[Closed] The Psionicle
- Thread starter GnomeWorks
- Start date
GnomeWorks
Adventurer
That was a pretty good summary, Dalamar - though you were right, the 'kreen and 'ti encounters should have been reversed. 
As for being 3e or 3.5... I think we're at the end of the transition, though. I think the majority of the characters in it right now are 3.5 compliant.
So, right now, we have the following people interested...
Eluvan
Xael
Thanee
Is that correct?
As for being 3e or 3.5... I think we're at the end of the transition, though. I think the majority of the characters in it right now are 3.5 compliant.
So, right now, we have the following people interested...
Eluvan
Xael
Thanee
Is that correct?
Dalamar
Adventurer
Also some more stuff as it comes to my mind (and take everything I say with a grain of salt, I tend to have a faulty memory):
Ratheqar is a githyanki (or was he githzerai?) psionic user, and he's up to no good. Jirlai (a human sorcerer) works for him, mostly because they both want the Psionicle. Once they're done with that, they'll most likely fight each other to see which one of them gets it.
Shardorn (the afore-mentioned goblin cleric) is also an old associate of Jirlai's but abandoned him after she learned of his intentions to destroy psionics.
Oh, and my pleasure
Ratheqar is a githyanki (or was he githzerai?) psionic user, and he's up to no good. Jirlai (a human sorcerer) works for him, mostly because they both want the Psionicle. Once they're done with that, they'll most likely fight each other to see which one of them gets it.
Shardorn (the afore-mentioned goblin cleric) is also an old associate of Jirlai's but abandoned him after she learned of his intentions to destroy psionics.
Oh, and my pleasure
Dalamar
Adventurer
And 3.0 vs. 3.5 in regard to Syld: the Rogue's Gallery shows the 3.0 version, but the 3.5 stats are somewhere in the OoC thread and on my HD, I just haven't gotten around to upping the RG version.
And damnit, I wish that the revised Contructor didn't require Craft 9 ranks! Grr... One more level because I need 1 more rank of a skill...
And damnit, I wish that the revised Contructor didn't require Craft 9 ranks! Grr... One more level because I need 1 more rank of a skill...
GnomeWorks
Adventurer
Alright. Thanee and Eluvan, looks like you're in.
World information and info on how to make your characters will be up shortly.
World information and info on how to make your characters will be up shortly.
GnomeWorks
Adventurer
Campaign Introduction
Ages ago, there was an ancient illithid empire known as Penumbra. They occupied the entirety of the continent of Lotharien, and enslaved the numerous races that lived upon it. Among their servants were humans; goblins; elves; halflings; and various other races, along with the githyanki, who the illithids had brought from worlds unknown.
In time, however, the slaves of the illithids came to develop mental powers similar to those of their captors. Eventually, they created an underground resistance movement, having gained the ability to disobey and avoid their telepathic masters. They imbued their powers into six gems, one for each discipline of psionics. They placed these gems in places of power, carving pedestals from precious gems and diamonds and setting the gems upon them. They then used these gems to focus their psionic power, and rained destruction down upon the continent, causing it to sink; as it did so, the empire of Penumbra fell, and the servants of the illithids escaped to a small island that was all that remained of Lotharien. The places of power that guarded the gems were sealed against the rising waters, ensuring that they would not be destroyed and that psionics would continue.
-----
In the early second century, the necromancer prodigy Kalrios Wayveri gained knowledge of a powerful spell that would allow him to raise continents. Desiring a base from which to work, he raised the continent of Lotharien. However, his casting was imperfect, and the continent raised crookedly - causing the south to heave itself into mountains, and the north to be laced with numerous lakes and rivers. The island remnant of Lotharien was unaffected, despite its proximity to the continent, now known as Idaklaa.
Kotrit based himself in the Tower of Illusions, a tower infused with magic located deep in the heart of the remaining island, which had come to be known as the Lost Isle. From there, he sent forth his undead legions across the world. Thus was the War of the Illusionist begun.
