By now you probably have noticed that I run different basic topics as their own headings, like Game Theory, Races, and now World Mythos. I said that I would be using this blog as a dump for my D&D ideas (don't believe me? then read this: First Post) and I have some world notes to send at you. Check it out.
The Dungeons and Dragons Cosmology, outlined in the Dungeon Masters’ Guide, will be the de facto for Raath-Toran. Naturally, the main world will be the Prime Material plane.
For the most part, Raath-Toran is the world where most of the adventures will take their course. My focus, for the time being, will be on Raathan, one of the continents. Eventually, I want to run sessions its sister continent, Torellan, and Sal-Hara, a desert/tropics archipelago. (For its purposes as a separate set of landmasses, it will be addressed as a continent, as well.)
Both Raathan and Torellan are inhabited by all PHB races, but each continent will have its own unique race set. Torellan, as with Raathan, will have its own unique “race.” The Warforged, as they are addressed in the Eberron campaign setting, is a working idea, but Raathan will have its own race, tentatively called the ferals. Sal-Hara will be unique in that it is almost exclusively humans and orcs and half-orcs. Sal-Hara also serves as the cradle of life for both humans and orcs.
In the First Era of Raath-Toran, humans were able to spread their influence throughout the world, at first by sailing the dangerous open seas, then spirit-striding as the spells became easier to cast. The Striders’ Paths eventually became a permanent addition to the world, and were used almost exclusively between worlds in the waning years of the First Era.
Humans were the ones who pioneered this unique form of sorcery, and indeed it was sorcery. Wizards were used to make the Paths a permanent thing, and once they learned the spell, they were able to teach the other races its secrets. (This is the alternative to teleporting, and is fully addressed on a different page.) The orcs, native to Sal-Hara, as were the humans, learned the secrets as well, and introduced their conventions of warriors’ code and combat styles, which were superior in many regards but addressed as barbaric by some other races and nations.
It is believed that Dolari’s account of the First Era is the only accurate measure of how Raath-Toran came to be, but it was lost in the chaos of the Second Era. Even if it was protected from the ravages of time, it is likely that it does not address the waning years of the First Era, so we do not know how the Era of Prosperity ended.
What is known about the Failings of Prosperity is that the scribe Dolari was found supposedly murdered at the hands of orc raiders. The emperor at the time, Grelar II, set his sights on conquering all of Raath-Toran, seeking to unite all of the world under Sal-Haran rule. He was only successful on taking Raathan, as he supposedly let Sal-Hara fall to the orcs. Either way, this meant the foundation of the empire in Raathan, the enslavement of the ferals, and the enmities of the races forming. Being that the ferals were kile kin to the elves, it was humans they opposed in the coming wars.
Dwarves, on the other hand, sided with humans, but all races shared one common enemy. Of Grelar II’s court, Rekar, the devil, joined with the orcs. A denizen of the Lower Planes, the devil saw possibilities for conquest against all of the world. The archon who Grelar kept in his court, left out of shame and returned to the upper planes, never revealing its name. Originally, it wished to return after humanity regained its senses, but alas, it never happened.
Within fifty years, the three realms, Raatha, Sal-Hara, and Torellan, became severed off from each other, the Striders’ Paths having collapsed under the energies that fuelled them. It was at this point where Grelar III sought to claim the throne, and he murders his father. It is known that the Era of Prosperity fell within ten years of the political move, as it was at this point where the nations of Raathan began to revolt. Chaos ensued, and it is known that there was much infighting and skirmishes with the orcs.
Thusly, the Second Era, known as the Dark Era, began. It is unknown for certain if the Dark Era lasted for three centuries, thirty, or even three hundred, but we know that humans and orcs both prospered in their own ways and spread across the lands. Eventually, a balance was achieved, that was shaky, at best. During this time, humans were also able to balance out race relations, especially with the elves. The only two real constants were the Order of the Jade Phoenix, having grown prolific in action during the Dark Era, fighting to keep back something called the Souldrake; and the slavery of the ferals continued.
Other than that, the Second Era was much of a blur. There was never an accurate record of the Age, but the first century is well-accounted for.
