Doom of Daggerdale Info

[Daos]

This is a complete list of rules and house rules that I use in my game.

Core Rules
Character Generation - I prefer using Method V (4d6, drop the lowest). When I allow a different method, I'll announce so formally.
Height/Weight/Age - Players need not roll for these, unless they want to. They can just choose them. The DM secretly rolls your maximum age, to learn when your character will die of old age (if you're lucky!)
Starter Spells - A player may choose his wizard's starting spells, but still must roll to learn them. Upon reaching a new spell level, a mage learns a new spell for that level automatically (chosen by the player). A mage's first spellbook is free, but additional ones must be paid for.  If the mage has a mentor or tutor, they receive a few free spells without rolling.
When XP is Given - Characters earn XP (and level up automatically upon receiving enough to do so) at the end of a thread. Threads are usually divided into chapters, and generally will end when the party rests for the night.
Initiative - I use Individual Initiative during combat. I also use all of the modifiers that come with it, including casting times and weapon speeds. Characters with multiple attacks don't use them until the end of the round (except for those who are dual-wielding).  I also only roll initiative once, at the beginning, instead of every round, for simplicity.
Firing into Melee - This rule is largely ignored. You can only hit an ally during melee with a projectile weapon if you roll a fumble or if they move directly into your line of fire (and are larger than or the same size as your target). If you try and fire a projectile weapon at a target while someone else is meleeing you, the opponent gets a free attack.

Optional Rules (The rules in blue found in the PHB/DMG)
Intelligence Bonus to Proficiencies - For every language slot a character gets from INT, they get an extra NWP slot, as well.
Maximum Spells per Level - Based on their INT score, wizards have a limit to how many spells they can learn each level, total.
Racial Adjustment to Charisma - I actually apply lots of extra modifiers to Charisma when taking into account race, class, ethnicity, and so forth. For instance, a Cleric of Good proudly bearing his icon in a land of evil is likely to get a big penalty to his reaction adjustment.
Detection of Pick Pocketing - I use the optional rule that allows a thief a lesser chance of being caught pickpocketing when the victim is lower level than the thief.
Nonweapon Proficiencies - I use both weapon and nonweapon proficiencies in my game, not secondary skills. Unless stated otherwise, a character must train to learn a new proficiency slot once it becomes available.
Encumbrance - I do use (basic, not specific) encumbrance in my games. I also rule that magical armor does not count toward one's encumbrance.
Horse Traits - I do use horse traits for flavor, but don't usually enforce them.
Armor Made of Unusual Metals - I do allow this.
Spell Components - I do use these. Material components that are rare and expensive must be in the caster's inventory to work. For more general components, like sand, gum, cloth, etc., a caster needs a 'component bag' that costs 1 gp per spell level to refill (a 1st level mage would need to spend 1 gp, a 3rd level mage would need to spend 3 gp, etc.) at a mageware shop. The component bag must be refilled between adventures (or once a month, whichever comes first).
Researching Extra Wizard Spells - I allow that any spell researched by a wizard does not count against his/her limit of spells per level.
Individual Experience Awards - I use these, and group awards, too.
Training - I do not require a character train to advance in level.
Weapon Type vs Armor Modifiers - I do use these rules. Thus, a piercing weapon is more effective against leather armor, whereas a bludgeoning weapon is better against chain mail.
Parrying - I do allow this.
Multiple Attacks Against Weak Opponents - I do allow warriors to make a number of attacks equal to their level against opponents who have 1-1 or less HD.
Polearms/Shields and Weapon Frontage - I use both of these rules.
Critical Hits/Misses - I use both. A natural 20 is a critical hit, and the character is allowed to roll for double damage (the rules state you are supposed to roll twice, but I find it easier in pbp to just roll once and double it). On a natural 1, the character fumbles. What this means is up to the DM, but it can involve a weapon breaking, accidentally hitting oneself or an ally, dropping a weapon or falling down to the ground. It depends on the situation.
Specific Injuries - I do not use this rule.
Hovering at Death's Door - I do use this rule. At 0 HP, a character becomes unconscious and bleeds out (losing 1 HP per round) until they reach death at -10 HP. A character who is bleeding out can have their wounds bound (no check or roll needed) to stop the bleeding. Magical healing spells only restore an unconscious character to 1 HP and no more can be used until the character has rested one day (exception--the Heal spell).
Aerial Combat - I use all of these rules, too.
Degrees of Darkness Modifiers - I use these, yep. Moving/fighting in moonlight is not as bad as total darkness, etc.
Jogging and Running - I use these rules.
Terrain Effects on Movement - I use these rules. So traveling through water, snow, heavy forest/brush, rocky ground, and in darkness slows the party down.
Terrain Modifiers for Overland Movement - I use these, too.
Command Words - Rods, wands and staves use them, yep.

