[Lakelands] Play By Post Now Recruiting [Full]

Hi there.

This will be my first play-by-post, and I probably will not be able to update more than 1-2 times per week, so you are warned. My game is using D&D 3.0 (but the differences to 3.5 are not so great that they should affect a pbp game too much, should you be interested but limited to 3.5 characters), and I envision this pbp as containing 4-6 characters beginning play at 3rd level (or equivilent). You can check my Story Hour links below for some idea of my DMing style. The first post of the Lakelands Story Hour contains the cosmology for the world.

You may assign stats in whatever way you like, so long as they are possible using the standard 3d6 plus racial traits method, and the total bonuses for all ability scores do not exceed +10.

Posts which follow will supply background information.


RC

A Guide to Character Creation in
the Lakelands Campaign Setting

by Daniel J. Bishop
copyright © Daniel J. Bishop 2003

Not to be sold or redistributed without express permission of the author. All rights reserved.


Background

The following information can be used to create the background and motivations of characters in the Lakelands. This information may be considered general knowledge.

Long Archer

Long Archer is an outpost village, running along the Selwyn River. It grew out of the gathering of masons and carpenters hired to build Caer Selwyn for the first Baron Archer. Over the long years of building, overland traders began to gather in the area, sheltering under the Baron’s guardsmen, and eventually Long Archer became both a regular stop and a place where overland traders could exchange wares, or sell to shippers and vice versa. A portion of the timbers felled to construct the keep, and later the village walls, was sent downstream. Soon enough, a thriving timber industry grew, and shipwrights began to ply their trade in the village itself. Today, many of the tall straight pines along the Selwyn River carry the mark of Baron Archer’s shipyards. Poaching these trees is considered a high crime.

Because of the natural abundance of wood, the defensive walls around Long Archer are timber palisades. Caer Selwyn itself, however, was intended to control the Selwyn River, and is constructed mostly of stone. Likewise, most of Long Archer is built of wood. Fires are a serious threat. Casting fire-based magic, or even allowing a fire to burn out of control, are serious crimes within the area controlled by Long Archer.

The folk of Long Archer have treaties with most of the local Lakashi clans, but they are forever vigilant against orcs and monsters of the wilds. As a result, many citizens go about armed. Most people will have a dagger, and many of the middle class or higher bear swords. Armor, while unusual, is not so uncommon as to draw comment.

Selby-by-the-Water

Selby-by-the-Water was once much larger than it is today, for more than half of the town now lies beneath Lake Elidyr. Locals now call this area “Selby-beneath-the-Waves.” What remains is still a bustling town, but folk avoid the ruined areas at night, including the docksides where Selby-beneath-the-Waves can still be seen.

Selby-by-the-Water was founded to protect a deepwater harbor on Lake Elidyr. A great wall surrounds the town proper from Weirwood the Great, but farms and small businesses arose outside of the village wall. There are now wooden partial walls and watchtowers that protect these areas. The village has grown in a radial pattern from the harbor, with several canals cutting through the central village.

Forty-seven years ago, Selby-by-the-Water was wracked by tremors, and more than half the town was destroyed. The tower of Amoreth the Arcane collapsed in smoke and fire. Underground explosions damaged buildings. Whole sections of the town subsided, and were covered by the lake. Amoreth the Arcane was never seen again – some thought he had died in some dangerous experiment, but others thought that he fled the disaster he had caused. In the aftermath, the sewers and undercity of Selby-by-the-Water have been broken and partly submerged, with new entrances appearing and old ones becoming lost.

Entry into the Wizard’s Tower is forbidden upon pain of death.

Lake Elidyr

Mist-wreathed Lake Elidyr is home to many islands, of which Tal Slathan is the largest. The lake itself is large, with a fey reputation. Ghost ships and long-necked monsters have been reported on the lake, as well as occasional merfolk and faerie creatures.

True sightings of lake monsters are rare, though false ones are common enough. Shifting mists, a family of otters, driftwood, and large serpents can all be mistaken for these beasts. Even when they are truly sighted, their long necks rising from the mist-wreathed waters, they are usually harmless. The lake monsters eat mainly fish, and occasionally birds. They have been known to attack swimmers, though, and ships during the springtime, when they become more territorial, and their bellows sometimes echo through the warm nights.

