[Pathfinder] Class-based Worldbuilding

My long-time readers know that I like random generators for worldbuilding. Those who have bought and read my Doomed Slayers setting also know that I like to give "adventurers" a proper social context - why and how they exist within a fantasy society, and how the rest of society interacts with and views them.

So why not go a step further? In many games with "character classes", such as Pathfinder, the classes are often something of an abstraction which might not have a clearly defined counterpart within society. Normal people might not see much of a difference between a sorcerer, a wizard, or a witch - or a cleric, druid, or oracle. But what if that is not the case? What if particular classes have clearly defined roles in society which everyone recognizes, even if they don't understand the deeper mystery of the class?

Of course, trying to come up with a social role for each Pathfinder class and for each society within your world would represent enormous effort for possibly little gain. But by selecting a few classes for each society - let's say three - and working out what they mean within the context of their culture, we can focus on what makes a particular society distinct. And after that, if a player selects a particular class for their character, it will have some immediate associations with a particular culture which will shape other people's interaction with them.

So, how does this work? Start by rolling (1d4-1)x10+1d10 (that is, generate a random number from 1 to 40) three times and consulting the following table:

1: Barbarian
2: Bard
3: Cleric
4: Druid
5: Fighter
6: Monk
7: Paladin
8: Ranger
9: Rogue
10: Sorcerer
11: Wizard
12: Alchemist
13: Cavalier
14: Gunslinger
15: Inquisitor
16: Magus
17: Oracle
18: Summoner
19: Witch
20: Ninja
21: Samurai
22: Arcanist
23: Bloodrager
24: Brawler
25: Hunter
26: Investigator
27: Shaman
28: Skald
29: Slayer
30: Swashbuckler
31: Warpriest
32: Kineticist
33: Medium
34: Mesmerist
35: Occultist
36: Psychic
37: Spiritualist
38-39: Roll for a random prestige class
40: Roll twice

Currently there are 86 prestige classes listed in the Pathfinder SRD. I will leave choosing randomly between then as an exercise to the reader.

Next, if the class in question has archetypes or some forms of "specialization" (such as the arcane schools of wizards), check if all members of that class have a shared status within the society or if only particular archetypes or specializations are held in prominence. Roll 1d10:

1-6: All members of the class share the same status.
7-8: One archetype/specialization is prominent.
9: Two archetypes/specializations are prominent.
10: Three archetypes/specializations are prominent.

Choose randomly between the available archetypes and/or specializations.

Finally, roll 1d4 to determine what the overall status of that class is within the culture in question:

1: Adored. The class is part of the ruling elite, "living saints", or held otherwise in great esteem.
2: Respected. The class may not be part of the elite, but they are generally at least "middle class" or otherwise well-paid professionals.
3: Disdained. Few members of "polite society" will openly admit to doing business with them, but the services of the class are too useful to be ignored.
4: Reviled. No citizen of good standing will even look at them - they might be untouchable or otherwise not protected by the law. Killing them will frequently not have any legal consequences, and might even be seen as a laudable act in extreme cases. However, the class might not be defenseless (few player character classes are), and they usually band together and take care of their own - they might not ever be able to gain respect, but their more powerful members can gain the fear of others. Perhaps they also band together as secret societies, so that nobody will know they have learned the abilities of the class in question.

There should probably be at least one class which is Respected or Adored - if all your results are 3 or 4, repeat the rolls until you get a 1 or 2.

So, let's try this out! Rolling on the table three times, we get:

• Mesmerist, all Mesmerists, Disdained
• Hunter, all Hunters, Reviled
• Inquisitor, Vampire Hunter only, Adored

What have we here? Well, this particular region suffered a major plague of vampires in a frontier area. The vampires infiltrated and took over several of the hunting lodges during their reign of terror, and it took an order of vampire hunters to break their power - these vampire hunters are now hailed as the saviors of the country, and many children want to join them when they grow up. Meanwhile, the remaining hunting lodges are suspected of harboring vampires - not entirely without cause in a few cases. Those who have managed to stave off the vampires are now trying to restore their reputation and destroying the remaining vampire-infected lodges, but many survivors have just given up and moved to other lands where they face less suspicion. Meanwhile, mesmerists are now popular as "vampire detectors" - since they know very well how mind control works, they are among the first who can detect vampiric influence in others. They are still seen with a lot of suspicion from the population, but their services are too useful to be ignored.

