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dirtymc11 01-04-08, 11:40 AM

Brandi-Mantran Peoples Okay so it may seem that I just like to take the standard races and turn them into a race of warriors. Howeveer this is not the case with this. This idea actually stems from a character developed in one of my non-homebrew games and I liked the idea enough to try it out in my homebrew as I was looking for something to do with my Halflings anyway. Here is what I have so far. There are 2 Races of Halflings on my world (one known as Brandi the other the Teroga). The Teroga are actually transplanted from another world and live in an isolated section of this world. Due to their preference for oral rather than written history they no longer are aware that they came from elsewhere. Only that "they travelled from far away and never called the Islands home." they live a fairly pastoral existence, but are the victims of peiodic slave raids. The last one was the worst ever and nearly the entire population (there have never been more than 3000) was enslaved. 25 years ago they were freed by a band of adventurers and have largely tried to 'learn the lessons' the Gods' were trying to teach them. The Brandi are original inhabitants of this world (yet strangely enough look identical to halflings elsewhere . They lived on a group of islands off the coast of the main continent. Then about 125 years ago there was a catastrophe (a battle between 2 powerful mages) that caused the wate levels to rise and sank the islands. The brandi who survived made it to the mainland with only the clothes on their backs. Upon arrival they sought to carve out a new land for themselves so they could pick up where they left off. However they found that none of the nations (who had also lost coastal cities in the Flood) would allow them to settle there as a whole. They spent the next 120 years wandering from place to place and breaking up into eve smaller groups but never loosing the dream of finding a new homeland for their people. Enter Logan Brightbrook, a Terogan raised in the 1st post slavery generation. Angered by the fact that his elders viewed the Slave Days as a way the gods were trying to teach them a lesson, he decided that the Gods were the problem. Why use such means to teach a lesson. He saw that his elders invited such treatment by trying to find good in evil. they lost sight of the True Lesson to be learned. They must shrug off all the things that encourage their victimization. He had had extensive contact with a Warlike Race of Humans and began to try to emulate their outlook on like. He gathered followers from among his generation and tehy proceeded to train in the arts of war and constantly speak out against the Gods. He favored the glorification of the Terogan spirit to the worship of gods who were uncaring at best and downright evil at worst. His actions caused his exile from his homeland and he made his way into the Larger world. There He encounteed groups of Brandi who were engaged in their fruitless search for a homeland. He told them that the only way to get their New Homeland was to Take it. This was well recieved by the more angry ones among the Brandi. Word went out to other groups and eventually they decided to make their way to an area near the Ocean but currently help by a people known as the Dancers. They were a loosly allied nation of groups of escaped slaves and would theefore not be as organized as the othe nations might be. In their travels Logan discovered that he himself was a sorceror (a trait no Brandi possessed). He used his new found skills to enhance the rmy he was creating. Soon they had carved out an area large enough for them to live in. Then Logan was Crowned emperor of the Land they christened Mantra (after the largest of the Islands). They do not allow the worship of any Gods among their people, a society has taken a very militaristic turn. Dissenters from this new way are killed, and special squads are sent out to find those who have not answered the call to their new homeland. The scattered groups that do not want to join with Mantra are killed as well. I think that maybe before the beginning of the actual transformation into the army (which I see as being in it's early stages, but being pushed fast) and the beginning of the Fighter Tradition there would have been equal amounts of rangers and barbarians. Now I can see the rangers,who tend to be more solitary,being used as the Envoys to the Lost Tribes to bring them home. I think that the connection they have with their animal companions would be seen as potential conflict of interest and maybe even a hidden form of worshipping a God. I think the Emperor would rather keep these people occupied doing something they would view as good rather than sitting around waiting and watching what goes on back home day to day. The Barbarians' Non'Lawful align restr. would definitely be a prob. but I see those guys as being motivated by hatred of all those who have taken part in their peoples' victimization in the past. So long as he gives them an outlet for their anger on a regular basis he could keep them under control and loyal. Maybe they take prisoners and use them in the Arena. Between periods of actual