Splatbook Rules
Kits - I do allow some kits, but not others. If you are interested in a kit, just ask the DM to find out more.
The Complete Fighter's Handbook - I use the rules for weapon and armor crafting, off-hand weapon use, kneeling and sitting, range and initiative, ambidexterity, fighting style specialization, martial arts, punching/wrestling specialization, disarming, grabbing, holding, pinning, pulling/tripping, sapping, shield punching and rushing, recovery of temporary damage, darkness modifiers, unstable ground, mounted combat, bone and stone weaponry, high quality racial armor, and piecemeal armor.
The Complete Paladin's Handbook - Pretty much all of it.
The Complete Ranger's Handbook - Pretty much all of it.
The Complete Wizard's Handbook - Pretty much all of it.
The Complete Priest's Handbook - Pretty much all of it.
The Complete Druid's Handbook - Pretty much all of it.
The Complete Thief's Handbook - Pretty much all of it.
The Complete Bard's Handbook - Pretty much all of it.
The Complete Book of Dwarves - Pretty much all of it.
The Complete Book of Gnomes and Halflings - Pretty much all of it.
The Complete Book of Elves - Just the expanded archery rules and the new equipment/spells.
The Complete Book of Humanoids - Pretty much all of it.
Of Ships and the Sea - Pretty much all of it.
Dungeoneer's Survival Guide - I use the new equipment.
Wilderness Survival Guide - The rules for temperature, the rules for food and water, the rules for foraging, fishing and hunting.
Player's Option: Spells and Magic - The Cure Moderate Wounds spell only.

House Rules
No Racial Ability Minimums or Maximums - I don't bother with these at all (e.g., not being able to play a dwarf unless your STR is 8 or higher). Never saw the point to it.
No Level Limits - I don't bother with these, either. Most of my games never get high enough in level for them to matter anyway.
No Racial Ability Adjustments - Everyone gets a +1 to the ability score of their choice at character creation, as well as a -1 to another.
Lesser Alignment Restrictions - Druids and Bards can be of any alignment.
Rally Allies/Berserker Rage - The benefits of a bard's 'rally allies' ability kicks in on the first round, not the third round. Those who can go berserk can do so in one round, not ten.
No Racial/Class Restrictions - Any race may take any class in my games. A dwarf can be a paladin, an elf can be a bard, a gnome can be a ranger, etc.
Proficiency Checks without the Proficiency - In some cases, I will allow a character to attempt a proficiency check in something he/she doesn't have proficiency in. In this case, they must roll a 3 or less to succeed. And the end result will never be of high quality (someone trying to forge a dagger without the weaponsmithing proficiency will only make one of average quality at best). There are lots of stipulations to this rule. For instance, the character in question cannot even make the attempt if the DM feels that it violates common sense (a character who has never seen a horse before can't possibly hope to make a rider check). Likewise, some things are just impossible for unskilled characters, regardless of luck (someone without the armorer proficiency could try and bang out a satisfactory suit of chain mail, but full plate mail is out of the question).
Crossbow Damage - In my games, a light crossbow does 1d10 damage and a heavy crossbow does 1d12 damage.
Turn/Control Undead - I allow clerics and paladins with this ability to also use it against extraplanar creatures. A good cleric can turn evil extraplanar creatures, and an evil cleric can control evil extraplanar creatures.
Cantrips - Cantrip is not a spell, but a nonweapon proficiency that can only be taken by someone with levels in wizard or bard.
Natural Healing - The effects of natural healing and the healing proficiency are stacked.
Proficiency Slots - If a player adds an empty NWP slot to a proficiency he/she already has, they get a +2 to their rolls.
Aid Another - If two characters have the same proficiency, one can 'aid' the other in their roll, and this adds a +2 to the roll.
Familiars - I use a special rule for familiars. At level 2, a mage or bard can summon a familiar automatically, without the use of a spell. At level 4, the caster can see through the familiar's eyes if they concentrate and do nothing else. At 6th level, the caster can cast touch-spells through their familiar. Then at 8th level, the caster's familiar gains a special ability (depending on what the familiar in question is).
Reading/Writing - I rule that if you have a proficiency with Reading/Writing, you can read and write any language you can speak. This does not apply to ancient languages, though.
NWP cross skills - All nonweapon proficiencies cost 1 slot each.  However, if you pick a nwp that is not a class skill, you suffer a -2 to your rolls.
Metalworks - Armorer and Weaponsmithing proficiencies are reliant on STR, not INT.
Non-Lethal combat - There is no 'to hit' penalty for fighting when trying to knock out an opponent with non-lethal fighting.