And another example:

• Wizard, Familiar Adept, Exploiter Wizard, Arcane School of Air, Reviled
• Medium, all Mediums, Disdained
• Samurai, all Samurai, Adored

In this feudal land, there are none more respected than the warriors who swear fealty to a lord and live and die for him. They guard the land vigilantly against its many enemies - foremost among those are the Cloud Wizards who dwell on remote mountaintops, fly through the air, and bring bad weather and bad fortune as everyone knows. Furthermore, the warriors know that as long as they face battle and death bravely, they are assured a honored place among their ancestors. No one doubts this publicly, for to doubt is shameful. However... doubts remain. And thus, many - perhaps even most warriors - secretly consult mediums to contact their ancestors and ease their doubts. If the ancestors are pleased with the warrior, they will tell him through the medium. If they are not pleased, they will tell the warrior how to atone for their failings so that they can restore their honor before passing on to the other side. The mediums, in turn, are well paid for this service - as long as they never talk of it and do not draw attention to their presence - for if it were known that a medium was part of a lord's household, it would mean that the lord would doubt.

Your thoughts?


EDIT: On some further thought, it's probably a good idea improve the odds that a certain class is at least respected. Thus, change the die roll for determining the social status of the class to 1d6:

1: Adored
2-4: Respected
5: Disdained
6: Reviled

Setting Idea - Fantastic Colony

Over the decades, D&D and its various incarnations (such as Pathfinder) have accumulated some truly bizarre creatures in their various monster manuals. I am not talking about creatures from real world mythology. I am also not talking about hybrid critters like the infamous owlbear. No, I am talking about beings which look like they couldn't have possibly evolved in an Earth-like environment, such as the tentamort:

 

the yrthak:

 or even the abominable flumph:

So how do all these strange creatures come into contact with fantasy worlds which are, though not exactly Earth, at least very similar to our own world? While you could always claim "A Wizard Did It!" and leave it at that, but I, for one, prefer my settings with a bit more internal logic.

For Urbis, I ruled that all those creatures which look like they couldn't have possibly evolved in an Earth-like environment... in fact didn't, but usually came from other planets in the same solar system, implying that there was travel between the planets in the distant past and these creatures represent invasive species to the local ecosystem. This works well enough if you want to keep those creatures around as an occasional novelty. Still, there is another approach one could take - what if these creatures are not the invasive species, but humans (and elves, and dwarves, and...)?

Let's imagine the following scenario. We start out with a fairly standard D&Desque fantasy world with all the usual tropes and a fairly usual Earth-like environment.

Unfortunately, that world is doomed to die. In 10 years or so, the sun is going to explode, or a similar catastrophe of equal magnitude which is going to leave no survivors. And everyone knows this. Civilzation is still able to function, but the impending doom puts a damper on things.

Then one of the wealthier nations comes up with a plan - evacuate everyone to another world. Sages scry the multiverse, and while most worlds they find are too hostile, there is one fairly "nearby" (in magical terms) which is suitable - a terrestrial world with breathable atmosphere, with plants and animals digestible by humans.

And vice versa.

However, life there evolved along rather different lines. Instead of the birds and mammals and reptiles, the flowers and trees we are familiar with, the ecosystems on this world are extrapolated from the strange life froms of D&D history. With some limitations - if I want to publish this, I would have to limit myself to creatures published under the OGL. In particular, the primary resources would be:

• The Pathfinder Bestiaries
• The Tome of Horrors Complete, since that book has been able to collect all sorts of classic D&D monsters due to a special deal with Wizards of the Coast.

Further limitations would be:

• No "Earth-like" creatures - no recognizable mammals, birds, reptiles and so forth.
• In particular, no recognizably humanoid creatures, as this would present seemingly relatable people and take away from the alien atmosphere of the setting.

This should still provide a rather lengthy list of suitable creatures. From these, I could find common links which indicate "families" of species, and from there I could fill out the holes in the alien ecosystem, eventually reaching a level of detail similar to that of the Blue Planet RPG (in particular, its excellent Natural Selection sourcebook).

So this is the world which is chosen by the inhabitants of our doomed fantasy world. Magical portals are being built - their cost is vast, equivalent to the wealth of a city-state, yet when the very survival of one's civilization is at stake then the cost must be paid. It is now Year Three of the colonization effort, and various nations have established beachheads and a ring of rapidly growing settlements on this alien world which struggle to make this land fertile for their crops so that they can feed the teeming, desperate masses pouring through the gates. Some of the gates have fallen to orcs and other marauding monsters who are now fleeing to this world as well. But the biggest challenge is the alien environment itself - its many inhabitants, many of which are deadly and many of which are not, and few of the refugees know enough to tell the difference. A number of seemingly intelligent creatures have been encountered, though nothing the refugees would recognize as native civilization - so far, although explorers have found long-abandoned ruins in remote regions...

The PCs can be peacekeepers solving the problems among the settlers, merchants seeking to exploit the riches of this new world, leaders trying to carve their own nations into the wild, or exploers uncovering the secrets of the land.

Your thoughts?

[Urbis] Monsters of the Cold Frontier - The Coastal Forests

The coast of the Cold Frontier is mountainous and covered by dense forests. Compared to the rest of the region, it is fairly warm and humid. It is also the domain of the Coastal Tribe civilization. As the Trade Outpost the PCs start the campaign at is located in this area, the PCs will likely start to explore this region first.

