Campaign, Chargen, and Houserules (Start Here)

[sirpercival]

Campaign Info

This is a somewhat freeform campaign, based around the High Arcana Games.  To join, you simply need to be recruited into a team, or form your own.

Each team is 4-6 members.  Teams which are undermanned (due to death or low initial membership) can register new members.  If players leave for an extended period of time, it is assumed their PCs have been killed; if they later return, the team or sponsor can pay to have them resurrected.

To form or recruit a new team, post a new team thread in the campaign forum and add "[Recruiting]" to the subject (remove it when you're full up).  Players will post their character sheets in the team thread.  Once you're ready to register the team, PM sirpercival to that effect.

To join an existing team, PM the team members asking if they have any openings.  If you can't find an open team, post a description of your character (or, if you don't have a character idea yet, post something about yourself) in the Willing Recruits thread.  Once you've been recruited, make a note of it in your post so that other teams don't come calling.

To find new members for your team, look through the Willing Recruits thread for players and PM anyone you're interested in.

[sirpercival]

Chargen Guidelines

• Starting Level: 6
  
• Stat generation: array.  10 12 14 16 16 18
  
• Wealth: By level.
  
• Hit points: Max.
  
• Allowed sources: All WotC 3.5; 3.0 with permission; Dragon Mag allowed, but please give source; homebrew with permission.
  
• Languages: Everyone receives Infernal as a bonus language.
  
• Alignment: No evil, except with permission (depends on why -- alignment restrictions likely to be refluffed).  Must play well with others.  Note that alignment change is easily doable via the Brotherhood of Redemption.
  
• LA Buyoff: No.  Instead, use oslecamo's monster classes (see below under pre-approved homebrew).
  
• Flaws/Traits: 2 flaws 1 trait, SRD only.
  
• Fractional BAB & Saves
  
• Pregame crafting: Comes out of WBL, at the rate of 1xp = 5gp.
  
• Special: Every character must choose an affiliation from the affiliations thread.  Affiliation score is determined from crunch only, flavor bonuses must be earned in-game.
  
• Optimization level: High.  No TO, but this is a bloodthirsty tournament run by a LE/NE government.  You'll want to be damn effective at whatever you do.
  

Note: see Setting Info for more information on religion and magic in the Imperium.

[sirpercival]

Houserules

General

• Whenever there is an effect based on one-half of an ability modifier (when the modifier is odd), round down if you have an even ability score, and up if you have an odd ability score.  This grants a very minor benefit to having odd ability scores, and makes things scale more smoothly.  For example, a character with a 20 or 21 Strength wielding a greatsword would do either 2d6+7 or 2d6+8 damage, respectively.
• The number of iterative attacks is determined as normal, but all extra iterative attacks are treated similarly to secondary natural attacks (max penalty of -5, and reduced by Multistrike and Improved Multistrike), though with full Strength bonus to damage as normal.
  
• Feinting in combat is a move action.
• You can Power Attack with light weapons.
• Since everyone and their mom wants it, the Magic-Blooded template can be applied to whatever base race/monster you like.
• Leadership & other methods of gaining cohorts are allowed.  Cohorts have the elite array and no flaws/traits.

Skills

• Use Rich Burlew's Diplomacy, spoilered below via OGL for convenience.
  
• Cross-class skill ranks cost 1:1, with the normal caps.

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Diplomacy (Cha)

Use this skill to ask the local baron for assistance, to convince a band of thugs not to attack you, or to talk your way into someplace you aren't supposed to be.

Check: You can propose a trade or agreement to another creature with your words; a Diplomacy check can then persuade them that accepting it is a good idea. Either side of the deal may involve physical goods, money, services, promises, or abstract concepts like "satisfaction." The DC for the Diplomacy check is based on three factors: who the target is, the relationship between the target and the character making the check, and the risk vs. reward factor of the deal proposed.

