Experience
I've given up awarding experience points
in favor of the milestone technique. It turned
into another numbers mess I had to deal with, and I simply got tired of
it. Not only that, there were always hurt feelings because people got less
than others and felt slighted in some way. That, and players would run off
on side adventures way too often with the mind of gaining more exps.
As long as everyone participates on a marginal level
to promote the good of the party, they'll rise equally. I've developed a
feel for when the party is ready for the next level and will raise them
all en-masse accordingly. Usually, I'll bump them up fairly rapidly until
they reach 4th or 5th level to give them some "survivability." This has
worked well and everyone seems to be happy because there is no "why is he
raising faster than I am?" to stir up things. Everyone is equal in their
progression and people can focus more on the nuance of the game rather
than the numbers.
Top
How Magic Works
Arcane
magic is employed by arcane spellcasters, such as wizards, warlocks,
sorcerers, and a few others. Deities bestow divine (holy/unholy)
upon worshippers, such as clerics, druids, paladins, etc. Although
the divine and arcane spell effects are identical in that both use
verbal, somatic, and material components, there is a difference.
Arcane
With knowledge created
centuries ago, arcane casters open invisible portals to the positive
and negative planes, summon raw magic to the plane they are standing
on, channel it through their bodies, refine and shape it, and then
release the magic to create spell effects.
Divine
Divine casters' bodies
are imbued with all the necessary magical energy for their spells by
the will of their gods. They then use faith and their components to
shape and then release the magic to create spell effects.
Although arcane and
divine magics are considered different, the raw energy they use is
the same. The main differences lie in how the magic comes to the
caster. Many believe that arcane casters' bodies are taxed more
because of the extra effort involved in bringing the magic to them
from one of two planes, but this has been a hotly contested debate
since anyone can remember with no end in sight.
Detect magic will tell
the caster if the detected magic is divine or arcane.
Top
Feats
In
the PH, you get feats at certain points, such as choosing your
background as you go up levels.
If you have a homebrew feat you'd like to
use, feel free to submit it to me for review. You never know, I
might be feeling generous that day.
Top
Meta Gaming
This is one I'm pretty strict on. If you (and your
character) know something, but your character isn't present, then keep the
hatch battened down. You can’t give out sage if your character isn’t
around, or dead, or is frozen while trying to play a cursed lute. We
wouldn’t want any stray anvils hitting your character on the head and
causing damage, now would we? Helping with rules and keeping track of hit
points and dead guys and other stats as the game is going on is okay.
Below are the two basic rules (more may come) I expect everyone to follow:
1. Don't try to play another person's character
for them. Too many times, player A will be asked what they (their
character) is doing. Then, player B will answer or begin telling player A
things they shouldn't be, because they don't have the knowledge, or their
PC isn't there or whatever. Give the player whose turn it is, or is being
addressed, a chance to answer or do whatever they are going to do.
2. Don't be a Jiminy Cricket. If a player is
announcing what their PC is about to do, that's not a queue for you begin
telling them what they should do, or to remind them of all the plusses
they have. You may mean well, but you are depriving that person of the
chance to explore their character's abilities themselves through trial and
error.
Now, if the player--whose turn it is--asks the
players at the table for clarification on their pluses, or saves, or
damage, or whatever, then it's okay for the other players to advise them.
*NOTE* This is not an opportunity for the other players to open up and
begin offering strategy about what to do. By the same token, the player
asking for clarification on a rule or so forth may not ask for strategy
advice, unless they use their action to role play and ask other PCs what
to do. That would fine.
Offenders will be warned. Consistent offenders
will see things happen like A: their PCs will be placed at the bottom of
the initiative, or B: I will not allow a player to use the offender's
recommendation. Eventually, the other players will begin to help police
the offenders.
The goal of this is not to place more rules and
regulations upon my game just for the Hell of it. This is designed to
allow everyone to enjoy the experience of learning about the game on their
own through simple trial and error, as well as allow them to role play at
the level of their PC rather than the vast player knowledge that they have
or that the people at the table are giving them.
