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Post by Daos on Jul 6, 2015 10:50:37 GMT -8
First and foremost, I suppose the question is, what is Lost Souls?
Lost Souls is a campaign setting I came up with originally when I was a kid, around fifteen or so. Hence the rather unoriginal name. It is the setting of Amtar, a world of my own devising.
It was terrible. I mean, just awful. But then again, I was only fifteen and had no idea what I was doing. While most D&Ders start as players and then, when ready, possibly become DMs...I started as a DM from day one. None of my friends who played wanted to DM, so it was left up to me to take up that mantle.
In 2002, I opened up a roleplaying chatroom based on Amtar. It failed. But I did manage to acquire enough members to start running an online campaign game set on the world. I 'rebooted' the world, discarding a lot of the stupid stuff I had ripped off from whatever I liked back as a kid, and we wound up running six campaigns there.
But then, in 2008, I put aside the world and started work on a new campaign. Different world, different concepts. We ran two campaigns there, and started a third...but it never got very far. By that point, I guess I was just burned out. I don't know. The game was put on hiatus, I wound up getting focused on my Dragonlance games at another site, and before I knew it, over a year had passed.
I wound up rebooting the world (again) for that other site, and ran a game there. The results were...mixed. I'm hoping to take what I learned from that game and use it to make another, better Lost Souls game.
What is Amtar? I'll be up front with you. It's a pretty standard, generic high-fantasy AD&D world. Don't expect anything particularly ground-breaking or revolutionary here. It's got the usual races and classes. It might be a little different, in that I've been rather influenced by Planescape (Amtar has a strong elemental bent, and I like having lots of factions and belief systems). The main appeal to Amtar is that it's open-ended and the consequences of the party's actions matter. In Amtar, each campaign shapes the next. For instance, if the party topples a government in this game, then the consequences of this (civil war, anarchy, whatever) will have a strong impact on the second game. If your character starts a new religion, it may spread to different nations later. And so on.
Furthermore, players have some creative control over the world. A player can make up details about the world, filling in the blanks (with DM approval, of course).
My games are dangerous, but not overly lethal. I am not a killer DM, nor am I a coddling one. I think of myself as being a neutral entity. Deep down, I may want the PCs to win, but I will not intervene to save them. The dice fall where they land, and the consequences of any action play out logically.
This thread will be dedicated to all of the lore and information that a player will need to know in order to successfully run a character in a game here. I actually have a website I was going to use, but it's easier to just post it all here. I will only be posting stuff relevant to the campaign at the time, so it doesn't get too bulky. I'll add in a table of contents later to help.
Time to get started!
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Post by Daos on Jul 14, 2015 12:57:28 GMT -8
This is a complete list of rules and house rules that I use in my game. Core RulesCharacter 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 (but they do need to train to learn new proficiencies). 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 for about 5 minutes (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 RulesKits - 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 RulesNo 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. Max HP at 1st level - At first level, HP is always the maximum amount (including CON modifier) without needing to roll.
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. Alignment - Alignment has been redefined to 'divine allegiance'. It's not something you put on your character sheet and then try to adhere to. Rather, it's something the DM charts over time, based on the actions of your character. All PCs begin 'Unaligned' (UA) when they enter the game. As the game progresses, I chart the character's alignment, in relation to the five deities, using my own point based system. So a character who told the truth even if it got them in trouble might get a +1 from Gonto, or someone who showed compassion to another might get a +1 from Octhanus, and so on. When you reach 5 points in a particular deity, that deity reaches out to you in some way (a dream, a vision, sending a cleric or servant) and offers you a pact. If you accept, your divine allegiance is now with that deity. If you refuse, the deity's score is reset to 0 and the process begins again. At 10 points, you are offered a free henchman in service to that deity. At 15 points, you are granted a special power from that deity. Additional benefits exist beyond that point. Non-Lethal combat - There is no 'to hit' penalty for fighting when trying to knock out an opponent with non-lethal fighting. Tracking - Non-rangers do not suffer a -6 penalty to the Tracking proficiency.
Forum/Posting RulesPresent 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.
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Post by Daos on Jul 21, 2015 10:08:05 GMT -8
Character Creation
Compared to some editions, character creation is a snap in 2E. It takes mere minutes. Or should, ideally. Nevertheless, I know more than a few players who will spend days, even weeks on a new character.
So here are some ways to help speed things up a bit, and ways to improve the odds of getting your character approved faster.
First and foremost, you need to roll up your ability scores. I use Method V, which means you roll 4d6 for each ability score and drop the lowest one.
Once you have your rolls ready you can modify them if necessary (certain things modify ability scores). After that, you just pick your proficiencies, roll for starting money, buy your beginning equipment, pick your starter spells, etc., etc. If you are entering a game that has already started you might not start at level 1. I usually average out the XP of the current players to decide on the newcomer's level.
That's the easy part, though. The part where most players tend to get stuck is the biography that must also be submitted. A character bio should consist of at least four things: Appearance (what the character looks like; picture is optional), Personality (how your character acts), History (your character's backstory), and Motivation (why is your character adventuring in the first place?).
There's no need to go nuts here. I don't need a full length novel. Although a couple of sentences isn't enough, either. In my experience, though, I tend to get players who offer too much information than too little. Which is why character creation takes so long for some. Here's a hint when it's getting too long, though. If most of your backstory is dialogue, then you aren't writing a bio; you're writing a novel (and yes, I've had players submit bios that include lengthy dialogue sessions between characters in their history).
Motivation is pretty important and often overlooked. You need to know why your character is adventuring. Remember, adventuring while generally profitable, is also incredibly dangerous. That's why most people don't do it. Also, don't forget to ask yourself, if your character achieves their goal, what then? If, for instance, your motivation is to earn enough gold to save your family's farm from debt, what happens once you accomplish this? Retire? If the only reason you are adventuring is hoping to find the six-finger man who killed your father, once he is avenged, do you have any reason to keep going? Be careful not to write yourself into a corner when deciding motivation. If you give your character a goal that can be easily accomplished, make sure you have some backup goals planned, too.
Your history likely won't be very elaborate. You're a peasant living in a farming village in the middle of nowhere and only just beginning at level 1. So that's okay. But there are some things will you want to take into account.
First, your character must have either been born in Buho Village or lived there for 20 years (if your character is under 20 years in age, then they must have been born there). None of this 'a stranger rolls into town looking for work' nonsense; that wouldn't work here anyway (why would a random adventurer come to Buho of all places to find work?).
Second, consider what your character does for a living? They may make a lot of gold adventuring, but they haven't started yet. If your character has no real job, keep in mind you'll be considered a layabout or ne'er-do-well by the villagers and it will affect your reputation.
Third, your character should have a secret. This secret should be such that if it were ever to get out, it would greatly harm your reputation. The secret can be whatever you like. (You need not discuss the secret here, but can PM me about it if you want to keep it from the other players).
Once everything is done, email or PM the entire character sheet to me. If approved, the character is added to the roster and you can begin play. If not, I'll tell you what's wrong or what is needed, and adjustments are made.
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Post by Daos on Jul 28, 2015 11:20:35 GMT -8
Amtar GeographyThe main area of Amtar where games are held is in the northern hemisphere. A map of the five continents is found below, and each hex represents 100 miles. The northern peninsula is a frozen wasteland where barbarian tribes war with each other for resources and land. It is called Crizzara. The middle area is largely fertile and home to lush, green forests and plains, as well as a number of pseudo-European kingdoms both small and large. It is known as Gontoria. The southern part of the main landmass is a desert, modeled a lot like Arabia or Egypt. It is named Rabbah. The large island to the south is a harsh area and home to many goblinoids and orcs. Basically, think Mordor from Lord of the Rings. Most call it Renosia. Then at the equator, you have the Octhanian Islands, a group of tropical islands based heavily on Polynesia and the Caribbean. Moving in closer, specifically toward the kingdom of Tardiff. Each hex here is 25 miles in size. Tardiff is split up into numerous fiefs, each run by a count or countess. Most of the area is flat, but there are some hills, numerous forests and a large river cutting through the middle, leading out to sea.
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Post by Daos on Aug 4, 2015 10:07:25 GMT -8
A Brief History of Amtar
Eons ago, the two dominant societies were the elves and dwarves. Both formed massive empires that stretched over the known world. They did not conflict, as the elves took the overworld and the dwarves took the underworld. Thus did they both coexist without entrenching on each other's territories. The elves were highly magical, and the dwarves highly technological.
As the empires expanded, other, more primitive species were discovered. Gnomes and goblinoids were discovered by the dwarves, and halflings and humans discovered by the elves.
