The Antigrol Tide (OOC)

The wind that blows from the East carries with it the seeds of Dissent. The great port city of Antigrol stretches herself languidly across the mouth of a giant river feeding the vast ocean. Once a seedy waypoint for passing sailors, it blossomed nearly overnight into a great trading meccha when, twenty years ago, the first brave sailors returned from across the ocean laden with wondrous objects of great power and tales of a strange, graceful people who, in common parlance, became known as Elves. The Elves possessed knowledge of the mystical arts, previously unknown in the human kingdoms. Trade in metal for objects of Power made Antigrol rich. Two more races were discovered: the crafty gnomes and the sub-dwelling dwarves. Though the dwarves kept to themselves, the gnomes were clever traders and integrated into human society in a way the elves never did, or never could.

The elves and humans were both filled with a pride that would not bend. A series of bad deals coupled with increased piratical raiding has relations rapidly deteriorating between the two races, to the point of barely tethered hostility.

You grew up in this world, born a few years before or after the time of first contact, somewhere on the human continent. Perhaps you were even born into the great city-state of Antigrol itself. Down on your luck, you hired on with a Captain Ben Turion of the small private schooner Pander Ban. Perhaps you are a seaman, running the ropes, or a bit of extra hired muscle in these more dangerous times, or a gnomish sorcerer, adept at countering the mystical tricks of the elves (and, of course, your own kind!). For whatever reason, you now find yourself floating down the coast headed for Tortila aboard the Pander Ban. The wind is at your back and the horizon is clear. It's a beautiful day to be alive.

Hello, All!

This is my first time running a game on EN World. Due to the nature of the medium, I'm thinking of running a rather literary campaign heavy on story from my end, hopefully heavy on character from my players' ends.

This will be a D&D 3.5 custom campaign setting with a post rate of about once a day. I want to cap this at six players to start. Well-developed PCs will start at second level. Under-developed PCs will die in childbirth. First level is required to be an NPC class such as Warrior, Expert, Commoner, or Adept.

There is very little developed magic in the World. This means that those who have even a little magic can be quite powerful. Also, magic using classes will be restricted. The following classes are available without restriction:

Barbarian
Fighter
Paladin
Rogue

The following classes are restricted to the gnome race (be sure to check out the race restrictions immediately following this section):
Bard
Adept (from the DMG NPC list)

Other classes:
The Ranger is available with a truncated magical ability.
If you want to play a human bard with truncated magical ability, talk to me.

The Druid is unfortunately unavailable.
The Monk is fortunately unavailable.

The Cleric, Sorcerer, and Wizard will be unavailable at the beginning of the campaign.

I have decided to open the following classes to Half-elves: Bard, Adept, Ranger (w/ full spells), Druid (w/ full spells).

There is social baggage that comes with race, so you would be advised to choose your race wisely. Recommended races are humans and half-elves, although I will consider dwarves and gnomes. Be warned, though, that due to the current political climate, half-elves will not be very welcome anywhere.

I will consider all material from WotC publications, but keep in mind the restrictions I have already set. Some classes may be truncated, restricted by race, disallowed at the start of the campaign, or disallowed completely.

Character creation will be a 32 point standard point buy with standard gold. Spend your gold however you wish, but if you've got a single expensive item, you'd better have a complete list of good reasons.

This will be a more dangerous game than many D&D players are used to. I use a tweaked damage modeling system to introduce a deadly and cinimatic quality to battles. In the end, I am aiming for an immersive experience, so this should be transparent to the players.

There will be a few other custom tweaks, but for now I'm looking for six well-fleshed characters who wish to embark on a fun, story-driven adventure that could span the globe or beyond! Spots will go to the first people I receive good concepts and character sheets from.

Sounds good, I'll arrange a character soon
Human Potter (Fighter) that can wield a sword.
Worked since he was a child in the port to earn few coins.

Troth Barbarian/Expert

Troth Hulebor´n

Stats: http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?a=show&id=164289




Appearance: Troth Is not a good looking man. He has many marks after combat with wild animals.
He uses a big turbant and a brown-black robe, conseling his Rapier with the large black cape he uses. He likes to wear his shield on his back. Being again

dark-brown.
With his turbant its quite dificult seeing his face since he allways tries to have the ends of the turbant to cover his face. His ears hidden in hte tubant

cant be seen at all.

