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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Jan 2017 : 20:32:31
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Heya all,
So one of my players from this email game asked me to bring this back even though we last played this campaign ten years ago, or there about. The campaign is based around a small mercenary company (The Red Shields) and the squad that is part of them (The Companions of the Silver Wyrm.) That squad is always the newbie squad where a lot of the new recruits are assigned, giving them a chance to learn and gain experience.
As for what I need, I'm looking for another two to four players to fill out the two were part of the original game. I don't mind if someone wants to play more than one character. The campaign itself is set in 1375 and the headquarters is west of Phlan and on the northern part of the Moonsea.
I may bring in a story line where the companions also journey to the pathfinder setting because I stored almost all my FR material in a storage area a few years ago but I could go retrieve it if needed. However, the idea to move to PF also isn't something that I've fully decided yet, it depends on what the players want as well.
As for rules, they're 3/3.5/pathfinder. Starting level will be level 3 since I last ended that campaign with the characters being level 2. It'll give everyone from the old campaign a chance to level up a level.
Also, if any of the old players want to return, I do have your character sheets and all the old info that you sent me. I dug out my flash drive and found the files, so you're more than welcome to return if you so choose.
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 19 Jan 2017 20:43:37
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2017 : 03:26:05
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This sounds interesting; I'm busy with all sorts of projects and RW headaches ATM, though - how often do we need to do our turns?
I like Golarion and am familiar with it as well - you should make the 'McGuffin' Babba's Yaga's Hut, since she is canon to both settings (at least her hut is, and it IS known to do a little world-hopping). They even tied her Rasputin and Earth (which I am sure you know, if you've been doing the PF thing), so maybe swing-by Ed Greenwood's house on the way to Paizoland. 
I can just picture ED: "Don't mind that strange noise from the closet, I have Rasputin tied up in there... DON'T ASK..." 
As for running The Realms without your FR stuff, there are plenty of resources online - I'm sure you can 'wing it'. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 20 Jan 2017 03:26:53 |
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Shadowsoul
Senior Scribe
Ireland
705 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2017 : 06:59:45
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| I'm interested though I've never played by email before. |
“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don't we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we're partisans of liberty, then it's our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!”
#8213; J.R.R. Tolkien
*I endorse everything Dark Wizard says*. |
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Gary Dallison
Great Reader
United Kingdom
6361 Posts |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2017 : 14:52:07
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Well, my time is a lot more busy than it was ten years ago so I'd probably say I'd get my post out once or twice a week compared to what I did all those years ago, which was update every other day and then do a combined post on the weekend.
But that also depends on the players because we're all busy now. I'd at least like one post a week from players, which I don't think is unreasonable.
I'd probably also go dig out my crates of FR material from the storage area, if I really need to do so if people want to stick with FR only. :)
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
This sounds interesting; I'm busy with all sorts of projects and RW headaches ATM, though - how often do we need to do our turns?
As for running The Realms without your FR stuff, there are plenty of resources online - I'm sure you can 'wing it'.
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2017 : 14:53:38
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Ah, it's not really that hard. I tend to give some instructions when the campaign starts on how I prefer getting posts. However, I usually take peoples posts and turn them into a "story" post, which you could see from this old thread here.
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5510&SearchTerms=red,shields
quote:
Originally posted by Shadowsoul
I'm interested though I've never played by email before.
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2017 : 15:39:57
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And since it's been awhile, I dug up my house rules from my old threads.
Okay here's my short, very short, list of 3/3.5e mechanic changes.
1) All knowledge and profession skills are class skills for every class. The profession and craft skills have been combined into one skill but use the Wisdom stat for figuring out the skill roll, bonuses, etc.
2) For those that have the Healing skill it also heals (if the check is made) 1d3 damage. If you have herbalism also gives a +1 to that 1d3. (Old rule for 2E, not really sure why they removed that, d3 hps isn’t that unbalanced).
3) If you want a spell, skill, prestige class, etc (prestige classes we would have to talk about though. I tend to be a stickler on prestige classes and feel they are over used but if it's some thing someone is interested in I will work it into the game as a roleplaying opportunity). Let me know what book it is in and if I have the book I’ll look it over, if I don’t have the book then I’ll ask for the info.
