The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Dr Simon]

Player places available. Ask for details .

The Romance of the River Kingdoms
From Dictionary.com:
ro·mance
–noun
1. a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds, pageantry, romantic exploits, etc., usually in a historical or imaginary setting.
2. the colorful world, life, or conditions depicted in such tales.
4. a baseless, made-up story, usually full of exaggeration or fanciful invention

IC Thread
Rogues Gallery

Overview
Romance of the River Kingdoms is a D&D 3.5 campaign set in the homebrew World of Conclave. It has a vaguely Asian feel to it, in that it has jade, spirits, fighting styles, elephant-headed gods, divinely-appointed Emperors, rice, bamboo, yen and ancient empires (etc.) but it is not meant as a Fantasy Asia. It has other elements such as worldwide banking and merchant empires, printing presses and clockwork that puts it closer to late 17th century Europe. It also draws upon a range of other influences such as Egypt, Polynesia and Imperial Russia.
www.creativeconclave.co.uk/overview.html

The Background
It all begins, as these things often do, with a letter.

Dear Friend,
It is my sad duty to inform you that the Vashti of Cormondal has passed away. From her Last Testament I know that you have, at some point in your life, had dealings with the wise woman, and I’m sure that you will remember her as a sprightly lady, lively beyond her great years, always smiling, who always knew the right thing to do or the right thing to say. She applied the teachings of the great sage Manrupashnar, of charity, humility and respect for others, to her whole life, dedicating herself to helping the less fortunate. Whether you were one of those less fortunate whom she helped, or if you were one of the many people whom she persuaded to help (as only she could), I do not know. However, in my sad duty of executing her will I have discovered a reference to your name, and I can inform you that you may stand to benefit from her estate. You may smile to know that she has appended conditions to your inheriting anything – certainly she could push the definition of ‘charity’ sometimes! I do not yet know what she requires of you, nor what you stand to gain. Her possessions were meagre but her influence was great. I have in my possession a sealed document to be opened at her funeral, and I hereby invite you to attend. It is on the 5th day of Third Month. There is no need to reply.

Your Humble Servant,

Aru Leng, (New) Vashti of Cormondal.

All of you have received this letter. The adventure assumes that you have decided to see what your legacy may be, and it begins in Cormondal following the funeral of the Old Vashti.

Cormondal
Cormondal is a small town situated north of the City of Llaza, where the Leng River flows into the mighty Anhoi River. To the north lies the civil-war torn Ashoyin Protectorate, to the south the prosperous lands around Llaza. Cormondal is a trading post and in the past was a centre for processing iron ore from the Cosanq’s Heart hills. Now it is mainly agricultural but takes advantage of its position at a juncture of two busy waterways. The town is built around the rivers, whose flows have been diverted amongst the stone buildings amid wide canals. Land and water meet at great stone ghats that serve as landing stages, market places, ceremonial sites and playgrounds rolled into one. Cormondal is an old settlement, where about a quarter of the buildings are now dusty ruins, home to squatters or ghost stories.

Character Creation

Ability Scores: Use 28 point buy.

Character Race: Use World of Conclave races, as given below or found at www.creativeconclave.co.uk/racescultures.html

