It's not really that complicated.
1. Be excellent to each other
2. Be excellent to each other
3. I really mean the first two.
On a more serious note, I do expect that players in this game will treat each other with courtesy at all times. Cooperation and compromise are essential ingredients to any successful human interactions, and a game is no exception. It's better to have fun with friends than be right all by yourself. I know that everyone won't always get along, and everyone has a bad day now and then. I don't expect perfection, but I do expect effort. If a conflict arises, keep it civil. Much like the PvP rules, if it's escalating ask for the discussion to be paused until a GM can weigh in. Inside the game, remember to be courteous to your fellow players as well by keeping in mind things like not assuming other people's actions/reactions for them and keeping in-character conflict from bleeding over into out-of-character interactions.
There will be times when a player breaks the code of conduct in some way. People make mistakes, bad days happen, and I understand. This is why I employ a three strikes rule. If someone is engaging in a problem behavior I will give them a warning (privately via PM because I don't want to make it a spectacle or embarrass anyone in front of their peers). If that same behavior is repeated it will be met with a stronger warning and a reminder that there are limits and they are at them. If the behavior is repeated again I can only conclude that the person is not going to change the problem behavior and I will ask them to leave. I do not enjoy asking anyone to leave the game, but I will not sacrifice the enjoyment of everyone for any one person.
Primer for New Players:
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There are two roles one can fill: Student or Teacher
Student-You're young for your race, no older than the human equivalent of 19-20 and no younger than the human equivalent of 4-5 , and have a level cap of 16. The level cap is set where it is to restrict access to wish and miracle. These spells are substantially more powerful than normal in this setting. As this is a school, you and your fellow classmates are the main focus of the stories.
Teacher-Minimal age is human equivalent of 20, but the level cap is more or less removed, preferably not higher than the mid to high twenties. Your role will be important, but more in the background and secondary to the students. This is a great option for players with limited time or who have long periods when they can't post.
Character Creation
Rule of Cool applies here, in spades. Come up with a concept, then using gestalt rules, recreate it as best you can. We are really flexible and open minded when helping players reach as perfect a build as possible for the PCs
Most 3.x/Pathfinder book is allowed, as are most things on d20pfsrd. {Note: the exceptions here are no Book of 9 swords (its Pathfinder equivalent is still under review and not currently open for use), Mostly no Occult Adventures (conflict with psionic already in use, but can bring in some stuff with special GM approval) and no Mythic. These don't mix well with the system as we're using it.] Of course we can veto. If I don't have access to the book I will ask that you put a write-up of what you can do from that source in your character profile for easy reference.
For stats, just assign as you see fit. Be reasonable. You will be asked to tone it down if your stats are too crazy. Stats below 30 are generally not questioned. You get max hit points.
You may have one or 2 key magic items for your character, that are central to the concept. Customization is allowed with approval from the GM.
Mundane gear is as much as you want, but remember, you are student and thus, are not going to actually be carrying around all that much. If you go on a field trip, gear is provided for you.
Important stats to have on your sheet would be Attack, AC, HP, Saves, CMB/CMD, and, if you want, some key Skills, though these can be more or less assigned on the fly, so skills are optional.
You don't have to read through the whole backlog of the thread (cause it's long), but you may find a lot of useful information in the campaign info tab (same place you found this primer). I would recommend reading through some of the background information about the setting to get a good feel for the game. Just keep in mind not all info is meant to be used. Some of that is just there for GM reference.
Finally, each player begins with one character. However, since this game is a little different from some others, once one gets a feel for the style of the game, they may bring in other PCs, and even guest GM for an arc here or there. I still have to approve PCs before they enter the game, and I ask that you just give me at least a rough outline of what you want to do if you are planning to run a story arc so I can figure out how best to place it to avoid conflict with other already planned story arcs. (Example: "I want to run a mini-arc where an accident in the alchemy lab leads to the school being overrun with tribbles" Possible answers: "Sorry, Player So-and-so is already planning an arc almost just like that", "Sure, but we have something else about to start. I'll let you know when it would be a good time to start your story", or "Sure, go right ahead. You can start whenever you like.")