Forum/Posting Rules
Present Tense - Keep your posts in present tense, please.
Three Day Rule - The DM will wait for any given player at least three days before moving on.
Name Your Targets! - When in combat, make sure to specify who you are hitting or where you are centering any spells.
AWOL - If a player vanishes (stops posting, doesn't even log in) for at least a month without giving any prior explanation or warning, they are dropped from the game and their character becomes a permanent NPC.
Dialogue - Please place all dialogue in quotation marks.
Spamming - Don't spam or double-post.  Nothing is sadder than someone trying to inflate their post count like it actually matters.

[Daos]

Daggerdale
For more than fifty years, Daggerdale has been battling to survive against hostile raiders, bandits, and monsters. Spies and agents of the Zhentarim (an evil mercenary organization) have infiltrated the dale, and the men of Daggerdale have been decimated by the attacks.  They want nothing more than to be left alone.  It is currently the year 1367 DR.

Located in the upper reaches of the Tesh valley, Daggerdale lies between the Desertsmouth mountains and the Dagger Hills, remote and hard to reach. Paths lead south to Shadowdale and east to Teshwave, but little traffic passes through the dale. Merchants of other lands have found the trip to Daggerdale to be dangerous and unprofitable. The Zhents are the most frequent visitors. 

The people of Daggerdale are hunters and farmers, but many homesteads are abandoned. Large areas of the dale are heavily wooded; the open farmlands and manors of the other dales are not found in Daggerdale. Instead, people huddle together in small stockaded settlements for protection. Small villages lie in isolated areas. The villagers farm the land nearby and send hunting parties into the dark forests and hills. The Dalesmen barely produce enough to keep themselves alive and have little to offer foreign traders.

The folk of the countryside band together in fortified villages, while the people of Dagger Falls, are protected by a Zhentarim-sponsored constable. Daggerdale’'s rightful ruler, a rebel named Randal Morn, leads a band of fighters against the invaders of the Dale.

The largest community of Daggerdale is Dagger Falls, but it is ruled by a sheriff from Zhentil Keep.  Randal Morn, the original ruler of Daggerdale, was banished a year ago by Zhent agents.  He and the free Dalesmen keep moving their base to avoid the Zhentish forces. Randal’'s forces have been trying to recapture the town for years, but there are too few to risk a battle against the Zhentarim garrison.

Law and Order
The countryside of Daggerdale is a lawless area plagued by bandits, monsters, and pillaging mercenaries.  Within the fortified hamlets under Morn’'s control, justice is fair, swift, and harsh. Looters and brigands are put to death. Zhentish sympathizers are run out of town.

The scattered hamlets and villages of Daggerdale are usually protected by stout palisades of sharpened timbers. Zhentish patrols are rarely resisted, but the villagers will fiercely resist looters and pillaging mercenaries. In addition, Morn's freedom fighters roam the countryside and often aid villages that are under attack.

Daggerfalls has a population of 800. The countryside has a population of 2,900 (including invaders).  In the area of Dagger Falls, mercenary patrols and Zhentish warriors keep the peace. As Constable, Tren Noemfor is in charge of administering justice.

