PF2 TRD Part 05 Thassilonia

Pathfinder 2 – Thassilonian Resurgence Design

Part 5 – The Empire of Thassilonia in the Campaign

Why use Return of the Runelords?

The next adventure path I will also incorporated is Return of the Runelords.

I have not run the return of the Runelords adventure path, but I am excited to adapt it to the continuing thread of the storyline. The characters in this storyline look amazing and complete the collection of Runelords to be available as part of the storyline.

This is a story that changes the face of Varisia, and brings it in line with how the 2nd Edition of the game views the region. So I look forward to incorporating its storyline with the others. It will be interesting to incorporate it with the others that are assumed to have completed before this one starts.

What is Thassilonia?

This is an ancient empire that was destroyed 10,000 game years ago, leaving behind massive constructions that while crumpled or damage in places, are still standing today and have unknown magic and lore associated with them.

They have a seven pointed star as the symbol of power with each of the points of the star being an aspect of rule – sometimes called virtues, but mostly referred to as sins. So the seven deadly sins is a good concept to be aware of before starting the campaign as it features heavily and influences what the players will be capable of doing over the breadth of the storyline.

This is a not so subtle hint to the return of the the culture in the campaign under the Thassilonian Resurgence Adventure Path as I have called my campaign.

Who are the Runelords?

The Runelords are a bunch of slumbering gods who each rule over one of seven provinces across the nation of Thassilonia, each one of them specialising in a particular branch of magic known as Sin magic styled after the seven deadly sins.

Historically there are also the seven virtues of rule that these came from:

The Runelord of Envy

• Base colour of white with gold highlights.
• Envy Aspected – Complaining loudly or frequently about another party member’s good fortune, skill, or luck.
• Charity Aspected – Spending significant time tending the wounded, free of charge.
• Sin Magic Envy (Abjuration): The art of suppressing magic other than your own. Prohibited Schools: evocation, necromancy.

The Runelord of Gluttony

• Base colour of black with copper highlights.
• Gluttony Aspected – Getting drunk multiple times during the game session.
• Temperance Aspected – Spending a game session without drinking at a tavern when at least two other PCs engage in such acts during the session.
• Sin Magic Gluttony (Necromancy): Magic that manipulates the physical body to provide for an unending hunger for life. Prohibited Schools: abjuration, enchantment.

The Runelord of Greed

• Base colour of brown with platinum highlights.
• Greed Aspected – Robbing another PC, or hiding a significant amount of treasure for yourself.
• Generosity Aspected – Turning life savings over to a Mayor.
• Sin Magic Greed (Transmutation): Magically transforming things into objects of greater value or utility, and enhancing the physical self. Prohibited Schools: enchantment, illusion.

The Runelord of Lust

• Base colour of yellow with silver highlights.
• Lust Aspected – Eagerly accepting solicitations.
• Love Aspected – Giving a PC or NPC a romantic gift worth at least 1,000 gp per level your character possesses.
• Sin Magic Lust (Enchantment): Magically controlling other creatures to satisfy your desires, and manipulating others’ minds, emotions, and wills. Prohibited Schools: necromancy, transmutation.

The Runelord of Pride

• Base colour of grey with brass highlights.
• Pride Aspected – Bragging about how nothing was scary.
• Humility Aspected – Refusing to accept an NPC’s reward for a mission, or giving all credit to others.
• Sin Magic Pride (Illusions): Perfecting your own appearance and domain through trickery and illusions. Prohibited Schools: conjuration, transmutation.

The Runelord of Sloth

• Base colour of green with different types of highlights.
• Sloth Aspected – Encouraging the party to stop and rest for a day after only having one or two significant encounters in that day. Missing more game sessions than attending for the adventure.
• Zeal Aspected – Encouraging the party to continue adventuring after the group has already dealt with at least five significant encounters that day.
• Sin Magic Sloth (Conjuration): Calling agents and minions to perform your deeds for you, or creating what you need as you need it. Prohibited Schools: evocation, illusion.

The Runelord of Wrath

• Base colour of red with copper highlights.
• Wrath Aspected – Eagerly torturing a prisoner.
• Kindness Aspected – Releasing an enemy that has surrendered and healing its wounds so it has a better chance at surviving.
• Sin Magic Wrath (Evocation): Mastery of the raw destructive power of magic, and channeling those destructive forces. Prohibited Schools: abjuration, conjuration.

Characters will have their progression down either path checked at the end of each adventure asking for them to describe what acts they did during that adventure that count towards this.

What is Sin Magic?

