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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arabesu" data-source="post: 317081" data-attributes="member: 534">campaign infoWhen this campaign began I emailed or printed this background information for each of the players.  It is worth noting, that the campaign rules were from an earlier campaign I ran before the d20 Oriental Adventures Setting book was released.  Later I restarted this campaign and bought the book only much later.   Thus in later installments of the story, the L5R clan structure is introduced even though it wasn’t present here.  Background:Initially, the campaign will be set on the continent of Ancev, a young world that is still recovering from a cataclysm two millennia ago.  There are three major locations, the Empire of Süt to the South which is an oriental feudal monarchy, the North (comprised of Verdentia, the largest forest, and the Spine of the World, a mountain range) which is the traditional fantasy setting, and the Great Wastes to the west which is the site of numerous holy wars and is the source of most clerics and divine warriors.  Because of the divine forces that clash in the desert, numerous portals and gates have formed to other planes in that bleak wasteland. As a result, a few planar creatures have emigrated to Ancev, although they are usually quite secretive about how they arrived, and often relocate to areas on the continent which suit there personalities and skills.  As a result several colonies of planetouched beings have formed over various parts of the continent.The South and the Empire of Sut    The Empire of Süt dominates the southern half of the continent of Ancev.  The population is mostly human but also contains many halfling gypsy bands.  The land is predominantly plains and low hills with a few small forests clustering near the few waterways and lakes.  Monsters and magic are quite rare and most people tend to depend upon the burgeoning technology and human ingenuity.  Gunpowder is the most expensive commodity, outselling gold pound for pound.  Although the Süt technology is predominantly stolen from the Northern gnomes, much of it may have been sold to the Empire by dwarves from the very far north.  Humankind in the Empire is noted for its improvement of gnomish and dwarven technology, often obtaining heretofore unheard of applications.      The current emperor is Bo Yu Pha, and is only the 17th emperor of Süt.  The imperial family Bo has ruled since 1341 A.C. when the Empire was first formed.  The Empire is divided into provinces; each overseen by a regional governor called a Fong.  Corruption of the Fong is commonplace, leading to an inefficient bureaucratic system where the emperor has surprisingly little actual control.  However, the emperor controls a large army, The Crimson Guard, and any Fong or province that that overtly opposed Bo Yu Pha would be quickly crushed.  Although each province selects their Fong differently, some by election and others by the previous Fong’s appointment, the emperor can depose a Fong at his discretion or decree.  The westernmost provinces of Uh and Leet have their own standing armies to ward off invaders from the Great Wastes.  In Uh every man and unwed woman must serve in this army when they are fifteen.  The capital of the Empire is the massive coastal city of Uh Vra in the extreme south of Uh, although the city of Forestral on the northern border of Leet is arguable the largest city in the Empire.  The eastern portion of the Empire is divided into many small provinces, while the west and center are controlled by Uh and Leet.    The official deity of the land is Amateresu, although few actually worship her.  She is a relic from times when the Empire was first formed and the Knights of the Great Empire still patrolled the land.  The only truly functioning knighthood is the “Knights of Watch” and the major monastic order is at the monastery on Mt. Tskuba.  In actuality, most people of the Empire worship money rather than gods.  Religion appears to be delegated to the very wise, the very stupid, or the very wicked.  Inhabitants of the empire speak Suttese, a dialect of the common tongue.The Radiant Monks of Mt. TsukubaThe Radiant Monks of Mt. Tsukuba are the shining representatives of Amateresu.  Usually, only humans and aasimar are inducted into this organization and usually only as children (approximately 13 years of age or less).  As they grow and develop they are trained as both noble warrior (i.e. paladin) and monk.  Thus 1st level Radiant Monks have apprentice levels in both paladin and monk.  Furthermore, as they advance they can feely multiclass between monk and paladin.  Other classes are strictly forbidden and a Radiant Monk who multiclasses into a third class (even a prestige class) loses both his paladin and monk extraordinary and supernatural abilities.  Radiant Monks deny themselves the benefits of magical potions and often avoid magic items altogether, except for their primary weapon which is usually enchanted with good magic.  When a Radiant Monk gains the Diamond body ability (11th level) it also extends to potions, as they see potions as a kind of poison.  Radiant Monks dress in simple attire and usually shun material goods, armor, and shields. Most Radiant Monks wear common monk’s robes and hide their more powerful weapons under strips of old cloth.  Unlike most paladins, Radiant Monks are not restricted from hiding their identity or from using subterfuge to trick evil opponents.  They have even been known to lie, although they are honor bound to reveal any charade once the proper time arises.  They are particularly good at infiltrating dark organizations, setting up an elaborate sabotage and revealing themselves immediately before capturing the leaders.  A favored expression is “The Sun is brightest at dawn.”  The paladin spell list for a Radiant Monk includes Change Self in place of Read Magic.  