· Humans. There are a variety of different racial types of human with purely role-play differences between them.
· Salsham’ai (Tree Folk). Small-sized, human-like except for their prehensile feet. Wise, dextrous, with a kinship to nature spirits. Pick one of these of you like characters who are always calm, or if you want good stealth abilities.
· Tlaxu. Somewhat cat-like, the tlaxu have at least three known cultural/racial subdivisions (although all are the same in mechanical terms). Due to a tlaxu invasion about 150 years ago, tlaxu are still disliked in this part of the world. Good senses and the chance of taking racial levels to improve physical stats. Pick a tlaxu if you like cat-folk, active characters or having a sinister reputation.
· Ura. Tiny-sized folk from beneath the deserts of the Outer Continent, Ura are proud warriors who make opportunistic use of the discards of larger races. Pick an ura if you like small but feisty characters or gregarious travellers.
· Ti-Kop. Also known as ‘gloppies’. The Ti-Kop are an aquatic race common to the shoreline. They are tough, but materially poor, with a tense relationship to humans due to fishing rights and egg-stealing. Pick a Ti-Kop if you like aquatic races or want to play a primitive race.
· Nai-nek-chai. Shapechangers that can take the form of human or animal, nai-nek-chai are the descendants of mortals and great animal spirits. They generally do not fit in in either the human or animal worlds. Pick a nai-nek-chai if you like shapechangers or like playing the confused outsider.
. Edraldi. Earth-spirits given mortal form, the edraldi exist in four subtypes (gem, stone, metal and earth). They have strong ties to the earth and begin to sicken if away from it for too long, but they are otherwise very tough. Pick an edraldi if you like indominatable or enigmatic characters.

Bloodlines
It is possible for a mortal character to carry the bloodline of a spirit race, an Immortal type or a dragon. In this game, such things are conducted using three-level "bloodline" classes that any character can multi-class into (although you can only have one bloodline type). So far, only the water spirit bloodline has been outlined (as used by Three Flowers), but if you want something like this, let me know and we can work something out. This replaces existing bloodline rules (bland) and, to a certain extent, half-creature templates. Note that dragon types use both the traditional types and the Lung dragon types, but the traditional types are more focused on their role in nature than on breath weapon, and powers are more subtle than the Half-Dragon template.

Character Class:
· You may use any of the non-psionic class in the SRD (but see below). You are allowed (and encouraged) to use any of the class variants (originally from Unearthed Arcana) that are given in the SRD.
· Conclave races do not have favoured class. Multi-classing may be done freely without penalty.
· Paladins do not serve an alignment, instead there are variants based upon causes. Ask for further details.
· Shaman characters are available, these are a homebrew variant that function mostly as spontaneous divine casters. Ask for further details.
· Various fighting styles exist that can be used with monks or fighters. You may use the styles from the SRD, or there are also some in-house styles available. Ask for further details.
· Priests are either wandering mendicants or ceremonial priests. Most revere the Ten Thousand Immortals as a whole, whilst a rare few focus on specific gods.
. Psions and psychic warriors are allowed. These individuals have studied the Way of Six Energies in the mountainous land of Ut'Bharma. They see their powers as a different magical discipline, not a completely seperate mechanic.
. Non-SRD classes will be considered, although I don't have a lot in the way of supplements so you may need to supply details.

Other elements
· All characters begin at 1st level.
· Use maximum starting money for your class. The standard currency is the glass yen. One yen equals one copper piece, thus 1 sp = 10 yen, 1 gp = 100 yen and so forth. Relative costs, etc. are the same as SRD.
· All equipment, feats and spells from the SRD only (it makes it easy for me to refer to rules).
· There is no alignment. The PDFs for creating characters from the Conclave races may discuss alignment but that is for the sake of compatibility.
· For hit points, you get maximum hit dice, + Con bonus, + Constitution score +1 at 1st level. Each level thereafter you get rolled hit dice + Con bonus +1. I was using a Book of Experimental Might variant of Grace/Health, but it was too cumbersome.

Your character background
As sparse or as detailed as you’d prefer. Try to avoid real world names – most Conclave names tend to be translated into some from of description such as Chance, Amber, Five Lives, Fifth Fortunate Son etc. Generally, the richer somebody is, the more florid their name tends to be. See the World of Conclave website for other ideas of High Imperial names.

Shaman Class

Conclave Shaman: d6 HD, 3/4 BAB, Good Will Save, 4 skill pts per level, Skill list same as Druid, plus Knowledge (Spirits))

Spells per day as Druid, but uses spontaneous casting. For spells known you select Domain lists - each one represents the powers of a spirit that you are familiar with. You get 'Spirit' Domain (I'll need to list the spells seperately) plus three others of your choice. You get to select one of the associated Domain powers as well. As you gain levels you gain new Domains and Domain Powers, plus get the chance to swap them around. There's an ability to gain saving throw bonuses against spirit powers that kicks in at 4th or 5th level.

