Alternate Player Options
Write your own legend
No path in life is ever a straight line. Life, and the world around us, is filled with immense and unfathomable possibilities. Every step we take, every action, is a ripple that changes the world - some small, and some large. By the same right, so too are we affected by the greater world around us. These experiences and life events shape us into the people we are, and we grow, change, and adapt. As a result, we are becoming a better version of ourselves - every single day.
Why do I bring this up? The fact of the matter is that I don't have much love for the overarching nature of many traditional games which attempts to categorize your character's life experiences and goals into neat boxes such as wizards, rogues, or fighters, along with the stereotypes and stigma that each carries. In traditional games, such classes are often static, meaning you are forced to follow a preset template for improvements, and not all of these are helpful, impactful, or even in line with your character's thoughts and values. In games where you can diversify your skills, often no aspect your character has is good - and more often than not, is more punishing you for simply looking to expand out of traditional norms of your class.
While I do not advocate that every character can and should be masterful at everything they attempt, I would like to address some of the previous issues I had outlined. For the current metagame for Pathfinder and other roleplaying games, facets such as ancestry and class are major factors. However, as a game that encourages free thought and creativity, we can endeavor to create numerous options for our players, so that they can find one that resonates with their ideal character and their goals. Hence, I have created several alternate character options for the Pathfinder system that we may use for this campaign.
Since the game's inception, and the games that preceded it, we have differentiated the peoples of the world by referring to them as "races". While this is arguably applicable to our world where there are numerous subgroups of humans based on slight regional differences, I feel it is neither logical nor sensible to refer to the multiple kinds of people that would be found in a fantasy setting. More modern roleplaying games have addressed the issue, with most eschewing the "loaded" language in favor of other terminology. Indeed, while using the term "species" would be correct to differentiate a man from an elf or orc, it doesn't have that sort of "fantasy" feeling we have come for. Thus, for the purposes of this campaign and setting, "race" will be referred to as "ancestry" as per Pathfinder 2E. With that established, I also wanted to create an alternate way of running character bonuses based on the place they came from rather than by their ancestry alone. Not to engage in a larger argument about "nature versus nurture", but I have felt that static bonuses based on ancestry alone weren't sensible. As people are not robots and not created the same way each time, it is sensible that each will come to value certain aspects of themselves. Such do not take into account into the lives that character has lived - from their background, childhood, experiences, and cultures to name a few. For example, if an orc was raised in the peaceful schools and libraries of Magnos, why would he have a natural propensity for strength he never cultivated? Similarly, a human who lived in the arid and brutal lands of the Golden Khanate may have lived a life similar to most fantasy orcs, it would not be surprising that he would have developed their same value for strength and endurance.
To that end, I have created numerous regional ancestries that can be used in place of general ancestries such as human, elf, orc, etc. The implication of such is that these peoples, regardless of ancestry, had adapted and changed to become more like the other people in the region by acclimating to the weather, culture, and life in the region. For example, if the same orc and human were neighbors and had cultivated the fields of peaceful Dunlain for decades, it is fair to say they have much more in common with each other than the man might have with a fellow human legionnaire in Romanorum , or the orc might have with an orcish rogue in Harad . The intention of these is to have characters who are attached in some way to their character's homeland and with others who may be from the same or neighboring regions. These alternate options are listed below:
There are no sizes associated with each of the regional ancestries, as each are meant to be encompassing of all potential peoples who live in each specific region. Say for example you wanted to play a character who is a kobold from the Dragon Kingdom. It is fair to say a kobold isn't likely to be bigger if they hail from the Dragon Kingdom or from Harad, but both would be small in comparison to a human from either region. Size of characters are important in the game mechanics for the calculations of speed, combat maneuvers, and more. Thus, each character who takes a regional ancestry will need a size modifier below as well that corresponds with the ancestry they're playing as (but their other ancestry benefits and penalties do not apply).