The gnomes were integrated into dwarven society, but were largely treated as second-class citizens with few rights. The goblinoids were outright driven out and slaughtered in a war. Eventually, they managed to fall back to what is now the land of Renosia and hold up there. They formed their own empire after a few centuries.
Halflings were 'allowed' to live on elven lands, but were made to 'earn their keep.' They had to work the many farmlands as serfs, making almost no money at it. Humans were first discovered in the Octhanian islands as savages. Elves saw the potential in them, and 'adopted' them. That's how the elves put it. In their minds, they saw themselves doing the humans a favor. They were providing them a roof over their heads, food, and education. All they asked for in return was that the humans serve them, to earn their keep.
The elves may have called it adoption, but to the humans, it was slavery.
The goblinoids, meanwhile, started building up armies of any species they could find that had been driven back by the elves and dwarves. Not only goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears, but also ogres, gnolls, kobolds, and some escaped human slaves. They attacked the elven empire, but were badly beaten. Their forces were no match for the elves' magic. And so the goblins fell back.
The goblins realized that the only way to fight magic was with magic. They spent the next few centuries studying it, learning as much as they could. They discovered a process that allowed them to contact powerful beings from the Lower Planes. These beings would offer the goblinoids power, which was a much faster and efficient way of learning magic than studying tomes for years and years.
Now armed with the knowledge of demon summoning, the goblinoids attacked the elves again. This time, they were not driven back. The dwarves were forced to ally with the elves, and even then, the war ended in a stalemate with all three empires brought to the brink of destruction.
The humans, who had learned so much from their 'guardians' saw that the time to act was now. They led an insurrection against the elves, who were too weakened by the war to put up much of a fight. The humans enlisted the gnomes and halflings in the fight, as well. When it was over, the humans had managed to conquer the elves entirely, enslaving them in a tragic sense of irony.
This was not enough, though. Inheriting the magical powers of the elves, the humans then turned their gaze toward the dwarves and goblinoid empires, which were also very weak from the war. It did not take long to conquer them, as well. Thus did humans inherit the white magic of elves, the black magic of the goblinoids, and the technology of the dwarves. Combining these three powers together, they formed the Eonian Empire, the most powerful political force the world had ever known.
Indeed, the humans were so powerful, they even managed to rip a large island out of the sea and lift it into the air. They founded their capital city on this flying island, known as Infinity. For humans, this began an age of enlightenment. For the other species, this was certainly a dark age. For the humans were no more fair or merciful toward the 'lesser species' than the elves or dwarves had been to them.
The Eonian Empire was not to last, though. The goblinoids, furious that they had nearly defeated one enemy only to inadvertently create a new, even more powerful one, started searching for ways to thwart the humans. Eventually, they discovered a powerful summoning ritual. It was said to summon a creature that would have the power to destroy even Eonia. Never once did the goblinoids stop to consider the consequences of their actions. By the time they realized that the beast they had summoned was too strong for them to control, it was too late.
Legends say that the beast, known only as Carnage, was originally created by the gods. It was meant as a 'reset button' to end the world should the gods ever decide it was no longer worth maintaining. Carnage rampaged across the known world, destroying everything in its path. It killed without mercy or prejudice. It did not care about species, creed, nationality or bloodline. Not even the Eonians could stand against him. Infinity was knocked into the sea and sank to the bottom, killing millions.
All of the species were forced to ally themselves against this threat. Using everything they had, they managed to banish Carnage back to the pocket dimension he had been summoned from, putting him back to sleep to wait for the gods to call him back when the end of the world had arrived. But the victory came at great cost. The Empires had fallen, all of them. The world had been left in ruin.
The next few centuries were a time of darkness, as the races tried to rebuild. Small nations were formed, which battled each other for what meager resources remained. All of the magical and technological power of the old days was forgotten. Every species was now on equal ground.
This brings us to the present day.
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Post by Daos on Aug 11, 2015 13:15:25 GMT -8
Species of Amtar Something of note about the species of Amtar is that they all have the same lifespan. Elves, humans, dwarves, whatever...they all live to be around 90-100 years old or so. Elves are different in that they don't appear to age visibly. A 90 year old elf looks like a 20 year old elf, for instance. But all races age and mature the same way as humans. So a 15 year old dwarf is a teenager, not a baby. A 100 year old elf is ancient (even if they don't look it), not just entering adolescence. And so forth.
Humans Overview: There shouldn't be a need to say a great deal on humans, as it's assumed the player is already intimately aware of how humans look and act.
Humanity was first discovered by elven sailors on the Octhanian Islands. They were a primitive hunter-gatherer society that traveled between the islands on small rafts. Loading them up on their massive ships, the elves transported the humans to their own lands to use as servants and slaves.
A couple of centuries later, the humans revolted and after a long, bloody war, managed to form their own nation. This nation grew in size and power, absorbing other nations around it, eventually forming the massive Eonian Empire.
Thus did humans go from primitive savages to the masters of all of Amtar. When the Empire fell, humans lost their grip on the world, but they are still very powerful politically all over the five continents.
Humans come in a variety of different sizes, shapes and colors. Their culture varies wildly depending on setting.
For this game: In Tardiff, humans are the dominant species. They are the majority in both numbers and political power. Tardiff is, at its core, a human nation run by humans. While other species may be considered citizens of Tardiff, they don't have the full rights of humans (for instance, only humans can be nobles).
Dwarves Appearance: A typical dwarf stands 4 feet tall and weighs about 150 pounds. They are stocky and muscular. Their skin is a deep tan or light brown in color and they have ruddy cheeks and bright eyes. Their hair could be black, gray or brown. They favors dark, somber earth-toned clothes and wear little jewelry.
Females tend to be busty, with wide hips. Despite rumors and hearsay among the other races, they usually do not have facial hair.
Personality: Dwarves have a strong tendency to be ethnocentric, believing their way is the best way, regardless of the subject matter. As one of the two elder races, they believe they know best by default. They also see themselves as leaders of industry throughout the world. Were it not for dwarves, civilization never would have made it as far as it has, as far as they are concerned.
Dwarves are often considered expert craftsmen, miners, merchants, warriors, and mechanics. This is not from any gods-given ability, but due to the fact that most dwarves serve a 15 year apprenticeship, usually starting when they are 10 years old.
Marriages are arranged by a clan’s elders. Neither the man nor the woman has any official say in the matter, although they can express preferences (although the elder need not listen). Not being terribly romantic, dwarves view marriage as a social contract only, for the sake of the clan.
Dwarves cannot abide laziness or any kind. Any task given to them, they address with gusto. They only give up when it is truly considered hopeless; and sometimes not even then. Dwarves never do anything half-way or half-assed.
History: The dwarves are one of the oldest races in the world. They claim they are the oldest, but the elves bicker with them on this point. Nobody is really sure which came first. But relics have been found of dwarven design dating back thousands of years. The first dwarven empire known to historians is Farikak, which is said to have spread underneath most of the known world at its height.
In spreading so far, the dwarves discovered other races living underground. These included the gnomes, who they integrated into their society as a caste of servants and the goblinoids, who were far less cooperative. A war broke out, but while the dwarves had much better weaponry, technology and better trained troops, the goblinoids had massive amounts of numbers.
The war drove many goblinoids to the surface, where the elves got involved. Working together, the elves and dwarves then drove the goblinoids further out, into what is now Renosia. When the goblinoids learned magic and launched an attack on the dwarves and elves with demons, the two races were forced to team up again. This war ended in a stalemate, with Farikak left in near ruins.
Before they could recover and rebuild, the humans led the gnomes and halflings in an insurrection against the dwarves and elves. This is what led to the creation of the magical/technological human empire of Eonia. The dwarves are still pretty sore about it to this day.
When the Carnage War came, Farikak was completely lost. The dwarves were forced to retreat closer to the surface. Since then, a number of smaller dwarven kingdoms have sprouted up from the ruins, but none come anywhere near as close to Farikak’s glory. But that doesn’t stop many a dwarf from delving deep into the underdark in hopes of finding ruins of the once great empire, hoping to salvage some wealth and technology from the days of yore.
Government and Clan: Each dwarf lives in a clan, and each clan is led by a thane. Sometimes clans come together in cooperation to form guilds. A guild is usually led by a guildmaster.
This structure is very important to dwarves. They rely heavily on clan and guild to keep them grounded and on the right track. An old dwarven saying is ‘one is never lost, so long as he has his clan.’ An outcast dwarf is generally treated as dead by his own people, and something to be pitied.
Tools, Technology and Weapons: Although most of the dwarven technology was lost when Eonia fell, they managed to retain some of it. And some people try and seek out and loot lost ruins for dwarven technology. Among the technology they still have include cannons, pistols, ballistas, and various other war machines.
Gaming Notes: Standard rules for hill dwarves in the PHB are used.