When you have your character ready you'll need to get a greenlight from a GM to make sure everything is in order and then one of us can provide an intro. Depending on what's going on in game at that point you may have to wait a bit. Given the size of the cast it can be difficult to manage intros during say a mass combat. But don't fret. You will get in the game. Everyone who wants a spot gets one. We are always open and recruiting.:)Due to GM burnout and a cast that got crazy big and out of hand recruiting is temporarily closed. Any exceptions to this will be on a case by case basis.
This game doesn't have the standard adventure structure. It's a bit more like the story structure of an anime. There is generally a big bad for each 'season', but most of the game is concerned with side quests and character interactions, which are very much the focus of the game, whether it's friendships, rivalries, romantic interests, mentor/student,siblings, or whatever. Also, with the exception of the occasional 'field trip' the game revolves around a central location, that being, of course, Avalon Academy.
Side note: this game is LGBT friendly. I wouldn't even include this note except that I did have someone take issue with this once, so now I want to just make sure to clearly state this up front.
Once you start playing, at some point there will inevitably be someone or something in the game that irks you. No matter what it is, I ask all of my players to keep things civil. Try to always assume the best of your fellow players. Remember when posting a grievance to phrase it in a way that is not accusatory. (ex. "I feel frustrated when this happens" as opposed to "You're being such a jerk for doing this") And when in doubt you can always ask a GM for a little assistance. Nobody is perfect, we all have bad days, and misunderstandings happen, but these things can be resolved peacefully and with a minimum of trouble if everyone remembers to work together. It's a game and it's supposed to be fun.
This intro adapted from a post in the recruiting thread by monkeygod with my thanks for compiling everything so I can stop repeating it over and over. :)
Combat note:
This is a new convention so I'm putting it in here since I find it's been very useful thus far. When in combat please put all current buffs under a spoiler in each post. It makes it so much easier to keep track of who has what and makes the job of whoever is running the bad guys so much easier. Much appreciated, thanks.
Adding to this, some basic combat conventions that I often take for granted because we've been doing them so long:
Initiative. We don't use it. Whoever posts first, goes first. That said, I expect people to not be jerks about it. Give a reasonable amount of time for everybody involved in the combat to respond before you take a second action.
Cinematic combat: because sometimes you just want to have a cool fight without bothering with rounds and dice rolls. This is fine, but needs to be agreed on by all parties ahead of time as it takes an extra level of trust in your fellow players. Can be a good option to save time and trouble when the purpose of a combat is just to advance the story.
Some basic guidelines about PvP:
In general PvP is not allowed except in certain very controlled situations. If both players are agreed to it and they have GM okay, some PvP situations can happen. Duels, competitions, even outright combat in certain pre-approved story situations. My one condition here is that players need to keep it friendly out-of-character. This is a game and I don't want to be putting out fires and playing referee every time I log on. The GM gets to have fun too. Trust me, it's more fun for everyone that way. :)
Should you find yourself in a PvP situation there are some things that you can do that will go a long way towards keeping things friendly.
Make sure you know what you're doing in an action before you post it. If you have a question about how something works, please ask over in the discussion thread before you use that in combat. The folks in this game are super helpful and will be more than happy to offer the advice you need to make things work. Multiple edits in a combat situation is considered bad form and frequent ret-conning can be interpreted as cheating even when it's just poor understanding. The best way to avoid this is just to take a little extra time at the outset to make sure of what you want to do.
If you have questions about the other person's abilities or something they've been doing seems wonky to you, please call for a time-out and ask for GM assistance. "Hey, time out, that seems off to me. I'd like to have a GM look that over before we continue just to be sure we're both understanding things correctly." That puts the burden of figuring out what's up on the shoulders of a neutral third party where it belongs and avoids unpleasantness between players. Also, it's perfectly fine to ask for an OOC (or IC for that matter) referee to make sure that everything is handled on a PC/GM level rather than one PC trying to adjudicate another PC. It's about what you're comfortable with, and in my opinion if even one member of the conflict isn't comfortable with it then PvP shouldn't happen.
