Crossroads: The New World

[Admiral Squish]

Crossroads: The New World
An Alternate America, Circa 1750 A.D.

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I had gained the summit of a commanding ridge, and, looking round with astonishing delight, beheld the ample plains, the beauteous tracts below.

~Daniel Boone, The ADVENTURES of Col. DANIEL BOON; containing a NARRATIVE of the WARS of Kentucke

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Crossroads: The New World is a campaign-setting for the Pathfinder d20 system, based on North America in the mid-1700s, but with a few minor "improvements" to the timeline.

Imagine a fantasy world where Pirates of the Caribbean, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Dances with Wolves, and Apocalypto could all describe different arcs of a single, continent-spanning campaign.

Imagine a North America which is very much like the one you may know, but where history takes a remarkably different course. Ask yourself...

• What would have happened if China had begun colonizing the west coast at the same time as Europeans colonized the east coast?
• What would have happened if the Dorset Culture had not died out at the hands of the Inuit, but instead absorbed the technology of their would-be successors? What if they began expanding their empire southward, picking up Norse ironworking and rune-magic along the way?
• How would the balance of power in the fur-trade been different if the Great Plains merchant-city of Cahokia had thrived well into the 1700s?
• What might have been if Hernán Cortés' illegal and unauthorized expedition in the land of the Mexica had ended in his death, and the death of his distant cousin, Francisco Pizarro? What if the mighty empire of the Aztecs never fell to foreign invasion, but instead continued to grow and expand by conquering its neighbors with "borrowed" firearm technology?

Imagine a world where European wizards pit their magic against Native shamans, Aztec bloodcasters, Norsq runescribes, and feng shui geomancers. Imagine a world which is at once intimately familiar and shocking in its strangeness.

Imagine a world you may have known your entire life, yet never truly appreciated how wonderful, how strange, and how exciting it truly is.

Imagine… a New World.

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The world of Crossroads: The New World is a world very much like our own. The details may be different, the people may be different, but the march of history follows the same path. There are a few key points where the worlds diverge, and these key points drastically change the face of the world.

The first, and perhaps most pervasive change is the existence of magic. There are two kinds of magic, the arcane, and the divine. Arcane magic is used by harvesting and manipulating an ambient energy that blankets the world. In some places, this energy is more abundant, in others, it’s barely there at all. Divine magic is granted by powerful beings from the spirit world, and is affected by human thoughts and beliefs. Magical creatures roam the wilds, with bizarre and fantastic powers.

The second change is the continued growth of Cahokia. Cahokia, the great city of the mound-builders, was a massive, sprawling complex of temple mounds, wooden huts, and bazaars. In our world, the city fell to flood and famine, but in this world, with the help of druidic magic and divine foresight, the city avoided the disaster and only grew larger and more powerful. The city is now a huge, sprawling urban setting, ruled by extremely rich families of mound lords. The city’s strength is trade, and through trade they control a dozen major client tribes and countless more small groups. These client tribes are now members of the Cahokian League, a loose organization of groups subtly manipulated by Cahokia.

In the north, a people known as the Dorset Culture - to their fellow natives, the Tuniit - were once a thriving civilization that occupied much of what is now eastern Canada. In legend, they were referred to as giants, huge and powerful, but we may never know the truth of this claim: in our world, the Dorset were quietly driven out of their lands and eliminated by the Thule Inuit. In this world, the Tuniit are truly giants, and they stood their ground and eventually brought the Thule into their number, assimilating their technology. Eventually, the influence of the Tuniit expanded through political assimilation, the Tuniit intermarrying freely with each new culture they came across, until they were bound together inextricably. The Tuniit are now found all throughout the north, from the eastern shores of Vinland to the western Aleutian Islands.

Across the Atlantic, the Black Plague raged all through Europe, killing hundreds of thousands. In our world, it’s ravages went unchecked. In this world, divine magic allowed a measure of defense. Agents of the Catholic Church traveled all through Europe, curing the disease wherever they went. In reality, the church’s campaign actually had relatively little effect on the total death toll, but everyone the church saved survived. Nobility and commoners alike owed their very lives to the church, a debt repaid in full as the church gained unprecedented control over the mainland of Europe. Blaming the plague on witchcraft and magical beasts, the church launched a crusade that drove non-divine spell casters and the vast majority of magical creatures to the brink of extinction. Britain alone remained outside this influence, for the most part, with the tradition of the Merlinic Order of Wizards carrying on, much to the Church’s ire.

To the Pacific now, the Chinese Admiral Zheng He’s voyages through the seas were great and numerous. In our world, they remained in the western edge of the Pacific. But in this world, the great admiral made landfall on the western shores of Canada, in the area we know as British Columbia, a land he named Fúsāng (扶桑). Having found a new land, eventually, others followed in his footsteps, even establishing the first Chinese colony on the Olympic Peninsula of modern-day Washington state. When the Qing overthrew the aging Ming Dynasty, many Ming loyalists fled across the sea to settle this new land, as well as many of the Ming Dynasty’s spellcasters. Perhaps most importantly, the Ming Emperor’s infant daughter, the last blood relative of the ruling dynasty, was secreted away to the new world. Nearly a hundred years later, the Empress has died, leaving her only daughter, a teenager, in command of Fúsāng.

In the south, the Triple Alliance was under assault, both by foreign invaders and their own rebellious subjects, but they captured the foreign commander, and made him dance before a statue of Huitzilopochtli, the war god, before they sacrifice him. In our world, one of Cortez’ lieutenants sacrificed himself to help Cortez escape. But it this world, the Aztecs sacrifice Cortez, and the moral victory shattered the Spaniard’s resolve and emboldened the Aztecs. As the remaining Spaniards fled to the coast, many were killed, others captured. Some of the captives were offered a chance to survive, if they taught their captors to work iron, steel, and bronze. All together, the captives gave the Aztec enough information to begin mining, smelting, and forging their own metal weapons and armor. Armed with the captured weapons and armor of the fallen Spaniards, the Aztec armies became nearly invincible on the battlefield, and quickly put down the rebellion the foreigners had incited. The priests told the people that these events were a test, that the weak have been slain by the disease and war, to make the Empire stronger than ever. The Aztecs expanded in all directions, moving north all the way to the Rio Grande and south almost to the Isthmus of Panama. But these borders are only temporary: it remains to be seen whether Tenochtitlan can hold them for long. But the gods are always hungry, and they always need more captives to sustain them.

[Admiral Squish]

Basic System Changes

One major change is the reduction of wealth. Players are not going to have access to nearly as many magical items as in a typical Dungeons & Dragons setting. The main reason for this is that the setting simply doesn't support it: most adventures will require some amount of travel, and players cannot afford to be weighed-down (literally) by their possessions. In lieu of items, we strongly recommend converting 2/3 of the PC's wealth into points using this system.