Top
PC Development
I
love nothing more than someone who takes an ordinary character and plays
it extraordinarily. Give me a rich character history (that isn’t
outlandish) and I’ll work it into the tapestry of the campaign. A prior
campaign with the FRM (Fine Red Mist) made me realize that in order for me to hold true to
the above promise, I really needed to make a campaign as I go rather than
try to make one from beginning to end and THEN plop the characters into
it. This way I can really have fun with each character’s
history and development. This is another reason why showing up is so
important. "Well, since Hector the Paladin isn't here today, that cool
encounter with the bad guys to rescue his warhorse won't happen." Looks
like Hector'll have to ride his battle donkey a little longer.
Another aspect of development
is what it takes for a character to live his/her/other life in the world.
See the "Training and
Other Expenses" section below.
Top
PC Generation
Please use either the 27 point buy system as outlined
in the PH **OR** roll four d6, reroll any ones and take
the best three totaled. Do this 6 times and place the results on the stats
for your PC.
Starting gold is the max for each class. You've been
a good little piggy in saving your coppers. And remember, you are naked
when you start spending.
It's imperative that you provide me with a
full, detailed copy of your character sheet so that I know where you're
at. This also helps when you can’t make it and we really need your
smart-assed thief to help assault the whatever. Also, how can you expect
me to kill your character if he/she’s not there? If you prefer
that your character NOT be played in your absence, I will keep
him/her out of the fray. I’ll just encase the character in carbonite and
let Jabba play handball off of it while Leia talks to it with a really bad
cold.
NOTE: Normally, in my game, your human can gain a
+1 in each stat at creation. There is also a modified variant you can
choose where your human has two points they can split between two stats or
place both in one stat. They also get a second language, and two skills
they can gain proficiency in.
Top
Prestige
Your actions will speak for you, individually and
collectively, and those actions will have a significant bearing on how you
are treated as word gets around. I had a group literally torture some
innocent citizen in a church because they thought he had information they
needed. Later on, they gaped at me in utter astonishment when word got out
concerning their deed and they were literally barred from the next town.
This may be a fantasy game, but I apply real
world logic and mechanics in many cases. Please keep that in mind when
playing your character and how others react to their deeds or misdeeds.
Top
Psionics
Psionics are no longer allowed in my world.
You may encounter monsters with psionic abilities, but that will occur as
part of random encounters or as part of the adventure. You will not be
faced with psionic opponents you cannot defeat or run away from.
This may change in the future. But for now, this
is the ruling.
Top
Races
The playable races in my word
range from, but are not limited to: Draconians (Dragonborn), Dwarves, Elves,
Genasai, Gnomes, Goblins, Half-Elves, Half-Orcs, Outhiri (Halflings), Humans, Kenku, Kryth (see below), and Tieflings. Each listed race has
their own variants/traits/abilities. Other races, such as the ones
listed in Volo's Guide to Monsters, are allowable. Keep in mind that
a race that is uncommon in a human-centric society, such as a
tiefling, may be looked at with anything from curiosity, to fear, to
hatred, etc. In other words, playing a cool race to get cool bennies
may come with some offsetting situations. Be prepared. NOTE: races
that are not allowed in my game are: Astral Elves, Eladrin, and
Shadar-Kai.
For example: In Irith, dragons are quite
uncommon. Draconians will be rare and looked upon (in many cases) with fear and
derision. Anyone playing a Draconian will encounter this attitude
in nearly any civilization they visit. This can also be a problem
for anyone utilizing an uncommon race. Think of a feared Shenuri
(dark elf) trying
to walk among men in a predominately human town. How long do you
think those men will tolerate that Shenuri's presence before a
confrontation of some kind ensues?
As for utilizing races not
listed here, I'll consider them. They must be submitted to me and my
current gaming group for consideration to allow me the chance to weed out any
problems and to check for compatibility and balance.
Some tweaks have been made to individualize
things in the world of Irith. Some traditional races have new names.
Barethkor (Duergar)
A race of dark dwarves.
A page with more information
regarding the Barethkor, along with their cities, populations, etc.
on each continent can be found
HERE.