Trade
The people of countryside want little to do with strangers, but travelers can barter for livestock or produce at individual villages. Dagger Falls imports a few fancy items from Zhentil Keep through unscrupulous merchants who charge exorbitant prices.

The Zhentarim systematically loot the Dale for everything of value. Large areas are depopulated as livestock, crops, and even people are seized and taken back to Teshwave or the Moonsea. The Zhents are logging the Dale at a dangerous rate also.

[Daos]

Cantrips - Cantrips are often overlooked by wizards and their players, but only because many players have overlooked the many possibilities that cantrips have to offer. Which spells do almost anything you want? There are two--Wish and Cantrip.

Apprentices to great wizards have long known the only way to learn the art of magic is to practice, and practice hard. Magical training devours years of youth, and the regime for neophyte wizards is rigorous, exhausting, and often tedious. Before a young mage can master even such simple incantations as the spells Sleep or Read Magic, he must be able to call upon magical forces to produce any effect he desires.

Such spells are commonly known as cantrips or "little wishes," and while they have only a minor influence on the surrounding world, they are nonetheless important. Cantrips teach the basic lessons of magic-simple conjurations, illusions and alterations. Once he masters the cantrip, the wizard can progress to more complex spells. At this point, many wizards abandon cantrips entirely, regarding their minor effects as beneath themselves to cast.

Mechanics of Cantrips: A wise mage, however, knows how to use cantrips to their full effect. For mages of first level or greater, cantrips are so trivial to cast that they need not be memorized. Instead, little wishes can be treated as a proficiency.

A character with the cantrip proficiency has learned enough of the rudiments of magic to conjure minor mystical effects. While all mages learn cantrips as part of their training, many forget the basics once they become fully-fledged mages. Others are too proud (and arrogant) to use such "petty magics."

When a character tries to cast a cantrip, the player must describe the form he wishes the spell to take. In combat, cantrips have a casting time of 2. A proficiency check is rolled to determine whether the verbal and somatic components have been executed correctly (cantrips do not require material components). A successful check means the cantrip was cast as desired, and a failed check means the cantrip fizzles. A roll of 20 has no additional effect, unless the DM decides otherwise.

Even the simplest spell creates a mental burden, so the number of cantrips a PC can use is limited. All characters may cast four cantrips per day, plus one per wizard or bard level. Each additional cantrip cast beyond this limit inflicts a cumulative -1 penalty on the proficiency check. Failed checks still count against the total.

School-Specific Cantrips: The cantrip spell spans all schools of magic and has a limitless number of uses. However, DMs should determine exactly which school a particular effect belongs to. Specialist mages cast more reliable cantrips in their own school of magic, and bonuses to saving throws may also apply. However, they cannot use cantrips from their forbidden schools. A list of commonly used cantrips, listed by magical school, follows:

Abjuration Cantrips
Abjuration cantrips tend to be practical, often employed by apprentices to clean up rooms, dust shelves, sweep and polish floors, wash or dry clothes, aid the caster's balance, and warm or cool foods and drinks. Minor wards can also be established (10' radius maximum) against insects or rodents, or an area can be enchanted to stay cool or warm. The cleaning cantrips may either animate cleaning utensils or create ghostly phantom utensils.

Alteration Cantrips
The cantrips of alteration magic represent a wide range of uses, from changing the colors of faded plants or garments, to altering the taste of food, or freshening spoiled food-in these forms they are permanent. Such cantrips can also gather firewood; hide footprints; cut, tie, or untie knots in rope or string; or brighten and dim lights. Alteration cantrips can also act as rudimentary polymorph spells, able to change insects to rodents or vice versa for up to one turn (10 rounds). Furthermore, they can change vegetable or animal items into others within the same kingdom for one turn or less, depending upon how drastic the change is. The physical shape of small mineral objects can be altered, such as a coin changing to a ring. Such a transformation lasts for one round. They cannot be used to alter the properties of a larger organism.