4) Character generation is 4d6 drop the lowest and then arrange stats to taste. For HP’s either use half the die # (so for example, for a barbarian it would be 6 + Con modifier) or roll a d12 + Con modifier and keep the number that you rolled. The regional feat is a free bonus feat but this is only from the feats from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, not the Player’s Guide. All alignments are open unless the players decide to restrict different alignments. Please include a seventh stat that is for Comeliness, which is basically appearance. Also, please send me a full list of nonmagical items that you purchased. I don’t want to see a character that has no clothing, rations, etc. I know, why does it matter? It does to me, trust me. :)
5) Also I tend not to worry too much about alignments, as long as some one supplies a good enough background, description, and info on their character then an alignment won’t really be needed unless the player is playing an evil character but even then, sometimes there are different backgrounds on why the character is evil.
6) If you multiclass, then the class skills stay class skills for both classes. I.E. a fighter/wizard has class skills for both classes, instead of having them be cross class. Mostly this just makes it easier to put points into a class skill instead of the half points for cross class.
And campaign setting changes that happened in past campaigns, at least the ones that I remember:
Forgotten Realms house rules are below (Some of these will not be known by some characters depending on where the PC’s are from):
1) The Time of Troubles never happened in my version of FR. So that means that Bane, Bhaal, Myrkul, Mystra and the few other gods who died during or after the Time of Troubles never did, and the three mortals who became gods never did either. Old Moldy is dead though.
3) Also I still use the Multiverse for the default realms planar alignments and cosmotology, since there is not much info on the new realms planes, and I've always been a fan of Planescape. I don’t use the 3/3.5e FR map either because I don’t care that some of the map was did away with and many places that were founded in 2e will have to be moved if I used the new maps, so I don’t bother with the new maps.
4) Cormyr was never attacked by its ancient evils. However, an old PC, named Fletcher, married Alusair and they are now the King and Queen. Azoun and his wife stepped down and retired from the Court. Tanalasta also is still alive because of this, and the new king and queen have children, but they are still toddlers, except for the eldest daughter who is an adult.
5) I also haven’t added the return of Shade and the Silence of Lolth in my games. So Evereska is not a ruin, but some thing has destroyed Tilverton. The silence of Lloth never happened and then neither has the Lady Penitent events. Rage of Dragons has been mentioned but it wasn’t as destructive as the WOTC version. The Sembia events have been scrapped as well, so Sembia isn’t having a civil war. Nor has the Last Mythal events happened, so Myth Drannor is still a ruin even though parts of it have been rebuilt and elves have settled back into Myth Drannor due to a table top game. Basically, anything that WOTC has destroyed, ignore it because it won’t take place in my FR. Nothing for 4e or later happened in my setting either.
6) There is also an elven town, called Culcandil Keep, on the northern border that was once Cormyr where an ancient elven artifact, the Tree of Souls, has been planted. That land was succeeded to the elven people when the new King was crowned, since the builder of the elven city is a friend and party member of the new king.
7) There is also another city to in the North called Sylverstar Keep and it is also connected to Silverymoon by paved roads. It’s north and a little west of the High Forest. They also have a port, named Port Sylverstar, that is further west of the main town and a paved road connects the two together. The rulers are a small band that are made up of a female winged elf, a male sun elf, a male human, a female catfolk, who is the apprentice to the winged elf witch. A elder winged elf who is the mother of the younger winged elf witch. The town has many temples/shrines dedicated to the Faerun pantheon, the elven pantheon, and a large temple of Eilistraee and her daughter.
8) Fallendale is a small hamlet between Sylverstar Keep and the High Forest. It was founded around 1373 or 1374 and the rulers of the hamlet have ties to Sylverstar Keep. Mostly it is a hamlet that is built around a temple of lust. There is a smaller temple of Lliira within the hamlet.