Dracothel (Kobolds)
The true name of their race is the
Dracothel, which is draconic for "dragon kin". Kobold is an ancient name they have borne from the days
of their enslavement at the hands of goblins and hobgoblins.
Draconian (Dragonborn)
Draconians are humanoid creatures with
dragonblood coursing through their veins. The blood from different
dragon species means that there are a variety of Draconians whose
color and abilities reflect those dragons they a linked to.
History
About a century into the Third Age, Emperor Sallavar of the
Hestrillites became obsessed with conquering neighboring lands and
expanding his relatively young empire. Having experience in sorcery,
he gathered the most powerful spell shapers in the land and met with
them concerning a way to make his army more devastating and fearful
for Hestrillite enemies.
The sorcerers decided that creating soldiers of draconic origin
would be the best option, for dragons were tough a powerful,
especially with their breath weapons. But after years of
experimentations, they could not crate a humanoid that of pure
dragon blood. They were either mutated horribly or were
uncontrollable.
Finally, someone floated the idea of making a fusion between humans
and dragons to create a more stable hearty creature that was still
powerful, intelligent, and, most importantly, able to have loyalty
to the empire instilled within them. After decades of trials, where
humans and dragon blood were mixed, the first draconians were
created. There were found to be every bit as intelligent as humans.
Most importantly, they were loyal and willing to fight for their
country. By the time a century had passed, there were hundreds of
male and female draconians living in the empire, with most serving
in the military. Today, draconians live in the empire as free
citizens.
Over time, a rising sentiment grew among not only the draconians but
of the citizens of the empire, that the draconians were equal and
should be free to pursue their lives as they see fit rather than
being forced to serve in the military. Most stayed within their
roles in the military, but slowly over time, some went their own
way, even moving out of the empire to seek their fortunes elsewhere.
Relatively speaking, the overall draconian populuation in Irith is
small but stable.
Breeding
Draconians breed by means of copulation. Unlike humans, however, the
females will, after impregnation, lay their egs in a clutch
usually numbering 2-8 eggs that hatch in four months. The must be
kept in a dark, warm, moist environment and tended to religiously if
they have any chance of hatching successfully. Draconians age at the
same rate as humans after that.
Outhiri (Halflings)
The true name of their race is the Outhiri.
As they became integrated into civilized society of mostly humans,
they were looked at as small humans so were called "halflings." In
predominately halfling societies, they will refer to themselves as Outhiri.
Sethraak (Lizard Folk)
The true name of their race is the Sethraak.
Lizard Folk is a slang name that humans call them.
Shenuri (Drow)
Rather than drow, dark elves in Irith are
called Shenuri.
The Shenuri are a race that has made their place in the underground away from
those who would oppress them and the sun that hurts their eyes and
dries their skin. A page with more information regarding the
Shenuri, along with their cities, populations, etc. on each
continent can be found
HERE.
Torozen (Svirfneblin)
The Torozen are a race of dark gnomes. Torozen usually live in Shenuri cities or
communities near them.
Top
New Races
Half-Tabaxi
Kryth
Qiran Esh
Ratfolk
Thriiche
***
Half-Tabaxi
Even if tabaxi are generally known as
catfolk, most of them would probably resent being compared to a
simple cat. The half-tabaxi on the other hand resemble those animals
a lot more. They've lost most of their tabaxi features and became
more human. Some don't have a single patch of fur on their body or
completely lost their claws. What still remains are their instincts
and natural ability to move with grace and composure. Most would
describe them as serene and delicate.
Being part human and part tabaxi, it's
natural for them to develop a strong wanderlust. The world has a lot
to offer and half-tabaxi would like to see every facet of it. They
value experiences over coin and tend to be more inclined to take
risks. Depending on the individual, some half-tabaxi enjoy learning
from books as much as first-hand experiences. It's hard to guess
their motivation as they tend to be as complex as their human
ancestors when it comes to reasoning.
Some half-tabaxi may be hard to convince,
but once someone earned their trust, they're going to be loyal
friends for life. They prefer travelling with groups of people and
know that strength doesn't lie in numbers, but in unity. Therefore
most try to get along with everyone around them. Even if they
dislike an individual, they rather see them as a friendly rival than
an enemy.
