airwalkrr
Adventurer
I am about to wrap up my Age of Worms home campaign and I have had so much fun running it that I would like to give it another go. I have learned a number of things from the first time around that I believe will help me in running it again. So, without further ado, here is the good stuff.
Campaign Setting: Greyhawk
Number of Players: 4
Campaign Date: 5th of Reaping, 595 CY
Ability Scores: Roll 4d6, drop the lowest, and repeat for a total of six times. Roll three sets of ability scores and choose one set. Arrange as desired. Roll on invisible castle.
Race: Standard races from the PH only.
Class: Choose from the following: archivist, ardent, barbarian, bard, beguiler, binder, cleric, crusader, divine mind, dragonfire adept, dragon shaman, dread necromancer, druid, duskblade, factotum, favored soul, fighter, hexblade, knight, lurk, monk, paladin, psion, psychic warrior, ranger, rogue, scout, shadowcaster, soulknife, spellthief, spirit shaman, sorcerer, swashbuckler, swordsage, truenamer, warblade, warlock, warmage, wilder, wizard.
Feats: Any feat from the PH or EPH. Other feats require prior approval.
Spells/Powers: Any spell/power from the PH or EPH. Other spells or powers require research.
Equipment: Average starting equipment.
Availability: In general, PCs may purchase any mundane (non-magical) item worth 3,000 gp or less (subject to gp limit of the community the PCs are in). Consummable magic items such as scrolls and potions are usually available as long as they are under the gp limit of the community. However, other items must usually be commissioned by paying half the value of the item up front. A successful Gather Information check is usually required to find a crafter able to make the item. Mundane items outside the PH are available on a case-by-case basis.
Hit Points: Max at 1st. Average each level thereafter.
Prestige Classes: All prestige classes must be approved on a case-by-case basis. Also see house rules.
Age, Height, Weight: All characters begin at adult age, no older, though I will track campaign time in case your character ages to the next category. I prefer height and weight be generated randomly.
Alignment: Any, although divine casters must adhere to the allowable alignments of their patron (see below).
Religion: Choose your patron from this list. If you are a cleric, then you must select your domains from this list as well. All divine casters must choose a patron deity (except spirit shamans) from this list and adhere to the cleric alignment (CAL) restrictions listed. There are no unaffiliated divine casters in my Greyhawk (except spirit shamans).
Variant Class Abilities/Substitution Levels/etc.: I will allow most of these but run them by me first.
House Rules:
-Alternate Favored Classes: Dwarves and half-orcs may choose any class that has a good base attack bonus progression as a favored class. Elves may choose any class that grants arcane spells as a favored class. Gnomes may choose bard, wizard (illusionist), beguiler, or shadowcaster. Halflings may choose any class that has 6 skill points or more per level.
-Multiclass Characters: I expect multiclassing to be roleplayed. Any build that would involve an experience point penalty is not allowed. I will not allow multiclassing that seems to be motivated by cherry-picking.
-Prestige Classes: A character may not gain levels in a second prestige class until finishing the first prestige class.
-Experience Points: I will track XP and inform you when you level up. Leveling up requires at least 8 hours of uninterrupted rest. When crafting magic items, you may spend any amount of XP you want, even if it takes you below your previous level. It will never result in a lost level. You may even use XP to scribe scrolls at character creation (please inform me if you do so).
-Skills: At 1st level, you may trade a number of class skills equal to your Intelligence modifier from your base class for any skill of your choice. The skills selected become part of the class skill list for that class for the life of your character.
-Hexblade: Curse is a swift action. May use curse once per day per hexblade level + Cha mod.
-Marshal: Minor aura bonus is capped at 1/2 marshal level (minimum +1).
-Shadowcaster: Gain bonus mysteries based on Int. Assign bonus mysteries to any mystery of the appropriate level. Once made, this choice may not be changed.
-Swashbuckler: Gain +1d6 sneak attack at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th.