Alignment and Morality
By modern standards, nearly every society in Vespuccia has numerous cultural practices which would be considered "evil" today: unwilling human sacrifice, the torture and execution of captive warriors and prisoners-of-war, forced religious conversion, second-class citizenship for women and ethnic minorities, and chattel slavery (just to name a few). As such, the traditional Alignment Grid is less useful in this setting as a gauge of relative morality than it is in a traditional Dungeons & Dragons setting. Cultural and personal beliefs play a much greater role in this setting than a player's or creature's alignment.
In Crossroads: The New World, alignment-dependent spells instead affect creatures and characters who hold moral viewpoints which are alien to the caster. For example, the spell protection from evil would defend a Good-aligned Medicine Man against a wendigo, but it would also defend him against attacks made by an angel or a kirin, because even though these latter creatures are technically Good-aligned, they do not fit into the Medicine Man's cultural conception of "Good".

Currency
Currencies vary from place to place in Vespuccia, and can include coins, paper notes, precious metals, furs, blankets, shells, cocoa beans, and strings or belts of wampum. As such, there is no universal currency that can be used the way GP are in a typical Dungeons & Dragons setting. As such, prices of various items are measured in Value Points (1 VP = 1 GP). You can trade items for any number of items of equal or lesser value, or currency totaling equal or lesser value. You can attempt to get a better deal, upselling the items you're offering, by making a Bluff check opposed by the opponent's Sense Motive check. If you succeed, you may trade as though your offer were worth 10% more VP. If you fail, however, all your items are treated as though they were worth 90% of their actual value for this transaction.

Language and Literacy
This setting uses a custom skill system to represent the ability to speak and understand languages, which is outlined here.
Illiteracy is the default state for all characters. Literacy is a rare and powerful ability which,. though difficult and costly to learn, allows a person to transmit his or her thoughts across great stretches of time and space. Learning a language does not automatically confer the ability to read or write that language; that ability is represented by one or more of a series of feats, which are listed here.

[New Advantage] Culture
Every sentient creature gains a Culture at 1st level. This Culture determines languages spoken, and is also a prerequisite for some feats and prestige classes. Each Culture grants one free background feat and allows a character to treat one additional skill as a class skill.

[New Combat Maneuver] Counting Coup (Under Construction)
Among Native societies, the act of inflicting nonlethal damage upon one's enemy and escaping unharmed is known as counting coup, and is widely considered to be a greater source of renown than actually killing one's enemy. In the centuries since First Contact, this practice has diffused into many Colonial societies as well; it is practiced widely in almost any setting which has significant Native influence, though still rarely employed by Colonial armies in serious, large-scale military battles.

[New Skill] Handle Canoe (Str; untrained)
This skill functions as outlined in the Voyageur class description, except that in this setting, it can be used untrained.


Magic Changes
There are a number of things that magic normally allows that, if allowed in this setting, would mean that the world's history would dramatically change in unpredictable ways, and as such, they must be strictly controlled.

The first notable change is the availability of flight. No player characters gets access to flight. All spells that grant flight are to be removed from spell lists. All feats or class abilities that grant flight are similarly removed. Races that allow flight are off-limits. There are large flying creatures capable of bearing the weight of a rider, however, they are universally unsuitable for domestication. Maybe they’re too wild, or too hard to contain, or impossible to train, or too slow to breed.

The second change regards teleportation. In this setting, long-distance teleportation spells do not exist. In this world there are magical gateways known as ‘Links'. These Links connect two points of the world, and can be activated by any sufficiently powerful spellcaster, at the appropriate time and place. Links are a tad unpredictable, and are rarely useful for any major transportation, but the advantages of instant travel are obvious, and anyone with enough money or magical talent can use them to cross vast distances, which would take weeks or even months of travel to reach normally. Some places have the potential to become linked, and these links can be cultivated by a sufficiently powerful spellcaster on each end over a period of several months.

The third change specifically regards resurrection. The spells raise dead, resurrection, and true resurrection are all removed, and will be replaced with some new spells. When a person dies, their soul becomes an incorporeal being on the spirit world. The soul can then wander the plane freely for a number of days equal to the creature's HD. After this duration is up, the soul must make a will save to remain on the spirit world. (DC 20) If they choose to stay, their soul becomes a ghost, they can no longer be raised, and their body begins to decay. At any point during their time on the spirit world, the soul can choose to pass on. The soul then goes on to the afterlife, a plane beyond the spirit world that nobody can contact, perceive, or travel to. It's a one-way trip, and nobody knows for certain what's on the other end. Once they pass on, the person cannot be raised, and the body begins to decay. In the meantime, while the soul is wandering the spirit plane, the person's body must be in perfect condition before being restored to life. That means the body cannot have any HP damage, ability damage, ability drain, or conditions. So, to revive one who has died from a disease, you'd have to cure the disease, then heal all the ability damage it caused, before the soul could return to it.

Finally: though no-one is quite certain why, magic functions better in Vespuccia that it does everywhere else. All spells and spell-like abilities cast more than 100 miles outside Vespuccia are reduced. A reduced spell has all variable, numeric effects of the spell reduced by 20%, it’s DC reduced by 2, and it’s duration decreased by 20%.

Races
Awwakkule
Huli Jing
Innunguaq
Quetzal
Ocelotl/Cuauhtli
Sasquatch
Spirit-Born
Taqriaqsuit
Trollkin
Tuniit
Witch-Blood

Classes
Brute (WIP)
Cleric
Druid (Remake, pure caster.)
Gunslinger
Hunter (WIP)
Inquisitor
Martial Artist (WIP)
Medicine Man (WIP - needs more Rituals)
Rogue
Runescribe
Voyageur
Warlock
Witch

Cultures

Name	Background skills	Background Feats	Native Language	Bonus Languages	Taboos
European (Continental)
European (British)
European (Frontier)
Han
Han (Frontier)
Native (California)
Native (Caribbean)
Native (Great Basin)
Native (Great Plains)
Native (Mammucha)	Handle Animal, Ride, Survival, Swim	Mammut-Healer, Mammut Rush	Mammutcha Yatii
Native (Maya)	Craft, Knowledge (Religion), Survival, Swim	Nimble Moves, Noble Scion, Self-Sufficient, Warrior Priest	Any Mayan	Any other Mayan, Nahuatl, Spanish	Abusing a capitve
Native (Mexica)	Craft, Knowledge (History, Religion), Survival	Bloodletting, Noble Scion	Nahuatl	Cahokian, any Mayan, Spanish	Abusing a captive, Becoming drunk, Eating food that a mouse has nibbled
Native (Northwest Coast)
Native (Plateau)
Native (Southeastern)
Native (Southwestern)
Native (Tundra)
Native (Vinlandr)	Intimidate, Profession (Sailor), Survival, Swim	Berserker’s Cry, Corsair, Galley Slave, Fight On, Rugged Northerner	Norsq		Fighting Dishonorably
Native (Woodlands)

Equipment

Feats
Born of Two Peoples

Spells
Alligator's Stealth
Bison's Endurance
Create Cenote/Sinkhole
Jaguar Apocalypse
Leap of the Antelope
Porcupine's Embrace
Preserve Food
Rain-Dance
Squirrel's Balance
Sun-Dance
War-Dance

Prestige Classes
Bloodcaster
Coureur des Bois
Extreme Explorer
False Face
The Nameless (Meiou Mingcheng)
Scarred Monk
Skin Walker

Useful Resources
Research and Inspirational Materials
Animals of the Americas

[Admiral Squish]

Columbia

On the eastern coast of the New World, cities and farms spring up; islands of civilization in an ocean of untamed wilderness. From New England and Nouvelle France in the north down to Nueva España and the newly-independent Republic of Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean, all the way to Nouvelle Orleans on the mouth of the Great River, settlers of many classes, faiths, and backgrounds seek to conquer and tame these savage lands in the names of kings from across the sea.