Obviously all Radiant monks have a personality which is both disciplined and noble (i.e. LG).  Radiant Monks do not gain a mount upon attaining 5 levels of Paladinhood, instead they gain a blink dog familiar, using their combined monk and paladin levels for determining the powers of the familiar, as per table 3-19 of the PHB.  Blink dogs have been known to associate with Radiant Monks even when they aren’t the familiar of that particular monk.  Radiant Monks traveling with small packs of them have been recorded historically.  Blink dogs are often cohorts to Radiant Monks who don’t yet have access to a Blink Dog familiar.  Blink dogs are natives to Mt. Tsukuba and often help non-evil climbers and travelers who wish to visit the monastery there.The West and the Great Wastes    Little has been recorded about the Great Waste as any libraries have been destroyed by the numerous holy wars that seem to spring up every century or so.  Thus, the west is quite mysterious and almost nothing is known for certain, except that a vast desert separates most of the Empire of Süt from the western coastline of the continent.  Near this western coastline is a chain of islands called the serpent’s teeth, which are inhabited by pirates and merchants from the less civilized continent of Pav-cru on their way to the southern city of Uh Vra.  Most forms of poison originate from the west as the desert is filled with deadly insects and serpents.  Frequently, marauders who worship Set or Sekhemet attack the towns on the western provincial borders of Uh and Leet, wielding envenomed falchion and scimitar, and leave a tremendous wake of destruction.  Most inhabitants speak Celestial, Abyssal, or Infernal; those few who know other languages also often speak the common tongue or Suttese.The North, Verdentia, and the Spine of the World    The North is the land of magic and fey, populated by elves and gnomes with many human barbarian tribes throughout.  As one crosses the Xen Doa River on the north border of Süt the great forest of Verdentia is encountered, which is rumored to stretch as dense as fur from the eastern coastline to the western coastline.  North of Verdentia is the Spine of the World, a mountain range wherein dwell the dwarves.  The surface of the Spine of the World range is nearly uninhabitable although giants have been known to eke out an existence while waging an age-old war with the dwarves.  Beyond the mountains is the frigid northern glacier which is completely uninhabited.    The elves of Verdentia are organized into a government called the Council of Courts.  Each court represents some abstract territory and thus provides a rudimentary framework for maintaining peace.  The two most powerful and largest courts are the Court of Leaves and the Court of the River.  The dwarves, on the other hand, lack an obvious government but have a group called The Dark Protectors who seem to maintain order and settle disputes when they arise.  The gnomes lack any official organization or territory as they are mostly integrated into Verdentia and the northernmost provinces of Sut.  As such, gnomes are often used as diplomats and liaisons between the Council of Courts and the Empire of Süt.  Most inhabitants speak the common tongue, although some human barbarian clans have their own languages.Timeline (similar to the Gregorian calendar, ie 12 months per year, 7 days per week)0 A.C.    A cataclysm alters the land of Ancev, throwing the continent back to a prehistoric wilderness setting.139 A.C.    The surviving elves rediscover magic and the first wizards of the new age are trained.150 A.C.    Barbaric humans from the continent of Pav-cru immigrate to Ancev and begin repopulating the continent.525 A.C.    Southern humans forge iron weapons with the aid of ancient, pre-cataclysm dwarven forge techniques.788 A.C.    Monastary at Mt. Tskuba is built.1001 A.C.    Court of Leaves forms1299 A.C.    The provinces in the south solidify into sovereign nations.1307 A.C.    The Council of Courts is formed along with several new Courts.1341 A.C.    Emperor Bo Bu To unites the provinces as an Empire by military might.1500 A.C.    Adamantine weapons are sold to the Empire by the dwarves, although the Empire is still unable to forge them.1700 A.C.    Gnomes invent gunpowder, and humans steal an early inferior formula in 1781 A.C.1809 A.C.    Mythril armor, to outfit the army of Uh, is bought from the dwarves at a tremendous cost, destroying the economy of Uh.1999 A.C.    Present day; the 28th day of the 12th month of the 31st year of the reign of Emperor Bo Yu Pha.  Pantheons:Northerners adhere to the Greyhawk cosmology presented in the PHB.  The Empire of Süt only condones one religion, the Temple of Amateresu (a female version of Pelor).  However, the temple as a whole has lost favor as the followers of Amateresu have views which are not purely aligned with most of the Fongs.  Unofficial temples to other deities are growing in number, although they are heavily taxed.  Only the Temple of Amateresu has avoided taxation due to its official status and favor with the emperor.  The principle deity that opposes Amateresu is her brother, the storm god Izanagi.  Nearly all of the temples of Izanagi have been destroyed, but rumors of secret Izanagi-worshiping-coveys plotting to destroy the Temple of Amateresu are quite commonplace.In the Great Wastes, religion is complicated and important, as one would expect for a region populated by religious zealots. The principle powers of influence are Horus-Ra, Set, Sehkemet, Neith, Thoth, and Osiris.  To a lesser extent Anubis, Nephthys, and Isis hold sway over a number of worshipers.  