Outlaws of Alkenstar Players Guide
This Players Guide contains details and advice about⁚ Alkenstar, the City of Smog, including summaries of well-known landmarks, dossiers on the citys most famous personalities, and special rules for you and your Game Master to consider. Your Character, including the backstory of how you came to be an outlaw and the nature of the illicit activities you’ve been involved in.
Introduction
Welcome, outlaws! Prepare to delve into the gritty underbelly of Alkenstar, a city where steam-powered technology and the thrill of illicit ventures collide. This guide is your roadmap to crafting a character who embodies the spirit of a true Alkenstar outlaw. You’ll explore the city’s smog-choked atmosphere, its iconic landmarks, and the personalities that shape its vibrant (and sometimes dangerous) landscape.
This guide will equip you with the tools you need to create a character who seamlessly integrates into the world of Alkenstar. We’ll delve into your character’s backstory, exploring the events that forged them into an outlaw and shaping their unique brand of lawlessness. With guidance on alignment, ancestries, classes, and skills, you’ll bring your outlaw to life with a captivating narrative that reflects their motivations and experiences.
Alkenstar⁚ The City of Smog
Alkenstar, the City of Smog, stands as a testament to the relentless march of progress in the Mana Wastes. Its streets, choked with the exhaust of countless steam-powered machines, hum with a frenetic energy. This industrial hub serves as a haven for inventors, engineers, and entrepreneurs, but beneath its veneer of prosperity lies a seedy underbelly teeming with outlaws and illicit dealings.
The city’s skyline is a jarring blend of towering smokestacks, glittering glass skyscrapers, and ramshackle shantytowns. The air itself is thick with a perpetual haze, a testament to the city’s relentless industrial output. This smoggy atmosphere casts a perpetual twilight over the city, adding a touch of mystery and intrigue to its already vibrant tapestry.
Landmark Summaries
Alkenstar boasts a collection of landmarks that reflect its unique blend of industry, innovation, and grit. The Clockwork Spire, a colossal structure that dominates the city’s skyline, houses the intricate clockwork heart of Alkenstar’s infrastructure. Its gears and cogs drive the city’s steam-powered machinery, making it a symbol of Alkenstar’s technological prowess.
The Iron Quarter, a sprawling district of foundries, workshops, and factories, is the city’s industrial heart. It is here that the city’s famed clockwork constructs are forged, and where the fumes of industry mingle with the sweat of laborers. The Whispering Bazaar, a labyrinthine marketplace teeming with vendors and hawkers, offers a dizzying array of goods, both legal and illicit.
Famous Personalities
Alkenstar is a city that attracts a diverse cast of characters, from the brilliant inventors who drive its technological advancements to the cunning criminals who operate in its shadows. Among the most notable figures are Gattlebee, a ruthless industrialist and the city’s wealthiest citizen, whose influence extends far beyond the borders of Alkenstar.
The enigmatic inventor, Daystar, is a pioneer in the field of clockwork technology, whose inventions have revolutionized the city’s industry. His work has made him a target for both admiration and envy, making him a figure of intrigue and danger. Then there is the enigmatic Dr. Clearwater, who is dedicated to improving the city’s environment, despite the resistance of powerful industrialists who benefit from the smog.
Special Rules for Game Masters
The Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path offers a unique blend of gritty realism and fantastical elements. As a Game Master, you have the opportunity to enhance the experience by incorporating special rules that reflect the specific challenges and opportunities of the campaign setting. Consider introducing rules for the use of steam-powered technology, such as clockwork constructs and automated defenses, which can add a layer of complexity to combat encounters;
The campaign’s focus on outlaws and criminal activities provides opportunities for incorporating rules for reputation and notoriety. Players’ actions can have lasting consequences for their characters, shaping their relationships with factions and influencing their ability to operate within the city. These rules can add a dynamic element to the campaign, allowing for greater player agency and meaningful choices.
Character Creation
Creating a character for the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path is an exciting process that allows players to embody the spirit of a rugged outlaw. The campaign setting provides a wealth of inspiration for character backgrounds and motivations, encouraging players to craft characters with compelling stories and unique personalities. Players can choose from a variety of ancestries, classes, and backgrounds, each offering distinct abilities and playstyles that align with the campaign’s themes.
The campaign encourages players to create characters with a strong sense of justice, even if that justice manifests in unconventional ways. Players should consider how their characters came to be outlaws, what drives their actions, and what they hope to achieve in the world of Alkenstar.
