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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Jul 2012 : 13:01:46
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Hi all. Well, Kuje recently had life overtake him and needed to stop running a play by post game he was running for some of us Keep regulars over on rpol, and I sort of volunteered to start another one. We'd need more players, however, so I'm posting here to see if there's anyone who might be interested in joining.
Some details:
* The game will be held over at rpol.net, since it's a relatively good site for managing games and I'm familiar with it. Dice rolls will be handled through Invisible Castle, as I don't like rpol's dice roller
* I'd like to have five players, maybe six. People should be able to post multiple times per week (I'd like every day, but then again, life gets in the way so I don't insist. But it needs to be more than once a week).
* ruleset will be 2e. It's pretty much open basket; if it was printed, I'm probably allowing it (ie: kits, characters from other settings). I have most if not all 2e books, so can help find things you might not have. I'm also fairly open to Dragon stuff, so if you have something you'd like to bring in, let me know and we can talk. I respond best to well-thought-out explanations.
* psionics will be the Complete Handbook variety, with additional powers from Dark Sun (ie: The Will and the Way).
* all of the specialty priests from the Godbook Trio are allowed; they advance using either cleric or druid XP tables at the players' choice.
* no racial level caps, though class restrictions will be enforced.
* starting level, like the things below, is flexible, though probably is going to be 5 or below.
Where I'd like some input is in what sort of campaign people would be interested in. There are some things I find interesting (ie: subsea adventuring in Seros) but other don't. Timeframe would likely be somewhere in the 1360's, but when exactly, and where, and doing what, are all open for debate. Would like you fighting Zhents in the Dales, exploring ruins in the Savage North, spelunking in Undermountain, swimming as the fishes under the sea, etc.
My private messages mailbox is mostly full, so if you're interested, respond here. I don't necessarily need an immediate character stub, though if you have a kind of character you like to play, that's fine to include. Right now I'm just judging interest, and what people would like to play.
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Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Dark Wizard
Senior Scribe
USA
830 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2012 : 05:56:22
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I'm game for this of course.
Personally, I've had the most fun running around the Realms doing fairly mainstream adventuring that may or may not escalate into something bigger, like start as sellswords and end up entwined in a conspiracy. Or the characters are at a festival and some disruption causes them to band together, resulting in one of my favorite characters. In one, the party had their own caravan company, but the economics of it were glossed over and handled off to the side. The antagonists were a rival company involved with even nastier sorts. One of my favorite scenarios is waking up a in an abandoned Underdark prisoner train with other slaves, our captors were killed by some unknown enemy.
Though I'm good for anything, even more exotic stuff like Underdark or Seros, never tried and underwater campaign actually, could be an interesting change of location.
I just need a brief evocative premise for setup and I can start thinking up a character.
Also, maybe this belongs in the Running the Realms or Adventuring sections of the forums? |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2012 : 06:47:53
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| Glad to see you're interested. And yeah, the thread might get moved, but this subsection gets the most eyes, so I figured I'd start it here. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Venger
Learned Scribe
USA
268 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2012 : 08:10:51
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| Why 2E? |
"Beware what you say when you speak of magic, wizard, or you shall see who has the greater power." |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2012 : 12:37:30
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| Because it's what I play, and because it's a simpler system to play and control than 3e. I don't have any experience with 4e, so that's out by default. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Aryalómë
Senior Scribe
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2012 : 20:31:50
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| I'm definitely interested! Please send me a PM or anything with more details :) |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2012 : 21:12:46
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Hoondatha, if you are considering a sub-aquatic campaign, I would direct you to Squidieval an extremely competent DM and master storyteller whom I have met and had the pleasure of playing with. He has been running undersea adventures for years. Aeo is THE man concerning the deep-seas and hags.
edit: link reproduced with implied consent. awaiting final approval. links can also be found at Enworld and GitP.
edit2: approved. check it out. |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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Edited by - Fellfire on 10 Jul 2012 04:03:21 |
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WalkerNinja
Senior Scribe
USA
575 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 03:05:15
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What sort of posting frequency would you be looking for?