Based on my earlier notes, the following encounters seem appropriate for this region. While I am not using the Pathfinder rules for this campaign, I will nevertheless add Pathfinder Challenge Ratings (and levels, where appropriate) to the entries to give a rough comparison of power. As the "starting area" of the campaign, the Challenge Ratings should be fairly low. The precise encounter will be determined by 1d100:

• 1-6: A lone Coastal Tribe hunter. Roll d6: On a 1-3 the hunter is a warrior 1/expert 1 (CR 1/2), on a 4-5 a warrior 2/expert 1, and on a 6 the hunter is a ranger 3 (CR 2). There is a 50% chance that the hunter is curious and approach them to see what they are doing, while the rest of the time the hunter will be wary and attempt to stay out of sight. 25% chance of being female, otherwise male.
• 7-10: A Coastal Tribe hunting band, consisting of 1 ranger 3 and 1d4 warrior 1/expert 1 (CR 3). Each member will have a 25% chance of being female, otherwise male.
• 11-12: A Coastal Tribe Eagle Scout (ranger 3) sitting on a giant eagle circles overhead, observing the explorers. If the explorers give some sort of signals or if there is a fight, there is a 50% chance that they will swoop down and investigate (CR 4).
• 13-14: A lone shaman gathering herbs and other supplies. Roll 1d20: 1-5 adept, 6-8 sorcerer, 9-11  oracle, 12-14 druid, 15-17 summoner, 18-19 witch, 20 wizard. Level is 1d6. 50% chance of being either male or female.
• 15-16: A Coastal Tribe Skinwalker shadows the explorers for a time to divine their intentions. There is a 50% chance that the Skinwalker will do so in either animal or human form. The Skinwalker will avoid revealing shapeshifting abilities unless there is no other choice. The Skinwalker is a ranger 4, with the type being determined by a roll of 1d6: 1-2 werewolf, 3-4 werebear, 5-6 werebat. 25% chance of being female.
• 17-19: A lone Flannish trapper (warrior 1/expert 1, CR 1/2) who will approach the PCs and ask for the latest news. 10% chance of being female.
• 20-21: A lone Flannish prospector (warrior 1/expert 1, CR 1/2) with a pack mule. 20% chance that he will return from a successful gold or silver find and be wary of strangers whom he fears will steal. 10% chance of being female.
• 22-28: Bear. 50% chance of either black bear (CR 3) or a grizzly (CR 5). There is a 25% chance of it being a female with 1-3 cubs, which will attempt to flee instead of fight but make the mother's disposition worse. 
• 29-32: Bat Swarm (CR 2). There is a 20% chance that the PCs have disturbed them somehow (such as making camp in front of their lair) and that they will be aggressive. Otherwise they will swarm around the PCs but not attack.
• 33-34: Dire Bat (CR 2). This bat will attack a lone scout or a single person standing guard, but not if two or more humans are up and active.
• 35-40: Wolf. 50% chance of either a lone wolf which will not attack unless it finds a lone and injured or small straggler (CR 1), or an entire wolf pack with 2d6 members (CR 3 for 2 wolves, CR 4 for 3 wolves, CR 5 for 4-5 wolves, CR 6 for 6-7 wolves, CR 7 for 8-11 wolves, and CR 8 for 12 wolves). They will use intelligent wolf pack tactics, but they can be driven off through sufficient displays of magical prowess.
• 41-42: Dire badger. Will attempt to threaten intruders away before attacking unless startled, in which case it will attack immediately. 4 in 6 chance of lone individual (CR 2), otherwise small clan of 1d4+1 individuals (CR 4 for 2, CR 5 for 3, CR 6 for 4-5 dire badgers).
• 43-46: The explorers will come across a skunk (CR 1/4), with a 20% chance of it being a dire skunk (CR 3). It will refuse to back away and hiss, but not attack unless the explorers refuse to back away. Note that the explorers have likely never seen a skunk before.
• 47-50: 1d6 dire weasels will fiercely defend their territory against intruders. CR 1for 1 dire weasel, CR 3 for 2, CR 4 for 3, CR 5 for 4-5, and CR 6 for 6 dire weasels.
• 51-55: A wolverine will attack to defend its territory (CR 2). 20% chance of a dire wolverine (CR 4).
• 56-60: An owlbear attacks (CR 4). 25% chance of a mated pair (CR 5).
• 61-64: A sasquatch passes nearby (CR 2). The PCs might never catch a glimpse, but they might hear its howls, knocks, or footprints.
• 65-68: A lone decapus (CR4) either attempts to ambush lone stragglers from above or lure the explorers into a ravine with the aid of its illusions and mimicry.
• 69-70: If the PCs are inattentive, one of them will be attacked by either a lone gryph (50% chance, CR 1) or a flock of 2d4 of the creatures (CR 3 for 2 gryphs, CR 4 for 3 gryphs, CR 5 for 4-5 gryphs, CR 6 for 6-7 gryphs, or CR 7 for 8 gryphs). In each case the creatures will fly away to their fetid and overgrown lair after they have deposited their eggs into the explorers' bodies. 
• 71-74: One of the PCs will step on a slime mold (CR 2) unless succeeding on a perception check. If avoided, the mold will still attack anyone nearby.
• 75: A tendriculos (CR 6) ambushes the PCs.
• 76-79: A snallygaster stalk the explorers (CR 3). Will prefer to ambush lone individuals unless it smells alcohol, in which case it will go berserk. 50% chance of mated pair (CR 5).
• 80-81: A skulk (CR 1) will shadow the PCs and attempt to steal whatever it can from their equipment. It won't hesitate to murder any PCs in their sleep, but it also won't engage in any unnecessary risks to do so.. 20% of a small gang of 2d4 individuals (CR 3 for 2 skulks, CR 4 for 3 skulks, CR 5 for 4-5 skulks, CR 6 for 6-7 skulks, or CR 7 for 8 skulks).
• 82-85: A mothman (CR 6) will stare at one of the PCs and then vanish.
• 86: A faceless stalker (CR 4) attempts to befriend the party by posing as a native hunter and then luring lone PCs away to drink their blood and steal their skin.
• 87: A lone chaneque attempts to ambush a lone explorer (CR 1). If their soul is stolen, native shamans might be able to help with finding it.
• 88-92: 2d4 fey creatures are frolicking in a meadow. Their base mood towards the explorers will be either shy or playful (50% chance of each). Roll 1d6 for the base type of fey creature: 1 for mice (treat as rats, CR 1/2), 2 for fox (CR 1/2), 3 for racoons (CR 1), 4 for toads (CR 1/6), 5 for weasels (CR 1), and 6 for squirrels (CR 1/6). Adjust the CR for the number of creatures. There is a 20% chance that they will fight a conflict for territory with another fey creature. If the PCs speak Sylvan, they may be asked to mediate.
• 93-95: Twigjacks attempt to sabotage the explorers' equipment. 70% chance of a lone twigjack (CR 3),  otherwise a group of 2d4 individuals (CR 5 for 2 twigjacks, CR 6 for 3 twigjacks, CR 7 for 4-5 twigjacks, CR 8 for 6-7 twigjacks, or CR 9 for 8 twigjacks).
• 96-97: A group of 2d4 leaf leshys protects a small region of the forest containing a multitude of useful herbs and berries created by a local shaman. Anyone just passing through will be observed, but anyone attempting to pick the herbs will be harassed until they leave. CR 1 for 2 leshys, CR 2 for 3 leshys, CR 3 for 4-5 leshys, CR 4 for 6-7 leshys, or CR 5 for 8 leshys.
• 98-100: Special encounters.

