The Tol Haggerun Prophecy 3.5 D&D - [Ended]

[Insight]

Rules & Variants

Resources Used
For this campaign, I plan to make use of the following non-core books: Book of Exalted Deeds (3.0), Book of Vile Darkness (3.0), Complete Warrior, Complete Adventurer, Complete Divine, Deities & Demigods (3.0), and Unearthed Arcana. Complete Arcane may be added later.

Character Creation
Characters will be 1st level, using the standard rules for creating characters given in the D&D SRD 3.5 as well as the core rulebooks. At this time, alternate base classes are NOT being used, though this may change (stay tuned). The only races currently available are those found in the 3.5 SRD, though I reserve the right to add some variants from UA as options. Racial Paragon Classes from Unearthed Arcana are in play, even as a 1st level character if you so choose. These are considered 'base classes', meaning they don't have any prerequisites (other than racial, obviously).

Ability Scores will be assigned using the Point Buy method found in the DMG and other places, using 32 points. The characters will be superior to mundane mortals, and have thus attracted the attention of the Forces of Good (and Evil, naturally). When you submit a character, please detail the Point Buy totals before applying racial modifiers.

Your characters will have maximum starting gold for their character class at 1st level, plus one Masterwork Item. This item is an heirloom, and you have the freedom to decide the details and history of this item (I'll work with you to make sure the history is appropriate for the campaign).

Special Cases
Certain character classes require special attention in this campaign. Those closest to the Divine Powers - Cleric, Paladin, and Ranger - are noteworthy characters in the campaign setting, and are not only the most powerful, but also the most attractive target to the Forces of Evil. These Forces will try their best to tempt and destroy such characters, and your actions as these sorts of characters will be more highly scrutinized than some other character types.

Druids, because they tend to stay away from the Good vs. Evil discussion, will likely not be useful in this campaign. Only those of Neutral Good alignment are permitted for this reason.

Prestige Classes
A complete list of available Prestige Classes will be made available prior to the start of the campaign (but perhaps not before characters are submitted). If you have a question about a certain Prestige Class, please ask if it is available before assuming that it will be. I will post when the final list is completed.

Of the starting classes, Paladin and Ranger are going to use the Prestige Variants from Unearthed Arcana. That means that Paladin and Ranger are NOT available as starting classes - you have to earn your way into these classes. If you don't have access to UA, details will be provided on these Prestige Classes upon request.

The Importance of Alignment
Because of the nature of this campaign, all starting characters must be Good aligned. We will be dealing with waging a war against the Forces of Evil, and there is little room for Neutrality and fence-sitting. Your characters have been chosen to represent the Forces of Good in this war, and will be expected to act accordingly. Many situations will arise that will tempt your characters away from the path of Good. I expect a lot of roleplaying opportunities to arise from such situations.

Therefore, all characters will be chosen based on whether or not they fit the campaign concept. Aside from merely having a Good alignment, characters will need to be actively seeking to right wrongs, do battle against Evil, etc. This is more than just killing zombies. If you're not sure about what I mean, please read the extensive section in the Book of Exalted Deeds on the nature of Good (if you don't own the BoED, I'd be happy to pull quotes from it to help you out).

Alignment will be tracked (invisibly, although your Patron may communicate with you to let you know where you stand), and services to your Divine Patron will be taken into consideration when it comes time to award experience. In addition, certain deeds or transgressions will have an impact later on when characters start to gain access to more powerful abilities or spells. In fact, a stalwart defender of the cause can expect bonus abilities and the like down the road if their service is exemplary. Likewise, those who fail their Patron can expect harsh consequences, such as penalties or the loss of abilities.

This also means that for certain base classes, Alignment choices may be highly restrictive. For example, Barbarians must be Chaotic, which is a feature of the class. In this campaign, since all characters are required to start with a Good Alignment, that means all starting Barbarians must be Chaotic Good. Likewise for Monk characters, who because the Monk class is required to be Lawful, will have to start play as Lawful Good.