To clarify: I'm a school teacher, so I can be pretty super-active over the summer, but my posting frequency would drop considerably during the school year. |
*** A Forgotten Realms Addict since 1990 ***
Treasures of the Past, a Second Edition Play-by-Post game for and by Candlekeep Sages--http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011 |
Edited by - WalkerNinja on 10 Jul 2012 03:09:32 |
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Thieran
Learned Scribe
Germany
293 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 11:26:37
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While I am not a particular fan of underwater campaigns, I quite like 'classic' locations like the Dales, the North, Waterdeep, the Moonsea region, Cormyr, Undermountain and the Underdark. I am also a big fan of the pantheon(s) of the Realms, so a story involving the gods would hold a big appeal for me.
The character choice would of course largely depend on the premise of the game, but I have always wanted to play a specialty priest of Labelas Enoreth... |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 12:51:43
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I'm not wedded to the Seros idea, that was just something I was tossing out there as an example of something that could be fun.
Walker, my main concern is that the game frequently not fall idle for several days while we wait for one player to respond, since that's one of the best ways I've seen to kill a game. On the other hand, I'm well aware that we all have real lives, and sometimes they are inconsiderate enough to interfere with our gaming. If you're interested, I'm sure we could work something out. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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WalkerNinja
Senior Scribe
USA
575 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 13:10:18
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Count me in.
In terms of what settings I'm interested in:
I fancy the concept of straddling Faerun-Maztica (i.e. traversing back and forth on various expeditions, which *could* lead to a sub-aquatic adventure)
The Vast is probably my least favorite place to be.
Cormyr would be good old-fashioned nostalgic fun.
I've never really adventured in the Western Heartlands but always wanted to. |
*** A Forgotten Realms Addict since 1990 ***
Treasures of the Past, a Second Edition Play-by-Post game for and by Candlekeep Sages--http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011 |
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Aryalómë
Senior Scribe
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 16:10:01
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For me, I'd like to visit some ancient Elven ruins, maybe traverse some planes, etc.
One thing that I'd like that we do is to not use the alignment system. For me, it doesn't allow my characters flexibility and limits the whole race/character in question.
Places I'd like to venture to: The Western Heartlands, The North, Evermeet, The Moonshae Isles, and possibly visit some of the surviving Netherese cities. Oh!! And let's not forget Cormanthor Forest. One place I'd really love to explore are ruins of Aryvandaar. |
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Thieran
Learned Scribe
Germany
293 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 16:56:43
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For me, it is exactly the opposite: without the alignment system, (A)D&D wouldn't be (A)D&D... I see its disadvantages, but it's an integral part of the game, and I very much like it (at least when playing [A]D&D). A matter of taste, I guess.
Elven ruins and planar travel sound great, though! |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 10 Jul 2012 : 21:53:38
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I do use the alignment system, because to me it's a very handy shorthand for how someone is going to behave in situations. Also because I use the Great Wheel, and alignment is inextricably bound to the Wheel. I'm not going to hammer you with it, though, and I accept the tendencies subset to alignment (ie: CN(G)).
So let's see: so far, we've got interest in some of the more traditional Realms places (North, Heartlands, Cormyr, Dalelands), with a bit of exotic thrown in (Underdark, various planes). Also a focus on ruins and history. So far, the only character concept suggested is a specialty priest of Labelas.
Put it all together and at the moment it looks sort of like a Realms version of Indiana Jones: a group of adventurers seeking out the lost past and returning it to their sponsors, or its rightful inheritors. What do you all think? |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Dark Wizard
Senior Scribe
USA
830 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 02:55:45
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| Sounds like the initial start of something. |
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WalkerNinja
Senior Scribe
USA
575 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 04:58:10
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| I like it. Fits the sort of character I had in mind too. |
*** A Forgotten Realms Addict since 1990 ***
Treasures of the Past, a Second Edition Play-by-Post game for and by Candlekeep Sages--http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011 |
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Aryalómë
Senior Scribe
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 12:53:09
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| Yes, it sounds very interesting. I plan on playing a Sunrise Elf sorcerer, so it should prove to be a lot of fun and create a lot of interest among the PCs. |
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Thieran
Learned Scribe
Germany
293 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 13:14:17
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Hmm, as far as I know, there are no sorcerers in AD&D 2E (the class is in the Baldur's Gate II computer game, though). But I might easily be mistaken.
And out of curiosity: are sunrise elves any different from sun elves, or is it just a different name for them? |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 13:34:15
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There aren't sorcerers in 2e, BGII excepted. But if Erendriel really wants to play one, I probably wouldn't have a problem with it, provided the backstory was good enough. Advance and gain secondary features (THAC0, proficiencies) as a wizard, but use the 3e tables for spells known and per day.
