GnomeWorks
Adventurer
This game is full with a party of 6; however, I am and will be accepting alternates.
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Roughly a century ago, the rebel Fortang Diaclo and his army of farmers, equipped with a variety of technological wonders, marched on Alistar, the capital of the magocratic empire of Ashk. For a week they laid siege to the city, until the wizards finally gave in and offered them a truce: go north to the lands called the Coldlands Territory, settle there with your infernal technology, and we will let you live in peace.
Diaclo and his followers accepted; thus did the Diaclo Revolution end in the creation of the nation of the Coldlands Territory. Only a few months after the capital of Mechanicus was founded, they returned to the border of their land and the Ashkian Empire and constructed a massive wall: they named it the Coldlands Wall, and it stretched from shore to shore, covering over a thousand miles of land.
However, the mages of Ashk were bitter; they did not give in lightly, and many still regret that decision. Since that day that Diaclo led his army away from Alistar, the elves have plotted his downfall and the destruction of the technology he has created.
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Life was not easy in the Coldlands. They were named aptly enough; the entire landscape was ice and snow, with little to make it liveable. Rumor has it that the necromancer Kotrit Wayveri, many centuries ago in the War of the Illusionist, used a spell beyond mortal comprehension to lay waste to the northern tip of Ashk to prepare it for his skeletal armies.
Regardless of what caused it, the Coldlands is a frigid, barren place; little grows there, and only the northern-most tip, where the capital city of Mechanicus was founded, has soil soft enough to be capable of growing food in.
However, the trek to the place that would become Mechanicus was not an easy one; thousands of miles of ice and snow confronted the peasants, who numbered only a few thousand strong. They found help in the Coldlands Orcs, a breed of orc that was slightly smaller but more cunning than those normally encountered. They had an interest in the shiny metal gadgets the farmers brought with them; they traded secrets on living through the cold for technology. Since then, they have become part of Coldlands life, accepted throughout the social structure without exception; if not for them, most of the inhabitants of the Coldlands would not exist today.
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In the last few years, Fortang grew ill. The technocracy that had grown up around him slowly lost the pretenses of democracy it once had, as that, too, was part of Fortang's dream - however, with the history of the Coldlands people, it is no wonder that the technologically-inclined become leaders among the people. Fortang was the only central figure, a man who managed to bind the people together to a common cause; his strength flagged, and none seemed to be willing to take his place.
Then, suddenly, Fortang died; a few short months before the start of the new year, the entire political structure of the Coldlands fell to shambles. Rumor spread like wildfire; the worst of which was that the Ashkians were planning an assault on the vulnerable nation, their mages and sorcerers raining fiery death down upon the southern cities along the wall.
Miraculously, unbidden, one man - a dwarf, to be particular - rose above the storm and calmed the giddy techno-aristocrats. He was known as Tristam; in the years since the Diaclo Revolution, he had raised a group known as the Coldlands Weaponry Company, which produced a wide variety of weaponry for the military as well as for civillians.
Tristam had served as the ambassador to Kahasal, a psionic nation in the west, for several years; he knew the political scene of the Coldlands well enough. Surprisingly enough, none questioned his sudden rule; if someone had, surely the Coldlands would have fallen into anarchial chaos by now. But they all follow his rule, much as they had the rule of Diaclo; in many ways, the two are similar.
However, Tristam knows that something is amiss. Diaclo had sent him to Kahasal in the last few weeks before his death, telling him to acquire help from the psionic nation against the empire that is Ashk. Tristam isn't certain what Diaclo feared, but he knows that, if Diaclo believed that Ashk was now a threat while it had lain dormant for almost a century, it must be true.
Tristam has told his people this. He believes that the Ashkians are a threat now, a threat that must be dealt with; however, he knows that he, along with the people of the Coldlands, can cope with whatever the Ashkians can throw against the Coldlands Wall.
Of course, the threat of military action means that the Coldlands must mobilize. While almost every person living in the Coldlands is capable of using a gun and is therefore useful in the military, there are some among the populace who have skills that many lack, skills that would be useful in a war against an all-powerful magical empire.
They are called adventurers.
