[OOC] Shamutanti Hills - psi/gng [3/4]

-- PLAYERS --

Bendyn Norath, male human warrior psion of Analand (Fighter1/Psion3)
* played by Scotley
Arn 'Jack' Jackal, male human Wild man of the forest (Barbarian1/Sorcerer2/Fighter1)
* played by Hypersmurf
Unnamed, adamantine golum (psychi warrior 3)
* played by Bloodweaver1
Casparan Atavar, male human Warrior Priest of Courga (Soul Knife 4).
* created by Sado, now an NPC.

The ic thread is open.

Introduction and Generation

-- INTRODUCTION --

I've been wanting to try out the psionic rules, and the recent discovery of a copy of the Steve Jackson's Sorcery! 1: Shamutanti Hills in a second hand shop has provided me with a fairly quick and dirty way to do it.

These familier with the series will know that book on only take you some of the way. I'll deal with that problem if we ever get that far. Basically, at the moment I'm treating this as a bit of a one shot adventure.

BTW, being familier with the series is not a bar to entry, so long as you can maintain the distinction between what you know and what your character does.​

I wouldn't get too attached to the characters. I'm going to be using Ken Hood's Grim and Gritty Revised Rules* and the encounters pretty much out of the book as is. Which means some of the encounters may be ridiculously easy, but some may not. There may be the odd UCK or TPK. However, it shouldn't be too hard to insert new characters.

* the gng rules are hosted in the ENWorld downloads section. There is also a gng thread in the House Rules forum. Links to the rules can be found in the first post.​

I'm only looking to run a small group of characters, say a maximum of 4. Slots will be granted on the basis of completed characters rather than expressions of interest.

I work off the 3.5SRD. Please keep to whats in there. The default answer is No. The psionic classes section of the excellent online 3.5SRD by Solvelior & Sage can be found here.

Oh yeah, before I forget, no coloured text please. I'm British.

-- CHARACTER GENERATION --

28 point buy
Core PHB races.
* (no psionic races as I'd like to keep this as simple as possible).
Psionic classes + Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, Rogue.
* (ie, the non-spellcasting classes. )
3rd level.
Max 1st starting gold x 7.
* (I'll generate some psionic/magic items once the basic character concepts are sorted.)

SIDEBAR: ON THE GODS

First and above all is the mother godess, the Earth, Gaia. The beginning and end of all things. Around her circle her two consorts - the Sun, Solar, and Moon, Lunar. They rise from their resting place in the east and enter the mother godess in the west at the end of each pass across the heavens. And from these unions were born all the other forces of the world - the winds, the waves, the tides, the season and the storms. Each of them children of the earth, gods themselves, their numbers almost uncountable.

Solar is revered as the giver of strength and vigour. Lunar is revered as the giver of intellect and wisdom.

Long ago, in the golden age, the Sun and the Moon crossed the skys at will. But in each was a small wyrm of jealousy for the attention given to the other by the Earth. Each of the consorts attempted to undermine the devotion to the other. The Moon touched the world with fear and doubt and The Sun with rage and cruelty. When the Earth discovered what had been done, she was angered. But as she was about to purge the world of these things, she noticed that not all mortals submitted to them and the spirit light that burned in those that struggled was brighter than that she had ever seen before. The mortals had been granted, she realised, a blessing, although it was a harsh one.

But she could not let the actions of her consorts go unpunished. So she summed them to her and commanded them to march a fixed path across the skys as a sign of their eternal obedience to her. Should they ever deviate, she would distroy them. And so from that day forth they did as commanded they did as commanded because they new that the Earth did not threaten, and while she was loving, she was not forgiving.

But the a small wyrm of jealousy remained within both them. So both the Sun and the Moon secretly summoned the dragons to them. Solar offered them great strength and power in return for taking the gift of fire and metal working to his followers. With it they could build weapons and grow strong. Lunar offered knowlegde and wisdom in return for taking the gift of the White Mind, the ability to manipulate the Flux, to his followers so with it they could grow strong.

Once again the Earth found out. Without a word she commanded the sun to withdraw for six months and the moon to turn his face every month in order that each could contemplate his weakness. At the sense of loss each felt at the isolation during their period of banishment each was overcome with remorse. They realised that the next time they erred would be their last. Both knelt before the Earth and begged her to help them overcome the wyrm with them. The earth just smiled and told them they had to tear it out themselves. Both paled at the thought, wondering if they had the courage. But both found it and ripped out the wyrm from within. The Earth commanded them to throw it down to the ground. Both were horrified at idea of what would result from such an action. The Earth just watched them in silence. Knowing that they failed her twice, the sun and the moon did as they had been told.