Sin magic is a variant on the magic system which focuses on one of seven schools of magic: Abjuration, Conjuration, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy and Transmutation.

The society did not think of Divination as its own school so it is utilised as a tool by all the variations of Sin magic.

This will need to be thought out about how it will translate into 2nd edition, and it is on the pile to be converted for the storyline. I am enjoying the challenge of putting this all together, when my technology is not fighting against it.

These Schools are:

• ENVY (ABJURATION): The art of suppressing magic other than your own. PROHIBITED SCHOOLS: evocation, necromancy.
• GLUTTONY (NECROMANCY): Magic that manipulates the physical body to provide for an unending hunger for life. PROHIBITED SCHOOLS: abjuration, enchantment.
• GREED (TRANSMUTATION): Magically transforming things into objects of greater value or utility, and enhancing the physical self. PROHIBITED SCHOOLS: enchantment, illusion.
• LUST (ENCHANTMENT): Magically controlling other creatures to satisfy your desires, and manipulating others’ minds, emotions, and wills. PROHIBITED SCHOOLS: necromancy, transmutation.
• PRIDE (ILLUSION): Perfecting your own appearance and domain through trickery and illusions. PROHIBITED SCHOOLS: conjuration, transmutation.
• SLOTH (CONJURATION): Calling agents and minions to perform your deeds for you, or creating what you need as you need it. PROHIBITED SCHOOLS: evocation, illusion.
• WRATH (EVOCATION): Mastery of the raw destructive power of magic, and channeling those destructive forces. PROHIBITED SCHOOLS: abjuration, conjuration.

Content Update

• 2021-07-29 – Updates layout and linked in items.
• 2020-06-15 – Worked on the Runelord section.
• 2020-03-24 – Structure.
• 2020-03-09 – Structure update.
• 2019-12-13 – Providing more details for the campaign.

TRAP Design

Creating a New Campaign:
Part 1 (The Concept),
Part 2 (Main Cities and Guide),
Part 3 (The Adventure Path),
Part 4 (House Rules),
Part 5 (Thassilonia),
Part 6 (Factions and Characters),
Part 7 (Pathfinder Factions),
Part 8 (Learning from Conversion),
Part 9 (Half-Breed),
Part 10 (Using Renown),
Part 11 (Gaining Renown and Fame),
Part 12 (Location Feats),
Part 13 (Adventures),
Part 14 (Faction Points)
Part 15 (Update AR 4709)

Pathfinder 2E

PF2 Menu: Adventures, Classes, Factions, Feats, Items, Races, Rules Updates

TRAP: Campaign, Design

Game Management: Annotated Stat Block, Character Creation, Choosing a New Campaign, GM’s Luck Roll, Playtest Thoughts, Running Games over Skype, Tracking Experience

Class Build: Minion (Mitflit), Barbarian (Nexa Shoanti Half-Orc), Bard (Quest – Goblin), Cleric (Pimwinkle – Halfling, , Krol – Elf Half-Gnome), Druid (Barak – Dwarf, Cangacerio – Human Half-Elf), Fighter (Kordar – Elf Half-Human, Zed – Human), Monk (Willy – Human), Oracle (Luna – Shoanti), Ranger (Duzhar – Orc Half-Human), Rogue (Sparky – Dwarf), Sorcerer (Belath – Cheliax), Wizard (Parry – Elf Half-Dwarf)

Discussing the Rules: Animal Companions, Archetypes, Companions, Crafting PF2 Items, Feats, Minions, Playing the Game, Shapechanging, Summoning

Game Modes: Encounter, Exploration, Downtime

Feats: Background, General & Skill, Location

PF1 Conversions to Pathfinder 2: Adventures, Classes, Items, Faction

References: Creatures, Equipment, Items, NPCs, Spells

Thassilonian Resurgence Adventure Path (TRAP) Campaign

Design, Campaign, Campaign Journal, Runelords

Jade Regent Adventure Path (JRAP) Campaign

Personalities, Campaign Journal, Region – Minkai, Prophecy – The Broken One, Characters – Social Feats

Library of Books

B5, d20 System, Pathfinder, SW

This site is constantly under revision, no blog posts are final as this is a work in progress place for me to develop my game settings and rules. Some posts might be placeholders for future content, so feel free to check back later for updated information.

General Links

Basic Links: Who Am I?, Home, Game Tools, Game Session Videos, My Campaigns, My Library, Site Map, Subscription Information

Game Systems: Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder 1 & 2, Shadowrun, Star Wars. Other Game Systems

Site sponsored by the author AS Hamilton (my wife) with her books available on amazon kindle.