At the end of the war, Kotrit fell. However, before doing so, he used another immensely powerful spell - this time, to destroy psionics. His efforts failed, however, as the six gems - along with two other artifacts of psionic and illithid origin - remained, which had been imbued with the psionic power of thousands years before. These eight artifacts saved the force of psionics, but at a price - they became the focal point for psionic energies to enter the world, and if they were not joined, all would be lost.
-----
It is the modern day, Common Year 382. The War of the Illusionist was battled almost three centuries prior. Now, the true effects of his destruction of psionics are being felt. Though psionics was restored to its former self, it is still dependent on the Psionicle for its survival, and only now is the force of psionics itself beginning to wane.
As with the artifacts of magic and technology, if the Psionicle is not fully constructed, all psionics will perish from the world - and all those who take part in its gifts with it.
There are some - namely, those who practice magic or technology - who would prefer that this be the case. However, thousands upon thousands of lives hang in the balance. If the Psionicle is not constructed, the balance between the three forces of magic, psionics, and technology will be thrown off, and who knows what may happen if that should ever come to pass...
-----
You, then, are adventurers. Your knowledge of the history of psionics may be non-existent, or you may be all too aware of what will happen if the artifact known as the Psionicle is not constructed from its constituent parts.
You are currently on the Lost Isle, in a small village on the northern shore, the only known port - and even then, it is incredibly small, composed of but a few buildings. Your purpose for being here may be as simple as wanting to get away from the urban life, or you may be hunting the pieces of the Psionicle, looking for clues and knowledge that will help you save the force of psionics.
Regardless, if you use psionics, you have noticed the waning of your powers. Your powers of the mind do not come as easily as they did even a year ago, and bringing them into focus is beginning to grow difficult. There is no doubt that, if something is not done soon, you will not be able to draw upon them at all - and soon after that, death awaits.
-----
Game Information
This campaign is primarily character-driven. The party is adventuring to restore the Psionicle; while you don't have to play a psionic character, your character should have a reason to want to help out in this venture. Also pay attention to the calendar, which may be important in time-sensitive ventures - this world uses its own custom calendar, which you can find in the OoC thread.
Last, but not least: the world is alive and real. I don't mean that in a literal sense, but in a figurative sense. When your character does something, it happens, and NPCs and the environment will react accordingly. NPCs aren't cardboard cutouts - they have their own motivations, goals, and skills; nor is the environment just a backdrop: weather will adversely affect you. Also, do realize this: when your character makes a choice, you make a choice. If I offer you a hook and you refuse to take it, I won't force you to. I try to give you as much free will as is humanly possible and still keep the game cohesive.
Also, one quick note - if you have a question about the world, ask me! I don't have a central, easily-accessible place online where you can find everything, and I'm not organized enough for that to be true, anyway. The more questions you ask, the more the world grows and matures, and that's a good thing all around. This is especially important for character background - I know I haven't provided a whole lot in terms of geography and whatnot, so feel free to ask! My email address is korey at nandgate dot com (replacing "at" and "dot", of course
).
Books Used
The core 3 books are used; also, the XPH is a must in this game. Technology may be encountered, though probably rare; if such happens, you'll be told what you need to know to interact with it.
In addition, I will sometimes use material from the following: Dragons 294-321 and 325-326, BoEM, BoVD, Minis HB, Complete Warrior, Unearthed Arcana, Arcana Unearthed, Advanced Player's Guide, WarCraft: Magic & Mayhem, DragonMech, Eberron, Dragonlance CS, Relics & Rituals (I and II), Creature Collection (I and II), Traps and Treachery (I and II), Sorcery & Steam, FLCS, Magic of Faerun, Sword and Fist, Tome and Blood, Masters of the Wild, Defenders of the Faith, Song and Silence, Stronghold Builder's Guide, Manual of the Planes, Oriental Adventures, Deities and Demigods, ELH, Savage Species, Ghostwalk, Arms and Equipment Guide.
I also use information from the Mind's Eye at the WotC site.
