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It is an age of darkness. The once mighty Atuscan Empire risks collapse as it quells rebellion after rebellion in the southern provinces. Rumours abound that a mass offensive to conquer resource rich lands in the north will commence soon. The Primarch of the Church of Arton is said to be near death. Grim faced Inquisitors stalk the land, seeking out heresy and enforcing the Primarch’s increasingly severe decrees.
The elves, thought by many to have retreated for good from human lands, have begun to return at the fringes of the empire, bringing stories of war and discord in the realm of Faerie. Darker creatures have returned with them, creatures that lurk in the shadows, or stalk the twilight moors.
Dark things writhe in the deeper halls of the mountain dwarves. Orcs, trolls and worse things make war on the grim folk in their own strongholds, while the dwarves desperately seek the source of their foes, or are driven out of their ancestral homes.
The Karands struggle to maintain their customs and freedom in the face of Atuscan aggression and the spread of Artonism. Their warriors, wearied and depleted by war face arcane threats that creep from the deep hollows, and the blasted lands across the borders.
The dead rest uneasily in their graves. Long dead kings mutter and pace in their barrows, waiting for their time to come again. Corpses pull themselves from unconsecrated graves to walk amongst the living. The unquiet spirits of children killed by plague seek warmth, not understanding they have died.
It is an age of darkness. Folk of all races seek answers, seek to hold back the darkness. It is a time for heroes. But will these heroes need to embrace the darkness in order to overcome it? Will they find their answers and defeat the darkness, or will it overcome them?
Races and classes from the v3.5 Players Handbook. If anyone really, really must use a class from another source, please seek my approval first – some may be appropriate, some may not, and some I just don’t know enough about to allow. Also see the Age of Darkness Discussion thread for house rules and further information effecting race and class. If you do not have access to the 3.5 rules, the Hypertext d20 SRD (www.d20srd.org) is an excellent resource.
Ability scores to be generated using the “roll 4d6, keeping the highest three, six times, assign the six abilities how you will” method. In the interest of keeping things fair, I have rolled up twenty sample sets of stats using this method and added the results of each array together. If anyone manages to generate a character with a lower total result than the lowest two I got, I’ll allow you to re-roll if you wish. Conversely, if anyone gets a total significantly higher than the highest total I got over the twenty arrays, I’ll assume that there was some mistake made, or your dice are waaay too lucky for my style, and ask you to re-roll.
If anyone has any inherent problem with this method of ability generation, I’ll allow you to use a 29 point buy system (as described in the DMG). Please let me know which method you decide to use.
In many cases I will allow skills, feats, spells, alternate class abilities etc. from other official 3.5 WoTC sources and from Dragon magazine, but please run them by me first.
Please give me an idea of your character concept (either posted to the discussion thread or by email to mothman77@hotmail.com) before going ahead and building the whole character.
Once I have some fairly detailed idea of character concepts, backgrounds, race and class, I will be assigning one bonus regional or background feat or special ability to each character to reflect region, race, background or some combination of the three.
As usual, a well balanced party with a range of abilities and the ability to operate in a range of environments (ie, wilderness, urban, underground) and deal with a range of situations (combat, social, stealth etc) will be of great benefit.
At this stage it is intended that the game begin in lands on the north eastern fringe of the Atuscan Empire. The land is largely wilderness with small scattered rural communities and few large towns. The terrain consists of dark forests, rugged mountains, wild hills, desolate moors etc. The climate is temperate to cold.
Use the average starting money listed in the Equipment chapter to purchase starting equipment.
Frequency of posts: I understand that everyone is busy. Please try to check the game thread and post as often as you are able. If everyone can check and post at least a couple of times a week, that would be good. Ideally if everyone can post (if appropriate) at least four days of the week that should keep the game clipping along at a good pace. I will try to post as often as possible. If everyone can let the group know on the discussion thread if they will be without internet access for more than two or three days, that would be good.
Please respect your fellow players (and anyone else who might be reading the posts) and keep your posts legible. Spelling, punctuation, grammar, paragraphs, all of that. Please either post game mechanics stuff at the end of posts, or else use the [ooc] tool.
Dice rolling: Generally I’ll get players to make their own rolls and post the results. In some cases (to maintain suspense or speed up play) I will roll for you and post the results (if appropriate).
Character sheets. If I could get characters on an Excel, Word, or editable PDF type character sheet that would be very cool – no massive files please! Some good sources of such sheets I have found are www.dndadventure.com, www.rpgsheets.com, and there is a good editable PDF sheet on www.d20srd.org.
Information on classes
Bard
Bards (at least Karandic ones) enjoy a special respect and status in most Karandic lands. In many areas, bards must always be offered hospitality and may cross the borders of warring clans or nations with impunity.
Bards who openly use magic are viewed with suspicion or fear in many Artonite lands.
Barbarian
Barbarians are most likely to be encountered amongst the Karands, where many clans have traditions of savage, rage fuelled fighting styles, and heavy armour is uncommon; or else amongst the distant Stormlander or Hsan peoples.
Cleric
House Rules:
Clerics do not add Celestial, Abyssal and Infernal to their list of possible Bonus languages. Instead they add Atuscan, Ancient Atuscan and Druidic to their list of bonus languages.
Clerics need not be within one step of their deity’s alignment. Clerics may be of any alignment and still be granted spells. However, most clerics are still within a step of their deity’s alignment in order to act within the rules of their church and further their deity’s goals. As per the standard rules, a cleric who grossly violates the code of conduct of their god or church suffers the penalties described in the PHB.
