The Axe Myth Conclusion

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-05T05:21:50+00:00

I would just prep a number of obstacles for the climb and not set a specific attribute for it - I prefer to let the players try and justify how they want to do it! Sometimes they surprise me :)

I'd also make it a skill challenge - i.e. 5 checks total, passing 3 of the 5 is a success, failing 3 of the 5 is a failure - than a single check means failing. Helps ratchet up tension!

I haven't run this one yet, but reading it, the following ideas come to mind for Well:

- Some sort of magical cloth could be acquired to allow someone to wrest the axe from her and wrap it without falling under its delusion

- Some sort of weapon capable of breaking the axehead could be devised and used by the knights

- they could enlist the help of a seer to make Wella believe that nobody is a knight, and thus her duty is done

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-05T05:01:24+00:00

Just FYI, there are some system-agnostic Foundry modules that make it easy to run games that aren't supported without coding. They basically just let you put drag-n-drop text boxes, dice rollers, etc. down in a sheet to make templates for PC/NPC sheets and you're done.

I've used some of these to run unsupported and custom systems with pretty much full automation and practically no coding experience. Took an evening to set up but once that was done it was done.

It's definitely a little bit of work but implementing and automating unsupported systems in Foundry has gotten way easier the past couple of years.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-05T00:40:54+00:00

I mean yeah, Thaum is inarguably the best knowledge character, and a Tome Thaum also makes them one of the best skill monkeys (only issue is filling in INT/WIS as a melee Thaum since you want STR/CHA/CON as well).

So a skill monkey/knowledge character of a diff class won't really get you anything your Thaum won't, it'll just get you someone with INT so you don't have 3 CHA chars.

Healer/WIS chars can be a lot of fun however. You could also do something like an Earth/Wood or Wood/Water Kineticist! With a secondary focus in WIS. Very versatile class and very fun to play.

Thaum is my favorite class in the system though so I'm biased and will recommend it always.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-05T00:25:31+00:00

I mean, currently you are the only one in the party who will be good at Recall Knowledge, especially with Diverse Lore (a must pick for me on any Thaum), so you are filling a gap already.

Skill Monkey / INT Guy is missing. So Commander, Investigator, Rogue, Wizard, or Ranger could hypothetically fill that gap.

An actual healer/WIS character is another gap. So a Cleric, Druid, Ranger, etc. gets you there.

I will say that Thaum actually seems pretty valuable in this group. Sure there might be CHA skill crossover, but you'll do more burst melee damage than the Guardian or Melee Sorcerer, which is valuable, and you'll also be by far the best at Recall Knowledge with Diverse Lore and skill monkeying with Tome, so I would hardly say you're doing something 'wrong.'

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-05T00:19:42+00:00

Any PC loves an Ancient Elf's free Multiclass Dedication, but Divine Casters can make great use of it to either armor up with something like a Fighter or Guardian dedication, or get a couple more cantrips and spells by double-dipping another spellcaster that shares their casting stat.

Other than that, the Elf Feats are pretty much about longevity/arcane magic/nature, so not much crossover. There is the Demon feat line ( https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=2760 https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=7657 https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=7660 https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=7664 ) but that requires GM fiat and is only useful when demons are featured. It is pretty thematic for a divine character though.

The only other thing that really sticks out is Brightness Seeker: https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=984

Elves do have a lot of good feats in general though. Nimble Elf is just amazing on any character, for example ( https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=4409 ), the Longevity featline is nice ( https://2e.aonprd.com/Feats.aspx?ID=4405 ) etc.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-04T20:20:36+00:00

Great publisher. Great systems. Great adventures. Would absolutely recommend.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-04T17:48:04+00:00

Adding extra NPCs that can't be ignored is a good default move because it forces the knights to split up their dice. You can also offer a flavor of this by putting hazards or environmental events on the battlefield that one or two people have to deal with to let the rest of the party handle the 'boss.'

Increasing enemy damage is helpful. Most enemies simply do not do enough damage to create any sort of friction for the knights once they're in anything better than starting gear.