9) The fortified hamlet of an offshoot of the Red Shields Mercenary Company has been built between Phlan and Zhentil Keep on the Moonsea. The leader of the Merc Company, Aurythe of the Red Knight, leads her troops with skill and they have fought off attacks many times. In 1375 the hamlet is still standing and flourishing. One of the Company’s of the merc’s is named the Companions of the Silver Wyrms and it seems that all new recruits are assigned to this company as a proving ground but the core of the company has stayed together. They were last seen in village that is north by northeast of Shadowdale.
10) I’ve added some deities to my setting since I’ve DM’d in the Realms for over a decade. One is Eilistraee’s drow daughter, and she stays with her mother and her name is Rhylea'riylene. Her portfolios are the Stars and Witches (She was made in 2e, when there was a witch class.) She is TN and her followers are TN to LG. When I created her Eilistraee had no male divine casters and so her daughter opened her faithful to them, which means Eilistraee’s divine casters are still female only. The other deity is Mara'athenfi Vannabael. She is a demipower who lives on Faerun and her only portfolio is Rangers. She is Solonor’s child and part of the Seldarine. Mara is CG and her followers have the alignments as the followers of Solonor. There are two demonic deities that have small cults across different parts of Faerun and the planes. They planar sages say that they co-rule the 500th layer of the Abyss but no planar sages have stayed there long enough to know if this is truth or fiction. All that is currently known is their names, which are Yltvetuis and Shyaelsindra.
11) Star elves from Unapproachable East sourcebook do not exist, and wild elves don’t either. Wild elves are still the wood elves of 1e and 2e, so any one wanting to play a wild elf would use the stats for wood elves and the wood elf’s description. None of the grey or blue-black skin tones listed in Underdark for drow exist either, drow are ebony and always will be.
12) Also, I don’t use the 1-step rule for divine casters. I use the old rules from 2e for followers and divine casters, which are in the 2e deity trilogy. I can supply this info if anyone doesn’t have those sourcebooks.
13) A group of Harper, and Harper allies, are based in Berdusk. (This was another email game that was started here on Candlekeep. I don't know where my files for this campaign are.)
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 20 Jan 2017 15:43:33 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jan 2017 : 04:35:09
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Once a week sounds doable. I'm in. I just got to make a character (possibly based on a very much unloved DMPC I tried to get away with once). Oh, that reminds me (if I do run that guy) - did the Tuigan war happen?
Is this Pathfinder rules? I'll have to brush-up on my 3e/3p. Haven't ran one in a very long time (and have NEVER gotten to be a player in a 3e game). I actually have the PF rulebook, so that would be easier for me than trying to do straight 3e (those books burned, sadly). I have pdf's, but its just not the same.
If Tanalasta is older, how did you explain Alusair taking the throne?
No Shades, but Tilverton still got blowded-up? Interesting...
I see you've had a plethora of unusual, non-human characters. I want to be a Koboldborn (just kidding).  |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jan 2017 : 05:10:43
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I can't recall that far back from that old campaign if the tuigan happened or not. So.... uh.... yea... I'm going to say probably not. :)
As for rules, ya can use PF rules if you really need to do so. The original PC's were made with 3/3.5 but core pathfinder rules shouldn't be that much of a problem/difference...
Cause I decided she got married to a PC from a old campaign (it was freaking 2e campaign) and at that time a lot of the future cormyr lore hadn't taken place yet. And it was DM's choice, so yea. Him and her rule. :)
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Once a week sounds doable. I'm in. I just got to make a character (possibly based on a very much unloved DMPC I tried to get away with once). Oh, that reminds me (if I do run that guy) - did the Tuigan war happen?
Is this Pathfinder rules? I'll have to brush-up on my 3e/3p. Haven't ran one in a very long time (and have NEVER gotten to be a player in a 3e game). I actually have the PF rulebook, so that would be easier for me than trying to do straight 3e (those books burned, sadly). I have pdf's, but its just not the same.
If Tanalasta is older, how did you explain Alusair taking the throne?
No Shades, but Tilverton still got blowded-up? Interesting...
I see you've had a plethora of unusual, non-human characters. I want to be a Koboldborn (just kidding).
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For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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The Red Shields PBEM (10 years later!)
