First off note that this is an Interest Check only at the moment. I work in retail - in a mall - and it's the holiday season. If that's not enough I am recovering slowly from a really nasty encounter with the norovirus. So this idea would not become a thing until after this whole holiday thing is done and gone.

Secondly this idea spawned from a random conversation with my real life group. If this turns into something really cool it is something I want to run for them. So this is kind of a test run but hopefully a really fun test run. As such though it will be a game that I will be looking for feedback and ideas from all of the players.

Third I will gladly answer any questions anyone has but please do not suggest using a different system or making a suggestion against the base assumptions of the game. This is the base idea. If you would be interested as long as I change these things then you are not interested.

And now on to the idea itself!

---

Imagine your typical fantasy world - maybe a little lower in power than most - and for centuries it moves along unchanged. No real need for innovation. Medicine controlled by the powers of the church. Military might supplied by arcane forces on the battlefield. Industry supplied by dwarven nations. Economies driven by constant warring with "evil" races.

But then there comes a kingdom with a different vision. One who sees an end to the traditional ways of doing things. They embrace a new discipline in alchemy and over the next century bring most of the continent under their control. Think British Empire with zeppelins.

All of this is really just backstory. The empire spans a continent and the world is in the midst of an arcano-technological revolution. The world is shrinking as travel and communications improve in leaps and bounds. Lifespan and life quality improve as medicine becomes a thing of science rather than faith. So called "evil races" have been brought into the empire.

Not that everything is roses. Racism is a thing. Not everyone appreciates the empire's guiding hand. Greed runs rampant in the newborn industrial world. Monsters of legend walk the land driven from the shadows by urbanization and industry.

And then there are people like you. Exceptional people who cannot be matched by any save their own. Some foment rebellion or work for vengeance or crusade for immortality. Some just want to watch the world burn. The mere guards and soldiers of the world can't touch them.

But you can. That's why the Empire recruited you. You were Exceptional and they saw it. They trained you to use the most advanced science of the day. They put alchemy into your hands. Then they gave you the authority necessary to deal with others like you.

What do you do with it?

---

At it's basest level this will be a Pathfinder game using the gestalt rules from 3.5 because I don't think they were ever reprinted for Pathfinder. The only difference is that you don't get to choose your second class. Your second class is Alchemist.

Let me lay it out plainly.

- Gestalt rules with Alchemist as your second class.
- All good or Lawful Neutral. You are agents of the Empire.
- All Pathfinder archetypes (except Synthesist) are cool.
- Races have not been fully decided upon but it will not be just the basic few.
- 1st level
- Stats will be one 18 and then 25 point buy for the rest.
- All Classes (Core, Base, & Hybrid)

Changes from Pathfinder's base assumptions.

- Higher level characters are rare. The Emperor's Guard? 6th level. His court wizard? 5th. The vast majority of the world are not Exceptional. This affects things like...
- Magic items are rare. The few found have histories and impact. Most of your special stuff will be alchemical or technological in base. Alloyed metals to make better armor and weapons and the like.
- Adamantine and mithral are alloys made by alchemy. Expensive but craftable. And they aren't the only special materials.
- There are no earthly "evil races". Goblins can be good. Orcs can be contributing members of society. Races don't have alignments. People do.
- The game will be very urban centered.
- Monsters are special. It's not a chimera. It's the Chimera. It's not a red dragon. It's Vemithrax Pejorative.

I see this game as less D&D and more League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets Bioshock with a dash of Batman. Floating cities held aloft by great Chemical Engines as they soar among the clouds hiding shadows of old hatreds. Great urban sprawls beneath the waters supported by alchemy and magic and waging war against itself. Vast skyscraper laden cities with the smoke of the great Factorums darkening the sky and poisoning those who must breath the fumes. Magic is rare and mysterious. Technology is reliable and taken for granted and available to any - for good or ill. And the world responds to your actions.

After all... you're Exceptional aren't you?
This message was last edited by the user at 03:18, Sat 20 Dec 2014.

Sounds interesting, but out of curiosity, why do you have the alignment restrictions? It doesn't really make sense. I don't see how serving the empire is even related to alignment, so I'm kinda curious how your view connects them.

That quite honestly, sounds rather brilliant.

nauthiz - Thank you.

DarkLightHitomi - Good question. Allow me to do my best to answer it. Part of the reason is IC. The PCs are effectively representatives of the highest law in the land. A protect and serve kind of thing - and they are new to it. A cop can go bad obviously but I think most people who sign up to risk their lives to protect their people or their nation start off fundamentally good. Power and human nature does the rest.

That's just how I feel.

The primary reason is an OOC one however. Parties work together better when they are good or bound to a higher order. Neutral I could potentially see working for the game. But everything else? Not so much. At least not without getting into territory that I don't want to. Lawful Evil would technically make sense but it would darken the game on the players end. Chaotic Neutral really doesn't lend itself to being a government agent. Even if the alignment was played properly. The Evils outside of Lawful are the bad guys.

TLDR It makes the game easier if everyone's on the same side. At least at the beginning.

Interesting, not just working for the gov, but good guys working for the gov.

Generally I play neutral, but lawful neutral works as am no stranger to disciplined characters, though I usually only do that with monks.

So thinking after Christmas, or after New year's?

Probably after New Year's. My job won't slow down till after that.

I'm very interested. Have a few ideas too. Would any of the interested parties here like to discuss potential characters in rMail (as discussing characters isn't kosher in this subforum I'm pretty sure)?

This sounds interesting. I look forward to seeing what the final product looks like after the new year.