 "Special encounters" includes creatures that only exist once in the region, as well as unique NPCs the explorers have encountered before. If the explorers defeat those particular creatures, they won't show up again. Examples (roll 1d4 to determine which one);

• 1: A solitary wyvern (CR 6) swoops down and attacks a party member. Only one wyvern lives in this mountain range.
• 2: A sudden thunderstorm occurs, and a thunderbird (CR 11) can be seen soaring in the clouds. Only one thunderbird lives in this mountain range.
• 3: A Worm That Walks (sorcerer 9, CR 10) observes spellcasting explorers for a while. If discovered, it buries into the ground and escapes rather than attacking. Only one Worm That Walks lives in the region - a native shaman who discovered this unnatural method for prolonging his life.
• 4: A pukwudgie is in search of more lone victims to add to its undead retinue (CR 7). There is only one pukwudgie living in this area. There is only one pukwudgie living in the region, but the tribes have fearful legends of the creature.

Note: A list of all Urbis-related posts can be found here.

[Urbis] Monsters of the Cold Frontier, Part IV

Continued from Part III...

And now let's have a look at the final Pathfinder Bestiary published so far.

• Almiraj: While its source is from Islamic poetry, it is obscure enough that it should fit into Nardhome without causing undue comment. Inland.
• Alpluachra: This creature from Welsh mythology is also bizarre enough to make it into our list. Inland lakes.
• Beheaded: Those might be a specialty of some local necromancers.
• Bodythief: This creature might spring up after the PCs have established some farming villages.
• Chaneque: Hated monster of the coastal tribes.
• Dossenus: Underground. A swarm of these creatures emerging on the surface might qualify as a "natural disaster" for the colony.
• Dragon, Outer: These might make a guest star appearance or two as the campaign progresses. It's likely that all the dragons in Urbis originally came from space, anyway...
• Drake, Mist: Inland.
• Drake, Spire: The northern canyon lands, especially in the old ruins.
• Ectoplasmic Creature: Common in native ruins.
• Festering Spirit: Might also show up in native ruins.
• Freezing Flow: Desolation.
• Fungal Creature: Perhaps these are the result of an old First City experiment - which means that an old research station might be filled by a small society of these beings. They are trapped - until the PCs accidentally release them.
• Golem, Coral: Some shamans of the Coastal Tribes might be able to create them - and if not them, then maybe the marine creatures they interact with.
• Hungry Flesh: Another First City experiment. I am beginning to suspect that they created outposts in Nardhome partially to have an out-of-the-way location to conduct bizarre biological experiments in.
• Immortal Ichor: This seems to have potential, yet I am not sure how to fit it into the campaign. Perhaps the God Chamber is powered by it? Or perhaps it represents the remains of the last being which attempted to use the God Chamber - parts of it became the Wendigo, and the rest became... this.
• Incutilis: Coastal.
• Isitoq: Created by evil local shamans.
• Kasatha: These beings might make an appearance late in the campaign as the off-planet connections become obvious.
• Lunarma: Dormant cocoons of these beings might be found in the northern Desolation, to be stumbled across by careless explorers.
• Lurking Ray: Underground.
• Lycanthrope, Werebat: The Coastal Tribes have some specialized "skinwalkers", and bat-type skinwalkers might be found among them.
• Lycanthrope, Wereshark: Likely exist among the Coastal Tribes, might appear in the Colony later on.
• Manitou: One exists in the region which likely feels responsible for not stopping the Great Scourge.
• Mindslaver Mold: Another First City experiment that got out of control.
• Myrmecoleon: Alien from the planet Surtus. Desolation.
• Owb: Might be manipulating events for its own purposes - but what are those?
• Qallupilluk: Coastal. A creature from Inuit mythology!
• Shadow Creature: Beings trapped when a First Age settlement was transported to the Plane of Shadows.
• Shredskin: Might be created as a byproduct of evil native rituals. Anywhere.
