Iron Gods, Book 1: Fires of Creation
Numeria is a cursed land, haunted by strange ruins, metal monsters, and cruel technomancers. Can you survive the rise of the Iron Gods?
$24.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Thursday – 10:00 PM UTC
Campaign Length / 8–12 Sessions
3–4 Hour Duration
2 / 6 Seats Filled
About the adventure
Nine thousand years ago, the Rain of Stars transformed the once-green land of Numeria into a bleak and brutal wasteland. Otherworldly, half-buried ruins release dangerous metal creatures, and inexplicable maladies mutate and sicken the land for miles. The brave and clever can win fame and fortune by scavenging wondrous technological artifacts from these places, but most never return, and the treasures they retrieve can carry their own dangers. In recent times, the rise of the cruel wizard cabal known as the Technic League has only brought more suffering and oppression to the Land of Fallen Stars. Yet even here, people of all kinds find ways to thrive, and nowhere is that more apparent than the town of Torch, which has survived on the skymetal smithing made possible by the town’s eponymous purple flame. But now, for the first time ever, the purple flame of Torch has gone out, and the town has more problems besides: mysterious headaches, looming tribute to the League, a missing councilman, and caves full of monsters chief among them. Whoever you are–an adventurous local of Torch, a tribesman from the wastes, or perhaps a scholar delving for secrets–you may be the only one who can uncover the truth behind Torch’s recent troubles. Can you save Torch from a terrible fate and defeat the dark forces at work in this strange and savage land? Change is coming, one way or another. Welcome to Numeria, the Land of Fallen Stars, in Fires of Creation: Book One of the Iron Gods adventure path! Iron Gods is a science fantasy tale of mystery, exploration, intrigue, and revolution set in the official Pathfinder campaign setting of Golarion. Fires of Creation will take the player characters through levels 1-4, and can be played as a standalone adventure or the first installment of the whole campaign! Iron Gods is my personal favorite adventure path, and I would love to take a group of dedicated players all the way through it. Some elements will be my own creation, since I never run anything exactly out of the books.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Combat Heavy
Dungeon Crawl
Sandbox / Open World
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(5)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
2 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Storytelling, World Builder
Average response time: 3 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
I've always been a storyteller at heart, but I started playing TTRPGs in high school with a one-shot in D&D 4e. That year, I started GMing Pathfinder 1e for my high school friends, and I've been running games as my main hobby ever since. I love the combination of game mechanics, collaborative storytelling, and built-in social interaction that the hobby involves. As is expected from a "forever DM," I've always been a nerd, and I was raised on sci fi/fantasy classics like Tolkien and Asimov. Aside from tabletop games, I enjoy reading and writing fiction, playing card games and video games, hiking, boating, music, theater, and the occasional night out on the town. I've gathered some diverse and eclectic player groups over the years, so I try to be welcoming and supportive of whatever identities and eccentricities my players bring to the table! I lean toward systems with moderate to heavy complexity, but more recently find myself exploring more narrative focused games as well. My main experience is with Pathfinder 1e and Lancer, the two games I've run most consistently, but I run other games as well, most notably the Root RPG, Starfinder, Halo Mythic, and Cyberpunk. I love classic swords and sorcery type fantasy worlds, but I'm a big sci fi buff as well; I also think it's fun to blend the two, so I'm a sucker for any flavor of science fantasy. I hope I can be the GM to take you and your characters on a journey through our collective imagination!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We will work on character creation in our Discord server and during Session 0, but if you have experience with Pathfinder 1e, you should be able to get started on your own. Luckily for us, the basic rules are all available online at the Archive of Nethys: https://www.aonprd.com/ A guide for Character Creation specifically can be found here: https://www.