The states which founded the various colonies of Columbia have been at war on-and-off for decades (centuries, really), but for the moment at least, most conflicts have been officially been put on hold. Even within the holdings of a single state, each colony was founded with different intentions and goals by its original settlers: some came to escape religious persecution, others came to spread the Good News, while others simply came to make money. While at present there is no open conflict, there is significant friction between the various colonies, and competition for land, resources, and favorable inland trade-routes is fierce.

Map
(Under Construction)

Timeline
(Under Construction)

Monsters

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Banshee
Barghest
Chenoo
Church Grim
Clurichaun
Cu Sidhe
Drowned Maiden
Fogwarden
Grasshopper, Spirit/Shaman
Graymalkins
Gremlin
Grim
Gwyllion
Hag
Headless Horseman/Dullahan
Imp
Jersey Devil
Knocker/Cobold
Leanan Sidhe
Le Nain Rouge
Leprechaun, Lesser
Leprechaun, Greater
Lutin
Mothman
Old Man of the Mountain
Pixie, Feral
Pixie, Garden
Redcap
Rhine Maiden
Sinterklaas
Sea Serpent
Tonton Macoute
Will-o'-Wisp
Vampire
Werewolf
Wittewijven
Zombi

Plot Hooks

• The governor of Jamestown Colony is suffering from a painful sickness which no wizard in Columbia can cure. But he has heard “rumours of an itinerant False Face, whose Powers and Skill are legendarie amongst the savages”. But because of his wandering nature, none but God and the False Face know in which village he will next appear. And even if he is located, will he agree to help the Governor? And if he does, at what price comes his aid?
• A Scarred Monk, recently returned from a missionary work at a trading post in Aztlan, is stirring up unrest in the southern colonies. He has been travelling from town to town with a caged Quetzal, displaying it before horrified crowds as “proof-certain that the Aztekas do most wickedly mock our Lord and Saviour, worshipping as they do this hideous merging of sinful Man and Wicked Serpent.” If this treatment of a sacred Quetzal becomes known to Aztec authorities, it will surely be taken as an unforgivable blasphemy, and will mean war between the two empires. The Scarred Monk must be silenced (discreetly!), and the creature returned alive and unharmed to his native lands.
• An abandoned cart with the markings of a Fúsāngese trader is found outside a moderate-sized colonial settlement. While the presence of the cart is itself a mystery, it is the cart’s contents that have attracted fearful attention: a wooden box covered in strange rectangular pieces of paper. Curious bystanders found it empty, with deep scratch marks crisscrossing its interior.
• Rumor has it that a Scarred Monk has gone rogue from the Inquisition. He, along with a group of fanatical followers, are planning to bring down a Thunderbird and burn it alive, allowing the Monk to absorb its power. Not only is the idea of such a man with that much power terrifying, but killing a Thunderbird in such a disrespectful way could have catastrophic consequences in the Spirit World.
• The players are called-upon by the Boston Port Authority to investigate the strange foreigners which have lately been passing through Customs in suspiciously large numbers. They arrive on ships from different countries, speak different languages, and wear wildly different clothing, but many of them seem to know each other, and they share a certain resemblance: the men all have large noses and bulky frames, but the women are all willowy and lovely. They arrive by ones and twos, but they only leave the city in wagon-trains of twenty or more, and always heading north, towards the mountains of New England.

[Admiral Squish]

The Cahokian League

From the Heaven-Touching Mountains in the west to the Smoking Mountains in the east, the Great Plains sprawl across the heartland of Vespuccia. At the point where the Great River joins and the River-of-the-Big-Canoes sits Cahokia, the jewel of the plains, largest city in North Vespuccia, and the unofficial “capital” of the Woodlands, Great Plains, Southeastern, and Mississippian tribes. A city of great earthen mounds and powerful Mound Lord families, the Cahokia is a major center of commerce and production, which sits atop a highly-active Link site. Together, the tribes of the Cahokian League keep the surrounding empires at bay with powerful magic and fierce warriors.

The League is not comprised of a single nation, nor is it a true state (in the sense of having a singular, unified government). The Cahokian League is actually a trade-based confederacy more than ten separate tribes, each self-governing, only loosely affiliated through trade agreements, mutual respect, and the subtle manipulations of Cahokia.

Map

Spoiler

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Timeline
(Under Construction)

Monsters

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Anaye (Navajo)
Baykok
Binaye Ahani (Navajo)
Deer Woman
Daddy Longlegs, Monstrous
Dust Devil
Ewah
Fsti Capcaki
Flying Head (Iroquois)
Haakapaizizi (Giant Locust)
Horned Alligator
Hvcko Capko (“Long Ears”)
Ikitomi the Spider (Lakota)
Indacinga
Iya (Lakota)
Jackalop
Jogah, Ga-hon-ga
Jogah, Gan-da-yah
Jogah, Oh-do-wa
Jokao/Stonecoats (Iroquois)
Kachina
Kashehotapolo
Kelok
Keneun
Kitzinackas
Kiwahkw/Ice Giants
Kolowisi
Lenapizka
Mamagwasewug
Manabusch/Manibozho
Man-In-The-Tree
Masaw
Mi-Ni-Wa-Tu
Mishkenabek
Moogie (Ozark)
Mothman
Nalusa Falaya (Choctaw)
N-dam-keno-wet
Neglected Ancestral Spirit
Nunyenunc
Onnoint (Huron)
Oshadagea (Iriqouis)
Paiyuk (Ute)
Palulukon (Hopi)
Piasa (Cahokian)
Pskegdemus (Penobscot)
Pukwudgie
Raw Gums (Arapaho)
Sa-Yin (Toba Pilaga)
Siat (male) / Bapet (female)
Sio Humis (Hopi)
Skatene (Choctaw)
Skunk, Dire
Snawfus
Spruce, Killer
Stcemqestcint
Stikini (Seminole)
Sundew, Giant
Sunflower, Giant
Tcipitckaam
Teehooltsoodi
Thelgeth
Tlanuhwa (Cherokee)
Tsanahale
Tsiatko
Uktena
Umai-Hulhlya-Wit
Unktehi /Uncegila
Wakandagi Pezi
WekWek
White Buffalo
White Buffalo-Calf Woman / Ptesan-Wi (Lakota)
Yeitso (Navajo)