Half-Tabaxi Traits
Ability Score Increase: Based upon
chosen background.
Age: Half-Tabaxi have life spans
equivalent to humans.
Alignment: As with most catfolk,
half-tabaxi tend toward chaotic alignments, as they are impulsive
and often stubborn. Whether they are good, evil or anything in
between depends largely on their social environment.
Size: Depending on the more dominant
side of your character, they're either a similar size to most humans
or slightly taller and leaner. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Since you are part
tabaxi, you have their superior vision. You can see in dim light
within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as
if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only
shades of gray.
Superior Hearing: You have human ears as well as a pair of
catlike ears. You have proficiency in the Perception skill and
advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing.
Languages: You can speak, read and
write Common and one other language of your choice.
Subrace: Each child of a human and a
tabaxi has generally more features of one of their parents. This
goes beyond the color of skin, hair or eyes and comes with certain
ability developments. All half-tabaxi are either
animalistic or cultured.
Animalistic Subrace
As a more animalistic half-tabaxi you've
inherited most of your being from your tabaxi parent. In addition to
your cat ears and tail you still have retractable claws. You can
have one or more additional features that show your heritage. Either
choose them yourself or roll on the following table as many times as
you like, but at least once.
Animalistic Features
|
d4 |
|
Feature |
|
1 |
|
Cat
Eyes |
|
2 |
|
Cat
Nose |
|
3 |
|
Whiskers |
|
4 |
|
Fur on
hands and Feet |
Cat's Claws: Because of your claws, you have a climbing speed
of 20 feet. In addition, your claws are natural weapons, which you
can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal
slashing damage equal to ld4+your Strength modifier, instead of the
bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Moody Feline: Tabaxi are known for their mood swings and
half-tabaxi are generally better at managing their emotions. You
have proficiency in either the Intimidation or Persuasion skill. You
can switch this proficiency after every long rest if you wish to,
depending on your character's mood.
Cultured Subrace
Half-Tabaxi that inherit more from their
human parent are considered as cultured half-tabaxi. They have their
signature cat ears and tail, but lack any other tabaxi feature. In
exchange for that, they are known to be more adaptable to unknown
situations and are generally more accepted in most cultures than
their more animalistic counterpart.
Avid Learner: You're fascinated by the world and eager to
explore and learn as much as you can. You gain proficiency with one
skill of your choice as well as one tool of your choice.
Curious Feline: You have a hard time not fussing over things
you don't understand. You gain advantage on Investigation checks
that are related to the gathering of information about people,
places or objects.
New Races Menu
***
Kryth
The Kryth are a race of humanoids bred to be servants of
Illithid.
Kryth are mutated humans infused with Illithid blood. Over the
centuries, some Kryth have escaped their masters to propagate in the
world abroad. They are reclusive and wary of others, even their own
kind.
Mostly hairless, Kryth have rough gray skin that appears hard and dry. They
have some horns that come off their temples and extend behind their
heads, and their eyes are always a light red in color.
Kryth Traits
Kryth share certain traits as a result of their abyssal descent.
Ability Score Increase:
Based upon chosen background.
Age: Kryth mature at the same rate as humans plus 20 years
longer.
Alignment: The makeup of the Kryth cause them to lean toward
more lawful neutral or evil.
Size: Kryth are about the same size and build as humans. Your
size is medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30’.
Darkvision: Thanks to your Illithid heritage, you have
superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim Iight
within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light. and in darkness as
if it were dim light.
Psychic Resistance: You have advantage on saving throws vs.
spells/magic that deal psychic damage and have resistance to psychic damage.
Illithid Legacy: You know the Minor Illusion cantrip. Once
you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Detect Thoughts spell once per
long rest. Once you reach 5th level, you can cast the Fear spell
once per long rest. These spells are intelligence based.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write common and
undercommon.
New Races Menu
***
Qiran Esh
These mysterious metallic automatons
originate from the secretive country of Kharamis. They have long
been thought to be nothing more then mindless constructs built do do
the Kharamisians' bidding. But whispers of them being more than that
have come to light, adding further to their mystique. Some say they
are actually beings that have the ability to think for themselves.
