Pathfinder E6: Yoon-Suin

There's going to be some serious 'Heresy' in this post!

It's is an attempt to offer Yoon-Suin to players and people more familiar with Pathfinder than any other edition of D&D. In the past, I've seen interest in this setting be reduced once it was mentioned the setting book worked off OD&D. This is, in no way, meant as a disrespect to this great book but rather as a bridge between the beautiful and unique works of the OSR and an edition/game some people still play. Even if I'm less and less sure why people play Monte Cook's eternal fellatio to spell casters.*

This take on Yoon-Suin use E6 Pathfinder and, frankly, abuse the usage of third party content which is something I'd normally frown upon but in this case it's fitting for the game conceptually. The third party books used are all from Dreamscarred Press.

Races

Two options in converting Yoon-Suin to Pathfinder exist. The first is to just use the races found in it and the other is to go 'full modern D&D' and allow a crapload of weird options. Assuming that would be the way to go, here are a few possible options which already exist in Pathfinder and could work fine in Yoon-Suin:

• Dromite: These little bug-men are possibly relatives of other insectoid beings found in the Purple Land. They are elusive but are said to have great and mysterious mental powers, at least their gurus do.
• Ophiduan: They are one of the odder reptilian races which exist at the edges of the Purple Land.
• Samsaran: Given their connection to Vedic myths they fit right in. They are essentially Bodhisattva, enlightened souls reborn to a mortal body. Arguably could really use a homebrew to make them better at using Akashic stuff.
• Tengu: While the name need a bit of a change, these odd and cunning bird-men aren't too out of place in the setting. However, if the name is kept intact then perhaps their connection to Japanese mythology can be a plot point, making them travelers from a faraway land beyond Yoon-Suin.
• Vanara: These ape-men could be related to Bhuta.
• Vishkanya: In Yoon-Suin they might not be that exotic at all.
• Wayang: In case one need a second kind of creepy goblin-like creatures.

Of course, Yoon-Suin has three races which are native to it and important to the setting. These are the Crab-Men (statted for Pathfinder here) and the Slug-Men. The third one are the Dwarves of Yoon-Suin which aren't quite as you'd know your typical Dwarves: they are not short Scottish men with beards, big armor and hammers.

Dwarves

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Racial Traits: Dwarves gain +2 Con and +2 Wis.
• Type: Dwarves are humanoids with the dwarf subtype.
• Size: Dwarves are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Speed: Dwarves have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Languages: Dwarves begin play speaking Common and Dwarven. Dwarves with high intelligence scores can learn additional languages.

Defense Racial Traits

• Hardy: Dwarves have a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
• Stability: Dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus to their CMD when resisting bull rush or trip attempts while standing on the ground.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

• Greed: Dwarves have a +2 bonus on Appraise checks to determine the price of non-magical goods that contain precious metals or gemstones.
• Stonecunning: Dwarves receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.
• Craftsman: Dwarves have a +2 racial bonus on all Craft or Profession checks to create objects from metal or stone.

Magical Racial Traits

Movement Racial Traits

Offense Racial Traits

Senses Racial Traits

• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Slug-Men

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Racial Traits: Slug men gain +2 Int and Cha.
• Type: Slug men are Monstrous Humanoids.
• Size: Slug men are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Speed: Slug men have a base speed of 20 feet, but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Languages: Slug men begin play speaking Common. Slug men with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).

Defense Racial Traits

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

• Skill Training: Bluff and Diplomacy are always considered class skills for slug men.
• Gift of Tongues: Slug men have a +1 racial bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks, and they learn one additional language every time they put a rank in the Linguistics skill.
• Emissary: Once per day, a slug man can roll twice when making a Bluff or Diplomacy check and take the better roll.

Magical Racial Traits

Movement Racial Traits

Offense Racial Traits

Senses Racial Traits

• Darkvision: Slug men can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

Classes

It's fairly obvious that a Pathfinder conversion would have a ton of options for classes, especially with the addition of two type of magics which are in this case well suited to Yoon-Suin: these are Psionics and Akashic. While normally something people find a bit too tied to science fiction, Psionic classes are well-suited to Yoon-Suin given that it has options for psionic in the first place. As for Akashic? Well, I like it and it suit the setting fine. These are options picked more for flavor and style than 'game balance' or 'builds' but screw these concepts. To keep things simple most classes have only or two flavorful or interesting Archetype to use.