Plot Hooks

• One of the Mound-Dweller families has a druid son, who is almost strong enough to start producing ironwood muskets. The family doesn't want to risk him by sending him on a dangerous spirit quest, so they hire local talent to go to the spirit world and negotiate with a powerful nature spirit to grant him the power he needs.
• The buffalo jump near Chimney Rock was used by the tribes of the Great Plains for thousands of years, before the introduction of horses allowed for more efficient hunting methods. The site is now used only for rituals in times of great need, to placate the Buffalo-Spirits when hunting is poor. Recently, a new Link has opened up on the site, but no one can find out where the Link leads, because a militant young Hotawa’e warrior has gathered up a band of Buffalo-Spirits with grievances against humans and camped out on the site to prevent humans from using it, either for buffalo-spirit rituals or to utilize the Link. No one knows how long the Link will remain open, but with the warrior and his war-band guarding it, it seems unlikely that anyone will find out before it closes.
• The patriarch of a prominent Mound-Dweller family is outraged: someone broke into his storage mound, and stole thousands of wampum worth of black powder. What's worse, the patriarch is pinning it on his greatest enemy, the head of another major Mound Lord family. Both sides are willing to pay handsomely to prove that the other party is responsible for the theft. But a thief who can carve through enchanted mounds with ease and steal many heavy barrels of powder without alerting the guards or tripping an alarm is certainly a force to be reckoned-with.
• The local Algonquin lodge is in an uproar: a senior medicine man was smoking his peace pipe by himself, when an unknown spirit came down from the sky and destroyed him. Which spirit killed him? Why? And how can the tribe regain the blessing of the spirits?
• A previously weak plains-tribe has suddenly acquired powerful weaponry, courtesy of a runaway Master Gunsmith from Fúsāng, who managed to escape across the Heaven-Touching Mountains with a cartload of enchanted firearms, crafted especially for the Imperial Guard. When he learned that his brother was to be executed for treason, he fled Fúsāng, taking his stock of enchanted weapons with him. One of the Mound Lords is willing to pay handsomely to have him retrieved and brought him safely to Cahokia. However, the Gunsmith is being pursued by Qing agents, and also by a group of British spellcasters with an unknown agenda.
• The party passes through a village terrorized by a horde of skunks, which have come to the dangerous realization that humans fear them.
• The titanic mother-bear of Sleeping Bear Dunes has been reawakened, and is ravaging the land in a frantic search for her long-dead cubs. Who can end her reign of terror, and send her safely back to sleep?

[Admiral Squish]

Tuniitaq

Far to the north - where the weak, pale sun provides little defense against the endless threat of winter and starvation - lies Tuniitaq, the land of the Tuniit. A gentle-but-powerful race of half-giants, the Tuniit. Long ago, these giants of the Dorset culture encountered the Thule culture. With strategic marriages, a strong alliance was born, with the strength of the Tuniit giants and the technology of the Thule.

Though the region is known to outsiders for the giants which comprise about one-third of the human population, Tuniitaq is actually home to many distinct cultures, including the mammoth-herders of Mammutaq; the Norse-Métis settlers of Vinland; the Adlet dog-men of the great western forests; and even a handful of French traders and Russian exiles.

Map

Spoiler: Tuniitaq & environs (incl. Novarassi, Vinland, Nouvelle France, and various Native lands)

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(Players and Dungeon Masters should keep in mind that in practice, borders are far more porous than represented here, especially between First Nations. With the exception of Nouvelle France, these are not so much "defined political boundaries" as "approximate areas of influence".)

Locations of Interest:

1. Bukhta Trëkh Svyatitelyei ("Three Saints Bay") - first major Russian trading post in the New World.
2. Mount Denali - the highest peak in North Vespuccia.
3. Novarassi ("New Russia") Trading Post - a maritime fur-trading post and penal colony for dangerous Russian spellcasters, especially necromancers.
4. Fort Arkhangela Mikhaila (St. Michael the Archangel) Trading Post - Southernmost Russian trading post in North Vespuccia. Disputed by Fúsāng. Frequently raided by Haida pirates.
5. Yellowtusk - the largest permanent Mammutchadinne settlement.
6. Yellowhead Pass - an important overland trade route between Fúsāng and Tuniitaq.
7. The Smoking Ponds - renowned for their healing powers, and for simple relaxation.
8. Place-of-the-Big-Bones - ancient fossils stir to the surface as the result of intense geologic forces below.
9. Head-Smashed-In - buffalo bones lie forty feet deep at the bottom of this ancient buffalo jump.
10. Áísínai’pi ("Writing-on-stone") - greatest concentration of rock-art on the Great Plains.
11. The Snake-Pits - annual springtime breeding-ground for tens of thousands of snakes.
12. Naqaabuurut ("patch of swamp grass") - the largest of all Tuniit settlements (and their only true city) rests on a spit of land between the mouths of two major rivers, on the shores of a huge inland bay, making it a major hub of trade, commerce, and transportation.
13. Igloolik ("there is a house there")- largest permanent Inuit settlement. Launching-point for many European expeditions to discover the legendary Northwest Passage.
14. Cape Dorset - site of the largest and oldest extant Tuniit settlement.
15. Michipicoten Island - copper-rich island home of the Underwater Panthers.
16. Sleeping Bear Dunes - a colossal mother-bear sleeps beneath these dunes, eternally awaiting the arrival of her drowned cubs.
17. Fort Michilimackinac - a French missionary post on a small island in Lake Huron.
18. Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit - built to prevent New Britain from moving west to cut the French out of the lucrative fur- and artifact-trades in the Great Lakes region.
19. Niagara Falls - collective name for the three highest waterfalls in North Vespuccia, with a vertical drop of more than 165 feet. The falls combined) have the highest flow rate of any waterfall on earth.
20. Fort Niagara - built to defend French interests against the fierce raids of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois League).
21. Ville de Montréal  - this island-city is a major hub of trade in eastern Tuniitaq. As Fort Ville-Marie, it was originally intended as a model Catholic community, but soon gave way to pressures of commerce with numerous peoples of differing faiths.
22. Ville de Québec - The first French city in the New World, this fortified city has served as launching point for numerous raids against New Britain during each of the various French and Indian Wars.
23. New Amsterdam - former Dutch colony on the Hudson River, now part of New Britain.
24. Vinland Settlement - site of the first Norse colony in in the New World. Abandoned for some centuries, but later reclaimed by their Norsq descendants.
25. Jarnholt - capitol and largest city of the Grønland colony.
26. Reykjavík - capitol and largest city of Iceland.
27. The-Rocks-That-Teach - largest collection of petroglyphs in eastern Tuniitaq. Extensively haunted.
28. Thunder Bay - the only terrestrial Thunderbird nesting-ground outside the Heaven-Touching Mountains.