• Shriezyx: Guardians of prehuman ruins. Desolation.
• Snallygaster: Inland forests and mountains.
• Walrus: Common in the coastal areas. Might be an animal totem of the coastal tribes.
• Weasel (Dire, Giant): Inland. Might be a totem to the inland tribes.
• Weedwhip: Immigrant from Magrith. Rare, but exists in the Inland areas.
• Xenopterid: Inland, Desolation. Likely from another planet.

[Urbis] Monsters of the Cold Frontier, Part III

Continued from Part II...

Let us now search the Pathfinder Bestiary 3 for creatures appropriate to the Cold Frontier campaign.

• Adherer: Inland, Underground. Possible "survivors" of the Great Scourge that destroyed the inland ancestors of the coastal tribes.
• Adlet: Highly appropriate, since these creatures are from Alaskan myth! Inland, and one of the major nonhuman cultures in the region.
• Akhlut: Coastal, Inland. One lives in an area of "permanent storm" it has created.
• Allip: Anywhere, but especially native ruins.
• Animal Lord: One or two of these might live in the region.
• Ascomid: Underground.
• Bandersnatch: There are likely legends of this creature - and perhaps an old footprint set in stone - though none currently inhabits the region.
• Cecaelia: Coastal. Linked to the "Octopus Totem". Likely trades with the coastal tribes where the Octopus is a prominent totem, and the PCs might be interested to learn where that particular village gets its trade goods.
• Cerebric Fungus: Underground, Desolation. Immigrant from Calturus.
• Cold Rider: Inland, Desolation. May be connected to the myths of the Inland Tribes.
• Crab (Shark-Eating, Shipwrecker): Coastal.
• Deathweb: Any. Possibly a remnant of the Great Scourge.
• Dire Corby: Underground. Might control some surface regions as well.
• Drake (Rift): Inland, especially in the northern canyon lands.
• Drake (River): Inland, rivers and lakes.
• Ecorche: Anywhere. There needs to be some powerful necromancers which create these.
• Festrog: Haunt native ruins in great numbers.
• Fey Creature: Somehow, fey animals seem to be particularly appropriate for this region. I need to work out some specific examples...
• Flail Snail: Underground. Immigrant from Magrith.
• Flumph: I have to put a few of those in there somewhere, warning the PCs about the great dangers... Likely an immigrant from Yethrod.
• Ghorazagh: Underground. Also an immigrant from another planet.
• Graveknight: One might be controlling the old native Fortress City - he or she might have been the local commander who contributed to its fall.
• Guecubu: If the PCs have to pronounce the death penalty on someone in their colony, he might rise as this entity.
• Herd Animal (Elk): Common in the Inland areas. Totem to the Inland tribes.
• Hodag: Mythologically appropriate, will haunt the Inland.
• Huecuva: There might be tribal equivalents.
• Hungry Fog: Fits great with the scourge that devastated the ancestors of the Coastal tribes and will thus haunt Native ruins.
• Kamadan: Both the normal and the Dusk and Polar varieties will exist Inland.
• Leshy (All): While the original leshies were from Russian mythology, this interpretation of plant beings created via the infusion of spirits would work well with local spellcasters.
• Myceloid: Underground.
• Owl (Giant): Totem to the tribes. Will watch over certain forest regions.
• Owl (Great Horned): Common in the forest regions.
• Phantom Fungus: Underground. Immigrant from another planet.
• Porcupine (Common and Giant): Common in the Inland areas.
• Pukwudgie: None-too-infrequent danger to the tribes. May serve as villains in the first campaign arc.
• Sasquatch: Inhabiting the forests throughout the region. Lone PCs should encounter these from time to time, though indirect encounters should be more common - the PCs should feel that they are frequently being watched.
• Skunk (Common and Giant): Yes, the PCs will encounter these.
• Spider (Giant Crab, Ogre): Inland, Underground.
• Spider Eater: Desolation. Another immigrant from off-world.
• Tupilak: Highly appropriate for native shamans - often of an evil one, considering what is usually used for its construction. The Coastal Tribes will have access to plenty of whalebone for this purpose.
• Zuvembie: Anywhere. Might be a secret ritual of the native tribes.