Few have seen their long necks entwined in mating challenges or courtship, but such a sight is said to bring good luck among the Lakeland folk. In the Deep Lakes to the east, there are people who hunt lake monsters for their blubber, hide, and meat. The carcass of such a creature is valuable, of course, and has many uses, but any so foolish as to attack a lake monster might well feel the creature’s wrath ere it sank out of sight.

Weirwood the Great

Weirwood the Great is a vast and ancient forest, with huge old trees, sudden standing stones, hoary mosses, hanging vines, and darkly shaded paths. It spreads north of the Lakes, reaching as far as the Grey Hills and somewhat beyond.

Strange creatures are said to dwell within Weirwood the Great. The Lakashi dwell there in small, mobile enclaves. Within its great trees communities of elves are said to dwell. Orcs and goblins, too, are known to create fortresses here.

The Grey Hills

To the north, Weirwood the Great gives way to a broken land of hill, canyon, and ravine, known as the Grey Hills. This is a wild, desolate place, the home of monstrous creatures and goblinkind. Beyond the Grey Hills rise the Trollshanks, a mountain range whose natural passes, though once guarded, are now seldom used.

Tal Slathan

Covered in forested hills, swampland, and small pools, Tal Slathan was colonized by dwarves long ago, and, though they are gone, the memory of the silver and gemstones they mined from Tal Slathan’s hills remains. The old dwarf-hold was known as Marrowgate, but it’s location and the means to enter therein have been lost to time.

Men followed to Tal Slathan, and founded the village of Oakhill, overlooked by Caer Pavallan. They traded foodstuffs to the dwarves of Marrowgate, in exchange for precious stones and silver, worked and unworked, then transported these to the farther villages of Long Archer and Selby-by-the-Water. This relationship long endured, and Oakhill grew prosperous. Other small communities were founded upon Tal Slathan, including the Temple of the Silver Cat, where the worshipers of Baerbeth conducted rituals following the moon’s phases.

Then, one night in the dark of the moon, orcs from the Grey Hills sailed across Lake Elidyr in many skin boats. They raided Oakhill and besieged Caer Pavallan under the banner of the Blood-Drenched Fist. Though messengers flew across the lake to bring respite from the siege, aid came too late to save the castle. The orcish shaman, Grodd du Grumdash, summoned a great infernal shade that swept through the castle, unmanning those who guarded its walls. So Caer Pavallan fell, and those who would have come to Oakhill’s aid were captured and enslaved, or else driven from the shore.

It was in this time that the dwarves of Marrowgate vanished, though whether they were slain, or fled, or sealed themselves within their delving no man knows. What is known is that, through haplessly captured slave labor, the orcs sought to mine the riches of Tal Slathan for themselves. Yet, while they long endured, they were in the end brought to ruin by the Shadow of Grodd du Grumdash, which had lain dormant for many long years while the orcs mined and prospered.

Now, Oakhill lies in ruins, and Caer Pavallan stands over it like both a shadow, and a beacon for the lost riches of Marrowgate. Adventurers still come to Tal Slathan to seek their fortune, and indeed some of them find it. There are those who return over Lake Elidyr with pockets dripping silver, but others return with little to show, and others yet do not return at all.

Character Information

General

Characters are created using the Dungeons & Dragons third edition rules, as described in the Player’s Handbook and Psionics Handbook, with the following exceptions. In addition to the rules changes noted below, players may request to use additional supplementary information. If the information fits the play area, seems balanced, and a copy is provided to the Dungeon Master, there is a good chance any such materials will be accepted.

Race

Any of the races in the Player’s Handbook may be used in the Lakelands. In addition, players with access to Oriental Adventures can make use of the hengeyokai as a race option, excepting that hengeyokai in the Lakelands are known as faerie animals (i.e., a faerie cat), the species type must match the location, and that faerie animals have the faerie subtype, which means that they can be affected by spells which specifically target Fay.

