Dragonlance: Age of Mortals Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Darkfire142

A Three Book Adventure Path in the world of Dragonlance covering levels 1-20.


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Six months have passed since the War of Souls, an epic conflict that spanned the world of Krynn. After 28 years when the Gods have been silent and magic flows unrestrained by the Moons, the Gods of Krynn have returned. The first among the Light, Paladine walks the earth as a mortal, while the Dark Queen Takhisis lies dead, leaving their places vacant among the heavens. Ansalon still bears scars of the decades where evil reigned upon the world in the Godless times. The Dark Knights of Neraka still subjugate numerous lands and the wicked minotaurs have begun a campaign of conquest. Many among the righteous and good have suffered in the Age of Mortals. Solamina's forces are weakened by the war, the elves are in exile, the Kender lands burned to ash and the dwarves in ever conflict with their darker brethren. Decades ago, the Companions saved the world from the brink of ruin. Now once again, heroes must rise and bring balance back to the world. Will you be among them?

Greetings, I am an avid fan of the Dragonlance campaign setting. Years ago I collected the books of the Age of Mortals Campaign for D&D 3rd. This epic adventure path is covered in 3 books, The Key of Destiny, The Spectre and Sorrows and the Price of Courage, creating an epic campaign that spans from level 1 to level 20. I have tried to run this in the past but have had trouble finding players willing to stick around for the long haul. But I am undaunted and willing to give it another shot. This will be a Play by Post game.

As I am a fan of Pathfinder, I will be converting the adventure path to use the Pathfinder Rules. As 3rd ed converts fairly easily I don't see much of a problem. Still certain house rules will be used in order to incorporate some of the materials and convert some of the races. Here are some house rules to be aware of.

1. Your character can start as a member of a major factions if you wish or join one during the game. Here is a list of some factions a player can be a part of:

Brass Tiger Company
Knights of Solamnia
Legion of Steel
Ergothian Merchant Marines
Holy order of the Stars
Towers of High Sorcery

If you are a member of a faction that has a related prestige class you may gain access to some prestige class features by spending feats. Your character level must equal or exceed the prestige class level of that ability to purchase it with feats. You can not use feats to gain access to spell-casting abilities however.

2. Most classes are allowed to be played, although certain classes are modified to fit the setting. The Oracle class is a replacement for the Mystic Class. As an Oracle you do not need to chose a patron deity as Mystics draw power directly from a domain (Which is easily represented by an Oracle's Mystery). Druids must define if they are servants to a god or another form of Mystic. For Sorcerers, the Arcane Bloodline is accessible to any character through study of Sorcery. Other bloodlines need to chosen before to represent that your character has some kind of magical blood in your background. The Gunslinger class is available to only Gnomes, as Firearms are not in widespread use on Krynn. As Krynn does not have an oriental region, players may not take Ninja or Samurai as classes in the game.

3. The most common races are: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome and Kender. Other available races are Half-Ogre, Half-Goblin, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Minotaur, Irda and Phaethon. Outsider races (Aasimar, Tiefling, Undine, Sylph, Ifrit, Oread) are rare in Krynn and you will need to give a compelling reason for playing one of these races.

Here are some differences I am incorporating into the game.

Humans: Humans get two additional racial features. First they get a regional language based on where they come from in addition common and languages from intelligence. They also get to chose 1 skill of their choice. If the skill is not a class skill, it becomes a class skill. If it is already a class skill, they gain a +1 misc bonus to using that skill.

Elves: Use the Pathfinder Elves racial traits with the following modifications:

All elves have Elfsight. This functions like Low-Light vision but also incorporates 30 FT dark-vision.

Depending on the type of elf you are you have variant bonuses & penalties.

Qualinesti Elves: +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution. +1 on diplomacy and sense motive checks.

Silvanesti: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution. +1 on knowledge arcana and spell-craft checks

Kagonesti: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 intellgence. +1 on knowledge nature and survival checks.

Kender: http://www.dlnexus.com/fan/rules/23083.aspx

Gnomes: http://www.dlnexus.com/fan/rules/11074.aspx

Minotaur: http://www.dlnexus.com/fan/rules/19940.aspx

* Note: The Minotaurs and the Elves are currently on terrible terms. There WILL NOT be a Minotaur and an Elf in the same party!

4. As this game is a heroic game, PC's may not be of evil alignment. You also may not be members of an evil faction such as Knights of Nekara. Just a heads up before you think about playing the Lawful Evil Anti-Paladin type.

Characters will be built with a 25 point buy. The Dragonlance AOM campaign is a difficult setting and a pretty difficult adventure path. You may also chose 2 traits to apply to your character from any list for Pathfinder as well. Starting gold will be as normal (Although the Gold Piece is replaced by the Steel piece.)

