Intro to Blood Moor

How to Use this Guide:

On Tesslutut and especially on Bloodmoor Island in the Stolen Lands area. PCs will be thrown into the midst of politics, wars, drama, and intrigue. All in the end to see if they are able to carave themself out a pice of civilzation in this wild, untamed land. A few special traits are added to the normal Pathfinder system to make the plane of Tesslutut a more unique and rewarding experience compared to the traditional RPG adventures.   The Kingmaker Adventure Path began in Rostland, located in Southwestern Bluchena, but moved fairly quickly across the sea to the area of Blood Moor. The infamous Stolenlands, the north center area of Blood Moor Island. Here, a vast swath of wilderness awaits exploration and settlement. (actually size of Maine.) 35,000 square miles. The nearby kingdom of Redrum lies along the southwestern border of the Stolen Lands, but whether they will become your friends or enemies, only time will tell!   Players have begun a new life in Serpents Pass Village     Kingmaker is an epic campaign for Pathfinder Second Remasted Edition. To play this campaign, all you need is the Pathfinder Core Rulebook and a character sheet— with your Game Master’s permission, you can also use supplemental rulebooks to further customize your character. On this page, you’ll find spoiler-free advice and specific suggestions to help you create a character tailored specifically for Kingmaker. This Player’s Guide is organized as follows:    

• Character Creation Guidance and tips for creating a character for this campaign. Some of this advice is summarized in the Suggested Character Options table below.
• Kingdoms: Extensive rules for how to build and manage your own kingdom.
• Warfare: Spoiler-free rules for how to prepare for and play mass combat encounters.
• Leylines: Simplified rules for how magic can be tapped into and manipulated on Bloodmoor.

 

1. Character Creation

The following information not only provides context for creating characters that fit in well with the region and themes but also helps to manage player expectations for the campaign.   Rules for a new character. Use pathbulder2e.com     On the menu button, go to connect to GM.

• GM ID: 3957
• Password: leyline

   

ANCESTRY

Amid the constant threat of civil war, the inhabitants of Brevoy have more pressing concerns than their neighbors’ ancestries, and few judge anyone by that alone. Brevans value custom and loyalty; thus, anyone who adheres to local traditions enjoys a high degree of tolerance and acceptance. As such, the region boasts a diverse population. Characters don’t have to be from Brevoy to play the Kingmaker Adventure Path, but since the campaign begins as the party receives a charter from the swordlords of Restov, and the initial approach into the Stolen Lands is from Brevoy, players should consider how members of their character’s ancestry and class function in this northern kingdom. The common ancestries from the Core Rulebook all work seamlessly with Kingmaker. If a player is considering a rare or uncommon ancestry from another source, the GM should consider challenges and opportunities the story and setting may present for that character, as highlighted below.  

THEMATIC ANCESTRIES

  Groups of antagonistic kobolds and lizardfolk reside in the Stolen Lands, so players who make characters with these ancestries may have to make difficult choices. Alternately, the presence of such a PC can, at the GM’s discretion, make alliances with these groups more likely. With Kingmaker’s thematic ties to the Lorwyn, a leshy character could be a fun player option. Likewise, a sprite character might find themselves faced with unexpected advantages or disadvantages in portions of this adventure where the Lorywyn has a stronger role. It’s best for a sprite PC to have no knowledge of the Adventure Path’s key villains and very limited knowledge of the Lorwyn; a sprite who has lived their whole life on the Material Plane works better in Kingmaker than one who is more familiar with the Lorwyn's strangeness. The proximity of Numeria to the Stolen Lands also makes it likely that some androids and ratfolk have drifted east into the region.  

UNAFFILIATED ANCESTRIES

  Hobgoblins, along with many of the versatile heritages such as those touched by the planes or beastkin, aren’t that common in the region, but neither are they unknown or as unexpected as something like catfolk or tengu. And unlike lizardfolk or kobolds, most in the Stolen Lands don’t hold a bias against these ancestries, and they make relatively safe, low-impact options for PCs in Kingmaker. (For a PC with a versatile heritage such as changeling, dhampir, or one of the planar scions, their primary ancestry will also impact how well they fit in Kingmaker.) While azarketi would also fit this category, the lack of opportunities to excel in underwater or aquatic environments makes them a particularly poor choice for this campaign.  