Conjuration and Summoning Cantrips
These cantrips can summon tiny creatures: normal insects, rodents, or nonpoisonous spiders, or snakes. Normal items weighing less than one pound can also be conjured permanently; such items may not be worth more than 1 gp and may not be made from any valuable material. Items between one and five pounds in weight can be conjured, but they remain for only one turn before disappearing. Invisible forces can also be conjured to rattle or tap objects or snatch at, tickle or prod unsuspecting creatures. Conjured objects may appear normal, but they are never stronger than balsa wood and break if stressed.

Divination Cantrips
Lesser divinations can be performed, such as determining the sex of a creature, discovering whether a door or chest is locked without having to touch it, locating the direction of north (magnetic rocks or nearby magic may cause distortions), divining the presence of magic in a 30' radius (but not type, direction, or strength), or searching for secret doors. In this latter case, the spell has the same chance of success and takes the same time as the caster would, but leaves the mage free to do other things.

Enchantment and Charm Cantrips
Enchanting cantrips can move inanimate objects around slowly and jerkily, as if with a crude form of telekinesis (weight limit 2 lbs.). This may spill liquids, pull items off shelves, or knock over unstable objects (such as brooms or sticks). No damage is inflicted by items used to attack. Charm cantrips affect creatures, and can force targets to wink, nod, scratch, belch, yawn, cough, giggle, sneeze, or perform any other minor, involuntary action. A saving throw vs. spell is applicable; success negates the effect or renders it unnoticeable. Cantrips such as these cannot disrupt concentration, but may prove embarrassing for their victims in diplomatic situations.

Illusion and Phantasm Cantrips
These cantrips create false sounds, images, or scents. They can make haunting sounds like moans, chains rattling, footsteps, creaks and eerie bumps, or indistinct muffled sounds. When creating images, illusion cantrips form floating, colored globes of light; alter the facial features of a creature; create illusory furniture, carpets, or bushes in a flat and empty area; or conjure a two-dimensional illusion (invisible from the side or rear). All visual illusions can be dispelled by touch or dispel magic, and they remain only as long as the caster concentrates on them. Any smell created lasts only as long as the caster concentrates, affecting a maximum area of 10 cubic feet. Breezes dissipate the smell, and it may be masked by an overpowering smell, such as a troglodyte's stench or the carrion odor of a ghast.

Invocation and Evocation Cantrips
These cantrips can create glowing lights of any color, puffs of smoke, miniature colored flames shooting from the caster's fingers, crackles of lightning and sparks, or a glowing mystical radiance. They can painfully sting another creature, scorch and destroy paper or wood without flames or heat, or cause harmless but noisy explosions. None of these cantrips can physically damage any but the smallest of targets, though they may ignite combustible materials, frighten animals, and alarm the superstitious.

Necromantic Cantrips
Necromantic cantrips foster death and decay. They can make flowers wilt or food spoil. Tiny animals such as rodents or insects may be killed by a necromantic cantrip, or animated as 1/2 HD undead creatures (no more than 2 HD total per cantrip). Bones may rattle, corpses twitch, or glowing points of light appear in the eyes of skulls or undead. Another necromantic cantrip calls out to undead creatures in a 60' radius, alerting them to the presence of a necromancer. The undead may respond to this information any way they wish, and the caster does not learn of their presence or absence.

All Cantrips must fall into the following guidelines:

No cantrip can directly damage a living target of size S or larger, although damage may be cause indirectly. For example, a fire may be started by a cantrip spark, objects may fall off shelves onto a victim, etc.

No cantrip can force a creature to lose its concentration when maintaining or casting a spell.

Cantrip effects always allow saving throws vs. spells when they affect a living target directly, and they must also overcome natural magic resistance.

No magical items can be damaged or affected by cantrips, nor can a cantrip dispel or remove another magical spell of 1st level or greater.

No cantrip functions within the confines of a protection from cantrips spell, instead being cancelled with a popping noise. A dispel magic spell automatically cancels any cantrip, as will touching any illusory creation. A divination cantrip is automatically fooled by any form of misdirection.

Areas of strong background magic warp cantrips, preventing them from functioning correctly.

If two cantrips from different wizards contest each other (such as two wizards using telekinesis on the same object, or one creating a breeze to blow away an illusory scent), the wizard with the highest successful proficiency check wins. In the case of a tie, neither cantrip dominates and the contest continues into the following round.