And most of all, assume the best of your fellow players. I don't believe that anyone in this game is out to cheat or get one over on another player, but if that situation does occur it will become obvious on its own and I will handle it by asking the offending player to leave. This is an extremely uncommon occurrance. Almost every conflict I've had to step in and manage turned out to be a misunderstanding that was easily solved once tempers cooled. Everyone has a bad day once in a while. And we're all here to have fun. If a situation is interfering with your ability to have fun, please ask for an out and I will step in and find a way to get you out of it. But I will only step in if asked.
Agartha Background Info
History of Agartha:
The world of Agartha was created by a group of amethyst dragons, the survivors of the destruction of their original homeworld, Ianthe. They created it as a safe haven to hide away from their enemies, along with their allies. They used epic magics to create a world within a world, bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. From the outside it was a small, desolate planet at the fringes of the Empire, not even worth noticing. Inside it contained many different types of environments, even an artificial ‘sun’ which was tended by the firebirds who made their home there. Many ‘lost’ civilizations made their home inside Agartha. Underwater cities, desert tribes, mysterious jungle temples, remote mountain fortresses and more could all be found within this unusual world along with races of all descriptions, many who no longer exist elsewhere. It has been many centuries since Agartha was formed and much of the world’s history has been lost. People have forgotten that their ancestors ever lived on any world but this one or that other worlds even exist. This is part of the magic of Agartha’s creation. The world itself is not quite a thousand years old, but the wishcraft used to make the world clouds the memories of even the longer lived races.
In order to protect this world they made and make sure it remained a true haven from their enemies, the builders of Agartha fashioned wards to protect it and cut it off from any possibility of attack. No extraplanar travel to or from Agartha was possible except under very unusual circumstances. Due to the neglect of centuries small cracks began to appear in the wards, but even that was not enough to outright break them. There were certain powerful forces that could bypass the wards due to their natures, but those were few and far between, and even for them it was a difficult undertaking and generally involved some risk.
Everything changed when, a few months ago, the world of Agartha was once again subjected to powerful magics. This time the magic was used to turn the world right side out. People are still getting used to living on a globe with a sky and different time zones. Agoraphobia has become a common problem, although it is getting less as time goes on. The idea that travel between worlds is possible both frightens and amazes the natives of this reclusive world. While initially there was panic about their enemies being able to find them now, the residents of Agartha soon found out that the wards had also been transformed. Now allies can perceive the planet and travel to and from without impediment. Enemies cannot see it. And if someone does end up on Agartha and leaves they forget everything about the world before they can betray its secrets. However as long as they don’t tell anyone about Agartha they retain their knowledge of it.
The political landscape of Agartha is currently in turmoil. Agartha is composed of many disparate kingdoms that are not accustomed to working with others. The people of Agartha rarely think of themselves as a unified whole and trying to unite them is a difficult prospect. There is no world government. The closest thing to it is the Council of Seers, a group of powerful Seers who provide counsel and advice to the world’s various rulers. They have no actual power or authority, but their advice is usually followed because of the respect that people have for their abilities.
Due to manipulations behind the scenes by a mysterious group who posed as a religious order when the inhabitants of Agartha first arrived, the people of Agartha were taught to hate and fear all dragons. They forgot that dragons had been their allies once as they forgot all their history before coming to Agartha. They believed that dragons were universally evil and sought only destruction. Because of this dragons were hunted throughout Agartha, and they were very nearly wiped out, the last few surviving by hiding in plain sight, masquerading as humans. They have recently come out of hiding, and the people at Avalon Academy and the nearby town of Kuros have come to recognize the falsehood of the old tales and are becoming more comfortable with their presence. However, this attitude is slow to spread and dragons are still regarded with fear and distrust in most other parts of Agartha.