In the waning years of the Second Age, notable figures, like Reshar, the first master of the Nine. This is a turning point in the Dark Era, as it heralded the last two hundred years before the Third Era. On top of that, House Melaran began a campaign to unite the nations of Raathan under a common banner of peace. When the tenth nation joined the new Raath empire is when the third age is known to begin.
In 3E 15, as the dating became established, Emperor Kelinar of House Kalaya became the accepted emperor of Raathan and decreed that slavery of sentient races be abolished, and the ferals would be declared free. Within fifty years, with Kelinar aged and weak on the throne, did the feral nation of Elaksha (separate from the numerous tribes) become founded as an official nation under the Raath Empire’s treaty, but many still held onto their grudges regardless of politics.. Relations between the humans and ferals began to soften, and within another three generations humans and ferals would finally be on good terms with one another. Outside the empire, racial tensions continued, and the memories continue, even now.
The time is now 3E 957. Emperor Uriel IX of House lak-Soran sits upon the throne, and has been for thirteen years. He continues diplomacies between the nations of elf and dwarf, but the two races never seemed to settle their old follies from the First Era. In fact, their animosity to one another has continued from that time, and is still just as strong. Within imperial territories, this has become considerably muted, but the hostilities remain.
Halflings never maintained their own nations, nor did the gnomes, but both allied themselves with whom they most relate. Gnomes, given their kinship to the dwarves, remain ever faithful to their dwarven kin, and were the ideal diplomats between dwarves and elves. Halflings, being the wandering enigma that they are, continued their traditions, with exceptions when they settle down and form their own townships, never large enough to be considered cities, let alone nations. Ferals now share openly with humans, having long forgot the past that their race has endured, as had the humans.
The Order of the Jade Phoenix has seemed to fade into the tides of history, though even now it maintains its thirteen members, never more. Some have heard of them asking about a creature called the Souldrake, where it is, how to kill it, etcetera. Not only that, but the ability to spirit-stride has been lost to the four winds or it can no longer be done safely.
29 July 2007
Game Theory: Bleeding Wounds
If you have read through the Dungeon Master’s Guide, you will likely see on page 27 of the 3.5 Edition rules a sidebar on the variant getting clobbered. For the most part, I will address that model in my own personal gaming sessions, and add to that a variant of my own.
Typically, unless an attack specifies the special ability “wounding,” any damage taken will only have that toll on the body. The body’s natural systems will stymie the flow of blood so that the wound does not remain serious. However, I have noticed that even the hardiest of individuals have a point where they take so much damage that the body cannot keep up with the punishment it receives. To address this issue, use the “Variant: Wounds” rule, that helps to determine that breaking point.
As the body gets weaker or takes more punishment, the wounds rule will reflect this to reflect this. Getting clobbered is one example, where a combatant takes damage equal to or greater than half their current HP. If a fighter, for instance, has 15 HP, and someone hits him for eight points of damage, he is clobbered (or dazed) by the blow, or put off-balance by the strike. With this in place, even the toughest fighter will be in dire straits if they do not get any help.
The dying status, which the Player’s Handbook addresses on page 145, 3.5 Edition, uses this same principle when the character’s HP is below zero hit points. The wounds variant extends this HP loss to one quarter of the character’s maximum HP. Such a wound, addressed as a bleeding wound here, will continue to bleed if left unchecked or if the character succeeds in a “Stabilize” check, also addressed under death and dying of the PHB. Naturally, if left unchecked, the character will bleed out until they pass out and/or die.
Massive damage is another way to cause bleeding wounds. If a character survives the awesome amount of damage that such a blow causes, they will still bleed just based on the sheer power of the strike. The character will need attention for that wound in order to keep from bleeding.
As a further note, dungeon masters must consider whether or not the medical attention is magical-based. One suggestion the author received from a fellow player and DM was to allow for the magic to give a buffer, itself. How large a buffer should be left to the current dungeon master, but the best rule of thumb is to keep it fair.
04 July 2007
Game Theory: Acquiring New Skills
What follows is something I banged out six months ago, and I haven't revisited the ideas on this post, since. When I look at it now, I think that my theories still hold up on this one. Either way, I would appreciate any input.
Skills are difficult to learn once one is beyond the years of their youth. Unlike feats (which characters pick up as new tricks being learned or old tricks being mastered) skills need something extra to learn if one has no formal training or real exposure.
