[OOC Thread] Pint Sized Sword & Sorcery (House Rules)

A world of wonder, awe, and mystery. A wicked dragon rules over his domain. A mysterious forest who swallows travellers. A kingdom under seige, from outside and from within. Powerful magic that is seeped into the very stones of the land.

Theives and Kings. Sword and Sorcery. A Princess in Durance Vile.

And not one of you has reached puberty.

EXPERIMENTAL GAME: WARNING- RULES MAY CHANGE MID GAME (after discussion between players and DM of course)
HEAVILY BASED OFF OF HOUSE RULES

Read this thread for the basics of what I'm attempting. All characters must be roughly half their race's "minimum age" (I'll allow a character to be older if another player agrees to be older)

Character Creation (experimental)

Standard Point Buy.
Multiply each stat by (Your Age)/(Minimum Race Age)

So if you put 18 points into int, and your character is a Human aged 8, multiply 18*(8/16)=9

Next, choose your class:

Bright (Wizard Equivelent)
Int +4, Cha -2
----------
Class Skills: Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Forgery (Int), Knowledge (Any) (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha)
Prohibited Skills: Alchemy, Animal Empathy, Climb, Concentration, Heal, Open Lock, Read Lips, Profession, Tumble
Skill Points: 2 + int modifier, 1d2 + int modifier every 100xp thereafter
Becomes Wizard Level 1 at 1000xp.


Caring (Cleric Equivelent)
Cha +2, Wis +2, Con -2
----------
Class Skills: Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Animal Empathy (Cha), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Any) (Int)
Prohibited Skills: Concentration, Decipher Script, Forgery, Intimidate, Open Lock, Read Lips, Pick Pocket, Profession, Scry, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Skill Points: 2 + int modifier, 1d2 + int modifier every 100xp thereafter
Becomes Cleric Level 1 at 1000xp.


Prankster (Rogue Equivelent)
Dex +2, Wis +2, Cha -2
----------
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Move Silently (Dex)
Prohibited Skills: Alchemy, Animal Empathy, Concentration, Heal, Open Lock, Profession, Scry, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Skill Points: 4 + int modifier, 1d4 + int modifier every 100xp thereafter
Becomes Rogue Level 1 at 1000xp.

Exclusive Feat: Set Trap

Roughhouser (Fighter Equivelent)
Str +2, Con +2, Int -4
----------
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Jump (Str), Swim (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Tumble (Dex)
Prohibited Skills: Alchemy, Animal Empathy, Concentration, Decipher Script, Heal, Open Lock, Read Lips, Profession, Scry, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Skill Points: 3 + int modifier, 1d3 + int modifier every 100xp thereafter
Becomes Fighter Level 1 at 1000xp.

Simple Weapon Proficiency


Explorer (Ranger Equivelent)
Str +2, Dex +2, Int -4
----------
Class Skills: Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Swim (Str), Wilderness Lore (Wis)
Prohibited Skills: Alchemy, Concentration, Decipher Script, Forgery, Heal, Profession, Read Lips, Scry, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Skill Points: 3 + int modifier, 1d3 + int modifier every 100xp thereafter
Becomes Ranger Level 1 at 1000xp

Simple Weapon Proficiency
Martial (Ranged Only) Weapon Proficiency


Righteous (Paladin Equivelent)
Cha +2, Dex +2
----------
Must be Lawful Good
Class Skills: Diplomacy (Cha) , Intimidate (Cha), Concentration (Con), Listen (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int)
Prohibited Skills: Decipher Script, Disguise, Forgery, Move Silently, Open Lock, Read Lips, Pick Pocket, Scry, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
Skill Points: 2 + int modifier, 1d2 + int modifier every 100xp thereafter
Becomes Paladin Level 1 at 1000xp.


I have some suggested feats in the thread linked above. When you make your character, you can pick from those... however, I don't have many there. As such, I am OPEN TO ANY FEAT SUGGESTION as long as it is age appropriate and interesting. If it fits a story stereotype, it'll most likely be accepted.

Now, the entire rule set I'm using, what with players being children and all, is untested and untried, which is where you guys come in. I'm testing to see if this works. If it doesn't, the rules may change mid game, but not without discussion and assent by the players. I'm also very open to suggestions (not too drastic though, I hope)


Anyway, I'll also need to know your character's home:

Choose from the following locations
Neva Town (Isolated village, plague ridden, sea access only)
Navan Temple (Unlikely home, but with a good enough story...)
Countryside (Farm)
Erdafel (Port town)
Samis (Human Capital City, walled)
Elevenden Forest (Elven home)

And I'll also need your Parent's Profession (let's keep the orphans to a minimum for this game... but I'll allow one, to see how they work)


Edit: Map available in next post.


Edit: Link to IC Thread: Here

Ah, here we go. The map: Click Here!

Map Description (to accompany map linked above)

The island can be thought of as being divided into three peices.

Western Third

The western third consists almost exclusively of the NAVAN FOREST, whom rational people are more or less afraid of. The Forest swallows travellers. People are superstitious about the forest, and most fear to even speak it's name. Recently, a cult has begun to spring up around the worship of the forest, and this cult is slowly gaining considerable political influence. The Navan Cult (Church of Navan) is based from a temple just east of the forest, across the Navan River which seperates the forest from the rest of the island.