For this game: Dwarves in Tardiff that are citizens of the nation are generally treated better than other races, but not as well as humans. There are many dwarven priests, merchants and craftsmen. Over the years, they have developed a sort of 'middle-class' that stand between the dirt poor peasants and the wealthy elite nobles. It was the dwarves that started the Merchant Guild that have wound up regulating all of trade in the nation. While they may never be nobles, they certainly have done well for themselves. Most dwarven citizens can trace their lineage back to the old empire of Farikak and they try and maintain their traditions and families. Foreign dwarves, like all foreigners, are treated with suspicion at best, hostility at worst.
Elves Appearance: Elves are lithe, elegant creatures with pointed ears, thin limbs, and graceful movements. They stand about five feet tall and weigh between 90 and 100 pounds. They have no facial hair.
Their skin tone ranges from milky white to a deep brown, to ebony. (There are no ‘drow’ on Amtar, but there are elves that look like them. They are no more likely to be evil than any other elf, though.)
Personality: Elves are very dedicated to nature and living with it, instead of against it. They use their magic to shape the land, making homes from trees or growing them from crystal out of the ground itself. They see the world as a garden to care for, and are thus fiercely territorial of their lands.
Elves are often slow to act on most things. They are thus seen as lazy or indecisive by other races. Generally speaking, elves are in no hurry.
Elves can be quite arrogant too, although that is not usually their intent. They see themselves as the first race, the eldest, and the other races as children that need to be looked after so they don’t hurt themselves. They can be rather entitled at times, because of their history and their age.
While elves can be quite serious when the situation demands it, most prefer to enjoy life. They love dancing, drinking, and parties. If faced with hard work, they prefer whenever possible to use magic to overcome drudgery.
History: Ask any elf, and they will tell you, they are the first race. The dwarves disagree, but it is clear that whether they were first or second, elves have been around for a very long time.
Thousands of years ago, the elves formed the Ruara Empire which is said to have stretched over the entire known world. It was a time of prosperity and peace. As the empire grew, the elves encountered other races, including the dwarves and halflings—the latter which was incorporated into their civilization as serfs. The two races that would later prove to be their downfall, however, were the goblinoids and the humans.
When the elves found the humans, they were nothing more than primitive savages living on the Octhanian islands. The elves took the humans in, integrating them into their society as a caste of servants, teaching them to read and write and to use magic. Although many would call it slavery, the elves didn’t think of it as such. They were doing the humans a favor in their minds.
After the goblinoids learned the dark arts and summoned demons to fight for them, Ruara and Farikak had to team up. The war ended in a stalemate, however, with Ruara nearly destroyed in the process. It was then that the humans led a revolt against the elves, usurping their magical power (and the technological power of the dwarves). Thus was Eonia formed, and the elves’ supremacy in the world ended.
When the Carnage War came, what was left of elven civilization was nearly destroyed. Many were forced back into the forests, others found new homes elsewhere. One thing was for certain, though. All elves believed that things were much, much better off when they were still running the world.
Government and Family: Elves believe strongly in personal freedom of choice. They often have monarchies, but their kings and queens rule their people quite loosely for the most part; often they are treated more as celebrities than royalty.
Due to infertility among their people, elven families are usually very small, most never having more than one or two children at best. Thus, elven families tend to be pretty close-knit.
Tools, Technology, and Weapons: Although much of their magic was lost in the wars that shattered the world, the elves did retain a few secrets and guard them jealously. They are also excellent craftsmen, capable of creating magical weapons and the ever coveted elven chainmail. But they do not manufacture such items, but rather treat each one as a work of art.
Gaming Notes: Standard rules for high elves in the PHB are used.
For this game: The few elves that make their home in Tardiff find themselves outcasts. Most are exiles from Ruara, and so they are usually viewed as potential criminals to begin with, even if they were exiled 300 years ago. Even though it was generations ago, humans still resent the elves for their enslavement and feel justified in treating them poorly to 'even the scales' now. Elves have trouble finding work, are often paid less than other species, and are generally treated with suspicion. Many elves do wind up becoming thieves, spies or assassins, which doesn't help any. Foreign elves are treated even worse, especially if they are from Ruara; they will be seen as spying on Tardiff for nefarious reasons, even if they are diplomats.
Gnomes Appearance: The most distinctive physical trait of the gnome is an enormous nose. This is something of a source of pride to a gnome, like a dwarf’s beard.
Gnomes stand about 3 1/2 feet on average. Unlike dwarves, they are more lightly built. The brownish color of gnomes’ skin ranges from light tan to nearly black. This isn’t affected by exposure to the sun at all. Like dwarves, most male gnomes grow beards. But they tend to keep them trimmed short or into fashionable shapes like goatees and such.
Personality: Gnomes have lively and sly senses of humor, especially for practical jokes. They have a great love of living things and finely wrought items, particularly gems and jewelry. Gnomes love all sorts of precious stones and are masters of gem polishing and cutting.
They can be shy and furtive toward those they do not know or trust, and somewhat reserved under the best of circumstances.
History: The gnomes were first discovered by the dwarves, living underground and fairly close to the surface. The dwarves dismissed them as irrelevant at first, but then discovered their skills with gems and jewelry. This led to the two races opening trade relations.
Over time, the dwarves started infringing on gnomish society more and more. Gnomes became dependent on the dwarves for just about everything, until they reached a point that they could no longer feasibly survive without their help. Once they were fully integrated into dwarven society, they were mostly kept in ghettos and treated as second-class citizens.
Gnomes were oppressed for many centuries. Some would attempt to escape and form their own communities, but dwarves owned everything underground and the elves everything above. There was no place they could go where they wouldn’t be under somebody’s thumb.
Thus when the humans led an insurrection against the elves and dwarves, the gnomes were more than eager to join in. Their knowledge of the dwarves proved very useful in the rebellion, and led to the human victory over the dwarves.
Unfortunately, human overlords weren’t much better than dwarven or elven ones. The gnomes once again found themselves oppressed and treated poorly. It wasn’t until the Carnage War passed that gnomes finally found themselves free.
Government: Gnomes are clannish, with friendly rivalries between neighboring clans. Their society is well organized, with many levels of responsibility, culminating in a single chief who is advised by clerics in matters directly relating to their calling.
Tools, Technology, and Weapons: Gnomes don’t have any special tools or weapons of their own, although many sometimes use dwarven guns or elven enchanted items.
Gaming Notes: Standard rules for rock gnomes in the PHB are used.
For this game: In Tardiff, gnome citizens face a lot of prejudice...but not so much from humans (who mostly just confuse them with halflings), but rather, from the dwarves. As the dwarves have set themselves up to become a new middle-class of priests, merchants and craftsmen, the gnomes have tried to follow suit. But the dwarves, viewing the gnomes as inferior, often hinder them from making any headway into the Merchant's Guild or the Church of Gonto.
Halflings Appearance: Averaging about 3’ in height, halflings are slightly stockier in build than is typical for humankind. Their complexions run the gamut from pale to very dark, with hair color correspondingly blond to black and eyes that are brown or hazel. They rarely wear shoes (only in bad weather or bitter cold) and can be easily distinguished by the thick patches of hair growing atop each foot. They have no facial hair (besides eyebrows and eyelashes, of course). They wear brightly-colored, comfortable clothes, such as trousers or shirts or dresses, with a vest, jacket, hat, sash or bonnet added as a flourish. Their faces are round and very expressive, often appearing childlike to humans.
Personality: Halflings are sturdy and industrious, generally quiet and peaceful. Overall they prefer the comforts of home to dangerous adventuring. They enjoy good living, rough humor, and homespun stories. Halflings are not forward, but they are observant and conversational if in friendly company. They see wealth only as a means of gaining creature comforts, which they love. Though they are not overly brave or ambitious, they are generally honest and hardworking when there is need.
History: The halflings were first discovered by the elves, living in the pastoral fields of what is now Gontoria. The elves were horrified to find the industrious halflings chopping down trees for lumber or raising animals only to slaughter them for meat and pelts. Believing themselves the caretakers of the land (of all lands), the elves decided the halflings were a threat to the balance of nature. They had them relocated throughout the land in smaller numbers, and the halflings had little choice but to comply, for they had no magic to counter the elves’ own.
Halflings were forced to live in ghettos in elven cities and had little in the way of rights or freedoms. Some petitioned the elves to allow them to purchase their own land. The elves decided to allow it, but under numerous restrictions and under strict oversight. The halflings would spend generations working farmland to pay off the debts of buying the land, but the elves always found ways to increase the debt faster than the halflings could pay it off. They had effectively become indentured servants.
