The Old World is dead. Hunger reigns. With this knowledge, we shall suffer for the sins of our creators.
Welcome to Iron Gut, a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting for Pathfinder 2e. I plan on developing it more through play, but here’s the gist of it.
Major Points
Monsters are strange and unnerving.
Most monsters in this world are what are called “spectres,” and are sentient echoes of the Old World. Spectres can take on virtually any shape, from a dog to a demon to a building. Whether they’re spectres or not, all monsters are defined not by how tough they are in combat, but by what interactions the players can have with them (which, yes, includes combat). They aren’t just monsters; every one of them has an actual reason to exist and be where it is and do what it does.
The world is barren and godless.
The Old World was destroyed because society remained for too long in an industrial state of mind and polluted the world to the point of extinction. The only survivors are creatures called Guardians, entities only united by their nature as survivors of the Old World and the sole wielders of divine power.
Most creatures in the New World lack true souls, being made by the Guardians as opposed to gods or spirits or whatever happens to be up there. As a result, New Worlders are permanently locked away from divine power, trapped in a barren world surrounded by pollution and industrial machinery.
Echoes of the past determine our future.
The old world may be gone, but its memories live on. Echoes of the past, called “wisps,” are the sole source of magic in Iron Gut. They are everywhere and inside of everything, and they are invisible under normal circumstances.
Demisouls
There are less than 50 true souls left on this plane of existence. “Fake” souls, also known as demisouls, are made out of wisps combined into a complicated, constantly evolving mess of magical power. Demisouls are destroyed if taken outside of the body that holds them together, returning to wisps once more. Creatures with demisouls also cannot travel between planes of existence.
Magic
All magic relies on wisps, but different spell lists manipulate different types.
Arcane magic focuses on wisps that embody elements and objects.
Occult magic focuses on wisps that embody memories and emotions.
Primal magic focuses on wisps that embody living things, such as people and buildings.
Spectres
Spectres are made from wisps coalescing into pseudo-sapient masses of “living” material. The results are usually horrifying and often confusing.
Hunger reigns.
The land and oceans are barren and produce little food, but there are plenty of magic items from the old world, whether altered by wisps or just unbelievably advanced machinery, that produce victuals of some sort. Adventurers are typically sent to find and collect these items as their primary jobs. Clearing out spectres is just an added bonus.
Stronger together.
Even the strongest team of adventurers needs somewhere to rest and resupply. In these times of famine, this is more true than ever. Plenty of people are willing to feed, shelter, and otherwise assist an adventurer, but you need to remember that this relationship is symbiotic, and most people will not tolerate parasites.
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Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
This is really cool! I do not play pathfinder, but this just looks really interesting!
Is it common knowledge that this is a “new world”. Do people know the guardians created them? Do people know a lot of stuff about the old world? Is it something scholars study? How do these things affect their culture? Can people find out things about the old world with wisps, considering they are, “echoes of the past.” That would be kinda cool! What’s the reason only the guardians survived?
i hope these questions might help you flesh out your world. Its really cool! Keep doing your best!
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The Old World is dead. Hunger reigns. With this knowledge, we shall suffer for the sins of our creators.
Welcome to Iron Gut, a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting for Pathfinder 2e. I plan on developing it more through play, but here’s the gist of it.
Major Points
Monsters are strange and unnerving.
Most monsters in this world are what are called “spectres,” and are sentient echoes of the Old World. Spectres can take on virtually any shape, from a dog to a demon to a building. Whether they’re spectres or not, all monsters are defined not by how tough they are in combat, but by what interactions the players can have with them (which, yes, includes combat). They aren’t just monsters; every one of them has an actual reason to exist and be where it is and do what it does.
The world is barren and godless.
The Old World was destroyed because society remained for too long in an industrial state of mind and polluted the world to the point of extinction. The only survivors are creatures called Guardians, entities only united by their nature as survivors of the Old World and the sole wielders of divine power.
Most creatures in the New World lack true souls, being made by the Guardians as opposed to gods or spirits or whatever happens to be up there. As a result, New Worlders are permanently locked away from divine power, trapped in a barren world surrounded by pollution and industrial machinery.
Echoes of the past determine our future.
The old world may be gone, but its memories live on. Echoes of the past, called “wisps,” are the sole source of magic in Iron Gut. They are everywhere and inside of everything, and they are invisible under normal circumstances.
Demisouls
There are less than 50 true souls left on this plane of existence. “Fake” souls, also known as demisouls, are made out of wisps combined into a complicated, constantly evolving mess of magical power. Demisouls are destroyed if taken outside of the body that holds them together, returning to wisps once more. Creatures with demisouls also cannot travel between planes of existence.
Magic
All magic relies on wisps, but different spell lists manipulate different types.
Arcane magic focuses on wisps that embody elements and objects.
Occult magic focuses on wisps that embody memories and emotions.
Primal magic focuses on wisps that embody living things, such as people and buildings.
Spectres
Spectres are made from wisps coalescing into pseudo-sapient masses of “living” material. The results are usually horrifying and often confusing.
Hunger reigns.
The land and oceans are barren and produce little food, but there are plenty of magic items from the old world, whether altered by wisps or just unbelievably advanced machinery, that produce victuals of some sort. Adventurers are typically sent to find and collect these items as their primary jobs. Clearing out spectres is just an added bonus.
Stronger together.
Even the strongest team of adventurers needs somewhere to rest and resupply. In these times of famine, this is more true than ever. Plenty of people are willing to feed, shelter, and otherwise assist an adventurer, but you need to remember that this relationship is symbiotic, and most people will not tolerate parasites.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
Sorry for the run-on sentences, this is a first draft. Or, more accurately, third draft.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
May each word that I speak be backed by each of my teeth.
This is really cool! I do not play pathfinder, but this just looks really interesting!
Is it common knowledge that this is a “new world”. Do people know the guardians created them? Do people know a lot of stuff about the old world? Is it something scholars study? How do these things affect their culture? Can people find out things about the old world with wisps, considering they are, “echoes of the past.” That would be kinda cool! What’s the reason only the guardians survived?
i hope these questions might help you flesh out your world. Its really cool! Keep doing your best!