See the Deities and Faiths section for information on deities etc.
Many priests are not in fact clerics. The clergy of most churches are made up of a mix of clerics, adepts, experts and even a few monks or other PC classes. However, clerics tend to make up the bulk of various churches militant, knightly or elite orders.
Druid
House Rules:
Druids do not gain Druidic as a free language. In Anzeria, Druidic is not a language known exclusively by – or even used by all – druids. Rather, it is an ancient language used by some early Karandic tribes, and still used today by some druids, and even some clerics and wizards.
As well as Sylvan, druids add Karandic, Giant and Druidic to their list of bonus languages.
Animal Companions: Replace camel with elk.
Druids are found most extensively in certain Karandic clans, but some other people (particularly gnomes, dwarves, elves and the Loric) boast druids amongst their number too.
Fighter
Fighters are found amongst all societies. Note that the use of heavy armour is rare (but not unheard of) outside Loric, Thuringian, and Dwarven culture. Heavy armour is gaining increased popularity and use amongst the Atuscans as well.
Monk
House Rules:
Weapons such as the kama, sai and singham are extremely rare, if available at all in most parts of Anzeria.
As such, monks may count dagger, punching dagger, light hammer and handaxe as special monk weapons for purpose of flurry of blows. These weapons are also added to the list of weapons a monk is proficient with.
Amongst the Atuscan and Thuringian people, monks are most often associated with the church of Arton. Whilst many members of Artonite monasteries are not, in fact members of the monk class (they may be clerics, but are more likely experts or commoners) there are a number of orders which do concentrate on martial arts. Whilst a number of these concentrate on boxing and wrestling styles, a number of monasteries train in more exotic fighting styles, designed primarily to combat arcane magic users and magic using creatures.
Monastic orders amongst the Loric and their halfling neighbours are usually associated with the churches of Heironeous and Hextor.
The dwarves have a number of monastic traditions, some associated with the worship of Moradin, some not.
A few monks can be found amongst the elves, although their traditions are usually passed down from master to student, rather than taught in established monasteries.
The Karands, gnomes and other people do not have much in the way of monastic traditions.
Paladin
House Rules:
Paladins have the ability to Detect Chaos. This replaces the ability to Detect Evil, and works in the same way.
Paladins are most often associated with the faiths of Arton or Heironeous, and to a lesser extent Pelor. Paladins not associated with these churches, or of non-human races are rare but do exist.
Ranger
Rangers are found amongst many races and cultures, as woodsmen, archers, wilderness warriors or monster hunters.
Please feel free to discuss good choices for favoured enemy based on culture, region and this campaign.
Rogue
As in most places, rogues can be found everywhere, filling many different niches.
Sorcerer and Wizard
House Rules:
Familiars: If a wizard or sorcerer chooses to take a familiar at character creation at first level, they may forgo the 100gp cost.
There are restrictions on multi-classing into the sorcerer or wizard classes after first level. Please discuss with me before-hand if this is something you may plan for your character, and we’ll come up with a good story reason as to how it would happen.
Arcane magic users tend to be rarer in Anzeria than on some other worlds. In the case of sorcerers this may be due to the fact that creatures such as dragons, fiends and celestials very rarely breed with humanoids, meaning that there is less potential for sorcerous blood (although a fair number of sorcerers can trace their ancestory back to the fey races). For wizards, it is the fact that unlike on some worlds, where anyone who is smart enough and undergoes the right training can become a wizard, in Anzeria there is some extra spark required. What exactly this is, is heatedly debated by scholars. Some attributing factors may be; being the seventh child of a seventh child; being conceived during a blue moon; being gifted with magic by fey at birth; making a pact with devils; having elven ancestory etc.
The current climate within many sectors of the Church of Arton is that arcane magic corrupts its users towards evil. As such, arcane magic users tend to be feared, despised, hated etc. in areas with strong Artonite influence. Of course, there are exceptions to this, such as the Artonite Order of Truth welcoming arcane magic.
Races
Human, Atuscan.
The Atuscan people are rulers of an empire that encompasses the central, southern and western portions of the continent of Anzeria, and has made in-roads into the northern and eastern parts, as well as nearby lands.
The stereotypical Atuscan is law abiding, well educated, civilised and pious – or to take another stereotype, power hungry, debauched and fanatic.
Full blooded Atuscans have deep brown skin, wavy black hair and brown eyes. They tend towards average build and height. However, pure blood Atuscans are rare on the fringes of the Empire, and as a result Atuscans may sport any number of colouration and sizes.
The fashionable middle class Atuscan man wears a long cloth tunic in bright, primary colours, with hose leggings in colder climes, along with a short cloak. Footwear is sandals, weather permitting, or soft shoes or boots as applicable. Many men remain clean shaven. Women usually wear long linen dresses in pale pastel colours, cinched at the waist, and often sleeveless in warmer climes, or else full length tunics. Men and women tend to keep their heads covered in public, men typically wearing wide brimmed hats, and women scarves, kerchiefs or veils.
Most Atuscans follow the Artonite religion, and many are very devout, and as such are likely to have a small Artonite holy symbol somewhere about their person.
Traditional weapons amongst the Atuscans include the spear, shortsword, rapier and crossbow.
Atuscans tend to be quite cosmopolitan, well travelled and knowledgeable of their empire and the law. Knowledge (local) is always considered a class skill for them.
Automatic Language: Atuscan. Bonus Languages: Ancient Atuscan, El’Kainish, Karandic, Lorin, Thuringian, Halfling.
Human, Karandic.
