Introduction to barbarian altanis (“altanis”)

Introduction to BARBARIAN ALTANIS (“ALTANIS”)






Introduction:

This area is called Barbarian Altanis as it is the land of the red-skinned nomads known as Altanians.

Their small villages and nomad camps can be found throughout the region. The ruins of ancient walls and sunken areas indicate a far more numerous population once lived in Barbarian Altanis. The roads that crisscross the peninsula are also ancient and often poorly maintained. It is believed that most of the ancient ruins that dot the landscape of the region were part of the legendary Kingdom of Kelnore. This region has a varied terrain, featuring deep forests in the north and jungles to the south. Its hilly terrain is dominated by the Castellan Mountains in the far south and the southernmost spur of the Cloudwall Mountains from the north. The protective Mengebet Bay at the Isles of Ethereal Bells in the southeast is frequent provisioning stop for ships.
Starting Location:

The Town of Nippuri:

The Nippuri tribe wandered Barbarian Altanis for many generations until, several hundred years ago, they came to the aid of the dwarves of Kolda in a battle against the gnolls. In gratitude the dwarves gave the Nippuri their protection and taught them the art of civilization. While the dwarves have again grown reclusive, their influence is still seen in the buildings and people of this walled town. Nearby the Citadel of Earth protects Nippuri.

Ragiun VI is a harsh tyrant, completely dedicated to militaristic pursuits. His most trusted advisors are Ta-nu, a loyal bureaucrat whose knowledge of heroic songs is unsurpassed, Olaf the Red, a hedonistic Skiandik healer who lives in an opulent mansion with 30 slave women; naked save for a belt and throwing daggers.

Lammash-Anti, is the master of the miners and the temples of Nippuri. There are two of the latter: Suthak’s (Goddess of Fertility) splendid shrine provides all a tender priestess can offer, while Bondorr’s secluded sanctum stays empty most of the time – all the gold vessels and bowls sitting there with no guards in sight. Pilgrims visit Bondorr’s (the God of Swords) temple regularly; these heavily armed fanatics seek the mysteries of their patron and don’t like strangers near their plaza.

A large amount of the population is made up of Common Dwarves, a few civilized Humans and a number of other races. Slash and burn farms extend out from the walled town into the surrounding jungle and swamps. Their maize is a critical staple keeping Nippuri growing. Pack Llamas and Mules bear much of the trade to the neighboring Highland Halflings in Bisituni and either south to the civilized town of Hara or west to Valera. The lone north road, running between mountains and jungle, passes the closed Mountain Dwarf city of Kolda, through rugged series of foothills into the Kingdoms of the Elves, Anatal and Onhir.

Character Generation:
1 – Select Race

PC Races: Cat-Folk, Common Dwarf, High Elf, Southern Elf, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Highland Halfling, Civilized Human, Altanian Human.

2 – Players Have 20 points to set ability scores.

3 – Adjust abilities according to race; Racial traits pp. 21-27 and below in Player Races

4 – Select a favor class per your race. At first level and every time you gain a level in your favored class you may either take an extra skill point or an extra hit point.

5 – Select Class, List your class abilities.

Barbarian pg. 31

Bard pg. 34

Cleric pg. 38 (See Deities below)

Druid pg. 48

Fighter pg. 55

Monk pg. 56

Paladin pg. 60

Ranger pg. 64

Rogue pg. 67

Sorcerer pg. 70

Wizard pg. 77

6 – Pick your skills and feats. Skills start on Pg. and Feats start on Pg. . Additional feats are listed below in this document.

7 – Purchase your equipment. Equipment begins on Pg.

8 – Starting Hit Points for all characters = Half the possible rolled Hit Points + Con Adjustment + 10

9 – Roll Age, Height and Weight. See below.

10 – Finish other derived stats.

Notes - All character advancement in this campaign follows the middle speed advancement. Characters may not be of evil alignment.