They'd be really, really, really rare, though. Probably no more than a dozen or so, generally from places with a high magical "background count." Since you're thinking gold elf, most elves would treat you like a wizard. The exception is Evereska, which hates sorcerers with a burning passion after one betrayed and nearly destroyed the city a few thousand years back. (Note this is my own homebrew to try and make sense of 3e's conflicting "no one cares if you're a sorcerer" and "Evereska hates them" memes.) |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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WalkerNinja
Senior Scribe
USA
575 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 13:52:23
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One thing I was thinking of--dungeon/ruin exploration can be a fairly dicey prospect in a PbP game since so much of it has to do with being able to see a map and knowing where you are in space. I've seen that kill a few games, though I also recently found a flash-based map-maker that has forum-functionality.
I was thinking:
Bard, Mage-Thief, or Ranger--Human for Ranger or Bard, half-elf for the multi-class only because humans can't multi-class in 2E. I normally don't play human, but as a DM I always hated it when my D&D games filled up with demi-humans in what is nominally supposed to be a human-dominant world.
My dark-horse choice would be Dwarf Thief. Mainly because I hate that dwarves never get to be anything other than Clerics or Fighters.
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*** A Forgotten Realms Addict since 1990 ***
Treasures of the Past, a Second Edition Play-by-Post game for and by Candlekeep Sages--http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011 |
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Jakuta Khan
Senior Scribe
496 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 14:12:03
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Hi hoondatha,
i would love to take part as well.
For 2e i would stick either to a hobgoblin fighter, neutral alignment sellsword, or a fairly blue eyed and hot tempered calishite young nobleknight.
Whatever is liked more.
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 14:50:22
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@ Walker. I understand the dungeon worries. I'm working to make it work. First, every character will have a portrait, which I can shrink down and use as markers. For "traditional" dungeons, ie: with straight walls, I can whip up an excel spreadsheet with everyone's place as needed. For less traditional stuff, I'm looking at pulling maps from various places. In both cases I'll take screen shots and post them to Photobucket, so everyone can see where they are and what they can see.
@ Jakuta, welcome aboard. I'd like to avoid monstrous PC's, they tend to make life difficult, especially when we're going to have at least one and maybe two or more elves in the group. Either of your other two look promising, though.
And I don't mind if most or all of the group ends up as demihumans. Assuming that priest of Labelas actually gets created, you're probably going to be at least loosely associated with a Labelan temple, and they'd be more likely to trust demihumans than humans.
Short version: play what you're interested in, and we'll make it fit. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Thieran
Learned Scribe
Germany
293 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 15:06:45
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| As a priest of Labelas seems to fits in, I will definitely play one. |
Edited by - Thieran on 11 Jul 2012 16:38:06 |
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Aryalómë
Senior Scribe
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 16:28:16
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Ah,I see. I'm not too familiar with 2e's game mechanics (rather, lore), so I'll have to look it up somewhere (are there any good 2e character generators online?).
One thing I'm curious about is how all of our characters are going to come together. My Gold Elf, Nym Amilith, is usually (if not in Evermeet) in a place where there are a lot of Elves and a lot of magical things/practitioners. A normal place for him to be (on mainland Faerun) would be Silverymoon or Evereska. I must say, though, a Llewyrr Elf is very tempting to play as well.
Oh, and be careful when you say that if it was printed in 2e, it's okay. I could have chosen to play a Tulani Eladrin which would have pretty much destroyed anything in his way :P (They were printed in Warriors of Heaven). |
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Jakuta Khan
Senior Scribe
496 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 19:04:38
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@hoondatha, I do not want to be the one cuasing lots and lots of internal squabble.
elf and hobgoblin in group will simply not fit ;) at least unlikely to...
I will go for the blue eyed ( in a way of naive ) calishite Noble knight.
send me PM with details u want from char and off we go.
you want newly created chars? level equip etc etc.
oohh by the way: thanks for counting me in ;)
oohh, I also have an old really nice char, neutral aligned Wemic, with monstrous size and a slight addiciton / lure to drinking.... |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 20:21:33
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Warriors of Heaven, like Council of Wyrms, exists in its own setting, and you only get to play with those toys if you're in that setting. If you'd tried the eladrin, I would have slapped you down instantly. But I would have admired your chutzpah.