The Karands are a barbaric people (in the eyes of the Atuscans) living on the eastern and northern fringes of the Atuscan Empire. In some areas, particularly the south east, Karandic peoples have been subjugated by the empire for several generations, whilst in the more northerly regions they have been more recently conquered or still fight against the empire.
The Karands are a clannish race who tend to live in small villages. Different clans may have very different customs and appearances, but the race is united by language and laws and customs common amongst all the clans and regions.
Karands tend to be a short, slight race with pale skin tones and dark brown, black or red hair. Eyes are usually green or brown.
Style of dress varies quite a lot from clan to clan, but a typical Karandic man might wear a home-spun white shirt, with a sleeveless woollen vest and loose woollen trousers, perhaps black, perhaps died in a bright check pattern. Clean shaven jaws, sometimes with a moustache are common. Women tend to wear short tunics in bright colours, with hose or tight fitting trousers, or else a long woollen dress. Married women usually keep their heads covered.
Typical Karandic weapons include the spear, sling, longsword and greatsword.
Most Karands live in isolated or rural communities, and their religions focus on the natural world. Knowledge (nature) is always considered a class skill for them.
Automatic Language: Karandic. Bonus Languages: Atuscan, Thuringian, Elven, Gnomish, Orc.
Human, Lorin
The folk of Lorin hail from an island Kingdom of the same name, lying to the north of the Anzerian mainland, and beyond the grip of the Atuscan Empire – for now. The Atuscans – and their Thuringian subjects – have tried to conquer Lorin and number of times, but have always been repelled by the kingdom’s well trained and equipped knights, powerful magic and superior navy.
The people of Lorin have a reputation of being extravagant, chivalrous and dashing – and also quite martial and ruthless when needs be. They also tend to be less superstitious in regards to arcane magic than many other humans.
The Lorin people tend towards average height and build, with olive skin and brown hair. Those who can afford it tend to dress in fashions which change from season to season.
Cultural weapons of Lorin include the longsword, long bow, lance and morning star.
The large isle of Lorin is – of course – surrounded on all sides by sea, and also boasts many rivers, streams and lakes. Most Lorin have ready access to boats. Profession (sailor) is always considered a class skill.
Automatic Languages: Lorin. Bonus Languages: Atuscan, Thuringian, Stormlander, Dwarven, Halfling.
Human, Thuringian.
The Grand Duchy of Thuringia is a northern province of the Atuscan Empire, peopled largely by a fierce warrior race known as Thuringians. The conquest of the Thuringians took many, many years, and in the end it was the conversion of many of the Thuringian fiefdoms to Artonism, rather than a purely military conquest that prevailed. A treaty was signed, and the Thuringians joined the empire as a semi-independent state, allowed largely to maintain their own customs.
The stereotypical Thuringian is tall and broad shouldered, with thick blonde hair and fair skin. Men typically grow beards and wear their hair long, whilst women often tie their hair into one or two braids. A common outfit for a Thuringian man might be woollen shirt and trousers, died in a dark colour, with a leather coat or fur lined cloak in the cold winters. Women dress in a similar fashion, although the trousers are often swapped for a long skirt, and women typically dress in quite bright colours. In some areas it is typical for men and women to wear small hats or caps, whilst in other regions they tend to leave their heads bare.
A Thuringian warrior may favour weapons such as the battleaxe, heavy mace, lance and crossbow.
Thuringian society, like most in Anzeria, is agrarian based, but more than most Thuringians rely on animals in many aspects of their lives. Handle Animal is always considered a class skill for Thuringians.
Automatic Languages: Thuringian, Atuscan. Bonus Languages: Karandic, Lorin, Dwarven, Orc.
Elf.
The elves of Anzeria could once be found throughout the continent, but over thousands of years, conflicts with demons, dwarves and eventually the Atuscan Empire largely drove them from the mortal world into the realm of Faerie. Recently, some of them have begun to return.
Anzerian elves are fairly typical of their brethren on other worlds, but are more closely connected with the fey races. Although they are humanoid, they gain the Fey-kin trait. This trait mainly effects how they interact with the Plane of Faerie.
Automatic Languages: Elven, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Atuscan, Karandic, Lorin, Draconic, Gnomish, Goblin.
Dwarf.
There are tow major subraces of dwarves in Anzeria, Hill dwarves and Mountain dwarves (both are available as PC races and use the abilities of the dwarves described in the PHB). Mountain dwarves typically reside in deep, underground strongholds and interact little with outside races – apart from Hill Dwarves. Hill Dwarves traditionally dwell in smaller villages on in near the surface, but many hill dwarf clans have been displaced by the Atuscan Empire, and some now live in human towns or lead lives of nomadic tinkers and traders.
Automatic Languages: Dwarven and Thuringian (for Hill Dwarves) or Terran (for Mountain Dwarves). Bonus Languages: Atuscan, Lorin, Thuringian, Giantish, Goblin, Orc.
Gnome.
Like elves, gnomes have largely hidden themselves away from the human world, and also like elves they share a strong bond with the fey, and have the Fey-kin trait.
Gnomes tend to be shy and nature loving, but have a subtle, sly sense of humour. Some few who have chosen to live amongst humans have rejected their natural origins and have developed quite a flair for devices and clockwork.
Automatic Languages: Gnomish, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Atuscan, Karandic, Elven, Goblin, Halfling.
Halfling.
Halflings are rare on the Anzerian mainland outside a few subjugated protectorates in the southern parts of the Atuscan Empire. Communities of free Halflings reside on the northern islands of Lorin and Greenlund.