When the humans rebelled against the elves, the halflings were quick to join the movement. They proved instrumental in bringing down the elven empire with their stealth and cunning, by finding and exploiting weaknesses from the inside. However, when the humans took over and formed the Eonia Empire, the halflings found they were just as oppressive as the elves had been.
When the Carnage War ended, halflings began to scatter to all four corners of the known world. They do what they can to eke out a living, hoping that one day, they can reclaim their ancestral lands and live in peace and prosperity once more.
Government: Halflings generally prefer to elect their leaders through democracy, allowing the people to choose. How often elections are held and the particulars of them tend to vary from community to community.
Tools, Technology, Weapons: Halflings don’t have any special tools or weapons of their own.
Gaming Notes: Standard rules for hairfoot halflings in the PHB are used.
For this game: Halflings are generally treated, unofficially, as a working/servant class. People tend to just assume any halflings are farmers, laborers or servants. This stereotype is based on some fact. As dwarves bogart all of the best crafting and merchant jobs, halflings are usually left with the menial labor.
Half-Elves Overview: Half-elves are the most common mixed-race beings. They are often like their elven parent in appearance. They are handsome folk, with the good features of both races. They are a bit taller and stockier than elves, but less so than humans.
In general, a half-elf has the curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition of his human ancestors, and the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of his elven ancestors.
Half-elves tend to not form communities of their own, but rather live among both human and elven societies. Unfortunately, they often face prejudice from both sides.
For this game: The vast majority of half-elves are bastards, and I mean that in the literal sense. Even those who are not are often treated as if they were. Half-elves therefore are also the species most likely to become adventurers, as they are not accepted in any other area of life and often have to turn to either that or crime to survive.
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Here's some information on non-core species. These are much rarer and require special DM permission to play.
Half-Orcs – Half-orcs result from orc reunions with virtually any humanoid or demi-human race except elves. These mixed breeds tend to favor the orcish parents, though a small number can pass for ugly humans. They face far worse prejudice than half-elves do, due to their looks and heritage.
Half-Ogres – These are the offspring of ogre and human matings. They have much of the strength and size of their ogre heritage, but also retain much of the native intelligence and reason of their human side. Half-ogres stand between seven and eight feet tall, appearing as huge humans. The skin coloration that marks ogres is very much subdued in half-ogres: swarthy skin, lank hair, and usually but not always, human eyes.
Genasi – Genasi are humans who have planar blood intermingled with their own. Another term for Genasi are ‘plane-touched.’ Air genasi are descended from creatures like djinn, sylphs and such. Earth genasi are descended from creatures like pechs, dao, etc. Fire genasi are descended from beings such as efreeti and such. And finally, there are water genasi, which come from nereids, tritons, etc.
Goblinoids – Goblinoids include goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears. Goblins are small humanoids, growing to a height of about four feet. Hobgoblins are basically larger, smarter goblins. Bugbears are giant, hairy goblins, about seven feet tall and a vicious appearance.
Beastmen – Beastmen include aarakocra, bullywugs, gnolls, kobolds, and lizardmen. Aarakocra are a race of intelligent bird-men that live among the highest mountain peaks. Bullywugs are bipedal frog-like amphibians inhabiting swamps and marshes. Gnolls are large, evil hyena-like humanoids that roam the land in loosely organized bands. Kobolds are short, scaly humanoids. Lizardmen are semi-aquatic reptilian humanoids.
Fae – Fae include centaurs and satyrs. Centaurs have the upper torso, arms and head of a human, and the lower body of a horse. Satyrs are half-human, half-goat creatures.
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Post by Daos on Aug 18, 2015 16:07:43 GMT -8
The Gods There are two sets of gods on Amtar. The Guardian gods were the originals, or so they claim. The story goes that they created the world and populated it with life and energy. However, this act exhausted them so that they all went into a deep slumber.
While they slept, a new set of gods appeared and took over their creation. These are often known as the Imperial gods (as they were at their peak during the times of the largest empires). These are the gods who created the sapient species and spread them over the world.
When Carnage was summoned and the world was torn asunder, the Imperial gods vanished. Some say they fled in fear of the demon, others say Carnage destroyed them outright. Whatever the case, followers of the Imperial gods lost all of their divine-given powers and all communion was severed. The sundering of the world also served to awaken the Guardian gods. They discovered their creation infested with lifeforms and in total chaos. They have since stepped in, creating new priesthoods and doing their best to get things back on track. The Guardian gods are Crizza, Gonto, Octhanus, Renos, and Rabbah.
All clerics, at third level, become an anointed cleric and may perform all of the duties expected of them (prior to that, they are acolytes). At ninth level, the cleric becomes a patriarch/matriarch and may build a stronghold and collect followers. The highest ranking priest in the church is the High Priest/Priestess.
Druids worship the elemental aspects of the gods only. They may choose a specific deity (earth, wind, water, fire or spirit) or worship them all as a single entity.
CRIZZA (Crusader) Crizza is often depicted as a large white bird. He is the god of art, freedom, travel, trickery and luck. Sometimes he is known as the Crusader. The old stories claim that after the world was forged, he flapped his mighty wings to cool it, and consequently, created the atmosphere and wind currents.
The priesthoods of Crizza teach that an individual’s fate is of his own creation. They preach that a single person can change the world and that power should never be hoarded by a few. To a follower of Crizza, a person’s choices are what shape his future and they are encouraged to always take responsibility for their own actions. Crizza also promotes the idea that life is short and one should always take chances and live it to the fullest.
Priests of Crizza often travel the world, and so are found just about everywhere. Followers of Crizza pray by stretching their arms skyward, like a bird spreading its wings. This is to remind them to appreciate their freedom and always pursue it.
Duties: Priests are expected to provide guidance and council when asked. They encourage those who exhibit artistic/musical abilities and participate in events where artists’ works are displayed. They are to be vigilant against forces (usually society) that make people too responsible too young, that mature them too quickly.
Priests of Crizza are not required to take oaths of chastity; but are not allowed to marry.
The vestments of a cleric of Crizza are yellow and orange. Acolytes have simple yellow robes, and as they advance in rank, more orange is added to them. The High Priest wears white robes with yellow trim. Their holy icon is a bird with its wings spread. Priests are not required to wear their vestments and icon while traveling, but do need to wear them for official ceremonies and while at temple.
The church of Crizza has no official holy canon.
GONTO (Arbiter) Gonto is often depicted as a blind mole. She is the goddess of crafts, commerce, structure, knowledge, and fate. Sometimes she is known as the Arbiter. The old stories claim that she helped forge the world from a large chunk of amethyst found in the ether. The sparks that flew from her hammer formed the stars in the sky. After she was done, she padded down the world with earth. A later story claims she was once scared so badly by the trickster, Crizza, that her eyes popped from her head and remained stuck in the sky, becoming the moons.
The priesthoods of Gonto teach that justice, like their goddess, is blind. They believe that everyone is born with a destiny, and it is up to that person to figure out what it is and follow it. Followers are taught to always tell and seek the truth and promote the idea that only by building the optimal civilization can sapient life find peace and prosperity. Without law and justice, people inevitably fall into anarchy. Only by people working together can the world be rebuilt to its former glories.
Priests of Gonto tend to be found in more civilized areas, but it’s not uncommon to find them out in the wild frontier, helping to spread civilization. Followers of Gonto pray by holding hands with other followers, forming a circle. If there are no others, the priest simply clasps his hands together, making a circle of one. This is to remind people that only by working together can prosperity be made for all.
Duties: Priests are expected to provide guidance and council when asked, particularly in the doctrine of acceptance of the will of the gods. They can perform marriages, but discourage members of their flock to marry for love if it means alienating the families and living in poverty. They are to educate those on craftsmanship and promote craftsmanship in the community. They are to show vigilance against those who would censor knowledge or spread misinformation.
Priests of Gonto are not required to take oaths of chastity or celibacy.
The vestments of a cleric of Gonto are green. As they advance in rank, the trim of the robes changes color. Copper is the lowest, then bronze, silver, gold and finally platinum. The High Priestess has robes that are trimmed with purple, representing the amethyst core of the world. Their holy icon is a mole rolled up into a ball. Priests of Gonto are required to wear their vestments and icon whenever in public.
The church of Gonto has a rather hefty and convoluted canon known simply as The Doctrine. There have been multiple editions over the centuries, and the most recent version is the fourth edition (although there is a rumor that a fifth edition is in the works). A copy costs 850 gold pieces and all clerics are expected to have one sometime between third and fifth level.
OCTHANUS (Nurturer) Octhanus is usually depicted as a dolphin. She is the goddess of love, compassion, and peace. She is sometimes called the Nurturer. The old stories claim that she filled the oceans and lakes after the world was forged.