I'm putting together the game site at rpol, since as I mentioned my PM box here is a bit full, and now that we've got five interested players we might as well migrate over. Here's the link:
http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011
I'm hoping to have more specifics on character generation up in the next few hours.
Note, to anyone coming later, I'm open to having up to six PC's, so if you're a catching this a bit later, feel free to come on over and request to join. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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WalkerNinja
Senior Scribe
USA
575 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 20:28:52
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I think building the party around a ruin/dungeon/history sort of theme with a sun-elf magic-user and a Labelan priest gives us a very solid theme. I tend toward elves anyways.
Don't the Labelan specialty priests have something analogous to bardic knowledge? I seem to recall that for some reason. In any case, basing off of those two pillars it seems like either a bard or a mage-thief would be terribly redundant.
We've a prospective hobgoblin fighter in the mix, so the muscle end of things is secured as well.
I've two character concepts in mind, and it might be appropriate to blend them to some degree.
Concept 1: Elven Park Ranger
The Steve Erwin of Elven Ruins. Since ruins are out in the wilderness, and form their own sort of ecology, it seems appropriate that the academic team should have a canny guide that is familiar with the sites in their current state rather than their former state. Character would be a Moon Elf or Wood Elf ranger. Possibly a half-elf since I may want to dual class at some point.
Concept 2: Ancient Architect
A student of elven architecture and design that is interested in first-hand study of ancient sites in order to inspire his own designs and harvesting artifacts to add authenticity to his modern structures. Character would be a Thief. Elves don't seem to be too interested in new construction, so it would probably be a half-elf. Again that opens up the possibility of dual classing which could open up some access to magic at some point. Of course, I could multi-class Thief/Mage and put most of my exp in Thief for the time being. |
*** A Forgotten Realms Addict since 1990 ***
Treasures of the Past, a Second Edition Play-by-Post game for and by Candlekeep Sages--http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011 |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 21:49:37
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Whoops, we got people posting at the same time!
@Jakuta: I'd prefer the Calishite to the Wemic, to be honest. Easier to work into the story, and we don't have to worry too much about barding. I know over on rpol I said no starting warhorses, but based on the character backstory, I might break that rule for your guy.
@Walker: Nope, just checked; Labelan priests don't get a bardic knowledge ability. Their special abilities are more geared toward time spells. Also, dual-classing is humans only, and multi-classing is both from first level and splits XP evenly between the two classes.
That said, so far there hasn't been anyone speaking up to be a thief. And either of your two ideas look good.
@Everyone: Ok, I've got the character generation thread more or less set over on rpol (http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011). Please start heading over there, sign up for accounts if you don't have them, and request to join. I'm going to be out most of the night, so for convenience I'll post the chargen thread below. I'm sure I've left something out, so feel free to prompt me to fill in any holes.
Also, I just want to remind you that psionics is open. No, this isn't a veiled hint that I'm going to be sending mind flayers after you; it's just a system I enjoy using, and I'd feel bad throwing psionic foes against you if you didn't have anything to counter with. Not obligated, if you don't want to fine, just thought I'd nudge for those of you who haven't set your hearts on a character. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 21:52:07
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Ok, nuts and bolts time.
In no particular order:
General Info:
* ruleset will be 2e. With the exception of specialized settings [smirk], it's pretty much an open basket. If it was printed, I'm probably allowing it. I have most if not all 2e books, so can help find things you might not have. I'm also fairly open to Dragon stuff, so if you have something you'd like to bring in, let me know and we can talk. I respond best to well-thought-out explanations.
* kits are available to any class that is allowed to have them. Multi-class characters can probably have multiple kits, as long as they all fit the same theme. The sole exception here in the Complete Book of Priests. Want a non-standard cleric? Try a specialty priest.
* psionics will be the Complete Handbook variety, with additional powers from Dark Sun (ie: The Will and the Way).
* all of the specialty priests from the Godbook Trio are allowed; they advance using either cleric or druid XP tables at the players' choice.
* no racial level caps, though class restrictions will be enforced. Multi-classing and dual-classing allowed, per PHB.
* starting XP is 10,000 (level 4 on a single-classed wizard). Multi-class characters split XP evenly between all of their classes.