-Truenamer: Truespeak DC = 9 + utterance level + (CR x 2)
-Warblade: 3/4 BAB and d10 HD.
-Retraining: As per the PH2, but use the retraining costs indicated on page 194. Retraining downtime cannot be used for adventuring or other activity.
-Dead Levels: PCs may use the material within these articles: Dead Levels and Dead Levels II.
-Death and Resurrection: Raise dead and resurrection do not have a costly material component and do not cause a loss of experience points or levels. Instead the character suffers the loss of one point of Constitution permanently and must succeed on a DC 10 Fortitude save or not survive the resurrection process. True resurrection works normally.
-Polymorph Errata and Subschool: I use the polymorph errata and the polymorph subschool rules from PH2 and Complete Mage. I've created a document that is a summation of the new rules (see below). They make polymorphing much easier to deal with.
-Glitterdust: Targets who fail their save are dazzled (not blinded) for the spell's duration.
-Heroes' Feast: This spell has a 250 gp material component for both the divine and arcane version.
-Animated Shield: This enhancement functions as the dancing weapon ability, only the shield does not attack.
-Item Creation: You may craft a scroll, potion, wand, staff, dorje, tattoo, power stone or psi crown of any spell or power you know as long as you have the necessary feat. Craft Rod, Forge Ring, Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Universal Item, and Craft Cognizance Crystal allows you to choose three items of that type that you know how to craft. If the item can be improved, you must know how to craft the lesser item before you can craft the greater item. You know how to craft one additional item of that type for each rank in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (psionics) (whichever is appropriate) you possess. Craft Magic Arms & Armor and Craft Psionic Arms & Armor work similarly regarding enhancement bonuses and special abilities.
Special Note
The Appraise skill is a valuable tool in my campaigns for ensuring you get wealthy. Whenever you examine any object that may have monetary value, I will roll an Appraise check for you and inform you if you discover the item is valuable. Wholesale looting of dungeons and taking everything but the kitchen sink is impractical in most cases.
Character Submisstion Guidelines
I prefer for character creation to be done privately. Therefore I ask that you either email me your character or post it within an sblock. If you wish to discuss who will fill general roles in the party however, that is perfectly fine, as long as you stop short of discussing actual character details. Stating that you wish to play a combat mage is preferred to saying you will be a sorcerer with magic missile and burning hands. You may discuss background to the extent that each of you lives within the mining community of Diamond Lake and has probably had at least minimal interaction with each other at some point. The nature of this interaction can be developed by you as thoroughly or as scantily as you desire. If you wish, your characters may be good friends or they may be loners who come together.
New Characters
Whenever a new character joins the campaign, that character must be 1st level and follow character creation as described above. The character will eventually catch up in level with the other players as the XP system is self-correcting so that eventually the players all even out to the same level. This rule encourages players to stick with their original characters and also creates a more organic feel to the game. It also means that after a certain point, the players that be will be on their own. It would be difficult to try to keep a 1st level character alive in a group of 10th level characters. This actually works really well with the style of the campaign. For players who find themselves disliking their characters and wishing to change more than retraining will allow, I am willing to allow quests for character rebuilds as per the PH2, but I will only allow such a rebuild once in each character's career.
The Player's Guide to Diamond Lake is purely optional, although it will certainly add to your enjoyment of several adventures. Every player should read "The Latest Gossip in Diamond Lake" however, as it provides your introduction to the campaign. A Map of Diamond Lake is also available if you like.
Edit: I forgot to add one thing. I will use Action Points for this campaign with a twist. Instead of gaining action points based on your level, you gain an action point each time you defeat a challenge with a CR higher than your level. You can earn three types of action points: 1) Add to a Roll, 2) Special Action, or 3) Improve Feat. The nature of action points earned from an encounter is random. Most action points will be type 1. A few will be type 2 and rarely some will be type 3. I will inform you whenever you earn action points. Additionally, each time you complete a chapter in the Age of Worms, you gain an action point type of your choice.