UNUSUAL ANCESTRIES

Catfolk, fetchlings, fleshwarps, kitsune, strix, and tengu are not well-known in the Stolen Lands; if players choose from these options, they may often be regarded as unusual or curious visitors by denizens in the River Kingdoms. GMs might want to play up some NPCs’ reactions to characters of unexpected ancestries, or consider altering some NPC ancestries to match those characters—if only to help explain why some people in the Stolen Lands know that a catfolk isn’t a werecreature    

BACKGROUNDS

  Players should choose a background from the list of campaign-specific ones provided, since these build thematic, story-based links between the characters and the Kingmaker story line without spoiling the surprises to come. That said, a player who prefers to choose a background from the Core Rulebook would be well-suited to choose one of the following thematic choices: animal whisperer, bounty hunter, criminal, emissary, farmhand, field medic, guard, herbalist, hermit, hunter, laborer, merchant, miner, noble, nomad, scout, or warrior. Appropriate backgrounds from the Advanced Player’s Guide include bandit, cook, courier, outrider, pilgrim, refugee, scavenger, squire, and tax collector. Certain rare backgrounds from the Advanced Player’s Guide are also appropriate thematic choices for Kingmaker, including amnesiac, cursed, and royalty. The Feybound rare background is also thematically appropriate, but be careful about building in previous visits to Lorwyn for any PC, as Kingmaker assumes that the first visit to this plane for the heroes happens “on screen” during the campaign itself    

CLASSES

  With a wide range of challenges ahead in Kingmaker, a party would benefit greatly from having an equally wide range of character classes represented in the group. A few things to keep in mind for each of the classes are summarized below.  

ALCHEMIST

While alchemy doesn’t play a particularly important role in the Kingmaker Adventure Path, an alchemist still has plenty of opportunities to shine in this campaign, particularly if they focus their research as chirurgeons or mutagenists.  

BARBARIAN

The most active barbarians within the Stolen Lands are the Tiger Lords, but they’re a violent band of warmongers who play the role of antagonists in the campaign. As such, the Tiger Lords make a poor choice for a PC affiliation. If a player wants their barbarian character to have an affiliation with a local group, work with your GM to generate specifics. If a player chooses to play a member of the Tiger Lords, GMs should work with them to ensure that they won’t have knowledge about the current activities of the group to avoid spoiling plotlines. An exiled Tiger Lord barbarian could make for a compelling character who eventually could help the party to more easily recruit the Tiger Lords as allies. The most thematic instincts for a Kingmaker barbarian include animal, dragon, and fury.  

BARD

A bard’s ability to sway crowds and manipulate social events will often come in handy during Kingmaker. All bard muses are appropriate choices for Kingmaker, particularly if a bard’s specific muse is associated with Brevoy, the River Kingdoms, or the First World. King Irovetti, the ruler of the neighboring kingdom of Redrum, fancies himself a renowned artist and entertainer, yet stifles the artists in his realm, so a bard character who fled Redrum City could have a readymade goal to return and start a cultural revolution. Such a bard should not be someone who views King Irovetti as an ally or a source of inspiration, though!  

CHAMPION

Holy warriors are relatively uncommon on Bloodmoor, though they are not completely absent from the region. Champions who serve Tassia Clanvor are the most thematically appropriate choices for Kingmaker.  

CLERIC

All nations have need of healers and spiritual leaders, but those struggling to find their footing at the edge of civilization benefit most from the presence of clerics. While clerics of any Eternalism faith will find roles in this campaign, Eternals who have strong thematic ties to events in Kingmaker include Tassia Clanvor, Cybele, Hades, Demeter, Helios, Theia, and Hyperion.  

DRUID

  Druidic traditions are strong in the Stolen Lands, particularly those linked to the First World. The worship of Cybele and members the Green Faith of Calydos are the most common druidic traditions followed in the region, while the animal, leaf, and wild druidic orders are the most appropriate choices for Kingmaker.  

FIGHTER

The esteemed and exclusive schools of the Aldori swordlords train many of Brevoy’s numerous fighters, especially in the southern region of Rostland, so Kingmaker is an excellent opportunity to play a character interested in eventually becoming a swordlord. Alternately, with a focus on mass combat later in the story, a fighter who builds toward a role as a general can be an appropriate choice.  

GUNSLINGER

The people of Brevoy and the River Kingdoms know about guns, but these weapons remain incredibly rare in the region. As this is an uncommon class, a player should work with their GM before building a gunslinger, and the GM should be comfortable adjusting the campaign as needed to support this type of character’s specialized resource needs.  

INVENTOR

Inventors certainly exist in Brevoy and on Bloodmoor, particularly those who are influenced by the futuristic technology of neighboring of Northern Numeria. As with the gunslinger, since this is an uncommon class, the player should work with their GM before building an inventor.  

INVESTIGATOR

There are plenty of mysteries in the Stolen Lands, and an investigator will have plenty to do throughout this campaign. All investigator methodologies are thematically appropriate for Kingmaker.  

MAGUS

While there are no significant organizations associated with this class in the Stolen Lands, the magus is hardly unknown to the people of Brevoy or the islands of Bloodmoor. All categories of hybrid study for the magus work well for the campaign.  

MONK

As there are no established or significant monastic orders in the Stolen Lands or the surrounding regions, a traveling explorer or pilgrim likely makes the most sense for a monk character. A monk who seeks to establish their own order may well find an opportunity to do so while the party’s kingdom expands.  

ORACLE

Oracles are an excellent thematic choice for this campaign, particularly their curses, though it’s probably best to keep an oracle’s curse self-contained rather than shoehorn it into larger plots in the campaign. The most thematically appropriate mysteries for an oracle are ancestors, battle, life, and tempest.  