The Lakashi tribesmen are a human group, loosely based on Native American (Midwestern) and Celtic traditions. They are matriarchal, and worship their ancestors and the Beast Lords. Every Lakashi tribe is named for a local animal type (i.e., Bear, Heron, Otter, Wolf), whose Beast Lord they especially revere, and whose traits they seek to emulate.

Other racial types are possible. For example, both orcs and goblins are fairly common in the Lakelands. If a racial choice has an ECL, the choice may still be possible, but it will reduce the speed in which the character gains additional levels.

Class

Characters may be of any class in the Player’s Handbook or Psionics Handbook. Players with access to Oriental Adventures can also choose to play a shaman. Classes that start play with animal companions or familiars may only choose species found within a temperate western environment. The general class/race structure breaks down as follows.

Barbarian: The majority of humans in the Lakelands are civilized, but barbarians may be found among the Lakashi tribesmen. Half-orcs and goblinoids (especially orcs) may also be barbarians. Barbarians are uncommon.

Bard: Any race may choose this class. Bards are uncommon.

Cleric: Most clerics tend to be humans and dwarves, though other races can choose this class. See Religion, below, for more information on clerics. Clerics are common.

Druid: Most druids are human, half-elf, elven, gnomish, or faerie animals, though any race can choose this class. Druids are extremely rare among dwarves and the goblinoid races. Druids are common.

Fighter: Every racial type has fighters. Fighters are the most common character class.

Monk: Monks are only common among humans and halflings. Some Lakashi tribes promote monks to emulate certain animals (such as the Crane Tribe). Monks are rare.

Paladin: Only civilized humans regularly choose this class, though there are rumors of elven and faerie knights who are paladins. Paladins are very rare.

Psion: This class is limited among the standard races to humans (of any type), half-elves, half-orcs, and halflings. Psions are very rare.

Psychic Warrior: This class is limited among the standard races to humans (of any type), half-elves, half-orcs, and halflings. Psychic warriors are very rare.

Ranger: Every standard race has rangers. Rangers are uncommon.

Rogue: Every racial type has rogues. Rogues are common.

Shaman: This class is limited among the standard races to the Lakashi tribesmen, half-orcs, and faerie animals. Shamans are rare.

Sorcerer: Any race may have sorcerers. In the Lakelands, sorcerers often have fey blood somewhere in their ancestry. Sorcerers are rare.

Wizard: Although any race may have wizards, they are only common among humans, elves, and half-elves. Elven wizards often specialize as enchanters or illusionists. Gnomish wizards are typically illusionists. Wizards are rare.

Skills

Unlike standard Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition campaigns, characters are not automatically literate unless they choose the cleric or wizard class. Even then, these characters only learn the common alphabet. Nor does the ability to speak a language automatically confer the ability to write in its alphabet – instead the Read Language skill grants the ability to read and write in a given writing system. Read Language is considered a class skill for all classes except barbarian.

Read Language (None; Trained Only)

The Read Langauge skill doesn’t work like a standard skill. Instead of buying a rank in Read Language, you choose a new writing system that you can read and write. You don’t make Read Language checks. You either know a writing system or you do not.

The common writing systems in the Lakelands are:

· Common Alphabet, also known as Mardani, an alphabetic form derived from simplified runes.
· Parthelonian, a system of runes from an ancient civilization that once dwelt in the eastern Lakelands.
· Uthark, a system of runes devised for carving onto wood, used by the Alderhald tribes of the Grey Hills, and more recently used by orcs and goblins.
· Dwarven, a runic system designed for carving onto metal and stone.
· Sylvarise, a painted script devised by the elves.
· Alchemist’s Script, a system of marks used by alchemists to denote chemicals, creatures, and astrological signs.
· Halfling Trail Signs, a system of carved marks used by halflings to inform each other of the conditions at farmhouses and towns. Signs tend to point to sources of food and water, and warn against people opposed to wanderers, or who keep vicious dogs. These trail signs are often used by rangers and other wandering folk as well as halflings.