Background: Troth was a young half-elf. His father was a human trader, magician, hunter, stable worker and so many other things. He was one of the first Humans to cross the sea to sea the lands of the Elf's.
A man of work his father was, and Troth was early out in the world working for his bread and milk. He's father was also a thief when the opportunity presented itself, Troth was not proud of this fact, but it was the true. His mother was a elf of the borderlands of Lenai, with The Mudab. She was quite tall and good looking. His father lived with them until his 15th birthday, and celebrated with barbecued meat and cookies from the nearby trade post. Only days later his father seeking new life, leaved to never come back; a letter to his mother and a sword to him, was his legacy. Alana, his mother did not cry him but did seek comfort in her potions and herbs.
He left home at 20 years making money escorting minor caravans of fruit and meal. He had for a long time, before that, been in service of a warrior's wife, working as a personal servant for the Lady, it was here he learned the art of the sword. The house guard was his teacher, his name was Elarak.

His life had been for three years now walk the shores and woods of the coast, following a merchant named Ulkos a very tall Elf from Lenai. His birth village was the nearest the Cecil Island. They did travel between the minor ports buying pearls, scales of reptiles and fish. Every year Ulkos did a 8 moths long trade route traveling along the southwest shore of Cellador.
His contract was expiring this spring and Troth was not sure to still be the guards of the caravan. Or travel. The last year the sea called at him promising adventure and gold. At the port of [X] he had leaved the caravan one week before his contract finished, Ulkos had paid in silver a load of clam meat, from the captain of “Lady Sea” . When finished the bargain and handing over the silver pouch Ulkos told the captain of Lady Sea about Troth, making it clear for the captain that he was a hardworking young half-elf, making a honest living. The captain eyed Troth up and down, and with a well disguised smile he hires Troth as security guard and rope puller..

Many times before he had been discriminated for his race, this time was no exception, the more experienced sailor made always fun of him and picked up fights when they where drunk at a ports Inn.
After some weeks he had a mayor fight with the sail tailor, almost killing the man with his bare hands, the sail tailor lived but had a soar troath for weeks after.. The captain earing about the fight, called Troth to his chambers showing Troth his secret... the captain was a half-elf like him.... He also had been discriminated once, learning disguise, as a way to avoid it. The captain did know that if Troth was to make it to sunrise alive, he had to hide and pray for the sail tailor and his friends not to find him.
They talked all that night about how to disguise, its techniques, what powders to what uses, the perfect way to conceal long hears, etc. The captain feeling pitty for him sold him his disguise kit to Troth and wrote a recommendation letter to a captain friend of him, Captain Ben Turion, making it possible for Troth to leave the Lady Sea and be hired at the Pander Ban, with a new identity and fresh start in life.
The papers was buyed at a Gnome forger at the same port, knowed for its grade trade Antigrol was a perfect place to get forgerys and what ever you could desire.
Gnotaz, friend of the captain of the “Lady Sea” and usual contact for his more shady trades.
From there the journey and his first trip with the Pander Ban leaved to Tortila.

Swashbuckler?

If so i'll go whip and dagger, if I can hold two weapons at a time without taking twf penalties

If not; Scout?

If not i'll probably go trunked(definition plz) ranger

Swashbuckler and Scout are both fine, but all two weapon penalties will apply to those who dual wield. Remeber that wielding a light weapon (such as a dagger) in your off hand reduces your penalties, as does the two-weapon fighting feat.

There has been some confusion about a few things I mentioned, and rightly so. Allow me to clarify:

When creating a character, create a first level character, then add an NPC class underneath that character. For all gameplay purposes, you will be considered a first level character. The extra NPC class has the effect of giving you a few extra skill points, hit points, possibly saves and BAB, and hopefully the grounds for a better back story as well. Don't add any con bonus you might have to the NPC HD. Just add 1/2 the HD. Calculate Level 1 skill points based on your PC class, then add extra skill points for one level in the NPC class (remember to keep cross-class skills straight, and humans get their extra +1 skill point for both their PC and NPC classes). Start with 500XP and average starting gold for your class (found on pg 111 of the PHB for the base classes).