Timeline
(Under Construction)

Monsters

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Aasrivak
Akhlut
Agloolik
Amarok/Waheela
A-Mi-Kuk
Auvekoejak
Auvvik (Giant Caterpillar)
Az-I-Wu-Gum-Ki-Mukh-'Ti
Baba Yaga
- Baba Yaga's Hut
The Disemboweler
Ijiraat
Ikuutayuq (“The One Who Drills”)
Imap Umassoursa
Inung
Inupasugjuk
Ishigaq
Kaitorak
Katutajuk/Katyutayuuq/Katyn Tayuuq
Kiwahkw
Koguhpuk
Kushtaka
Loup Garou
Mahaha
Ogopogo
Ooze, Glacial
Paija
Pal-Rai-Yuk
Qiqirn
Quailertetang
Qupqugiaq
Qallupilluk
Sinterklaas (Father Christmas)
Tisikh Puk/Slorath
Tammatuyuq
Tizheruk
Tupilaq
Tunituaruk
Ugjuknarpak
Wendigo (CR 6)
Wendigo (CR 17)
Xixecal

Plot Hooks

• Gold has recently been discovered near the western edge of Tuniitaq, in a rugged region known only as “Alasqa”. Claims to the find are disputed by the Tuniit and the Russians, but while the two sides argue over land-rights and prior usage, prospectors from Fúsāng are moving in to stake their own claims.
• An entire nomadic fishing-community is being followed by an enormous polar bear. The beast swims up under them and breaks through the ice beneath the center of their igloo-cluster to attack them, no matter where they move. The beast continues to rise up and attack from beneath, even after they move their village onto solid land.
• During the night, someone (or a group of someones) cut the tusks off of every mammoth in the village, without waking a single beast or alerting the sentries. The young men say it was an attack by an enemy tribe, meant to shame them, but the elders disagree: if the they wanted to sabotage the village, then why did they leave the mammoths alive?
• A naked man comes running into the party’s camp, his feet cut and bloodied by miles of jagged ice, pursued by three enraged hunters. The hunters claim that the naked man raped their sister, and their family’s honor demands his blood in payment for his crimes. The naked man claims that the hunters’ family are ancient enemies of his own: these men lay in wait outside his brother’s tent until he and his brother had gone inside and stripped off their wet hunting clothes, and while they were waiting for his brother’s wife to dry their garments, the hunters stabbed their spears through the wall of the tent. His brother was killed, but they missed the naked man, who claims he barely escaped with his life. The hunters scream that his lying tongue will not save him from them this time. Which side do the players choose to believe?
• The Tuniit have put out a call for warriors of all descriptions, summoning them together for a single purpose: the chicken-legged hut of an exiled Russian necromancer has traveled to the site of a long-dormant Link; the house has not moved for weeks, and it appears to be using the Link as part of a ritual of some sort. All attempts to chase the necromancer off have been rebuffed by the secretive Muscovite's undead minions. The Tuniit shamans foresee terrible calamity if the ritual is not stopped.

[Admiral Squish]

Aztlan

From high atop their terraced pyramids within the ancient city-states of Tlacopan, Texcoco, and Tenochtitlan, the high priests of Aztlan interpret the will of the ever-hungry gods and perform the appropriate prayers, songs, and sacrifices to ensure that the Fifth Sun may live to see another dawn.

Though the Triple Alliance came dangerously close to collapse two centuries ago, after the monstrous attack of Cortés and his company of hardskins and beastriders (and the diseases they brought with them), the Empire emerged from the conflict strengthened and invigorated. The surviving Spaniards were more than willing to assist their new lords in fully understanding the strange beasts, hard metals, and thundering staffs which they had brought across the sea with them (once their tongues had been sufficiently loosened, that is). Armed with weapons entirely unknown to their rivals, the lords of the Triple Alliance launched a lightning war against their ancient enemies, subduing all resistance to their enlightened rule. Now, even distant Cahokia trembles at the approach of the fearsome warriors of Aztlan.

Map:

Spoiler

Show

Timeline:
(Special thanks to Aux-Ash for his work on this)
1519-1600
1600-1750

Monsters

Spoiler

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Ahuizotl
Alebrijes
Chac
Chaneque
Chupacabra/Itcuintlipotzotli
Cihuateotl
Cipactli
Civatateo
Giant, Quinametzin
Hoga
La Llorona
Lizardfolk, Cayman
Lycanthropes:

• Camazotl (werebat)
• Tehuantiltec (werejaguar, template)
• Cipactlitec (werecaiman)

Nagual
Redcaps*
Tabaxi
Tlalocoatl (Rain Dragon)
Tuyewera
Tlatecuhtli
Tlahuelpuchi
Tepeyollotl
Teyu-Yagua
Tzitzimitl
Xiuhcoatl (Fire Serpent or Turquoise Serpent)
Xolotl
Yumilekax

* denotes an invasive species

Plot Hooks

• Aztec priests receive an incomprehensible directive from Huitzilpochtli, the god of the sun, commanding them to build him a temple “in the land where my eye never closes”. But such a place surely cannot exist in this world. Can it?
• The party comes across an Aztec youth freezing to death in the Heaven-Touching Mountains, armed with only an atlatl and a bundle of spears. After taking him in and letting him warm up a bit, the boy explains what he’s doing so far from home. His father, the master of Tenochtitlan’s feather-workers guild, has been publicly disgraced. The boy heard his father saying drunkenly over a mug of pulque that the scandal has so ruined his reputation that only the creation of an unparalleled masterpiece of feather-working could save his business now: a robe made from the feathers of the fabled Thunderbird. Does the party agree to help the boy in his mad and dangerous quest, or do they counsel him to return to his father, who may not have been speaking literally, and is no doubt half-mad with worry for his missing son?
• The Great Ahau of Chichen-Itza has commissioned the greatest feather-robe in the history of Aztlan, containing at least one feather from every species of bird which lives within the Aztlan Empire. However, no hunter has been able to obtain a feather from one particular bird: a small brown creature, mostly earthbound but a very fast runner, commonly known as “the road-running bird”.
• Your party’s berserker discovers xocolātl; chaos and mayhem ensue.
• A human village has recently been ravaged by a band of werejaguars, but in their fear and haste to defend themselves they mistakenly retaliate against a nearby band of Tabaxi, inviting full-scale war.

[Admiral Squish]

Fúsāng (扶桑)

Within the sheltering embrace of the Jade Harbor, the Fúsāng is more than just the temporary residence Her Radiant Majesty, August Imperial Personage, True Empress of the Ming, the Qing, and the Mongols (only until she reclaims her rightful place in the Northern Capital, that is) - the city-state and its vassal territories are also home to multitudes of her most loyal subjects whose grandparents were forced to flee the Middle Kingdom for their lives because of their support of her rightful ascendancy to the throne. But most importantly, it is also a beacon of civilization in the wilderness of the Rainy Forest (雨森), lighting the way for all barbarians peoples who seek to join the mighty civilization of the Han.

Map
(Under Construction)

Timeline
(Under Construction)

Monsters

Spoiler

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Basket Woman (Tah-Tah-Kle-Ah)
Bì Xié (辟邪)
Bakbakwakanooksiewae/Hokhoku
Emogoalekc
Feng Huang/Eastern Phoenix
Foo Creature, Template
Gaasyendietha
Galokwudzuwis (“Crooked Beak of Heaven”)
Geldegwsets
Gwagwakhwalanooksiwey
Haietlik
Hakulaq
Hayicanako
Hinqumemen (“Engulfer”)
Hsigo
Hungry Ghost
Iak Im/Yagim
Jiang-shi
Jīn Chán (金蟾; "Golden Toad"/“Money Toad”)
Kaneakeluh
Kawatilikalla
Komokwa
Kirin
Matlose (Salish)
Nián Shòu (年兽)*
Péng (鹏)
Penghou*
Qanekelak
Qqaaxhadajaat (Haida)
Shíshī (石獅)/Foo Dog (alternate version)
Shishin (四象), Directional Beasts

• Black Tortoise = North, Winter, Black, Water
• White Tiger = West, Autumn, White, Metal
• Red Phoenix = South, Summer, Red, Fire
• Azure Dragon = East, Spring, Blue/Green, Wood (national emblem of Fúsāng?)
• Yellow Dragon = Center, the changing of seasons, Gold/Yellow, Earth

Sin-you
Sisiutl (Stormwrack, pg. 159)
Skookums
Wasgo (“Sea Wolf”) (Stormwrack, pg. 158)
Xiezhi (獬豸)
Zhènniǎo (鴆鳥, “Poisonfeather Birds”)*

* denotes an invasive species.