Halflings are typically reserved and wary around the larger races, but boisterous and bold amongst their own kind.
Automatic Languages: Halfling, Lorin. Bonus Languages: Atuscan, Stormlander, Gnome, Goblin.
Half Elf.
Crossbreeds between elves and humans are rare but do occur from time to time. They are often discovered as foundlings on human doorsteps, and are often referred to as changelings or derogatorily, breeds.
Half elves are most commonly found amongst the Karands, although occasionally one is raised by their elven parent.
Automatic Languages: Any TWO of: Atuscan, Karandic, Elven. Bonus Languages: Atuscan, Karandic, Lorin, Thuringian, Dwarven, Elven, Gnomish, Halfling.
Narog (Half-Orc)
Crossbreeds between orcs and humans may exist, but they are exceedingly rare – especially given that orcs have all but been wiped from the surface of the world and now only exist (mostly) deep underground.
However, there is a race that somewhat resemble primitive humans – or advanced orcs – that fill a similar niche in Anzeria – the Narog. The fact that Narog somewhat resemble humans but speak a dialect of the orcish tongue has not gone unnoticed by scholars.
Narog are found in primitive, warlike tribes on the borders of Karandic and Thuringian lands. They are normally treated with fear and hatred – or suspicion and derision by humans.
Narog are statistically identical to half orcs as described in the PHB, and share many traits with them.
Automatic Languages: Orc. Bonus Languages: Atuscan, Karandic, Thuringian, Giantish.
Deities and Faiths
Most Atuscans, many Thuringians and some Karands and others worship Arton.
New Deity: Arton (Greater God, Lawful Neutral)
Holy Symbol: An eight pointed star or an eight pointed star within a circle.
Domains: Destruction, Law, Protection, Sun
Favoured Weapon: Heavy Mace
Arton is the god of the Atuscans and their subject peoples – in fact the only god allowed to be worshipped within the empire by Imperial and Church law.
Arton is a god of humans, seeking to protect and advance humans and Atuscans in particular; the sun and light; law and retribution.
The main holy book of the Artonite church is The Book of Truth a tome which (ironically) is constantly being updated, revised and argued over, as different versions are uncovered and accuracies to the text are debated.
The church is made up of dozens of orders, including orders of priests, clerics, monks, and paladins.
Some well known clerical orders include The Shields of the Faith, The Lightbringers, and The Order of Saint Talsin.
Orders of Paladins include The Swords of Arton, The Knights of the Temple, and The Order of the Rose.
Orders of Monks include The Order of the Sacred Fist, Arton’s Scribes, and Saint Salbar’s Pilgrims.
There are also some semi-secret (or at least somewhat mysterious) orders with the church, such as The Inquisition, on order which roots out heresy and insidious enemies of the church, and The Order of Truth, a secret order who oppose the recent heavy handed dictums of the church in regards to non-humans and arcane magic. The Order of Truth has recently been declared heretical by The Inquisition.
I plan to run this game set in my homebrew world, on the continent of Anzeria, based quite extensively on material from Dungeon Magazine, wrapped into a (hopefully) cohesive whole with bits and pieces of my own design. Most of the Dungeon adventures that I would use would be from issues between numbers 50 and 100, with perhaps some bits and pieces drawn from earlier or later issues.
I will be looking for five players of first level characters who will enjoy role playing in a rather gritty “dark ages” style fantasy setting. Ideally, players should either not have access to Dungeon Magazine, or be willing and able to put aside any meta-game knowledge in the interest of a fun role-playing experience.
this is awesome i am in, i am working on my character right now, what level? and is it ok if i have a warlock for a class??
Assume my knowledge of the warlock class to be zero.
What book is it in?
What can they do?
Why (from both a RP perspective and an ability perspective) would you choose Warlock over say a wizard or sorcerer?
Having said all that, Warlock could be quite appropriate for this setting, just need to know more about it. I am hesitant to allow classes that I have no material for.
this is awesome i am in, i am working on my character right now, what level? and is it ok if i have a warlock for a class??Assume my knowledge of the warlock class to be zero.
What book is it in?
What can they do?
Why (from both a RP perspective and an ability perspective) would you choose Warlock over say a wizard or sorcerer?Having said all that, Warlock could be quite appropriate for this setting, just need to know more about it. I am hesitant to allow classes that I have no material for.
Warlock is from the Complete Arcane, Warlocks are able to cast invocations, which is the power that is from his soul(they are spell like abilitys.(Warlocks are viewed with great suspicion and are feared, pit forked mobs go afraid low level one and people just fear the high level warlocks. At first level a warlock is able to cast eldrtich blast which does 1d6 damage( the ray shoots 60ft, single target and increases as increase in level,it is also a ranged touch attack.)For a Ability scores they have to have a high charisma, high Dex, and a good CON. But Warlock are known to have Dark Powers, sadly warlocks are misunderstood, they are not half-fiend or tieflings, but they power were from a supernatural force or bloodline with arcane power.
(At first level he starts off with one invocation)
Yep, sounds awesome; count me in if you've got a spot? I'd be interested in playing a druid. Probably a Karand as they sound most enticing and most appropriate for this class.
If it's cool, I would prefer to use the Shape-shift rules from the PHB2 which replace the regular Druidic Wildshape & Animal Companion rule in the PHB?