Just a reminder that Dragonlance is a low Magical Item setting. There has been numerous magical dark-ages where magical item production stagnated. This is especially true of the past 28 years where numerous magical items where horded by wizards and "Spell Leached" for magical energy. With the Orders of High Sorcery and Holy Order of the Stars back in business there is means to enchant magical items although such items are not in mass production.

PC's might have lower AC's and Attack Bonuses due to a lack of magical items. Still in the past, craftsmen compensated for the lack of magic by making high quality items. To do this I am considering using a house rule called "Leveled Masterwork" where you can pay for additional masterwork on items, giving improved bonuses to hit and damage and masterwork armor giving bonus AC. We'll decide how mechanically this will work through discussion.

So who is interested in taking part in this Dragonlance Adventure?


Dang, I would rather play a War of the Lance... :p

For your campaign, how about requiring Master Craftsman feat to allow you to give the master artisans a chance to increase the enhancement bonuses given.

When I did something similar, I limited what kinds of "enchantments" could be given by a master smith. (I.E. Keen, Throwing, Mighty Cleaving, and MAYBE Dueling...) There are probably a few armor qualities that could fit that criteria as well.

If I did play, I would want to play Urgo, a LG half-ogre fighter. His history is in the character profile. :)

EDIT: Rather than history, I wrote a little story that kind of explains his situation.


Interested. :)

Thinking of a Minotaur (raised by humans) Oracle of Life. Pretends to be a lot dumber than he is, and the Strong, silent type in general...

Would that work?


Hello Urgo. Yea that's sort of what I was going for with improved masterwork equipment. I would probably allow some special modifications though as Masterwork Armor only reduces armor check penalties and masterwork weapons only give bonuses to hit. Basically my idea is that masterwork has 4 levels of enhancement (But level 4 requires a VERY good smith). The level 1 Masterwork item is just regular masterwork gear. Masterwork enhancements go up to +4 for weapons, -4 ACP for armor or +8 for equipment bonuses. For Masterwork Weapons every 2 levels of masterwork gives a +1 damage bonus, while every 2 levels of masterwork armor give a +1 armor bonus. This does stack with magical armor bonuses and magical weapon bonus (But as the party will likely not find enchantment services beyond a +2 in this adventure path, it balances out).

As for Qualities, I might allow that as an option for level 2 and 4 masterwork. But if you take a weapon Quality, you lose out on the bonus damage or AC from the equipment as a tradeoff.


Minotaur raise by humans really dosen't seem plausible. I'm not looking for an "Out There" style background if someone does play a Minotaur.


That's actually pretty close to what I was doing for my current campaign.

Check this.

I started on this idea but have not fully fleshed it out. I was trying to find a way to have different masterwork qualities and expanded up to +2 weapons as masterwork, and everything else is actually magically enchanted. If you like it, use it as a springboard.

I will be modifying it as I flesh it out. Any suggestions would be nice too.

Good luck on the campaign! I have always loved the Dragonlance setting since I first read the Chronicles trilogy in high school.


I would love to play a WOHS in this.


No problem, a Wizard of High Sorcery is an acceptable choice for the game. Its currently on the rise and a bunch of new acolytes are joining up as wizard magic has only recently been restored. Just make sure if you take a Specialization to match it to the robe you intend to take. The module does take into account the Test and will give you a chance to take it in the future.

Another thing (Hint Hint), the party could use is a Lawful Good warrior type character. But a wizard will definitely play an important role.

Grand Lodge

Would it be possible to play a Magus ? (Lawful Good for the hint-hint)


The Magus Class would not quite work fluff wise. In Dragonlance there is a distinct separation between Swords and Magic. As the Magus is an intelligence based class that uses a Spellbook, it relies on Studied Magic (Aka Wizardry). The only people known to practice this kind of magic is the Thorn Knights, which is a part of the evil Knights of Nerkara organization. So I am afraid the Magus class really dosen't work in this case.


I am thinking of doing an elven white robe.


Excellent! Fits well with the fluff as a majority of Elven Wizards are White Robes. Although there is a rare few that take up the Red Robes and black robes and are outcasts from their communities. Are you going Qualenesti or Silvanesti?


For some reason I love the Silvanesti.


Is it possible to just take the WOHS PRC?


Well the problem with Prestige Classes is that they're severely underpowered when translated into pathfinder. The way around it is to basically incorporate some of the class features (Generally the Free magical item and the Tower Resources) into the wizard class and give access to order secrets through feat purchases. As order secrets have pretty much the power level of a feat, I don't see a problem using this method.

Grand Lodge

Understood DM. then i will be an Oracle then :)
Would be fun as a minotaur.

btw what are the stat bonus for: Half-Ogre, Half-Goblin, Hobgoblin, Irda and Phaethon ?


Ah ok, lets get to those funky races.