The Dragon Empire:
The overall setting in which our little world exists is based off the Dragonstar campaign setting. From Wikipedia: Dragonstar is a futuristic magic-meets-machine campaign setting created by Fantasy Flight Games for Wizards of the Coast's D20 role-playing game system. The setting describes a galaxy under the dominion of the Dragon Empire. The Dragon Empire is a huge bureaucracy, ruled over by the ten houses of dragons, five chromatic and five metallic, led by Mezzenbone, a red dragon of immense might and evil disposition, who sometimes travels on board The Maleficant, one of the few remaining immense Dreadnought class warship spacecraft. Across the galaxy, the same fantasy races are found to inhabit countless worlds, sometimes living in great technological civilizations or magically advanced medieval cultures. When the inhabitants of many of these worlds took to the stars by magic or machine (usually both), they were amazed by their similarities. Even their languages were the same, although different dialects had evolved on the various worlds. Both scientists and archmages alike tried to come up with a logical explanation of why most worlds were almost the same, but they were stumped. Eventually, a predominant religious leader of unknown origin emerged and proposed that all the gods of every religion were the same, just different aspects of the twelve "True Gods" and their hybrid faiths. The Dragonstar setting can easily combine preexisting D20 material and settings. A PC group can be made up of character races and classes in any combination and be rationally integrated with little work. It is similar to the classic Spelljammer setting by TSR, although Spelljammer was essentially "fantasy in space", with all space travel explained through magic rather than technology, Dragonstar is more science fantasy; fighters use lasers, machine guns, and grenades, and characters fly in starships through solar systems, although things that are impossible due to our current understanding of physics, such as faster-than-light travel between stars, force-fields, and teleportation, require magic.
Technology:
When the settlers originally arrived in Agartha, they brought all of their technology with them. However, since Agartha does not have the same level of mineral wealth as was available in the Empire, manufacturing was abandoned ages ago. Some amounts of tech remained in service, being frequently repaired with remnants from machines that were no longer reparable. The most common type being skimmers (a type of hovercar), hoverbikes, and some pieces of heavy farm equipment. And, of course, the railways, which use a magnetic rail system in order to operate. Trains don’t travel to every part of Agartha, but they do run through a great deal of it, and are the most common form of long-distance travel. Up until recently, while a very few inventors and crafters continued to make technological advances, most never became available to the general population. Still, this is changing thanks to the efforts of Jiminy Sunwake, one of the children of Tamrin and Aananda Sunwake, who has opened several manufacturing facilities just outside Kuros. They are currently making skimmers, hoverbikes, and shuttles with plans to expand to also add datapads and communication devices. They also work on mechs, a recent innovation intended for planetary defense as a precaution against the Empire finding Agartha’s location. Thanks to the presence of Aananda Sunwake at Avalon Academy the level of technology available at the school is much greater than anywhere else on Agartha, with nanite based devices becoming more and more commonplace and advanced simulator rooms used in many teaching and recreational pursuits.
Avalon Academy:
The school was founded by Ryo Antairus, the current Headmaster, as a place for children with extraordinary powers to have a safe place to learn to control their abilities. The staff tends to rotate fairly frequently and there are new teachers every year, if not more often, since dealing with so many gifted children is not a job for the faint of heart. Room and board are provided free of charge to all students, though donations from families who are well-off enough to manage it are certainly appreciated.
There are two separate wings of the school, one for elementary students human age equivalent ages 4 through 12, and one for students human equivalent age 13 through 19. The elementary school is run by Ephebe Blackscales. Elementary school accommodations are different than high school accommodations. The younger students are assigned to a block of rooms that can hold up to six students and one chaperone around a small living area. In addition to living quarters there are multiple play rooms scattered throughout the dormitory so that the children have plenty of places to play when they are not attending classes. They also have their own versions of all the amenities that the older students enjoy: a cafeteria, gym, library, pool, even SIM rooms and nurse’s office (although the nurse’s office is connected to the main infirmary). The only thing they share in common with the main school is the grounds.
The high school dormitory consists of rooms that can be either single or double. If students share a room, there is a dividing screen that can be pulled across (like a big pocket door) if privacy is needed. Rooms can change themselves depending on the needs and desires of the students inside them, but they all start out with a basic twin bed, desk, and closet. Double rooms also come with separate bathrooms for each occupant.