The priesthoods of Octhanus are dedicated to the virtues of love, compassion and peace. They believe that all living things have value and should be treated with respect. They are well known for their knowledge of the healing arts, both magical and mundane. Followers are taught to love their neighbors and forgive all wrong-doings against each other. They focus heavily on helping the weak, sick and downtrodden.
Priests of Octhanus can be found anywhere people are suffering or need help. Followers of Octhanus pray by placing their hands on their hearts. This is to remind them that when in doubt, one should always listen to their heart.
Duties: Priests are expected to provide guidance and council when asked. They can perform marriages and in fact, are encouraged to help others celebrate love (they oppose the idea of marriages of convenience or politics). On occasion, priests are sent on missions of diplomacy, mercy, or aid. They must heal the sick and injured whenever asked. They are expected to educate others in the arts of healing when requested. A cleric of Octhanus must never willingly take the life of a sentient, mortal being unless there is no other option available.
Priests of Octhanus are not required to take oaths of celibacy or chastity; in fact, they are expected to get married at some point in their careers (usually before 7th level).
The vestments of a cleric of Octhanus are varying shades of blue; the darker the blue, the higher the rank of priest. An acolyte wears a very light powder blue robe. The High Priestess wears a very deep, dark blue. Their holy icon is a crescent-shaped dolphin. Priests of Octhanus are expected to wear their vestments and/or holy icon (at least one or the other) in public wherever they go, marking them as priests.
The holy canon of Octhanus is a book known as the Virtue Edicts. A copy costs 450 gold pieces and all clerics are expected to have one sometime between third and fifth level.
RENOS (Harbinger) Renos is depicted as a wolf normally. He is the god of vengeance, passion, strength and war. He is sometimes called the Harbinger. The old stories claimed that he heated the world up, so that it could be forged. A later story claims that after being hassled by the trickster, Crizza, he breathed a ball of flame at the avian god. The fireball missed, but became stuck in the sky, becoming the sun instead.
The priesthoods of Renos teach that one must find strength within. If you want something in life, you must fight for it. Having everything handed to you teaches you nothing, except to be weak and dependent on others. True strength can only be obtained through suffering. Those with power make the rules, so you should always seek more power; otherwise, you will never get what you want in life. One should never show weakness to others, or else they will seek to exploit and take advantage of you. Slights must not go unpunished for the same reason. Consequently, followers of Renos are big on vengeance.
Priests of Renos are fairly common, especially in places where life is difficult. Followers of Renos pray by balling up their fists and crossing their arms over their chest, forming an ‘X’. This is to represent that they are on their own, save for the grace of Renos, and cannot rely on others.
Duties: Priests are expected to provide guidance and council when asked. They can perform marriages. They are to show vigilance against complacency and tide of philosophies of peacefulness; if a land is too peaceful for too long, they must shake things up.
Priests of Renos are not required to take oaths of chastity or celibacy.
The vestments of a cleric of Renos are red. As they advance in rank, various emblems that represent their place in the hierarchy are sewn onto their robes. Their holy icon is a lone wolf. Priests of Renos are not required to wear their vestments and icon when public; but they usually do, as it is a great source of pride for many clerics.
The canon for the church of Renos is known as the Burning Commands. It’s a fairly thin tome, as canons go, so a copy usually only runes 250 gold pieces. Clerics are expected to acquire one between third and fifth level.
RABBAH (Preserver) On occasion, Rabbah is known as the Preserver. The old stories claim that Rabbah is the energy that was utilized to grant life to all living things when the world was created. It is often depicted as a rabbit, although some scholars think this is just a mistranslation of its name and that Rabbah has no physical form, but rather is the embodiment of nature itself.
Followers of Rabbah have a strong non-interference bent in life, generally wanting nothing to do with politics. Many find secluded places in nature, far away from any civilization, and live isolated lives of meditation and prayer. Rabbites believe that since mortalkind was not created by the Guardian gods, that we are trespassers. And although we cannot be blamed for the actions of the Imperial Gods, we should do our best to have as little effect on the world as possible. The world belongs to the Guardians and we are their 'guests' and so should act as such.
Priests of Rabbah are extremely rare and tend to hide away from the world, so are almost never encountered. Suffice to say, this priesthood is not popular among adventurers. Also, little is known about their rituals and beliefs, as they tend not to speak of such things to outsiders.
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Post by Daos on Aug 25, 2015 11:37:45 GMT -8
Organizations
Church of Gonto The church of Gonto is the most powerful in the land, particularly in Tardiff. The high priest crowns the monarch and so some would say the church holds more power than even the throne itself. Many clerics are nobles, usually second or third children who are not chosen as heirs, although sometimes a commoner is called or even born into service.
There are three main factions within the church, and acolytes are expected to join one when they become full fledged clerics. The factions are the Enforcers, the Minters and the Seekers.
The Enforcers are meant to protect the faith, serving as a sort of holy army. They also exist to serve and maintain law and order, like a divine police force. They have total authority anywhere the church exists, and can ever supersede local authority. For instance, if a known murderer in a city kills a clergyman, the Enforcers can swoop in and take over the investigation from the city constables, as well as hold the trial and dispense the sentence to the murderer if they are caught. Enforcers are also the church's culture bringers. They are the missionaries sent to convert foreign lands, the inquisitors who ferret out heretics from the flock, and when necessary, the warriors who fight and die for their goddess in a holy war. Some Enforcers view foreign cultures and faiths as dangerous and heretical, something to destroy either through persuasion or the sword. Others think that by spreading the teachings of the church, they are helping the more 'primitive' and 'backwards' cultures improve. Enforcers gain access to the Law and War spheres, and have strong preferences with the Combat, Summoning and Sun spheres. Any paladin that works for the church is likely an Enforcer.
The Minters are meant to regulate trade and commerce throughout the land. Even in times of war, they serve as a neutral middleman between nations, cities and armies to help spread coin and prosperity wherever they go. As their name suggests, they also mint the currency. They help collect taxes and tithes, as well as serve as accountants for the church's finances. They also help to make sure shoddy goods are kept off the market, craftsman can find good apprentices (and vice versa), and that contraband is found and destroyed (usually with help from the Enforcers). Minters gain access to the Law and Traveler spheres, and have strong preferences with the Charm and Creation spheres.
The Seekers are the researchers, clerks, historians and oracles of the church. They acquire and gather all knowledge for their massive libraries, which are open to all who wish to utilize them. Gonto is not just the goddess of knowledge, though, but also the goddess of time. This includes history, but also the future. Therefore quite a few Seekers are also skilled in fortune telling. This can be done any number of ways, including tarot readings, astrology, and reading tea leaves. A very select few even have the power of divine prophecy, and are gifted with direct visions from Gonto herself. These visions are interpreted by the church to determine the best course of action to take, to avoid disaster and neutralize threats. Seekers gain access to the Law, Numbers, Thoughts and Time spheres and have strong preferences to the Divination and Astral spheres.
Equalist Movement Among the peasantry is an organized movement known as the 'Equalists' that demand equality for all, including low-born humans and other races within Tardiff. They hide in plain sight, as it's impossible to tell a normal peasant from an equalist on sight unless they choose to reveal themselves. Equalism is illegal in the country and the nobility has been doing their best to hunt them down and silence them, as they are causing a number of peasant revolts, robbing the wealthy, and some go as far as trying to assassinate those in power. The movement is very attractive to second-class citizens like gnomes and halflings (who cannot own land or hold ranks or titles, are forced into indentured servitude and often live in walled-off ghettos in human cities).
Holy Knights of Tardiff The church and state of Tardiff are closely tied together. While the church has its own paladins that serve it, there are also those who serve the queen directly. These holy knights often lead armies, serve as bodyguards to important nobles and help protect the commoners from outside threats. State paladins are almost always of noble birth. Those who are not often are treated as inferior to the noble paladins, rarely graduating beyond the rank of squire at best.
Tower Mage Academy A very expensive school of magic that only the most wealthy can afford. It is, however, considered the best and most prestigious.
Ravenwing Bard College An elite college for bards in the capital city. Although some say they teach more than just music and art there.
Brotherhood of Stone This is a small group of earth genasi that have banded together. They have a secret base in the mountains, supposedly, where they hoard any and all magical knowledge and technology from Eonia as possible. They do not share this knowledge or technology with anyone else, believing only they are superior enough to handle the dangers involved.
Woodfang Clan A once massive tribe of goblins that nearly destroyed the village of Buho. They have since fallen into smaller, bickering tribes.
Witch Coven They say there is a coven of witches that dwell in the forests. Nobody knows where, but they presumably steal away children for nefarious purposes.