Your Patron
In the world of Velara (and hence this campaign), every mortal gives fealty to one of many Divine Powers (these are listed in the prior post). Each character must choose a Patron, whether it be one of the Celestial Hebdomad, Talisid/Five Companions, Court of Stars, or the popular 'Other'. Other mortals may have Patrons other than these, including those of Evil powers. Those would be your targets.

Your choice in a Patron will likely govern how your actions are viewed as the campaign goes along. If your Patron is warlike, your actions in combat and use of violence to cleanse the land of Evil is of utmost importance, whereas if your Patron tends towards diplomatic means, your actions using social skills and temperance are more likely to earn you points.

Vitality/Wounds
We will be using the Vitality/Wounds variant from Unearthed Arcana. If you don't have UA, this is very similar to the system used in the Star Wars RPG. Weapons (and possibly other rules) will be altered to suit the changes to Critical Hits inherent in this system.

If you're not familiar with this system, here are the basics. Think of Vitality as your Hit Points. They are in fact generated using the same rules. Your Hit Dice become your Vitality, so in effect, your character's Vitality equals what you Hit Points would be in the standard rules. Wounds are equal to your character's Constitution score. Damage is taken first from Vitality except in the case of a Critical Hit, which goes directly to Wounds. This change necessitates a change in how Critical Hits work (see below).

When a character takes Wound damage, he/she becomes Fatigued. In addition, the character must make a Fort save (DC = 5 + Wounds taken) or become Stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Natural healing works a bit differently. Your character recovers Vitality at a rate of 1*Character Level/Hour, and Wounds recover at a rate of 1*Character Level/Day. Magical healing works differently as well. Healing dice go to Vitality, while modifiers (usually for Caster Level) go to Wounds. Thus a Cure Moderate Wounds spell cast by a 5th level Cleric (normally 2d8+5) would cure 2d8 Vitality and 5 Wounds.

Critical Hits
Because of the changes in the damage system, the system for Critical Hits must also be modified. The way this will work is that crit multipliers go away, leaving only threat ranges. For items with no multiplier, there is no change. For those with multipliers, take any number above x2 and add this to the threat range, creating a new threat range. Thus, a weapon with a crit of 20/x3 becomes 19-20 for the threat range, with no multiplier.

Class-Based Defense
We will also be using this variant from Unearthed Arcana. Here are the basics on how it works. You character has a Defense bonus to AC, and this bonus increases as you go up in level. This works like a Dodge bonus in that it stacks with Dodge bonuses, and is lost when the character is flat-footed. You can only take advantage of a Defense bonus when unarmored (you use the Armor bonus to AC when wearing armor).

Armor as DR
We will also be using this variant from Unearthed Arcana. Here are the basics on how it works. The Armor bonus to AC is now divided into AC Bonus and Damage Reduction, 50% going to AC and 50% going to DR. This division is done only on the bonus from the armor itself. Magical enhancements to armor go directly to the AC Bonus and has no effect on the DR (though we may explore DR enhancements as well down the line). The AC Bonuses and DR for armor suits will be listed in a subsequent post.

For natural armor, there is only a slight modification. For every full 5 points of Natural Armor Bonus to AC, the character gets DR 1/-. Whatever DR is calculated is subtracted from the Natural Armor Bonus. Thus, a character with Natural Armor +10 would in this system have DR 2/- and Natural Armor Bonus of +8.

Action Points
Characters will have access to Action Points. You have a number of Action Points available for each adventure, equal to (5 + 1/2 Character Level). These Action Points renew at the start of each new adventure. Action Points are spent no more often than once per round. See 'Posting Guidelines' below for more information on how to declare you wish to spend an Action Point.

Action Points can be spent to do any of the following: Add 1d6 to a d20 Roll Result, Activate Limited-Use Class Abilities, Boost Defense (AC +5 for one round), Emulate or Improve a Feat, or Gain an Extra Attack or Action. More information will be provided on these options later.

