Tales from the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil: The Pathfinder Conversion

For various reasons that are best saved for some existentialist rant in the future I had this idea of providing a set of conversion notes for use with Sarvaelen as a setting powered by Pathfinder. What follows is the fruit of that effort...

Pathfinder Conversion Notes for the World of Sarvaelen

Races of Sarvaelen

Humans are the sole default race of the setting. There are a few racial variations by ethnic or cultural origin, and a few optional non-human races. 

Official Nonhuman Races: in prior entries Ghuls and Naga have been provided as racial options. While primarily intended as a way for GMs to roll up detailed NPCs of these two types, both are certainly possible as PC races if so desired. I'll provide additional stats for each in another blog entry (soon, hopefully), or at least point out which resources in Pathfinder work for them (there are ghoul feats, for example).

Optional Non-Human Races: tiefling, dhampir, nagaji, and vishkanya are four permissible races. Aasimar might ber permissible in the form of humans touched by the divine will of Nevereth. By contrast, a tiefling would reflect a cursed bloodline from Camrinal of a certain nature. Dhampir and nagaji would be permissible as presented. Nagaji would be a remote race from the south, in the region of Yakhal and Sammar. I may provide more detailed entries on how each of these four races would specifically fit in to Sarvaelen in the future.

Random Racial Origin Table:

D100                Racial Origin

1-94                 human ; roll for homeland below

95                     ghul (sane)

96                     Naga; (1-3) expatriot or (4-6) traveler of Nagapuram 

97                     dhampir; roll for homeland below

98                     tiefling (1-3) or aasimar (4-6); roll for homeland below

99                     nagaji from either Yakhal (1-4), Sammar (5) or Neremune (6)

00                     vishkanya from either yakhal (1-7), Sammar (8-9) Shul (10) or Nagapuram (11-12)

Random Homeland Generation Table for Pathfinder             

D100                Homeland            (Special Subtables & Suggested Stat Bonuses)

01-25               Aeronost               Possible Camrinal bloodline**; any

26-32               Esrenor                  Possible Camrinal bloodline**; +2 CON

33-40               Iandei                     Mixed Homelands*; +2 DEX or CHA

41-45               Mandrelavas         None; any

46-55               Thaerinal               Possible Camrinal bloodline**; +2 CON or WIS

56-70               Atlenar                   Possible Camrinal bloodline**; +2 STR or CON

71-75               Neremune             none; +2 CHA or INT

76-80               Yakhal                     none; +2 CON or DEX

81-85               Emon***               Elemental Taint***; +2 INT, WIS or CHA

86-90               Viskar Steppes      none; +2 DEX or STR

91-95               Katari                      Possible Camrinal bloodline**; +2 DEX or CON

96-00               Sammar                 none; any

*Mixed Homelands: The iandei roll a second time to establish their local origin. If Iandei or Sammar comes up, then the iandei is a pureblood of Shul.

**Camrinal Bloodline: There is a chance equal to a INT or WIS check on DC 22 that an adventurer from this land has some heritage from the old empire. If the character starts as a spell caster then he is automatically considered pureblood. Purebloods are prone to attracting special attention from demons, old gods, spirits and other malevolent beings.

***Elemental Taint: Emoniae revere the elemental old gods, and still worship them. There is a chance equal to WIS check DC 22 that an emoniae has some elemental heritage in her or her bloodline. The immediate effect is an innate basic understanding of that elemental tongue (starting language) and an affinity for that element, which means that they tend to be regarded favorably by elementals of like type that they meet and should schools or domains as appropriate.

The Emoniae

Most emoniae have a talent for magic, and usually choose +2 to INT, WIS or CHA according to preferred magical heritage. Emoniae are, like pureblooded of Camrinal, prone to attracting the attention and interest of demons, spirits, elementals, old gods and other beings from the Elemental Realms.

Magic In Sarvaelen

   The following spells are unavailable in Sarvaelen: all detection spells, all alignment-affecting spells. Resurrection spells of any type are permitted but have a potent cost and a good chance of restoring the target as an undead creature (target must make a DC 30 CON check to avoid becoming an undead when any resurrection spell is deployed). Magic beyond level 6 in Sarvaelen is “lost magic” and known only to be found in ancient Camrinal grimoires.

Character Advancement

   All characters in Sarvaelen advance on the slow experience track. Sarvaelen’s heroes rarely get past level 10-12, even after decades of adventure.

Classes of Sarvaelen

   The following classes are permitted in the world of Sarvaelen:

Core Rulebook: barbarian bard, cleric, druid, fighter, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, wizard

Other Books: cavalier, inquisitor, magus, oracle, witch

Core Prestige Classes: assassin, dragon disciple, duelist, eldritch knight, loremaster, mystic theurge

Other Prestige Classes: battle herald, master spy, nature warden, rage prophet, stalwart defender.