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=83 I know that character creation in a complex game system can be overwhelming, so I am here to help walk you through it as much as needed, no matter your experience level. We will use the point-buy method for ability scores, with 20 points (High Fantasy). You can use an ability score calculator like this one: https://pittsburghpfs.com/resources/point-buy-calculator/ I will provide the Iron Gods Player’s Guide, which contains background information and character creation options tailored for the campaign. I highly recommend using the player guide when making your character, both to inform your backstory and for the mechanics. Each character may also begin with one bonus feat at level 1 and two traits, which can be found here: https://www.aonprd.com/Traits.aspx. Again, I recommend using at least one trait from the Iron Gods Player’s Guide, starting on page 8 (Against the Technic League, Local Ties, Numerian Archaeologist, Robot Slayer, Skymetal Smith, or Stargazer). Some unusual character races that are relevant to this campaign are: Androids (https://www.aonprd.com/RacesDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Android) Kasathas (https://www.aonprd.com/RacesDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Kasatha) and Lashunta (https://www.aonprd.com/RacesDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Lashunta), but any of these will require some tweaks to the story; if any of these options interests you, let me know early so I can work with you on it. I am a huge fan of several third party expansions to the Pathfinder rules, especially Psionics (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/) and Path of War (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/path-of-war/) by Dreamscarred Press. However, these options introduce more complexity to the game, and may not be suitable for beginners. Let me know if they interest you. Psionics especially could be fun in this campaign due to its more alien feel, even more so if you play an alien character! The most convenient place to track your character will be to create your character sheet directly in the campaign’s Roll20 game. However, there are a lot of other options, such as PathCompanion (https://pathcompanion.com/), so I don’t limit how players track their sheets as long as they can share them with me somehow. I personally find it handy to keep a separate document with all of my character’s ability and item text for reference. Characters for this game start at level 1, and we will spend part of Session 0 going over them and establishing ties between party members.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Make sure you have an account on Roll20 (https://roll20.net/) and sign up for our Discord server! Then all you need to do is make a character and get ready for Session 0. You will also need a mic, and a quiet location to play the game. Webcams are not required, though I do recommend having one; roleplay can be a lot more fun and intense when we see each others’ faces. If you are new to Pathfinder 1e, I will walk you through the basic rules while helping you create your character. I’ve taught this game to many people over the years. Please DO NOT read any books related to the campaign other than the Player’s Guide I provide, including the lore book for Numeria or the Pathfinder Technology Guide. I promise you, the game will be more fun without spoilers, and if there’s any extra information you want to inform your character, I can provide it spoiler-free, so just ask. (If you’ve already played Iron Gods to some extent, we will need to have a separate conversation.)
What Zohar brings to the table
This game will be a science fantasy adventure through a land forever changed by an ancient spaceship crash! I focus equally on immersive roleplaying and creating a living world around the players, and on creating fun and engaging tactical combat. I provide a smooth VTT experience, with detailed, customized maps using dynamic lighting and a soundtrack tailored to the campaign. You will also gain access to both the official player’s guide for the Iron Gods adventure path and the rest of my library of Pathfinder PDFs.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Zohar creates a safe table
To enjoy these games to their fullest, everyone at the table needs to feel safe and respected, and I work hard to make sure that is the case for all of my players. I’ve been doing this for over a decade, and I’ve gained a lot of experience with table disputes in that time. People make mistakes, and things won’t always be perfect, but it’s critical that everyone communicates and engages with each other in good faith. We will start Session 0 by discussing the game’s content warnings and collectively establishing the Lines and Veils for the campaign, including any specific triggers or other issues the group may have. In general I find that informal but honest discussion about content issues and table disputes works best, but when a formal option is required, players can message me with an X or N card during the game to let me know there’s a problem. I run my games with an open door policy as well, and completely understand when players may need to step away from the table for whatever reason. I am very open to criticism and I’m always looking for feedback from my players; I want to know what’s working and what isn’t. I don’t usually host a formal debrief, but I always stick around to chat after sessions to check in with everybody and talk about the game. I’m also very happy to talk about the game outside of session time as well, both for casual enjoyment and to take player feedback.
Content warnings
Safety tools used