Friday Rucht Hour: A Gift from the Emerald Isle

Hello and happy Almost St. Patrick's Day!

For this holiday, I'm going to share my world guide that I wrote up for the Mythic Ireland setting. Find it here. For the campaign, I created some folders containing all of the house rules and setting information the players would need. I made sure that the material was short enough that the setting information fit on two pages, while the rules information fit on four.

The rules information, then, formed the folder that contained the players' character sheets and world guides. It's been very handy for them to bring their sheets back and forth from each session.

You'll note the rounded corners of the world guide and character sheets? Easily done with a corner cutter that you get from a scrapbooking supply store. Just by doing someone as small as cutting the corners of a character sheet, you give the materials you hand out that tiny bit of legitimacy. It makes the material feel more official.

World Guide - it fits on one page, front and back

Character Sheet

The house rules make a sleeve for the world guide and character sheet

Anyhow, I don't expect everyone to download the entire world guide, so I'll post an excerpt here.

Player Characters and Their Roles

Barbarians

In this setting, barbarians are either Viking berzerkers, trained secret rage techniques or are possessors of the riastradh – the Irish warp-frenzy. Either way, such individuals are viewed much like the Navy SEALs or special forces are looked upon today. They are seen as highly trained, highly skilled warriors with mysterious abilities.

Bards

Bards are not just minstrel or entertainers; they are honored keepers of lore and history. They occupy positions of political, cultural, and magical power. The mightiest bards are said to shape reality with their words. Being a bard in this setting will mean carrying a great deal of political responsibility and representing your clan with honor. You are seen as a keeper of knowledge and an authority figure.

Clerics

While monks and priest abound in this setting, only a few can cast spells. Those that do are known to be blessed and are sought after for their healing powers. They are seen as truly gifted individuals – walking and talking miracles. For many, you will be seen as their last hope for their sick loved ones. You will be seen as a mystical savior. Other clerics are actually scholars. These folk are not so much religious as they are learned men who are in tune with creation and its workings. Such men are seen more as scientists than religious leaders, and derive their powers through study and mediation.

Druid

Mythic Ireland is home to the druid. Druids are exclusively Pagan. While they live reclusively, they are sought out by all as advisers, sometime allies, and intercessors with the Sidhe. Being a Druid will mean that you viewed with a mix of awe and fear. You will be sought for your ability to interact with the Invisible World.

Fighters

The culture of Mythic Ireland is a warrior culture. Fighters are lauded with honor and respect. Being a fighter in this setting will mean that people will look up to you and pay homage to you, showing your deference. Most importantly, you are a prime representative of your clan. At the same time, you will be expected to be unfalteringly loyal to your chieftain.

Other character classes, like the Ranger, Wizard, Witch, and Oracle were also included. In fact, the only one we really left out was the Cavalier. The point was - I wanted to truly play a Pathfinder game, not a heavily modified and house-ruled one. So I went through each class and thought about where the class fit in the Mythic Irish setting. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most did actually fit.

All for now.