Speak Language (addendum)

The common languages of the Lakelands are:

· The Common Tongue, or Tradespeech, which was also known as Errysworm in times past.
· Aultheos, used by the Alderhald tribesmen of the Grey Hills.
· Lakashi, used by the Lakashi tribesmen of Weirwood the Great and the Lakelands.
· Parthelonian, now rarely used, and only then by scholars and historians.
· Low Dwarven. There is also a High Old Dwarven, but the dwarves do not teach it to those of other races. Dwarven characters automatically know both tongues.
· Sylvan, which is also known as Elvish, though elves and gnomes, as well as many woodland and faerie creatures speak it. This language is automatically known by elves, half-elves, and gnomes.
· The Dark Tongue, which is spoken by goblins, orcs, and their kin. Half-orcs know it automatically.
· The Beast Tongues, by which intelligent beasts may converse. There is a beast tongue for felines, for canines, for ursine creatures, for rodents, and so on. Speaking one beast tongue grants no ability to speak another. Faerie animals automatically speak the beast tongue of their kind.

Religion

Many people in the Lakelands follow the High Church of the Seven Good Gods: Mardan, Mellador, Aedor, Belanus, Uarthos, Amaethon, and Brigit. Others follow the druidic faith. The Lakashi and a few others worship the Beast Lords or their own ancestors. It should be remembered that, in the Lakelands, deities are real. They can reward their devout followers, and punish those who displease them.

These are some of the more common deities/faiths a character can worship:

Aedor

Aedor, God of Blacksmiths, Artisans, Craftsmen, and Mechanics, is lawful good. He appears as a majestically bearded dwarf of heroic proportions. He is said to work the Godforge, creating the thunderbolts of Mardan. He is worshiped by dwarves, as well as by smiths and artificers of all types. The domains he is associated with are Earth, Fire, Strength, and War. His favored weapon is the hammer. He is one of the Seven Good Gods.

Amaethon

Amaethon, Lord of the Harvest, is neutral good. Vine leaves entangle his short hair and fall about his shoulders like a mantle. He cradles a large sheaf of grain in his arms. Amaethon is often depicted dressed as a peasant farmer, with a stylized tree upon his tunic. Farmers, vintners, and those who cultivate the land worship him. The domains he is associated with are Animal, Earth, and Plant. His favored weapon is the scythe. He is one of the Seven Good Gods.

Ancestral Worship

Ancestor worship is common among the Lakashi, the Alderhald, and the goblinoid races. Even some civilized human and dwarven families worship their illustrious ancestors. Shamans and clerics of ancestors can be any alignment, so long as they are not more than one step removed from the alignments of the ancestors they worship. For clerics, ancestors are generally associated with the Death, Knowledge, Protection, and Trickery domains. Favored weapons may be assigned based upon historical precedent.

Artemis

The Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis is chaotic neutral. She is depicted as an incredibly beautiful young girl armed with a bow. She is often shown riding a doe with stag’s horns, or is depicted with stag’s horns herself. Although many hunters, foresters, and rangers worship (or placate) her, she only allows human, elven, or half-elven females into her priesthood. The domains associated with Artemis are Animal, Travel, and Trickery. Her favored weapon is the longbow.

Badur

Badur, the Judge of the Dead, is neutral. He is depicted as a dark, faceless man wearing dark robes, and bearing a greatsword made of dark stone. He is sometimes called the Bonewarden. Few worship him, save undertakers and those who pray for the dead, though many pay him heed. It is Badur whose task it is to assign the dead to the heavens or hells, or to gray limbo. His priests often seek out the undead, to deliver them to their Grim Lord’s judgment. They may also “borrow the dead” from Badur to perform tasks in the world of the living. The domains he is associated with are Death, Knowledge, and Protection. His favored weapon is the greatsword.

Baerbeth

Goddess of Cats, Pleasure, and the Night, Baerbeth is chaotic neutral. She is depicted sometimes as a female humanoid with cat-like qualities, and sometimes as a great cat. The domains she is associated with are Animal, Luck, Magic, and Trickery. Her favored weapon is the kukri.