PSYCHIC

Psychics are not well-known in the Stolen Lands, and most who encounter one would be quick to assume the character is some sort of sorcerer. Emotional acceptance is a strong thematic choice for your subconscious mind.  

RANGER

The Stolen Lands make ranger an excellent choice for Kingmaker, especially if the player wants to play a bounty hunter, ex-bandit, explorer, or survivalist.  

ROGUE

As with bards, rogues will find many opportunities to manipulate social encounters throughout the campaign. An ex-bandit or a bounty hunter might be a good choice for a rogue character, as would something like a spy or even a diplomat. All rogue rackets are sound choices for Kingmaker  

SORCERER

Kingmaker’s thematic ties to Lorywyn make the fey and nymph bloodlines obvious choices for a sorcerer character. While any bloodline will have a chance to stand out, other bloodlines that have thematic ties to Kingmaker include draconic, elemental, and imperial.  

SUMMONER

Summoners of the Godcaller tradition are the most commonly encountered summoners in the region. The best choices, thematically, for a Kingmaker summoner’s eidolon include beast, dragon, fey, and plant. SW  

SWASHBUCKLER

Although swashbucklers are often portrayed as counterculture elements that make their names as rebels or oppositional forces to the government, swashbucklers can find plenty of opportunities to excel and stand out in Kingmaker. As long as a swashbuckler character supports the party’s kingdom, all swashbuckler styles are thematically appropriate.  

THAUMATURGE

Thaumaturges in the region are often misunderstood as investigators, wizards, or other scholars. All thaumaturge implements have use in this campaign, but your GM may have suggestions about specific choices that might mesh well with the game’s theme.  

WITCH

Witches are quite appropriate for a Kingmaker campaign, particularly if they choose a thematically synergistic patron. Curse, fate, and wild are the most relevant choices.  

WIZARD

There are no specific arcane traditions of note in the Stolen Lands, making this an excellent opportunity for a wizard character to establish a school of their own in their kingdom. Any choice of arcane thesis works well for the campaign.  

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 

Consider the following when creating your PC.   

ALIGNMENT 

Kingmaker works best if the PCs share at least one primary alignment in common, but as long as the players work well together any alignment can function in this campaign.   

ANIMAL COMPANIONS/FAMILIARS

While a character with an animal companion or familiar is not limited in their choices in Kingmaker, the following animals are native to the region and thematically appropriate for this campaign: arboreal sapling, badger, bat, bear, bird, boar, cat, horse, riding drake, scorpion, snake, or wolf.   

SKILLS AND FEATS

Wilderness exploration plays a major role in Kingmaker, which means that more action-based skills like Acrobatics and Athletics are as valuable as wilderness skills like Nature and Survival. The ability to track creatures is particularly useful in certain Kingmaker encounters. Social skills like Deception, Diplomacy, and Intimidation will be quite useful, particularly when the heroes are interacting with visitors or antagonists from neighboring realms. Strong choices for Lore specialties include Architecture, Banditry, Whilera, Farming, Lorwyn, Fishing, Forest, Heraldry, Herbalism, Hills, Hunting, Bloodmoor, Labor, Mercantile, Mining, Mountains, Legal, Redrum, Plains, Politics, River, Scouting, Swamp, and Warfare.    In addition, Lore skills focused on deities or types of creatures that play important roles in this campaign are excellent choices: Hyperion, Hades, Demeter, Claydos, Gorum, Cybele, and Tassia are obvious choices for deity lore, along with Eldest Lore for knowledge of the pantheon of fey demigods; for creatures, the strongest thematic choices would include Boggard, Dragon, Fey, Kobold, Lizardfolk, and Troll Lore. If a player wants to choose a monster Lore, the GM should work with them to suggest options without spoiling too much.   

ARCHETYPES 

All multiclass archetypes work well for a Kingmaker campaign. Other thematically appropriate archetypes from the Advanced Player’s Guide include archaeologist, assassin, beastmaster, bounty hunter, celebrity, herbalist, horizon walker, loremaster, marshal, scout, and snarecrafter. The Aldori Duelist archetype from the Pathfinder Lost Omens World Guide is an excellent thematic choice, as this campaign begins in Rostland, the home of this fighting style, and the PCs’ association with Jamandi Aldori is a great way to unlock access to this archetype.   

BUILDING A KINGDOM

As the campaign progresses, players build their own kingdom, found settlements, and go to war with enemy nations. This Adventure Path’s rules for building kingdoms, settlements, and fighting wars should be provided to the players so that they can be familiar with them and reference them as needed during play.   

LANGUAGES

Kingmaker takes place in the Stolen Lands, where Common is the most widespread language. Other strong choices for languages in Kingmaker include Aklo, Boggard, Cyclops, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnomish, Goblin, Hallit, Iruxi, Jotun, Necril, Sylvan