If you're interested in using information (be it a feat, skill, or PrC) from a source, please identify what it is, a quick summary of it, and where it can be found; the more specific you can be, the better. Please note that I'm a typically reasonable person and will usually accept anything that is reasonable and within the bounds of the world (ie, if it doesn't fit my idea of the world, I probably won't allow it unless you can give me a darn good reason).
Character Creation
For character creation, you have 32 points to use in a point buy. While this may seem like a lot, it isn't when you consider that I also use Perception. Perception is a seventh ability score that modifies your character's ability to sense his environment.
Perception affects the following:
-- Attack rolls with firearms.
-- Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
-- Low-light vision (Per modifier is added to LLV multiplier) and Darkvision (Per modifier x 10 is added to Darkvision).
A character starts at 4th level with standard gold for a starting 4th level character, as per the DMG.
All characters should have some kind of backstory. It can be short and sweet, or long and involved; while I prefer the latter, I know that that can sometimes be a pain with so little world information provided.
The following information is regarding the region of Kahasal. However, given your location, it is plausible that you could be from another section of the world, such as Ashk (a magocracy), the Coldlands (a technological nation), or Iscali (a land of forests and fey). Basically, what I'm saying is that you are not necessarily limited to the options below - while the ones I've presented here would make the most sense for a character pursuing the Psionicle, they are by no means the only ones I will allow. If you want to have a character of a different race or class, ask about it and I'll post pertinent information about where that race or class is predominantly found.
Races
The following are the available races.
Elf: Elves who live in Kahasal are much different than the aristocratic elves of the Ashkian magocracy or the wild elves of the woods. Instead, they are more cautious and reclusive; they restrict their studies of the magical arts, as such things are usually inhibited by the psionic nature of Kahasal.
Kahasal elves are no different than typical elves; however, their favored class is Sorcerer, as opposed to Wizard.
Githyanki: Githyanki are not originally native to the world; however, they have come to accept it as their home, as they have been trapped here for several centuries. Few, if any, modern githyanki have any memory of living elsewhere. They have a fierce hatred of illithid, though such creatures are a rarity in the modern world; they are also naturally psionic, which lends them to positions of authority among the peoples of Kahasal.
A githyanki's favored class is Psychic Warrior.
Goblin: Goblins were one of the enslaved races of Penumbra, and they pulled their own share of the load in imbuing the gems with enough psionic force to sink the continent. Since then, goblins have become an accepted part of society; though they can be irritating, they are not scavengers, nor do they feed off of the rest of society: they typically contribute, albeit in their own ways.
Goblins favor the Rogue class.
Goblin, Blue: Though normal goblins pulled their share of the load, it was the blues - goblins with a natural gift for psionics - that really assisted in the endeavour. Blues are not as rare as they may be elsewhere, and they often take positions that allow them to take advantage of their natural talents. Blues are typically respected by the normal goblins of Kahasal, even if some give that respect grudgingly.
Blues favor the Psion class.
Human: Humans make up a significant portion of the Kahasal population. The humans of Kahasal are an insightful people, and - with memories and tales of enslavement being passed down through the centuries - have a fierce distaste for strong government. Though they do not have a strong governmental system, they do regulate themselves readily enough, with a small amount of guidance.
There are humans present that are from other cultures, and they vary as much as real-world humans do.
Humans do not differ from standard humans.
Thri-Kreen: Thri-kreen are an unusual people. They have little history, and have little interaction with the rest of Kahasal society. They typically range throughout the north, where the lakes and rivers have been frozen over by the cold. Unlike thri-kreen elsewhere, they have adapted to the cold, and live in deep natural caverns scattered throughout the north.
Thri-kreen do not gain racial HD.
Thri-kreen favor the Soulknife class.
Classes
The following are the available classes.
The Forces
Beyond all else, the defining point of the world is the interaction of the three forces. These three forces are magic, psionics, and technology.
Definitions
Magic breaks the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Psionics bends the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Technology uses the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Divine magic isn't Magic; it is not subject to SR or other effects. Divine magic is called Magic because this is what it most resembled when it was first encountered; it is more a product of ignorance than an actual description of what is occuring.