Death Spider Tribe The Death Spiders are a tribe of goblins and hobgoblins that dwell deep in the forests and are said to worship a powerful green dragon. This dragon has bestowed upon the tribe its powers, granting them the ability to breathe poison and fly. Fortunately, they usually keep to themselves, but one can never be sure when they may be sent by their god to raid a town.
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Post by Daos on Sept 22, 2015 17:16:48 GMT -8
Here is some information on the six kingdoms of Gontoria.
Tardiff Government: Tardiff is a monarchy ruled by the monarchs whom is always descended from the royal family. Although the nation favors female leaders, there is no rule that men cannot lead and there have been a few male monarchs in history. The church of Gonto is also tied in with the government deeply. Only the high priest can crown a new monarch, so they are instrumental in choosing which heir ascends the throne. Only humans may be bestowed titles of nobility. Everyone is expected, by law, to not only pay taxes to the throne but tithe to the church, as well.
The capital of Tardiff is the city of Deteris, which is also the largest and most populated city in the country. It was originally called Crystal Spire, due to the ancient Eonian crystal tower found there.
History: Originally, Tardiff was the heart of the Eonian Empire. When the world was nearly destroyed by Carnage, everything fell apart. Two young girls of the royal family survived. One managed to rebuild the capital city, but slowly went mad in the process. The younger one usurped her and managed to ally the nearby towns to form a sort of proto-nation with the help of a new deity that appeared named Gonto.
Slowly but surely over time, the empire started to rebuild. But without Infinity (and all its magical power) to back up the throne, the empire couldn't maintain its grip. Areas began to break away, forming their own nations. War ripped through the land.
Eventually peace was made between Tardiff and the new nations, but bitter feelings still linger on all sides.
Politics: Perhaps because of its close ties to the Church of Gonto, Tardiff places a great importance on things like law, order, rules and regulations. Although they keep up appearances of being a good neighbor to the other nations, deep down the people of Tardiff feel resentful over the loss of their vast empire and consider the other nations, by rights, belonging to them still. This arrogance has started wars in the past.
Because of the nation’s Eonian roots, humans tend to get better treatment in society than any other race.
Religion: The main faith of Tardiff is Gonto. Other religions are allowed, but generally treated with open suspicion if not outright hostility.
Trade: Trade is highly regulated under the Merchant's Guild. Indeed, it is illegal to sell goods without a permit from the Guild. As the permit is quite costly, this keeps poorer people from trying to raise above their stations by becoming merchants.
The biggest export for Tardiff is lumber from its numerous forests.
Swadia Government: Swadia is a reich (kingdom) run by a kaiser (king or queen) who is always chosen from a council of bishops from the Church of Octhanus. The kaiser may be male or female, but has always either human or human descended (half-elf, half-orc, genasi, etc.) to date, although theoretically any race could become kaiser. As the church always chooses the heir, that means they are always either a cleric or paladin.
History: When Eonia fell, it is said Gonto appeared before a stern and loyal warrior of the old guard named Karl Maxis. He is said to have become the first paladin of Gonto after converting. With his holy sword, he brought order back to the land of what is now Swadia. He gathered like-minded men and women, forming the Holy Twelve, a group of devout warriors who served him. When Brianna the Uniter the queen of Tardiff offered a treaty to reabsorb the lands he had conquered into the old empire, the now venerable paladin-king agreed.
However, it was not to last. When the War of Sovereignty broke out in the year 65, Swadia broke away from the empire and declared its independence. The Swadians believed that the empire was corrupt and cared more about filling its coffers then anything else. When the war ended, Swadia's sovereignty was recognized by Tardiff and they signed a peace treaty. A Swadian princess was married to the new king of Tardiff to seal the deal.
Recently, Swadia has embraced the religion of Octhanus. After discovering it in the Octhanian Islands, it spread to the mainland and supplanted the faith of Gonto almost entirely. The culture of Swadia changed almost overnight as a result, becoming more concerned with helping others.
Politics: The land of Swadia is fairly stable and orderly. The kingdom is patrolled by the noble Ritterorden or Swadian Knights. They follow a strict code of chivalry and righteousness ("Helfen, Wehren, Heilen" or "Help, Defend, Heal"). Of all the nations, Swadia has a reputation for treating the common folk well, as well as outsiders and foreigners. Non-humans are even allowed to own land and become nobles, although it tends to be rare.
Religion: The main religion in is Octhanus, although Gonto still has a little influence as well. It's not uncommon to see places where the two religions have been merged together, even.
Trade: As Swadia is on the coastline and also hosts numerous lakes and rivers, their biggest export is fish. They have quite a fishing industry and make excellent ships, as well.
Picardie Government: Picardie is a monarchy in which the current ruler is always descended from the previous one. The church is completely separate from the throne, although it is nearly as powerful. The royal family's power is not just political, however. It is said they carry the blood of the fae in their veins, for all royal family members (save those by marriage) have some magical aptitude. Sorcery is seen as the legacy of the nobility and lowborn mages are severely frowned upon.
History: After Carnage destroyed Infinity and Eonia collapsed, chaos descended on the land. Might became right as those with strength and power dominated over the weak. But those with sorcery were stronger than those with swords and bows. The most powerful of those mages was a noblewoman named Huguetta Kappet. She managed to reunite the land by cowing the people with her magnificent power. When Brianna the Uniter the queen of Tardiff offered a treaty to reabsorb the lands she had conquered into the old empire, she agreed but only reluctantly and in the face of overwhelming power.
When war finally broke out, Picardie once again established its independence, believing the Empress was inferior as she was not a mage. When the war ended, Picardie's sovereignty was recognized by Tardiff and a new peace treaty was signed. Since then, Picardie has been ruled by its own royal family.
Politics: Picardie is a land of learning and magic, but that knowledge is not shared freely among the people. Magic is the domain of aristocrats and royals. The land is patrolled and protected by the royal knights, the Chevaliers.
Religion: By far, the largest faith in Picardie is Gonto.
Trade: Perhaps the biggest export of Picardie is its world famous wine. There are vineyards all over the country and they produce some of the best wine there is.
Kavala Government: Kavala is a monarchy ruled by a single king or queen. However, there is also a democratically elected senate. The senate's power is limited; they mostly serve as advisers to the monarch. But they can hold some political sway, making them very important. The church holds little power here. Generally each heir to the throne is the first born of the last monarch, but in disputed cases (like if there is no heir), the senate can choose one instead.
History: After Carnage devastated the Eonian Empire, leaving it in tatters, the land fell into lawlessness. A great man known as Xan the Conqueror managed to unite the land again through much bloodshed. He ruled with an iron fist and set up a dynasty when his son became the new king. But constant raids from nearby orcs, sahuagin, goblins and ogres put a serious strain on things. By the time Brianna the Uniter the queen of Tardiff arrived with her army, the Kavalans had no choice but to surrender to her will.
It was less than a century later that the Kavalans smelled weakness in the empire and joined in the War of Sovereignty. They managed to secede and once again form their own nation. Eventually the war ended and peace treaties were signed. But since then, Kavala has not known much peace. They still deal with raiders from all sides. The kingdom does what it can to hold together, but there is no guarantee they won't eventually crumble under the stress.
Politics: The army of Kavala is legendary in battle, consisting of a healthy mix of hoplites (infrantry), toxotes (archers) and hippikon (cavalry). However, patrolling a nation is quite different from waging a war, and there are numerous areas without protection as the army is spread too thin. Kavala is also famous for its arenas where gladiators from all over come to fight for the amusement of the spectators.
Religion: There is no primary faith here. All religions are welcomed, but none allowed power over the other.
Trade: Kavala relies heavily on trade with other nations. Their biggest export is the bronze and iron they mine in the more mountains areas of the region.
Calabria Government: Although technically a monarchy, the monarch has very little actual power and is more of a figurehead. The real political power belongs to the various merchant princes. Although not technically princes, they are incredibly wealthy and influential. Each one has their own army of mercenaries, assassins and rogues.
The capital city of Calabria is Griggio, a port city. Known as the City of Grey, it's the wealthiest city in the nation by far and the center for all trade. There is also the city of Orro, the City of Gold, that is known for its resorts.
History: When Eonia fell, Calabria had it worse than most. First, a massive tidal hurricane, possibly caused by Carnage's destruction, wreaked untold devastation on the land. After it cleared, a nearby army of ogres invaded, driven by desperation due to starvation and famine. They managed to conquer most of the land, enslaving the survivors.
The Calabrians fought back, but not directly. They found ways to disrupt the ogre overlords through intrigue, assassination and guile. By the time Brianna the Uniter arrived to liberate the nation from the ogres and reabsorb it into the empire, the ogres were in a weakened state and easily destroyed.
