I'm looking to possibly put together a Dragonstar game. For those unfamiliar with the setting, it's a sci-fi/fantasy D20 game, a much more technological 'Spelljammer' sort of setting. Spaceships, laser technology, Star-Trek-ish technobabble, a massive ruling aristocracy headed by dragons and dragon-kin and an entire new galaxy to play in.
The setting is very sandbox-y. Rather than having a few specific places in the world where 'Adventure' happens, the entire setting is malleable based on the scale of game the players and GM want to create, as well as the level of technology and culture one wants to deal with.
Specifics to my game:
Races: Standard PHB/Dragonstar PHB. I may make exceptions for other things, but I require non-monstrous, non-magical Humanoids as the bottom-line and am not likely to take up on anything too wacky like a kuo-toa.
Main Classes: PhB/Dragonstar PHB standard without exceptions. The setting functions very well on stereotypes, and the specialists and hybrids of the 'Complete' books don't tend to mesh as well as simply multi-classing would.
Prestige classes: These will *REQUIRE* an in-game mentor and will not necessarily happen as soon as the character's stats meet the minimum requirements. They are not subject to the specific limits of the PHB/Dragonstar PHB, but certain game-flavor will be maintained. Exceptions to rules such as archery feats/classes converting to the use of firearms will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Character Concepts: Characters should be 'problem solver' archetypes, typically not bound to any government agency or military (though that doesn't bar you from having this as part of your backstory). Characters need to be free of obligations so as to pursue whatever their contractor needs. Detectives, bounty hunters, mercenaries, and pilots-for-hire are good examples of these.
Please, no needless insanities, no 'comic-relief' character concepts. Professionals who do this for a living are what I'm looking for here. By all means, be the badass who quips about the weather during a firefight, but don't be a rodeo-clown or a pyromaniac.
If there's interest, we'll start to move forward on individual characters. Thanks for reading all that!
aweome!! i've been wanting someone to run dragonstar forever b/c i have this awsome concept for a sycotic Psychic sniper who uses detect thoughts when he kills people so he can understand what it's like to die. and he has his own shpaceship. anyways let me know what level your gona start us and give me you email addy and i'll send you a character sheet. it's gonna be awesom!
RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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aweome!! i've been wanting someone to run dragonstar forever b/c i have this awsome concept for a sycotic Psychic sniper who uses detect thoughts when he kills people so he can understand what it's like to die. and he has his own shpaceship. anyways let me know what level your gona start us and give me you email addy and i'll send you a character sheet. it's gonna be awesom!
lol!
Ali and I nearly peed ourselves.
A question: How do you feel about the Book of Exalted Deeds? Is there a blanket, all-encompassing ban on the items within or am I allowed to request that something be considered?
Again, case-by-case basis. I'm not actively opposed to it, but being Exalted is going to put you in an entirely different bracket of society and had better be a crucial leg on which your psychology and personality stand.
Some specifics about each class to be aware of:
General - All classes function as of 3.5, upgrading from 3.0. Specific questions may be addressed in this thread.
Barbarian - not unworkable in this setting, but you'll need to think about just why your character has developed something of a reputation as a problem-solver. Not every problem requires Rage, and the Technical improficiency will be a serious hampering when it comes to investigations and pursuit of clues, as well as, of course, firefights.
Bard - You almost certainly attended a Bardic School. This will be formative to your musical talents as well as your casting style, and ought to be detailed at least a little bit.
Cleric - Unless you are from the inner sectors of the Empire where the Unification Church has got everyone into the habit of using the nine Unification Deity names, you've probably got a specific name for an indigenous deity to your homeworld that is regarded as an aspect of a Unification deity. Clerics from outside the Unification Church are allowed, but run it specifically by me first and detail precisely what it is you believe and why your world is part of the Empire but the deities haven't been absorbed.
Further, Clerics do not hot-swap for cure or inflict spells. Rather, they swap for Domain spells of the same level. This makes healing a somewhat more limited option, but brings a great deal more flavor to a given cleric and their deity, as well as precisely what aspect of that deity the cleric venerates.
Druid - Druids are divine casters. Their spells come from somewhere. Whether it be nature spirits or an eco-conscious aspect of one of the Unification Deities is up to you, but they are not ingrained abilities from training, like a Monk.
Druids also gain one Domain, representative of the chosen 'source' of their powers, chosen from the list of "Air, Water, Fire, Earth, Plant, Animal, or Sun," or from the Domain list of a specific Unification-Church deity. This latter option, however, requires that you also be specifically a <i>follower</i> of that deity and receive your spells through that deity.
Fighter - As written. Fighters are difficult to screw up.
Monk - As written. Monks descend from specific orders, and detailing this order as well as it's training/combat style and particular tenets would flesh out your character immensely.