There are also several other 'minor' forces, such as the Blue (which is what akashics draw upon) and the Void (the antithesis of creation). These are typically outside the standard force architecture and are not affected by things that affect the normal Forces. These minor forces are almost never referred to as actual forces by people who are aware of them.
Interactions
A character with a caster level has PR and TR both equal to 5 + caster level.
A character with a manifester level has SR and TR both equal to 5 + manifester level.
A character with a student level has SR and PR both equal to 5 + student level.
The resistances gained due to class are inherent resistance and can never be lowered, even voluntarily. In addition, a character with resistance to a force he is trying to use (ie, trying to cast a spell when having SR from a force-resistant class), the character must overcome his inherent resistance in order for the effect to be successful.
-----
Alright, I think that about covers it. Any questions?
Ages ago, there was an ancient illithid empire known as Penumbra. They occupied the entirety of the continent of Lotharien, and enslaved the numerous races that lived upon it. Among their servants were humans; goblins; elves; halflings; and various other races, along with the githyanki, who the illithids had brought from worlds unknown.
In time, however, the slaves of the illithids came to develop mental powers similar to those of their captors. Eventually, they created an underground resistance movement, having gained the ability to disobey and avoid their telepathic masters. They imbued their powers into six gems, one for each discipline of psionics. They placed these gems in places of power, carving pedestals from precious gems and diamonds and setting the gems upon them. They then used these gems to focus their psionic power, and rained destruction down upon the continent, causing it to sink; as it did so, the empire of Penumbra fell, and the servants of the illithids escaped to a small island that was all that remained of Lotharien. The places of power that guarded the gems were sealed against the rising waters, ensuring that they would not be destroyed and that psionics would continue.
-----
In the early second century, the necromancer prodigy Kalrios Wayveri gained knowledge of a powerful spell that would allow him to raise continents. Desiring a base from which to work, he raised the continent of Lotharien. However, his casting was imperfect, and the continent raised crookedly - causing the south to heave itself into mountains, and the north to be laced with numerous lakes and rivers. The island remnant of Lotharien was unaffected, despite its proximity to the continent, now known as Idaklaa.
Kotrit based himself in the Tower of Illusions, a tower infused with magic located deep in the heart of the remaining island, which had come to be known as the Lost Isle. From there, he sent forth his undead legions across the world. Thus was the War of the Illusionist begun.
At the end of the war, Kotrit fell. However, before doing so, he used another immensely powerful spell - this time, to destroy psionics. His efforts failed, however, as the six gems - along with two other artifacts of psionic and illithid origin - remained, which had been imbued with the psionic power of thousands years before. These eight artifacts saved the force of psionics, but at a price - they became the focal point for psionic energies to enter the world, and if they were not joined, all would be lost.
-----
It is the modern day, Common Year 382. The War of the Illusionist was battled almost three centuries prior. Now, the true effects of his destruction of psionics are being felt. Though psionics was restored to its former self, it is still dependent on the Psionicle for its survival, and only now is the force of psionics itself beginning to wane.
As with the artifacts of magic and technology, if the Psionicle is not fully constructed, all psionics will perish from the world - and all those who take part in its gifts with it.
There are some - namely, those who practice magic or technology - who would prefer that this be the case. However, thousands upon thousands of lives hang in the balance. If the Psionicle is not constructed, the balance between the three forces of magic, psionics, and technology will be thrown off, and who knows what may happen if that should ever come to pass...
-----
You, then, are adventurers. Your knowledge of the history of psionics may be non-existent, or you may be all too aware of what will happen if the artifact known as the Psionicle is not constructed from its constituent parts.
You are currently on the Lost Isle, in a small village on the northern shore, the only known port - and even then, it is incredibly small, composed of but a few buildings. Your purpose for being here may be as simple as wanting to get away from the urban life, or you may be hunting the pieces of the Psionicle, looking for clues and knowledge that will help you save the force of psionics.