Edit: Made a slight change to retraining above.
Campaign Setting: Greyhawk
Number of Players: 4
Campaign Date: 5th of Reaping, 595 CY
Ability Scores: Roll 4d6, drop the lowest, and repeat for a total of six times. Roll three sets of ability scores and choose one set. Arrange as desired. Roll on invisible castle.
Race: Standard races from the PH only.
Class: Choose from the following: archivist, ardent, barbarian, bard, beguiler, binder, cleric, crusader, divine mind, dragonfire adept, dragon shaman, dread necromancer, druid, duskblade, factotum, favored soul, fighter, hexblade, knight, lurk, monk, paladin, psion, psychic warrior, ranger, rogue, scout, shadowcaster, soulknife, spellthief, spirit shaman, sorcerer, swashbuckler, swordsage, truenamer, warblade, warlock, warmage, wilder, wizard.
Feats: Any feat from the PH or EPH. Other feats require prior approval.
Spells/Powers: Any spell/power from the PH or EPH. Other spells or powers require research.
Equipment: Average starting equipment.
Availability: In general, PCs may purchase any mundane (non-magical) item worth 3,000 gp or less (subject to gp limit of the community the PCs are in). Consummable magic items such as scrolls and potions are usually available as long as they are under the gp limit of the community. However, other items must usually be commissioned by paying half the value of the item up front. A successful Gather Information check is usually required to find a crafter able to make the item. Mundane items outside the PH are available on a case-by-case basis.
Hit Points: Max at 1st. Average each level thereafter.
Prestige Classes: All prestige classes must be approved on a case-by-case basis. Also see house rules.
Age, Height, Weight: All characters begin at adult age, no older, though I will track campaign time in case your character ages to the next category. I prefer height and weight be generated randomly.
Alignment: Any, although divine casters must adhere to the allowable alignments of their patron (see below).
Religion: Choose your patron from this list. If you are a cleric, then you must select your domains from this list as well. All divine casters must choose a patron deity (except spirit shamans) from this list and adhere to the cleric alignment (CAL) restrictions listed. There are no unaffiliated divine casters in my Greyhawk (except spirit shamans).
Variant Class Abilities/Substitution Levels/etc.: I will allow most of these but run them by me first.
House Rules:
-Alternate Favored Classes: Dwarves and half-orcs may choose any class that has a good base attack bonus progression as a favored class. Elves may choose any class that grants arcane spells as a favored class. Gnomes may choose bard, wizard (illusionist), beguiler, or shadowcaster. Halflings may choose any class that has 6 skill points or more per level.
-Multiclass Characters: I expect multiclassing to be roleplayed. Any build that would involve an experience point penalty is not allowed. I will not allow multiclassing that seems to be motivated by cherry-picking.
-Prestige Classes: A character may not gain levels in a second prestige class until finishing the first prestige class.
-Experience Points: I will track XP and inform you when you level up. Leveling up requires at least 8 hours of uninterrupted rest. When crafting magic items, you may spend any amount of XP you want, even if it takes you below your previous level. It will never result in a lost level. You may even use XP to scribe scrolls at character creation (please inform me if you do so).
-Skills: At 1st level, you may trade a number of class skills equal to your Intelligence modifier from your base class for any skill of your choice. The skills selected become part of the class skill list for that class for the life of your character.
-Hexblade: Curse is a swift action. May use curse once per day per hexblade level + Cha mod.
-Marshal: Minor aura bonus is capped at 1/2 marshal level (minimum +1).
-Shadowcaster: Gain bonus mysteries based on Int. Assign bonus mysteries to any mystery of the appropriate level. Once made, this choice may not be changed.
-Swashbuckler: Gain +1d6 sneak attack at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th.
-Truenamer: Truespeak DC = 9 + utterance level + (CR x 2)
-Warblade: 3/4 BAB and d10 HD.