In a deliberate choice to further enforce the Fighter/Thief/Mage ideal, the only 'hybrid' class of sort is the Cleric and classes with similar Hit Dice/BAB. There are no Magus or Psychic Warriors here or other class which skirt the line between fighting-man and magic-user safe for these archetypes which allow to dabble into Psionic and Akashic powers.

Brawler (and Fighter)

The Fighter is not a very good class thanks to the crappy game design of Monte Cook so the option to play a Brawler is there to replace the Fighter if need be. However, nonetheless, the Brawler/Fighter classes would form a sizable portion of any active adventurers in Yoon-Suin in spite of it's apparent weakness simply because of how versatile it is and how many character concepts it cover.

• Akashic Warrior and Psionic Fighter: Both options allow the Fighter to tap into these two power sources. These hybrid archetypes could be commonplace in some areas and limited to secret and strange cults in others.
• Savage Warrior: A Fighter archetype well suited to the ferocious Crab-Men.
• Unbreakable: An alternative available to Crab-Men.

Cleric

The Purple Land has many gods. Most local, unlike the more typical fantasy gods which tend to embody entire concepts and/or are worshiped by whole races. The typical D&D-style cleric is somewhat at odd with the setting, being more based off a crusader than a proper priest.

• Psionic Domain: This and it's subdomain are open to those Cleric of gods who preside over disciplines related to the psionic arts, the mind, dreams and other mental matters. Alternatively these could be Clerics who have achieved some form of enlightenment.
• Sacred Attendant: These are well-suited to priestess of divine beauty, love and maybe some tantric sex on the side. Because why not?

Guru

The Guru's role within the setting is more than self-explanatory: they are the Akashic equivalent of the Cleric class and one well suited to mystics, fakir and sadhu of all stripes. Entire religions and philosophical schools could exist centered around the various Philosophies which are the class options of the Guru.

Monk

In many ways, the monk isn't a very good class mechanically. But on the flip side? It's really, really cool and quite a few people certainly love it's kung fu powers. This is a core class well worth adding to Yoon-Suin for flavor alone.

• Enlightened Monk and Mysterial: Much like the Fighter options, this add Psionic and Akashic options to the Monk.
• Sohei: While the name is tied to Japanese history, these mounted warrior monks would fit right in.

Psion

The Psion of Yoon-Suin are yogis who have learned to fully harness the enlightened powers of the mind, making them culturally on par with Clerics and thus part of the 'Holy Man' class on a technical level. All Clerics may be priests and brahmin, but not all priest and brahmin are Clerics. This is a class well-suited to the Slug Men.

Ranger

These are hunters and warriors of the wilderness, ranging from the magic-less Skirmisher variant for those who are merely skilled trackers to the regular Ranger for those who are more like wood-dwelling sadhu who renounced civilization for nature.

• Divine Tracker: For those Rangers with a stronger bond to their deity, perhaps presumably as tribal shaman of some obscure wild tribe or as the aforementioned society-rejecting holy-men.
• Urban Ranger: These are a unusual breed of Ranger, mostly found in the dark corners of the Yellow City and prowling the area where the Old Town encroach upon civilization. Quite a few odd cults exist there and Urban Rangers might be their holy warriors.

Rogue

Every society has those who live in the shadows by their wits and skills and Yoon-Suin is no different. Rogues are a very versatile class, especially with their Rogue Talents in Pathfinder and how many options the addition of psionics and akashic mysteries add.

• Cerebral Infiltrator: A pretty self-explanatory option. A Psionic rogue.
• Thug: Fitting for the class name, these Rogues are associated with violent murder cults.

Vizier

This Akashic class is particularly well-suited to the Slug Men, with their high intelligence and it's role, which fit the decadent rulers of the Yellow City quite well. This too is a class which could be used by members of the priestly castes as opposed to the Cleric class.

Wizard

Archetypal spell casters, the Wizards are obviously a 'thing' in Yoon-Suin because why wouldn't they be? Of all the spell casters in Yoon-Suin they may very well be the most mysterious and eldritch but that's just fine the way it is. Not everything need to make sense.

• Psychic Mage: Or, perhaps these different powers are not so different after all?

*Yes I know Cook isn't responsible for Pathfinder, but Pathfinder was designed from day one to be the direct successor to D&D 3E.