shadow said:
Looks awesome. One question, will it be compatible with 3.0e rules? Not all of us have switched to 3.5e.
Since this is a book of items, you should find it easy to use with 3.5 or 3.0. In fact, it's already designed to be used with multiple games and campaign settings. Details on this follow.
For the sake of consistency, item descriptions and flavor text refer to one particular campaign setting: the Kingdoms of Kalamar. Of course, while many items have a racial name specific to this setting, you may notice that other items or weapons (such as the flamberge sword) have the same name as they do here on Earth. These non-Tellenian names or words, such as “flamberge” or “flask,” are considered the Merchant’s Tongue name for this item. (Merchant’s Tongue is the international language of trade, often considered equivalent to the Common tongue in other settings.) If you are not using this setting, you can either disregard setting-specific information or adapt it to fit into your own world.
How to Use This Book...
…with the Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign setting
For players and Dungeon Masters who already use this setting, most of the information in this book is applicable. Each description divulges where the item is found on Tellene, and who is most likely to use it. This supplement also assumes that you are using the current (version 3.5) edition of the Dungeons & Dragons rules.
Game statistics are presented in tables, either with the HackMaster statistics or in a separate table (indicated by "D" for Dungeons & Dragons, or "H" for HackMaster). Most of the items that appear herein do not have wide circulation, meaning that DMs should feel free to introduce only those items that they choose. Many items can be found only in certain areas of Tellene, and can only be constructed or repaired by trained smiths or crafters. On the other hand, DMs should also feel free to increase the availability of items they like. Finally, the prices listed with the items are merely suggestions. Each vendor on Tellene is likely to have differently priced items. Unfamiliar or rare items are likely to be more expensive when found.
…with other d20 campaign settings
Even if you do not use the Kingdoms of Kalamar campaign setting, this book is an excellent resource for your game. Most of the items and weapons in this book have counterparts in reality, meaning that they have a logical basis in most campaigns. In addition, many of Tellene's human cultures have general characteristics that could appear in any campaign.
Brandobians: are vibrant and proud, with a love of exploration.
Dejy: are diverse, nomadic and tribal, but are also skilled craftsmen.
Fhokki: are tall, bearded and clannish, with bodies adapted to the cold north.
Kalamarans: are proud and militaristic, with a love of grandeur.
Reanaarians: are artistic, open-minded, and often sailors or merchants.
Svimohz: are dark-skinned, wise and strong, with an ancient, rich culture.
Items from most nonhuman cultures, such as dwarves and elves, can easily be substituted into another campaign setting with little difficulty. Hobgoblin gear might go to orcs, humans or other hobgoblins, depending on the campaign setting.
…with HackMaster or earlier editions of D&D
As the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting can be used with multiple game systems, you may already be using it for your HackMaster game, or an earlier edition of D&D (pre-version 3.0). In this case, you may keep the flavor text as is. Otherwise, you may alter it to fit your own campaign setting.
In this supplement, d20-specific statistics are either included with the HackMaster items (see below), or have their own tables (indicated by an "D" in the table name). Note that the DM may want to adjust the listed prices so that they fit within his or her campaign.
Throughout this book, you may notice references to unfamiliar character classes such as Basiran Dancer (Dan), Brigand (Brg), Gladiator (Gld), Infiltrator (Inf), Shaman (Sha) and Spellsinger (Spl). These are simply variant classes, defined in the Kingdoms of Kalamar Player’s Guide.
In this supplement, HackMaster-specific statistics are either included in the d20 tables or have their own tables (indicated by an "H" in the table name). When no HackMaster-specific statistic appears, the listed value applies. In addition, any non-campaign specific information in the item descriptions still applies to the HackMaster version of the item. Finally, most HackMaster-specific rules are called out in italics for ease of reference.