There may be more changes to come as I think of them. If you're interested in this game, you may want to check back often as I make final decisions on various rules.

Next Post: The World of Velara

 

[Insight]

The World of Velara (Derev)

Velara has long been a contentious place between the Forces of Good and Evil. The Divine Powers have for eons coveted control of the one place where they can hold no sway. Thus, it is through mortals that these Powers must act, and have long sought ways in which to gain control of mortals. Divine Powers have tried many different means to attract the attention of mortals, including the creation and organization of churches, bestowing boons upon the faithful, or threatening wrath to the unbelievers.

Thus, Velara is a place of contrasting religious points of view. Though the followers of Good outnumber the followers of Evil, it is very clear to anyone closely involved that this advantage is not as great (or reliable) as it seems from the outset. In fact, because followers of Evil tend to be more zealous and energetic in their beliefs and actions, one might even say that the two opposing sides are dead even.

This post concerns itself only with a very specific region of Velara known as Derev. This oceanic region is where our campaign will start off, and it is because of this reason that Derev is the first such region to be profiled. As the campaign grows in scope, other regions may also be detailed.

Geography
The specific region where the game will begin is known as Derev. It is a collection of mini-continents and archipelagos.

Centrally located is the largest of the continents, Fyurid. An imposing mountain range separates the two kingdoms that inhabit Fyurid, Mitea and Lurien, with a small but impassible region of frozen mountains to the extreme south.

To the southwest of Fyurid is Imra, a fairly cold place of frigid mountains and trackless tundra. It is mostly a barbaric place, with a few scattered Mitean colonies along the coast. Imra is known to harbor more than a few dragons, and is also thought to be a place of many ancient ruins.

To the southeast of of Fyurid is Tonder, smaller than Imra and surrounded by a great many small island chains. Tonder is flat and not quite as frigid as Imra, but is likewise unsettled and inhabited by barbarian tribes. The crescent shaped region known as Baz forms the western coast, while the area known as Nauck takes up Tonder's east.

North of Tonder, across the Mercantile Sea and northeast of Fyurid is Shiven, a small trio of islands. The main island, also called Shiven, is fairly mountainous, while its brethren islands to the east and west are flat and grassy.

Kurst, a mini-continent to the northeast of Shiven, is dominated by jungle. Its northern reaches are mountainous, while the much more inhabited south is flat, but covered in jungle. Thus, the majority of Kurstic cities are found along the coasts.

To the north and northwest of Fyurid are found the mini-continents of Refel and Av-Refel. Of these, Refel is more inhabited, with Av-Refel being a wild place of monsters and barbarian tribes. Both Refel and Av-Refel are warm and tropical, and both landmasses are filled with jungle and rain forest in the north.

I am hoping to have a map of Derev ready soon. Stay tuned.

Kingdoms & Cultures
There are two main Human subspecies found in Derev - the Careli, who are found in the north, and the Urlic, who are found in the south. Of these, the Careli are more adventuresome and apt to travel, while the Urlic are more protective of their homelands and steadfast to keep things as they are. These are, of course, generalities, and exceptions always appear.

Mitea, an Urlic kingdom, is found in western Fyurid, and is one of the most powerful kingdoms in all of Derev. An imperial power, Mitea has founded many colonies in Imra and Av-Refel, as well as many islands around Fyurid. Mitean culture is separated into Highborn and Lowborn Miteans. Of these, the rarer Highborn tend to be rulers and leaders, and are the only ones legally allowed to learn the secret Mitean Hightongue language. The Lowborn make up the majority of the population. Mitea recently gave Refel its freedom after a long period of occupation, and also recently made peace with Lurien, its neighbor on Fyurid. The seat of Mitean power is found at Mitra, a city along the southwestern coast of Fyurid.