Those wishing to play an Adept may take two levels in Adept and start as a second level character with 1000XP. In this case, start with 100 gold.

On the topic of the modified damage system: don't worry about it. I am intentionally not describing how it works because I wish to increase the immersive feel of the story to which this medium lends itself so well. You have merely to state what you wish your character to attempt, such as "Meran [my character] levels his bow and lets loose an arrow at the grotesque humanoid," after which I do some magic behind the scenes with dice and may respond with the following:
"Meran's arrow cuts through the night, straight and true, burying itself at the base of the creature's neck. The monster gurgles once, then stumbles and falls."
or
"Meran's arrow cuts through the night, straight and true, but the creature attempts to twist aside at the last moment. The arrow catches the monster in the gut. He stumbles and falters for a moment, but continues to come on."

I think these sort of literary reinforcements of your character's damage and accuracy are perfect for a PbP game, and I think after you've played with me you'll agree. Finally, if, in the end the system just isn't satisfying and fun for my players, I'm not adverse to falling back on the good ol' d20 core rules for damage.

Here's mine

Here's my charactor. Sorry about stepping on your toes Scout wise Magic, but I already was planning him out when you asked. I was just waiting to AIM the DM instead of posting here.


Name: Calan Rivers
Class: Warrior / Scout
Race: Human
Size: Med
Gender: Male
Alignment: L / N

Str: 12 +1 Level: 1 XP: 500
Dex: 16 +3 BAB: +1 HP: 16
Con: 14 +2 Grapple: +1
Int: 12 +1 Speed: 30'
Wis: 14 +2 Init: +3
Cha: 10 +0 ACP: -1

Base Armor Shld Dex Size Nat Misc Total
AC 10 + 3 + 0 + 3 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 16


Base Mod Misc Total
Fort: 2 + 2 + 0 = 4
Ref: 2 + 3 + 0 = 5
Will: 0 + 2 + 0 = 2


Weapon Attack Damage Critical Range
---------------------------------------------------------------
Dagger, Thrown 4 1d4 19-20 x2 10ft
Dagger, Melee 2 1d4 19-20 x2
Shortbow 4 1d6 x3 60ft


Skill Points at 1st Level: 40((9 + Int) x 4)
Skill Points at NPC Level: 4 (3 + Int)
Skill Points: 44 Max Ranks: 5/2

Skills Ranks Mod ACP Misc Total/ACP Total
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tumble (Dex) 5 + 3 + -1 + 0 = 8 / 7
Survival (Wis) 5 + 2 + 0 + 0 = 7
Spot (Wis) 4 + 2 + 0 + 0 = 6
Search (Int) 5 + 1 + 0 + 0 = 6
Hide (Dex) 2 + 3 + -1 + 0 = 5 / 4
Knowledge (Geography) (Int) 5 + 1 + 0 + 0 = 6
Knowledge (Nature) (Int) 5 + 1 + 0 + 0 = 6
Listen (Wis) 5 + 2 + 0 + 0 = 7
Move Silent (Dex) 3 + 3 + -1 + 0 = 6 / 5
Craft (Trapmaking) (Int) 3 + 1 + 0 + 0 = 4



Equipment: Cost Starting Gold: 100 gp
------------------------------------------------------------
Studded Leather 25gp
Shortbow 30gp
40 Arrows 2gp
5 Daggers 10gp
Traveler's Outfit 1gp

Backpack 2gp
-------------
Bedroll .1gp
10 Candles .1gp
Flint & Steel 1gp
Lanturn, bullseye 12gp
3 pnt oil .3gp
Rope, hemp (50 ft) 1gp
Whetstone .02gp
Waterskin 1gp
Explorer's Outfit 10gp

Pouch, Belt 1gp
-------------
2 Caltrops 2gp

Gold: 1.48


Feats & Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Weapon Prof: Simple, Martial
Armor Prof: All Armor & Shields
Skirmish (1d6)
Trapfinding
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot

Drowned Hero,

Thanks for getting something up so quickly! I'm sure you're still working on your character sheet, so I'll refrain from comment for the moment except to say that it looks like a good beginning. Also, could you please put your units of measure in pounds and feet rather than meters and kg? Those are the units the rules use (at least, my version of the rules -- are they different in other countries?), so it will be easier if we stick with them.