The Player’s Handbook details how new skills can be picked up if the character is on his own. A PC must invest 3 skill points plus their character level (CL) to learn new skills. (Untrained skills are always considered “new” when first acquired.) This makes it virtually impossible to learn new skills – even for a rogue, who gets skill points up the wazoo – beyond fifth level when training on their own, assuming neutral intelligence. Even then, it only purchases a half rank for cross-class skills or one rank for class skills. (Almost makes one pity a PC who does not train a class skill at first level.) This is the “old dog, new tricks” theory at its strongest.
The PHB also details a need to get professional training strictly for skills. Here’s a hybrid idea:
A PC can mitigate the skill point loss with professional training. This is done by paying said professional for their time (or merely asking if the trainer likes the PC). It costs fifty gold pieces per week (on average) of training, and a PC needs to spend a number of weeks equal to their character level minus one. A second-level character needs only take a week out of their time with fifty gold out of their pocket, while an 11th level PC needs two months of training, with 500 gold to pay for it! Maybe more, maybe less, with the DM’s discretion…
For the most part, skill training is a week’s worth of daily 1- to 3-hour sessions. As mentioned before, prices are average, so the trainer and student can agree on different prices, again case depending. The training time is given for seven-day weeks with one day dedicated to resting and meditation for the week.
If a PC is training, it is typically expected that the person will take the time out of his hectic schedule of adventuring to ensure consistent sessions. If the PC practices what he had learned while away from the trainer, no loss is incurred, and they may rank up in the skill at next level as normal. However, for every day a character spends away from their trainer and teachings, they effectively lose half a week of training. A 5th level trying to learn to Ride, having three weeks of training under their belt, and they spend three days away from a horse, they could effectively need to start over at square one.
If this happens, a character needs to pay anew. Going back to the previous example, the three weeks’ training would not necessarily be at a total loss. He does, however, need to pay for the time lost. The idea is that paying for training does not rank up a skill, it only opens up the skill to do so.
A final note: Characters must seek trainers with at least eight ranks in the skill that they need. This makes it possible to have an 8th level cleric learn Perform skills from a 5th level bard, as the bard has spent arduous amounts of time learning the skill. A 3rd level bard with a check of +8 just means she’s good, not necessarily knowledgeable. Therefore, said bard would be unable to pass on her skills to another student.
Skills are difficult to learn once one is beyond the years of their youth. Unlike feats (which characters pick up as new tricks being learned or old tricks being mastered) skills need something extra to learn if one has no formal training or real exposure.
The Player’s Handbook details how new skills can be picked up if the character is on his own. A PC must invest 3 skill points plus their character level (CL) to learn new skills. (Untrained skills are always considered “new” when first acquired.) This makes it virtually impossible to learn new skills – even for a rogue, who gets skill points up the wazoo – beyond fifth level when training on their own, assuming neutral intelligence. Even then, it only purchases a half rank for cross-class skills or one rank for class skills. (Almost makes one pity a PC who does not train a class skill at first level.) This is the “old dog, new tricks” theory at its strongest.
The PHB also details a need to get professional training strictly for skills. Here’s a hybrid idea:
A PC can mitigate the skill point loss with professional training. This is done by paying said professional for their time (or merely asking if the trainer likes the PC). It costs fifty gold pieces per week (on average) of training, and a PC needs to spend a number of weeks equal to their character level minus one. A second-level character needs only take a week out of their time with fifty gold out of their pocket, while an 11th level PC needs two months of training, with 500 gold to pay for it! Maybe more, maybe less, with the DM’s discretion…
For the most part, skill training is a week’s worth of daily 1- to 3-hour sessions. As mentioned before, prices are average, so the trainer and student can agree on different prices, again case depending. The training time is given for seven-day weeks with one day dedicated to resting and meditation for the week.
If a PC is training, it is typically expected that the person will take the time out of his hectic schedule of adventuring to ensure consistent sessions. If the PC practices what he had learned while away from the trainer, no loss is incurred, and they may rank up in the skill at next level as normal. However, for every day a character spends away from their trainer and teachings, they effectively lose half a week of training. A 5th level trying to learn to Ride, having three weeks of training under their belt, and they spend three days away from a horse, they could effectively need to start over at square one.