Druids are rare, but can be found among the barbarian tribes 

Sorcerer Bloodlines in Sarvaelen

   The following bloodlines are considered most suited to Sarvaelen: Aberrant, Abyssal, Arcane, Celestial, Destined, Draconic, Elemental, Infernal, Undead; APG: Dreamspun, Protean, Serpentine; UM: Accursed, Djinni, Efreeti, Marid, Rakshasa, Shaitan.                                                          

Domains of the Known Gods of Sarvaelen:

Deity Name  (Alignment, Domains)

Contemporary Gods

Nevereth                       

LG                community, good, law, healing, protection, nobility

Padmavati                     

NE               evil, law, magic, knowledge, weather, magic, nobility

Agharda                         

NE               evil, charm, strength, war, trickery, destruction

Wishara                          

CG               chaos, luck, travel, trickery

Matrigias                       

CN               chaos, destruction, strength, animal, madness

Dragon Cults                

any chaotic  usually chaos, destruction, evil, war, fire, rune

The Sun Dragon            

LN               sun, plant, law, glory, protector, fire

The Black Hag              

CE               death, evil, chaos, magic, trickery, knowledge, rune

Old Gods

Shamanza’gadhal         

NE              death, destruction, nobility, magic, darkness

Satarnas                          

TN              earth, repose, rune, strength, weather

Eshraggol                        

CE               evil, madness, animal, rune, war, destruction

Roeghast                         

CE               chaos, knowledge, magic, rune, trickery

Gaol                                  

CE               chaos, death, evil, destruction, war, darkness

Yaramas                          

NG              glory, good, healing, sun

Vitru’Forazh                   

CG                fire, strength, knowledge, trickery

Kadellan                          

TN              darkness, weather, magic, liberation

Grotares                          

LN               community, law, plant, animal, luck

Traldreggor                    

CE                charm, madness, trickery, evil

Formos                            

CN               madness, trickery, weather, magic, death, earth

Graeehn                         

TN                animal, strength, repose, destruction

Valos                                

LE                death, magic, war, law, glory

Elemental Gods (pagan deities from Yakhal and Neremune)

Erasak                              

NE                fire, glory, sun, war

Sylverune                        

NG               water, weather, plant, travel

Aisherus                          

TN                air, weather, knowledge, destruction

Grome                             

TN                earth, protection, rune, strength

Magic Items in Sarvaelen

   Magic is exceedingly rare in this land. While magic items exist, they are regarded with a certain measure of fear and wonder. Most items bear a great gift and also a curse. While it is certainly possible to sell magic items, very few are in any position to barter for the sale of such goods, and almost no one has the proficiency or skill with which to manufacture magical goods.

   All magic weapons in Savraelen are relics of Camrinal and the old era, with few modern forgers able to craft such weapons. Magical enchantments in Sarvaelen tend to fade after only a few decades in all but the most potent artifacts, so most surviving enchanted weaponry today are actually much older and more powerful relics which have since degraded with time. 

   As a rule of thumb any horde or treasure in standard Pathfinder terms should be worth 1/10^th of its listed value as listed on the Slow Track treasure awards chart (table 12-5 pg. 299). Thus a typical award at level 1 for an encounter is roughly 17 gold pieces, while a level 5 reward would be roughly 100 gold.

   This does not apply to magic items, which can be awarded according to the list value; but the coin value is always reduced. Ex: a 5^th level treasure parcel is worth approximately 1,000 GP, of which 100 may be gold, and the other 900 is a “budget” to spend on magic items stowed by the monsters.

Economy of Sarvaelen

   Gold is precious and rare; most currency is exchanged as silver or copper. All characters start with their normal gold value in goods at level 1, but after that they start with coin to buy gear equivalent to 1/10^th the listed value on page  399, table 12-4. So an adventurer starting at level 5 begins with 1050 GP instead of 10,500. The character may roll their starting coin for level 1 and add it to this total. 

Tales from the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil: The Gods of Sarvaelen

At long last! A return to the world of Sarvaelen. This time with a summary of the deities mentioned so far in the world:

A Summary of Known Gods in Sarvaelen (So Far)

Nevereth

Nevereth is a benevolent goddess, part of a strong young monotheistic pantheon that eschews the worship of the old gods, elementals and spirits as demons and unworthy in favor of the unifying goddess. In the wake of the destruction of Camrinal her minor cult achieved a great deal of traction among the survivors at that time, spreading throughout the lands of Sarvaelen like wildfire, to effectively dominate the religious beliefs of the land. Her faith is factionalized, based on a mixture of apocryphal texts and different sects and temples that espouse different forms of worship, but the remarkably pacificstic message of the goddess has led to minimal conflict and bloodshed among her own flock, which instead focuses its effort on exterminating the worship (and worshippers) of the old gods.