The school itself changes its layout depending on the need, so it is important to remember to use the arrow system to find places or even people. All you have to do is place your hand on the wall and think of what you’re looking for and arrows will light up along the way to guide you. If you are looking for a person and they are not inside the building the arrows will lead you to the exit they left by and spin. The school is self-aware and intelligent as well as self-repairing.
Other notable features of the school include the SIM rooms, which are pretty much like the holodeck in Star Trek, and the library which is multi-dimensional and contains every book ever written. There are many different types of crafting spaces available for students to use, from alchemy labs to a forge to an art studio. The basement contains various music practice rooms. There is an auditorium. Interspersed throughout the building are student lounges, which are hangout places for students to relax and socialize, except the one by the cafeteria which is usually used as a place to have some privacy to cry.
The grounds are also notable. There is a lake and some wooded areas along the perimeter. But the gardens are spectacular. The plants are tended to by the botany professor, Adsila Agave, and they are far from ordinary. There are some who are afraid to go outside after having behaved disrespectfully towards the vegetation and discovering the hard way that it fights back.
The school and its grounds are protected by wards. These wards have two functions. The first is to transport any severely injured person to the infirmary for treatment. Those with minor injuries are left to come in under their own power. The second purpose is to enforce the no-violence rule. Students are not allowed to do violence to each other and those who violate the rule are instantly whisked to detention. Exceptions are made for cases of accident or self-defense. The magic is able to read intent and will not send someone to detention if they did not mean to cause harm. In addition to the wards the school and its grounds are covered with a nanite security cloud which allows the area to be constantly monitored and can act as a defensive barrier and a first line of offense should anyone try to invade the school.
Current Class List:
Name of Class [name of teacher]
History of Agartha
Advanced History of Agartha [Ryleh]
Physical Education [Nanami Tanaka]
Advanced Physical Education [Nanami Tanaka]
Art (Drawing/Painting)
Art (Ceramics/Sculpture)
Basic Arcana [Ori Reading]
Magical Theory [Salis of Bletherad]
Illusion/Advanced Illusion [Maya Rhys]
Evocation [Sorchan del Sol]
Conjuration
Transmutation [Settro]
Necromancy [Krays Blackscales]
Abjuration [Zix]
Enchantment [Miss Jones]
Divination [Ryo Antairus]
Mathemagics [Antergrenti De’Nown]
Philosophy [Genosuke]
Engineering
Basic Mechanics [Aananda Sunwake]
Advanced Mechanics [Aananda Sunwake]
Alchemy [Razule Yrrum]
Botany [Adsila Agave]
Nature Magic [Adsila Agave]
Divine Theory [Keaton Antairus]
Care of Magical Creatures [Ormarr]
Psychology [Shirokouruma]
Healing Arts [various]
Light Blades
Heavy Blades [Artha Sidd]
Unarmed Combat [Ryuzo Kato]
Flight
Psionics/Advanced Psionics [Nix]
Stealth [Mr. Strider]
Meditation
Cooking
Sewing and Design
Woodworking
Music [various]
Kuros:
The nearest town to Avalon Academy, Kuros was once a small, sleepy town of not much note. All that changed when Jiminy Sunwake opened his factories. Kuros quickly became a boomtown as people came from miles around for the abundant jobs available there. Construction couldn't move fast enough and a large portion of the population lived in hastily constructed shanties or tents. Then tragedy struck as a plague hit Kuros and wiped out nearly half its population. During the plague much of the town was destroyed, so now Kuros is in need of being rebuilt and is currently in a state of emergency.
Laeren : This elven kingdom borders the lycan’s territory and they have been at war for decades. It is ruled by High Seer Faelwen Denulia. She is a widow, her husband being one of many casualties of the elf-lycan war. She has two children, Tyrrin and Ehos, who both attend Avalon. Because of their presence at the school she maintains close ties with Avalon. Laeren assisted Avalon in providing aid to the displaced firebirds after their ‘sun’ was destroyed.
Hy’alyisstan: This kingdom of sylvan elves is located in a lush forested region far to the west of Avalon. Their language and customs differ from those of Laeren, though they are on cordial terms with that nation. Their leader is known as the Speaker of the Grove. The current speaker is Yriel Saeaera. Her husband was killed in battle when her only child, a daughter, was still an infant. She has not yet remarried and seems disinclined to do so. Her daughter, Tamina, is a student at Avalon.