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You are an adventurer. Your reason for being in the Coldlands - whether it be a simple visit to a relative, a "vacation" from another nation where you may have raised the ire of the government, or that the Coldlands is your home - is irrelevant; the leader the people simply call Tristam is in charge now, and he has decreed that all who have the skill must serve the Coldlands. It is irrelevant that such a decree may or may not go against the general lawmaking policy of the Coldlands, a vaguely democratic nation - this is war, and in war, laws and policies change.
Even if you do want to resist conscription, to what end would you do so? Rumor has it that the Ashkians plan on destroying not just the Coldlands, but also Kahasal - which may prove a very simple, disturbing fact: the Ashkians are out to destroy the other forces. The forces of psionics and technology, anathema to each other and to magic; but without the balance of the three - magic, psionics, technology - the world would fall into chaos.
Yet others say the universe will cease to be, should any of the three forces fall.
Even if you choose not to believe in such make-believe claptrap, you cannot deny that the three forces react violently to one another: neither spell nor power functions well in the Coldlands, and those who practice the arts of technology seem unusually adept at avoiding the effects of magic and psionics. Nor can you deny that, even if you wanted to avoid being drafted, where would you go? The Coldlands has taken control of all ports, both of sea and of air; there is nowhere to run to, other than to Ashk - and if you're not of the magical persuasion, there is little incentive to do so.
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Game Information
I plan on running a campaign that is roughly parallel to my other game, the Psionicle. As such, I'd prefer that players from the Psionicle campaign not attempt to join in on this game, and vice versa (if the opportunity arose); there is too much temptation for metagaming there. Besides, it helps improve the idea that the world is alive: the two groups may even meet, at one point.
I'm looking for several (4-6) people to join this game. I have no particular preference for new players or veterans, role-players or roll-players; though I do prefer that you have basic RPing skills, you don't need to come up with a unique character concept!
Basic spelling and grammatical skills with English are a must.
This campaign will focus primarily on the characters, with the background that of the Coldlands War; events in the war will affect the characters, and vice-versa. Also pay attention to the calendar, which may be important in time-sensitive ventures - this world uses its own custom calendar, which will be posted later.
Last, but not least: the world is alive and real. I don't mean that in a literal sense, but in a figurative sense. When your character does something, it happens, and NPCs and the environment will react accordingly. NPCs aren't cardboard cutouts - they have their own motivations, goals, and skills; nor is the environment just a backdrop: weather will adversely affect you. Also, do realize this: when your character makes a choice, you make a choice. If I offer you a hook and you refuse to take it, I won't force you to. I try to give you as much free will as is humanly possible and still keep the game cohesive. NPCs may order you to do something (this is a war, after all), but that doesn't mean that you have to comply - but recognize that noncompliance does hold penalties.
Also, one quick note - if you have a question about the world, ask me! I don't have a central, easily-accessible place online where you can find everything, and I'm not organized enough for that to be true, anyway. The more questions you ask, the more the world grows and matures, and that's a good thing all around. This is especially important for character background - I know I haven't provided a whole lot in terms of geography and whatnot, so feel free to ask! My email address is korey at nandgate dot com (replacing "at" and "dot", of course
).
Books Used
The core 3 books are used. Also, you will need the XPH to interact with psionics, as well as a ruleset I have developed to use technology (characters who are technological in nature will get the portions of the ruleset that are completed).
In addition, I will sometimes use material from the following: Dragons 294-321, BoEM, BoVD, Minis HB, Complete Warrior, Unearthed Arcana, Arcana Unearthed, WarCraft: Magic & Mayhem, DragonMech, Eberron, Dragonlance CS, Relics & Rituals (I and II), Creature Collection (I and II), Traps and Treachery (I and II), Sorcery & Steam, FLCS, Magic of Faerun, Sword and Fist, Tome and Blood, Masters of the Wild, Defenders of the Faith, Song and Silence, Stronghold Builder's Guide, Manual of the Planes, Oriental Adventures, Deities and Demigods, ELH, Savage Species, Ghostwalk, Arms and Equipment Guide.
I also use information from the Mind's Eye at the WotC site.
If you're interested in using information (be it a feat, skill, or PrC) from a source, please identify what it is, a quick summary of it, and where it can be found; the more specific you can be, the better. Please note that I'm a typically reasonable person and will usually accept anything that is reasonable and within the bounds of the world (ie, if it doesn't fit my idea of the world, I probably won't allow it unless you can give me a darn good reason).
