Fantasy Core Ireland Setting--The Characters

Fantasy Core RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2013
Published here as Open Game Content.

Index

The characters have all forsworn their clans and kings to serve the high-king for the benefit of all of Ireland. They work in small troops called cadres. They keep an eye on foreign invaders, investigate supernatural occurrences, and try to keep the petty squabbles between the clans from escalating. So they are warriors, spies, diplomats, police, and paranormal adventurers.

All of the basic classes are useful in this setting. Knights could be dispossessed nobles from overseas, or perhaps they were nobles pledged as children to the high-king. Barbarians would be Norse, who were perhaps orphans brought up by Irish parents, or maybe they’ve changed sides because of a marriage. Rangers might be warriors of minor kings who have been recruited by the high-king. Paladins are a contribution from the Church to the high-king, as undead, devils, and evil spellcasters are a threat to all. Thieves may have a questionable background, perhaps they’ve been forced into service as a form of parole, but their skills are valuable nonetheless. Native wizards are a product of the universities. The high-king claims all of the them for his service, as the colleges exist via his patronage.

In this setting there are some changes to the regular Fantasy Core background.  (Though most of the material for Fantasy Ireland will be fairly system neutral.)

There is no Circle of Elders, as there are too few paladins for such an organization. The arch-bishop is responsible for their behavior, and his blessing (or a saint’s) is necessary for them to reach higher levels. There is only one 10th level paladin in the country, who is the high-king’s personal holy warrior.

There is no Wizard Council. (And by way of that, there are no spells considered “forbidden.”) Wizards are all colleagues. There is only one 10th level wizard, who is the high-king’s personal wizard. Other high-level wizards will usually be at the universities as instructors. Some other wizards may be lent out to loyal kings.

It should be noted that the wizardly school of magic was imported from England (and the Continent). The native spellcasters, witches, bards, and druids, have all been diminished in power by their presence. Lower-level kings and clan chiefs may have witches and druids in their employ, or even imported warlocks and sorcerers.

There are no thieves guilds in Irish territories, since the country is nearly entirely rural with small villages. Here, a thief would just be an individual with some shady skills, who’s managed not to get hanged. There are guilds in the Norse controlled cities. An Irish thief would have to step carefully there.

Some of the NPC classes may be worthwhile for the players, particularly druids and bards. In those cases, the characters would be putting their nationalism ahead of their group affiliation and would be something of an outcast.  Witches, gypsies, and others may work as well. The classes would have to be revised for extended play.  For example, you could take the standard thief and just add the bard skills to it.

This would be something of a sandbox setting as the characters are assigned to and responsible for an area. The inhabitants of the area will actually seek out the group for help, and they are obligated to address these requests in some fashion.  You have the group start out travelling around the country, but that's a pretty big sandbox.  Also, inter-clan conflicts would probably need to be developed in micro, before being developed into the inter-province conflicts.

Don’t sell these domestic squabbles short. Many of the clans aren’t just acrimonious with each other, they’re hereditary foes. Imagine the Hatfields and the McCoys; an entire country full of them.  People of one province won’t even cross the boundary to another except for war. The roads are guarded and only nobles and men of letters (and the King’s Men) could travel outside of their counties without permission. There isn’t even anything really approximating a police force in Ireland at this time.

The character group would start out being responsible for a county, one which hasn’t had any royal authorities before. With experience, the can be promoted to more contentious counties, later province-wide authority, and later kingdom-wide responsibilities.

The starting county should probably include a couple of small villages, three or four clan estates, a dwarf colony and/or Fey gateway, and an entrance to the Underworld with a Fomorian tribe. There should also be a Norse presence or threat in the area.

At 10th level, Ireland is likely too small a sandbox for the characters. Petty clan politics and the high-king’s court are not going to be interesting for long to experienced adventurers. Here may be an opportunity to travel to the British Isle and the Continent as the high-king’s emissaries or even an epic journey to the West in search of the mythical land of paradise.