military activity you just let the Barbarians go at those guys to keep them happy. Also you give the average citizens a diversion that keeps them frrom asking "when will we no longer have to do this" (which I think is probably still very much a question the Emperor has to contend with) Much like most repressive societies it's okay to be intelligent and useful so long as you are only smart in the way the rulers wnt you to be. The most desireable ones would be those who never need to question what they can and can't do. they just know it. #1 : How would one actually work out the mechanics for priests who cast spells from a Philosophy rather than a Diety? How could the Mantrans be 100% convinced that this power came from their faith and wasn't just some God trying to get some foot in the door and giving away free spells. I keep thinking maybe something like the Templars from the old Darksun Game, but don't even really know exactly how that was supposed to have worked, only that they got their power from the dragon-king right? If I remember it had something to do with discovey of some magical vortex thingy. Could Logan have found one of these? #2 : I think that there should be a definite emerging generation gap as far as preferred class goes. Maybe everyone over 30 has Barbarian as their prefered class and anyone under that by 5 years would have fighter? Those between 25 and 30 could take their pick of one of the two as a preferred class. Would that be feasible? #3 : I think that since it is established that Logan is the only Teroga/Brandi with any magical aptitude at all they should have a new type of magic they use. Instead of drawing on the enegy field of the Weave like othes on this world they might use something like tantric practices. The way I understand tantric (which isn't very much) is that it has to do with harnessing ones own and others' life enerrgy and storing it. It doesn't just have to do with Sex but with many diffeent ways of harnessing it. (don't focus on the sex parts if you are familiar with it. There may be kids in the room) Any ideas on how to work this. To me, if I am understanding Tantra right and it is harnessing ones own energy that would fit great with the whole 'its time to be Movers and not let the World move us' attitude these guys have. Incidentally I am working on a speech that the Emperor might deliver to get his people going. When I finish it I may post it here. It may give you a better idea of what I would like to see and thus make your feedback even better than it already has been. I like the idea about the extra feat instead of the +1 to saves. These guys are WAY too serious to have the Luck of the carefree. Ive put a great deal of thought into the idea of the interaction with the rest of the 'halfling' race and have come up with the fact that those not already under logan's rule have concentrated into 2 major areas. The 1st is the biggest commercial 'empire' around and so they are protected from logan's forces (except his assassins) the second is Logan's original homeland. They are living in land claimed by a human nation. They are productive enough for the humans to allow them to stay so long as they pay their taxes. This nation is allied with the nation led by one of the humans who planned the operation that freed the slaves. Logan leaves them alone because he isnt strong enough to poke that hornets nest. There have however been frequent examples of wandering mystics who are seeking to intellectualize the Teroga religion (ala the skeptics and stoics). these are all sent by logan to seek to undermine the old faith. It is very popular with the younger generation who sees no benefit from the old gods and has benefited from a rising literacy rate and better agricultural methods. The Teroga stnadard of living is rising and so is the disaffection of its emerging future leaders with the old ways. Logan hopes to be able to pirate this movement in a direction that would lead them to him. In game terms the 1st group of Mantran War-Mages is only a few years away. All of them are sons or daughters of Logan himself, and fanatically loyal to him and the cause. Treat their clerics as following a philosophy and the strength of their faith in this philosophy is what gives them the ability to cast divine spells. I will use the Liberators as the sort of Patron Saints of specific Dedicated Orders that will dedicate themselves to emertion in an aspect of the new Path that those who liberated the slaves are believed to represent. They make the distinction between the Ideals that the Liberators represent to them and the actaul Liberators themselves. So does anyone have any ideas as to easy ways to translate this into game mechanics? Figure the Teroga will just be straight halflings out of 3.5 phb but being settled agriculturalists, The wanderers will just be straight halflings from 3.5 with no changes (but a little less trusting of their own kind and there for much more clannish). The hard part is the Brandi/mantrans. I don't know if I should change anything on them since so little time has passed, but there a re a few cultural differences in the first genereation raised under the new philosophy that might translate into game terms? Any ideas?