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The Crest of the Darkmoon

Based on the Crest of Riegan

Alternatively known as: The Sign of the Moonlit Judge

Granted to Blades of the Darkmoon in the past, it has become merely a sign of some former tie to the Church of Dolin by an ancestor long passed. Bearers of this Crest are still to this day bleeding hearts with grand dreams of overly ambitious peace.

Bearers of a Minor Crest gain Rapid Shot and Alertness as bonus feats. Bearers of a Major Crest gain the same feats and may roll twice on any Perception check and take the higher result.

When dealing damage with weapons or spells, this crest occasionally heals the bearer for half the damage dealt (rounded down).

Major Crest Penalty: The power of this crest as a tool in discerning details and the truth causes incredible pain and paranoia in those with a strong blessing. Whenever you make a Sense Motive check, roll twice and take the lower result, unless you have been given the ability to roll twice and take the higher result. If you would be forced by another ability or effect to roll twice and take the lower result, instead roll three times and take the lowest result. Whenever you make an active Perception check to hear something, if it is a source within 30ft of you, you take a penalty on Reflex and Will saves, and all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Dexterity-based skill checks equal to the amount you beat the DC by for 1 minute.

Activation Chances:

Minor: 10 + Charisma Score + Constitution Score/2 (Round Up)

Major: 20 + Charisma Score + Charisma Modifier + Constitution Score

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The Crest of Solais

Based on the Crest of the Beast

Alternatively known as: The Sign of the Mother Dragon

The Crest of House Solais, supposedly granted by the goddess Fotia before her Fall. It grants its bearer a deep connection to the earth, and the fortitude of stone.

Bearers of a Minor Crest gain Animal Affinity as a bonus feat, the Beast Speak language as a bonus language, and a +2 bonus to Constitution. Bearers of a Major Crest gain the same feat, may roll twice on any Handle Animal or Ride check and take the higher result, and increases the bonus to Constitution to +4.

When making a weapon attack, the Crest of Solais occasionally adds twice your Constitution modifier to damage. This replaces whatever modifier you gain to damage.

Major Crest Penalty: Bearers of a Major Crest thrum with entirely too much energy, and this tends to manifest in increased levels of stress, anxiety, and other such nervous tendencies. Whenever a bearer of a Major Crest of Solais would make a saving throw against Fear effects, treat it as though they rolled a natural 1. The DCs of Intimidate checks to demoralize the bearer decrease by 2. If the Doom status is inflicted upon the bearer, its duration is reduced by 1 round (min. 1).

Activation Chance:

Minor - 20 + Charisma Score + Constitution Score/2 (Round Up)

Major - 40 + Charisma Score + Charisma Modifier + Constitution Score

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The Crest of Faolain

Based on the Crest of Lamine

Alternatively known as: The Sign of the Exalted Seer

Crest of Queen Faoláin, a hedge witch who saw a great kingdom in the stars. Bearers of this crest are known for their immense kindness and terrible anger.

Bearers of a Minor Crest gain the Extra Rage feat if they have the Rage class feature, or the Improvisational Healer feat if they do not. Additionally, they gain a +2 increase to Constitution. Bearers of a Major Crest gain the same feat and increase the bonus to Constitution to +4.

When casting spells of the Healing, Light, and Enhancing schools, this crest has a chance to conserve the MP used.

Major Crest Penalty: All the injustice and pains of the world weigh heavily on your psyche to the point of, perhaps, true madness. If you would make a saving throw against the Berserk status effect, treat it as a natural 1. While Berserk, your target may be a wounded ally, though instead of attacking your ally until they die, you must heal them until they are full health. Your crest cannot proc while Berserk. Additionally, you take a -2 penalty to saving throws vs the Doom status effect.

Activation Chance:

Minor - 10 + Wisdom Score + Charisma Score/2 (Round Up)

Major - 20 + Wisdom Score + Wisdom Modifier + Charisma Score

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The Crest of Géraud

Based on the Crest of Fraldarius

Alternately known as: The Sign of the Kingslayer

Crest held by King Géraud of Asmodea, who gained the crown through guile and assassination. Bearers of this crest are said to be as nimble as he was though they have a tendency to fall from great heights.

Bearers of a Minor Crest gain Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat, and a +2 bonus to Dexterity. Bearers of a Major Crest gain the same feat and increase the bonus to Dexterity to +4. If you are using Elephant in the Room Feat Tax rules, instead of Weapon Finesse, you gain Deft Maneuvers as a bonus feat.

