[PF]Magitech dystopia

[Vanitas]

Hello, guys. I've been listening to too much Protomen recently, so I've been considering introducing some sort of magitech dystopia in my game.
My first idea was of some clerics (I'm thinking hobgoblin clerics) starting a community in which no one needs to spend time farming or hunting due to Create Food and Water spells. They spend all their time training people to cast spells or to fight - if you are not fit for either (i.e., someone with 10s across the board), they kill you. They would begin interacting with the players when they start kidnapping higher level clerics and wizards to get what they don't have.
I also considered they could start a breeding program with called creatures to get more powerful residents.
What else could these guys do? I want to keep it RAI, so Tippyverse shenanigans don't really apply here. It has to make sense in-world.
Which other race could I use as a start? I considered hobgoblins because they are kind of militaristic, but I think I'm overusing them in my games.
Please help!

[Mr.Sandman]

This could work well with the Drow, as an alternate to Hobgobs, they already have a half fiend race in 3.5 that you could adopt as well. The Dregoth, or something like that. This could help an entire magitec civilization be able to crop up without anyone noticing it, how often do people check on the Underdark?

[Vanitas]

This could work well with the Drow, as an alternate to Hobgobs, they already have a half fiend race in 3.5 that you could adopt as well. The Dregoth, or something like that. This could help an entire magitec civilization be able to crop up without anyone noticing it, how often do people check on the Underdark?

Hmm, the drow really could work! I'll think about it.

[Spore]

My first idea was of some clerics (I'm thinking hobgoblin clerics) starting a community in which no one needs to spend time farming or hunting due to Create Food and Water spells.

You def. need to rework 'Create Food and Water' then as well as your cosmology.

I think your god(s) would be pretty pissed if they get asked for food every other day, for an entire cities' population. Other than that, the created food is bland and tasteless. You could either refluff this to create any meal you desire or make upper class dining a thing (remember, even if you make some kind of communist gulag, you still have people who can't afford luxuries).

Remember other stuff. You need (mundane) clothing. You need shelter (construction workers) and warmth as well as infrastructure. Transportation is another thing.

[(Un)Inspired]

This is a really cool idea. If I were you I wouldn't have them kidnapping high level clerics and wizards (those buggers are hard to actually catch). It's rad you could have there burgeoning city start to grow so rapidly that it's encroaching on other settlements. Think the sprawl from Neuromancer.

As this dystopian mega city starts to grow larger and large it become visible on the horizon of several humanoid settlement and they start just absorbing there land the heros get pulled into the adventure that way.

[Slipperychicken]

My first idea was of some clerics (I'm thinking hobgoblin clerics) starting a community in which no one needs to spend time farming or hunting due to Create Food and Water spells. They spend all their time training people to cast spells or to fight - if you are not fit for either (i.e., someone with 10s across the board), they kill you.

1. Why don't they just use Plant Growth (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/p/plant-growth) to have ludicrously productive agriculture instead? It's a hell of a lot more efficient than blowing spells every day. Also, you can store the product of Plant Growth just like any other food. Plants can be made into almost anything you need, including food, clothing, and shelter. Also, the spell lets you grow stuff without sunlight or adequate soil minerals, so you could theoretically keep your farms in a basement or cave.

2. Instead of killing undesirables, why not simply boot them out of the community? Killings attract too much attention from outsiders, unless they can keep it quiet.

[Vanitas]

You def. need to rework 'Create Food and Water' then as well as your cosmology.

I think your god(s) would be pretty pissed if they get asked for food every other day, for an entire cities' population. Other than that, the created food is bland and tasteless. You could either refluff this to create any meal you desire or make upper class dining a thing (remember, even if you make some kind of communist gulag, you still have people who can't afford luxuries).

Remember other stuff. You need (mundane) clothing. You need shelter (construction workers) and warmth as well as infrastructure. Transportation is another thing.

That's why I went with hobgoblins, actually - they are soldiers. Eating bland stuff is just fine for them. I don't think the gods would care, really. Or I could use wands, if that really becomes an issue.
For clothing, shelter and stuff, there is Minor Creation/Major Creation/Fabricate. For transportation, I'm thinking called/summoned creatures. This keeps getting creepier and creepier. I love it!


This is a really cool idea. If I were you I wouldn't have them kidnapping high level clerics and wizards (those buggers are hard to actually catch). It's rad you could have there burgeoning city start to grow so rapidly that it's encroaching on other settlements. Think the sprawl from Neuromancer.

As this dystopian mega city starts to grow larger and large it become visible on the horizon of several humanoid settlement and they start just absorbing there land the heros get pulled into the adventure that way.
Hm. That could work. One more reason to go with goblinoids, since they mature fast and the quick growth would make a lot of sense.


1. Why don't they just use Plant Growth (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/p/plant-growth) to have ludicrously productive agriculture instead? It's a hell of a lot more efficient than blowing spells every day. Also, you can store the product of Plant Growth just like any other food. Plants can be made into almost anything you need, including food, clothing, and shelter. Also, the spell lets you grow stuff without sunlight or adequate soil minerals, so you could theoretically keep your farms in a basement or cave.
While it is efficient, it just doesn't look dystopian enough.


2. Instead of killing undesirables, why not simply boot them out of the community? Killings attract too much attention from outsiders, unless they can keep it quiet.
That would let other people know about what they were doing and it's not really dystopian. It's a good way to get the players involved, though - a fugitive with tales of what is going on there.
There is a prestige class (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/s-z/souldrinker) that allows the user to harvest souls for magic item crafting and stuff. That could be used as an excuse for the killings. Actually, using souldrinker could also mean they are getting their divine casting from the Four Horsemen, so that helps with the whole "the gods would be mad" angle.

[Spore]

That's why I went with hobgoblins, actually - they are soldiers. Eating bland stuff is just fine for them. I don't think the gods would care, really. Or I could use wands, if that really becomes an issue.
For clothing, shelter and stuff, there is Minor Creation/Major Creation/Fabricate. For transportation, I'm thinking called/summoned creatures. This keeps getting creepier and creepier. I love it!

This may actually sound just like Hobgoblin Potter and the Spell List of Luxury.

[Slipperychicken]

This may actually sound just like Hobgoblin Potter and the Spell List of Luxury.

Hobgoblin Hogwarts would probably be called something like Pigblisters School of Warfare and Wizardry.

[Vanitas]

I think staffs would work better than wands, since you can recharge them with shouls.

[Suddo]

I think staffs would work better than wands, since you can recharge them with shouls.

Magic Items take a huge initial investment and in a war like kind of Hobogoblins it would be unlikely to be made. Also remember how long it takes to make your money back.

I think Plant Growth is a great idea. Have the Hobogoblins with 10s go into slavery as farmers constantly farming.

[Vanitas]

Magic Items take a huge initial investment and in a war like kind of Hobogoblins it would be unlikely to be made. Also remember how long it takes to make your money back.
It doesn't take any money, it just takes a lot of souls.