STARTING AGE TABLE:

Bard Cleric

Barbarian Fighter Druid

Rogue Paladin Monk

Race Base Age Sorcerer Ranger Wizard

Cat-Folk 12 +1d4 +1d6 +2d6

Dwarf 40 +3d6 +5d6 +6d8

Elf 110 +4d6 +6d6 +6d10

Gnome 40 +4d6 +6d6 +6d10

Halfling 20 +2d4 +3d6 +4d6

Half-Elf 20 +1d6 +2d6 +3d6

Half-Orc 14 +1d4 +1d6 +2d6

Human 15 +1d4 +1d6 +2d6
Height and Weight

Roll Height Modifier, add it to Base Height to get Height

Roll Weight Modifier, multiply it by Height Modifier and add it to Base Weight to get Weight.

Base Height Base Weight

Race/Sex Height Modifier Weight Modifier

Cat-Folk/M 5’0” +2d10 120lbs x 2d4

Cat-Folk/F 4’10” +2d10 100lbs x 2d4

Dwarf/M 3’9” +2d4 130lbs x 2d6

Dwarf/F 3’7” +2d4 100lbs x 2d6

Elf/M 4’5” +2d6 85lbs x 1d6

Elf/F 4’5” +2d6 80lbs x 1d6

Gnome/M 3’0” +2d4 40lbs x 1

Gnome/F 2’10” +2d4 35lbs x 1

Halfling/M 2’8” +2d4 30lbs x 1

Halfling/F 2’6” +2d4 25lbs x 1

Half-Elf/M 4’7” +2d4 100lbs x 2d4

Half-Elf/F 4’5” +2d4 80lbs x 2d4

Half-Orc/M 4’8” +2d12 150lbs x 2d6

Half-Orc/F 4’5” +2d12 110lbs x 2d6

Human/M 4’10” +2d10 120lbs x 2d4

Human/F 4’5” +2d10 85lbs x 2d4
Player Races:

Cat-Folk: The great tribes of the cat-folk roam the hills and grassy plains of Altanis. Cat-folk tribes tend to be hostile towards civilized Humans and friendly toward Altanians and Elves whom they respect for living with nature. Though encounters with cat-folk depend more on an individual cat-folk’s mood and the circumstance more than any tribal mind-set. Quick in movement and thought, the cat-folk rely on short bursts of energy to accomplish nearly every task, making the other races seem plodding and dedicated in comparison.

Physical Description: Cat-folk resemble a cross between a large predatory cat and a human, with a sleekly muscled humanoid body and the head and mane of a feline. Most male cat-folk wear their thick hair in braids, while females keep theirs short and sleek. The most common cat-folk have feline characteristics reminiscent of lions, including thick manes for the males. Cat-folk have thicker nails than other humanoids, but not the powerful claws of their feline counterparts, and they make unarmed attacks just like humans. Many cat-folk favor the use of charms and totems that they braid into their hair for luck in battle, success on the hunt, and good fortune in other such endeavors.

Society: Cat-folk roam the open grasslands in Altanis, shunning the colder lands even in the heights of summer. Wandering tribes of cat-folk rarely come close to the large cities of other races, but they occasionally camp within sight of a smaller town or village in order to trade. Cat-folk roam great distances in their travels and do not become attached to a specific range or territory the way that nomadic tribes of humans sometimes do.

Cat-folk encampments balance defensibility with ease of escape from a dangerous area. Generally circular in nature, cat-folk encampments center on a communal area where children play and the elders care for them and practice their crafts. The tents and lean-tos of individual families range out from this center, with the most able warriors occupying tents on the perimeter of the encampment.

With no large nations or powerful alliance of tribes to bind them together, cat-folk experience little of the politics and power struggles that define the societies of other races. Instead, most tribes receive guidance from three sources: the outriders, the druids, and the chieftain. The outriders are the most skilled scouts of the tribe, and they govern the direction that the tribe hunts and travels, unless the chieftain overrules their choice. The druids, the primary source of healing and magical power within the society, hold a great deal of influence over most aspects of cat-folk life and often advise the chieftain on important matters. The chieftain makes decisions on everything that affects the tribe as a whole.

Relations: Cat-folk get along well with members of just about every other race. They admire those who live in the wild more than city dwellers. Because of this, they seek out the company of halflings, wood elves, and gnolls.

Cat-folk have a hard time understanding the slow, steady approach that dwarves take to life, and the two races have little in common. Because they are such opposites in both temperament and physical abilities, cat-folk and dwarves rarely enjoy the other’s company, although no real animosity exists between the races.