Purged of their wyrms, the Earth allowed them to return to the heavens where they were told to watch over the people of the surface and help them to overcome their own wyrms as they themselves had.

Initial Post here: [sblock]Been (rather unsucessfully) doodling around with a Gnome Psion. I find myself feeling that I'm stuck in a rut with character generation. On the other hand, I've been getting a real kick out of playing 'abandoned' characters recently. Perhaps I should post around and see if anyone has a character already rolled up.

Anyway, on a more relevent note, it doesn't look like there is much interest in this. Pity. I can't help but thinking it might be fun to run. A little weird, but fun. I'll leave it open til the end of the week just in case.

the head of the dog[/sblock]

SIDEBAR: ON LIFE IN THE OLD WORLD

Society is ordered largely around the family clans. There is about a dozen or so in Analand, and most people claim membership of one of them. The heads of the clans are most powerful nobility of the Kingdom. Each clan claims part of Analand as its own. Honour and loyalty are the two foundations of society.

Life is mostly pastorial and agrarian. A wise clan head knows as much about farming and breeding as he does fighting. Wealth is measured in heads of cattle and sheep and acreage of forest as much as it is gold and silver. The latter being more for displaying wealth. Who can eat gold when times are tough?

One option for character's is to be a son or close cousin of one of the clan heads, starting to come into your own as a man and a warrior {1}. But not yet with a name of your own (in other words, still often known as so-n-so, son of such-n-such.) As such, you will be aproached by the head of the clan, or one close to him if he is not in the city, to undertake this mission.

Bonus skill: Prof/agriculture: 4 ranks.

Another is the Stone Guard. The Stone Guard carry the responsibilty of protecting the stone, and they move when it does every four years. While a presitigious, it is not particularly interesting. There has been no threats to the Stone since mad Morrissy attempted to keep it after his four years were up. Well, there was that group of bandits that attacked the caravan last year, but they really didn't seem to be aware of what it was they had bitten off, until it was too late.

The Stone guard is made up of men from all five of the kingdoms. Anyone may apply, regardless of birth or station. Most of the Stone Guard are of young men of good families looking seeking political advantage, or of poor families looking to get a start in the world, and honoured veteren warriors happy enough to see another quiet day. But not all of them. The veterens are amoung some of the finest warriors in the five kingdoms, and many join for a year or two learn from them. And they have a reputation for being tough masters.

The Stone Guard are an anomally in one way. Upon initiation, each member vows to put the Stone above all loyalities to family and King. They are not to take up the sword the for any purpose other than to protect the stone (or themselves, obviously). The wisdom of this policy was proved when Mad King Morrissey made his bid for the Stone.

Bonus Skill: Know/nobility and royalty: 4 ranks

{1} the term warrior also includes psions of a martial bent in common usage.

Initial Post here: [sblock]Oh well. Who is the saddest bitch in a box?

I think that its time to put this one out of its misery. Given that everythig else was fairly Core, it looks like its going to a challenge to get another game going unless I'm willing to live with HP's. Perhaps its time to put plans to start a new game to rest.

the head of the dog.[/sblock]

I just saw this one, and if it's not too late I'd be interested in it. I'm a big FF fan. I'd love to try my hand as a Monk from Demonkeep in Ruddlestone maybe. Or if that's too exotic just an Analander Fighter.

If you can find a couple others I'd love to take a crack at it.

The Demonkeep in Ruddlestone?

Sado, I suspect that you know more about the Sorecery! series than I do. I think that I have done the whole series, but that was years ago. At the moment I only have the first book with me.

Monks are cool. But any interest in a psychic warrior? I'd really like to give the psionics a work out, so if your willing to go with a psionic class (it doesn't have to be psychic warrior), I'm willing to run it solo.

I don't have any psionic books, and I am totally unfamiliar with the rules. Never even seen them (well, I've seen the books in the store, but never read them).

And Demonkeep wasn't in sorcery, but was part of the larger Fighting Fantasy setting of Titan, the world in which Sorcery takes place. advancedfightingfantasy.com has a good bit of background and setting material if you're interested.

Thanks Sado, I'll look the site some time this weekend.

I don't have the psionic books either, I use the Sovelior_Sage online 3.5SRD here. Nor have I ever used the psionic rules before, which is the reason for this game.

So if you're interested in giving it a try, let me know.

Ok, let me look over the psionics stuff and see if I can get the hang of it. I'm pulling overtime all weekend but I should be able to read it over.

I'll also need to look over the gng rules.

Sounds good. I'll get off my butt and put some links in the second post.

The gng rules are fairly short and sweet. It won't take more than 30 minutes to get your head around. The biggest impact in my other game has been that CON & Toughness have become more popular (they determin your SOAK value along with armour.)

thotd