Regardless, if you use psionics, you have noticed the waning of your powers. Your powers of the mind do not come as easily as they did even a year ago, and bringing them into focus is beginning to grow difficult. There is no doubt that, if something is not done soon, you will not be able to draw upon them at all - and soon after that, death awaits.
-----
Game Information
This campaign is primarily character-driven. The party is adventuring to restore the Psionicle; while you don't have to play a psionic character, your character should have a reason to want to help out in this venture. Also pay attention to the calendar, which may be important in time-sensitive ventures - this world uses its own custom calendar, which you can find in the OoC thread.
Last, but not least: the world is alive and real. I don't mean that in a literal sense, but in a figurative sense. When your character does something, it happens, and NPCs and the environment will react accordingly. NPCs aren't cardboard cutouts - they have their own motivations, goals, and skills; nor is the environment just a backdrop: weather will adversely affect you. Also, do realize this: when your character makes a choice, you make a choice. If I offer you a hook and you refuse to take it, I won't force you to. I try to give you as much free will as is humanly possible and still keep the game cohesive.
Also, one quick note - if you have a question about the world, ask me! I don't have a central, easily-accessible place online where you can find everything, and I'm not organized enough for that to be true, anyway. The more questions you ask, the more the world grows and matures, and that's a good thing all around. This is especially important for character background - I know I haven't provided a whole lot in terms of geography and whatnot, so feel free to ask! My email address is korey at nandgate dot com (replacing "at" and "dot", of course
).Books Used
The core 3 books are used; also, the XPH is a must in this game. Technology may be encountered, though probably rare; if such happens, you'll be told what you need to know to interact with it.
In addition, I will sometimes use material from the following: Dragons 294-321 and 325-326, BoEM, BoVD, Minis HB, Complete Warrior, Unearthed Arcana, Arcana Unearthed, Advanced Player's Guide, WarCraft: Magic & Mayhem, DragonMech, Eberron, Dragonlance CS, Relics & Rituals (I and II), Creature Collection (I and II), Traps and Treachery (I and II), Sorcery & Steam, FLCS, Magic of Faerun, Sword and Fist, Tome and Blood, Masters of the Wild, Defenders of the Faith, Song and Silence, Stronghold Builder's Guide, Manual of the Planes, Oriental Adventures, Deities and Demigods, ELH, Savage Species, Ghostwalk, Arms and Equipment Guide.
I also use information from the Mind's Eye at the WotC site.
If you're interested in using information (be it a feat, skill, or PrC) from a source, please identify what it is, a quick summary of it, and where it can be found; the more specific you can be, the better. Please note that I'm a typically reasonable person and will usually accept anything that is reasonable and within the bounds of the world (ie, if it doesn't fit my idea of the world, I probably won't allow it unless you can give me a darn good reason).
Character Creation
For character creation, you have 32 points to use in a point buy. While this may seem like a lot, it isn't when you consider that I also use Perception. Perception is a seventh ability score that modifies your character's ability to sense his environment.
Perception affects the following:
-- Attack rolls with firearms.
-- Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
-- Low-light vision (Per modifier is added to LLV multiplier) and Darkvision (Per modifier x 10 is added to Darkvision).
A character starts at 4th level with standard gold for a starting 4th level character, as per the DMG.
All characters should have some kind of backstory. It can be short and sweet, or long and involved; while I prefer the latter, I know that that can sometimes be a pain with so little world information provided.
The following information is regarding the region of Kahasal. However, given your location, it is plausible that you could be from another section of the world, such as Ashk (a magocracy), the Coldlands (a technological nation), or Iscali (a land of forests and fey). Basically, what I'm saying is that you are not necessarily limited to the options below - while the ones I've presented here would make the most sense for a character pursuing the Psionicle, they are by no means the only ones I will allow. If you want to have a character of a different race or class, ask about it and I'll post pertinent information about where that race or class is predominantly found.
Races
The following are the available races.