When making a weapon attack, the Crest of Géraud occasionally adds twice your Dexterity modifier to damage. This replaces whatever modifier you gain to damage.

Major Crest Penalty: This crest tends to make those who bear it very confident in their abilities and adversarial with those they perceive as challenging them. Whenever a bearer of a Major Crest of Géraud would make a saving throw against the Antagonized status effect, treat it as though they rolled a natural 1. Whenever another creature would make a Diplomacy or Intimidate check to inflict Antagonized, treat the DC as 0.

Activation Chance:

Minor - 20 + Charisma Score + Constitution Score/2 (Round Up)

Major - 40 + Charisma Score + Charisma Modifier + Constitution Score

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The Crest of Laetitia

Based on the Crest of Cethleann

Alternately known as: The Sign of the Docile Sage

A crest discovered by the great sage Laetitia of Malis, she, alongside the other sages, forged a kingdom that would fall to ruin through hubris, sloth, and decadence. Those who bear her crest are said to be studious, if languid individuals.

Bearers of a Minor Crest gain Magical Aptitude as a bonus feat. Bearers of a Major Crest gain the same feat, and may roll twice on any Spellcraft or Use Magic Device check and take the higher result.

Bearers of a Minor Crest take a -2 to saves vs Sleep effects and Illusion spells. If you have immunity to the Sleep status effect, you lose that immunity until your next turn when your Crest activates.

When casting spells of the Healing, Light, or Enhancing schools, this crest has a chance to increase the damage dice, caster level, and Save DC by 2. Additionally, Enhancing spells have their durations increased by 2.

Major Crest Penalty: Healing others takes an incredible toll on your body, so you tend to need more rest than most. You lose any immunity to the Sleep status effect, and Sleep spells always affect you regardless of your HD. You additionally take a -4 penalty to saves vs Illusions.

Activation Chances

Minor: 20 + Wisdom Score + Charisma Score/2 (Round Up)

Major: 40 + Wisdom Score + Wisdom Modifier + Charisma Score

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The Crest of Sigmund

Based on the Crest of Cichol

Alternately known as: The Sign of the Wind Blade

Crest of the Wind Blade Sigmund, second of the Crusaders. Following their heroic defense of the empire and the death of Ava, Sigmund gave up his sword and began writing fairy tales under the pseudonym Rowan Faerghus.

Bearers of a Minor Crest gain the Scholar feat with bonuses to Local and Religion. Bearers of a Major Crest gain the same feat, and may roll twice on any Knowledge (Local or Religion) check and take the higher result.

When making weapon attacks or combat maneuvers, this crest occasionally prevents the target of the triggering attack or combat maneuver from performing attacks of opportunity for one round.

Major Crest Penalty: Due to your knowledge of stories and narrative tropes, you tend to get absorbed in making a good story rather than on the battle at hand. If you can only make one Attack of Opportunity in a round, it has a 20% chance to miss, which increases to a 50% chance if your Crest activated that round. If you can make multiple Attacks of Opportunity, The first attack of opportunity you make in a round has no miss chance, but others you make after your first in a round have a 20% miss chance, this increases to a 50% miss chance if your Crest activated earlier in the round, and your first attack of opportunity gains a 20% miss chance.

Activation Chances

Minor: 15 + Constitution Score + Charisma Score/2 (Round Up)

Major: 30 + Constitution Score + Constitution Modifier + Charisma Score

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The Crest of Arthmael

Based on the Crest of Blaiddyd

Alternately known as: The Sign of the Bear Emperor

Named for the founder of House Arthmael, known for his great strength and honor in battle. Bearers of this crest are said to gain a fraction of his strength, and have a reputation for breaking their weapons in the heat of battle.

Bearers of this Crest always add twice their strength modifier to damage rolls with melee weapons, thrown weapons, or bows. If they would add twice their strength modifier to such rolls due to a Feat or Class Feature, it increases to 2.5x their strength modifier. Additionally, it increases Strength by +4 if it is a Minor Crest, and +6 if it is a Major Crest, and the Bearer's carrying capacity triples.

When making an attack with a melee weapon, thrown weapon, or bow, the Crest of Arthmael occasionally deals your strength modifier in damage to the weapon you're making the attack with, and x3 weapon damage to your target. This bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.

Major Crest Penalty: Due to your incredible strength, you struggle to hold lighter or more fragile weapons without crushing them. When making attacks with Light or Finesse weapons, treat them as though they have the Broken condition. Only Adamantine reduces damage to weapons from your strength modifier due to Hardness.