Plot Hooks

• The Imperial Kitchen-Master has recently been unable to prepare any dishes which satisfy Her Radiant Majesty’s discerning palette. He believes that he may be able to please her with an entirely new dish, something which no one in Fúsāng has ever tasted before. He has recently heard a rumor that far to the north, the Tuniit maintain herds of enormous woolly elephants. He has tasted their preserved meat, and believes that if he could obtain a live mammoth, and slaughter it for Her Radiant Majesty’s table, he would finally have the ingredient he requires to truly express his creative genius.
• The Radiant Throne has commissioned the First Grand Imperial Survey of the lands which lie to the east of the Heaven-Touching Mountains. Any Fúsāngese citizen with knowledge of these lands will be richly rewarded for imparting such knowledge to the Imperial Cartographers. Even greater compensation awaits any native of these lands who is willing to act as guide and translator to the Her Radiant Majesty’s Explorational Fellowship.
• A Fúsāngese scholar, exploring the ruins of the vanished Anasazi, has disappeared mysteriously. Her Radiant Majesty is offering a sizable sum to anyone who can uncover what happened to him. The only clues left are in the final message he sent back, which spoke of how the temple was focused on the journey of Mars, and mentioned a single word encountered time and time again: Barsoom.

[Admiral Squish]

The Spirit World
(also known as Arsaniit, Diyu (地狱), Ghost Country, Hel, Mictlan, Purgatory, Xibalba)

Entering and Exiting the Spirit World
The simplest way to enter the Spirit World is, naturally, to die. Coming and going while still alive is more problematic, though it can be done with the aid of certain rituals, substances, and powerful artifacts.
Traveling to the Spirit World is often a purely spiritual matter; the subject's body remains behind on Earth. There are some powerful spells that allow one to push through the barrier between the realms physically, though when one dies while on the spirit world, no one is quite sure what happens to your spirit. Travel on the spirit world is possible, though extremely unreliable and dangerous. The path through the spirit world between two points may be twice as long, or a thousand times as long, or take only a single step. In (almost) all cases, the only way to leave the Spirit World is by returning to one's own body, where it was left on the Material Plane. If a soul's body dies while it is traveling in the Spirit World, it immediately begins its journey to the Great Beyond as normal.
Beings without souls cannot enter or perceive the Spirit World (though they can interact with spirits and ghosts on the Material Plane).

Properties of the Spirit World
The Spirit World is a plane of existence which is coterminous with every point of the Prime Material Plane. Every location in the physical world has a distorted "twin" in the Spirit World, though there are certainly locations in the Spirit World which have no equivalent in our own plane.
The Spirit World can be accessed from any point on the Prime Material Plane, though at certain sacred places (usually very isolated and hard to reach), the gauntlet between the worlds is thinner than normal, and transit between the two worlds becomes easier.
The Spirit World has the following planar qualities:

• Subjective Directional Gravity
• Erratic Time
• Infinite
• Alterable Highly Morphic
• Mildly Neutral-Aligned
• Normal Magic

Geography of the Spirit World
Despite the strong resemblance of certain parts of the Spirit World to our own, it is in truth an endless, simmering cauldron of emotions, beliefs, prejudices, fears, desires, hopes, stories, and dreams. It is a constantly shifting receptacle for the best and worst parts of the human soul. Navigating the Spirit World is difficult at best, and nearly impossible most of the time without a psychopomp or other guide-spirit to show the way. There are no maps. Going around a tree to the right may take you somewhere entirely different than if you go around it to the left, or it may make no difference.

Spirit Categories
Spirits of the Hunt: Predatory animals, such as Wolves and Jaguars.
Spirits of the Herd: Prey animals, such as Buffalo and Rabbit.
Spirits of the Wood: Trees and herbs, such as Oak or Grass.
Spirits of the Ancestors: Human spirits that have gained power with age.

Spirits of the Sky: Spirits of air, wind, and weather. Spirit Beast: Thunderbird
Spirits of the Earth: Spirits of stone, soil, and sand. Spirit Beast: Earth Turtle
Spirits of the Water: Spirits of oceans, rivers, and lakes. Spirit Beast: Mishipeshu (Underwater Panther)
Spirits of the Flame: Spirits of fires, passions, and life. Spirit Beast: Embermouse

Monsters

Spoiler

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Angel
Chaak
Cihuateteo
Demon
Devil
Ghost
Loa
Manitou
Psychopomp
Spirit Guide, Animal
Tonal
Totem Animal
Yāoguài (妖怪)

Example Spirit-Journey
Peru: Hell and Back by Kira Salak (writing for National Geographic Magazine) provides an excellent (and uncommonly lucid) description of what a journey to the Spirit World might be like, and the kind of revelation (or damnation) which players might find there.

[Admiral Squish]

The World Beyond

Europe

Asia

South America
Amazonian Chiefdoms
Tiwanaku
Wari
Tawantinsuyu, “The Land of the Four Quarters” (a.k.a. The Inka Empire)

Africa

Australia

Polynesia

[Pokonic]

IT BEGINS.

[Admiral Squish]

IT BEGINS.

Yesss.. Yesss... It beginsss... *steeples fingers*

I just posted the plans for the classes that will be the most common in the setting, including the ones I'll be remaking/creating wholesale.

[Pokonic]

Hmm... I am wondering about the Samurai class's renaming (because, god help me, I would sooner eat my hat than let my own people's stereotypical setting class choice be named after the Japanese.). Unfortunatly, China has never realy had a true warrior group that would a good analog for it, and I would consume my entire wardrobe with gusto if they were "Orient Warriors".

[Morph Bark]

So... would Vespuccia be far to the West, or to the East of the Old World?

[zzuxon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtWBlDC2-ss
But nicer.

[Admiral Squish]

Hmm... I am wondering about the Samurai class's renaming (because, god help me, I would sooner eat my hat than let my own people's stereotypical setting class choice be named after the Japanese.). Unfortunatly, China has never realy had a true warrior group that would a good analog for it, and I would consume my entire wardrobe with gusto if they were "Orient Warriors".

...Is it horrible of me that I didn't think of that until you brought it up? I am filled with shame.
I'll just make it be a warblade.

Actually, that frames a question about Fusang. Do we think Japan would try to colonize the land to the east, as well? I mean, Japan's always been pretty insular and xenophobic. But then, would they pass up a chance to stake a claim in the new world?

So... would Vespuccia be far to the West, or to the East of the Old World?

It's a shorter trip goin' west.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtWBlDC2-ss
But nicer.

I'm... Glad? I think.

[Pokonic]

...Is it horrible of me that I didn't think of that until you brought it up? I am filled with shame.
I could just make it be a warblade.

"Calls goverment officals to block GitP"

Yes, slightly.