They have even been dubbed Qiran Esh (elven for "spirit shell").
Qiran Esh Traits
Score Increase:
Based upon chosen background.
Age: A typical Qiran Esh
is between two and thirty years old.
The maximum lifespan of the
Qiran Esh remains a mystery; so
far, Qiran Esh
have shown no signs of deterioration due to age. You are immune to
magical aging effects.
Alignment: Most Qiran Esh
take comfort in order and discipline, tending toward law and
neutrality. But some have absorbed the morality – or lack thereof –
of the beings with which they served.
Size: Your size is Medium. To set your height and weight
randomly, start with rolling a size modifier.
*Size modifier = 2d6
*Height = 5 feet + 10 inches + your size modifier in inches
Weight in pounds = 270 + (4 x your size modifier)
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30
feet.
Constructed Resilience: You were
created to have remarkable fortitude, represented by the following
benefits:
*You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you
have resistance to poison damage.
*You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
*You are immune to disease.
*You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep.
Sentry's Rest: When you take a long
rest, you must spend at least six hours in an inactive, motionless
state, rather than sleeping. In this state, you appear inert, but it
doesn’t render you unconscious, and you can see and hear as normal.
Integrated Protection: Your body has
built-in defensive layers, which can be enhanced with armor.
*You gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
*You can don only armor with which you have proficiency. To don
armor, you must incorporate it into your body over the course of 1
hour, during which you must remain in contact with the armor. To
doff armor, you must spend 1 hour removing it. You can rest while
donning or doffing armor in this way.
*While you live, your armor can't be removed from your body against
your will.
Specialized Design: You gain one
skill proficiency and one tool proficiency of your choice.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and one
other language of your choice.
New Races Menu
***
Ratfolk
Although primarily found in urban
environments, Ratfolk can be found living anywhere, with deserts and
the arctic being rare exceptions. They are communal and are
inherently wary about those not of their pack. These humanoids are
tenacious and very adept at hiding.
Ratfolk Traits
Ability Scores: Based upon chosen
background.
Age: Ratfolk live to be 70 and are
considered adult at 17.
Alignment: Ratfolk can be of any
alignment, but they do tend to lean toward Chaotic Neutral.
Size: Small.
Speed: Walking speed is 25'.
Darkvision: Ratfolk have darkvision
up to 60'.
Pack Tactics: Ratfolk have advantage
on attacks vs. enemies engaged in melee with an ally.
Rodent Empathy: Ratfolk have
advantage on Animal Handling checks with rodents.
Skulk: Ratfolk gain advantage to
Stealth Checks when within 5' of an object that is the same size as
the Ratfolk or larger.
New Races Menu
***
Thriiche
Almost exclusively found at the
Top of the World and on the
Heel of Iirth, Thriiche are an elven subrace that has thrived in
arctic environments for centuries. Less sophisticated than their
high elf cousins, the Thriiche live in a tribal society that values
family above all else. They prefer to live in mountainous areas,
which provide protection from the elements. The only Thriiche cities
known to exist are located at the Top of the World and on the Heel
of Irith, the pages of which will list their names, populations,
leader names, and other relevant information.
The Thriiche worship any number of gods,
with
Dotorus,
Kergon, and
Su Reh being the most common.
Thriiche Traits
(as per elves in the PH with the following subrace traits)
Ability Score Increase:
Based upon chosen background.
Speed: Your walking speed is 30'. If
you are on icy or snow terrain, your
base walking speed increases to 35'.
Darkvision: 60'.
Heightened Perception: You have
advantage on Perception checks when in an icy or snowy environment.
Frost Veil: In icy or snowy
environments, you have advantage on hide checks.
Cold Resistance: You have advantage
on saving throws against cold spell effects and resistance to cold
damage.
Cantrip: You can cast Ray of Frost
cantrip. At 3rd level, you can cast Ice Knife once per day.
Languages: In addition to common and
elven, you can speak undercommon.