Lurien, a Careli kingdom, is found in the east of Fyurid. It is a dynamic place of great wealth and decadence. They both admire and hate the Miteans, but both kingdoms have recently agreed to a peace treaty to end a fifty year war. Lurien, like Mitea, is imperialistic, and has founded colonies in Tonder, as well as the eastern islands surrounding Fyurid. Like Mitea, Luried culture is divided into Lower and Upper Luri, and the two subcultures tend not to intermingle that well. Upper Luri are the rulers, priests, and wizards, with the more numerous Lower Luri making up the servant, laborer, and soldier classes. Lurien has recently agreed to a peace treaty with Mitea. Lurien's capital is Veltune, located in the mountains separating the kingdom from Mitea.

Refel, recently granted its independence from Mitea, is a minor kingdom by all accounts, but is possessed of valuable resources, and is thus somewhat of a player in the Derev economy. Refel is still in the throes of reforming its own court and laws, which are expected to be primarily based on Mitean tradition. Unlike their prior rulers, the people of Refel are Careli, and are just now beginning to understand the differences between their ancient culture and what they have now become. Refelis, the capital, is a city built up around the former Mitean fortress from which Refel was ruled for generations.

Shiven, a small but strategically important trio of islands, is a seagoing power, as well as an economic one. The cities of Shiven are very populous and the cityfolk of Shiven are packed close together. The Shivenic people place a high value on trade and the ability to create and maintain a certain level of commerce. In fact, the Shivenic culture places a higher value on wealth and trade than on anything else. There is a very strong merchant class in Shiven not found in any other kingdom of Derev. Min is the capital city, located along Shiven's eastern coast.

Wild Kurst is a place more representative of the Careli culture. The Kurstic people are adventuresome and like to travel, and its cities are brimming with sailing ships and businesses to facilitate seaborne trade. There are a great many places in Kurst that remain unexplored, as the Kurstic people are afraid to enter the deep jungle due to their superstitions about what is to be found there. Kurst has just started to colonize some of the nearby islands, and has been very profitable in this exercise thus far. The Kurstic capital city is Shonung, which is also a center of trade in the region.

Aside from the kingdoms, there are also a great many barbarian tribes throughout Derev. Like the city builders, the barbarians are divided basically into northern and southern varieties. In the north are the Tutemi tribes, and have formed the Ape, Eagle, and Snake tribes. In the south are the Busani tribes, which have formed the Bear and Wolf tribes. The Ape tribes are found in Av-Refel and Kurst. The Bear tribes are found in Baz, Imra, Mitea, and Nauck. The Eagle tribes are found in Kurst, Lurien, and Mitea. The Snake tribes are found in Av-Refel, Kurst, Lurien, and Refel. The Wolf tribes are found in Baz, Imra, and Mitea.

Non-Human Cultures
Though non-humans have not established kingdoms in Derev, they are found interspersed throughout every kingdom and culture in the region. Non-humans are not numerous, and some have better relations with certain kingdoms than others, as outlined below. Non-humans wisely adapt to their human neighbors, for this not only protects them from extinction, but also gains the non-humans acceptance into human culture, which is essential for many reasons.

Dwarves are found in the southern mountain regions, such as in Imra and the southern reaches of Fyurid, and have made good friends with the Miteans. Dwarves are well liked in Shiven for their crafting skills, but are otherwise not well received in Derev.

Elves and Half-Elves are more populous in the northern kingdoms, and are found in abundance in Lurien, Shiven, and Kurst for the most part. Elves have good relations with the Luri people, as well as in Shiven. Elves are distrusted in Mitea, where Half-Elves are shunned (at best - sometimes they are imprisoned, killed, or shipped to Lurien or places north).

Strangely, Half-Orcs are far more welcomed in Mitean society than Half-Elves. This is mostly because the Miteans respect Orcs for their battle prowess and lack of fear, values prized highly in Mitean culture. Half-Orcs, while still held in suspicion, are more prevalent in Mitean than anywhere else, other than in barbaric regions.