Half-Ogre already has a pathfinder conversion. Here is the link.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/3rd-party-races/adamant-entertainment/half-og re

As for the Irda here is the racial features. As its already an ECL 2 race in 3rd ed, it really does not need anything extra.

Irda
Humanoid (Shapeshifter)
+2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution
Low Light Vision
30 FT speed
Change Shape, 3 times a day (But does not change clothing and equipment)
Spell Like Abilities: 1/day, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Flare, Ghost Sound, light and Mage Hand. (DC 10+Charisma Mod)
Languages: Common and High Ogre

Hobgoblin: As the Race Guide lists em.

Half-Goblin: Probably not worth taking.

Phaethon: http://www.guilesworld.com/role-playing-games-stuff/dragonlance/phaethons.h tml


Hmm. A feat vs. a class feature...

Grand Lodge

what would be the Fav class bonus (if any besides the +1hp or +1 skill) of 1/2 ogre for oracle?


Basically when you become a member of the Wizards of High Sorcery, you'll add Item of Power, Moon Magic, Tower Resources and Arcane Research to your wizard class features. For order secrets however you'll have to invest feats to get them as they're far too powerful for me to give you for free. You can spend your wizard bonus feats to get them though as they're magic-based.

Ah yes, also adding two more Organizations to the list:

Citadel of Light (Oracle Only)
Academy Sorcerer (Sorcerers Only)


As for a 1/2 Ogre oracle, probably just the human one as I don't want to just make something up that will be unbalancing.


At what level would the Test be taken? I wouldnt need to worry about PRCs?


Generally 3rd level (with the ability to cast 2nd level spells) is when you should be taking the test. However it does not happen instantly. You have to find an actual wizard of high sorcery to administer the test. In the older times prospective wizards were taken to one of the towers for the test. However as there is only one tower active and the wizards are looking hard to replenish their numbers local conclave affiliates have the authority to perform the test. Generally this means seeking out a wizard with high enough level spells to actually perform the proper rituals to create a testing area. As for the prestige class, don't worry about it, when you pass the test, you'll gain some new class features and then can spend feats to get order secrets.


Ok. I am also very well acquainted with matters dealing with DL. I have played every edition since 1st and read just about every novel.

Grand Lodge

What are:
Ergothian Merchant Marines
Holy order of the Stars
Citadel of Light

oh and DM i am going to do something Funky
a 1/2 Ogre Wave oracle (how does that sound?)

Liberty's Edge

I have a minotaur sorcerer I worked up for a previous DL application and was passed over. This might be a good time for me to give him another look and see about revising him for better selection chance, no? Be back in a bit.

EDIT: oh. Weird. Thought I had details and a backstory posted. Apparently not, lol. Must have it saved on notepad somewhere...


What is a Wave Oracle doing in the middle of the desert is the question. The game starts in the Nation of Khur some distance from any sizable body of water (Unless you count the swamps of Blode). Other than that a 1/2 Ogre is just fine to play. The town of Pashin where the game starts is a waypoint and trading hub and fairly close to Blode so does have a good number of Ogres and Half-Ogres visiting the location.

As for the organization information

Ergothian Merchant Marines: A wealthy organization from Ergoth that earns its profits through trade on the high seas and oceans.

Holy Orders of the Stars: Not an organization per say but a blanket term for the Clerics who worship the newly returned gods.

Citadel of Light: An organization of Mystics (Oracles) dedicated to the ideals taught by Goldmoon and using the "Power of Heart" (Spontaneous divine magic).

Grand Lodge

ha didn't know the part of the desert in question tough.

I figured he could be a treasure-hunter type looking for arcane lore / maps / history record of sunken treasure ships.


Could work I guess. I just wanted a plausible reason for a Wave Oracle to be in Khur. As for a Minotaur Sorcerer, unfortunately we got a Silvanesti elf in the party. While a Qualenesti might tolerate (Barely) a Minotaur, a Silvanesti elf would not. Officially the Silvanesti are a state of war with the Minotaurs and would never ally with one. Besides the wizard covers the arcane angle of the party.

Liberty's Edge

Ah, the desert thing works great. Blue draconic bloodline and desert nomad trait play into that perfectly, thanks. That'll save some time.

Grand Lodge

well i just wanted to try a rather less popular mystery then battle/life/metal.

An Ancestors Oracle would be more "appropriate" i guess. i could do that too.
Alright Then i am sold on ancestor (still going for a treasure hunter fluff- while dedicated to his 1/2 Ogre ancestors and being a basic good guy kind of person)

Grand Lodge

btw would you mind giving some info on the organization i mentioned?

Liberty's Edge

Oh. Hmm. snapping up people quick, aren't we? I actually planned to make him more of a melee caster (assuming the game runs for any length of time and PrC's become available, he was going to go dragon disciple and really tear it up.)