If this happens, a character needs to pay anew. Going back to the previous example, the three weeks’ training would not necessarily be at a total loss. He does, however, need to pay for the time lost. The idea is that paying for training does not rank up a skill, it only opens up the skill to do so.
A final note: Characters must seek trainers with at least eight ranks in the skill that they need. This makes it possible to have an 8th level cleric learn Perform skills from a 5th level bard, as the bard has spent arduous amounts of time learning the skill. A 3rd level bard with a check of +8 just means she’s good, not necessarily knowledgeable. Therefore, said bard would be unable to pass on her skills to another student.
New Race: Ker'shaa
Note, no updated for current rule sets.
Personality: Ker'shaa are easily amused, due to a curious nature. Without a solid reason to focus, this can easily lead to going off on wild tangents, though most ker'shaa can rein this in. They have a keen eye for glimmering objects, especially objects that have any value. Naturally, this would include gems. Because they have physical claws, more often than not a ker'shan will opt to fight an opponent barehanded.
Physical Description: Ker'shaa are covered from head to toe in fur, with a semi-prehensile tail extending down as far as their calves. Ker'shaa stand at roughly the same height as humans. However, due to their leg structure, they can actually extend their legs almost a foot further, much like a man standing on his toes. As with men, this can be quite painful; so a ker'shan's legs will always look partially “bent,” like they are about to spring into action. (DM’s notes: This does not actually affect the ker'shan's capabilities.) Though ker'shaa are slightly weaker than men, this does not diminish their hardiness, so they are just as capable as men are. Fur can vary between short to long, with longer fur trimmed back or covered over to allow for armors. (DM’s notes: That’s right, they don’t get natural armor. Tell players to deal with it.)
A ker'shan's femur is slightly shorter, and their height is made up for it by an extended foot/ankle. Only the front of the foot makes contact with the ground and is padded so shoes are not necessary. Because of the foot and ankle’s anatomy, this makes wearing normal shoes or boots difficult, if not impossible. Shoes and boots must be custom-made. A ker'shan's ears are on top of their head, making normal helmets difficult to wear, even painfully discomforting. (DM’s notes: Ker'shaa tend towards modesty, like humans. This accounts for why they wear clothes.) Ker'shaa have the same lifespan as humans. Also, ker'shaa have pupils that narrow down to vertical slits, like a cat’s eyes. Their eye color can vary greatly.
Relations: Ker'shaa always seem to rub humans the wrong way, due to the fact they were once kept as slaves. Though slavery has been abolished amongst humans with the founding of the New Empire, some still remember this though oral traditions. With respect to the forests, ker'shaa and elves get along rather well. Gnomes, half-elves, dwarves, and halflings are respected based on actions, but until they have proven themselves, they are treated with caution. Half-orcs receive a cautionary treatment, but orcs are always at odds with ker'shaa due to their territorial nature.
Alignment: Ker'shaa run the gamut for alignment due to their living with humans more than other races. As such, they do not tend toward one particular alignment. The best and the worst can be found among their kind.
Ker'shan Lands: For the most part, ker'shaa consider the lands of men as their own; because they were once slaves, though, they know that ker'shaa HAD to have come from somewhere. This leaves some ker'shaa with a drive to find their true homes.
Religion: If the ker'shaa live in nature, Obad-Hai is the god of choice; for the most part, they can worship any god or no god, as with humans. (DM’s notes: ker'shaa will be added to his portfolio to suit. A god may be made at my discretion.)
Language: Ker'shaa do not have a language of their own, given how long their enslavement had lasted. However, they can learn any language, including those of friends as well as enemies. With some cases, a ker'shan's voice can sound broken up with various grunts and growls. Amongst their own kind, this is not considered a problem.
Names: Names generally are pronounced with something of a slur, though for the most part they adopt the names found in their environment as their own. Names are usually unique enough that a surname is not a problem, but if that case arises, they use the name of one of their parents to help identify themselves: Males use their father’s names; females use their mother’s.
Adventurers: Ker'shaa are just as aware as their own mortality as humans are, brought about from being with humans for as long as they have. (DM’s notes: Have ker'shaa use the same age bracket as that of humans.) As such, they often travel abroad, sticking to the woods as a second home. That being the case, they will often champion themselves as defenders of the forest along with the elves.