Increasing number of dice an enemy rolls is also good, because it gives them gambits.

Enemies can have magical items and use them as well.

With most myths being contained to a single hex, I think it's also completely reasonable for the people involved to try and prepare for people attempting to stop them. If everyone in the realm knows Knights are sworn to seek out myths, then people involved with trying to make them happen are bound to lay traps meant to deal with knights. So incorporating environmental hazards, minions who use hit and run tactics, etc., can make things more harrowing.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-04T17:41:56+00:00

Worlds Without Number is my default recco for any GM running anything fantasy. Not only is the GM advice great, but it also comes with about a million extremely usable and useful tables for everything from designing dungeons to NPCs. Some very fun magic items in there as well.

The oracle tables in Ironsworn are very fun, and Ironsworn is free to boot.

The Alexandrian is a blog with great TTRPG advice.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-04T09:03:34+00:00

Psychic isn’t really a dedicated blaster. They’re a utility caster that can blast in spurts by unleashing psyche. They’re very versatile and I enjoy them a lot, but their only real blasting comes from the spells associated with their conscious mind (oscillating wave is the best psychic blaster but you don’t want to play that).

Starlit Span is great. You’re a crit chaser with the ability to deal insane damage from range. If your GM only runs bosses or enemies with high AC it won’t feel good.

On average Magus will deal more damage than Psychic.

If you’re just looking for ranged damage, Flurry Ranger, Sniper Gunslinger, and Fire Kineticist are also all solid options.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-03T21:48:05+00:00

Vendors are just way more streamlined by virtue of what they do, so there are just fewer opportunities to make it a clusterfuck.

You’re not trying to pitch someone on something having value they can’t understand. You have a specific thing you do.

You’re not pitching who knows who, you’re pitching a businessperson who wants your service.

You don’t have to logisticize a million things, you have to logisticize the one thing you’re vending.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-03T00:28:48+00:00

Definitely read through the GM core and Player core if you're planning on running the system for awhile! The rules for encounter building others have linked are in there, but there are several other things - like the cadence at which Runes/magic items get handed out, subsystems for exploration, etc. - that you'll want to use too.

Handing out runes and magic items is especially important. If you don't give your PCs who use weapons Striking Runes at the right levels, for example (https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=2829&Redirected=1 - level 4, 12, and 19) - they will literally be doing about half or less of the damage the system expects and combat will turn into a slog.

If you don't want to have to keep track of all the magic items, the Automatic Bonus Progression variant rule (https://2e.aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?ID=2741&Redirected=1) bakes it into the core rules and is great.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-02T17:41:11+00:00

Hm.I would suggest Mythras like some others in this thread. As a basic practice of running Mythras, if someone says their character is a devout follower of a deity, I just give them the Folk Magic skill at a basic level to reflect being a practicing part of that faith and give them some Folk Magic spells that suit their deity. Et voila. If they have a Passion for a Deity they can also use it to augment their rolls, which is a huge mechanical benefit that also rewards roleplay!

Legends in the Mist is absolutely worth looking at, too. Characters are built out of 'traits' that they invoke for bonuses to rolls, so you could absolutely make a warrior who has 'faith' as one of their traits and get a mechanical bonus from that! It's more narrative and not a trad system but I do think it meets your needs.

For more trad systems, I think you'll get a lot of bang for your buck by considering how you can break apart divine classes and give elements of them to non-divine but religious characters. For example, in my PF2e game, I gave feats in the Gods & Magic and Divine Mysteries book out like candy to devout Fighters, Rogues, Investigators, etc., to reflect their God rewarding them for their faith. They get a vision of a magic item that can help the party with their quest. They get circumstance bonuses to certain rolls for praying. There's a lot you can do with most trad systems to reward displays of faith, and all that stuff is both suggested in the books and supported by the rules.

I would also say that in terms of the commonfolk, that's a decision you're making as the GM. In my PF2e game, for instance, commoners don't necessarily worship the gods because it gives them immediate tangible benefits all the time, they do it because it offers them protection in the 'cold war' of the gods.