Code:
[color=white][b]Race Subraces LA[/b]
Elf
Githyanki +2
Goblin Blue +0, Blue +1
Human
Halfling Floodplain
Thri-Kreen +2[/color]Elf: Elves who live in Kahasal are much different than the aristocratic elves of the Ashkian magocracy or the wild elves of the woods. Instead, they are more cautious and reclusive; they restrict their studies of the magical arts, as such things are usually inhibited by the psionic nature of Kahasal.
Kahasal elves are no different than typical elves; however, their favored class is Sorcerer, as opposed to Wizard.
Githyanki: Githyanki are not originally native to the world; however, they have come to accept it as their home, as they have been trapped here for several centuries. Few, if any, modern githyanki have any memory of living elsewhere. They have a fierce hatred of illithid, though such creatures are a rarity in the modern world; they are also naturally psionic, which lends them to positions of authority among the peoples of Kahasal.
A githyanki's favored class is Psychic Warrior.
Goblin: Goblins were one of the enslaved races of Penumbra, and they pulled their own share of the load in imbuing the gems with enough psionic force to sink the continent. Since then, goblins have become an accepted part of society; though they can be irritating, they are not scavengers, nor do they feed off of the rest of society: they typically contribute, albeit in their own ways.
Goblins favor the Rogue class.
Goblin, Blue: Though normal goblins pulled their share of the load, it was the blues - goblins with a natural gift for psionics - that really assisted in the endeavour. Blues are not as rare as they may be elsewhere, and they often take positions that allow them to take advantage of their natural talents. Blues are typically respected by the normal goblins of Kahasal, even if some give that respect grudgingly.
Blues favor the Psion class.
Human: Humans make up a significant portion of the Kahasal population. The humans of Kahasal are an insightful people, and - with memories and tales of enslavement being passed down through the centuries - have a fierce distaste for strong government. Though they do not have a strong governmental system, they do regulate themselves readily enough, with a small amount of guidance.
There are humans present that are from other cultures, and they vary as much as real-world humans do.
Humans do not differ from standard humans.
Thri-Kreen: Thri-kreen are an unusual people. They have little history, and have little interaction with the rest of Kahasal society. They typically range throughout the north, where the lakes and rivers have been frozen over by the cold. Unlike thri-kreen elsewhere, they have adapted to the cold, and live in deep natural caverns scattered throughout the north.
Thri-kreen do not gain racial HD.
Thri-kreen favor the Soulknife class.
Classes
The following are the available classes.
Code:
[color=white][b]CLASS FAVORED BY SOURCE(1)[/b]
Cleric PH
Druid PH
Fighter PH
Monk PH
Paladin PH
Psion Goblin (Blue) XPH
Psychic Warrior Githyanki XPH
Ranger PH
Rogue Goblin, Halfling (Floodplain) PH
Sorcerer Elf PH
Soulknife Thri-kreen XPH
Wilder XPH
1) Abbrevations Explained
PH: Player's Handbook, 3.5
XPH: Expanded Psionics Handbook[/color]The Forces
Beyond all else, the defining point of the world is the interaction of the three forces. These three forces are magic, psionics, and technology.
Definitions
Magic breaks the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Psionics bends the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Technology uses the rules of reality to accomplish its ends.
Divine magic isn't Magic; it is not subject to SR or other effects. Divine magic is called Magic because this is what it most resembled when it was first encountered; it is more a product of ignorance than an actual description of what is occuring.
There are also several other 'minor' forces, such as the Blue (which is what akashics draw upon) and the Void (the antithesis of creation). These are typically outside the standard force architecture and are not affected by things that affect the normal Forces. These minor forces are almost never referred to as actual forces by people who are aware of them.
Interactions
A character with a caster level has PR and TR both equal to 5 + caster level.
A character with a manifester level has SR and TR both equal to 5 + manifester level.
A character with a student level has SR and PR both equal to 5 + student level.
The resistances gained due to class are inherent resistance and can never be lowered, even voluntarily. In addition, a character with resistance to a force he is trying to use (ie, trying to cast a spell when having SR from a force-resistant class), the character must overcome his inherent resistance in order for the effect to be successful.
-----
Alright, I think that about covers it. Any questions?
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