Strahd,

Sounds good. I look forward to seeing your character.


Calan Rivers,

Glad to see a full character sheet! Get a background up and you're in!

I'd be interested in joining the game. How about a human barbarian / fisherman / whale hunter from a remote tribe. His people were wiped out by a kraken (or some other seaborne nasty) and so he sails the seas with this crew, looking for clues about what it was the killed his people and of course revenge. As a former whale hunter, he'd be an expert with the harpoon. If that fits with the story let me know and I'll come up with more details on stats and backstory.

With real magic being such a recent (and rare) addition to the setting, what about a frustrated stage magician? I'm thinking he's part of a family of traveling "magic" performers, whose act has been getting less and less interest as he's grown up. So he's spent his life training for a profession that the populace is starting to dismiss out of hand, which has given him something of a mad-on about the elves--though at the same time, he is himself drawn to the prospect of one day working "real" magic.

Stats-wise, I'd be thinking Expert / Rogue, focused on things like sleight of hand (card tricks), pick lock / use rope (escape tricks), bluff (distraction is a magician's friend, after all), that sort of thing. I'd probably give him some Use Magic Device, too; it seems to be a skill that's all about pretending to be a caster, which is his forte, after all.

jason

Colmarr Blackrock, Male Gnome Bard

Here's my character submission.

[SBLOCK]Colmarr Blackrock
Male Gnome (Expert 1) Bard 1
Experience Points (required): 500 (1,000 for 2nd level)
Alignment: Neutral Good

Height: 3’8”
Weight: 48lbs
Hair: White-Blonde
Eyes: Sapphire-Blue
Skin: Dark Tan
Age: 65

Strength 8 (-1) [10 base (2 pts), -2 racial]
Dexterity 14 (+2) [14 base (6 pts)]
Constitution 14 (+2) [12 base (4 pts), +2 racial]
Intelligence 14 (+2) [14 base (6 pts)]
Wisdom 12 (+1) [12 base (4 pts)]
Charisma 16 (+3) [16 base (10 pts)]

Class and Racial Abilities
-2 Strength, +2 Constitution; Small: +1 size bonus to AC and attack rolls, +4 size bonus on Hide checks; Base Land Speed: 20 feet; Low-Light Vision; Weapon Familiarity: Gnome hooked hammer; +2 racial bonus on saving throws on saving throws against illusions; Add +1 to DC for illusion spells cast; +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids; +4 dodge bonus to AC against monster of the giant type; +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) and Listen checks; Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day--dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, speak with animals (Save DC = 13 + spell level).

Weapons & Armor: All simple weapons plus longsword, rapier, sap, shortbow, shortsword, whip, light armour, and shields (except the tower shield); Bardic Music 1/day [countersong (su), fascinate (sp), inspire courage +1 (su)], Bardic Knowledge +5 [incl. +2 for Knowledge (history)].

Armour Class: 15 (10 base, +1 size, +2 Dex, +2 armour) [touch 13, flat-footed 13]
Armour Check Penalty: -0
Arcane Spell Failure: 0%
Hit Dice: 1d6+2 (+3 Expert) (6)
Hit Points: 11
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 feet

Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +0/-5

Weapons
+0 melee [1d3-1; 19-20/x2; piercing; dagger, small]
+3 ranged [1d6; 19-20/x2; range 80 ft.; piercing; light crossbow, small]

Saves
Fortitude +2 [0 base, +2 Con]
Reflex +4 [2 base, +2 Dex]
Will +5 [4 base, +1 Wis]

Skills (40 points; max ranks: 5/2.5)
Concentration +5 [3 ranks, +2 Con]
Decipher Script +7 [5 ranks, +2 Int]
Diplomacy +7 [4 ranks, +3 Cha]
Gather Information +6 [3 ranks, +3 Cha]
Listen +6 [3 ranks, +1 Wis, +2 racial]
Knowledge (history) +7 [5 ranks, +2 Int]
Perform (oratory) +6 [3 ranks, +3 Cha]
Perform (sing) +7 [4 ranks, +3 Cha]
Sleight of Hand +5 [3 ranks, +2 Dex]
Spellcraft +6 [4 ranks, +2 Int]
Use Magic Device +6 or +8 (scrolls) [3 ranks, +3 Cha, +2 synergy Decipher Script]