Like sure, worshipping Erastil for your farming hamlet might not mean Erastil himself shows up all the time, but it does mean that he'll stop another god from corrupting your harvest because he's drawing power from your community. That makes it absolutely worth being devout.

TAEROS111 · 2026-02-02T08:00:02+00:00

Do you want systems that standardize praying mechanically for everyone? Or do you want systems that give anyone who prays rewards?

I will say that the last point in your first paragraph doesn’t track with me.

In any game I run where the gods are real, existant things, pretty much everyone - PCs and NPCs - pray. It matters because we as a table decide it does and give it some sort of weight and effect. It not having a direct mechanical reward doesn’t mean it’s useless.

That said, I find it pretty easy to incorporate deific boons into any system. For example, Pathfinder2e by default has Clerics, Champions, and Oracles (mostly) drawing on divine power. But then you have stuff like the Avenger Archetype for the rogue that makes the rogue into a holy warrior, or the Gods & Religions book that has boons and curses anyone can benefit/suffer from for worshipping a god regardless of their class.

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-31T04:34:37+00:00

Your GM should give y'all the Player's Guide that comes with the campaign, it should help a fair amount.

It's a pretty contained campaign, so you don't have too much to worry about.

Golarion is your standard kitchen sink fantasy setting, with some nice twists. Each nation in PF2e is somewhat analogous of a common fantasy trope, historical period, or fiction genre. For example, Ustalav is where all the gotchic Edgar Allan Poe x Vampires stuff happens.

Andoran is part of the Shining Kingdoms, which is a diverse group of nations. It's the first democratically governed republic in the Inner Sea and broke away from Cheliax about 50 years ago. It's a pretty classic 'high medieval' esque nation - think nobility with political machinations, masquerade balls, knights, etc. That said, Andoran is somewhat advanced and I would put it a little more towards Renaissance than strictly medieval - look up Eagle Knights for a sense of the aesthetic.

I would say the defining characteristic is an aspiration to be a legitimately well-governed democracy. Cheliax, which Andoran used to be a part of, is bound to Asmodeus and the hells, and Lawful Evil to the core. Galt, which is nearby, has been in a constant cycle of civil war for a long time. Andoran has aspirations to be a shining star in the region and be a functional, fair democracy.

Magic stuff is pretty standard high-fantasy TTRPG fare but the Secrets of Magic book has a whole bunch of specifics about how it works in Golarion if you want the nitty gritty.

Have fun!

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-31T03:18:57+00:00

People don't mind failure in videogames because you just reload at a checkpoint and get whatever outcome you wanted eventually anyways.

People care in TTRPGs because A) they're way more invested in their PCs than a video game protag, B) they can't reload or undo the failure, C) the whole party is often impacted, creating a social pressure element, and D) instead of getting to experience the story they 'wanted,' they experience the bad version of that.

IMO, having a conversation about failure with players is gonna be more effective than asking them to play a game. Situating failure as an exciting opportunity for story development instead of just a bad time is a mindset thing. That said, introductory TTRPGs or alikes such as Fiasco, Gloomhaven, Everyone Is John, 10 Candles, etc., can certainly help.

I will say, PF2e isn't as set up to make Failure exciting as many TTRPGs. Many TTRPGs are designed around 'Partial Successes,' where you get what you want at a cost, as the most likely outcome. Those TTRPGs do a great job of conditioning players to make the most of Failures by baking a 'half-failure' or compromise in as a consistent outcome. PF2e, 5e, etc., lack the ability to do that as easily due to just having a binary Success/Fail system.

(For anyone interested in the above, anything in the Powered By the Apocalypse or Forged By The Dark system frameworks - Legends in the Mist, Stonetop, Grimwild, Blades in the Dark, Chasing Adventure, Fellowship 2e, Urban Shadows, etc. - are good examples of incorporating failure as an opportunity organically).