KER'SHAN RACIAL TRAITS
- +2 Dexterity, -1 Strength, -1 Intelligence, -1 Wisdom. Ker'shaa aren’t quite as physically daunting as humans, nor are they quite as mentally powerful, which partially explains how they were enslaved. Due to their feline graces, however, they are more agile than humans.
- Medium: As medium creatures, ker'shaa have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Ker'shan base land speed is 30 feet.
- Low-Light Vision: A ker'shan can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Weapon Proficiency: None. However, a ker'shan can make their unarmed strikes deal lethal damage at will, due to their claws, causing slashing and piercing damage. The claws are somewhat small, though, and can only deal damage equal to their normal unarmed strike damage. These can be extended or retracted as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. They are still treated as unarmed, however, and will provoke attacks of opportunity under normal circumstances.
- +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A ker'shan’s wild instincts have improved their ability to sense prey, even though such instincts have remained virtually unused for many generations.
- +2 racial bonus on Move Silently checks when barefoot. A ker'shan has naturally softer feet that enable him to move more quickly, making less noise. However, this bonus is lost if he puts on a pair of shoes or boots, or otherwise carries more than a light load.
- Keen Eyes: Given their penchant for shiny items, ker'shaa gain a +1 confidence bonus to Appraisal checks. (DM's note: This can be both a good thing, or bad, so it is up to the DM to make such a bonus apply how they see fit.)
- Scent. A ker'shan is able to sniff out a trail when tracking. DC 10 for fresh trails, +2 for every hour the trail goes cold.
- Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Any. A ker'shan receives much of the same exposure to the world as humans do, and as such, are able to learn the languages of others.
- Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclass ker'shan’s ranger class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing. Ker'shaa believe that to be wood wise is to have the advantage on humans, for their natural agility lets them into parts of the woods humans need to spend time to get to, if they get there at all.
Basic World Overview
I'm building a game world to run in Dungeons Ampersand Dragons. (A jab at the Sons of Kryos.) It's the general purpose of this blog to reveal those various brain droppings. I'm thinking of posting various elements and notes to this blog, hoping for some feedback. I've done the same at the Dragons Landing Inn forums, with the thread found here: DLI Campaign Input. (Link broken, DLI is now down.) Please bear with me, as I am a rookie DM, or dungeon master for the uninitiated (but certainly not a novice to the game, having been playing it for almost ten years, now) and I'm hoping I'm covering all of the right bases.
I intend to use this world to span multiple campaigns, and when I free up the time, I'm going to be running multiple parties throughout the world, hopefully each one acting at the same rate.
Some quick info about my game world: It is a planet with three major land masses, set in fantastically medieval times (roughly) much like so many clichéd games. Hey, I work with what I know; it's Stephen King's first piece of advice to writers.
The three major land masses are two being continents (similar to Eurasia) and the Americas, which does not have a small isthmus like we have with Panama. Instead, that's filled with a fairly large chunk of land, like Baja California and Florida connect with South America. Meanwhile, the last land mass is actually a large archipelago. The main area I want to focus on with my group is Raathan, the Eurasian continent, Torellan, which is/was the Americas, and Sal-Hara, which is obviously the archipelago.
With Raathan, I will be introducing a new race that is feline in appearance, but otherwise humanoid. More details on that, in a later post. Torellan will have a different approach to knowledge and other "sciences" than the rest of the world, and Sal-Hara will have variations/perversions of both worlds. I have been trying to use Chuck and Lonnie's world-building exercises in building the world, and I think that's coming along nicely. For those in the dark about who Chuck and Lonnie are, they are the hosts of the Dragons Landing Inn.
That should cover some of the basics.
First Post, or How to kick it off!
Well, this is it. I am a complete newbie when it comes to HTML, but thanks to the modern age, that shouldn't be much of a problem...
Anyways, I'm using this blog mostly as a dump for my ideas for D&D. The reason is to (hopefully) get me going on setting up for when I start running Dungeons and Dragons games. From here on out, I'm going to (perhaps foolishly) assume that those who read this blog are savvy with the rules of D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder, as that's what I will be referencing.
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