Backstory and Outlaw Nature
The Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path embraces the concept of a ragtag band of criminals forced to work together to achieve a common goal. Players are encouraged to create characters who have compelling backstories that explain why they’ve chosen a life outside the law. This could involve personal betrayals, a desire for revenge, or a sense of injustice that drives them to fight against the system.
The campaign emphasizes the grey areas of morality, acknowledging that outlaws often operate in a world where right and wrong are blurred. Players should consider how their characters navigate these complexities, whether they embrace their outlaw status or struggle with the consequences of their actions.
Character Suggestions
The Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path encourages players to create characters who fit the gritty, action-packed setting. Here are some suggestions for classes and ancestries that might be particularly well-suited for the campaign⁚
- Gunslinger⁚ This class is a natural fit for the campaign’s emphasis on firearms and gunplay. The Gunslinger’s unique abilities and arsenal allow them to excel in combat, making them valuable assets to any outlaw gang.
- Rogue⁚ Rogues are masters of stealth, deception, and subterfuge, skills that are essential for outlaws operating in a city like Alkenstar. Their ability to infiltrate, steal, and manipulate information can prove invaluable to the party’s success.
- Brawler⁚ Brawlers are versatile fighters who can adapt to any situation; Their emphasis on close-quarters combat and their ability to use improvised weapons make them ideal for street brawls or close-quarters skirmishes.
These are just a few suggestions, and players are encouraged to be creative and explore other options that suit their playstyle and character concepts.
Alignment and Ancestries
The Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path emphasizes a more morally gray world, where characters may find themselves torn between doing what’s right and pursuing their own goals. While the campaign doesn’t necessarily push for a specific alignment, it’s important to consider how your character’s alignment might influence their actions and choices.
Ancestries such as the Human, Aasimar, Tiefling, and Half-Elf are all suitable choices for characters in the Outlaws of Alkenstar campaign. However, it’s important to remember that the campaign is set in a steam-powered metropolis, so consider how your character’s ancestry might fit into the campaign’s setting. For example, a Tiefling might be viewed with suspicion in Alkenstar due to their association with the infernal, or a Half-Elf might be seen as an outsider in a society that values its rigid social structures.
Classes and Languages
The Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path provides a unique setting for a variety of classes to thrive. A Rogue might excel at infiltrating and stealing from the city’s high-security vaults, while a Fighter could become a legendary gunslinger, protecting the innocent from the lawlessness of the streets. A Bard might find themselves performing in the city’s underground clubs, using their music to inspire or manipulate others. A Cleric could find a following among the downtrodden, offering hope and healing in the city’s bleakest corners.
The campaign’s setting includes a diverse range of languages, including Common, Gnoll, Orc, and Tengu. Considering your character’s background and potential interactions with other races, learning these languages can be advantageous for your character. For example, learning Gnoll might prove useful for navigating the city’s criminal underworld, while Tengu could be helpful for communicating with those in the city’s sky-high districts.
Skills and Feats
In the Outlaws of Alkenstar Adventure Path, certain skills and feats are particularly valuable for characters navigating the city’s gritty underbelly; Skills like Stealth and Perception are crucial for evading guards, avoiding traps, and gathering information in Alkenstar’s labyrinthine streets.
Feats like Gunslinger and Skirmisher enhance the effectiveness of ranged combat, making your character a formidable force on the battlefield. For those who prefer close-quarters combat, Brawler and Martial Arts offer a more direct approach. Consider feats that improve your character’s ability to use Intimidation and Deception for manipulating others and gaining the upper hand in social encounters.
Backgrounds
The Outlaws of Alkenstar Players Guide offers a variety of backgrounds tailored for characters who operate outside the law. These backgrounds provide compelling starting points for your outlaw’s backstory and offer unique benefits that reflect their criminal past.
Consider backgrounds like Banished Brighite, Framed in Ferrous Quarter, Inexplicably Expelled, Ratted-Out Gun Runner, Snubbed Out Stoolie, or Wanted Witness to create a character with a rich and gritty history. These backgrounds offer a glimpse into the harsh realities of Alkenstar’s underworld and provide a foundation for your character’s motivations and relationships.
Credits
The Outlaws of Alkenstar Players Guide is a collaborative effort brought to life by the talented individuals at Paizo. Patrick Renie, the lead writer, crafted the engaging narrative and insightful guidance for players.
The guide’s success is a testament to the dedication of the entire team, including those who contributed to the editing, layout, and art. Their collective passion for the Pathfinder universe shines through in every detail, providing players with a rich and immersive experience.