Alignment and Religion: A deeply spiritual people, cat folk usually worship one deity to the exclusion of others. Most cat-folk follow the precepts of Obad-Hai, and their most prominent religious figures are druids devoted to the service of the god of nature.

Cat-folk revere Obad-Hai more for his connection to nature’s power and his governance of plants and animals than for his connection to the primary elemental forces such as fire or water.

Adventurers: Adventuring cat-folk feel the restlessness common to their people more acutely than most.

The thrill of discovery and a great sense of curiosity drive these adventurers to break from their tribes and wander other lands. Beyond simple wanderlust, some cat folk find the heat of combat exhilarating, and the rush of danger draws the cat folk adventurer ever onward.

Cat-folk admire adventurers and see accomplished adventurers as great assets to the tribe. The nomadic life of the cat-folk is fraught with danger and unexpected encounters, and the life of the typical cat-folk is more akin to that of an adventurer than the life of a typical human or elf.

Male Names: Densharr, Mersharr, Nermissar, Therrass.

Female Names: Dessirris, Mianissa, Morasha, Nera, Thessana.
Cat-folk Racial Traits

+2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Wisdom: Cat-folk are quick and charismatic but also tend to be impulsive.

Medium: Cat-folk are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Quick: Cat-folk base speed is 40’

Low-Light Vision: Cat-folk can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

Racial Skills: Cat-folk have a +2 racial bonus on Stealth and Perception checks.

Tough Skin: +1 natural armor bonus.

Favored Classes: Barbarian, Druid

Deities: Obad-Hai and Druidism are common among them.

Languages: Cat-folk speak Common and Feline. Cat-folk with high intelligence scores can choose from the following: Elven, Gnoll, Halfling, Sylvan and Altanian.
Common Dwarves: “Common” Dwarves (Kazadahk) generally live among the human villages and towns of Altanis. They are fairly integrated in these dominant cultures. A few of these “Common” Dwarves seek a purer, non-Human” life of their ancestors and Mountain Dwarf brethren in the mountains and hills that span the spine of the peninsula. They live in stone halls carved into the land. Follow the traits in the Pathfinder Core Rules Pg. 21.

Deities: Dennari mainly and Human deities.
High Elves: The Elves in the Altanis are High Elves from Anatal and Onhir. The High Elven folk consider their settlements to form a single, widely dispersed kingdom, known as Alfheim. Each lord of a settlement is King in his own realm, answerable only to the High King, though there has not been a unified High King for centuries.

The High Elves are the greatest allies of the Altanian Elementalists, forming a united front against the Gnoll tribes of the south and the Skandik invaders from the sea. A few High Elves turn from the merry ways of their brothers and strive to return to the ancient ways of war and high wizardry; such folk become the stuff of legends among humans and elves.

Racial Traits: as per the Pathfinder Core Rules Pg. 22 for Elf with the following modifications:

Description: Pale white to silver skin, black hair, blue eyes, typically Chaotic Good.

• Favored Class: Fighter or wizard

Deities: Most follow Cilborith, some Freya, rarely others.
Southern Elves: The southern elves, also known as Altani Elves, or Red Elves, are a barbaric race from Barbarian Altanis. Like the human folk there they live in savagery, preferring the atavistic ways of the barbarian to the civilized ways of their ancestors.

Description: Pale red skin, tawny hair, red eyes, typically Neutral.

Racial Traits: as per the PHB for Elf with the following modifications or additions:

• Abilities: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.

• Darkvision (60 ft.)

• Attack Bonus: +1 attack bonus against orcs and goblins.

• Favored Class: Barbarian or sorcerer

Languages: Starting languages as per the Pathfinder Core Rules Pg. 22, plus Altanian becomes a choice.

Deities: Cilborith and Obad-Hai
Gnomes: Gnomes in Altanis have lived either in Ractuan or on the fringes of other settled races for as long as anyone can remember. They are good natured people whose ability to tinker with a number of crafts makes them valuable to their host societies. In return they receive protection and the friendship of their hosts. Follow the traits in the Pathfinder Core Rules Pg. 23.

Deities: Most follow Freya or Hephaestus, rarely others.
Half-Elves: The Half-Elves of Altanis live in between Human and Elf society. While not as insecure as Half-Orcs they still have issues with both of their ancestor races. Follow the traits in the Pathfinder Core Rules Pg. 24.