As for the Silvanesti, can't really refute that, except for my own opinion: party strife is fun, as long as the players are responsible.

Ultimately, however, the DM makes the choice. He's basically crunchied up already, so if you think there's any way he could work at all, let me know. I could finish out his background, post him up, and roll. I'm confident I could make some fun group dynamics and am at your disposal.


I listed information on those organizations. The three major mystic organizations are the Legion Mystics (A subset of the Legion of Steel), the Citadel of Light and the Knights of the Skull (A subset of the Knights of Nekara). Beyond that Mystics generally learn their power through independent study, inner faith or from a mentor. So you could start out affiliated to one of the major mystic orders (Which gives some benefits but also drawbacks), or just be independent.

Grand Lodge

sorry i had missed the post in question.

the Ergothian Merchant Marines (ha that would have worked well with Wave oracle.

The ancestor oracle would probably be independent.


Sorcerers work different in Dragonlance. They do not get dragonblood as RAW half-dragons do not exist. They are more elemental in how they do things.


How are you going to handle character creation>


That was mentioned in the first post. 25 point buy, 2 traits. As for gear, I will give you max steel for your class. However as steel is the currency of the land, any steel equipment you buy costs additional steel equal to its weight (much like armor made of gold in other settings). For instance a 1 pound steel dagger costs 2 steel (1 for its weight and 1 for the price)


Ok. How does making characters with a buy work? I have only used the 4d6 rules as well as been given stat numbers to apply.


There is rules for Point Buy in the pathfinder Core Book. If you want something to calculate for you, here is a link to a Point buy calculator. http://tools.digitalightbulb.com/pbcalc.html. Funny you didn't know about point buy considering it is a major building technique for most Online Campaigns over Play By Post.


This would be my second PbP. I was in a previous DL one but too many shenanigans and too much railroading by a DMPC. I ended up leaving the game after a month of really no activity. As revenge, the DM had my character loose faith in his god, strip off his armor and equipment and run away so that his equipment could be looted by his party. I am in another one right now which is much better so that is why I say this would be my second.


Now as for Draconic bloodlines, they certainly ARE possible in Dragonlance. While there are not any 1/2 dragons, there are Dragonspawn and Dragon Vassals as well as numerous beings that have been exposed to powerful draconic magics of some kind. This could be a source for Draconic Sorcery developing among the populace although I agree they would quite rare. Generally, I sum the "Studied" Sorcerers under the Arcane bloodline, while the other bloodlines being rare descendants of the mingling of magical creatures and mortal creatures.


The academy sorcerers correct?


Well the academy sorcerers, the legion of steel sorcerers and the Knights of Neraka (Thorn Knights) would fall into this category. Those are the major sorcerer orders. Although there is quite an upheaval going on between sorcerers and wizards at the moment. The Wizards want to have the Sorcerers to convert to Wizard Magic but they don't have the power to overcome the major Sorcerer organizations. The Knights of Neraka don't give a hoot about the Conclaive's objections (They didn't care even before the departure of the Gods). As for the Legion of Steel, they've embraced sorcery and are not too keen about allowing its members to convert to Wizardry. The Academy sorcerers on the other hand are a major recruiting pool for the Wizards as since the Academy was destroyed, many are willing to find new sources of magical knowledge and the Wizards have it in droves. In fact the head of the Red Robes (and current Highmage), Jenna is an Ex-Sorcerer of the Academy.

Looking at the description of Wild Sorcery though, I might also consider the "Elemental" bloodlines to be trainable disciplines considering there is numerous elemental paths that are mentioned.


IIRC in Saga the sorcerers dealt more with elemental and nonliving things and the mystics dealt with more living stuff, hence healing and mentalism


IIRC there is a red robe in the area, Zoe Redhand or something like that, that administers the Test in the module.If you look at her stats and the stats for the aspect of Lunitari in HOoS they are the same. In the DL boards on the Nexus it seems that was intentional.


I have matched the sorcerer disciplines to respective bloodlines. Here is what I came up with:

Aeromancy: Skyborn Bloodline
Cryomancy: Frost Bloodline
Divination: Destined Bloodline (or Arcane Bloodline)
Electromancy: Elemental Bloodline (Air)
Geomancy: Elemental Bloodline (Earth)
Hyrdromancy: Elemental Bloodline (Water)
Pyromancy: Elemental Bloodline (Fire)
Spectramancy: Haunted Bloodline
Summoning: Arcane Bloodline (Or Summoner Class)
Transmutation: Arcane Bloodline


Coolness!


Interesting. I would like to play a bard, honestly. Either a Qualinesti without archetypes, or a human with the dervish dancer archetype. Could stand in for our fighter, if need be. Only less... meat shield-y.

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