The Target: The base DC for any Diplomacy check is equal to the 15 + level of the highest-level character in the group that you are trying to influence + the Wisdom modifier of the character in the group with the highest Wisdom. High-level characters are more committed to their views and are less likely to be swayed; high Wisdom characters are more likely to perceive the speaker's real motives and aims. By applying the highest modifiers in any group, a powerful king (for example) might gain benefit from a very wise advisor who listens in court and counsels him accordingly. For this purpose, a number of characters is only a "group" if they are committed to all following the same course of action. Either one NPC is in charge, or they agree to act by consensus. If each member is going to make up their mind on their own, roll separate Diplomacy checks against each.

The Relationship: Whether they love, hate, or have never met each other, the relationship between two people always influences any request.

-10	Intimate: Someone who with whom you have an implicit trust. Example: A lover or spouse.
-7	Friend: Someone with whom you have a regularly positive personal relationship. Example: A long-time buddy or a sibling.
-5	Ally: Someone on the same team, but with whom you have no personal relationship. Example: A cleric of the same religion or a knight serving the same king.
-2	Acquaintance (Positive): Someone you have met several times with no particularly negative experiences. Example: The blacksmith that buys your looted equipment regularly.
+0	Just Met: No relationship whatsoever. Example: A guard at a castle or a traveler on a road.
+2	Acquaintance (Negative): Someone you have met several times with no particularly positive experiences. Example: A town guard that has arrested you for drunkenness once or twice.
+5	Enemy: Someone on an opposed team, with whom you have no personal relationship. Example: A cleric of a philosophically-opposed religion or an orc bandit who is robbing you.
+7	Personal Foe: Someone with whom you have a regularly antagonistic personal relationship. Example: An evil warlord whom you are attempting to thwart, or a bounty hunter who is tracking you down for your crimes.
+10	Nemesis: Someone who has sworn to do you, personally, harm. Example: The brother of a man you murdered in cold blood.

Risk vs. Reward Judgement: The amount of personal benefit must always be weighed against the potential risks for any deal proposed. It is important to remember to consider this adjustment from the point of view of the NPC themselves and what they might value; while 10 gp might be chump change to an adventurer, it may represent several months' earnings for a poor farmer. Likewise, a heroic paladin is unlikely to be persuaded from his tenets for any amount of gold, though he might be convinced that a greater good is served by the proposed deal. When dealing with multiple people at once, always consider the benefits to the person who is in clear command, if any hierarchy exists within the group.

-10	Fantastic: The reward for accepting the deal is very worthwhile, and the risk is either acceptable or extremely unlikely. The best-case scenario is a virtual guarantee. Example: An offer to pay a lot of gold for something of no value to the subject, such as information that is not a secret.
-5	Favorable: The reward is good, and the risk is tolerable. If all goes according to plan, the deal will end up benefiting the subject. Example: A request to aid the party in battle against a weak goblin tribe in return for a cut of the money and first pick of the magic items.
+0	Even: The reward and risk are more or less even, or the deal involves neither reward nor risk. Example: A request for directions to someplace that is not a secret.
+5	Unfavorable: The reward is not enough compared to the risk involved; even if all goes according to plan, chances are it will end up badly for the subject. Example: A request to free a prisoner the subject is guarding (for which he or she will probably be fired) in return for a small amount of money.
+10	Horrible: There is no conceivable way the proposed plan could end up with the subject ahead, or the worst-case scenario is guaranteed to occur. Example: A offer to trade a bit of dirty string for a castle.

Success or Failure: If the Diplomacy check beats the DC, the subject accepts the proposal, with no changes or with minor (mostly idiosyncratic) changes. If the check fails by 5 or less, the subject does not accept the deal but may, at the DM's option, present a counter-offer that would push the deal up one place on the risk-vs.-reward list. For example, a counter-offer might make an Even deal Favorable for the subject. The character who made the Diplomacy check can simply accept the counter-offer, if they choose; no further check will be required. If the check fails by 10 or more, the Diplomacy is over; the subject will entertain no further deals, and may become hostile or take other steps to end the conversation.

Action: Making a request or proposing a deal generally requires at least 1 full minute. In many situations, this time requirement may greatly increase.