Well, a refluffed warblade could work. Actualy, it would be fitting if a sort of unique fighting social class emurged amongst the chinese settlers, especialy with the whole "magical fox people outing themselves" thing.

Actually, that frames a question about Fusang. Do we think Japan would try to colonize the land to the east, as well? I mean, Japan's always been pretty insular and xenophobic. But then, would they pass up a chance to stake a claim in the new world?

Probably not, but it mostly depends where they actualy stake a claim. However, I love the idea of Oni pirates. Perhapes Japan makes peace with its magical species, or perhapes forces them to flee Japan as a whole?

Alaska? Have to deal with Russians and Inut ,probably. Actualy, it might be decent up there.
Canada? Giant race that would probably send them quickly swimming back home.
California? Chinese turf by the time they would look to colonize. It would be the story of the century if both groups let eachother live without much bloodshed.

[Admiral Squish]

"Calls goverment officals to block GitP"

Yes, slightly.

Well, a refluffed warblade could work. Actualy, it would be fitting if a sort of unique fighting social class emurged amongst the chinese settlers, especialy with the whole "magical fox people outing themselves" thing.

Why would the revelation of the Huli Jing cause the establishment of a warrior class? I mean, in the wiki entry it says they come in good and evil, so it's not like they're a new enemy to fight.

Probably not, but it mostly depends where they actualy stake a claim. However, I love the idea of Oni pirates. Perhapes Japan makes peace with its magical species, or perhapes forces them to flee Japan as a whole?

Alaska? Have to deal with Russians and Inut ,probably. Actualy, it might be decent up there.
Canada? Giant race that would probably send them quickly swimming back home.
California? Chinese turf by the time they would look to colonize. It would be the story of the century if both groups let each other live without much bloodshed.

Valid, I suppose. I will admit, Oni pirates WOULD be pretty awesome.
*goes to check wikipedia*
It looks like Japan would be in the middle of the Edo period in 1750. Edo strongly avoided international involvement or war, but by 1750 things were destabilized pretty hard. Samurai were legally prohibited from owning businesses, farming, or fighting, and the economy was falling apart. It could be cause for samurai and others to emigrate to Fusang in search of opportunity in the new land. Warriors would have plenty of work in a wild land like Fusang.

[Pokonic]

Why would the revelation of the Huli Jing cause the establishment of a warrior class? I mean, in the wiki entry it says they come in good and evil, so it's not like they're a new enemy to fight.

Perhapes a better term would be unique mystic class that could involve magic, but now there's little point in dwelling on the subject now that Warblades are in the picture.

[Admiral Squish]

Well, here's a list of vague mechanical ideas about various races. I wrote these down over the weekend.

Quetzal: Feathered naga with telekinetic arms
+2 Dexterity, +2 Wis, -2 Str
Armless: Quetzal can manipulate objects within 5 feet as though they had hands. This force is powered by the quetzal's mind, allowing them to use their intelligence modifier instead of their strength modifier for most purposes. Use the quetzal's intelligence modifier in place of strength to determine its bonus attack rolls and damage rolls, skill checks, and ability checks based on strength. They can also use their intelligence modifier in place of their dexterity modifier for ranged attack rolls, open lock checks, and use rope checks. A quetzal cannot wear bracers, gloves, rings, or boots, and cannot gain claw attacks, or rake attacks.

Feats: Grant flight, grant deflection bonus.

Tariaksuq: Shadow people, only partially on the material plane.
+2 Wis, -2 Cha, -2 str
Ghost Step: A tariaksuq can force themself more into the spirit world for short periods of time. A tariaksuq can spend a swift action to turn incorporeal for one round, and fly at a speed equal to their base movement speed. They become corporeal again at the end of their action. (Uses/day= Wis Mod?)
Two-Worlds: A tariaksuq's being straddles the material world and the spirit world. They can see and interact with creatures of the spirit world and incorporeal beings. Their bodies are considered to be ghost touch weapons.

Feats: Grants ability to go incorporeal against a single attack.

Hotowa'e: Buffalo-minotaurs
+4 str, -4 dexterity, +2 constitution
Powerful build, natural gore, +1-2 Natural Armor
Crushing Hooves: Deal 1d8+1.5xstr damage to target of a successful overrun

Feats: Make charge through occupied squares, making overrun checks along the way.

Awwakkule: (Ah-wah-kah-koo-le, I think) Native little people.
+2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Con
Small size
Might of the Little Ones: uses/encounter=cha mod. Increase the damage die of an appropriately-sized weapon by one, +1/5 HD. Lasts one round
Dwell in Wild Places: An awwakkakule in natural surrounding can hide, even if the terrain does not provide cover or concealment.

Cuauhtle and Ocelotl: Eagle and Jaguar warriors
+2 Dex, -2 Int. Eagle +2 Wis. Jaguar +2 Str.
Two claws (1d4), One bite (1d6), Low-light vision
Eagle: Raptoran-style arm-wings, +4 Jump/Spot
Jaguar: Pounce? +4 Jump/Climb

Haven't done anything about the Huli Jing yet.

Each of these guys will be getting their own thread, but I wanted to give you guys something mechanical to chew on while you wait for the full spread. An appetizer.

[Admiral Squish]

Perhapes a better term would be unique mystic class that could involve magic, but now there's little point in dwelling on the subject now that Warblades are in the picture.

You mean like a gish? Or like a full caster? I mean, a well-flavored swordsage could be a pretty good gish.

[Pokonic]

You mean like a gish? Or like a full caster? I mean, a well-flavored swordsage could be a pretty good gish.

Something gishy, yes. It mostly depends on how the classes are going to be reflavored, realy.

[Admiral Squish]

Something gishy, yes. It mostly depends on how the classes are going to be reflavored, realy.

The flavor will be very flexible to fit each culture, honestly. A Fusang cleric will feel very different from an Aztlan cleric, which is very different from a Colonial cleric, and so on. There are certain classes that are gonna be more likely to show up in some areas than others. For example, a colonial soldier's more likely to be a gunslinger, but a fusang warrior is more likely to be a warblade.

[Admiral Squish]

Alright, folks, I just posted the first complete race, the Quetzal! Go take a look, leave a comment!

[SamBurke]

Well, here's a list of vague mechanical ideas about various races. I wrote these down over the weekend.

Quetzal: Feathered naga with telekinetic arms
+2 Dexterity, +2 Wis, -2 Str
Armless: Quetzal can manipulate objects within 5 feet as though they had hands. This force is powered by the quetzal's mind, allowing them to use their intelligence modifier instead of their strength modifier for most purposes. Use the quetzal's intelligence modifier in place of strength to determine its bonus attack rolls and damage rolls, skill checks, and ability checks based on strength. They can also use their intelligence modifier in place of their dexterity modifier for ranged attack rolls, open lock checks, and use rope checks. A quetzal cannot wear bracers, gloves, rings, or boots, and cannot gain claw attacks, or rake attacks.

Feats: Grant flight, grant deflection bonus.