Idrivyyalith: This elven kingdom is located in the harsh environs of the northern mountains. They are ruled by a king, Avynter Hyross. They have been allied with Hy’alyisstan since the younger son of their king married the Speaker. Even though Xavin was killed long ago the alliance is maintained. It is one of the very few ways in which they are connected with the outside world.
Nishioki: This sprawling port city is located far to the east. It is the home of the Shinobi Clan Akuma. It is a bustling center of trade and has some serious problems with overcrowding, especially in the slums.
Sasaki: This eastern city is about two days travel from Nishioki and is the center of government in that area. It is a beautiful city and anything that would detract from its appearance is quickly removed. It is the home of the Shinobi Clan Amateru.
Wogeiru - A terraced community amongst the woods on and around the base of Mt. Makikami, this simple town is the home of the Kato clan of Shinobi and Barang clan of earth benders.
Mentor: This city, located not too far to the south of Avalon, is a major center of learning. Its libraries and universities are famous.
Lagora: Located far to the southeast of Avalon, this small city is located in the middle of vast stretches of marshes. Houses are all built on stilts and there is a well-respected waterbending tradition there. However, for some reason, they do not allow women to study waterbending.
Etumin: This tiny kingdom in the far south is known for its unreasoning hatred of magic and anything that resembles it. Magic users are killed or chased out if they are found out.
The Temple of Falling Water: Once upon a time this temple was a source of comfort and help to the villages in the surrounding jungle. The monks kept the area safe and well-patrolled. But then the monks were slaughtered and the one who took over the temple began his reign of terror. Even though he has been gone for many years the villages in and around the jungles are still abandoned and no one wants to live there anymore. People believe it to be cursed.
Anderail: This city in the trees is famous for it's tree roads, as the residents commonly travel across the branches rather than the ground. They carve their homes into the trees themselves.
Hunters:
This section is primarily for GM reference.
Hunters are a race that were created by combining dragon DNA with…well, something else. The process used to create Hunters is a mystery to most, and if anyone knows the truth of it, then they’re not telling. When the amethyst dragons fled the destruction of their homeworld the gold dragon who was the emperor at that time hired the Hunters to track down and destroy the remaining amethyst dragons. When the amethyst dragons were gathering their allies to bring them to the world they had created, the Hunters managed to insinuate themselves into the refugees. The Hunters were the best of the best at what they did, and they knew how to play a long game. They started a religious movement, convincing those that knew them how very righteous they were. In the meantime they began the other half of their mission by secretly stealing into dragons’ lairs and smashing eggs or killing hatchlings. In time they began to spread lies about how dragons were evil beasts who desired nothing more than killing and destroying and therefore must be destroyed themselves. It was all too easy to make these lies stick to the increasingly reclusive amethyst dragons, and soon they had plenty of willing help as they continued to destroy the dragons’ young. While there were occasional battles versus adult dragons, their most common target remained the eggs and hatchlings. After many centuries of this their strategy was very nearly successful. The last living adult dragon, after the death of her mate who gave his life to allow her escape, took her last clutch of eggs and fled, using Wishes to hide her children in plain sight among the other races. Having made them as safe as she could, she turned towards vengeance, using all the resources of those of her kind who had died to wage a desperate war against the Hunters. A successful war except in one thing. She could not bring herself to kill the Hunter’s children, so she let them live. Many of those children perished, but a few survived. Unfortunately the Shadowstrike clan was infected by the Champion of Madness, and they made war on any Hunters who did not follow the traditions as they understood them. They destroyed all who would not join them, and then attempted to fulfill their mission to kill the dragons. They were destroyed by Headmaster Ryo Antairus. There is currently only one known pureblooded Hunter left alive and few know of the existence of this race, or of its passing.