Character Creation
For character creation, you have 32 points to use in a point buy. While this may seem like a lot, it isn't when you consider that I also use Perception. Perception is a seventh ability score that modifies your character's ability to sense his environment.
Perception affects the following:
-- Attack rolls with firearms.
-- Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
-- Low-light vision (Per modifier is added to LLV multiplier) and Darkvision (Per modifier x 10 is added to Darkvision).
A character starts at 3rd level with standard gold for a starting 3rd level character, as per the DMG.
All characters should have some kind of backstory. It can be short and sweet, or long and involved; while I prefer the latter, I know that that can sometimes be a pain with so little world information provided.
Races
The following are the available races.
Artilect: A thinking machine. Based off of the analytical engine, artilects were developed through the introduction of "evolutionary mathematics," wherein mathematical functions were used that emulated evolutionary trends (if you are wondering, yes, evolution is sometimes believed in the world; however, the theory is still quite young, and specifics are hard to come by).
Artilects are thinking machines, plain and simple. They are logical in all things; however, they are capable of upgrading themselves, and the "young" they produce are typically more capable than an average human in many areas.
(If someone is interested in playing an artilect, I'll post the race specifics in a later post.)
Dwarf, Barag: When the people of the Coldlands prospered, the dwarves of the mountains in the north became interested; for many years, they had been the only source of technology in the world. They came south and settled in the mountains in the western Coldlands, naming them the Barag Mountains. Dwarves from the Barag mountains are familiar with most modern technology.
Barag Dwarves are no different than typical dwarves; however, their favored class is Technologist, as opposed to Fighter.
Gnome, Urilaulri: Almost four hundred years ago, the gnomes feared the dragons of the world. Capable of drawing on the knowledge of the world's collective consciousness, they used this ability to construct a flying city, which they called Urilaulri: Auran for "City of Air." They fled to the clouds of the world, hiding from the dragons and destroying them with guns so advanced that no other race would invent anything similar for at least a hundred years.
Since their time in the sky, some Urilaulri gnomes have come down to the surface in small airships, curious as to what the rest of the world is like. They are focused on the collective knowledge of the world.
Urilaulri Gnomes are slightly different from typical gnomes. Instead of spells, they get one use/day of the akashic's Skill Memory ability; this stacks with any uses they may gain from the akashic class. The Urilaulri gnome's favored class is Akashic, as opposed to Bard.
Gremlin: Where there is technology, there are the gremlins. Gremlins are a distant cousin of goblins, and are part of the goblinoid family; however, they share none of that group's tendencies: instead, they are devoted to gaining knowledge. Gremlins posess unusually keen intellects, and are capable of learning about technology at a rate that is alarming. They typically live in junkyards and scrap-heaps where they cobble together devices from discarded parts.
(If someone is interested in playing a gremlin, I'll post the race specifics in a later post.)
Halfling, Coldlander: Long ago, halflings were nomadic tribes travelling across vast plains; they had a rich oral culture and, once they encountered other races, a rich written history. Their race gave rise to the art known as gunslinging, and the first gunslinger in known history was a halfling; also, halflings were renowned rangers, a highly useful skill in their way of life. However, the halflings have since become divided into five distinct cultural groups.
Coldlander Halflings are those that have a knack for urban life. They have taken their tribal ideas and converted it into that of a city; the city itself is part of their group, and they respect a city as they would nature. They also typically form a bond with their hometown, similar to the bond that normal people have with their hometown but on a stronger level.
Coldlander Halflings do not differ from standard halflings; however, they have Urban Ranger as their favored class, rather than Rogue.
Halfling, Lowlander: Similar to the Coldlander Halflings, the Lowlander Halflings, however, came to live in a nation that was absorbed by Ashk, called Dralin. They are named Lowlander for the depressions that are common in Dralin.
Lowlander Halflings are typically more stealthy than others of their kind, and as the typical halfling faith espouses the downfall of Ashk, many are rebels and therefore more careful. Some even cross over into the Coldlands Territory, in order to gain an edge in technology (which is illegal in Ashk).
Lowlander Halflings do not differ from standard halflings; their favored class is unchanged.
Human: Humans make up the bulk of the Coldlands population. The humans of the Coldlands are an ingenious people, devoted to the ideas of freedom (as they had been oppressed under the Ashkians) as well as innovation (why they rebelled in the first place). New ideas are always welcome among them, and freedom of information is something that is always expected.