Try Again: If you alter the parameters of the deal you are proposing, you may try to convince the subject that this new deal is even better than the last one. This is essentially how people haggle. As long as you never roll 10 or less than the DC on your Diplomacy check, you can continue to offer deals.

Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Bluff, you get a +2 synergy bonus to Diplomacy. No other skill provides a synergy bonus to Diplomacy.

Feats

• Toughness now grants the effect of Improved Toughness.  There is no Improved Toughness.
• Weapon Focus grants the benefit of WS at 4HD, GWF at 8HD, and GWS at 12HD.  All three of those feats no longer exist.
• Two Weapon Fighting grants you a number of offhand attacks equal to the number of main hand attacks you are entitled to, and does not impose additional to hit penalties for a one handed weapon in the off hand.  ITWF and GTWF therefore do not exist.
• Two Weapon Defense provides a Competence bonus to AC equal to the number of mainhand attacks you can make derived from BAB (i.e., +2 at BAB +6, etc.).
• Point Blank Shot grants +Dexmod to damage w/in 30 feet with ranged attacks, and you don't provoke AoOs for firing in melee.
• Improved Feint lets you feint as a swift action.
• All three of the feats that give +2 to a save still do, except that if your base save bonus of that type is at least +6 you also no longer auto fail saves of that type on a natural 1. You must still actually roll high enough to save normally.
• The prereq for Steadfast Determination can be met by any of Endurance, Iron Will, or Great Fortitude.
• Devotion feats grant an additional use for every 5HD.
• Weapon Finesse now requires Dex 15+ instead of BAB +1, and grants Dex-to-damage as well (stacks with Shadow Blade where applicable).
• Able Learner lets you designate Int mod skills (min 1) as forever class skills.
• Dodge and Mobility have been combined, and Dodge now grants you HD/3 (min 1) as a dodge bonus against all attacks. Mobility doesn't exist, and anything which had Mobility as a prereq no longer does.
• IUS and its chain are updated to dman11235 here.
• Extra Readied Manuever is now more widely applicable.

Equipment

• Spending gold for enhancement bonuses sucks. So, let's not.  Instead, you can enchant a masterwork weapon, armor, or shield directly with properties, instead of needing a +1 enhancement bonus first.  Each property grants an enhancement bonus to the item equal to the plus of the property.  For example, a keen flaming longsword functions as +3 (+2 from keen and +1 from flaming), and a ghost ward shield has a +1 enhancement bonus.  The maximum total bonus on equipment is still +10, meaning you can get up to a +10 enhancement bonus.

Base Classes

• Paladin, Ranger, and Hexblade gain the casting progression of a Duskblade, with CL = class level.  5th-level spell lists:
  • Ranger -- awaken, baleful polymorph, cure critical wounds, control winds, summon nature's ally V, and wall of thorns.
  • Paladin -- blade barrier, cure critical wounds, flame strike, hold monster, righteous might, and spell resistance.
  • Hexblade -- death ward, dominate person, feeblemind, hold monster, magic jar, and nightmare.
• Paladin -- casting is Cha-based; smite evil progression is per encounter, not per day, and counts for the entire round.
  
• Ranger -- gain animal companion at level 1, with effective druid level = ranger level.
  
• Hexblade -- curse is 3+Cha per day; at each level where uses per day would have increased, instead quicken 1 hexblade spell.  Know all hexblade spells of appropriate level (like paladin or ranger); add scare to spell list at level 2.
  
• Warlock -- eldritch blast is a (Su), not subject to SR, and does 1d6 per 2 levels rounded up.  Also, you get 1 blast shape or eldritch essence every 3rd level (3,6,9,etc).  EB still counts as an SLA for feat purposes (e.g., Quicken SLA).
  
• Warmage -- warmage edge applies Int bonus * spell level extra damage; also, warmages can apply their full CL to warmage spells, ignoring level caps.
  