Arcane Gunslingers:
GM note: This class is not currently available for play due to in-game political situation. This writeup is here mostly as GM reference. There are a couple of arcane gunslingers in play, but we can't currently bring in more. Because they are trained in a similar manner to Jedi (apprentices are basically padawan) there is currently no one available to train them. Right now, to continue the analogy, much like during the clone wars, even the padawan are in the field as the Empire tries to eradicate the order.
The Arcane Gunslingers have existed on the fringes of the Dragon Empire for untold years. In the face of ever improving technology, and the rise in prestige of sorcerers, some wizards in the Empire began to feel that their way of practicing magic could very well become extinct.
Many of their brethren scoffed at such a notion. How could a tradition as old as history be wiped out? Others turned a blind eye to the events unfolding across the galaxy. They didn't bother themselves with such ideas so long as they were left alone to pursue their spellcraft. But enough wizards saw that the future might not include them...and they decided to do something about that.
On the remote Outlands world of Jerenta IX, these wizards gathered to teach a new breed of wizard, one that would be able to survive in an empire where technology and sorcery were ever-present. But these would be no ordinary wizards. These new wizards also received martial training, for those times when their spells ran out or were useless against their foes. But most importantly, they learned to meld their spellcasting with one of the most prevalent pieces of technology the Empire had: the gun.
A new weapon was created on that isolated world, called the Caster. It looked much like any other handgun, but in the hands of these new wizardly gunmen it could launch spells (encased in special shells) to incapacitate or eliminate an enemy with great efficiency. As more and more people came to be trained in the use of Casters, and those already trained became masters of them, a new name began to drift through the Outland worlds and into the Empire to describe them: the Arcane Gunslinger.
The Arcane Gunslingers took time to train, and as a result there were never great numbers of them present in the Dragon Empire. About two hundred years ago, the academy on Jerenta IX was attacked and destroyed. Most of the galaxy's Gunslingers were there to celebrate the election of a new Headmaster when the attack came. They were taken by surprise, but fought ferociously to defend their home. Even though they were outnumbered and eventually wiped out, they were able to bring all of their assailants down with them. There was so little left of both sides that it was impossible to identify who the assailants were. The whole affair was written off as a horrible tragedy and soon forgotten.
The few Gunslingers who survived were those who were not on Jerenta IX. They went into seclusion to begin the long process of training new Gunslingers, so they could find the beings that attacked their brethren. Was it sorcerers, fearing for their positions in Imperial society? Was it a group of conservative wizards, who couldn?t stand the thought of changing what they had known for so long? Or was it another group entirely? That is a mystery that persists to this day. For now, the remaining Arcane Gunslingers wander the Dragon Empire as outcasts and outlaws, making pilgrimages to Jerenta IX when they can so they never forget what was done to them.
NOTE: [The Arcane Gunslinger is essentially a 10-level prestige class that requires being a multiclass fighter/wizard. Requirements include: BAB+5; Craft (Gunsmith) 5 ranks, Spellcraft 5 ranks; Craft Wondrous Item, Crack Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Technical Proficiency; ability to prepare and cast arcane spells.]
On the Mechanics of the Caster - signature weapon of the Arcane Gunslinger:
The Caster is a hybrid weapon - a unique fusion of wizardly magic and technological know-how created centuries ago by the first Arcane Gunslingers. It is meant to bring their magical and martial training together into one capable and efficient weapon.
Very few people know how to create or maintain Casters today, since most of the Arcane Gunslingers were wiped out two centuries ago. The ones who did survive kept to themselves and made sure the knowledge stayed within their ranks. Only when a new apprentice had been accepted into the ranks of the Gunslingers were the secrets of the Caster revealed.
What makes the Caster such a versatile weapon is the fact that it can essentially 'shoot' spells. Arcane Gunslingers have the ability to imbue their spells (or even transform written scrolls) into special Caster Shells for use whenever needed.
The most obvious advantage of this is the speed with which a Gunslinger can unleash his spells in combat. Other benefits include increased range for normally short-range spells, and the ability to take advantage of the Caster's damage multiplier on a successful critical hit.
