, and a wolf's head. They are also furred and the average Greymane worgen stands about seven feet in height.

Region: Gilneas. The Greymane Worgen are confined to Gilneas until the Cataclysm brought about by Deathwing. Like Duskwood, the kingdom of Gilneas is plagued by darkness.

Affiliation: Alliance. The Night Elves had come to induct the Worgen into the Alliance. Greymane is their rightful ruler, as they are attacked by the vile Foresaken. The Worgen are now the Alliance's wild, bestial race.

Faith: The Light and the Wyld. Some, or most of the Gilneans still belong to the Church of the Light. The Church of the Light thrives among the Worgen as part of the human heritage. However, Gilneas is the only human kingdom who had humans trained to respect nature. The Druidic Worgen embrace the Wyld and lead a good number of Gilneans to spiritual peace with Azeroth.

Names: the Greymane Worgen use human names or they may use Worgen names for their children. Worgen names include: Whitemane, Furyclaw, Scarpelt, and Greyhide.


Shapechanger Subtype: The Greymane Worgen are humanoids with the Shapechanger subtype.

Strength +2, Constitution +2, Charisma -2. Worgen are mighty, but their bestial natures detracts from their reasoning and their social interaction.
Medium: as medium creatures, the Worgen have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Worgen land base speed is 30 ft.
Shifting (Su): A Greymane worgen has two forms: human and worgen. The base form is worgen. As a standard action, a Greymane Worgen may shift from human to worgen or from worgen to human. This can happen at anytime of the day, thanks to druid Magic and Alchemy. The act of shifting from human to worgen transforms the human into a monster, and gives the worgen the barbarian rage.
Access to Shifter feats: A worgen may gain access to the Shifter feats presented in Races of Eberron and the Eberron Campaign Setting, and may take the Shifter traits of Longtooth, Wildhunt, or Dreamsight.
Claws: The claws that the Worgen has offers 1d4 pts of damage in an unarmed attack.
Low-Light Vision: In Worgen form, Greymane Worgen can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to discern color and detail under these conditions.
+2 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, and Jump checks: the Worgen's bestial nature enhances many of his physical skills.

Also, the Worgen may take Worgen levels to tap more fully into his Worgen heritage.


GREYMANE WORGEN CLASS

Typically, a Greymane Worgen is a human who has been once bitten by the worgen that overrun Gilneas.  The wound festers with active druid magic, changing the human and linking his spirit with that of the Wolf.    There are three levels of the Greymane Worgen class that allows the human to tap the beast and gain some of the powers of the Wolf.

Greymane Level

1st.  Base Attack: +0  Fort Save: +0, Ref Save: +2, Will Save: +2  Reactive Shifting, Worgen Instincts, +1 Intellect/Intelligence

2nd. Base Attack: +1 Fort Save: +1, Ref Save: +3, Will Save: +2  Wild Run, +1 Spirit/Wisdom

3rd. Base Attack: +2 Fort Save: +1, Ref Save: +4, Will Save: +3  Worgen Ferocity


Hit Die: 1d10.

Skills: 2 + Int. Modifier.

Class Skills: Climb (Str), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Gilneas) (Int), Perception (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Greymane Worgen with levels in only "Greymane" are proficient only with simple weapons, firearms, and the ability to use light armor.  This list excludes all crossbows.

Reactive Shifting: You can shift from human to worgen as an immediate action.  This allows you to shift even when flatfooted or when it is not your turn.

Worgen Instincts:  Tapping into your animal side grants you a +1 bonus on Perception and Sense Motive checks, and a +2 bonus on Initiative Checks while in Worgen form.

Wild Run: While in worgen form, you can run on all fours like a wild dire wolf and cover great distances.  This increases your overland speed to 250 as long as you are on all fours.

Worgen Ferocity: Greymane worgen are tenacious combatants, and you are no different.  While in worgen form, you continue to fight without penalty if you are disabled or dying.  So, when reduced to 0 hit points, you can act as if you weren't disabled.  You do not use one hit point for performing a standard or otherwise strenuous action while at 0 hit points.

When reduced to -1 or -9 hit points, you don't fall unconscious.  You do not automatically lose 1 hit point each round when at -1 to -9 hit points.  However, when your current hit points drop to -10 or lower, you immediately die.

My Golarion Campaign

So, I started a Golarion Campaign last night that was just on the fly.  When one of my players mentioned that a land was ruled by wizards that had a lot of Tech, I said -- the land is ruled by psychics.   The land in is Numeria.

