Gates of Fire Campaign Gazeteer For D&D
Introduction to the Gates of Fire Campaign
The Gates of Fire Campaign is set in the World of Thandor, and uses the D&D rules for 3.5.
“Through the muted glow of the shifting twilight, the sun is on the horizon. It is uncertain, however—will the shifting twilight reveal the arrival of a new dark age of savagery and barbarism—or the dawn of a new age of glory and prosperity?”
--Garrius Saranus Tarberus, 6th King of the Kingdom of Varanthus, DC 1470
The Gates of Fire Campaign is an “Old School” campaign for D&D 3.5 edition, set in the World of Thandor. The World of Thandor has been continuously developed over the last 30 years, and had its humble roots in 1980. The Shifting Twilight Campaign begins in the rugged Kingdom of Varanthus, located on the frontiers of civilization and the bordering territories of the glorious Vallorean Empire.
In flavour, the Gates of Fire Campaign highlights a world that is swallowed in darkness, savagery and barbarism. The struggle of humanity is desperate, as not only do humans face their own kind as enemies, rivals and competitors, but also the realms of the dwarves, ancient and powerful in their dark halls below the ground; in the deepest and most ancient forests, the mist-shrouded realms of the elves rule with a fierce pride and devotion. While there are empires, kingdoms and city-states that are immensely powerful, highly advanced, and vast in wealth, their existence depends precariously on the steel, blood and courage of their armies, as well as valiant heroes and champions, fighting desperately for survival in a harsh, brutal world. In the wilderness, vast hordes of beastmen, orcs and other monsters gibber and roar in bloodthirsty frenzy, eager to subjugate all that is good and righteous, and extinguish the flickering light of civilization in a savage orgy of blood and fire. In the great places of mystery and ancient power, the divine titans still remain—most are terrible demi-gods of awesome power and dark tyranny, working to rise again in their dreaded dominion.
The Gates of Fire Campaign is set within a huge, wondrous world of ancient antiquity, full of myth, monsters, and epic adventure. While most standard “vanilla” D&D campaigns have their milieu’s center of gravity firmly rooted in a Medieval Western European focus, with heavy infusions of the renaissance period—the Gates of Fire Campaign takes a different approach, wherein the campaign’s center of gravity is centered more on the cultures and civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean; with heavy infusions from Dark Ages Northern and Western Europe, as well as infusions from ancient Africa, the Middle East, India, and China. To this palette, then, is added various doses of the Middle Ages, with only the lightest flirtation with the renaissance period.
Welcome to the Gates of Fire Campaign!
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
CHARACTER CREATION
Player characters should carefully read and review all race and culture sections described in the campaign gazetteer.
Standard Human Adjustments
The player of a standard human character may select any two characteristics and gain a +2 bonus to them at character creation. Furthermore, standard human characters begin the game with (6) Fate Points.
Demi-Humans
Demi-Humans and humanoids begin the game with (3) Fate Points.
Character Generation and Advancement
All character classes—standard, NPC, and prestige classes—gain +6 additional skill points to each level.
All characters, NPC’s, creatures and monsters gain 3 Background Feats, selected from the appropriate cultural and racial Background Feat Tables.
All character classes gain double character feats; thus, at level 1, characters gain two instead of one character feat. Following, at level 3, two character feats, at level 6, two character feats and so on. This also applies to creatures and monsters with Hit Dice advancement.
Skill Groupings:
The following skills are all grouped together, being closely similar to each other, that skill points spent in one gain the identical skill points in other skills in the particular skill group at no additional cost in skill points;
Social Skill Group: Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Sense Motive
Stealth Skill Group: Hide and Move Silently
Perception Skill Group: Listen, Spot, Search, Smell and Taste
Athletics Skill Group: Climb, Jump, and Swim