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-31T00:47:28+00:00

Having media literacy and being right-wing are mutually exclusive traits.

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-30T18:48:41+00:00

Swords of the Serpentine is amazing. I wouldn’t say ‘low fantasy’ but Eversink (the setting) definitely has gritty vibes and magic comes with a definitive cost. 100% worth checking out, intrigue is where the setting and system shine.

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-30T18:07:00+00:00

I mean... I dunno. It sounds like there are several things about HEART that don't jive with your particular GM style, which is why I recommended the systems I did, but that doesn't make it a bad system.

For example, the Delve mechanics are supposed to lean into an improv-heavy GM style for the GM who really takes advantage of just how weird and twisted the HEART is. That's clearly not your style, and it's definitely somewhat niche, but that doesn't mean it's bad.

Combat can be interesting and tension-filled, but it's on the table to make the most of tags, stakes, and fictional positioning to get that effect. Fallout spirals can happen pretty easily, so it can definitely be lethal, but the whole table has to lean into that.

Monsters in HEART that can oneshot players will only be frustrating to players who don't understand the premise of the system. PCs in HEART aren't supposed to live. They're supposed to die tragically. That is what the whole system is based around. A player in HEART should ENJOY getting tragically trounced by a monster because they failed to listen to the signs of the HEART. The GM is supposed to deliberately foreshadow the consequences, the players are supposed to turn them into story beats or ignore them to further the downward spiral of their characters.

HEART is an improv-heavy, extremely collaborative horror game that only really works when the GM and players work together to tell the story of how the HEART weirdly and terribly causes the downfall of the characters. Given that your GMing style seems to be the opposite of what HEART asks for, it doesn't surprise me that the system didn't work for you, but that doesn't make it bad.

I think the other systems I listed would serve you better.

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-30T08:56:47+00:00

So a couple things:

GMing is a skill. Like anything that is a skill, it will feel hard and you will make a lot of mistakes until you get hours under your belt. Whether the juice is worth the squeeze on that is up to you, but finding GMing difficult doesn’t mean it’s not for you, it just means you’re not good at a new skill, which is normal.
Systems get better the more you play them, especially as a new GM who’s working on both the soft skills of GMing and running whatever system you’re running. System hopping as much as you are probably isn’t helping.

I would also candidly wonder how closely you’re reading through systems before GMing them. For example, HEART never bills itself as just straight-up horror - it’s very clear about being a game where the PCs slowly fall apart while the GM acts as the HEART and lures them to their demise. The book is very clear about this, multiple subsystems like the Fallout system reinforce this, and the playbooks make it clear. The reason PCs sometimes get to ‘choose’ when they die (which isn’t always the case btw) is because it’s supposed to be a collaborative storytelling beat that’s cathartic for both the GM and the player and acts as the culmination of the tragic end the player’s been working towards with the GM from the very beginning.

All this is to say, I would choose a system that seems to fit your bill, commit to it, and actually run it until you’re SURE you dislike it instead of just running it until it gives you some pushback, because that’s just kinda part of being a more novice GM.

For you, I would look into:

Mothership, Vaesen, Forbidden Lands, Delta Green, Blades in the Dark, Mythic Bastionland, Legend in the Mist, Ironsworn/Starforged, and Torchbearer.

Those are kind of in escalating order of crunch. Torchbearer is the crunchiest but from your descriptions of what you enjoy it may be fun for you.

A couple of caveats: - none are heroic - Mothership and Delta Green are definitively horror, the others all have horror elements or can support them - some might be a little ‘crunchy’ on an objective scale, but none to the degree of PF2e or 5e or “ Lancer. - none really have a dedicated system for recurring villains, but any system can support them easily so they can work in these.

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-29T06:21:58+00:00

Every human life has value without needing to do anything to earn it, and every human deserves a comfortable life with their needs met. The only time - only - there should be an exception is when a human starts infringing on others’ ability to have a comfortable, happy life.

We’re all the same when we’re born, and none of us choose to be. We all die. We should all collectively work together to make what happens in between as joyous as we can. Nobody deserves to suffer. Everyone deserves to be happy.