Numeria is a land where space aged tech have landed and the wizards there are trying to understand it.  Actually, Numeria is a land ruled by an oligarchy of wizards who are trying to understand the tech that landed there.  Well, never mind the details.   I have the book of Races of Eberron and Secrets of Sarlona, it's the perfect time to actually USE them.

Adding five new races to Golarion is easy enough.  The races are:
* Warforged
* Shifters
* Changelings
* Kalashtar
* the Inspired.

Warforged in Golarion


Warforged Juggernaut by *BenWootten on deviantART

The Warforged are an invention of the Taldans.   Using creation forges, the Warforged were created for a war long ago and now only one Creation Forge is in operation.  The Warforged come in many flavors, but the most popular are the standard model and the Scout model.  Warforged are found everywhere these days, although the Creation Forges have gone out of operation in most states.  The only known working Creation Forge is in Taldor, but there are rumors that Cheliax has a working Creation Forge, as their Warforged are often taught to serve the forces of Evil.

Pathfinder Statistics:


Warforged are a living construct.  Use the statistics in Eberron Campaign Setting or Races of Eberron except for these changes.

* +2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -2 Charisma.
* Favored Class: None.

Warforged Scouts are halfing sized living constructs.  Use the statistics in Monstrous Manual 3 except for these changes:
* +2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma.
* Favored class: none.


Shifters in Golarion

Shifters are found most every place in Golarion, but are mostly found in Nirmanthas.  Mostly hidden in the forests rather in the villages, Shifters are seen as an aberration.  The result of Lycanthropic mating with humans.  Shifters have been able to breed true in the last thousand years.

Shifter Racial Traits:  Same as found in the Eberron Campaign Setting (3.5 edition) or Races of Eberron.  There is no change except:

* +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence.
* No favored class.

All shifter traits are present in Golarion.  The Dreamsight trait is rarest of all, but Dreamsight shifters are usually the wise men and women of the village and scattered among all shifter communities.  The Saartuk shifters in Secrets of Sarlona are found in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and Varisia out on the isles.

Truedive Shifters are found mainly in Thuvia and atheist Rahadoum, living in coastal villages.  Longstride shifters are found running the deserts of Qadira and Osirion; and Wildhunt shifters -- descended from werewolves, are found all over the northern Inner Sea region; while Razorclaw shifters -- descended from were tigers, are found mostly in the Mwangi expanse.

Changelings

Changelings are the result of humans mating with Dopplegangers.  Like the Shifters, they've been breeding true for a thousand years.  Changelings are found all over and not in great numbers.  They usually worship Desna the Mistress of Dreams (becomers), or Norgorber the master of Secrets (Passers).  The faction known as Reality Seekers actually worship Irori to follow a path of perfection.

Changeling traits: Use the traits listed in Eberron Campaign Setting or Races of Eberron except for the following changes --

* Natural Linguist -- Changelings add Linguistics to their list of class skills for any class they adopt.
* No favored class.


The Kalashtar

The Kalashtar have escaped the realm of Dreams and have come to Golorion.  Well, a piece of their souls at any rate.  The Kalashtar are the result of good aligned Quori that have merged with the souls of monastic humans.  The place of origin of the Kalashtar is the continent Vudra -- but most Kalashtar have European traits, although there are some with a strong Indian background.

The Kalashtar worship their own religion, the Path of Light; which is considered to be an offshoot of Issaism as practiced in Vudra (which may or may not be true). In the Inner Sea, the Kalashtar are found all over except the Mwangi Expanse.  They usually gather in cities, with the highest populations found in Taldor, Absalom, and Osirion.  The Kalashtar are actively fighting evil in Cheliax and fighting for their right to worship as they please in Rahadoum.  There are no Kalashtar in Qadira since they are persecuted for their religion in Qadira.

Kalashtar Traits:
As in the Eberron Campaign Setting or Races of Eberron.  Note that the Kalashtar are naturally psionic.  I use the Psionics Unleashed document so they have a full working mind link and access to psionic professions.  If you use this campaign guide and do not have Psionics Unleashed Kalashtar can be sorcerers with the Dreamspun bloodline to represent psions.



The Inspired


The Inspired are a race of evil humanoids that have taken over parts of Vudra and created their own little Empire similar to Sarlona.  The Inspired have infiltrated Rahadoum and Numeria.