There are humans present that are from other cultures, and they vary as much as real-world humans do.
Humans do not differ from standard humans.
Orc, Coldlands: If it were not for the orcs, the people of the Coldlands may not have made it through their trek to the place where Mechanicus would be founded. Since then, orcs have been commonly accepted throughout the populace.
Coldlands Orcs are a particular subrace of orc that is common in the Coldlands; normal orcs are all but unheard of. Coldlands Orcs tend to be much more cunning then their brutish cousins, but they are also of smaller stature.
Coldlands Orcs have a +2 bonus to Strength and a -2 penalty to Wisdom and Charisma; these are in place of standard orc racial bonuses and penalties. Coldlands Orcs have Inventor as a favored class, as opposed to Barbarian.
Tiefling: During the War of the Illusionist, it is said that the extraplanar warrior who appeared to assist Kalrios Dilark and his fellows against Kotrit Wayveri also happened to bring his children. One of them, Kali, was a child of light and dark; she became trapped in this world, and gave rise to children of her own, children that betrayed their dark nature much more easily than she. They became known as Kali's Children, or Tieflings.
Tieflings are not common, but they are found throughout the Coldlands and Ashk.
Tieflings do not differ from standard tieflings. However, they have Assassin as a favored class, as opposed to Rogue.
Classes
The following are the available classes.
Akashic: Masters of memory, they draw upon collective knowledge to accomplish tasks they were never trained for.
Assassin: An expert at dealing death, the assassin is accomplished in killing in a single blow and is trained in the use and craf of poison.
Barbarian: A ferocious warrior who uses fury and instinct to bring foes down.
Cleric: A master of divine magic and a capable warrior as well.
Fighter: A warrior with exceptional combat capability and unequaled skill with weapons.
Gunslinger: A wielder of firearms whose skill with weapons of the new age is unequaled.
Inventor: An insightful builder who crafts devices more by intuition than theory.
Medic: A professional well-versed in the physiology of most common races who can heal without the need for a deity.
Technologist: A well-trained student of the laws of the world who uses physics to produce fantastic effects.
Rogue: A tricky, skillful scout and spy who wins the battle by stealth rahter than brute force.
Unfettered: Wild yet skillful, the unfettered are masters of derring-do and a blur of precision in combat. Their allies are speed and prowess rather than heavy armor and brute force.
Urban Ranger: A cunning, skilled warrior of the urban jungle.
If you're interested in a class whose stats you're unsure of, please post that you're interested and I'll have the pertinent information up as soon as possible.
Also note that the technology ruleset will be sent out to the players involved once all the players are finalized. There are things in there that will affect all characters involved, regardless of race or class; such as gun rules. If you are interested in playing a technological class, feel free to ask about them, but I won't give very specific answers until I ship out the ruleset.
The Forces
Beyond all else, the defining point of the world is the interaction of the three forces. These three forces are magic, psionics, and technology.
Definitions
Magic breaks the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Psionics bends the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Technology uses the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Divine magic isn't Magic; it is not subject to SR or other effects. Divine magic is called Magic because this is what it most resembled when it was first encountered; it is more a product of ignorance than an actual description of what is occuring.
There are also several other 'minor' forces, such as the Blue (which is what akashics draw upon) and the Void (the antithesis of creation). These are typically outside the standard force architecture and are not affected by things that affect the normal Forces. These minor forces are almost never referred to as actual forces by people who are aware of them.
Interactions
A character with a caster level has PR and TR both equal to 5 + caster level.
A character with a manifester level has SR and TR both equal to 5 + manifester level.
A character with a student level has SR and PR both equal to 5 + student level.
The resistances gained due to class are inherent resistance and can never be lowered, even voluntarily. In addition, a character with resistance to a force he is trying to use (ie, trying to cast a spell when having SR from a force-resistant class), the character must overcome his inherent resistance in order for the effect to be successful.
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I think that about covers it. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
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Roughly a century ago, the rebel Fortang Diaclo and his army of farmers, equipped with a variety of technological wonders, marched on Alistar, the capital of the magocratic empire of Ashk. For a week they laid siege to the city, until the wizards finally gave in and offered them a truce: go north to the lands called the Coldlands Territory, settle there with your infernal technology, and we will let you live in peace.
