Pavis Rises starting character ideas?

[Harshlax]

Hi, luminaries of the boards! I am planning to possibly use Pavis Rises to start GMing Runequest (my first campaign GMing) and will be using it to also introduce RQ and Glorantha to people who have never met it before, outside my raving about the world.

I want to start talking about character ideas with them but would benefit from some clear ideas about where the PCs could come from to give character creation some focus and limits, and not wig them out with too many options.

Does anyone involved in the supplement or others have any ideas that could help?

 

[Loz]

'Pavis Rises' has a chapter devoted to getting new players and characters into the setting, for scores of ideas and set-ups, aiming at covering all the major cultural options, including Wyrmfriends, God Learners and Orlanthi. I can't reveal more here but you'll find plenty of inspiration and ready-made Get Into Pavis Quick hooks for your players.

 

[Ultor]

Does that include, say, time travelers from the Third Age :wink:

 

[Loz]

Does that include, say, time travelers from the Third Age :wink:

Nah - they're still mucking around in Vulture County hunting for Muriah...

Nicely recalled though!

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

What about the God Learner ghost down in the cave?

(See if you remember that one!)

 

[Loz]

Well, my hope was that they'd try to engage the ghost and get whisked some 700 years into the past and pick the bones out of the resulting mess, but some ingenuity involving a bound spirit meant that didn't happen (curses!) so we continued the campaign as per its published route.

There's still that chance though. I have ways and means (I mean, who knows what nasty magic Muriah's got in her bound heads...) :twisted:

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

As an aside, can one Thanatari "donate" their collected heads to another Thanatari (I mean as a "peaceful" gift)?

I ask as heads could thus be passed down from one priest to another through the years (some could even be 700+ years old). Lineages of priests with old heads whispering eldritch secrets... Craft [Mummification] and perhaps some odd enchantments might help of course, otherwise they might just turn to maggoty slop.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

As an aside, can one Thanatari "donate" their collected heads to another Thanatari (I mean as a "peaceful" gift)?

I ask as heads could thus be passed down from one priest to another through the years (some could even be 700+ years old). Lineages of priests with old heads whispering eldritch secrets...

I don't think so, as a general rule, though there may be exceptions. Since Thanatri priests normally advance by "actively" replacing their predecessor, there may be a situation where current priest A has amongst his heads that of former priest B, who, despite his demise, still maintains links to his bound heads (including his predecessor C?). Some sort of strange Chaotic feature, or rare Thanatri Heroquest being responsible for extending the (un)life of the severed heads....

 

[Rungard]

Since Thanatri priests normally advance by "actively" replacing their predecessor, there may be a situation where current priest A has amongst his heads that of former priest B, who, despite his demise, still maintains links to his bound heads (including his predecessor C?)

Wow, that would certainly make for a very powerful priest, but I guess he should leave at least some of his heads on a table, otherwise they will weigh too much...!

 

[Rungard]

What about the God Learner ghost down in the cave?

Wait a second, I thought he had planned to go back in time using a certain scenario from "Sun County"... Who is this ghost? Where can I learn more about your campaign? (I'm also running one in 3rd Age Prax!)

 

[Rungard]

BTW, when are you going to upload some previews of "Pavis Rises"?
Or could you please post its table of contents? Pleeeeeeaze...! :wink:

 

[Loz]

BTW, when are you going to upload some previews of "Pavis Rises"?
Or could you please post its table of contents? Pleeeeeeaze...! :wink:

Its going through editing now. Once that's done, it goes to layout, then further proofing, then its preview. A few weeks, then, but have patience.

As a teaser the ToC reads:

Introduction
Useful information on preparing to use Pavis in Gloranthan campaigns, plus history and overview of the city.

Pavis Gazetteer
A detailed guide to the city’s districts and environs, with plenty of characters, their statistics and plots to engage the campaign.

Pavis Resources
Useful information, tables and statistics for the city.

Cults of Pavis
Introducing several new cults specific to Pavis along with a unique, Greg Stafford-penned description of how Pavis came to be formed.

Strangers in Pavis
Scenario hooks to bring characters into both the city and campaign. An extensive chapter designed to support different cultures, outlooks and adventuring styles.

Scenario Introduction
An overview of the scenarios that form the Pavis Rises campaign. Read this before delving into the adventurer specifics.

Sariedo’s Debt
A merchant needs help recovering something from Robcradle’s ruined storehouses.

Within These Arms
The adventurers are engaged to make a delivery outside the city: but who is commanding the errand and who is the recipient? What significance does this seemingly innocuous task have for Pavis’s future?

Weave and Weft
A local weaver goes missing and the adventurers must find her. Who has and her and why? And, more to the point, what is the significance of the rugs stolen from her store?

They Might Be Giants
When the Zola Fel river dries, it is up to the adventurers to investigate the cause. What they discover has profound repercussions for the city, its magic, and its future.

Hands That Rock the Cradle
The mysterious Puzzle Canal holds many secrets and on, in particular, that many would pay dearly to control.

Days of Future Past
A guide to Pavis’s future history, describing events that can be expanded upon beyond the Pavis Rises campaign and through Living Glorantha.

And that's all you're getting for now... :wink:

 

[Loz]

What about the God Learner ghost down in the cave?

Wait a second, I thought he had planned to go back in time using a certain scenario from "Sun County"... Who is this ghost? Where can I learn more about your campaign? (I'm also running one in 3rd Age Prax!)

Yes, that's true, but I've fiddled with the dramatic personae of the Sun County campaign, making a few named characters link more substantially with Second Age. I don't keep a blog, unfortunately (haven't time...) and the Sun County campaign's been on hiatus over the summer. Not sure when we'll resume it.

 

[Rungard]

Well, this looks interesting!!!

I particularly like the mention of "Robcradle’s ruined storehouses", of the giants, and of Puzzle Canal (Labrygon, I know you are there).

It must have been difficult to make this scenarios suitable for the three factions: God Learners, EWF and orlanthis.