Design Thoughts, BESM d20 skills to Pathfinder

To convert the list of skills in BESM d20 to Pathfinder, you have to start with Pathfinder and then add skills from BESM d20.  BESM d20 skills are in red.

Pathfinder's List:

Acrobatics
Appraise
Bluff
Climb
Computer Use
Craft
Controlled Breathing
Demolitions 
Diplomacy
Disable Device
Disguise
Drive
Escape Artist
Fly?

Forgery

Gamble
Handle Animal
*Heal*
Intimidate
Investigate
Knowledge (Arcana)

Knowledge (Architecture)

Knowledge (Biological Sciences)
Knowledge (Business)
Knowledge (Cultural Arts)
Knowledge (Domestic Arts)
Knowledge (Dungeoneering)Knowledge (Electronics)
Knowledge (Foreign Culture)
Knowledge (Geography)
Knowledge (History)
Knowledge (Law)
Knowledge (Local)
Knowledge (Mechanics)
Knowledge (Military Sciences)
Knowledge (Nature)
Knowledge (Nobility)
Knowledge (Occult)
Knowldge (Physical Sciences) 
*Knowledge (Planes)*
Knowledge (Police Sciences)
Knowledge (Religion)
Knowledge (Social Sciences)
Knowledge (Streetwise)
Linguistics
Medical
Navigate
Open Lock 
Perception
Perform
Pilot
Poisons
Power Usage
Powerlifting
Profession
Repair
Research 
Ride
Sense Motive
Sleight of Hand
*Spellcraft*
Stealth
Survival
Swim
Use Magic Device

Combat Skills
Archery
Gun Combat
Heavy Weapons
Melee Attack
Melee Defense
Ranged Defense
Special Ranged Attack
Thrown Weapons
Unarmed Attack
Unarmed Defense
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The new skills from BESM d20 increase, as they are taken from d20 Modern.  You will notice a few skills have asterisks around them.  This is simply because they are subsumed into other skills.  Heal is subsumed into Medical, and Spellcraft is subsumed into Knowledge (Arcana).  Fly has a question mark because of the Pilot skill.  Should it be subsumed or not?

BESM d20 has a skill called Wilderness Tracking.  This has been subsumed by the Survival skill.   If you notice, there is a skill called Controlled Breathing.  This could work for Autohypnosis.  Also, in Pathfinder Psionics, part of Spellcraft also have been subsumed into Knowledge (Psionics).

Skills are easy.  Feats are the hard part. :)

Atlantean Technology, Continued

Atlantean Sonic Pistol: A sonic pistol or gun has several frequencies that can be used for defensive or offensive applications on the battlefield.  The pistol itself consists of a handheld speaker that is 6 in. by 6 in.  It is constructed around a miniature ZPE converter for power.  The pistol itself consists of a handheld speaker that is 6 in. by 6 in.  A device constructed around the converter allows the user to adjust the frequency.  The sonic waves can be concentrated to be comparable to a Glock 17 9mm autoloader pistol.  The spell, Protection from Energy and the like can provide protection from the sonic pistol.

Knockdown Frequency
The sonic pistol delivers an attack that is comparable to the Improved Bull Rush feat on a successful attack.  Range increment: 30 ft.


Stun Frquency
The Sonic Pistol can be calibrated to deliver an attack that stuns your opponent for 1d6 rounds on a successful attack roll.  Range increment: 30 ft.

Suggestion Frequency
The sonic pistol can be technologically built to deliver a powerful suggestion per the spell or telepathic power suggestion (links to the spell).  The suggestion is transmitted directly and only to the person hearing it, and has a DC equal to 19.  Since it's technological and not magical, spell resistance is ignored.  Range Increment: 90 ft.

Hurting Frequency
Damage: 2d6
Critical: 20
Type: Energy (sonic)
Range Increment: 30 ft.
Size:Small
Purchase DC: 18
Notes: Protection from Energy offers a bonus of +4 AC vs. the Sonic Pistol for 10 minutes.

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Atlantean Sonic Cannon
A larger version of the Atlantean Sonic pistol is the Sonic Cannon.  It is placed in and on a car, van, or a truck the size of a Hummer 2.  The sonic cannon consists of larger speakers that deliver powerful sonic waves that can be dangerous to buildings.  Although not a weapon of mass destruction like a biological weapon, a chemical weapon, or a nuclear weapon; the Atlantean Sonic Cannon is a sonic application of cannon technology.  It has two frequencies: Suggestion and Destroying.