Diaclo and his followers accepted; thus did the Diaclo Revolution end in the creation of the nation of the Coldlands Territory. Only a few months after the capital of Mechanicus was founded, they returned to the border of their land and the Ashkian Empire and constructed a massive wall: they named it the Coldlands Wall, and it stretched from shore to shore, covering over a thousand miles of land.
However, the mages of Ashk were bitter; they did not give in lightly, and many still regret that decision. Since that day that Diaclo led his army away from Alistar, the elves have plotted his downfall and the destruction of the technology he has created.
-----
Life was not easy in the Coldlands. They were named aptly enough; the entire landscape was ice and snow, with little to make it liveable. Rumor has it that the necromancer Kotrit Wayveri, many centuries ago in the War of the Illusionist, used a spell beyond mortal comprehension to lay waste to the northern tip of Ashk to prepare it for his skeletal armies.
Regardless of what caused it, the Coldlands is a frigid, barren place; little grows there, and only the northern-most tip, where the capital city of Mechanicus was founded, has soil soft enough to be capable of growing food in.
However, the trek to the place that would become Mechanicus was not an easy one; thousands of miles of ice and snow confronted the peasants, who numbered only a few thousand strong. They found help in the Coldlands Orcs, a breed of orc that was slightly smaller but more cunning than those normally encountered. They had an interest in the shiny metal gadgets the farmers brought with them; they traded secrets on living through the cold for technology. Since then, they have become part of Coldlands life, accepted throughout the social structure without exception; if not for them, most of the inhabitants of the Coldlands would not exist today.
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In the last few years, Fortang grew ill. The technocracy that had grown up around him slowly lost the pretenses of democracy it once had, as that, too, was part of Fortang's dream - however, with the history of the Coldlands people, it is no wonder that the technologically-inclined become leaders among the people. Fortang was the only central figure, a man who managed to bind the people together to a common cause; his strength flagged, and none seemed to be willing to take his place.
Then, suddenly, Fortang died; a few short months before the start of the new year, the entire political structure of the Coldlands fell to shambles. Rumor spread like wildfire; the worst of which was that the Ashkians were planning an assault on the vulnerable nation, their mages and sorcerers raining fiery death down upon the southern cities along the wall.
Miraculously, unbidden, one man - a dwarf, to be particular - rose above the storm and calmed the giddy techno-aristocrats. He was known as Tristam; in the years since the Diaclo Revolution, he had raised a group known as the Coldlands Weaponry Company, which produced a wide variety of weaponry for the military as well as for civillians.
Tristam had served as the ambassador to Kahasal, a psionic nation in the west, for several years; he knew the political scene of the Coldlands well enough. Surprisingly enough, none questioned his sudden rule; if someone had, surely the Coldlands would have fallen into anarchial chaos by now. But they all follow his rule, much as they had the rule of Diaclo; in many ways, the two are similar.
However, Tristam knows that something is amiss. Diaclo had sent him to Kahasal in the last few weeks before his death, telling him to acquire help from the psionic nation against the empire that is Ashk. Tristam isn't certain what Diaclo feared, but he knows that, if Diaclo believed that Ashk was now a threat while it had lain dormant for almost a century, it must be true.
Tristam has told his people this. He believes that the Ashkians are a threat now, a threat that must be dealt with; however, he knows that he, along with the people of the Coldlands, can cope with whatever the Ashkians can throw against the Coldlands Wall.
Of course, the threat of military action means that the Coldlands must mobilize. While almost every person living in the Coldlands is capable of using a gun and is therefore useful in the military, there are some among the populace who have skills that many lack, skills that would be useful in a war against an all-powerful magical empire.
They are called adventurers.
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You are an adventurer. Your reason for being in the Coldlands - whether it be a simple visit to a relative, a "vacation" from another nation where you may have raised the ire of the government, or that the Coldlands is your home - is irrelevant; the leader the people simply call Tristam is in charge now, and he has decreed that all who have the skill must serve the Coldlands. It is irrelevant that such a decree may or may not go against the general lawmaking policy of the Coldlands, a vaguely democratic nation - this is war, and in war, laws and policies change.
Even if you do want to resist conscription, to what end would you do so? Rumor has it that the Ashkians plan on destroying not just the Coldlands, but also Kahasal - which may prove a very simple, disturbing fact: the Ashkians are out to destroy the other forces. The forces of psionics and technology, anathema to each other and to magic; but without the balance of the three - magic, psionics, technology - the world would fall into chaos.