Common ancestries of Arda and Size Category
Medium Size - Medium ancestries have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. A Medium creature has a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.
Small Size - Small ancestries gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty on combat maneuver checks and to their CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. Small races have a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.
Much like the above, every nation also has a unique class archetype I made for this and future campaigns. While each class is thematically tied to a specific region, a character is not required to use the matching regional ancestry as described above. Instead, such characters should be from the nations that born the archetype, have a backstory that involves an encounter with an adventurer of that archetype, or come from a nation with a similar circumstance that created these archetypes (subject to GM approval). For example, a masked liberator, a class intended as a freer of slaves, might be as home in Harad as it is in Ado. A wandering missionary could be in good spirits in the wide open plains and deserts of Nestoria in the same way they are in Al-Andalus, or so on.
The multiverse of the Dragon's Domain features numerous new deities and religions from which classes such as druids, clerics, paladins, and others can draw power from. These deities and their domains can be found on the religion main article which can be found in the World Encyclopedia page or here.
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Alternate Regional Ancestry Options
Since the game's inception, and the games that preceded it, we have differentiated the peoples of the world by referring to them as "races". While this is arguably applicable to our world where there are numerous subgroups of humans based on slight regional differences, I feel it is neither logical nor sensible to refer to the multiple kinds of people that would be found in a fantasy setting. More modern roleplaying games have addressed the issue, with most eschewing the "loaded" language in favor of other terminology. Indeed, while using the term "species" would be correct to differentiate a man from an elf or orc, it doesn't have that sort of "fantasy" feeling we have come for. Thus, for the purposes of this campaign and setting, "race" will be referred to as "ancestry" as per Pathfinder 2E. With that established, I also wanted to create an alternate way of running character bonuses based on the place they came from rather than by their ancestry alone. Not to engage in a larger argument about "nature versus nurture", but I have felt that static bonuses based on ancestry alone weren't sensible. As people are not robots and not created the same way each time, it is sensible that each will come to value certain aspects of themselves. Such do not take into account into the lives that character has lived - from their background, childhood, experiences, and cultures to name a few. For example, if an orc was raised in the peaceful schools and libraries of Magnos, why would he have a natural propensity for strength he never cultivated? Similarly, a human who lived in the arid and brutal lands of the Golden Khanate may have lived a life similar to most fantasy orcs, it would not be surprising that he would have developed their same value for strength and endurance.
To that end, I have created numerous regional ancestries that can be used in place of general ancestries such as human, elf, orc, etc. The implication of such is that these peoples, regardless of ancestry, had adapted and changed to become more like the other people in the region by acclimating to the weather, culture, and life in the region. For example, if the same orc and human were neighbors and had cultivated the fields of peaceful Dunlain for decades, it is fair to say they have much more in common with each other than the man might have with a fellow human legionnaire in Romanorum , or the orc might have with an orcish rogue in Harad . The intention of these is to have characters who are attached in some way to their character's homeland and with others who may be from the same or neighboring regions. These alternate options are listed below:
| Homeland | Denotation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Continent | ||
| Al-Andalus | Al-Andalusian | Reverent and enduring peoples of deserts and mountains. |
| Enlightened Kingdom | Enlightened | Descendants of Shadow worshipers looking to forge their own future. |
| Harad | Haradrim | Bold and cunning underdogs of the Eastern Continent. |
| Magnos | Magnosi | Peaceful but powerful people who revere magic in all forms. |
| Rian | Rianni | Protectors of the old ways in the Eastern Continent. |
| Romanorum | Romanoran | People who honor tradition, history, and glory. |
| Western Continent | ||
| Ado | Adoese | Former Cathanese slaves who value freedom and community. |
| Cathay | Cathanese | Powerful elven supremacists who extol their culture. |
| Dragon Kingdom | Dragon Kingdomer | Servants and survivors in a land ruled by draconic tyrants. |
| Mujmal | Mujmali | People who entwines magic with nature and strive for balance. |
| Nestoria | Nestorian | Traders and travelers who love freedom and trade. |
| Golden Lands | ||
| Dunlain | Dunlainish | People who love peace, heroes, and chivalry. |
| Golden Khanate | Khans | People who value strength and endurance in a lean land. |
| Golden Mountain | People of the Golden Mountain | People who live, mine and protect the Golden Mountain from their foes. |
Size Modifiers
There are no sizes associated with each of the regional ancestries, as each are meant to be encompassing of all potential peoples who live in each specific region. Say for example you wanted to play a character who is a kobold from the Dragon Kingdom. It is fair to say a kobold isn't likely to be bigger if they hail from the Dragon Kingdom or from Harad, but both would be small in comparison to a human from either region. Size of characters are important in the game mechanics for the calculations of speed, combat maneuvers, and more. Thus, each character who takes a regional ancestry will need a size modifier below as well that corresponds with the ancestry they're playing as (but their other ancestry benefits and penalties do not apply).