To be continued...

[Urbis] Monsters of the Cold Frontier, Part II

Continued from Part I...

Let us continue with our examination how to fit the various Pathfinder monsters into the Cold Frontier campaign, this time using the Bestiary 2. Again, I am sorting the habitats of the creatures into the rough divisions of Coastal, Inland, Desolation, and Underground.

• Akata: Very highly appropriate for the Desolation, where some of their cocoons may survive, waiting to be released by an unlucky human.
• Amoeba (Giant, Swarm): Underground.
• Aranea: Inland.  While the Cold Frontier is far away from their usual tropical homes, a small colony of these beings might hide in the northern forests. One of them might even live in the colony itself, to learn more about the strangers' magics and who might become a mentor to a PC mage. One has to wonder about their ability to adapt to the form of a single humanoid being - perhaps they evolved it to better fit into their respective environments, and other forms than humanoid are possible, though unlikely in this world as having a humanoid form is just too useful. They might come from the planet Magrith.
• Atach: Inland. May be the result of First City experimentation.
• Aurumvorax: Inland, Underground. Will be found at sites which are suitable for mines.
• Badger (Common, Dire): Inland. One tribe may have trained some dire badgers as village defenders.
• Bat (Mobat): Anywhere.
• Bat (Skaveling): Underground, Desolation. Might feature in the myths of the inland tribes.
• Beetle (Slicer): Inland, Desolation.
• Blindhelm: Underground. Possibly immigrants from Yethrod.
• Blink Dog: Inland. Will feature in the mythology of the tribes.
• Carnovirous Blob: Desolation. May be found in First City or Prehuman ruins.
• Catoblepas: Inland. There should only be one in the region.
• Centipede (Giant Whiptail, Titan): Desolation, Underground.
• Charda: Coastal, Underground.
• Cockroach (Giant, Swarm): Desolation.
• Crypt Thing: May be guarding specific ruins.
• Decampus: Inland, Underground. Likely common in the coastal forests, and I should probably emphasize its links to the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. Also note that like with the Kraken, 10 tentacles = bad.
• Destrachan: Underground, Desolation. An immigrant from Yethrod, and in my personal canon they are this irritable because the air pressure of the world they are finding themselves on is so low.
• Devilfish: Coastal. Another evil octopus, but with seven tentacles instead of eight!
• Dragonfly (Giant): Inland, Desolation.
• Faceless Stalker: Inland. Likely feature as prominent bogeymen in tribal legends. Might have its own local culture, based out of one of the swamps.
• Fetchling: A First City colony might have been transported to the Plane of Shadows and turned their inhabitants into this, and now they have found a way back.
• Frost Worm: Desolation.
• Fungal Crawler: Underground. Immigrant from Yethrod.
• Giant (Marsh): On the map, the only suitable swamps are Inland, but perhaps they migrate to the sea annually to mate with the "abominations from the deepest sea".
• Grick: Underground. Immigrant from the planet Calturus.
• Gryph: Inland, especially in remote and filthy regions of the coastal forests.
• Hangman Tree: Inland. Darkest areas of the coastal tribes.
• Howler: Desolation.
• Krenshar: Inland.
• Leucrotta: Inland.
• Moonflower: Desolation. May be an immigrant from Magrith.
• Mosquito (Swarm): Inland. Hey, this is the northern tundra!
• Mothman: Inland. Known as a harbinger of ill omen to the tribes. Their appearances have been more common as of late.
• Mu Spore: Desolation. Immigrant from Magrith.
• Neh-Thalaggu: Desolation. Unknown origin.
• Phycomid: Underground.
• Quickwood: Another plant monster that might lurk in the Inland forests.
• Reefclaw: Coastal.
• Seugathi: Desolation, Underground.
• Shining Child: May appear later in the campaign, though I haven't worked out the reasons yet.
• Skulk: Anywhere. Bogeymen to the tribes. Intelligent race that might be a full-fledged faction in its own right.
• Slime Mold: Inland, especially in the coastal forests.
• Slithering Tracker: Ruins, Underground.
• Slurk: Underground.
• Tendriculos: Inland. There is likely a site or two in the coastal forests generating those.
• Tentamort: Inland, Underground. Immigrant from Yethrod.
• Thoqqua: Volcanoes.
• Thunderbird: Inland. Likely a totem animal to the tribes.
• Totenmaske: Everywhere. Bogeyman to the tribes, though likely called something else.
• Twigjack: Inland, likely in the coastal forests - and the first fey creature I feel fits into the region.
• Vampiric Mist: Inland, likely in places where ruins can be found.
• Vemerak: Underground, Desolation.
• Water Orm: Inland. And I really need to put a lake on the map somewhere...
• Wendigo: Inland, Desolation. Highly appropriate, and likely the leader of a cannibal cult or two among the inland tribes and sapient monsters.
• Whale (Common, Great White): Coastal.
• Winterwight: Desolation.
• Worm That Walks: There is likely one or two of these entities haunting the coastal forest areas who once was a native shaman. May not necessarily be hostile and willing to negotiate with spellcasters willing to deal with it for new magics. There are stories about these beings among the coastal tribes, as well as tales of a drunk trapper who swore that he saw something like this, once.
• Xtabay: Inland, Desolation.
• Yrthak: Inland, Desolation. Immigrant from Yagrith.