Gnomes and Halflings are rarely found in Derev, and are mostly found in Fyurid and the surrounding islands. They are not liked or hated especially by any cultures, and are sometimes treated as curiosities more than anything else, due to their rarity. Gnomes have come to be known as great shipbuilders, while Halflings have a reputation as fine entertainers and storytellers.

Languages
Barbarian
Busani: Spoken by Southern Barbarians (Bear and Wolf).
Tutemi: Spoken by Northern Barbarians (Ape, Eagle, and Snake).

Carelic
Careli: Ancient language of the Careli people. No longer widely spoken.
Kurstic: Spoken in Kurst and their controlled areas.
Lur: Spoken in Lur and their controlled areas. Also sometimes spoken in Shiven. Occasionally spoken in Mitea as well.
Old Refelic: Spoken prior to Mitean rule of Refel and no longer widely spoken.
Shivenic: Spoken in Shiven and their controlled areas.

Extraplanar Languages
Abyssal: Spoken by demons and other Evil outsiders.
Aquan: Spoken by seagoing outsiders.
Auran: Spoken by airborne outsiders.
Celestial: Spoken by beings from Celestium and other Good outsiders.
Druidic: Spoken only by Druids and their followers.
Ignan: Spoken by fiery outsiders.
Infernal: Spoken by devils and other Evil outsiders.
Terran: Spoken by earthen outsiders.

Non-Human Languages
Draconic: Spoken by Dragons and possibly others.
Dwarven: Spoken by the Dwarves.
Elven: Spoken by Elves and Half-Elves.
Giantish: Spoken by Giants, Ogres, and Trolls, and possibly others.
Gnomish: Spoken by the Gnomes.
Goblinish: Spoken by Goblins, Hobgoblins, and possibly others.
Merid: Spoken by sea creatures of many types.
Orcish: Spoken by Orcs and Half-Orcs.
Sylvan: Spoken by creatures of the forest (includes jungle and rain forest as well).

Universal
Trade: A new language developed out of need. With the increase in sea trade between the various nations of Derev, this mishmash of various extant languages is used to facilitate easy communication between disparate groups. It is becoming increasingly common.

Urlic
Mitean: Spoken in Mitea and their controlled areas. Occasionally spoken in Lurien as well.
Mitean Hightongue: Reserved language of the Mitean elite. It is not taught to outsiders. The Hightongue is very closely tied to Old Urlic.
Refelic: Spoken in Av-Refel and Refel and their controlled areas. It is adapted from Old Refelic and Mitean.
Urlic: Ancient language of the Urlic people. No longer widely spoken.

Economy
The chief engine of the Derev economy is sea trade. Because almost every kingdom and culture of Derev is separated by expanses of water, seaborne trade is critical to the development of the economy.

The wealthiest kingdoms are those who have taken advantage of sea trade and early on adopted a policy of expanding trade by sea. Because of the powerful Trade Winds, the two kingdoms of the Fyurid continent have benefited most from sea trade. In addition, Shiven, due to its location along the south-blowing Trade Wind, has also benefited from sea trade since early on.

The rarest commodities in Derev are obviously the most coveted and bring a great profit for traders in those commodities. Lurien and Mitea, because they are the largest kingdoms in land size, do not want for much in the import category, and are thus great exporters of goods in which they are abundant. There are, however, minerals, spices, and some other trade goods not found in much abundance in Fyurid, and these are highly valuable anywhere in Derev, because they can be sold in Mitean and Luri ports. Among these most valuable goods are diamonds (thus far found only in Kurst), certain spices found in Refel and Av-Refel, and a certain hard wood, Thunderoak, found only in Shiven.

Coins minted in Lurien and Mitea are used throughout Derev, although much trade is still accomplished through barter. Shiven issues notes of credit, though this is only done in certain circumstances. For the most part, coins and valuables are still the standard for trade.

