Zaratan picture

The Hamlet on Zaratan

Until I know for sure how many players I have I cannot have them start bidding on which of the building owner/operators they want in their family. Basically they will be choosing, one round at a time, by first response via email, for which they want. There are nine options total, to be detailed once selections are taken:

• The Druidic Site and Shrine to Zaratan
• Smithies
• Paper and Ink
• The Tavern
• Animals R Us
• Bath House
• Imported Goods
• From the Trees
• Haberdashery

Now I say on Zaratan and most people will not know what that means. According to cryptozoology a zaratan is a giant sea turtle the size of a small island. Now I am making this game for Pathfinder and they do not have a traditional zaratan. Instead in Bestiary IV (or 4 if you will) they have the Immense Tortoise. They are buoyant. Also, the description says “Plants and even trees grow atop the shell of this massive tortoise.”

Of course they do not start out massive. They start out as normal tortoises, in my opinion. Thus Zaratan, which is going to be the name of the tortoise and possibly the hamlet too, began as an animal companion for an elven druid. I was thinking perhaps Ghoran but that might be too many plant themes. As the tortoise grew, from medium to large as the druid gained seventh level, the druid began planting fruit bearing trees upon its shell.

Now, generations later, the trees are fully grown and the tortoise is colossal in size. All of the magic Zaratan and the trees have absorbed, beginning with that of the elven druid, has turned the fruit trees into a living forest. The trees form themselves into buildings and homes for the few families that have settled upon Zaratan. The branches bend to provide the hamlets inhabitants with food and other items in the form of berries and fruits, leaves, and flowers. When necessary, the trees also provide wood. Over time other seeds have been brought to Zaratan’s shell, by birds mostly, but many of those plants do not contain magic.

Homework assignments 1-7

Homework, for the next session you must have done, by session number:

1. Details about the event that caused you to first experience your rage. This will be used as triggers for your rage in the game until you have it under control…
2. We are going to be working quite a bit with family in this campaign. Over the next few homework assignments we are going to focus on family. Families have traditions, values, and a shared folklore that sets them apart, even from other groups in the same culture. When developing your character's family, you should consider what makes that family unique. Does the family have any famous ancestors that they're proud or embarrassed of? What stories do the family elders tell about them? What stories do other family members tell? Does the family follow any special naming traditions, or worship a deity unusual for the region? What songs do they sing? Do any members have notorious reputations? Does the family have a motto? What values do they hold and what behaviors do they condemn? These are just a few examples of questions you can use to breathe life into the family and give its members a sense of cohesion.
   1. First, detail the Immediate Family: This group includes anyone who played a direct role in raising the character, or anyone whom the character is raising (such as a child or younger sibling). Generally this includes the character's mother, father, surrogate parents, brothers, sisters, and any other live-in relatives. The character's spouse (if any) also belongs in this category, as do any children. The size of an immediate family varies by culture, but for most campaigns they shouldn't be too numerous. These family members are usually very loyal, and start the campaign with a helpful attitude toward the PC (though in most campaigns they are low-level NPC-class characters and can't provide much support in terms of finances or gear). It should be difficult to permanently worsen their attitudes, barring exceptionally heinous actions. A character's greatest obligations are often to immediate family members, and when times get tough for the family, he may be expected to spend time or money helping them.
   2. Of course, not all families get along. Past trauma, such as abuse or neglect, can shatter bonds, poisoning what should be healthy relationships. Politics and religion also drive wedges between relatives, turning brother against brother and mother against daughter. Sometimes a simple clash of personalities is enough to turn one family member away. Because of reasons like these, some family members begin with a worse attitude toward your PC than the above guidelines suggest. Most such relatives will be unfriendly to the PC at worst, though hostile relatives are possible in extreme cases.
3. Second, Detail the Extended Family: These family members had a less important role in the character's life growing up, but nonetheless played a part. This group often includes aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Married characters also count their in-laws. A character's extended family is almost always larger and more diverse than her immediate family, but also less willing or able to help her in times of difficulty. Usually these relatives have a friendly attitude, though a few might be helpful, indifferent, or even hostile, depending on the family's circumstances. A character generally has fewer obligations to her extended family, though these relatives may still expect the occasional favor from the PC.
4. Then, detail the Distant Relatives: Any person who is only loosely related to your character and has no strong emotional bond to the PC is considered a distant relative. These characters have little connection to you beyond (possibly) a shared surname, or are extended family of someone in your character's extended family. They are the character's most numerous and diverse group of relatives, and so can come in handy in a wide variety of situations, though they can't rely on them for help too directly or too often. These NPCs generally start with an indifferent attitude, though a particularly family-oriented relative might be friendly instead. They also generally don't expect many favors from the PC in return. They can usually be counted on to take the PC's side when dealing with people outside the family.
5. Now that you have a living family complete, where do you all live? Each family has one house on Zaratan. For this session please have your houses, the physical structure, detailed out.
6. Now that we have covered the living relatives, how about some of the dead? Your character's deceased family members can have just as strong an influence over the campaign as you do. Lineages vary widely; one character might be descended from an ancient line of kings, and another could be the child of an infamous thief. Rather than simply granting your character benefits or drawbacks based on her ancestors, your character's legacy should be used to provide hooks for further adventures and quests. Similarly, clues might surface implicating a dead ancestor in a terrible crime, prompting the local governor to place your character on trial in his stead because of a law that allows punishing descendants for an ancestor's offenses.
7. Has anyone figured out their bloodline yet? Anyone who has can make as much of their family tree as they want. Anyone who has not can only make their family tree up to…let’s say six generations back. We can discuss symbols.
8. I have no idea… yet…

Session Zero Summary

I like character creation sessions! I am Not going to apologize for that!

 

Here is a basic Character Creation Summary!

Class: Any pathfinder class, 3^rd party arguable plus see Main reason for Session Zero

Level: 1

Race: Any from the Advanced Race Guide. 3^rd party, other sources, and MYO arguable.

Stats: Rolling during this session

Alignment: Any

Traits: 2

 

Starting Gold: Dependent upon occupation! Roll 1d12 and go to http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/variant-rules-3rd-party/adamant-entertainment/backgrounds-occupations to pick result from the Village or Rural chart. Starting money will then again be rolled based upon class and previous rolls result.

 

Main reason for Session Zero – I want players to roll 8d10 for their secret Bloodrager bloodline plus a d% for the Barbarian Backgrounds table from Ultimate Campaign. The Barbarians Background result will determine what triggers their rage. The 10d8 result will be something they have to discover in game. On top of their chosen class, they will gain the Bloodrager as a secondary class and the 10d8 result should be noted next to it in the class table under level on their character folio first page or on the class line of the character sheet.

 

Homework: handout will be given during this session! (or in the case of this blog will be the next post!)


Players included:
Erik Bice playing a Bard
Michelle Wheet playing a Half-Orc Rogue
Brian Horn playing a Bounty Hunter Half-Elf


Potentially we will have two more players as well will be joining us.


I plan on posting as often as possible. Playtesting sessions will be bi-weekly on Sunday nights. Homework will be posted as soon as I get it emailed to me by the players. Plus I have information on the Hamlet, game, and more to add.