Yet others say the universe will cease to be, should any of the three forces fall.
Even if you choose not to believe in such make-believe claptrap, you cannot deny that the three forces react violently to one another: neither spell nor power functions well in the Coldlands, and those who practice the arts of technology seem unusually adept at avoiding the effects of magic and psionics. Nor can you deny that, even if you wanted to avoid being drafted, where would you go? The Coldlands has taken control of all ports, both of sea and of air; there is nowhere to run to, other than to Ashk - and if you're not of the magical persuasion, there is little incentive to do so.
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Game Information
I plan on running a campaign that is roughly parallel to my other game, the Psionicle. As such, I'd prefer that players from the Psionicle campaign not attempt to join in on this game, and vice versa (if the opportunity arose); there is too much temptation for metagaming there. Besides, it helps improve the idea that the world is alive: the two groups may even meet, at one point.
I'm looking for several (4-6) people to join this game. I have no particular preference for new players or veterans, role-players or roll-players; though I do prefer that you have basic RPing skills, you don't need to come up with a unique character concept!
Basic spelling and grammatical skills with English are a must.
This campaign will focus primarily on the characters, with the background that of the Coldlands War; events in the war will affect the characters, and vice-versa. Also pay attention to the calendar, which may be important in time-sensitive ventures - this world uses its own custom calendar, which will be posted later.
Last, but not least: the world is alive and real. I don't mean that in a literal sense, but in a figurative sense. When your character does something, it happens, and NPCs and the environment will react accordingly. NPCs aren't cardboard cutouts - they have their own motivations, goals, and skills; nor is the environment just a backdrop: weather will adversely affect you. Also, do realize this: when your character makes a choice, you make a choice. If I offer you a hook and you refuse to take it, I won't force you to. I try to give you as much free will as is humanly possible and still keep the game cohesive. NPCs may order you to do something (this is a war, after all), but that doesn't mean that you have to comply - but recognize that noncompliance does hold penalties.
Also, one quick note - if you have a question about the world, ask me! I don't have a central, easily-accessible place online where you can find everything, and I'm not organized enough for that to be true, anyway. The more questions you ask, the more the world grows and matures, and that's a good thing all around. This is especially important for character background - I know I haven't provided a whole lot in terms of geography and whatnot, so feel free to ask! My email address is korey at nandgate dot com (replacing "at" and "dot", of course
).Books Used
The core 3 books are used. Also, you will need the XPH to interact with psionics, as well as a ruleset I have developed to use technology (characters who are technological in nature will get the portions of the ruleset that are completed).
In addition, I will sometimes use material from the following: Dragons 294-321, BoEM, BoVD, Minis HB, Complete Warrior, Unearthed Arcana, Arcana Unearthed, WarCraft: Magic & Mayhem, DragonMech, Eberron, Dragonlance CS, Relics & Rituals (I and II), Creature Collection (I and II), Traps and Treachery (I and II), Sorcery & Steam, FLCS, Magic of Faerun, Sword and Fist, Tome and Blood, Masters of the Wild, Defenders of the Faith, Song and Silence, Stronghold Builder's Guide, Manual of the Planes, Oriental Adventures, Deities and Demigods, ELH, Savage Species, Ghostwalk, Arms and Equipment Guide.
I also use information from the Mind's Eye at the WotC site.
If you're interested in using information (be it a feat, skill, or PrC) from a source, please identify what it is, a quick summary of it, and where it can be found; the more specific you can be, the better. Please note that I'm a typically reasonable person and will usually accept anything that is reasonable and within the bounds of the world (ie, if it doesn't fit my idea of the world, I probably won't allow it unless you can give me a darn good reason).
Character Creation
For character creation, you have 32 points to use in a point buy. While this may seem like a lot, it isn't when you consider that I also use Perception. Perception is a seventh ability score that modifies your character's ability to sense his environment.
Perception affects the following:
-- Attack rolls with firearms.
-- Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
-- Low-light vision (Per modifier is added to LLV multiplier) and Darkvision (Per modifier x 10 is added to Darkvision).
A character starts at 3rd level with standard gold for a starting 3rd level character, as per the DMG.
All characters should have some kind of backstory. It can be short and sweet, or long and involved; while I prefer the latter, I know that that can sometimes be a pain with so little world information provided.