New Races Menu
Top
Religion
Religion
is a funny thing. Some people take it serious to the point of extreme,
while others look at it as a way to purge their sins in a formalized way
that will cleanse their souls, or at least their guilt de jour. In Irith,
there are a great many gods out there for all to worship, which leads to
some interesting conflicts and alliances.
The gods/devils/demons/other in my world are a mix
of homebrew entities that I've been working on for years. I've striven to
provide players with a mix of different philosophies that suit good, bad,
ugly, pretty and whatever else you can think of.
This
guideline is to help you gain a better understanding about my world of
Irith and how I run things within it. I want you to know up front that I
won't try to tell you how to run your character. I'll only flesh out rules
and parameters to define how I interpret situations, classes, and other
things.
You will run your character as you see fit. All I might do is give
helpful hints like “making an obscene gesture at a giant when you're at
first level is baaaaaaaad.” You get the picture. What I strive for is
consistency.
Alignments are meant to be guidelines on a
character’s conduct for the most part. I believe that alignment should be
adhered to primarily in cases where it is a specific part of a character’s
makeup, such as a paladin, or druid, etc. I will not beat you over the
head for not observing the letter of your alignment unless the above rule
applies. By the same token, any character who does a 180 degree turn from
his/her alignment may draw an inquiry from me. Experienced players need
not worry about this, since they don’t have to be told all of this junk. I
just want new and wet-behind-the-ears players to know how I view this
subject.
The
new combat system is slimmed down a bit, which is good. For now, I
plan to adhere to the rules in the PH.
All heed the law . . .
This game is not about Curtis vs. You. It's about you enjoying a story that Curtis lays out for you.
My priority is the story. I'm by no means a rules lawyer, so if I'm not up
on something, please understand. If I propose something and the rules in
the books say otherwise, let me know. I usually change my verdict right
away. Very rarely, I’ll say that my ruling will stand even if the rules
say otherwise. Bottom line, though, when I (or other DMs) say “enough”
then that means “enough.”
By
promising that I'll weave your nice beautiful history into the tapestry of
the story, I’m making a commitment to you to create an enjoyable
atmosphere. In return, I ask that you show up for my game. There are
things that come up, naturally. If your attendance is bad and you always
seem to have something come up so that you are unable to make it to the
game most of the time, I may decide to ask you to return later after
you've taken care of your life situation. 
This
edition of DnD did well to trim down the pure amount of crap that
revolved around dice rolling. 3.5 was the ultimate in choices, but
those choices led to spending so much time on battle and other
mechanical considerations in the game, that the story was shoved far
down the priority list.
In
any gaming system there are flaws. Dungeons and Dragons is no exception.
My goal is to remain consistent in rulings where there is no written rule
to refer to. One of my greatest strengths has always been consistency. Fairness is
another. By the time I’ve DMed you for a while, we’ll have a lot of
unwritten rulings that we’ll use on a regular basis that we have agreed
upon by consensus. We may even post some of them here. It’s a group
thang, and I’m all about the group. I’m very good about adjusting to the
tempo/experience/other of the group I’m with. In return, I ask that those
playing in my group keep an open mind about the game and my style, which
is pretty standard. I mix plenty of action with role playing, problem
solving, and character history focus to involve everyone
equally in the game.
The
player is an odd beast. The player can be fun, dull, smart, stupid, cool,
an asshole, and a myriad of other descriptions. But I love them all.
Really, I do. It’s been rare when I found myself completely unable to deal
with a person for any reason. I like people who are involved in the game.
Some are completely involved in all phases. Others sit back until “the
killin’ starts,” and I respect that. Others only get that gleam
in their eye when a good role playing situation comes up. To each his/her
own.
Don’t
be intimidated by all this crap I’m throwing at you. I’m quite
flexible in allowing things. One thing you can depend upon is my consistency
in all things, especially when we all agree on something.
There are always exceptions to every rule, and I'm always open to talking
about them. What I need the most is for you to have fun and not be afraid
to talk to me if you have something on your mind. I hate to see players
stew at me when a 2-minute discussion to
clear the air would have smoothed some ruffled feathers. In return, I’ll
strive to be prepared each week with a dynamic adventure tailored to the
group in the hopes that you'll want to be here each week.