To be continued...

[Urbis] Monsters of the Cold Frontier, Part I

As outlined in my previous post, the native inhabitants of the Cold Frontier should not include the "common D&D races" (apart from humans) and avoid any creatures that are too closely tied to "Old World mythologies" - Europe, Asia, Africa and so forth - while anything drawn from North American mythology would be ideal. Since I am entertaining notions of eventually publishing this campaign at the moment, I also want to draw the creatures from Pathfinder canon, in particular the four Bestiaries published so far. Thus, I will go through each Bestiary in turn and see what they have.

While it is too early to come up with specific encounter tables for different terrains, I will group the creatures into four rough categories which I can build upon later:

• Coastal: Living in the oceans or close to the shore. Will likely feature in the lifestyle of the Native coastal settlements.
• Inland: Living away from the shores deep in the interior. May have links to the inland barbarian tribes.
• Desolation: Living far inland in remote mountain regions where the land becomes "uncanny" and hostile. May venture further south in the winter.
• Underground: Lives in the local "Underdark". May venture up to the surface for raids, especially at night.

With that in mind, let us start with the first Bestiary:

• Aboleth: As aliens from the planet Calturus, they can show up pretty much anywhere on the world, and thus can fit in Underground, though likely below the Desolation.
• Animated Object: There might be a few ruins of First City outposts that generate these for some reason. Finding out why objects become animated might be a minor plot point. It might even happen to stuff the PCs brought with them if they stay overnight!
• Bat (Dire, Swarm): Everywhere. May be an animal totem of some of the tribes.
• Bear (Grizzly, Dire): Inland. Likely an animal totem of the inland tribes.
• Beetle, Fire: Desolation. Note that in Urbis these creatures come from the planet Surtus.
• Black Pudding: Desolation, Underground. Another immigrant from Calturus.
• Boar (Normal, Dire): Inland. Likely an animal totem of the inland tribes.
• Cave Fisher: Underground. Might be a common feature of certain coastal caves, which the natives know to stay clear of.
• Centipede (Giant, Swarm): Underground, Desolation.
• Choker: Underground, Desolation. Likely a result of First City experiments.
• Cloaker: Another immigrant from another planet, likely Calturus. Underground.
• Crab (Giant, Swarm): Coastal. Likely an animal totem of the coastal tribes. I imagine a cave that is filled with crabs during the flood, and a rite of manhood in a nearby coastal tribe involves staying inside for the duration - and (male) outsiders trying to impress the tribe may be asked to undergo the same ritual. Of course, they won't be secretly handed the tribe's crab repellant tincture, but if they manage to stay inside nonetheless they will impress the tribe.
• Dark Mantle: Another Calturus native. Underground.
• Dolphin (Common, Orca): Coastal. Likely an animal totem of the coastal tribes.
• Doppelganger: An interesting case, as these beings are currently manufactured by the city-state of Bargeto. But the Bargeto entry mentions that they rediscovered how to create these beings - so where did they learn it from? I can picture it now, the PCs stumbling across a First City or even a Prehuman ruin and finding an old, enchanted tank with a large, milky-white blog suspended in an unknown fluid. As they approach, the blob reacts to their presence and gradually forms limbs... eventually taking on a humanoid shape similar to their own.
• Dragon (Chromatic, White): Desolation for the older ones, Inland for the younger ones - the younger white dragons will be driven south by their older and more powerful peers. As the younger ones are still inexperienced, they will likely observe and stalk the party for quite some time before attacking them - preferably in an ambush.
• Eagle (Common, Giant): Coastal, Inland. Likely to be an animal totem to both the inland and coastal tribes. One of the tribes will have trained/befriended a group of Giant Eagles, and they consider themselves the protectors / scouts of the other coastal tribes, warning them against hordes of monsters, inland tribes and whatnot. They will often be found circling overhead in the coastal regions, watching the PCs.