Activation Chances

Minor: 10 + Constitution Score + Charisma Score/2 (Round Up)

Major: 20 + Constitution Score + Constitution Modifier + Charisma Score

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Crests

In the setting, there are arcane bloodlines signified by the manifestation of a symbol when their effects are activated. These symbols are called Crests and there are twenty two known crests at the time of the campaign. Not every member of a particular bloodline will be born with a Crest, but all members have the chance to pass it on.

Mechanically speaking, Crests are Story Feats, with the pre-requisite that they must be taken at Level 1. Crests come in two varieties, Minor and Major. A Minor Crest signifies the bearer as being a part of a particular bloodline, the manifestation of their crest is weak and thus it grants weaker benefits than a Major Crest. A Major Crest is a much stronger manifestation through unknown conditions, and grant stronger benefits, but also certain penalties. Regardless, being concretely a part of a heroic or noble bloodline offers certain narrative challenges that being simply a descendent does not.

Minor Crests do not appear on their bearers' bodies, and may be referred to as Signs, while Major Crests can appear on any part of the body, and may be referred to as Brands. When referred to as a Sign or Brand, the name of the Crest is different.

Each of the three nations in the setting have a set of crests associated with them, as the bloodlines of their nobility.

In the Empire of Inglebard, there are eight crests:

The Crest of Arthmael (Based on the Crest of Blaiddyd)

The Crest of the Darkmoon (Based on the Crest of Riegan)

The Crest of Gael (Based on the Crest of Dominic)

The Crest of Ava (Based on the Crest of Daphnel)

The Crest of Elspeth (Based on the Crest of Gloucester)

The Crest of Sigmund (Based on the Crest of Cichol)

The Crest of Rosario (Based on the Crest of Indech)

The Crest of Montluçon (Based on the Crest of Timotheos)

In the Halidom of Bodhmall, there are seven crests:

The Crest of Faoláin (Based on the Crest of Lamine)

The Crest of Tristan (Based on the Crest of Chevalier)

The Crest of Lorcán (Based on the Crest of Charon)

The Crest of Solais (Based on the Crest of the Beast)

The Crest of Caitha (Based on the Crest of Gautier)

The Crest of Filianore (Based on the Crest of Goneril)

The Crest of Orrin (Based on the Crest of Noa)

In the Asmodean League, there are seven crests:

The Crest of Géraud (Based on the Crest of Fraldarius)

The Crest of Dantalion (Based on the Crest of Ernest)

The Crest of Laetitia (Based on the Crest of Cethleann)

The Crest of Martellus (Based on the Crest of Aubin)

The Crest of Sybille (Based on the Crest of Flames)

The Crest of Basileus (Based on the Crest of Macuil)

The Crest of Tiphaine (Based on the Crest of Seiros)

Crest Activation Chances are determined by individual crests, usually as a factor of Constitution and Charisma scores.

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Character Creation

As this is a Fire Emblem inspired campaign, in particular Three Houses inspired, Player Characters begin play in a “Trainee” Class, a single level of an NPC class, found here. Following a prologue to the campaign, where the party would enter a short 'tutorial' dungeon to have a chance to introduce themselves in-character, they would then gain a level in a proper PC class, found here, with only Time Mage being full banned from usage.

A handful of races were reflavored from FFd20's base to match the setting. There should be a post at some point where I detail the lore of the nations of the setting and the reflavored races. Certain races on the site are banned, such as the Palico, Immortal, and Shindroid, the races can be found here.

As this takes from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, it includes an attempt to create an additional character creation option in the form of Crests, mostly translated from the game as faithfully as possible. Crests were renamed based off of historical figures for this setting.

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Ability Score Generation

With every campaign I do, I tend to try out a new method of ability score generation and this time I worked with a friend to create a hybrid of point-buy and rolled stats, with stats gained based on a set of tiers.

You begin character creation with three (3) points. These points can be used to purchase tiers for your ability scores. The higher the tier, the greater the power, the higher the cost. See the table below for costs and associated rolls.

I don’t know how to do a table in a tumblr post, so here is a link to a Google Sheet with the table.

Ability Score Generation

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An Introduction

Hello everybody, welcome to the blog. I’ve created this to chronicle the development of the homebrew campaign and setting I am currently running for three different groups. The system is Pathfinder 1e using the fan-made FFd20 system, and the setting was created by me.

One of the main inspirations was Fire Emblem Three Houses, and I took inspiration and names from other pieces of media.

I’m looking forward to sharing information and lore with you all.