Caster Stat Block
Cost: 3,000 gp
Damage: Varies by Spell
Critical: x3
Range Increment: 200 feet
Weight: 7 lbs
Type: Varies by Spell
Caster Shell Stat Block (per shell)
Cost: 10 gp
Weight: 1/4 lb
On the Subject of Caster Shells:
Caster Shells are specialized ammunition for the Arcane Gunslinger's signature weapon, the Caster. As Casters are rare items today, Caster shells are even more so. After the attack on Jerenta IX, these shells either were hoarded by the few surviving Gunslingers or destroyed.
The price quoted under the listing for the Caster is only for making an individual shell - the price for a shell loaded with a spell would be equivalent to a scroll with the same spell on it, plus the cost of the shell.
Once a Caster Shell is loaded with a spell, the shell can be stowed away and saved for whenever the Gunslinger needs it, very much like normal scrolls. Once fired though, the shell is completely consumed - it cannot be reused.
Cardcasters:
This section has no relationship to the witch/magus archetype, and in fact, isn't even a class/prestige class. It's more a social category within the campaign world.
Cardcasters are usually psychics with some skill(but only some) who have a deck of cards that create magical effects based on what is on the card and their own creativity. Unfortunately, Cardcasters are shunned at the best and outright attacked under the worst circumstances. It's widely believed CC's can trap people in their cards, but the closest they can come to that is creating a prison. CC's grow stronger over time, but using their cards is still draining, and the creation of a new card can leave them weak for days if they are not careful.
Cardcasters do not always need their cards to create magical effects. Ryo once used Sword to turn his right forearm into a sword... the shock of which caused him to fall to the ground. When his sword-arm hit the ground, it shattered. Using your body as a focus is not recommended.
Link to the original Agartha game.Note: We cleaned up the history a bit to reflect the isolation of the world. In the beginning we were totally ad-libbing. :)
Champion Outline:
Note: Champions are something that only players who have been around for a while are allowed to play. With great power comes many hoops to jump through. ;)
There are a couple of abilities that all Champions have in common. One is the ability to travel to anywhere regardless of wards or anything. So anywhere within Agartha or outside of Agartha or on another plane (though prime material planes are the easiest). Basically they can go anywhere that their concept exists, but they can't take passengers.
The second is that the special powers of other Champions can only effect them if they choose to allow it. So they aren't affected by Madness's insanity attacks unless they want to be. Another example would be Ephebe's (former) ability to turn back one minute of time. The other champions could choose whether to allow this to effect them or not and if not much like Ephebe would remember what happened during that minute and any conditions, spell effects, injuries gained during that minute would still be in effect. This only applies to the one or two special concept related abilities, not class features. In other words it does apply to turning back time but not to a cure spell because the latter is a class feature not a Champion's special ability.
Each Champion has one or two special powers that are specific to their concept. This is often (but not always) related to the special object that is the symbol of their station. (Examples include Ephebe's holy symbol, Krays's scythe, Asch's coat, Amada's amulet...each Champion should have something like that).
Each Champion should have the following powers that are unique to their patron's concept:
One ability that's stronger than you could normally achieve (equivalent to a 9th lvl spell - excluding wish) usable once a day;
One or two medium abilities usable a few times a day;
A couple of minor abilities usable at will.
Current Known Champions:
Dreams: yet to be publicly revealed, known to a couple of characters
Darkness: Serrin
Love:
Light: Vai
Creation:
Fear: Yarvicc
Hope: Ezzie
Deception: Ryuzo
Death: Krays
Time: Andromeda
Knowledge: Alton
Courage: Fei
Madness: Tarka
Wrath: TBA
Luck: Nala
Freedom: Jasper
Destiny: Ace
Mercy: Tybalt
Justice:
Life: Anahita
Pride: Dave
Trust/Faith: as yet unnamed
Recently it was discovered that the other gem dragons followed the amethyst dragons’ lead and also built planets intended to keep them hidden from the Empire. There are four other planets.
Haven (crystal)
Annwn (emerald)
Lemuria (sapphire)
Nibiru (topaz)
Races of Agartha:
These are either races that are unique to Agartha or are variants of races that occur elsewhere but are significantly different from their counterparts for some reason be it stats or history.