Paladin - Pick a specific deity, as well as an Order you belong to. Paladins of the Unification Church are sanctioned by the Orders, given 'recognition' as Paladins and special jurisdictions, and it's important to be aware of what those jurisdictions are. You need not confine yourself to the paltry few listed in the book, feel free to make one up if you're feeling creative, but run it by me first, as well as their purpose and political connections.
Ranger - Note the drastic changes that Rangers underwent in conversion from 3.0 to 3.5. "Two-Gun Shooting" does not replace "Two Weapon Fighting" on the combat style table. You are either a marksman with the rifle as per archery feats, or you have learned a style of close combat.
Rogue - Consider the character's background, whether professional spy or member of a Thieves' Guild of some sort, and detail this as it will impact how your Knowledge (local) works.
Sorcerer - Sorcerers are believed to be dragon-blooded, but as noted in the book, there is no scientific evidence to back this. Nevertheless, there is a certain standing in society connoted by sorcerous heritage, and the realities of it must be addressed in your character concept, whether you embraced it or fled from it.
Wizard - Wizards are not reviled in the setting, they are merely looked at askance, for example, in the fashion that we regard UFO Conspiracy Theorists (though for different reasons, obviously). Typically, they band into clusters and share knowledge in this fashion, and as such it is important to determine where your knowledge came from. A specific mentor, a Wizards' College, or inherited/discovered works, for example.
Human druid reporting in. Healer, problem-solver, nature guide, and capable of inflicting grievous harm on technological bad guys!
The character grew up on a reserve planet, raised in a druidic culture, and has left home in order to learn more about the world at large so that he may return to his homeworld empowered and enlightened by his experience, much like modern missionaries are required to travel abroad today.
The setting looks interesting, but I haven't encountered it before. Would it be realistically possible for me to play without needing to purchase new books?
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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The setting looks interesting, but I haven't encountered it before. Would it be realistically possible for me to play without needing to purchase new books?
I think so, as long as the DM is willing to provide you with pertinent information. Buying equipment would be the hardest part, IMO, as the Starfarer's Handbook contains all the information on firearms and other technological gizmos. Feats and classes are essentially the same, with a few new skills being added to some of the skill lists and a few new setting-specific feats. As long as you don't try to play one of the new classes (Mechanist and Pilot) it shouldn't be terribly difficult to pull off.
Seems like it would be safer to play someone from a backwater, magic-oriented world in my case, as that would help excuse my ignorance of the setting at large.
Mind if I join up, Ex?
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RPG Superstar 2013 Top 32
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Seems like it would be safer to play someone from a backwater, magic-oriented world in my case, as that would help excuse my ignorance of the setting at large.
If you're gonna do that, play a spellcaster. A fighter without access to the modern gear will get stomped.
There's just not much you can do when your average foot soldiers are toting guns that deal 1d12 damage at 200 ft. increments with x3 crit multipliers, not to mention that the basic light armor gives +6 AC. Don't even get me started on blaster rifles...
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It wouldn't be that hard to flesh out a concept and have Steve post gear options for him to choose from.
Also, here's a pretty nice synopsis from the official Dragonstar webpage, for those who may be unfamiliar with the game.
Seems like it would be safer to play someone from a backwater, magic-oriented world in my case, as that would help excuse my ignorance of the setting at large.
Mind if I join up, Ex?
Don't listen to Fatey's doomful pronouncements. I'm more interested in telling a story than fielding the biggest baddest baddies at people. It'll be challenging, but you don't have to own the book to play.
Give me a character concept (even the most general outline ["HALF-ORC WITH A CHAINGUN!"]). Send an email to Luchiadh@gmail.com and we'll get started.
thanx for posting youre email addy, i'll have my char sheet and 49 backup concepts to you by tomorros. my other favorite is a halfdragon half halfling barbarian monk rouge who backstabs peopl with his ki greataxe. he's also psychic. itll be aweosme!
thanx for posting youre email addy, i'll have my char sheet and 49 backup concepts to you by tomorros. my other favorite is a halfdragon half halfling barbarian monk rouge who backstabs peopl with his ki greataxe. he's also psychic. itll be aweosme!
You need to make a profile for this alias, d00d.
Let's briefly discuss how there are no icons even remotely close to what I want Bharek to actually look like.
Granted, he is a black Dwarf with short trimmed hair and beard in a modern setting, but still.
*sigh*
Any room left?
Perhaps. Your best bet is to send me a character concept in my above email address, and we'll go from there.
Bizzump!
you know i can run another six players if you want. you don't need these other guys itll just be me an you and itll be wesome!
you know i can run another six players if you want. you don't need these other guys itll just be me an you and itll be wesome!
After the orbital strikes, Thunderhawk bombardments, Whirlwinds, Vindicators, fusion and starfire and finally Battle Brothers with flamers had finished cleansing the world of all the enemies of Man, we built a monastery in the center of the largest, most radioactive impact crater. We named the planet "Tranquility", for it was very quiet now.
One last bump.