Added Later:

Spirit Domain (free to Shamans, available to Clerics for a shamanic-flavoured cleric).
Domain Power - +2 Diplomacy checks with creatures with the Spirit descriptor. Free proficiency in Speak Spirit Speech.

1-Detect Spirits*
2-Protection From Spirits*
3-Magic Circle Against Spirits*
4-Dismissal
5-Commune (with Spirits)**
6-Forbiddance*
7-Ethereal Jaunt
8-Etherealness
9-Astral Projection

*These works as Det./Prot from Evil etc. except that they work specifically against creatures with the Spirit descriptor
**As Commune, but the caster is communing with powerful spirits rather than a deity. In Conclave, there's little difference.

Extra domain (spirit ally) at 4th, 8th, 12, 16, and 20th level.
Extra domain power from domains known at 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level.
May swap domains (but not if domain power is taken) at 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th level.
Animal Companion at 3rd level.
Spirit Defence at 10th level - +2 bonus to all saving throws against the Ex, Su and Sp powers of spirit creatures. At 15th level this can extend to all allies within 30 ft. At 20th level the bonus increases to +4.

Note that Domains may also be selected from the additional domains and Domain wizard variant. In the latter case they count as divine magic.

Playing the Game
· I’ll do the dice rolls and report the results.
· Use the Spoiler boxes for ‘notes to the DM’. I’ll use them for things only certain characters would know.
· Different coloured text for your characters direct speech seems to work quite well. I may stick to one colour for all DM characters, unless it looks like that is confusing.
· For out of character comments, questions etc., mark as [OOC: …]
· There are some threads of backdrop, but this is going to be a fairly organic campaign that is driven as much by character action as by NPC action.
· Experience accrual may be slower than normal. 10th or higher level characters are considered quite important heroes/villains in the World of Conclave. Characters above 16th level or so are pretty much unheard of except in legend.

Feats

Some feats (ported and adapted from Oriental Adventures and Arcana Evolved) that might be of interest to some of you:

Focused Attack
Req: Weapon Focus, ranks in Concentration
Effects: As a move action, make a Concentration check. Depending on the result, the next attack you deal with a weapon of choice will cause extra damage:

Concentration check Damage
10-19 +1d6
20-29 +2d6
30-39 +3d6
40-49 +4d6
50-59 +5d6
etc.

You can't Take 10 on this check, and the attack must be made immediately after the Concentration check.

Special: If you have Quick Draw you can draw and focus (but not also move) at the same time. This also stacks with Sneak Attack damage if applicable (a focused strike against a flat-footed foe). This is an adaption of the Iaijutsu rules.

Lion's Roar
Req: Cha 13+, BAB +1 or better
Once per day, as a standard action you can unleash a terrifying battle cry. All opponents who are within 30 ft., able to hear you and have lower HD/ than you must make a Will save (DC 10 +1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifer) or be shaken for 1d6 rounds. (Adaptation of Ki Shout)

Fire Mage
Req: Spontaneous spellcaster
You add the following spells to your known spell list. Essentially you get one bonus known spell per level. This doesn't affect spells per day.

1. Fiery Eyes* - your eyes glow, illuminating area. May ignite objects with focussed gaze.
2. Animate Fire* - turn Small or smaller fire into animated object.
3. Fire Wings* - arms become flaming wings. May fly and burn things.
4. Wall of Fire
5. Fire Breath* - breath fire 1/round. 1d8 per 2 levels to 1 target in 15ft.
6. Fires of Purity* - subject bathed in aura of fire, becoming dangerous weapon.
7. Firestorm
8. Incendiary Cloud
9. Internal Fire* - target burns from inside out.
*These are all from Oriental Adventures, and may need a little bit of re-jigging to make them 3.5 compatible.