The Navan Forest has one known bridge, made of wood, located not far from the Navan Temple. This is known as the Merchant's Bridge, even though no merchant would dream of crossing it (no sane merchant, at least). More bridges are rumored to exist, but why would anyone ever want to find them?

Some children are forbidden to go anywhere near the forest. Most children are of the type that don't need forbidding... the forest is just not a place people go.

Neva Town is a tiny, insignificant village on the southwest edge of the Navan Forest. Since no one dares travel through the forest, the only access is by sea. The population is slight, and about a fourth of the town is infected by a strange plague for which there is apparently no cure.

Middle Third

The central thrid of the island (extending from the south shore of the island to the north shore) is the most populated. On the north shore, there is the thriving port town of Erdafel, surrounded by a wooden stockade. This town consists mostly of the middle class.

Near Erdafel is Blackswan Lake, and to the south of the lake is Elevendeep Forest (yes, eleven not elven) which is a bright and airy and mostly friendly forest, rumored to be the home of an elven population (it is, and as such you may choose to have an elven character).

On the south shore of the island is the human capital city Samis, which is not only a port town, but also built up onto the side of the nearby Argathorian Mountain Range, which extends here to the sea. Samis is a very wealthy city, made almost exclusively of stone (the REALLY rich areas are made of polished marble or obsidian). It is a walled city.

Where there isn't forest or lake or town, there are small farming homesteads scattered here and there.

The central third of the island is bordered to the west by the Navan River (and forest) and to the east by the Arganothian Range, which may have at one time been the home of dwarves. Nowadays, however, it is the home to a terrible and wicked Black Dragon, bound beneath the earth by a powerful sorcerer's gias. As such, any dwarven characters must be immigrants from the mainland to live in one of the human controlled towns.

Samis and Erdafel both are walled to protect themselves from raids by monsters sent by the Black Dragon. Individual farms are usually ignored by these monsters, are as as such, safe.

The monsters themselves are believed to come from the Valley of Shadows, a small area between the mountains and the Tears River. The valley contains only sparse vegetation and is covered with iron filings, making the landscape appear entirely black until viewed up close. This iron is no more harvested than the mountains are mined... although while nothing is mined for fear of a SPECIFIC monster (the dragon), the iron is not collected for fear of monsters in general.

East Third

To the east of the mountain range is mostly uninhabited, aside from the rare and occasional hermit. Through this area runs the Tears River, which used to be the home of a powerful human city, but was destroyed hundreds or thousands of years ago. Now not even the ruins can be found. The far eastern tip of the island is home to a solitary Ivory Tower. Although a window is visible near the top of the tower, no one has ever been seen at the window, nor any lights. There is no door to this tower.

Vandir, Human age 8
Prankster (Rogue at 1000xp)

HD 1 (3-2) AC 11 (+1 small) Init -1 Spd 20

Str 7 (-2) Dex 8(-1) Con 6(-2) Int 7(-2) Wis 6(-2) Charisma 6(-2)

BAb 0 M -1 r 0 Fort -2 Rfx -1 Will -2

Skill Points: 2
Class Skills: Balance -1, Climb -2, Disguise -2, Escape Artist -1, Hide 3 (small bonus), Move Silently 1 (2 ranks)
Prohibited Skills: Alchemy, Animal Empathy, Concentration, Heal, Open Lock, Profession, Scry, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device
1d4 + int modifier every 100xp thereafter

Feats: Set Trap, Crowd Manouvering

Equipment?: Caltrops, 50 ft Rope, Sling & Bullets, Grappling hook, Fishing net

Parents: Father is a Stevedore working on the Erdafel port, his mother is a fishwife who spends her time mending nets.

Vandir grew up on the docks of Erdafel port, where, like all children of fishwives and dockworkers he learnt to tie a good knot and use a net from an early age. Of course as soon he was able he learnt to dodge out of Ma's way, escaping a days drudgery to go down and explore the wonders of the dockside where his dad was busy loading and unloading the ships and he was free to climb and swim and explore. He was a natural, and soon gain a reputation for ingenuity as he used his skills with nets and knots and other knick-knacks to defend his turf, or escape pursuers or even just for a bit of a joke - nothing better than seeing the harbour master with his face coated in fish gut.

This sounds very interesting, and I'd like to join up if I may.

I presume that the plan is to always be children, and thus playing a dwarf, who will take decades to grow up, won't cause any problems?

I have a question about stats. Is it [(bought stat + racial modifiers)*age modifier] + class modifiers? Or do the various modifiers get applied elsewhere?

Keeping you as kids will not be a problem. If age occurs, I'll contrive some magic or something to keep the party more or less equal. Since you might gain lvl1 before you grow up, there shouldn't be any problems anyway.

For stats, it is indeed as you just described.

BAB is 0, and of course there are negative modifiers for using a non-proficient weapon if you choose to do so.

For saves... um.... shoot. I actually hadn't considered that at all. Let me think about that, and feel free to suggest away.

This sounds like fun. I'm thinking clerical/ Alter boy human.

You may be interested in being a member of the Church of Navan then, home being the Navan Temple. And you are welcome to join.

I'm interested as well. I once played a 8 year-old char here on the boards, in a game that didn't have much luck. I'll come up with a concept tomorrow.

I'm thinking of a female half-orc roughhouser from Neva Town, who's human mother is dying of the plague. I'll try to post more about her before the boards goes down.

Perfect. I was hoping someone would be from Neva...