Races
The following are the available races.
Code:
[color=white][b]Race Subraces[/b]
Artilect
Dwarf Barag
Gnome Urilaulri
Gremlin
Halfling Coldlander, Lowlander
Human
Orc Coldlands
Tiefling[/color]Artilect: A thinking machine. Based off of the analytical engine, artilects were developed through the introduction of "evolutionary mathematics," wherein mathematical functions were used that emulated evolutionary trends (if you are wondering, yes, evolution is sometimes believed in the world; however, the theory is still quite young, and specifics are hard to come by).
Artilects are thinking machines, plain and simple. They are logical in all things; however, they are capable of upgrading themselves, and the "young" they produce are typically more capable than an average human in many areas.
(If someone is interested in playing an artilect, I'll post the race specifics in a later post.)
Dwarf, Barag: When the people of the Coldlands prospered, the dwarves of the mountains in the north became interested; for many years, they had been the only source of technology in the world. They came south and settled in the mountains in the western Coldlands, naming them the Barag Mountains. Dwarves from the Barag mountains are familiar with most modern technology.
Barag Dwarves are no different than typical dwarves; however, their favored class is Technologist, as opposed to Fighter.
Gnome, Urilaulri: Almost four hundred years ago, the gnomes feared the dragons of the world. Capable of drawing on the knowledge of the world's collective consciousness, they used this ability to construct a flying city, which they called Urilaulri: Auran for "City of Air." They fled to the clouds of the world, hiding from the dragons and destroying them with guns so advanced that no other race would invent anything similar for at least a hundred years.
Since their time in the sky, some Urilaulri gnomes have come down to the surface in small airships, curious as to what the rest of the world is like. They are focused on the collective knowledge of the world.
Urilaulri Gnomes are slightly different from typical gnomes. Instead of spells, they get one use/day of the akashic's Skill Memory ability; this stacks with any uses they may gain from the akashic class. The Urilaulri gnome's favored class is Akashic, as opposed to Bard.
Gremlin: Where there is technology, there are the gremlins. Gremlins are a distant cousin of goblins, and are part of the goblinoid family; however, they share none of that group's tendencies: instead, they are devoted to gaining knowledge. Gremlins posess unusually keen intellects, and are capable of learning about technology at a rate that is alarming. They typically live in junkyards and scrap-heaps where they cobble together devices from discarded parts.
(If someone is interested in playing a gremlin, I'll post the race specifics in a later post.)
Halfling, Coldlander: Long ago, halflings were nomadic tribes travelling across vast plains; they had a rich oral culture and, once they encountered other races, a rich written history. Their race gave rise to the art known as gunslinging, and the first gunslinger in known history was a halfling; also, halflings were renowned rangers, a highly useful skill in their way of life. However, the halflings have since become divided into five distinct cultural groups.
Coldlander Halflings are those that have a knack for urban life. They have taken their tribal ideas and converted it into that of a city; the city itself is part of their group, and they respect a city as they would nature. They also typically form a bond with their hometown, similar to the bond that normal people have with their hometown but on a stronger level.
Coldlander Halflings do not differ from standard halflings; however, they have Urban Ranger as their favored class, rather than Rogue.
Halfling, Lowlander: Similar to the Coldlander Halflings, the Lowlander Halflings, however, came to live in a nation that was absorbed by Ashk, called Dralin. They are named Lowlander for the depressions that are common in Dralin.
Lowlander Halflings are typically more stealthy than others of their kind, and as the typical halfling faith espouses the downfall of Ashk, many are rebels and therefore more careful. Some even cross over into the Coldlands Territory, in order to gain an edge in technology (which is illegal in Ashk).
Lowlander Halflings do not differ from standard halflings; their favored class is unchanged.
Human: Humans make up the bulk of the Coldlands population. The humans of the Coldlands are an ingenious people, devoted to the ideas of freedom (as they had been oppressed under the Ashkians) as well as innovation (why they rebelled in the first place). New ideas are always welcome among them, and freedom of information is something that is always expected.
There are humans present that are from other cultures, and they vary as much as real-world humans do.
Humans do not differ from standard humans.
Orc, Coldlands: If it were not for the orcs, the people of the Coldlands may not have made it through their trek to the place where Mechanicus would be founded. Since then, orcs have been commonly accepted throughout the populace.