Note: Yes, this is more potent than the existing feat that allows spontaneous casters *one* extra spell, but I don't think it's too unbalancing as its benefits play out over a long period. I doubt we'll be seeing 18th level in a PBP game, unless we fast-forward over a few levels.
This, obviously, is aimed at Annika, but either Ape or Jar'Thol could take it (as spontaneous casters), or similarly themed lists could be made for other focuses.

Scribe Scroll becomes Craft Spell-Completion Item. The end product is the same - an item that gives a single use of a spell, that can be used by anyone with that spell on his spell list. It may be a scroll - sutras and ofudas are fairly common, it may be a talisman or lucky charm. The exact form is up to you, depending on the character of your spellcaster.

Brew Potion becomes Craft Single Use Item. This is a single use magical item, usable by anybody. It may be a potion or oil, it may be a specially grown fruit, it may be a scroll, it may be a pebble inscribed with magical symbols. Most spells can be turned into single use items. Ranged attack spells are usually turned into 'detonations' that require a ranged touch attack to work. Some special cases may need review on an individual basis.

The Bonded Item feat may be taken by any character of 3rd level or above, provided that they have used the item in question through several dangerous situations (and it has made a difference). A bonded item gives a +1 enhancement bonus to its 'normal use'. Most common would be a weapon, gaining this bonus to attack. A suit of armour may also benefit but other items such as thieves tools, rope, artists brushes and so forth are all candidates. Once bonded, the wielder can also spend XP to add further enhancements to the bonded item. Thus a bonded sword can gain further bonuses or special abilities. Obviously this is easier to adjudicate for weapons and armour but imagination can be applied to other equipment.

This means that, for example, swords become legendary because of who wields them, not who made them.

Losing a bonded item may or may not be a real pain. They should be fixable, with maybe a monetary cost for the ceremonial materials. Still on the subject of swords, that gives you a quest to retrieve the Green Destiny sword, or to reforge the Sword That Was Broken etc.

Houserules

Spell Slots
As all the casters are spontaneous, I'm thinking of including a ruling from Arcana Evolved.

You can 'weave together' three spell slots of a given level to create one of a higher level. Thus you can give up 3 0th level slots to cast another 1st level spell.

Conversely, you can 'unweave' a higher level spell slot to give two slots of the next level down. Thus you can give up one 2nd level slot to create two 1st level slots.

Weaving up can be done indefinitely. You can weave three 0th level spell slots, add that new 1st level spell slots to 2 existing 1st level spell slots, weave those three to give a new 2nd level, and so forth.

Weaving down can only be done for one level. The spell energy 'released' is weaker and less stable. Spell slots created by unweaving a higher level spell cannot be unwoven further.

0th level spells cannot be unwoven. 9th level spells cannot be woven. (Neither has anywhere to go!).

This gives greater flexibility to casters and makes them more useful for longer. It also adds a very fun element of resource management where a caster can 'throw his last bit on magical power' into one hopefully crucial spell, rather than being stuck with a bunch of 0th level resistance spells.

Death and Dying
Again, adopted from Arcana Evolved/Book of Experimental Might.

If you have a Con score that gives you a bonus, your 'disabled' range spans 0 and minus that bonus. Your 'dying' range then goes to minus your Con.

So, if you have Con 14 (+2 bonus), you are disabled from 0 to -2 hit points, and dying from -3 to -14 hit points. If you have a Con 9 (-1), you are disabled as normal on 0 hit points and dying from -1 to -9 hit points.

Loot

These are the current aqcuisitions of the group, updated when appropriate:

Vashti's Legacy:
20,000 yen (200gp) each to Annika, Three Flowers, Jar'Thol. Growling Ape and Xielt.

From Greedy Spirits:
Ornate pitcher worth 11,000 yen (110 gp)
Silver bowl worth 5000 yen (50 gp)

From Heartsflow:
Summoning flute
River mark - one use for either water breathing or fire resistance 5

[Blackrat]

So. Are we talking about something like Dynasty Warriors PbP or something completely different? Seriously that is the image the title conjured in my mind. But this sounds interesting either way.