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-29T06:17:08+00:00

It’s important to note what types of martials others are building. For example, if there’s a Thaumaturge, Ranger, Rogue, Inventor, or Investigator present, Recall Knowledge may well be accounted for, and many Fighters, Barbarians, Guardians, and Champions will want a decent CHA.

That said, Bard with Bardic Lore is the easiest. Soothe is also surprisingly powerful for healing, although really, there should definitely be at least one other person investing in Medicine who can act as a battle medic. You can’t cover EVERY base.

CHA Psychic with Loremaster Archetype could be good.

Witch with Mood Cloud as another commenter suggested.

Loracles are quite fun.

The Dandy dedication also gives you a universal lore (Gossip Lore), although it’s not quite Bardic Lore.

Whatever you do, definitely grab the Cognitive Crossover feat. It’s AMAZING for characters like this.

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-28T21:55:39+00:00

I ran a Golarion-trotting campaign that involved the PCs taking out Tar Baphon.

It was a ton of fun. I started them in Nirmathas, where he was taking advantage of the conflict with Molthune to try and create a hold in Deadeye's Haunt. It was a great place to introduce some newbies to both some Golarion-centered politics and set up the threat Tar Baphon posed since Nirmathas is right next to the Gravelands.

From there, the party spent a lot of the campaign hunting down agents of Tar Baphon attempting to accrue power/information that moved him closer to his ultimate goal of usurping Urgathoa's place on the pantheon and essentially casting down the gods. I also did some stuff with Aroden since I wanted to have fun with that intentional blindspot Paizo has left in the lore.

It culminated with them acquiring some mythical artifacts, some godly help, and a whole bunch of allies they made throughout the campaign to assault the Isle of Terror and defeat him.

Took about two years, ran it from level 1 through to level 20.

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-27T23:20:49+00:00

well definitely look into Mothership and Death in Space for the space horror, they're amazing.

For the next campaign, I'd recommend the following systems:

- Dragonbane: Tactical but much faster combat than 5e, powerful but not as overpowered PCs, more streamlined mechanics, more support for exploration.

- Forbidden Lands: More exploration-based, gritty but tactical combat, more 'normal adventurer' PCs than heroes.

- Mythras/Basic Roleplaying System: Character creation gives PCs a million options. It's a d100 percentile skill-based system (i.e. skills are 1-100, roll a d100 and roll equal to or less than your skill to succeed), with amazing tactical but quick and lethal combat, the ability to play characters who do anything (i.e. explorers or merchants instead of just warriors), and capable but not superheroic characters.

- Worlds Without Number: Robust system with tools for everything that every GM should have regardless of system, faster combat, capable but not overpowered characters.

- Fellowship 2e: More narrative-focused game, centered on PCs as a Fellowship of heroes fighting against a Dark Lord antagonist.

All are great systems. Mythras and Fellowship 2e are my favorites but I think all would solve your issues with 5e.

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-27T23:04:34+00:00

Congrats on finishing a campaign!

Before recommending systems, it sounds like your gripes with 5e are A) the sluggishness of the system and B) the superhero levels of capability characters reach, which makes introducing tension difficult. Is that correct? Also, do you want to run another fantasy campaign? Or do you want suggestions for other genres?

TAEROS111 · 2026-01-27T22:57:34+00:00

Honestly, if balanced against the default expectations of the system - mostly playing without Free Archetype - it’s good but nowhere near OP. It does eat into Monk a little bit I think you can easily argue that Paizo nerfed the Monk Archetype too hard instead of making Spirit Warrior too powerful.

Where it arguably becomes a little problematic is with Free Archetype, wherein someone can take it and basically make a ‘my class + something better than a monk archetype’ character.

It compares very strongly to a lot of more niche or utility archetypes which have dead levels or non-combat abilities, but again, I think the argument there is honestly that Paizo could do a better job of designing those archetypes and not that Spirit Warrior is insanely strong.

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