Major and Minor Religions
If the battle between the Forces of Good and Evil is at a balance right now, that is not evidenced in the social structures of the people of Derev. There are no official churches or recognized sects devoted to any Evil power, and there are at least four organizations devoted to the Forces of Good. What this means is that the Forces of Evil and their followers are kept hidden, away from the prying eyes of the common man. These Evil forces must therefore use subterfuge and complicated plots to attain followers (or cause others to do their bidding).

The Good-aligned organizations found throughout Derev: the Brotherhood (and accompanying Sisterhood), devoted to following Talisid and the Five Companions, the Order of the Book, devoted to following the Celestial Hebdomad, the Arcanum, devoted to following the Court of Stars, and the Tantish, a secretive knightly order known only to the very privileged. There are, of course, smaller sects and cults devoted to specific Powers, but those are far less popular than the organizations described above. More information will be provided on all of these organizations as the campaign moves along.

View of Magic
The people of Derev generally have a favorable view of arcane magic, though they do not typically associate arcane and divine spells as being 'magic' per se. Arcane spells are considered 'magic', while divine displays of power are generally thought to be 'miracles', 'blessings', or the like. Few if any believe arcane and divine powers to work in the same manner, or even believe that they could be on equal footing.

Barbarians, who know little of arcane magic, are highly distrustful of any wizards or their items. While not completely unwilling to make use or or take advantage of the use of arcane magic, there is a certain amount of distrust. Divine workers are much more trusted throughout Derev, though barbarian shaman and druids are not much more trusted than arcane spellcasters within the settled areas. Likewise, citygoing priests are not welcomed in barbarian areas for the same reason. It is unfamiliarity rather than overt fear that causes the distrust amongst divine spellcasters in different regions.

Because of the emphasis on the struggle between Good and Evil, any spellcasters suspected of working with the Forces of Evil are usually captured and/or killed in settled areas. Barbarians are even less likely to give a suspected demon-lover a chance to explain his or her actions. Conjurors of any type are probably held in the highest degree of suspicion, due to the prevalence of Evil summoners.


Next Post: Prestige Classes in the Campaign

 

[Insight]

Prestige Classes in the Campaign

Prestige Classes - SRD/Core Rules

• Arcane Archer
• Arcane Trickster
• Archmage
• Dragon Disciple
• Duelist
• Dwarven Defender
• Eldritch Knight
• Hierophant
• Horizon Walker
• Loremaster
• Mystic Theurge
• Thaumaturgist

Prestige Classes - Complete Adventurer

• Animal Lord
• Beastmaster
• Bloodhound
• Dungeon Delver
• Fochlucan Lyrist
• Highland Stalker
• Master of Many Forms
• Shadowbane Inquisitor
• Shadowbane Stalker
• Tempest
• Thief-Acrobat
• Virtuoso
• Wild Plains Outrider

Prestige Classes - Complete Divine

• Church Inquisitor
• Consecrated Harrier
• Contemplative
• Divine Crusader
• Divine Oracle
• Evangelist
• Geomancer
• Holy Liberator
• Hospitaler
• Pious Templar
• Radiant Servant (Domiel)
• Sacred Exorcist
• Sacred Fist
• Shining Blade (Barachiel)
• Warpriest

Prestige Classes - Complete Warrior

• Bladesinger
• Cavalier
• Dark Hunter
• Darkwood Stalker
• Exotic Weapon Master
• Hunter of the Dead
• Justiciar
• Knight of the Chalice
• Knight Protector
• Master Thrower
• Nature's Warrior
• Order of the Bow Initiate
• Spellsword
• Stonelord
• Tattooed Monk
• Warchanter
• Warshaper