Tariaksuq: Shadow people, only partially on the material plane.
+2 Wis, -2 Cha, -2 str
Ghost Step: A tariaksuq can force themself more into the spirit world for short periods of time. A tariaksuq can spend a swift action to turn incorporeal for one round, and fly at a speed equal to their base movement speed. They become corporeal again at the end of their action. (Uses/day= Wis Mod?)
Two-Worlds: A tariaksuq's being straddles the material world and the spirit world. They can see and interact with creatures of the spirit world and incorporeal beings. Their bodies are considered to be ghost touch weapons.

Feats: Grants ability to go incorporeal against a single attack.

Hotowa'e: Buffalo-minotaurs
+4 str, -4 dexterity, +2 constitution
Powerful build, natural gore, +1-2 Natural Armor
Crushing Hooves: Deal 1d8+1.5xstr damage to target of a successful overrun

Feats: Make charge through occupied squares, making overrun checks along the way.

Awwakkule: (Ah-wah-kah-koo-le, I think) Native little people.
+2 Dex, +2 Cha, -2 Con
Small size
Might of the Little Ones: uses/encounter=cha mod. Increase the damage die of an appropriately-sized weapon by one, +1/5 HD. Lasts one round
Dwell in Wild Places: An awwakkakule in natural surrounding can hide, even if the terrain does not provide cover or concealment.

Cuauhtle and Ocelotl: Eagle and Jaguar warriors
+2 Dex, -2 Int. Eagle +2 Wis. Jaguar +2 Str.
Two claws (1d4), One bite (1d6), Low-light vision
Eagle: Raptoran-style arm-wings, +4 Jump/Spot
Jaguar: Pounce? +4 Jump/Climb

Haven't done anything about the Huli Jing yet.

Each of these guys will be getting their own thread, but I wanted to give you guys something mechanical to chew on while you wait for the full spread. An appetizer.

These are really good races: I prefer ones that don't just have stat bonuses, but unique abilities. These do.

Especially those first two.

[Admiral Squish]

These are really good races: I prefer ones that don't just have stat bonuses, but unique abilities. These do.

Especially those first two.

I definitely share that opinion. The ones that are less about unique abilities are only because I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head over the weekend. With the computer, I'm sure I'll be able to find a basis for some cooler abilities.

[Pokonic]

I definitely share that opinion. The ones that are less about unique abilities are only because I couldn't think of anything off the top of my head over the weekend. With the computer, I'm sure I'll be able to find a basis for some cooler abilities.

Well, on the topic of the aztec animal warriors:

I could see some sort of racial class for them to advance in, or at least a prestige class. Notably, from what little is on the web about the aztec hells, there's one that consists of jaguars trying to eat things. Also, one of Mayan cycle-enders was that jaguars consumed everything.

Now, considering that there is a running theme in mesoamerican myths to have jaguars be the worst possible things to encounter on the planet, surely the half-man-half-jaguar semidivine animal warriors could get some options so that they can get mythical on whatever is in there path?

[Admiral Squish]

Well, on the topic of the aztec animal warriors:

I could see some sort of racial class for them to advance in, or at least a prestige class. Notably, from what little is on the web about the aztec hells, there's one that consists of jaguars trying to eat things. Also, one of Mayan cycle-enders was that jaguars consumed everything.

Now, considering that there is a running theme in mesoamerican myths to have jaguars be the worst possible things to encounter on the planet, surely the half-man-half-jaguar semidivine animal warriors could get some options so that they can get mythical on whatever is in there path?

I could see something like that. I might even pirate some of the details from that jaguar warrior class posted in the first thread.

I do like the idea of it being separate parts. A race/template thing and a class of it's own. You could continue in your previous class, and just enjoy the benefits of the race, or you could go into the specialized PrC.

...On a related note, I find the idea of a jaguar-based apocalypse both awesome and slightly hilarious. I just imagine that on december 21st 2012, all of a sudden jaguars appear everywhere and start goin' to town.


Unrelated, I've been looking up a lot of videos of Nahuatl speech to try and figure out how to pronounce all these weird words I keep stumbling across. It's hard to find info on it, honestly.

[Pokonic]

I could see something like that. I might even pirate some of the details from that jaguar warrior class posted in the first thread.

I do like the idea of it being separate parts. A race/template thing and a class of it's own. You could continue in your previous class, and just enjoy the benefits of the race, or you could go into the specialized PrC.

...On a related note, I find the idea of a jaguar-based apocalypse both awesome and slightly hilarious. I just imagine that on december 21st 2012, all of a sudden jaguars appear everywhere and start goin' to town.


Unrelated, I've been looking up a lot of videos of Nahuatl speech to try and figure out how to pronounce all these weird words I keep stumbling across. It's hard to find info on it, honestly.

And don't forget the Eagle Warriors. If theres anything the americas have, it's stories about giant honking birds, mythical or not.

Also, the Prc could be open to anyone with the right stuff, but a lot of it's abilites would compliment what the animal warriors already have, like natural weapons.

Also, yeah, I would love to see a butch of colonists when everything suddenly turns into jaguars. Like, everything suddenly exploding into a wave of rage-filled felines. A " apocalypic jaguar swarm" needs to exist somewhere, either as a shapeshifting option or a spell, or even a capstone.

[BRC]

Well, here's a list of vague mechanical ideas about various races. I wrote these down over the weekend.

Quetzal: Feathered naga with telekinetic arms
+2 Dexterity, +2 Wis, -2 Str
Armless: Quetzal can manipulate objects within 5 feet as though they had hands. This force is powered by the quetzal's mind, allowing them to use their intelligence modifier instead of their strength modifier for most purposes. Use the quetzal's intelligence modifier in place of strength to determine its bonus attack rolls and damage rolls, skill checks, and ability checks based on strength. They can also use their intelligence modifier in place of their dexterity modifier for ranged attack rolls, open lock checks, and use rope checks. A quetzal cannot wear bracers, gloves, rings, or boots, and cannot gain claw attacks, or rake attacks.

This one is questionable. I like the concept, but Int-as-Str (And DEX) is already fairly versatile (A Quetzal with a compound bow, for example, gets Int to Damage and Attack, without sacrificing their abilities in melee). In the meantime hat penalty to Strength does nothing, since they don't use their strength score for anything.
Not being able to wear Bracers, Gloves, Rings, and Boots is a pretty hefty penalty though.


Edit: Also, as for the Central Plains area, look up Cahokia (A pre-columbian city near modern-day St. Louis) as a potential power base.

[Pokonic]

On general things:

The Aztec's could have a griffonlike eagle/jaguar beast as a sort of default flying steed. Feathered serpents are another decent choice.

Also, there are werecats in the americas, most notably, of course, werejaguars. I realy want to make a Jaguar Mcjagger-uarington in this setting now, good lord. Yo Dawg Jaguar jokes realy apply here.

Moose Men could teach others the trade of tapping the Maple tree, because canadian jokes. Could it be that they and the Deer Women are one and the same, and the two groups have a Ent-sort of relationship between the genders, with one braving the frozen north to protect nature while the others dwell in warmer climbs?

Would white buffalo be genuine magical creatures? I would think so.

Underwater panthers are another decent choice for native-american monsters.

There was many beliefs surrounding a race of giants going exinct in mesoamerican cultures, either by swarms of hungery jaguars or simple divine intervention. It could be that them and the Tuniit were kin, or at least from the same stock.