Warlock is from the Complete Arcane, Warlocks are able to cast invocations, which is the power that is from his soul(they are spell like abilitys.(Warlocks are viewed with great suspicion and are feared, pit forked mobs go afraid low level one and people just fear the high level warlocks. At first level a warlock is able to cast eldrtich blast which does 1d6 damage( the ray shoots 60ft, single target and increases as increase in level,it is also a ranged touch attack.)For a Ability scores they have to have a high charisma, high Dex, and a good CON. But Warlock are known to have Dark Powers, sadly warlocks are misunderstood, they are not half-fiend or tieflings, but they power were from a supernatural force or bloodline with arcane power.(At first level he starts off with one invocation)
Do invocations and eldritch blast count as "magic" in terms of dispel magic, Spell resistance etc? What energy type (if any) is eldritch blast?
I understand that eldritch balst and invocations can be used unlimited number of times per day, is that correct?
The warlock sounds quite good flavour-wise, still not entirely sure rules-wise. What sort of background concept did you have in mind?
Yep, sounds awesome; count me in if you've got a spot? I'd be interested in playing a druid. Probably a Karand as they sound most enticing and most appropriate for this class.
If it's cool, I would prefer to use the Shape-shift rules from the PHB2 which replace the regular Druidic Wildshape & Animal Companion rule in the PHB?
Hey Ash Walker. Yep, a druid should be quite appropriate for this game. I'm somewhat familiar with the shape shift rules from PHB2, that should be ok to use.
Warlock is from the Complete Arcane, Warlocks are able to cast invocations, which is the power that is from his soul(they are spell like abilitys.(Warlocks are viewed with great suspicion and are feared, pit forked mobs go afraid low level one and people just fear the high level warlocks. At first level a warlock is able to cast eldrtich blast which does 1d6 damage( the ray shoots 60ft, single target and increases as increase in level,it is also a ranged touch attack.)For a Ability scores they have to have a high charisma, high Dex, and a good CON. But Warlock are known to have Dark Powers, sadly warlocks are misunderstood, they are not half-fiend or tieflings, but they power were from a supernatural force or bloodline with arcane power.(At first level he starts off with one invocation)
Do invocations and eldritch blast count as "magic" in terms of dispel magic, Spell resistance etc? What energy type (if any) is eldritch blast?
I understand that eldritch balst and invocations can be used unlimited number of times per day, is that correct?
The warlock sounds quite good flavour-wise, still not entirely sure rules-wise. What sort of background concept did you have in mind?
eldritch blast toward subjects can be spell resistance, they say eldritch blast is baleful magical energy, can't be dispelled
Yes invocation and eldrtich blast used unlimited times.The Characters Backround/concept- His family had the curse that every male in his family have the dark power of the Warlock and went crazy, but this character(still have to get a name for it, he is human) is CN, trying to find out the secerts of why his family had this "Curse." He tries to stay out of towns as best as he can. But when he is everyone can tell he is a Warlock because of the Scar ( on the left side of his face) People rioted over it with pichforks till he fleed the scene. He now wears a mask on the left part of his face to cover up the mark.
AWED, I’ve thought about the Warlock, although the character concept you’ve got is quite cool, and the “feel” of it fits quite well into this campaign setting, I’m just not that comfortable with allowing a class from a book that I don’t have any access to, and that uses new rules (like invocations etc) that I’m just not familiar with.
I’d note that wizards and sorcerers are viewed in a similar way to how you describe the warlock in many areas of this campaign world. Could you use the same or a similar concept with a wizard or sorcerer?
Deities and Faiths (continued)
The Karands worship a large and intricate pantheon made up of many gods, demi gods, spirits, fey, and cultural heroes. Some of the more important gods in their pantheon include:
Pelor (as a god of the sun)
Corellon Larethian (as a god of fey, the moon, nature, combat)
Ehlonna
Fharlanghn
Kord
Obad Hai
Olidammara
Wee Jas
Similarly, the Loric have a fairly intricate panthen (which they share with halflings). Some of their important deities are:
Heironeous
Hextor
Boccob
Nerull (as a god of death)
Yondalla (in an “Earth Mother” type aspect)
Pelor (as a god of healing and light)
Mountain dwarves almost universally revere Moradin, as do many hill dwarves. Some hill dwarves have turned to the worship of human gods or pantheons (sometimes incorporating Moradin into the Karandic pantheon).
Elves and gnomes generally do not worship gods. Druids are more common than clerics amongst these races, with those clerics that do exist generally gaining their powers from nature, “the universe”, of the Plane of Faerie.
Also AWED, I tend to be a little wary when I get a new player to my game and their first character is of chaotic neutral alignment. Now, I’m not by any means banning this alignment, and I’m not sure that it will be an issue, but I’m wary of people playing “diet evil” characters in the guise of chaotic neutral, or characters just being completely random in nonsensical ways.
Could you give me your take on chaotic neutral, and how and why a chaotic neutral character would interact with (and stick with) a group of fellow adventurers?
Ok, a bit more clarification on what books I will use / allow.
I have the three core rule books, the Book of Vile Darkness, Heroes of Horror, Fiendish Codex I, Fiendish Codex II, a few others which are probably not relevant, and most of the Dragon magazines since 3.5. I will be highly likely to allow things from these sources assuming that they fit the feel of the campaign. I prefer stuff drawn from these sources.
I have access to Complete Adventurer, PHBII, some Sword and Sorcery Ravenloft stuff and a few others. I will be inclined to consider stuff from these sources, again if it fits the campaign.
Classes, feats etc from other sources, I will try to consider on their merits, but I’m unlikely to allow something that I’m extremely unfamiliar with.
Ash Walker, what sort of background do you have in mind for this druid? Why is he / she adventuring, and what would motivate him/her to join up with a potentially disparate band of adventurers?
