As described in the game introduction, this is a game inspired by classic adventuring. That's going to mean something a little different for players in various age groups, so the first thing is to establish what "old-school" represents, in the context of this particular environment.

By "old-school," "classic," etc., we want to evoke images of:

- A world wherein humans are numerous, but the "core" fantasy races (elves, dwarves, halflings, orcs, gnomes) are present and influential, worthy of respect and curiosity. Think of hidden forest cities populated by elvenkind, veiled with magic beyond the ken of most mortals, wreathed in ethereal song and built on dreamlike architecture. Deep fastnesses carved by the skilled hands of dwarvenkind, connected to the surface only by their impenetrable doors, but concealing halls and citadels of unparalleled scale and artistry. Tolkien and similar were heavy influences on the original Dungeons & Dragons!

- Stout warriors in practical rather than flashy armor, wielding great spears and tall shields, or trusty blades and powerful bows. Wizards are elderly folk, with long beards and/or broad-brimmed, peaked hats; tall staves; pipes; and satchels stuffed with books and scrolls. Rogues are quick, clever, and sly, with short swords and bows and dexterous fingers. Suggested inspirational material includes the Alfar series (Elzabeth H. Boyer), The Riftwar Saga (Raymond E. Feist), The Earthsea Saga (Ursula K. Le Guin), and similar.

- Other high fantasy tropes present especially in literature from the 1960s to the 1990s: Magical objects are uncommon and exceedingly precious, often with origins as epic as the destinies they find in the hands of adventurers. Monsters are terrifying, but thankfully rare except in the deepest reaches of the sea, woods, and mountains—or in the ruins left behind by ancient disasters. Curses, necromancy, and other black arts are nothing to laugh at. Courage and luck can be almost as critical as a heroic destiny, but sometimes a little knowledge goes further than anything else.


While unique character concepts are still welcomed and encouraged, applications should strongly aim for the pocket outlined here. More contemporary builds—dual-wielding acrobats, monstrous races as PCs, martial artists, and so on—aren't quite as appropriate, for this game, as they might be in a more typical Pathfinder adventure path or module. Some classes (like the magus or psychic) might be best suited only for particular non-human races, while others (like the monk or gunslinger) might not be the right fit, at all. Likewise with specific feats and archetypes: Weapon Focus is a good fit for any warrior, while Eerie Sense makes more sense for elves (with their heightened awareness) or powerful magic-users. There aren't going to be a lot of whip specialists running around, in comparison to the number of people simply using axes and maces—and so on.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:24, Wed 11 Nov 2015.