[hafrogman]

I'm interested in putting forth a character for this game.

A human of class to be determined, I'm leaning towards Monk if you would allow it not so much as someone trained in a monastary and more as someone who learned to defend himself without being able to afford weapons or armor.

Dirt is a young man, as poor as his namesake. Having lost his old life, he stands at a crossroads and his ready to surrender himself to the vagaries of fate.

Background

One day, a great lady was traveling through the countryside, when she came upon a crossroads. A young man sat in the crossroads, crying over his fate. A man of no possessions and no trade, he could not marry the woman he loved. He had nothing to offer her except the dirt beneath his feet.

Being a kind lady, she asked after his troubles.
Being a wise lady, she informed him that even dirt could have value.
Being a generous lady, she gave him a trade.

The great lady gifted the man with a small plot of land, so that he might be a farmer, and marry his love. In time the man and his love were wed, thanks to the great Vashti of Cormondal. And in more time, a son was born to them. They named him Dirt, so that they would never forget the lady's generosity and wisdom.

Years passed in happiness for the couple and their son. But eventually war, famine and drought came to their land. Livestock died, or were stolen. Crops withered. Disease and violence took the couple, and maybe in death they will be reunited.

...

One day, a messenger was traveling through the countryside, when he came upon a farmhouse. A young man sat in the house, silently facing his fate. A man of no possessions and no trade, he had nothing to his name other than the dirt that was his name. Filthy, tired, and covered in soot from his parents' funeral pyres, he contemplated the point of a dagger. The messenger delivered his letter, and a young man found enough will to rise to his feet and walk out the door. . .

[Blackrat]

Oh wow. Froggy. That is by far the most thought-provoking character backgroud I've ever read . Now I seriously have to get on doing something cool too.

[Shayuri]

I'm interested in a nai-nek-chai...perhaps a sorceror or rogue...

Or do you prefer a wu-jen or shugenja?

[Dr Simon]

Originally Posted by hafrogman

I'm interested in putting forth a character for this game.

A human of class to be determined, I'm leaning towards Monk if you would allow it not so much as someone trained in a monastary and more as someone who learned to defend himself without being able to afford weapons or armor.

Dirt is a young man, as poor as his namesake. Having lost his old life, he stands at a crossroads and his ready to surrender himself to the vagaries of fate.

Yes, looks good to me. I'm perfectly happy to use the monk class as the framework for such a character.

[Dr Simon]

Originally Posted by Blackrat

So. Are we talking about something like Dynasty Warriors PbP or something completely different? Seriously that is the image the title conjured in my mind. But this sounds interesting either way.

I don't know Dynasty Warriors, but I was going for something evocative of the Water Margin so if there's a common root there, that's probably it. (Or more directly, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance...Three_Kingdoms)

Not that the content really has anything to do with either of those works, more of a thematic thing.

[Dr Simon]

Originally Posted by Shayuri

I'm interested in a nai-nek-chai...perhaps a sorceror or rogue...

Or do you prefer a wu-jen or shugenja?

Hmm... I think stick with SRD characters. I was tempted to include some Wu Jen spells from OA, for style reasons, but my copy of it is currently residing in the attic, so I'm leaning towards SRD spells with whatever visual effects you like (if you want your magic missiles to appear as a swarm of origami cranes or blazing shurikens, for example, they still work the same).

[The Rolling Man]

This all looks like an interesting and well developed setting. Right now I'm thinking of a Salsham’ai druid but I'm not sure if I can find a good way to link him with the hook you gave us. Maybe he was abducted at a young age for some reason and the Vashti was instrumental in returning him to the forest.

[Blackrat]

Yeah. Dynasty Warriors is pretty much Romance of the Three Kingdoms in hack'n'slash.

But to the character. I'm thinking about a minor noble who has a long and elaborate name. Maybe a member of Cult of Beauty if it's available as player option. Snobby and trained in arts. Don't know of class yet.

[Shayuri]

Hmm...does Natural Spell apply to Nai-nek-chai in animal form?