Prestige Classes - Book of Exalted Deeds

• Anointed Knight
• Apostle of Peace
• Beloved of Valarian
• Celestial Mystic
• Champion of Gwynharwyf
• Defender of Sealtiel
• Emissary of Barachiel
• Exalted Arcanist
• Fist of Raziel
• Initiate of Pistis Sophia
• Lion of Talisid
• Prophet of Erathaol
• Sentinel of Bharrai
• Slayer of Domiel (will be called Soldier of Domiel)
• Stalker of Kharash (will be called Kharash's Hand)
• Swanmay
• Sword of Righteousness
• Troubadour of Stars
• Vassal of Bahamut

Prestige Classes - Unearthed Arcana

• Prestige Paladin
• Prestige Ranger

This is a work in progress. Expect some Prestige Classes to be added to this list as time goes on.

Next Post: Posting Guidelines

 

[Insight]

Posting Guidelines

OOC Posts
Please keep all 'Out of Character' posts in this thread whenever possible. Please use this thread for such comments, questions, and suggestions. You can also use this thread to discuss tactics, etc.

The only exception to this general rule should be rules-related comments that relate directly to your In-Character post. For example, if your character is trying to pick a lock, you could do the following:

Joe Bob moves in and, after searching the door for traps, attempts to pick the lock.
Search bonus +12, Open Locks bonus +10

For this convention, any rules-related information should be in italics and in lightblue, just to keep things clear.

IC Posts
The 'In-Character Thread' has been established to run the game. This is where all of the actions and descriptions will take place. 90% of the game will happen in the IC thread. You should post your actions in the IC thread, using descriptions of your actions and dialogue. Any OOC discussion should not appear here, unless is it necessary to complete your intended action (see above).

Make sure that your IC posts do not assume success on any actions that require a roll, and do not assume actions on others' parts unless these actions have already been stated (and completed).

If you wish to have your dialogue use a certain text color, feel free. I have seen this in other games, and seems to work pretty well.

Adventures
The adventurers will be identified by their title, and the beginning and end of the adventure will be identified as such. I will also indicate when a day has passed in game for those characters with per day abilities, spells, etc.

We will start the first adventure within the first two weeks after characters are finalized. This startup time will be used for the characters (and players) to get to know one another.

Once the adventure is started, I would like to maintain a good pace of posts. Each player must commit to the ability to post 3 times a week. That doesn't mean you have to post 3 times a week if there isn't anything for your character to do. But I would expect an average of 3 posts a week at a minimum.

Combats
Of particular interest to keeping a good pace going is how we are going to handle combat. To keep the IC and OOC threads from getting too crazy, I am going to ask that each player emails me privately with his or her intended actions once the combat scene is described (not sure if I'm going to do maps or not). I ask for a succinct set of actions for three rounds, with any contingencies described in your tactics email. Once three rounds of combat have gone by, send me another set of instructions.

Once I have these tactics from you, I will run the combat and post a round by round description of what happens. If something transpires that drastically changes your tactics, I ask that you email me as soon as possible with amended tactics.

Other than actual combat actions, you are free to post anything else (dialogue, etc) duing combat in either the IC or OOC threads.

If you have any questions about how we are going to handle combat, please ask.

Posting Your Character
Your characters should be posted in the Rogues Gallery thread. I will soon post a template to use to post your characters once they are completed. Your character must be posted prior to the start of play, and must be kept as up to date as possible. There will be in-game consequences to not keeping your character updated.

Next Post: Character Submissions

 

[Insight]

Character Submissions

*** CHARACTER SUBMISSION IS NOW CLOSED ***

I am looking for three main things out of the character submissions.

First, I would like a character concept that fits into the campaign. Read the posts above if you're not sure that your character would fit in. On the very basic level your character must be good-aligned and have some reason to want to fight the Forces of Evil. Also see below for some additional pointers. Please include which of the above listed Divine Powers your character follows. If you can't decide based on the information presented, please ask any questions you may have.