Laithe was a member of one of the wandering Karandic tribes in the North East who have been pushed ever Northward by the expanding Atuscan empire. His tribe lived off the land, only entering villages in small numbers to sell crafts, buy supplies etc.
Growing up in this environment gave him a love and healthy respect of nature. He spent more and more time away from his tribe and out in the wilderness by himself, wandering with the animals, learning about plants, gazing at the stars; everything in nature filled him with wonder and respect.
With this came some dismay of the detachment people in larger towns and cities had with nature, and anger at the Atuscan empire for ever destroying and spoiling natural spots wherever they went.
Though not an outspoken person, he felt something needed to be done, so he began venturing out from his tribe into the Empire to preach the virtue's of nature and need to protect the environment without which no people could exist. He would be away from his tribe for a few weeks at a time.
This quickly caught the attention of the Artonites who did not look kindly on someone preaching values other than their own (especially ones that embraced magic and nature). On his latest visit to "civilisation" he was tipped off from a friend that they were looking for them, and so managed to get out from the town before they could apprehend him.
He led a chase through the wilderness and eventually gave the party of soldiers the slip. After some time, he made his way back to his people, but there he met with a horrific site. His camp had been burned to the group, his friends and family were smoldering bones headed in the middle of the clearing.
He fell to his knees and wept, unknowing that soldiers were hidden around the clearing, awaiting his return. They surrounded him and spoke of cleansing his spirit with flames, as had been done to his people. Surrounded and helpless he prayed to the sky above and was given an answer - falling to all fours, he felt his body changing, his face elongating, his teeth sharpening, a tail bursting from the bottom of his spine and his body hair growing and thickening. He had changed into a large grey wolf.
Most of the soldiers were stunned by the change, but their leader, screaming something about killing the demon jumped forth and lunged at him. His instincts took over and he dodged the blow and snapped back, taking a chunk out of the mans face. He fell to the ground screaming, clutching his face. Meanwhile the rest of the soldiers moved in, and Laithe, still in his wolf form knew he must flee. He dodged through a narrow gap, taking a nasty cut to his back flank but was free, running into the forest.
Though capable of existing in the wild, Laithe is struggling with grief from his lost tribe, guilt that is was his fault, and fear that he remains hunted. He is determined to continue spreading the word of nature, but now knows that he cannot do it alone. And so he seeks companions who will provide some safety (in numbers) and give him a better base from which to continue his work. He also hopes to turn the hunters into the hunted, and track down those who slaughtered his tribe and continue to hunt him.
I will send through some more detail and character stats etc in the next couple of days.
The campaign will open in the village of Barg, located in the province of Mabvoria, on the extreme north eastern fringes of the Atuscan Empire. Mabvoria was formerly Karandic lands but is now governed by the nearby Grand Duchy of Thuringia on behalf of the Atuscan Empire. As such it is peopled by a mix of Karands, Thuringians, and Atuscans, with a few outsiders thrown into the mix.
To the north and east lie a buffer zone of untamed and dangerous wilderness, including forests and moors, beyond which lie lands occupied by Karandic tribes, Narog raiders, and small elven and dwarven communities.
Barg itself is a small rural community, overseen by a local Baron. It features a single inn, a small Artonite church, a general store, a stables and a smithy. Although hardly a desirable destination, it acts as a useful entry or exit point for individuals looking to enter or leave the Empire.
Here is my Character concept for: Jirkin Faluen the tenth,the half elf.
Jirkin's whole family took up the life as a wisard, a dangerous life though, Most rumors were going around that his family was the start of all this Darkness and that his family studied Necromancy!(His family stuided all kinds of school though and forbided Necromancy and thought of it )Half of his family was assassinated or killed in mobs. His father Jirkin the ninth ran to the elves saying that he was a druid, the elves believed him though and didn't ask him to even prove that he was a druid which was strange to Jirkin. Jirkin stayed in the Forest with the elves and got one of the elve woman pregant and had a child.(Jirkin the tenth) Jirkin the ninth was banished and had to take the child with him, Jirkin the ninth was able to take care of his child, by using his magic to make his son happy( so he wouldn't cry),but one day as they were going into a Tavern, 5 people in black robes showed, and killed him. Jirkin then was taken by these people,(these people were Necromancers who hated the Faluens) they took Jirkin the tenth to study Necromancy to ruin the family name, but when the boy was able to read and write and learn, he hated it and ran away using little knowledge of what his family really was. As he got older, he was able to find a teacher, Jirkin favored illusions out of all because he remembers a little of them when he was younger. As he turned 18, his teacher have known his family and tells him what has happened and what great thing that Jirkin can do for the world. That day Jirkin went out to find the secerts of the Darkness, to destroy it and to get his family name in honor, not in terror when people hear it.
i just e-mailed my character card to you
Hey man, cool background, thanks for changing from warlock to wizard. I received your character sheet, looks good at a glance, I'll get back to you in the next couple of days if I see any issues with it and to give you your bonus feat / ability.
Looks like we have three interested people so far, I'll give it a bit longer to see if more people are interested, then I'll post details on when the game will begin. Stay tuned...
Can I make a Karandic bard?
TwiceBorn, hi. Sure, sounds good to me. Let me know what you're thinking in terms of background.
I remember you posting on the boards a while back that due to changing work environment you weren't able to check the paizo boards that much - hows that looking nowadays?
On another note, of the people who've expressed interest so far, we're looking like having a wizard, a druid, a cleric and a bard. Might I suggest if there's another interested player they might want to consider a warrior type or some such? Although maybe between a shape changing druid and a cleric we might have that covered ok...