• Soulknife -- full BAB.  Psychic strike is a swift action, and progression is every 2 levels (not 4).  +X mind blade and mind blade enhancement +X combine together to provide +X worth of special abilities or enhancement bonus.
  
• Fighter -- at odd levels gain one ability from list below (meeting prereqs), or an ability from Dragon Magazine #310 (fighter variants).
  
• Monk --  Use dman11235's fix.
  
• Barbarian -- rage 1/encounter; rage grants +2 Str at 1st+every 4 levels, and +1 attack at 3rd+every 4 levels.
  
• Ninja -- use AfterCrescent's Ninja.
  
• Knight -- gain Crusader maneuver progression (Iron Heart, Stone Dragon, White Raven) and a special mount like a paladin (at level 5).
  
• Shujenga -- gain an elementally-appropriate Reserve Feat at 1st level; get a divine version of Advanced Learning every 3 levels.
  
• Swashbuckler -- grace also applies to init; gain sneak attack at 2nd+every 3 levels; at 4th, gain Int bonus to AC; at 6th, successful feint allows crits & precision damage to normally immune targets.
  
• Rogue -- weapon finesse as bonus at level 1; int to ac at level 6; bonus hp based on dex, not con, for rogue levels only.
  
• Samurai -- imperious command as bonus feat, iaijutsu focus as class skill (and 4 skill points), zhentarim fighter benefits at 4, 9, 13.
  
• Spellthief -- trickster variant, keeps sneak attack.
  
• Dragon Shaman -- VennDygrem's Dragon Shaman fix.
  
• Wilder -- learns an additional power per level.
  
• Divine Mind and Marshal -- Use Garryl's fix.
  
• Soulborn -- gains 1 soulmeld at 1st, +1/4 levels; gains 1 essentia per 2 levels; gains chakra binds 3 levels earlier; smite anyone 1/encounter and lasts for entire round (against single opponent).
  
• Factotum -- gain 1 inspiration point per [Inspiration] feat.
  
• Shadowcaster -- use my fix.
  

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• Airborne Strike (RoW 159), min level 3.
• Aligned Strike (CC 48), min level 1.
• Armor of God (CC 48), min level 1.
• Armored Mage (CM 32), min level 1.
• Aura of Stability (PlH 32), min level 13.
• Axe Focus (RoS 147), min level 1.
• Battle Hardened (RoE 130), min level 1.
• Blade Focus (RoD 157), min level 1.
• Body as Weapon (RoE 130), min level 5, all natural weapons.
• Bonus Warforged Feat (RoE 130), min level 3, must be warforged.
• Combat Dancing (CV 38), min level 7.
• Confusing Banter (RoD 158), min level 7.
• Constitution Boost (RotD 108), min level 3.
• Counterattack (PHB2 45), min level 11.
• Dancing Feint (CV 38), min level 3.
• Dragonscale Husk (DrM 12), min level 1, must be Dragonblood.
• Dungeoncrasher I (DS 10), min level 3.
• Dungeoncrasher II (DS 10), min level 7.
• Elusive Attack (PHB2 44), min level 5.
• Encumbered Flight (RoW 162), min level 1, must have glide or flight.
• Extended Intimidation (CVWE), min level 5.
• Fast Flight (RoW 159), min level 9, must have flight.
• Heavy Armor Expertise (RoS 147), min level 7.
• Favored Enemy: Yochlols (CV 38), min level 5.
• Hit-and-Run Tactics (DotU 58), min level 1.
• Main-Gauche (RoD 157), min level 3.
• Overpowering Attack (PHB2 45), min level 15.
• Planar Study (PlH 32), min level 5.
• Racial Foes (RoS 147), min level 3.
• Resolute (CC 48), min level 3.
• Skill Focus: Intimidate (CVWE), min level 3.
• Sneak Attack +2d6, min level 3, increases by +1d6 every 3 levels.
• Spear Focus (RotD 108), min level 1.
• Strength Boost (RotD 108), min level 5.
• Swift Demoralization (CVWE), min level 9.