Second, I would like a rough outline of your projected character's stats. In terms of Ability Scores, you will use the Point Buy method as described in the DMG, using a total of 32 points. If you have racial mods, please show me the stats before the mods so I can verify your points. In addition, I would like an idea of where you think the character might go (feats he/she might take, possible Prestige Classes, etc).

Finally, take a look at the following questions and answer them as your prospective character. There are no 'right answers', but the way your character answers these questions will tell me something about their personality.

1. A ship strikes a reef, and is about to go down in deep waters. Assume that you have no magical means to save the ship or transport anyone off the ship or to land. You have one rowboat that normally carries 8 passengers, but might carry more (although too many will sink the rowboat as well). There are a total of 20 passengers on the sinking ship, and you do not have enough time to repair the ship. Assume half the passengers are male, and half female, with equal numbers of young and old. What course of action do you take?

2. A man has been living illegally under an assumed name and is wanted for a robbery he committed many years ago. If caught, he will most likely go to prison for the rest of his life. It turns out since he arrived in town that the man has been involved in the church, is a regular benefactor to the poor, and even donates food to the hungry. The man has established himself in town, and many see him as a leader. You have learned the truth about this man's past, and have the opportunity to bring him to the constable. What do you do?

3. A madman claims to have killed a woman in a nearby alley. You rush there to discover that there is indeed a dead woman lying in the alley. Witness accounts of her death conflict on who exactly is to blame. In addition, the madman has been known to tell mistruths in the past. Assume that you have no magical means to determine whether the madman is lying or to determine who truly killed the woman. What do you do?

4. A friend confides to you that he has committed a particular crime and you promise never to tell. Discovering that an innocent person has been accused of the crime, you plead with your friend to give himself up. He refuses and reminds you of your promise. What should you do? In general, under what conditions should promises be broken?

Some of these moral questions are adapted from this website.

Email character concepts to me off site at projectdaedalus (at) yahoo (dot) com (email address altered to avoid spammage). I will review your submission and respond with any questions or commends as soon as possible. Everyone who submits a character concept will get a response, whether you are admitted or not. Once I have received enough submissions, I will announce that submissions are closed. Starters and alternates will be chosen from the initial group.

One more thing. I am going to allow ONE character and ONE CHARACTER ONLY to take the 'Vow of Poverty' feat. If more than one character wants this feat, I will determine the most worthy candidate based on your submissions.

 

[drowelvenranger]

question

when you start taking submissons,what all do we need to send stats and all or just concepts,or will you reveal all that when the time comes.

 

[Insight]

when you start taking submissons,what all do we need to send stats and all or just concepts,or will you reveal all that when the time comes.

In the post above concerning character submissions, I have outlined 3 things I would like in a character submission. First is a concept (basic description of what the character will be, including how he/she will fit into the campaign as it has been laid out so far). Second are the stats, as much as you can do at this point. Also, where you expect to take the character in the future (possible feats, Prestige Classes, etc). Third, answer (as YOUR CHARACTER, not YOU) the four questions I posed. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.

Because of the strong Good vs. Evil flavor of this game, I need to make sure all of the players are going to be able to portray warriors of the Forces of Good. If your character has any strong anti-Good sentiments, they would not be a good candidate for this campaign. If you're not sure what 'Good' means, take a look at the Book of Exalted Deeds, especially the first few chapters.

Note that the morality in this game is based only on concepts introduced in the SRD/Core Rules, BoED, and BoVD, and has nothing at all to do with real world religion. I am only using the in-game guidelines to determine what is 'Good' and what is 'Evil'.

 

[Insight]

text deleted

 

[Insight]

It's pretty obvious, but I thought I should reiterate just in case. Make sure that your character submission includes the Divine Power your character will follow. This is actually fairly important, and I should not have left this out of the requirements I posted earlier (I'm going to amend them now).

 

[Ambrus]

Could you give us an idea of how soon you'll stop accepting submissions? Also, when will you let us know whether we've made the cut or not? Thanks.