Feats
Eschew Materials [1st level]

Languages
Gnome, Common, Dwarven, Elven

Spells Per Day (0/3; 1/0; 2/0; 3/0; 4/0; 5/0; 6/0); Save DC = 13 + spell level (14 + spell level for illusions)

Spells Known
0-level (4) -- detect magic, light, message, read magic (f)

Equipment (* indicates a small item suited for Colmarr’s size)
Dagger* [0.5 lb]
Light Crossbow* [2 lb]
20 Bolts* [1 lb]
Leather Armour* [7.5 lb]
Entertainer’s Outfit*

Backpack* [0.5 lb]
-- Bedroll* [1.25 lb]
-- Ink (2 vials) [0 lb]
-- Inkpen (2) [0 lb]
-- Mirror, Small Steel [0.5 lb]
-- Lorebook (as wizard’s spellbook) [3 lb]
-- Rations, Trail* (2 days) [0.5 lb]
-- Sack* (2) [0.25 lb]
-- Waterskin* [1 lb]

Pouch, Belt* [0.125 lb]
-- Flint & Steel [0 lb]
-- Focus for read magic [0 lb]
-- Money (1 gp, 7 sp) [0.16 lb]

Weight Carried: 18.125 lb (18.285 lb including money)

Carrying Capacity [8 Strength x 3/4 for small]
Light: 19.5 lb. or less; Medium: 19.5-39.75 lb.; Heavy: 39.75-60 lb.;
Lift (over head): 60 lb.; Lift (off ground): 120 lb.; Drag: 300 lb.

Money
1 gp, 7 sp

Appearance
Colmarr is a very tall and lean gnome, with stylishly cropped white-blonde hair mostly hidden under a dashing black hat and a neatly trimmed goatee. His sapphire-blue eyes look on those around him with kindness and understanding, while always seeming to have a certain hint of humour and mischief in them. He wears colourful clothing unlike most of his people, a scarlet doublet over a white shirt and cerulean trousers tucked into well polished black boots, over which he wears a stylish black cloak edged in silver stitching. He carries little in the way of weaponry, just a dagger and light crossbow, which seem to have seen little use.

Personality
Colmarr is funloving and inquisitive, always wanting to know a little more and not above playing pranks, just to see what happens. He gets on well with those around him extremely well, making friends very easily as it is the lifeblood of his trade and interests. Always seeking to increase his magical knowledge and his repertoire of songs and tales, he is also on the lookout for more lore hoping one day to chronicle some great historical event himself.

Background
The only child of Dorgan and Lissa Blackrock, Colmar was an inquisitive child and funloving child. From as early as he can remember his mother sang to him, her voice ethereal and haunting, drawing him in to the folk songs of his people. Eventually he began to sing the songs with her, often at large gatherings of his kin, finding he had a gifted voice which gave him much enjoyment. His inquisitiveness and first love though ran mostly to history and he always preferred to hear tales of real events rather than fantasies dreamed up for his benefit, which worked out well with his father being a sage who specialised in the histories of many races. Many long hours did he listen to his father recount battles, great leaders, or other items of historical note always hungering for more. When he came of age Colmarr joined his father in studying and dispensing historical knowledge as a sage.

Some time after first contact Colmarr became enamoured by the human culture, there being much untapped historical knowledge to find, so he turned to the wandering life of a bard an began to explore the human lands. Upon reaching the port of Antigrol, he immediately headed out into the surrounding lands spending much of his time visiting small villages and towns, gathering tales from the outlying areas where there was less contamination from the influx of new ideas. He spent many years exploring the history of humankind, often singing in these isolated places to earn his keep while following his thirst for history.

In recent months, Colmarr has returned to the city of Antigrol singing in various establishments to keep himself fed while he studied what history he could garned from the folk. Feeling that he has discovered as much as he can for the time being and almost down to his last coin he decided to leave the city, and signed on with Captain Turion to travel down the coast to Tortila as an entertainer, storyteller, and magical advisor...at least that’s how he sees his duties in order of importance, although the captain says he hired him for his knowledge of magic...[/SBLOCK]