Deities: They follow almost any faith though Freya and Cilborith are the most common.
Half-Orcs: Orcs are a common nuisance in Altanis. While dangerous and violent, most tribes put far more effort into killing each other then outside races. Half-Orcs are the offspring of Orc raiders and Human women. Most of the time these unfortunates find themselves outcasts from Human society and, at best, tolerated by Orcish society. Very few find some level of acceptance and that is mostly in the confines of the rare temples of Thor. Follow the traits in the Pathfinder Core Rules Pg. 25.

Deities: Thor, Midor if they favor their Orcish side, rarely others.
Highland Halflings: Highlands Halflings look not unlike small versions of the local Altanians with slightly redder skin and proportionally larger, hairier feet. They are a Shire folk, and prefer to be left alone by the Altanians in order to grow their pipeweed, tend to their small farms of potatoes and maize, and husband their herds of small llamas.

They trade regularly with the Altanians, who find favor with the Halfling's weed, their cheeses, vegetables, and wood products. Highland Bounders (the guardians of the boundaries of the Shire) typically wear leather armor and carry short swords and slings. The few priests they have are mostly druidic.

Racial Traits: as per the Pathfinder Core Rules Pg. 26 for Halfling with the following modifications:

Dieties: Druidic, Obad-Hai, occasionally Suthak.

Languages: Begin play with Common and Halfling. Halflings with high intelligence scores and choose from the following: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Altanian, and Orc.
Civilized Humans: Humans in Altanis, that are not native Altanians are known as “Civilized” Humans They are colonists who have come to Altanis in search of wealth, land and a new life in a region where people are free from domination of the ‘civilized’ nations. Follow the traits in the Pathfinder Core Rules Pg. 27 except for languages which are detailed below.

Dieties: Anubis, Athena, Bondorr, Dennari, Dionysus, Elishar, Freya, Nerull, Obad-Hai, Re-Horakhty, Seker, Suthak, Thor, Thoth, Xerbo and Zon-Kuthon.

Language: Common, and either Altanian, Antillian, Ghinoran, Skandik, or Tharbrian. Humans with high intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Altanian Humans: Native to the region, the barbarian Altanians are a fallen race that once built amazing cities and marvels long eroded into the jungles. They are now a tribal people formed into families organized into animal totem clans. Some clans remain completely nomadic in nature, while most have settled into a semi-nomadic way of life, settling in small ramshackle villages or ruined villages built by their ancestors. Clans include Grizzly Bear (the largest clan), Mountain Lion, Forest Ape, Tusked Boar, Gray Wolf, and Spotted Wolverine. Altanians are among the most renowned trackers in the world. Altaninians maintain their youth and vigor through old age, and then continue with a mature physique until the day that they die—though few ever live to reach the natural end of their life.

Altanian society (non-nomadic tribes) is dominated by the women, who own all chattel and property, save the weapons wielded by the warrior men. The men follow the Way of the Sword, which is a quasi-religious cult led by Sword Knights—Altanians that have earned the right to carry Ancestral Swords (mostly Greatswords). Warriors that are not Knights are members of one of several Warrior Lodges, including the Red Lion, Amber Serpent, Blue Bear, Gray Stallion, Black Eagle, White Wolf, and Green Drake Lodges. Warrior women have a single lodge, the Ivory Swan. Most women stay at home, tending to small gardens with their druidic abilities, while the men go hunting and raiding, or form mercenary bands and adventure in other regions. There are reputedly some pureblooded Altanians, with the darkest blood red skin, who claim descent from various Chaos Lords—powerful inhuman creatures from the Chaos Planes of the Netherworld.

Description: Copper to reddish brown to blood red (purebloods) skin, sandy to black (pure bloods) hair, hazel eyes, typically Neutral or Chaotic Neutral.

Racial Traits:

• Attributes: +2 Constitution

• Skills: Altanians gain Knowledge (Nature), Handle Animal and Survival as class skills regardless of class chosen as well as a +2 racial bonus to the Survival skill.