• Elephant (shaggy woolly mammoth): Inland. Likely an animal totem to the inland tribes.
• Froghemoth: Inland. Likely from the planet Yethrod.
• Gelatinous Cube: Underground, Prehuman ruins.
• Ghost: Eveywhere, but especially Desolation where they will often be based on rather alien base creatures.
• Ghoul: Desolation, Underground. Famous bogeymen to the tribes. Possibly remnants of what destroyed the ancestors of the coastal tribes.
• Gibbering Mouther: Underground, Desolation. Likely has some link with either First City or Prehuman ruins.
• Golem (Ice): Someone produces these things, and they shamble across the frozen wastes. Perhaps the PCs will learn their origin.
• Gray Ooze: Inland marshes, Desolation, Underground. Another immigrant from Calturus.
• Herd Animal, Bison: Inland. Likely an animal totem to the inland tribes.
• Intellect Devourer: Possibly found in some First City ruins.
• Invisible Stalker: Desolation.
• Kraken: Maybe a long-term menace threatening the coastal tribes and the coastal colony.
• Lycanthrope, Werewolf: This form of Lycantropy may run in some of the inland tribes.
• Merfolk: Coastal. May trade with one of the coastal tribes for pearls and whatnot. The PCs might discover that trade and attempt to muscle in.
• Mimic: Underground, Desolation, possibly the same ruins where the Doppelgangers can be found.
• Mite: Underground.
• Morlock: Underground. Will likely be called something else by the native tribes, and feared as monsters who emerge from the depths of the earth to steal and murder.
• Neothelid: Desolation.
• Octopus (Common, Giant): Coastal. Likely a totem animal to the coastal tribes, and one of them might have a giant octopus as a village guardian. Contrary to what the PCs might expect, that tribe is not evil.
• Otyugh: Underground. Immigrant from Yethrod.
• Owlbear: Inland.
• Purple Worm: Underground. Immigrant from the planet Surtus.
• Remorhaz: Desolation. Immigrant from the planet Surtus.
• Rhinoceros, Woolly: Inland. Likely an totem animal to the inland tribe. And isn't a herd of these animals thundering across the tundra an awesome image?
• Roper: Underground. Immigrant from the planet Calturus.
• Rust Monster: Underground. Immigrant from the planet Surtus.
• Sahuagin: Coastal. They will initially be confined to the deeper oceans (and the native fishers know which regions to stay clear of), but may venture closer to the coast if the increased traffic to the trading outpost disturbs them.
• Sea Serpent: Coastal. There should likely be a single sea serpent of note with its own nickname.
• Shark (Common, Dire): Coastal. Likely an animal totem to the coastal tribes.
• Skum: Possibly Underground, but if I use them I will do away with the "rape human women to procreate" aspect.
• Spider (Giant, Swarm): Underground, Desolation.
• Squid (Common, Giant): Coastal. As they are linked to the Kraken, they are considered evil by the Natives, and are not considered a totem animal.
• Treant: Inland. Likely a problem for the timber needs of the growing colony. The treants might even gather to a moot.
• Troglodyte: Underground. Perhaps they were the original builders of the Prehuman ruins?
• Vampire: May arrive with the colonists. One might also be a survivor from the previous colonization wave, 250 years ago.
• Vegepygmy: Underground. Likely the result of a First City experiment.
• Violet Fungus: Underground. Immigrant from the planet Yethrod.
• Will-O'-Wisp: Inland. Possibly another remnant of the great disaster that killed the ancestors of the coastal tribes.
• Wolf (Common, Dire): Inland. Likely an animal totem of the inland tribes.
• Wolverine (Common, Dire): Inland. Likely an animal totem to the inland tribes.
• Wyvern: Inland.
• Yellow Musk Creeper: Inland, Underground. I imagine these beings are a regular plague in certain region, going dormant during the cold of winter. Most of their musk zombies will be animals.
• Yeti: Desolation. I especially like their "guardians against uncanny things" aspect, which I will probably use in some way.

To be continued...