[sirpercival]

Pre-Approved Homebrew

Homebrew from sirpercival:

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Nullblade
Warpsoul
Factotum options (and links therein)
Soulfused Transcendant
Valorous Lieutenant
Primal Soul
Heroes of Hyrule
Ritual System
Sublime Rogue

Homebrew from DonQuixote:

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The Spellshaping Codices
Dementist
Jester

Homebrew from oslecamo:

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Improved Monster Classes
Touhou Battle Grimoire

Homebrew from TheDementedOne:

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Thaumaturge
Avatar
All martial disciplines

Homebrew from TravelLog:

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Kensei of the Five Rings
Dovahkiin
The Arbiter
The Penitent Blade

Homebrew from Garryl:

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Mage
Initiate of the Sublime Void

Residuum
Nord's Blade
Planetouched Templates
Sniper
Blue Mage
ErrantX's Libram of Battle disciplines
SorO's Blue Mage
War-Frenzy
Warrior-Poet

[sirpercival]

Setting-Specific Houserules

(Reproduced from the Imperium thread.)

ARCANE MAGIC IN GRATIS

• Every arcane spell cast within Gratis (and other lands under the sway of the Imperium) requires an additional focus component, which is handed out under licensing by the Magi.  Each focus is attuned to a particular individual, so there's no black market for these things (it's done in a ritual by one of the Elder Magi).
• It is possible to cast a spell without using the focus, by channeling the raw spell energy.  However, to do so you have to make a caster level check at a DC of 10 + 3 times the spell level.  If you fail the check, you still cast the spell, but at -2 CL; you also take 2d4 points of damage per spell level.
• Whether or not you use the focus, you can try to channel MORE spell energy into a spell than the minimum.  This works sort of like the Overchannel feat in psionics.  You can voluntarily take Xd8 of damage, to gain one of the following effects: (i) +X DC for the spell; (ii) +Xd6 damage of the appropriate type for the spell (this is independent of caps); (iii) +2X to the spell penetration roll to defeat SR. This damage is not reduced by DR or energy resistance.  X can be any positive integer up to 1/2 your HD.

Channeling small amounts of spell energy without a focus is not terribly difficult, and so the Magi only give out licenses to casters who reach a certain degree of proficiency.  (They keep very strict watch on those who seem close to reaching such a degree, though they will often ignore less able arcanists.)  They induct the most skilled and talented into their own ranks, and rumor says that members of the Magi can use their talismans to achieve greater effects with their spells than those with a lesser license. It is theoretically possible (though extremely dangerous) to disguise one's spellcasting ability so as to evade the notice of the Magi.  Legend says that the bones of those who have tried and been caught are on display in a museum somewhere in the city.

RELIGION AND DIVINE MAGIC IN GRATIS

The day the Imperium was founded, the Dark God's followers (the Church) and allies (the Elder Magi) bound all other deities out of the Imperium's realm.  They couldn't remove their influence completely, but the in Dark God's demesne, other deities have very little power.  Anyone caught overtly worshipping a deity other than the Dark God, or participating in any other religion, is branded a Heretic and has their tongue pulled out.  This doesn't stop citizens of the Imperium from venerating their ancestral gods, but they do so in extreme secrecy and infrequence.  Everyone pays lip service to the Dark God, or at least holds their tongue out of expediency.

For clerics and others who cast divinely-inspired magic (excepting Druids, Rangers, and the like who venerate nature), the Dark God's agency is more explicit.  Those who worship the Dark God directly can cast as normal, subject to the usual roleplaying and alignment restrictions of worship.  For those who worship other deities, it becomes more complicated.

• All spells with the [Good] or [Chaotic] descriptors suffer a spell failure chance equal to 10% times the level of the spell.
• Domain spells prepared from domains which are not on the Dark God's list also suffer a spell failure chance equal to 10% times the level of the spell.  The exception to this is spells which also belong to one of the Dark God's domains; such spells are cast with a -2 penalty to caster level.
• All other non-domain spells which are granted by praying to other deities suffer a -2 penalty to caster level.
• At any time a divine caster who worships a different deity may ask the Dark God for divine sponsorship; if she does so, all caster level penalties are immediately removed, she loses access to any [Good], [Chaotic], and off-domain spells, and she gains a +2 morale bonus to caster level for 1 minute due to the euphoria of the Dark God's attention.  However, she cannot pray to her original deity for spells unless she receives the benefit of an atonement spell from a worshipper of her original deity of her level or higher.
  