Coldlands Orcs are a particular subrace of orc that is common in the Coldlands; normal orcs are all but unheard of. Coldlands Orcs tend to be much more cunning then their brutish cousins, but they are also of smaller stature.
Coldlands Orcs have a +2 bonus to Strength and a -2 penalty to Wisdom and Charisma; these are in place of standard orc racial bonuses and penalties. Coldlands Orcs have Inventor as a favored class, as opposed to Barbarian.
Tiefling: During the War of the Illusionist, it is said that the extraplanar warrior who appeared to assist Kalrios Dilark and his fellows against Kotrit Wayveri also happened to bring his children. One of them, Kali, was a child of light and dark; she became trapped in this world, and gave rise to children of her own, children that betrayed their dark nature much more easily than she. They became known as Kali's Children, or Tieflings.
Tieflings are not common, but they are found throughout the Coldlands and Ashk.
Tieflings do not differ from standard tieflings. However, they have Assassin as a favored class, as opposed to Rogue.
Classes
The following are the available classes.
Code:
[color=white][b]CLASS FAVORED BY SOURCE(1)[/b]
Akashic Gnome AU
Assassin Tiefling Custom
Barbarian PH
Cleric PH
Fighter PH
Gunslinger Tech
Inventor Orc, Gremlin Tech
Medic Tech
Technologist Artilect, Dwarf Tech
Rogue Halfling (Lowlander) PH
Unfettered AU
Urban Ranger Halfling (Coldlander) MotW
1) Abbrevations Explained
AU: Arcana Unearthed
Custom: A custom class written independent of other material
PH: Player's Handbook, 3.5
Tech: Technology Ruleset
MotW: Masters of the Wild, 3e[/color]Akashic: Masters of memory, they draw upon collective knowledge to accomplish tasks they were never trained for.
Assassin: An expert at dealing death, the assassin is accomplished in killing in a single blow and is trained in the use and craf of poison.
Barbarian: A ferocious warrior who uses fury and instinct to bring foes down.
Cleric: A master of divine magic and a capable warrior as well.
Fighter: A warrior with exceptional combat capability and unequaled skill with weapons.
Gunslinger: A wielder of firearms whose skill with weapons of the new age is unequaled.
Inventor: An insightful builder who crafts devices more by intuition than theory.
Medic: A professional well-versed in the physiology of most common races who can heal without the need for a deity.
Technologist: A well-trained student of the laws of the world who uses physics to produce fantastic effects.
Rogue: A tricky, skillful scout and spy who wins the battle by stealth rahter than brute force.
Unfettered: Wild yet skillful, the unfettered are masters of derring-do and a blur of precision in combat. Their allies are speed and prowess rather than heavy armor and brute force.
Urban Ranger: A cunning, skilled warrior of the urban jungle.
If you're interested in a class whose stats you're unsure of, please post that you're interested and I'll have the pertinent information up as soon as possible.
Also note that the technology ruleset will be sent out to the players involved once all the players are finalized. There are things in there that will affect all characters involved, regardless of race or class; such as gun rules. If you are interested in playing a technological class, feel free to ask about them, but I won't give very specific answers until I ship out the ruleset.
The Forces
Beyond all else, the defining point of the world is the interaction of the three forces. These three forces are magic, psionics, and technology.
Definitions
Magic breaks the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Psionics bends the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Technology uses the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Divine magic isn't Magic; it is not subject to SR or other effects. Divine magic is called Magic because this is what it most resembled when it was first encountered; it is more a product of ignorance than an actual description of what is occuring.
There are also several other 'minor' forces, such as the Blue (which is what akashics draw upon) and the Void (the antithesis of creation). These are typically outside the standard force architecture and are not affected by things that affect the normal Forces. These minor forces are almost never referred to as actual forces by people who are aware of them.
Interactions
A character with a caster level has PR and TR both equal to 5 + caster level.
A character with a manifester level has SR and TR both equal to 5 + manifester level.
A character with a student level has SR and PR both equal to 5 + student level.
The resistances gained due to class are inherent resistance and can never be lowered, even voluntarily. In addition, a character with resistance to a force he is trying to use (ie, trying to cast a spell when having SR from a force-resistant class), the character must overcome his inherent resistance in order for the effect to be successful.
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I think that about covers it. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
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