Beast Lords

In the Lakelands, every animal type has a Beast Lord, a creature that is a perfect representative of its species type. Many Beast Lords are also depicted in human, or semi-human, form. The Beast Lords are worshiped mainly by intelligent and/or awakened animals, faerie animals, shapechangers, and humanoids whose forms mirror the Beast Lord they worship. Some Beast Lords have cults with human followings, however, and some Beast Lords have created “elevated” humanoid animals to worship them. In general, Beast Lords are neutral. All are associated with the Animal domain. Most have one other associated domain related to their nature (i.e., the Bear Lord and Ox Lords are associated with the Strength domain, while the Turtle Lord is associated with Protection and the Otter Lord with Water). Beast Lords have no favored weapons.

Belanus

Lithe Belanus, beloved of the elves, is chaotic good. He is often depicted as a young human, elf, or half-elf, with a lyre. An olive wreath crowns his head, holding long hair away from his laughing face. Belanus is the God of the Sun, Music, Healing, and Prophesy, known also as the Ward Against Undead. The domains he is associated with are Healing, Knowledge, and Sun. His favored weapon is the longbow. He is one of the Seven Good Gods.

Brigit

Fair Brigit is the Goddess of Hearth, Fire, Poetry, and Community. She is lawful good. She is depicted as a young girl, clean of limb and bare of breast, unadorned save for a circlet of gold inlaid upon her brow. She is also known as the Virgin Goddess, for the priestesses who keep her communal hearths are sworn to remain virginal throughout the length of their service. Clerics dedicated to Brigit do not have to be female, only her hearthwards do. The domains she is associated with are Fire, Luck, and Protection. Her favored weapon is the longsword. She is one of the Seven Good Gods.

Druidic Faith

Druids are as described in the Player’s Handbook, and gain spells accordingly. In the Lakelands, druids recognize Celene (represented by the moon) as the female principle of nature, and Herne (represented by a stag-horned man) as the male. To the druids, all living things have an animus, life-energy that drives the world of the living, as well as providing the divine energy for druidic spells. Death is also part of the cycle of life, where the animus loses its differentiated form and goes back into the breath of the world. Still, druids gain power from the living world, and most shun the world of the dead.

Julius Invincible

Julius Invincible, Lord of Victory By Any Means, is lawful evil. He began as a warlord among the Parthelonians, who came to power by slaughtering his own father. He is depicted as a cruel-faced man wearing blood-soaked armor. Barbarians, fighters, evil rangers, and monks may all worship Julius Invincible. His cult appeals to the ruthless. The domains he is associated with are Destruction, Strength, and War. His favored weapon is the longsword.

Mardan

Mardan, the Bringer of the Law and chief of the Seven Good Gods, is lawful good. He is worshiped by paladins, fighters, monks and those who prefer civilized order to chaos. Mardan is depicted as a jet-black man with four arms and green eyes. He is said to hurl thunderbolts in judgment, and is often depicted with two thunderbolts, a morningstar, and the Book of Law. The domains he is associated with are Air, Law, Protection, and War. His favored weapon is the morningstar. He is one of the Seven Good Gods.

Mellador

Mellador is neutral good. The Goddess of Mercy, Shipwrecked Sailors, and Fertility, she is often depicted with a serpent-staff, her right hand raised in benediction, as though to heal the wounded onlooker. Mothers, sailors, fishermen, and healers worship her, though many others come to her for aid. The domains she is associated with are Healing, Good, and Protection. She has no favored weapon. She is one of the Seven Good Gods.

Mellythese

The Great Spider is the Goddess of Spiders, Treachery, Venom, and Deceit. She is chaotic evil. Mellythese is depicted as a gigantic black and red spider with cunning, evil eyes. She is worshiped by the treacherous, by those bent to evil in their quest for vengeance, and by magicians who are seduced by the false lure of easy power. The domains she is associated with are Death, Evil, Knowledge, and Trickery. Her favored weapon is the net.

The Seven Good Gods

Although clerics may worship them separately, many clerics in the High Church of the Seven Good Gods worship all of the gods together. In this case, the cleric may be of any non-evil alignment (though most are good). The domains they have access to are Fire, Good, Healing, Law (unless they have a chaotic alignment), Protection, and Sun. They do not gain the benefits of a favored weapon.

Uarthos

Called the Sleeping God, Uarthos is the chaotic good God of Sleep, Dreams, Healing, and Inspiration. He is worshiped by poets, lovers, and dreamers of all sorts. He is often depicted as a well-formed giant, with serene features, meditating or asleep. The domains he is associated with are Chaos, Healing, Knowledge, and Travel. He has no favored weapon. Uarthos is one of the Seven Good Gods.