It was less than a century later that the Calabrians, tired of having lived under the rule of the ogres and then the empire, joined the War of Sovereignty. They managed to secede and once again form their own nation. Eventually the war ended and peace treaties were signed. But since then, Calabria has thrived. They are among the biggest traders in the world, but the entire nation is also a hotbed of criminal activity.
Politics: Calabria is a dangerous place, especially when politics is involved. The merchant princes are always at odds with each other, but never directly. They all employ plenty of assassins, thieves and pirates to attack each other indirectly. And being independent means you have nobody to protect you, and this forces most people to side with one prince or another.
Religion: The main faith is Gonto, although it is mixed with a great deal of Renosian dogma, as well.
Trade: Calabria trades just about everything with everyone. It is often joked that they get all of their goods from theft and piracy and then resell them back to others, only to steal them again.
Ruara Government: Although Ruara has a monarch, the royal family is really closer to celebrities among the people than any kind of ruler. The Elven Parliament runs things, with each member being chosen from one of the ancient elven households. The royal family's heir also sits on the parliament, but their vote is not more powerful than any other member's. However, the royal family plays an important role in dealing with foreign governments, as a sort of 'face of the people.'
History: The elves believe they were the first race created by the old gods to inhabit this world. They spread throughout the known world forming a massive empire that eventually was called 'Ruara' or 'Realm of Dreams.' This all changed when they took to the seas and started exploring the islands off the coast of the main landmass. There, in the tropics, they discovered a new race--humans.
They took the humans in. They educated them, taught them their ways, how to write and use magic. Some would have called it slavery, but the elves claim the humans served the elves out of gratitude for civilizing them. Whichever is the case, the humans grew too powerful and too numerous in a very short amount of time. Before long, a massive war broke out and in the end, the humans won, creating the new empire of Eonia.
When Eonia fell to Carnage, the elves cared only about preserving their own people. The humans and other races had brought this disaster on themselves, as far as they were concerned. When the war ended, they quickly managed to carve out a piece of land for themselves in east Gontoria. They fought off numerous raids from humans who were desperate for food. When the humans attempted to reform their old empire, Ruara stood against them. Fearing their magic, the humans backed off.
When the War of Sovereignty broke out, the elves sat back and watched. There were those who whispered the elves instigated the whole thing, using their spies and magic to turn the humans against each other. To this day, there are those who distrust and fear the elves may try and start another war in hopes of spurring the humans into wiping themselves out, so they can reclaim the continent once more.
Politics: Compared to the other nations, Ruara seems rather alien. The population is completely elven with perhaps a half-elf or two taken in out of pity. Human visitors are rare, outside of the occasional diplomat or ambassador.
Their military consists of their legendary arcane archers, windrider knights, and bladesinger warriors. Elves incorporate some kind of magic in almost everything they do, which makes them considerably more dangerous than most.
Religion: The primary faith of the elves is druidism, the worship of nature itself. While there are some priests among them, the 'human churches' as they are called have no foothold in this land.
Trade: Ruara does not do any trading at all with its neighbors. Quite the opposite, they tend to keep their methods of production a secret, particularly elven steel, magic, bows and arrows and feywine.
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Post by Daos on Sept 29, 2015 10:59:36 GMT -8
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.
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Post by Daos on Sept 29, 2015 11:00:33 GMT -8
Arc System
I developed the arc system years back during my old chat-games and it's worked for me pretty well so far.
Prior, two minor (but often annoying) problems would crop up in my games. First, as time passed, old players would quit, new players would join, old characters would die, new characters would be rolled up. Such is the way of things. But given enough time, sometimes the original party would be mostly or even entirely replaced. This would cause issues with plotlines. Maybe the original party was gung ho about tracking down the vile Lord Blackguard and avenging the village he burned down. But the new party would have little reason to care about that. Consequently, trying to run an epic adventure would be difficult. Often games would fall apart in the middle, as the plotlines would no longer be relevant and the players wouldn't care anymore.
A second problem was in-game time. It's common for PCs to start their career very young (most PCs are between the age of 16 and 19), which is fine. But often they would go from level 1 to level 7 in the span of a few months in-game time (in real time, of course, it took much longer). Back then, downtime between adventures was only just long enough to train and resupply, so usually a couple of weeks, tops. It seemed that adventurers would live exciting, dangerous lives for half a year or so, then retire and settle down at the tender age of 17 with their massive wealth after saving the world.
Hence the arc system. The way it works is that the game is split into several arcs (seven actually, although we've never made it past fourth). Each arc is more or less self-contained. If a game is failing or falling apart, the end of an arc is usually good enough to serve as the end of the game, allowing some closure.
Arcs follow the progress of the PCs as adventurers from apprentices, journeymen, masters, lords, heroes, myths and finally gods. Arcs end when the party reaches a certain level of experience. Arcs are always followed by downtime that equals half of the party's general level in years. When a new arc begins, the party is reunited (either by choice or by fate) and begin their adventures anew. Each arc usually has a theme and will generally ask a question. Arcs help serve to flesh out the PCs and help them feel more part of the world itself.
This is especially true in the downtime. While the downtime is mostly elapsed, it helps ground the character as real people. What do they do in the years between adventures? Stay with family? Train and study at the local academy/church/guild? Do they own property to stay at? Do they have regular jobs when they aren't adventuring? After each arc, the DM and the players hash out what is done during the downtime.
The arcs are as follows:
Arc 1 (Apprentices): This arc begins at 1st level and ends when the party reaches 3rd level (around 5,000 XP). The downtime after the arc lasts about a year to a year and a half. This arc serves to introduce the PCs to each other and to the world. The question asked is 'Who are you?' This is where players figure out who their PCs are and get settled into their roles. It's common for players to write a character a certain way, but then once they are put into action, take an entirely different path altogether. Alignments and personalities are often retooled in this arc (and indeed, alignment change is allowed without penalty in this arc) as the players get used to their characters and each other.
Arc 2 (Journeymen): This arc begins at 3rd level and ends when the party reaches around 6th level (40,000 XP). The downtime after this arc lasts about three years or so. The question asked is, 'Who were you?' This is the arc where player backstory most often comes into play. The first arc is made up pretty randomly, but the second arc is custom built for the PCs. Any plot hooks in your backstory are likely to be harvested for plotlines. Of course, some players deliberately avoid putting any hooks in their backstories; they murder their family, burn down their home town, and make sure there are no ties whatsoever to the past or to this setting. Players sometimes turn in backstories so vague that they may as well have been blank (I grew up in a nameless town that no longer exists. My parents were killed by an unknown monster. I decided to pick up a sword/spellbook/lockpick/holy icon/etc. and become an adventurer! -- No joke, that is the most common backstory I get from most PCs). Well, that's fine then. Just don't get upset when you get little to no spotlight!
Arc 3 (Masters): This arc begins at 6th level and ends when the party reaches around 8th level (150,000 XP). The downtime after this arc usually lasts around four years. If the first arc asks 'Who are you?' and the second arc asks 'Who were you?' then the third arc asks, "Who will you become?' This is the arc that tests the character and their flaws. Their convictions are tested, their shortcomings are picked at, their preconceived notions are challenged. How do they react? Do they grow and change or not? Do they bend--even break? Just so it's understood, my goal here isn't to change the PCs, just observe how they respond to these kinds of things. Whether they change or not is up to the players themselves.
Arc 4 (Lords): This arc begins at 8th level and ends around 10th level. The downtime after this lasts about five years. The question asked here is, 'What place do you have in the world?' This is the point where the game starts to shift gears from dungeon-crawling and exploration to micromanaging and world-building. PCs become lords by building strongholds and attracting followers. They start hobnobbing with monarchs, high priests, archmagi and the like. They begin to gain the power to influence the world around them on a much larger scale.
Arc 5 (Heroes): This arc begins at 10th level and ends at around 13th level. The downtime lasts around six to six and a half years. Here the PCs become a force to be reckoned with and are given the ability to shape the world itself through politics, intrigue, and such. The question asked here is, 'How will you change the world?' I've never actually run a game that made it this far, though.
Arc 6 (Myths): This arc begins at 13th level and lasts until around 16th level. The downtime lasts around eight years. At this point, there is little in the world that can challenge the PCs. Indeed, the world is now a bit beneath them. Here they begin to explore the cosmos, begin walking the planes, sailing through the stars, visiting other worlds, and so forth. They now hobnob not with kings and bishops, but the gods themselves. I suppose the question here is, 'What does real power mean to you?'
Arc 7 (Gods): This arc begins at 16th level and lasts until 20th level. There is no downtime, as when this arc ends, so does the game. The only thing left for the PCs to do is to shed their mortal coils and ascend into godhood. They now join the other gods in shaping the world in a literal sense. They build their followers, establish their religions, and become permanent fixtures on the world itself. (Indeed, in future games, players can even play clerics and followers of these new gods.)