-Retraining: As per the PH2, but use the retraining costs indicated on page 194. Retraining downtime cannot be used for adventuring or other activity.
-Dead Levels: PCs may use the material within these articles: Dead Levels and Dead Levels II.
-Death and Resurrection: Raise dead and resurrection do not have a costly material component and do not cause a loss of experience points or levels. Instead the character suffers the loss of one point of Constitution permanently and must succeed on a DC 10 Fortitude save or not survive the resurrection process. True resurrection works normally.
-Polymorph Errata and Subschool: I use the polymorph errata and the polymorph subschool rules from PH2 and Complete Mage. I've created a document that is a summation of the new rules (see below). They make polymorphing much easier to deal with.
-Glitterdust: Targets who fail their save are dazzled (not blinded) for the spell's duration.
-Heroes' Feast: This spell has a 250 gp material component for both the divine and arcane version.
-Animated Shield: This enhancement functions as the dancing weapon ability, only the shield does not attack.
-Item Creation: You may craft a scroll, potion, wand, staff, dorje, tattoo, power stone or psi crown of any spell or power you know as long as you have the necessary feat. Craft Rod, Forge Ring, Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Universal Item, and Craft Cognizance Crystal allows you to choose three items of that type that you know how to craft. If the item can be improved, you must know how to craft the lesser item before you can craft the greater item. You know how to craft one additional item of that type for each rank in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (psionics) (whichever is appropriate) you possess. Craft Magic Arms & Armor and Craft Psionic Arms & Armor work similarly regarding enhancement bonuses and special abilities.
Special Note
The Appraise skill is a valuable tool in my campaigns for ensuring you get wealthy. Whenever you examine any object that may have monetary value, I will roll an Appraise check for you and inform you if you discover the item is valuable. Wholesale looting of dungeons and taking everything but the kitchen sink is impractical in most cases.
Character Submisstion Guidelines
I prefer for character creation to be done privately. Therefore I ask that you either email me your character or post it within an sblock. If you wish to discuss who will fill general roles in the party however, that is perfectly fine, as long as you stop short of discussing actual character details. Stating that you wish to play a combat mage is preferred to saying you will be a sorcerer with magic missile and burning hands. You may discuss background to the extent that each of you lives within the mining community of Diamond Lake and has probably had at least minimal interaction with each other at some point. The nature of this interaction can be developed by you as thoroughly or as scantily as you desire. If you wish, your characters may be good friends or they may be loners who come together.
New Characters
Whenever a new character joins the campaign, that character must be 1st level and follow character creation as described above. The character will eventually catch up in level with the other players as the XP system is self-correcting so that eventually the players all even out to the same level. This rule encourages players to stick with their original characters and also creates a more organic feel to the game. It also means that after a certain point, the players that be will be on their own. It would be difficult to try to keep a 1st level character alive in a group of 10th level characters. This actually works really well with the style of the campaign. For players who find themselves disliking their characters and wishing to change more than retraining will allow, I am willing to allow quests for character rebuilds as per the PH2, but I will only allow such a rebuild once in each character's career.
The Player's Guide to Diamond Lake is purely optional, although it will certainly add to your enjoyment of several adventures. Every player should read "The Latest Gossip in Diamond Lake" however, as it provides your introduction to the campaign. A Map of Diamond Lake is also available if you like.
Edit: I forgot to add one thing. I will use Action Points for this campaign with a twist. Instead of gaining action points based on your level, you gain an action point each time you defeat a challenge with a CR higher than your level. You can earn three types of action points: 1) Add to a Roll, 2) Special Action, or 3) Improve Feat. The nature of action points earned from an encounter is random. Most action points will be type 1. A few will be type 2 and rarely some will be type 3. I will inform you whenever you earn action points. Additionally, each time you complete a chapter in the Age of Worms, you gain an action point type of your choice.
Edit: Made a slight change to retraining above.
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