PDA

View Full Version : Pathfinder Classes/Archetypes appriopriate for Tribal Campaing



Man on Fire
2016-01-22, 09:04 AM
I'm still preparing to DM in PF again. After some thinking I've decided that my original campaing idea (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?474294-PF-Tiefling-and-Aasimar-as-templates) is likely too complicated for what shapes to be a part of inexperienced players. So instead I've decided to try and make a game where all pcs are members of a wild, isolated tribe living far away from the civilisation. As such I've started running a list of classes that I will allow and ban on the grounds of being climatic and thematically appropriate. So far I have this:

Approved: Barbarian, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Oracle, Witch, Bloodrager, Shaman, Skald, Hunter
Approved with appropriate Archetype: Bard, Fighter, Rogue
Forbidden: Cleric, Monk, Paladin, Wizard, Alchemist, Gunslinger, Inquisitor, Magus, Summoner, Antipaladin, Nija, Samurai, Arcanist, Investigator, Swashbuckler, Warpriest,
Don't know: Cavalier, Brawler, Slayer

What do you advise me doing with the last 3? Any advise on Archetypes for Bard, Fighter and Rogue? Or maybe introduction of some hybrid classes makes some of those redundant and I could limit the number of classes a bit? What do you think?

Also, I've never had any experience with hybrid classes before, so is there anything I should know about them, before allowing them?

EvilAvocado
2016-01-22, 10:37 AM
As for bard I think most of the archetypes would be fine. You would probably have to restrict performance types(due to unavailability of instruments). Percussion,dance, sing, wind and oratory are probably fine but the others seem weird in a tribal society.

The most fitting archetypes imo are thunder caller, voice of the wild, animal speaker, and savage skald.
Most of the others can be refluffed to fit. For example an arbiter bard could be the negotiator between other tribes.

Hope this helps!

Cranthis
2016-01-22, 02:24 PM
First, I would say you should put Magus into the "with appropriate archetype" list. The Hexcrafter and/or Eldritch Scion would make it fit a tribal campaign very nicely. With the Hexcrafter, you are more like a witch, and could flavor it as getting it from your tribes patron spirit, like a witch or a shaman.

I think Cavalier should go into the "with appropriate archetype, or with reasonable flavor" list. Its pretty easy to flavor a cavalier to be a tribal horsemaster or something. Brawler is probably one of the most versatile, both fluff wise and in crunch, with what you can do, and I think as long as the players stick to the fluff, you should put Brawler into the fully allowed list.

Ninjaxenomorph
2016-01-22, 02:51 PM
If the tribe has any sort of writing, then wizards could exist. Seconding the cavalier idea; samurai can be even better, since they can make extremely good horse archers.

Ettina
2016-01-23, 07:35 AM
If the tribe has any sort of writing, then wizards could exist. Seconding the cavalier idea; samurai can be even better, since they can make extremely good horse archers.

I doubt they would. In d&d, the only class explicitly stated to come from a tribal background is illiterate, and in real life, the earliest writing systems all came from city-dwelling cultures. The only tribal cultures I know of that could write were taught writing by a city-dwelling culture. (Eg Inuit were taught a writing system by Jesuit missionaries.)

You could maybe have a 'tattoo spellbook' wizard, that wouldn't seem too out of place in my opinion.

Milo v3
2016-01-23, 08:33 AM
With my stone-age setting I have the following class set up:
Approved: Alchemist, Arcanist, Barbarian, Bard, Bloodrager, Brawler, Cavalier, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Hunter, Inquisitor, Investigator, Kineticist, Medium, Mesmerist, Monk, Occultist, Oracle, Paladin, Psychic, Ranger, Rogue, Shaman, Skald, Slayer, Sorcerer, Spiritualist, Summoner, Swashbuckler, Warpriest, Witch.
Requires Archetype: Magus & Wizard.
Banned: Gunslinger.

Thealtruistorc
2016-01-23, 09:09 PM
Banned: Gunslinger.

Personally, I think that a gunslinger could work with some tinkering. Weapons such as the atlatl were powerful ranged tools in that period, and I envision that a gunslinger devoted to atlatls or slings could do quite well in this setting. The concept of grit actually fits the premise of a hunter quite well, drawing power from successes and invoking it to hunt down or combat other creatures.

Milo v3
2016-01-23, 09:52 PM
Personally, I think that a gunslinger could work with some tinkering. Weapons such as the atlatl were powerful ranged tools in that period, and I envision that a gunslinger devoted to atlatls or slings could do quite well in this setting. The concept of grit actually fits the premise of a hunter quite well, drawing power from successes and invoking it to hunt down or combat other creatures.
Except it wouldn't work since the mechanics of gunslinger relies on working with the firearm rules and this isn't in the homebrew section.

Ninjaxenomorph
2016-01-23, 11:13 PM
The lowest-tech a gunslinger can be is a toss-up between using crossbows or normal gunslinger using a fire lance; both at least require some level of civilization.

I don't think Fighters need much in the way of archetypes to work; it just represents someone who is good at fighting. Just because they are proficient in heavy armor doesn't mean they will ever have access to it.

Man on Fire
2016-01-24, 09:04 AM
First, I would say you should put Magus into the "with appropriate archetype" list. The Hexcrafter and/or Eldritch Scion would make it fit a tribal campaign very nicely. With the Hexcrafter, you are more like a witch, and could flavor it as getting it from your tribes patron spirit, like a witch or a shaman.

I think Cavalier should go into the "with appropriate archetype, or with reasonable flavor" list. Its pretty easy to flavor a cavalier to be a tribal horsemaster or something. Brawler is probably one of the most versatile, both fluff wise and in crunch, with what you can do, and I think as long as the players stick to the fluff, you should put Brawler into the fully allowed list.

Magus is interesting in this take, I'll add him.
And Cavalier - the biggest problem is that I don't know how to handle Orders in this case.

Milo v3
2016-01-24, 09:27 AM
Magus is interesting in this take, I'll add him.
And Cavalier - the biggest problem is that I don't know how to handle Orders in this case.

Just don't have them be physical orders in the setting and simply be pure mechanical constructs that don't exist outside of reflecting differences between individuals. I mean, it's rather ridiculous that they are proper organizations in their default fluff to begin with.