The Common Calendar


The calendar commonly used in the Lakelands is known as the Brithonian Calendar, named after the Archpriestess of Brigit who devised it. The Brithonian Calendar is divided into four seasons, and each season into three months: two with 30 days and one with 31. Each season is set up so that the 31-day month falls between the 30-day months. The “extra day” therefore falls on the equinoxes and solstices. The seasons are Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.

The months of the year are as follows:

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Each month is further divided into roughly four seven-day weeks. The days of the week are each dedicated to one of the Seven Good Gods, and are: Marday (Mardan), Hearthday (Brigit), Landsday (Amaethon), Smithsday (Aedor), Melladay (Mellador), Restday (Uarthos), and Sunday (Belanus). A fortnight is fourteen days, or a period of two weeks.

Every four years, in order to keep the calendar properly in tune with the seasons, an extra day is added between Winter and Spring. This is called the Dark Day, and the veils between the worlds of the living and dead are believed to be especially thin at that time.

Farmers, peasants, and those who carry old lore will sometimes speak of “tendays”. This is a holdover from a previous calendar system, which used thirteen months (or moonths) of 28 days each with a Festival Day to complete the year. This calendar divided its months into three ten-day weeks.

Oh, yeah, players will also gain access to the Lakelands Yahoo group, so that they can use the Totem Spirits of the Lakashi pfd, see maps, etc.


RC

I have been asked to clarify the "Beast Tongues" language option. Specifically, what types of Beast Tongues are available? The general list for the Lakelands region is below. Please take into account that dialects exist. For example, the Cat Tongue is a dialect of the Feline Tongue. Anyone speaking the Feline Tongue will understand the Cat Tongue, and vice versa, but will also know that the speaker learned the language (directly or indirectly) from intelligent domestic cats or similar creatures. Similarly, a Lynx Tongue speaker speaks the Feline Tongue in the manner of an intelligent lynx.

This list does not include all possible dialects. Players who select a Beast Tongue are encouraged to be as specific as they like.

SOME EXAMPLES OF ROOT BEAST TONGUES IN THE LAKELANDS

Bovine Tongue (cows)
Canine Tongue
Chicken Tongue
Deer Tongue (includes elk and relatives)
Duck Tongue
Feline Tongue
Goat Tongue (sheep tongue is related)
Hedgehog Tongue
Heron Tongue
Horse Tongue
Lizard Tongue
Piscene Tongue (fish)
Porcine Tongue (pigs)
Raven Tongue
Rodent Tongue
Serpent Tongue
Sheep Tongue (goat tongue is related)
Skunk Tongue
Songbird Tongue
Turtle Tongue
Ursine Tongue (bears)
Weasel Tongue (includes ferrets, ermines, otters, etc.)

Hopefully, this will help. Feel free to choose Beast Tongues not on this list, using this list as a guide. Note that some creatures are not present in the Lakelands (temperate western), so there is no Elephant Tongue or Rhinoceros Tongue listed. This does not mean that such languages do not exist in the world, merely that they are unlikely to be spoken (or useful) in this area.

Selby-by-the-Water

Here is a map of Selby-by-the-Water, for those who are interested. Image is copyright (c) 2004 Daniel J. Bishop.

I would love to join this game. I have played some PbP in the past and found daily posts to be somewhat burdensome, 1-2 a week sounds like a more realistic pace considering all my real world responsibilities.

Everything I have read of your's so far has been top shelf, and I especially like the one pantheon system as opposed to all the races having their own.

I have a couple character ideas, and would like to know a little about what kind of campaign this will be? Is it based out of Selby-by-the-Water or some other locale like Long Archer? Will it be character heavy or combat heavy? Will their be a lot of city encounters or will it be primarily wilderness? Where do we submit characters for your approval?

I am definitely interested in playing in this game. I enjoyed reading the campaign/setting information you posted here and think adventuring in this setting would be a great deal of fun. Not sure about what sort of character I want to play yet but will begin thinking about it and working on it.

Toric