| Ancestry | Size |
|---|---|
| Elf | Medium |
| Duergar | Medium |
| Dwarf | Medium |
| Gnome | Small |
| Half-elf | Medium |
| Half-orc | Medium |
| Halfling | Small |
| Human | Medium |
| Kobold | Small |
| Orc | Medium |
| Svir | Small |
Medium Size - Medium ancestries have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. A Medium creature has a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.
Small Size - Small ancestries gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty on combat maneuver checks and to their CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks. Small races have a space of 5 feet by 5 feet and a reach of 5 feet.
Class Archetypes
Much like the above, every nation also has a unique class archetype I made for this and future campaigns. While each class is thematically tied to a specific region, a character is not required to use the matching regional ancestry as described above. Instead, such characters should be from the nations that born the archetype, have a backstory that involves an encounter with an adventurer of that archetype, or come from a nation with a similar circumstance that created these archetypes (subject to GM approval). For example, a masked liberator, a class intended as a freer of slaves, might be as home in Harad as it is in Ado. A wandering missionary could be in good spirits in the wide open plains and deserts of Nestoria in the same way they are in Al-Andalus, or so on.
| Homeland | Archetype | Base Class | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Continent | |||
| Al-Andalus | Missionary | Cleric | A mounted healer and evangelist. |
| Enlightened Kingdom | Watcher | Inquisitor | A hunter and culler of Shadow cultists. |
| Harad | Con Artist | Bard | A jack-of-all trades, all of them to fleece your foes. |
| Magnos | Spellguard | Magus | A heavily-armored spellsword. |
| Rian | War Augur | Witch | A seer who changes the tides of battle with their magic. |
| Romanorum | Legionnaire | Fighter | A trained soldier who excels in defense and teamwork. |
| Western Continent | |||
| Ado | Masked Liberator | Rogue | An agent who infiltrates Cathay and frees slaves without being caught. |
| Cathay | Sangromancer | Wizard | A powerful mage who uses the lifeforce of blood to empower their magic. |
| Dragon Kingdom | Safewright | Ranger | A guide who can offer safe passage and freedom. |
| Mujmal | Theurge | Druid | A druid who excels in the spellcasting ability of their class. |
| Nestoria | Apothecary | Alchemist | A trader of magically-empowered tinctures and explosives. |
| Golden Lands | |||
| Dunlain | Shepherd | Paladin | A knight who embraces home, allies, and community. |
| Golden Khanate | Firebrand | Barbarian | Mystic berserker whose rage empowers their weapons. |
| Golden Mountain | Dwarven Defender | Fighter | An impenetrable shield to guard the riches of the Golden Mountain. |
Alternate Class Options
Alternate Prestige Class Options
Deity and Domain Options
The multiverse of the Dragon's Domain features numerous new deities and religions from which classes such as druids, clerics, paladins, and others can draw power from. These deities and their domains can be found on the religion main article which can be found in the World Encyclopedia page or here.
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