[Dr Simon]

Rollling Man: Don't forget that the hook allows for the character to have helped the Vashti as well as having been helped by her. The salsham'ai are quite affable and kind people on the whole, so perhaps he is connected to the Vashti through a shared good deed.

For salsham'ai characters, there are a couple of feats that didn't make it to the PDF. Enhanced Camouflage means that the camouflage bonus is the same no matter what the background is. Multidextrous removes some of the penalty for using feet for fine dexterity.

Blackrat: Certainly the first meaning of the Cult of Beauty, that is young rich folk obsessed with looks, is possible for PCs. The other type, murderers of the aesthetically offensive, would probably not be PC material (although I'm not averse to a character slipping to the dark side).

Shayuri: Officially, no. However it strikes me as a fairly narrow ruling so I'd say yes. Nai-nek-chai, with their spirit ancestry, ought to have a touch of the magical about them. Note that casting spells would come under 'not normal behaviour' for anyone closely observing the animal!

[Blackrat]

So tell me about paladins. If I understood correctly they are not restricted to LG? Is there a cause that reveres beauty?

[Dr Simon]

To tell you the truth I don't have solid details worked out, but I'm looking at something like the Champions in Monte Cooks Arcana Evolved (where you can have champions of freedom, justice, life, death, light, darkness, knowledge etc.)

So, yes, you could have a paladin of beauty, that would be an interesting concept . I'm not sure what the powers would be specifically (although the Charisma bonus to saving throws still seems appropriate). If we both have a think on that, and I'll get back to you tomorrow.

[Blackrat]

So instead of Smite Evil I get Bump Uglies? Yeah, If you would take some time working some rules I'd like to give Paladin of Beauty a shot. I think LN would probably be appropriate alignment.

[Redclaw]

I would love to join in here, possibly with a melee-oriented ranger; a plains Tlaxu seems like a good fit. Xielt would likely be a guide who lives on the border between the Tlaxu lands and human society. He had been hired by the Vashti for one or more missions involving guiding human missionaries (or some similar group) to Tlaxu settlements. Depending on the mechanics, he might dual-wield claw-sticks.

[Walking Dad]

Would a spontanous casting druid be okay?

I would like to add this, too.

Spoiler:

Druid

The druid might choose to give up her wild shape ability in exchange for becoming a swift and deadly hunter.

Gain
Bonus to Armor Class when unarmored (as monk, including Wisdom bonus to AC), fast movement (as monk), favored enemy (as ranger), swift tracker (as ranger), Track feat (as ranger).

Lose
Armor and shield proficiency, wild shape (all versions).

Human or Nai-nek-chai (Baboon)

[A Passing Maniac]

Oh, I wish I had noticed this earlier this morning... though I am the seventh to submit a character idea, I hope I might still be taken under consideration. The World of Conclave sounds like a wonderful setting, and I'd love to join the game.

I was considering a human bard, skilled with both the word and the sword, the son of a minor noble family from Utashar. He became disillusioned with his parents' beloved but stagnant and declining homeland, and so struck out on his own to experience the world. And on his travels, he happened to meet the Vashti... though I am not sure exactly yet what happened when he did. Later tonight, when I have had the opportunity to think on the character a little more, I shall post more about him.

[Dr Simon]

Blackrat: LOL! One question - do you see him more as protecting beauty or as destroying ugliness? Or somewhere in between?

Redclaw: I'm pretty sure that there are one-handed and two-handed versions of the claw-sticks, so a dual-wield would work.

Walking Dad: I like that particular variant and would be happy to allow it. No problems for spontaneous casting either. Either race is fine.

Passing Maniac: Sounds good, I'm willing to go up to seven.

[Redclaw]

Do the races (specifically Tlaxu for me) have any racial ability bonuses or penalties? I could find that on the pdf.

My thoughts about the claw-stick center around the details of the weapon. Is it a light weapon (and thus open to weapon finesse)? How much damage does it do? Is it piercing or slashing? Any details you can give would be great.