Can I make a Karandic bard?On another note, of the people who've expressed interest so far, we're looking like having a wizard, a druid, a cleric and a bard. Might I suggest if there's another interested player they might want to consider a warrior type or some such? Although maybe between a shape changing druid and a cleric we might have that covered ok...
Hi Mothman, I've been throwing up a couple of options for Laithe in terms of combat or other focus. Happy to focus a little on the combat side of things if we are light in that department (i.e. don't have a fighter or similar in the party).
Might be worth it anyway. A little combat prowess rarely goes astray...
I remember you posting on the boards a while back that due to changing work environment you weren't able to check the paizo boards that much - hows that looking nowadays?
You have quite the memory!
To be perfectly honest, things got considerably worse before they got better. I'm no longer with the employer who had a zero tolerance policy concerning personal use of the internet... it was the worst working environment I've ever experienced (the anti-personal-use-of-internet policy being the least of my concerns)...
I started a new job about a month ago. My new employer is a tiny outfit, very laid back, with no official policy against personal use of the computer. So checking the Paizo boards during my breaks shouldn't be a problem... I'm more likely to post in the evening, though.
Please note that I've never played by post before, but have long wanted to try. If I unknowingly violate some sort of protocol, please let me know!
I started a new job about a month ago. My new employer is a tiny outfit, very laid back, with no official policy against personal use of the computer. So checking the Paizo boards during my breaks shouldn't be a problem... I'm more likely to post in the evening, though.
Please note that I've never played by post before, but have long wanted to try. If I unknowingly violate some sort of protocol, please let me know!
Good to hear. Well, I've never DMed play by post before, and have only recently begun playing in one, so we'll call it even...
Is it to late to join in? If there is still a slot open I would like to fill it. If there is someone else interested then they can take my place because I'm a little busy right now. Would I be allowed to play a kobold? If so could I ignore the CON penalty?
Hey Arctaris, I've replied to you in the other thread. I'm pretty much commited to sticking to PHB races, I don't think a kobold would really fit the style of game I have in mind.
Hi Mothman, I've been throwing up a couple of options for Laithe in terms of combat or other focus. Happy to focus a little on the combat side of things if we are light in that department (i.e. don't have a fighter or similar in the party).
Might be worth it anyway. A little combat prowess rarely goes astray...
Hey Ash. Well I don't intend this necessarily to be a hugely combat heavy game, but you're right, a little combat prowess rarely goes astray...
Hi AWED. I looked over your character sheet, looks pretty good, I just have a few comments. First, its wizard, not wisard! ;-)
Second, I think you short-changed yourself on skill points, it looks like you’ve given yourself 8 skill points, I think you should have 16 (so you have an extra 8 to spend).
Third, which two spells did you want to nominate to relate to your spell mastery feat?
Fourth, equipment needs to be finished, but that’s not urgent.
Fifth, you may take a familiar if you wish (without paying the 100gp cost) – let me know.
Just one other thing, please try to be careful with your spelling and grammar in these posts. Since written communication is all we have to tell this story, I want to ensure that everyone is clear as to what is going on, and this will be much easier if everyone’s posts are easy to read. It’s not meant as a criticism, just something for everyone to keep in mind! I sometimes write my posts in MS Word first, and run them through a spelling and grammar check before I post, it can be quite helpful.
Information on classes
Bard
Bards (at least Karandic ones) enjoy a special respect and status in most Karandic lands. In many areas, bards must always be offered hospitality and may cross the borders of warring clans or nations with impunity.
Bards who openly use magic are viewed with suspicion or fear in many Artonite lands.
Question concerning Karandic bards... does the culture have a preferred instrument or style? Are Karandic bards famous for their poetry/oration? Song? Dance? Rythm and percussions? I'm leaning towards poetry/oration myself (heavily based in a strong oral tradition), with a secondary emphasis on a hand drum (kind of like the Irish bodhran)... would this be consistent with your image of the culture?
Also, would the Karands have a written language, and would a Karandic bard be literate, given the "barbaric" heritage?
Hey Ash, cool background!
When you get more details of the character together, feel free to post any further description or what have you here, and send character sheet etc to me at mothman77@hotmail.com
For those interested, here is an expanded history and description of my character, Laithe Greycoat (Sorry, it's a bit long!) I've tried to fit it in to the character and geography of the campaign as much as possible. Mothman, I've sent over my character sheet to the above address.
Laithe Greycoat – character history
Laithe was born into a nomadic Karandic tribe, who called lands of Mabvoria, in the extreme North East of the Atuscan Empire, home. Since before he was born, the Empire had been steadily encroaching on the lands of his people. Many Karands settled down, accepting the Empire and giving away the nomadic lifestyle. His tribe chose against this, and so they were branded as heathens and savages, and driven ever northward. His people were not fighters and had neither the will nor the numbers to make a stand against the Atuscans.
His tribe lived off the land, hunting, fishing and making items which they would sell off at the settlements and towns they passed close to. Laithe proved capable in these skills from an early age, having a particular bond with nature, learning how to live off the land and how to approach animals. He also proved extremely good at tracking the footsteps of people or animals through the wilderness. He developed a healthy respect of and a love of nature above and beyond that of his tribe. From the age of 10, he began spending days out in the wild away from his camp.
Though he enjoyed the occasional trips into civilisation to buy and sell goods and supplies, he began to realise how detached town and city folk were from the environment that sustained them, and this troubled him. He could see “civilised” people encroaching on the wild, killing animals indiscriminately and hacking down plant life above and beyond their physical needs.