Prestige
Prestige is an important part of this game, so I made up a new mechanic for it. Tardiff is a very LN country, so all of its culture and taboos surround doing what is expected of you, obeying authority (whether from the crown and gentry or the church) and not disrupting the status quo. Indeed, most of the moral and ethical dilemmas you come across in this game will not be choosing between Good and Evil, but rather choosing between what you want to do and what you are obligated to do.
This game is also an exploration of things like classism and racism (well, fantastic racism, anyway), and so they play large roles in how the NPCs you interact with see you.
And that's where your prestige score comes in. It's essentially a measurement of how the NPCs view you. It affects their relationships with you, as well as your political standing in a given community. If your prestige is high, then people are more respectful of you. Lots of doors open up to you, also. However, if your prestige drops too low, bad things happen. If it drops too far, the villagers might form a mob with pitchforks and torches and come after you. So the higher your prestige, the better.
Prestige can also be used as a sort of currency. If it's high enough, you can deliberately lower it without consequence. For instance, let's say your character falls in love with someone beneath their station, like a bastard, or a species that is considered inferior. Obviously, you would take a big hit to your prestige were you to marry them. However, if your prestige is high enough, you can take that hit and still be okay. In-game, this would mean the locals don't approve of your marriage, but they respect you enough that even after it's done, you're still well off. This is another reason why you want a high prestige. If it's high enough, you can trade it in so you can do the stuff you want to do.
Based on your background, you may start the game with a high or low prestige. Things that affect it are your species, breeding, and whether you are a local or not. As the game progresses, your prestige will go up or down depending on your actions. People must witness things to affect your prestige, though. For instance, if you were having an affair with another person's spouse, that would affect your prestige...but only if people find out about it. If you keep it hidden from the public, it won't affect you. This is also part of the reason why I wanted everyone to have a dark secret. If that secret gets out, your prestige will drop like a rock.
Things that improve your prestige include acquiring wealth, acquiring political power or influence, marrying above your station, having a job befitting your station or that is above it (for instance, waiting tables at a tavern is fine as a peasant, but if you're still doing that once you've improved your station, people will start to look down at you for it), living a middle-class or wealthy lifestyle, following the law, being a faithful follower of Gonto (or at least pretending to), maintaining the status quo, doing things that benefit the community, acquiring lands or titles, associating with people above your station (especially if you are openly friends with them) or being in good standing with the church or the gentry.
Things that damage your prestige would be doing anything embarrassing or dishonorable, marrying below your station, having a job beneath your station, living a squalid lifestyle, breaking the law, worshiping a deity other than Gonto openly, trying to break the status quo (like the Equalists), doing anything that harms the community (especially if it's for selfish reasons), associating with people beneath your station (including just being friends), or upsetting the church or gentry.
(Note that, as adventurers, your characters are probably destined to do some of these things. Adventurers regularly upset the status quo just by existing, but that's okay. Part of the fun, I think, will be juggling adventuring with being respectable.)
Now this is a new system, untested, so I may need to change this later on if it becomes too hard or easy, but for the time being, I'm going to say that everyone should have a goal to have a prestige of at least 10 by the end of the first arc (when the party reaches 5,000 XP). This should be enough to get you an audience with the baron, who is the most important and prestigious person in the village. On the other hand, if your prestige drops to, let's say, -10, then the villagers turn on you and you'll likely wind up burned at the stake or something. (If you are about to do something that will drop your prestige to -10 or lower, I'll warn you ahead of time, at least for the first arc.)
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Post by Daos on Mar 3, 2016 19:13:47 GMT -8
Nonweapon Proficiency and Language ListGENERAL Agriculture (INT 0) Animal Handling (WIS -1) Animal Training (WIS 0) Artistic Ability (WIS 0) Blacksmithing (STR 0) Boatwright (INT -2) Brewing (INT 0) Carpentry (STR 0) Cartography (INT -2) Cheesemaking (INT 0) Cobbling (DEX 0) Cooking (INT 0) Dancing (DEX 0) Direction Sense (WIS +1) Distance Sense (WIS 0) Drinking (CON 0) Eating (CON 0) Etiquette (CHA 0) Fire-building (WIS -1) Fishing (WIS -1) Heraldry (INT 0) Languages, Modern (INT 0) Law (WIS 0) Leatherworking (INT 0) Mining (WIS - 3) Persuasion (CHA 0) Poetry (INT -2) Pottery (DEX -2) Riding, Airborn (WIS -2) Riding, Land-based (WIS +3) Riding, Sea-based (DEX -2) Rope Use (DEX 0) Seamanship (DEX +1) Seamstress/Tailor (DEX -1) Signaling (INT -2) Singing (CHA 0) Slow Respiration (N/A) Sound Analysis (WIS 0) Stonemasonry (STR -2) Swimming (STR 0) Weather Sense (WIS -1) Weaving (INT -1) Winemaking (INT 0) PRIEST Ancient History (INT -1) Astrology (INT 0) Engineering (INT -3) Healing (WIS -2) Herbalism (INT -2) Languages, Ancient (INT 0) Local History (CHA 0) Musical Instrument (DEX -1) Navigation (INT -2) Oratory (INT 0) Reading/Writing (INT +1) Religion (WIS 0) Spellcraft (INT -2) Veterinary Healing (WIS -3) ROGUE Acting (CHA -1) Alertness (WIS +1) Animal Noise (WIS -1) Ancient History (INT -1) Appraising (INT 0) Bartering (INT -2) Begging (CHA 0) Blind-fighting (N/A) Camouflage (WIS 0) Chanting (CHA +2) Close-quarter Fighting (DEX 0) Crowd Working (CHA 0) Disguise (CHA -1) Fast-Talking (CHA 0) Foraging (INT -2) Forgery (DEX -1) Fortune Telling (CHA +2) Gaming (CHA 0) Gem Cutting (DEX -2) Herbalism (INT -2) Information Gathering (INT 0) Intimidation (STR/CHA 0) Juggling (DEX -1) Jumping (STR 0) Light Sleeping (CON 0) Local History (CHA 0) Locksmithing (DEX 0) Looting (DEX 0) Musical Instrument (DEX -1) Navigation (INT -2) Observation (INT 0) Reading Lips (INT -2) Set Snares (DEX -1) Tightrope Walking (DEX 0) Trailing (DEX 0)
Trail Signs (INT-1) Tumbling (DEX 0) Ventriloquism (INT -2) Voice Mimicry (CHA 0) Whistling/Humming (DEX +2) WARRIOR Alertness (WIS +1) Animal Lore (INT 0) Animal Rending (DEX +2) Armorer (STR -2) Blind-fighting (N/A) Bowyer/Fletcher (DEX -1) Camouflage (WIS 0) Charioteering (DEX +2) Close-quarter Fighting (DEX 0) Endurance (CON 0) Foraging (INT -2) Gaming (CHA 0) Hunting (WIS -1) Intimidation (STR/CHA 0) Mountaineering (N/A) Navigation (INT -2) Natural Fighting (STR +1) Running (CON -6) Set Snares (INT -1) Spelunking (INT -2) Survival (INT 0) Tracking (WIS 0) Trail Marking (WIS 0) Trail Signs (INT-1) Underwater Combat (DEX 0) Weaponsmithing (STR -3) Wild Fighting (CON 0) WIZARD Ancient History (INT -1) Astrology (INT 0) Cantrips (INT-2) Engineering (INT -3) Gem Cutting (DEX -2) Herbalism (INT -2) Languages, Ancient (INT 0) Navigation (INT -2) Reading/Writing (INT +1) Religion (WIS 0) Spellcraft (INT -2) Crossover GroupsFighter - Warrior, General Paladin - Warrior, Priest, General Ranger - Warrior, Wizard, General Cleric - Priest, General Druid - Priest, Warrior, General Wizard - Wizard, General Thief - Rogue, General Bard - Rogue, Warrior, Wizard, General
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Languages Note: There is no 'Common' in this setting. Most people speak the local language of whatever area they live in.
Regional Languages Gontoria - Tardish, Picardian, Swadian, Kavalan, Calabrian Octhania - Octhanian, Aquan
Rabbah - Mushin, Rabbite
Renosia - Renosian
Crizzara - Crizzarian
Racial Languages Dwarven Elven
Halfling Gnomish
Orcish Goblin - This language is often spoken by goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears. Ogre
Merfolk Languages Undine Kou-Toa Sirine Reef Giant Locathah Triton
Exotic Languages Sylvan Draconic Slyphid Celestial Infernal
Trade Languages Camptalk - A crude and simple language often used by merchants, mercenaries and travelers.
Ancient Languages Eonian Ancient Elven Ancient Dwarven
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