• Bonus Skill Points: Altanians do not receive the normal human bonus of 1 skill point at first level, nor do they gain the 1 additional skill point at each additional level

• Age Effects: Altanians do not feel the effects of age as other humans do. They suffer the penalties of Middle Age at Old Age, and the penalties of Old Age at Venerable Age, but gain the bonuses of aging at the normal age steps.

• Favored Class: Barbarian, Druid (particularly Altanian women) or Sorcerers (again, particularly Altanian women.

Languages: Common and Altanian. Altanians with high intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
Common Languages:



Language Typical Speakers Alphabet

Altanian Altanians, the barbarian people of the Pazidan None

Antillian People of Antil and the Antillian Peninsula Elven

Common All people. Common

Feline Cat-Folk None

Ghinoran Rallu, Tlan, Lenap, Chim and Damkina Glyphis/Dwarven

Skandik Skandiks Dwarven

Tharbrian Tharbrians, near City State and Viridistan Common

Altanian: Spoken by the red-skinned barbarian Altanians, this language dominates the Altanian Peninsula and is pervasive among the common folk of the region of the City State. Altanian is historically not a written language, though it could be written phonetically using the Common alphabet.
Ancient Antillian: Spoken by the extinct people of Antil, this language uses the Elven alphabet. To learn this language, in addition to having access to a book containing the language, one must know how to read Antillian. Sources of Ancient Antillian are plentiful and this is perhaps the easiest ancient language to learn. Many spells related to animals and plants and animal summoning can be found in texts written in Ancient Antillian.
Antillian: A common version of Ancient Antillian, this language is spoken in and around the city of Antil and is used as their trade language.
Ghinoran: Spoken by the peoples descended from the Ghinoran Successor States of ancient Kelnore, Ghinoran is unlike Common (which descends from Viridian, Tharbrian and Altanina). In fact, Ghinoran uses a unique and complex alphabet known as Glyphis, which, though hard to believe, is itself a simplified form of the incredibly complex Glyphic writing of ancient Kelnore. In Chim, the Ghinoran language was maintained by the dwarves but a modified version of the Dwarven alphabet was adopted.
Skandik: The language of the skandiks is a simple language that normally has very few shades of meaning, though they have dozens of words for “boat,” “water” and “axe,” each with a subtle distinction. They have adopted the Dwarven runic alphabet.
Tharbrian: Tharbrian, Altanian and Viridian merged to form the Common tongue. The Tharbrian language is the languge of the nomad people and is a beautiful and musical language, despite the coarse nature of many of its speakers.

Many ancient tales and bardic songs were composed in Tharbrian. Originally not a written language but a language with a strong oral tradition, Tharbrian uses the Common alphabet which they learned from the Viridians.

New Feats:

ANCESTRAL RELIC [GENERAL]

You own an ancestral heirloom and can invest it with increasing power.

Prerequisites: Any good alignment, character level 3rd.

Benefit: Choose an item you own. The item must be of masterwork quality, and it must be an item that once belonged to a member of your family. Alternatively, the item may have belonged to another person to whom you are somehow connected, such as another member of your religious order.

At any time, you may retreat to a consecrated or hallowed location and spend time in prayer in order to awaken the spirits in your ancestral relic. This requires a sacrifice of valuable items worth the difference between the market price of the magic item your relic will become and the market price of your current relic. This sacrifice does not have to be gold—you can sacrifice magic items or other goods worth the required amount, rather than selling your goods (at half value) to pay for the sacrifice. You must spend 1 day per 1,000 gp value you sacrifice. During this time, you must spend at least 8 hours each day in prayer or meditation, not stopping to eat or rest.

For example, a 4th-level paladin has a masterwork bastard sword she inherited from her grandfather.

She makes sacrifices worth 2,000 gp and spends two days in prayer and fasting in the temple of Bondorr. When she emerges, her devotion has awakened the magic inherent in the blade, making it a +1 bastard sword. When she reaches 7th level, she once again retreats to the temple for 6 days, sacrificing items worth an additional 6,000 gp to make her weapon a +2 bastard sword (market price 8,000 gp). When she reaches 11^th level, she can make it a +2 holy bastard sword by making sacrifices worth 24,000 gp (the difference between 32,000 and 8,000 gp) and spending 24 days in prayer.

A character’s level dictates the maximum value of his or her ancestral relic, as shown in Table 4–2.

No character may have more than one ancestral relic.