Though he was not a particularly outspoken person, he felt he need to do something and so began making trips into the nearest settlement of Barg and trying to talk to the leaders their about ways the towns could better live in harmony with nature. He met with little success, so he redirected his efforts direct to the people, to anyone who would listen, preaching of the magic and wonder of nature and that it need be preserved. This still met with limited success, but he persisted, figuring that if he converted one or two people to his way of thinking his time was not wasted.
However, his efforts did not go unnoticed – on his latest venture into town a friend dragged him aside and warned him that a group of soldiers with some connection to the Church of Arton had recently entered town and were looking for him. He slipped out of town and travelled out into the wild, deliberately leaving a trail. Sure enough, he soon saw signs that he was being followed by a group of men so he pushed on, using all his skill to lead them East. Roughly 3 days in he gave them the slip and headed north, heading back to his tribe’s current campsite, a journey which took about 4 days.
When he arrived he was confronted with a horrific site – the campsite was burned to the ground. In the centre of the clearing, a pile of bones and ash was stacked high and still smouldering – his people had been slaughtered. He fell to his knees and wept for the loss of his family and friends. He was so consumed with grief that he failed to notice the soldiers – a different group to the ones that had originally followed him – slip from their hiding spots, and move in position to surround him.
By the time he looked up he was surrounded and he rose to his feet, startled. Their leader stepped forward and said “The sins of these people have been cleansed by Arton. So to shall you be cleansed. Repent now and you may yet escape the eternal flames of damnation”. Laithe saw no way to escape the ring of soldiers and so he raised his face to the heavens and prayed.
And the goddess Ehlonna responded. He felt a soothing breeze touch his face and suddenly he convulsed forward, falling to all fours. He could feel his body changing; his face elongating, a tail sprouting from the base of his spine, his body hair thickening and growing outward. In a moment he stood their, no longer a human but a great, grey wolf. He tried to speak, but instead a growl issued from deep in his throat.
The soldiers around him stood stunned; only the leader reacted, screaming “Kill the devil”, and he lunged forward to strike. Instincts took over and Laithe in wolf form dodged the wild swing, leapt and snapped at the man’s face, taking a chunk from his cheek and jaw. The soldier fell in a screaming heap, clutching at his face and yelling for his men to slay the beast.
The soldiers had gathered their wits and began to move in. Moving quickly in his new form, Laithe darted for the gap in the circle left by their leader. He skidded through, taking a painful cut to his flank, but was away and soon left the chasing soldiers behind, finding refuge in the wilderness.
Laithe remained in wolf form in the wild for more than 2 weeks, healing his wounds and grieving for the loss of his family and friends. He almost wanted to stay in animal form forever, disdaining the action of his fellow humans. He sought guidance from Ehlonna, the goddess who had come to him in his moment of need. Eventually he knew what he had to do.
He changed back to human form and started making his way toward Barg. He had only his weapons & armour, a few meagre possessions and a handful of coins. He needed to find a way to continue protecting nature against those who would harm it. He needed to find the men who had slaughtered his tribe and see that they not be allowed to repeat that atrocity. He needed to check the expansion of the Empire. But he wouldn’t be able to do it alone. He’d need friends and companions for support.
Description
Laithe stands just shy of 6 foot tall and has a medium built frame of 75kg. He has pale skin, tanned slightly from the time spent in the sun. His hair is dark brown in colour streaked grey despite his young age. It is long, a messy tangle which he ties back in a loose pony tail. His eyes age green and piercing. His hands are calloused and roughened from work.
He wears light travelling clothes mostly in greens and browns, over which he wears hide armour. He carries a spear and a heavy wooden shield, and wears a worn pack on his back from which can be seen the handle of a club.
While in natural surroundings his face is peaceful and happy. In the company of others, he tends to be very intense and serious, making many people uncomfortable. He has a hardness in his eyes which is tinged with sadness and guilt.
There, I sent you my character idea; you'll notice I changed preference to a fighter-type. If you approve, I'll write up a sheet for him immediately. Thanks, I really look forward to this game!
Vendle, good stuff, I like the concept. No issues at all with the multi-classing idea you propose. What general sort of combat style, weapons and armour did you have in mind? I'm picturing something of a lightly armoured, roguish swordsman, is that about right?
See my next post too, it might have a few relevant details for your character.
Question concerning Karandic bards... does the culture have a preferred instrument or style? Are Karandic bards famous for their poetry/oration? Song? Dance? Rythm and percussions? I'm leaning towards poetry/oration myself (heavily based in a strong oral tradition), with a secondary emphasis on a hand drum (kind of like the Irish bodhran)... would this be consistent with your image of the culture?Also, would the Karands have a written language, and would a Karandic bard be literate, given the "barbaric" heritage?
The Karands do indeed have a strong oral tradition, and poetry / oration would be a favoured form of performance for Karandic bards. I think the hand drum would also be very appropriate.
The Karandic language does have a written form, but the written language is used mainly for mundane record keeping and amongst wizards and some sects of druids. By tradition amongst many tribes, important information, such as laws, history, genealogies, and legends are kept in oral form by bards and druids. Having said that, most bards are likely to be literate as well, except in the most isolated and barbaric clans.
Bard is traditionally an important and honourable profession amongst the Karands, but with the increasing Atuscan influence, many clans are turning away from the old ways. There are an increasing number of young bards who take the rudiments of their training and use that as a basis for professions such as gamblers, confidence men, scoundrels, magicians and sellswords. Of course, some of the more traditional bards active in the wider world have reasons to explore these skills as well…