Ironically, the Northern god Vecna has accumulated a small and isolated group of followers in the desert.Anubis – The jackal headed god of embalming, son of Osiris; clerics have domains of Healing, Travel, or Death.Geb – The god of earth, son of Ra; clerics have domains of Earth, Law or Strength.Horus-Ra* – The falcon headed sun god, a fusion of Ra and great grandson Horus; clerics have domains of Good, Sun, Fire, or Healing.Isis – The goddess of women, rivers, and animals, wife to Osiris; clerics have domains of Water, Animal, or Good.Neith – The goddess of hearth, home, family, and defensive warfare. Opposes Sekhemet; clerics have domains of War, Protection or Healing.Nephthys – The goddess of children and curiosity, wife to Set who coupled with Osiris to give Anubis; clerics have Luck, Trickery or Chaos.Nut – The sky goddess, daughter of Ra, who swallows him at night; clerics have domains of Air, Chaos, or Luck.Osiris* – The old god of death, slain by Set, grandson of Ra who fathered Horus and Anubis; clerics have domains of Death, Good, Law or Plant.Sekhemet – The lion headed goddess of war and destruction; clerics have domains of War, Strength, or Destruction.Set – The god of jealousy and ambition, who slew the serpent Apep and took its power; clerics have domains of Evil, Death, Trickery or War.Thoth – The moon god of magic and knowledge; clerics have domains of Knowledge, Magic, or Air.Vecna – The alien god of evil and magic, who seeks refuge from the rest of the Northern pantheon; allied strongly with Set (same as PHB).* - Followers of these two deities are tolerated throughout the Great Wastes except by the followers of Geb, Set, and Vecna.  The followers of the remaining deities do not accept one another, although the animosity is strongest between Neith and Sekhemet, and Osiris and Set.House Rules/clarifications to core rules: Skill focus: This feat grants a +3 competence bonus to one skill rather than +2.Hit Dice:  At any point during a character’s career they may begin to have average hit points for their hit dice.  However, once this is chosen it affects all future hit dice rolls, even if they are of a different die type and the ability to roll for hit points can’t be restored.  Level drain and hit points:  Players do not normally need to write down the exact hit points rolled at each level (I trust you).  When a PC is drained of a level and loses a hit die, then that die result must be recorded.  When they attain a level in a class with that same hit die the subtracted hit points are gained back instead of rolling.  For example, the 2nd level Ranger Natasha has 11 hit points at 2nd level.  She is level drained down to first level and rolls an 8 on her d8 (see below).  She now has 3 hp at first level.  If she advances in any class with a d8 hit die, she gains 8 hit points in lieu of rolling the d8.  Thus PCs only need to record the exact hit die rolls when levels are lost not when they are gained. The minimum number of total hit points a character can have is 1.  If Natasha had one level of rogue and one level of ranger she might have as few as 7 hit points with no constitution bonus or penalty.  If she had rolled a 7 or an 8 on her d8 it would have been treated as a 6 instead.  When she gained back her level of ranger she would regain 6 hit points instead of rolling.Harm: This spell has a Fortitude save for partial.  This spell deals 10 times the cleric’s caster level upon a successful Fortitude save.  Normally no save is allowed, but with this house rule a failed save has the normal result. Countering Spell-like abilities:  Spell-like abilities can be countered as if they are spells.  The normal rules for countering spells apply.  All spell-like abilities are treated identically to spells which have had the eschew materials metamagic feat applied.  Thus spell-like abilities which are based upon spells with verbal components also require verbal incantation, although the caster’s native tongue may be used if neither Draconic or the language of magic can be spoken.  Generally, spell-like abilities that are similar to spells requiring a costly material component also require that component.Clerics/Paladins without deities:  Clerics must choose a deity or sacrifice the ability to cast domain spells.  Paladins do not need to choose a specific deity, but spells can not be prepared unless a specific deity is prayed to and worshiped.  Paladins can worship multiple deities, but if a paladin ever prays to a particular deity (for spells) then that paladin is considered to worship that deity.  Paladins who worship multiple deities are beholden to each and so are recommended to choose deities whose ethos and will are unlikely to come into conflict.  If either a cleric’s or paladin’s deity is unable to perceive their prayers (such as by being on a plane totally isolated from that deities influence) then they are unable to prepare new spells.  Divine keys can often be used to permit such a connection even when one is not normally present.Quickened spells:  Quickened spells can only be cast when a caster has opportunity to take an action such as during her turn or when a readied action is triggered or during an attack of opportunity.  Unless the spell specifically designates, they can’t trigger upon having to make a save or by being attacked unless the attack provokes an attack of opportunity. Psionics Revisions:Body Fuel:  A limited amount of temporary ability damage caused by the use of this psionic feat can be healed by the use of either Lesser body adjustment or Body adjustment powers.  Either power can heal up to twice the manifester level in ability damage dealt by the Body Fuel feat per day.  A divine or arcane method of restoring temporary ability damage is not limited, nor is the natural process of healing temporary ability damage.  This revision is intended to prevent the Body Fuel, Body Adjustment, Trigger Power combination from generating unlimited power points, although the combination can be used to generate a few more power points per day at the expense of a couple of feats.</blockquote>

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