Dice rolling:
* I do not have confidence in rpol's dice roller. We will be using Invisible Castle for all dice rolls. (http://invisiblecastle.com/) Please register your character name and include a link to your rolls in your post.
Stat Generation:
* I like to have PC's be more on the heroic scale, so stat gen is either 3d6 x 12, take best 6, or 4d6 take highest 3 x 6, and arrange as desired. If you don't end up with at least one 15, reroll.
Hit points:
* Max at first level, then roll for the next three. Half or better (so minimum of 5, 4, 3, or 2 hp/level)
Proficiencies:
* We are using proficiencies, and you get extra slots as per your intelligence. Proficiencies and optional rules from the Complete books are also allowed.
* All characters start knowing Common, their racial language, if any, and one other language of the player's choice. I am not going to bother with difference human dialects, I think it's an unnecessary complication.
* All characters are automatically able to read and write any modern language they speak (the defaults at the beginning, and any others they may pick up using proficiency slots). This to me was one of the stupider aspects of the proficiency system. Reading/writing ancient languages, however, is a separate proficiency than speaking them.
Equipment:
* You're all moderately experienced adventurers, and you've had chances to pick over battlefields and tombs as victors. You can have, within reason, pretty much whatever non-magical equipment you want (ie: no plate mail), plus riding mount appropriate to your race. No war mounts, but you can have a pack mule or two, if you desire. Once we figure out where we're starting, we'll get around to accommodations.
* All characters also start with 1 standard healing potion, and 800 XP total of magical equipment of the player's choice, subject to DM approval. Bonuses on weapons or armor can't start above +1. And while I do own the Encyclopedia Magica, and expect I will be delving into it for rewards, let's not get too crazy right at the start.
Smokepowder:
* Does exist, but is mostly confined to Realmspace and the rest of Spelljammer. Not available at chargen. If you really want it, you can go looking for it.
Spells:
* I'm going to punt on the question of how many spells are in a wizard's spellbook to start, until and unless someone decides they want to play a conventional wizard. If that happens, we'll hash it out in private.
* For our sorcerer, use the table for spells known and spells per day in the 3.5 PHB. Spells have to be from 2e, but don't, necessarily, have to come from just the PHB. Nothing too exotic to start, though you can swap spells out as normal for a 3e sorcerer.
Sorcerer:
* Just so I can get this all down so everyone knows where we stand, a sorcerer in this game will use the 3.5e tables for spells known and spells per day, and will be able to swap out spells as 3.5 allows. Otherwise, they will be treated in all ways as a 2e mage in terms of weapons, proficiencies, hit dice, THAC0, etc. They will be able to make magical items at the same levels as a wizard, provided they can cast or can acquire scrolls of the appropriate spells |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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Dark Wizard
Senior Scribe
USA
830 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 23:10:22
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This is moving along swiftly.
To recap we tentatively (or definitely) have:
- Sun Elf Sorcerer
- Elf Priest of Labelas
- Calishite Noble Knight
- Elf or half-elf Ranger or Thief focused on architecture
Those cover most of the party roles. Any skills we want to shore up?
Some quick concepts I had before the party started emerging,
- Warrior type from Cormyr, Impiltur, or the Calimshan area. Either a sellsword or a swashbuckler, possibly a minor noble or disgraced noble, or failed paladin, or just sword swinging braggard. Most likely human, but might be able to shift this towards half-elf or elf if we go 'elvesclusive' or even dwarf if we want to mix it up.
- Ranger or wilderness oriented thief. Or possibly a barbarian type, maybe a wood elf, but probably human. I could roll up an elven archer as well.
- Psionicist, because I've never had any DM actively encourage them in 2nd ed outside of Dark Sun. Might be a chance too good to pass up. The character will likely be flavored as a "mind mage".
- Bladesinger. The Fighter/Mage (of any stripe) is one of my favorite combos and bladesinger is one of the most iconic versions. I miss the 2nd ed take on it. |
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WalkerNinja
Senior Scribe
USA
575 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 23:42:13
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That website is not sending an activation e-mail to me. I have tried two e-mails so far.
sooo eager to roll stats! |
*** A Forgotten Realms Addict since 1990 ***
Treasures of the Past, a Second Edition Play-by-Post game for and by Candlekeep Sages--http://www.rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=52011 |
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New Realms play-by-post game starting