The Living Goddess Padmavati

Nagad goddess of Nagapuram. The Living Goddess manifests as a reincarnated female naga who is queen and ruler of the Naga lands.

Agharda, The Seven Headed Serpent

A heretical god of the naga, said to herald a unification of the seven old kingdoms, that will lead to naga dominance of Sarvaelen. A strong cult to this god exists in Aelghast called the Sydarites.

Wishara, Goddess of Luck

An old goddess of enigmatic nature and largely forgotten save for a mix of old folklore and legends.

Matrigias

One of the Old Gods, said to have given birth to the feyril. Her lore is considered profane by the church of Nevereth and worshippers are regarded as witches and warlocks.

The Dragon Cults

There are cults to the dragons, who are regarded either as the heralds of the Old Ones or children of them.

The Sun Dragon

A benevolent (theoretically) dragon that is even accepted as a sort of protector of the sun in the eyes of the Church of Nevereth.  Described as a protector of children, mothers and birth.

Cult of the Black Hag

Not regarded as a goddess but nonetheless feared and worshipped in Thaerinal, the Black Hag (once queen Threides) commands a great deal of respect and sacrifice from the locals of that torn land. Her cult is heresy in the eyes of the church of Nevereth.

Shamanza’gadhal

The so-called Lord of the Whispering Dark, a forgotten Old God. His worship is unknown now in the easterlands of Aeronost, though some Emoniae sorcerers still call upon his servants and spirits who invoke the deity. There are ties to this deity in some old tomes, suggesting his temple will rise again when the empire returns.

Satarnas

An elemental god of earth forgotten to time, an obscure deity who was driven to fame when the daughter of the last emperor took on the worship of the Old God shortly before the empire fell. No one today worships this old god, though some surviving imperial tomes may speak of it.

Eshraggol

The Dark Mother of the Selutar lizard men, one of the primal Old Gods and a deity that no human has ever voluntarily revered due to her aggressive, inimical stance against humanity.

Roeghast

A vile demon which manipulates the dreams and senses of its cultists in the northlands around Catalone, seeking followers amongst the locals of Aeronost as well as the mountain tribes of the Western Droamspires. Roeghast seeks to gain control of a mortal form, necessary through a specific ritual performed in an ancient henge on a small isle in Lake Vunares.

The Destroyer of Camrinal (Gaol?)

The nature of this Old God is unknown, but some Emoniae sorcerers suspect that it is the being known as Gaol. Gaol was regarded as one of the greatest and most potent of the Old Gods, a slumbering lord of chaos from which dark magic could be teased from his terrible dreams. The sorcerers of Emon’s greatest college of magics think that the Emperor awoke Gaol for a brief moment, bringing about the destruction of the empire. Still, there is no certainty as to the accuracy of this assertion.

The Old Gods

There were a number of these deities, some of which are still worshipped in Emon even today, but the belief in such gods has been stamped out due to the traumatic experience of the destruction of Camrinal and the rise of Nevereth (the fact that Nevereth herself was once regarded as an Old God is an issue of hot debate).

Benevolent Old Gods of note include: Yaramas, Vitru’Forazh, Kadellen, and Grotares.

Antagonistic or dangerous Old Gods were far more common, and included: Gaol, Eshraggol, Shamanza’gadhal, Traldreggor, Formos, Graeehn, and Valos.

There are many more old gods beside this, and some are utterly forgotten to memory, waiting for a lost tome to fall into the hands of a competent translator to restore the memory of their existence. The nature of the Old Gods is continuously up for debate, but the common belief is that they were a class of cosmic being which seeded the world with life, albeit as an accident of their great migration through space. Many of these old gods continued onward through the cosmic realms of space, but some settled deep in the earth, to sleep for eons, their awakening to happen at a predetermined time in the future. Their dreams create the quintessence, which is the arcane energy which sorcerers can steal to power magic.

Elemental Old Gods

Elemental Old Gods were given a special division as they were regarded as “primordials” and still are by the Emon of the west, who actually maintain temples to these primal deities. They were categorizes in three categories, being lesser elementals (minor summonable entities), Elemental Lords (entities which ruled over a specific region or landmark) and Elemental Gods, which were the beings that dominated their specific element. There were five elements, including earth, air, fire and water as well as the mysterious quintessence, which was the domain of the Old Gods.

The elemental gods are still known in Emon and are named as follows: Erasak (fire), Sylverune (water), Aisherus (air) and Grome (earth). The Emon, while revering this primordials, do not have any confusion about their dangerous natures, regarding them as something you tease sacred knowledge and magic from, but do not draw their attention, lest dire consequences befall you.

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