Mass Suggestion Frequency
The Sonic Cannon can be surreptitiously used to implant a suggestion in a large number of people as per the spell or telepathic power Mass Suggestion (links to the spell).  This effect ignores spell resistance and has a Save DC equal to 26.  Range increment: 300 ft.

Destroying Frequency
The Sonic Waves can be concentrated into a frequency that will vibrate most constructions apart.  The waves will knock down an army of men per the Improved Bull Rush feat.
Damage: 2d6x100
Critical: 20
Type: Energy (sonic)
Range Increment: 300 ft.
Size: Gargantuan
Purchase DC: 35

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Firearms:  Atlantis has a large number of firearms.  Rather than make up fire arms with Atlantean names, I suggest that the player pick up a copy of the Weapons Locker for d20 Modern and use the pistols and machine guns in that book for use.  If the Weapons Locker is unavailable, then use the Firearms table in the d20 Modern SRD downloadable from Wizards of the Coast.


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Energy Weapons, Other

Other Energy Weapons are not beyond the Atlanteans' capabilities.  However, to stay within the realm of our own possibility, you have to assume that only Ion Cannons and Laser Cannons are currently probable.  Ion Cannons have been developed by Nikolai Tesla, so they aren't beyond 20th Century technology.  Laser cannons, or the Heat Ray, have been in fiction since at least the publication of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells.

This is a 'good' use of a 5 million volt electron accelerator.



However, lets go beyond our capability and say that the Atlanteans had at least, energy rifles.


Laser Rifle:  A laser rifle is able to fire a beam of light through Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation; that causes heat damage comparable to a Browning M2HB.  The rifle is fully portable, and contains it's own miniature Orgone Converter.  The generator is capable of generating 5 million volts and fires a concentrated beam of light energy.  No backpack required.  Sound is added for effect (chu! :) ).

Damage: 2d12
Critical: 20
Damage Type: Fire
Range Increment: 110 feet
Rate of Fire: One continuous beam
Power Source: Orgonite Energy Clip
Size: Large
Weight: 12 lbs.
Purchase DC: 22


Ion Rifle: An Ion Rifle fires a concentrated beam of electrons at your enemy (beta radiation).   The rifle consists of a miniature particle accelerator, and the high energy electrons causes as much X-Rays and Gamma Rays as a bolt of lightning.  The power source uses the same miniature Orgone Converter as the laser rifle.  Sound is comparable to a crack of thunder, but not deafening.

Damage: 2d8
Critical: 20
Damage Type: Electricity
Range Increment: 110 feet
Rate of Fire: Single
Power Source: Orgonite Energy Clip
Size: Large
Wieght: 13 lbs.
Purchase DC: 24

Gauss Plasma Rifle: A plasma rifle that is lot a like the Ion Rifle, except its much more unwieldy.  It uses magnetism to fire high energy projectiles at your opponent.  The Gauss Plasma Rifle is more dangerous than the Plasma Shotgun.

Damage: 2d12
Critical: 20
Damage Type: Ballistic
Range Increment: 220 ft.
Rate of Fire: Single
Magazine: Linked.
Power source: Orgonite Energy Clip
Size: Huge
Weight: 50 lbs.
Purchase DC: 75


Plasma Shotgun: A weapon capable of firing a packet of high energy ions, like the Ion Rifle.  It's a Guass Plasma Rifle toned down.

Damage: 2d8
Critical: 20
Damage Type: Fire
Range Increment: 30 ft.
Rate of Fire: Single
Power Source: Orgonite Energy Clip
Size: Large
Weight: 8 lbs.
Purchase DC: 17

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Vehicles of Peace and Vehicles of War

People laughed at Noah for building a ship that wasn't anywhere near water.  So, the Atlanteans had ships to convey themselves across the water.  They also had cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, and trains.  But none of these depended on the Internal Combustion Engine, while Steam Locomotives would not use coal.  All of these would use ZPE or Orgone Energy converters.  There were jets too.  And this is where we step off the realms of what is Hard Science and go into more realms of Speculative Science.

Conveyances

Atlantean Submarine:  The Atlantean Submarine is much like the Los Angeles class submarine (links to naval-technology.com) in the U.S. Navy.  It's packing 362 ft. of waterproofed steel, and displaces 6,818 long tons of water when submerged.  Atlantean Submarines are self propelled by Orgone converters through independent crystal matrices.
Speed: 20 Knots (23 mph) on the surface, 20 Knots submerged with 33 Knots capable.
Purchase DC: 90