THE DARK GOD

Greater God (Lawful Evil)
Ambition. Power. Control. Magic.  These are the purview of the Dark God, the otherwise nameless entity who controls the Church, and therefore the Imperium.  The Dark God's messenger, a coal-black Chronotyryn, speaks with his true voice to the Grand Council, handing down judgement and edicts that go beyond the jurisdiction of the Emperor.  Feared and revered, the Church of the Dark God works with brutal efficiency, while the Magi reap the benefits of the Dark God's arcane essence.
Worshipper Alignments: LN, TN, LE, NE, CE
Portfolio: Tyrrany, Fear, Magic
Domains: Domination, Evil, Inquisition, Law, Magic, Shadow, Spell, Tyranny
Cleric Training: Clerics of the Dark God are trained in regimented and brutal military-style academies.  Advancement is merit-based, though (in classic Lawful-Evil fashion) everyone must watch their back at all times.
Quests: The Dark God's followers aim to root out heretics and destroy their opposition at every turn.  There is much friction between the highly-structured Church and the entitled impulsiveness of the Magi.
Prayers: Every prayer ends with "as the Dark God wills", which has entered the common vernacular as a replacement for statements such as "with luck".  The Dark God is invoked in the name of ambition or discovery, especially in regards to magical insight (arcane or divine).
Temples: Temples to the Dark God come in all shapes and sizes, though they all have certain features in common -- 90° angles and equal-length sides, small windows and dark interiors, and large libraries.  Priests stay in military-style bunks.
Favored Weapon: Bastard sword or greataxe.
Holy Symbol: A pentagram surrounded by black flames.

[sirpercival]

The High Arcana Games

The High Arcana Games is a year-long tournament run by the Magi.  The Games open on the first day of the new year, and points are tallied on the 350th day of that year.  The results are announced the next day, followed by two weeks of feasting and recruiting for the next year's Games.

The structure of the tournament is very free-form.  Teams can register at any time, and often do as hopefuls flock to Gratis throughout the year to participate.  To register a team, a group of hopefuls need simply find a sponsor among the many Ancient or Venerable Magi.  Ancient Magi in particular jump at the chance to sponsor a team, because sponsoring a winning team is one of the few ways to be promoted to Venerable.

Once a team has registered, it attempts to complete missions assigned out by the Games Masters.  Each mission is assigned a point value based on its difficulty.  There are also ancillary points which can be accrued while carrying out the mission.

The official role of the sponsor is to provide guidance and support for the team, and to take responsibility for any collateral damage the team inflicts.  Unofficially, sponsors often take it upon themselves to try and help their team cheat, to bribe the Games Masters, and otherwise ensure their team's chances.

Team members who are killed can be raised or resurrected at cost by one of the Church officials enlisted by the Games Masters for that very purpose.  Depending on the usefulness of the team member, sponsors can sometimes be convinced to pay for such things.

The winning team at the end of the Games is immediately inducted into the Magi.  If any members of the team are arcane spellcasters, they are brought on as apprentices to the sponsor or any of his proteges; any other members become
personal aides or guards for the sponsor.  Such a posting is extremely prestigious, as even the mundane members of the Magi have essentially free reign of the city.

Code: [Select]

HIGH ARCANA ANCILLARY POINTS

Each member of another team killed                   +10
Each non-Citizen destroyed (monsters, ratmen, etc.)   +1
Each team member killed                               –5

Arcane Magic
As part of team sponsorship, any participant in the Games who wants to be licensed and given an arcane focus is granted temporary licensure for the purposes of the Games.  If that participant wins, it's made permanent; if not, the license expires after a year and the normal application process applies