Roleplay and Sheet stats: I fully accept that flavour follows function. Whatever class you think helps your character you are free to add if you can meet the requirements. There will be no XP-penalties and no favoured classes.
Point-buy: I don't see the point in diminishing returns in D&D, where not very many things follow diminishing return mechanisms. As such, there will be a all 8 + 25pt point-buy, WITHOUT increases in cost per stat point. So getting an 18 will cost a flat 10 points. The
lowest allowable stat value is 6. The
lowest allowable intelligence is 8, unless you promise to really play out stupidity, or the character is a cohort. Monstrous characters use a different system, see below.
Age system: Every individual running about the realms will accrue XP automatically at around 1000pts per year of age after reaching adulthood, even if he never goes adventuring. Adventurers gain a lot more XP. Now unless there are severe complaints I would like to employ the same system for PCs: You get to CHOOSE your starting age, and hence, your starting level. As an example: Fred the town smith is forty years old, he has been working for 24 years. Hence he has accumulated 24000XP. [edit]He has reached level 7 in his NPC class (commoner).
Oddjob the Fighter has been a brothel bouncer for 30 years. He has reached Level 8 doing this rather boring job. (Still he might be a crack fighter.) Unfortunately his little town is attacked and nearly wiped out by an orc warband, so Oddjob has to find some new way of surviving for himself. Even though he's already starting to get a bit stiff in the joints he gathers his belongs, picks up his sword and starts adventuring. (This could be YOU.)[/edit]
However, there's a catch: All levels taken at start of the game were taken while NOT adventuring. You can have been a guard, a town wizard, a thief, whatever, but you have not been actually adventuring before the start of the game. That also means that you have not been accumulating as much wealth as an adventurer. Starting wealth will be one half of recommended wealth, freely distributable between items and gp/valuables. Remember to keep a small reserve of gold to cover initial expenses. I also expect a history for every character starting at an advanced age.
[edit]Age bonus is the only way to start adventuring above lvl 1. I recommend start ages of around 25-30, but it will really be your call. Since this is Pbp, group balance can be maintained differently than by strict level equivalence. It is entirely possible to have huge amounts of fun following a more powerful character reaping the rewards of his battles.
However, in order to benefit from an XP bonus due to low level you must have taken part in the fight, not just watched. I'm going to be handling the GM part of game balance, but I am going to leave group balance largely to the players. I am imposing an arbitrary maximum possible starting age of 61 years (for humans), hence about 45 years worth of XP, assuming near-adulthood at around 16. For non-humans I recommend just setting down the age categories and requesting a certain age. Possible the 1000xp per year won't fit everywhere, especially with immortals or very slow-aging races.
Generally lvl 10 is the maximum possible starting level for any character. There WILL be ups and downs to taking a high age from the start.
Age bonuses/penalties remain in place. Also, if you DO play a very inhuman race I expect you to ROLEPLAY your racial difference. I don't expect cliché, I expect creativity. An immortal, for instance, should somehow have a notable mindset. I do expect to see something of what your character thinks, his motivations, etc.
Races Anything from WOTC books, basically. LA is allowed, buyback will not be used. Some races will have their LA adapted upon request. Racial hit dice are seamlessly incorporated into the age system (i.e. your starting XP can go into racial HD). Max ECL 10, as stated above.
Monsters as PCs: You can play as a monster. (On whatever side you wish.)
I like monsters to keep their characteristics. They should be neither over the top, nor suddenly be average down to look like humans. So what I'm going to do if someone wants to play a monster is this (modified if necessary on a case by case basis):
Take the monster's CR, add 1, or 2 if it's an extraordinarily awesome monster (like an Erinyes, which puts them out of range as starting characters right now): That's your starting monstrous HD and ECL. If this produces a very sub-standard monster because the monster gets really low CR for it's HD, then do the following: Look at HD, CR and BAB and adjust the HD properties to give about the same BAB as the monster entry.
Take the Monster's stats, and either keep them as they are, or modify them by a NONELITE-array to more suit your desired class you'll add. Pay in mind that the lowest allowed stat is a 6. Int should ideally be at least 8, or I want to see the effects of stupidity in your roleplaying.
If your monster is chaotic evil, change that alignment to something that allows cooperative play.
Examples:
Succubus: ECL 9, 9 Outsider HD. (Might be cut down to 8, depending on how a final character looks.)
Troll: ECL 7, 7 Giant HD. I'm going with the giant HD here due to regeneration, which is really powerful in PC hands. But watch that int, ideally use Nonelite-array to increase Int.
Imp: ECL 3, 3 Outsider HD.
Quasit: ECL 3, 3 Outsider HD.
Ethergaunts are unfortunately out of reach at ECL 11 even for a red Ethergaunt.
Medusa: ECL 8, 8 Monstrous humanoid HD.
Young Red Dragon: ECL 9, 9 dragon HD. YES, I know dragons get iffy this way. Take the abilities of a young dragon, but modify numeric values as per the lower HD.
Juvenile Green Dragon: ECL 10.
Orthon Devil: ECL 10, 10 outsider HD.
I guess you know the drill by now. In all cases show me your stats with and without equipment. I might impart an arbitrary bonus or penalty on starting equipment for monstrous characters.
You may then advance your monster by Class level, but also by RHD, if you so desire, up to a max of ECL 10. This counts as aging, too, although the year count won't match the rest of the system.
Before anyone cries foul at this rule: Remember Polymorph is not forbidden. Pure physical stats are easily reproduced by polymorph.
Monstrous races with ECL entries are either handled the same as normal monsters, as long as this produces playable characters, OR They might get a few bonus points after their average monster entry, OR they might even get full point-buy, depending on the amount of benefits a race gives, balanced by its RHD.
Templates This is a bit of a mixed bag. Most templates won't give stat boosts significant enough to warrant reducing them to being played as monsters. Still, I give the option of changing the templates' LA into RHD if those are other than humanoid. However, as with the CR for monster characters calculation, depending on the template I would impose +0 to +3 RHD on top of the templates LA, depending on the impact the template will likely have.
Remember in PbP it's ALSO possible to have fun by NOT getting the cake. That's the superior role-playing aspect that's possible in high-prose PbP-games. However, if someone feels unsatisfied with the performance of his character in any ROLLplaying situation, he should speak to me about it. Ideally, WITH a few ideas of his own how to improve the character mechanically. Generally many options are possible. Minor restructuring or rebuilding, adding a template, getting a permanent PAO, etc.
Classes:Mostly all classes are allowed. There are some that I dislike because the writers must have been on crack when writing the class (like the Dweomerkeeper). If a class has a flavour prerequisite you can re-write the class to fit your flavour. (For example: The Thayan Knight could just as easily be an Elven High Mage Bodyguard. Or whatever, if you can make the function fit your flavour. You can also rewrite Alignment prerequisites. I would just like to see the brief rewrite.
Monster classes suck so hard that I'm just going to disallow them. If you want to play a monster just play the monster (the specific creature is subject to approval).
Fast-progression casting prestige classes are considered Epic. This includes every prestige class that grants 9th level spells within a 10 lvl progression starting at 1st level, such as the Ur-Priest or the Beholder Mage. Classes that are capped at 6th level spells over a 10 level progression are not included, such as the Chameleon. These fast progression casting classes all receive the additional prerequisite of being at least ECL 21.
Empty Levels are for MOOKS! Don't take too many empty levels (that only advance HD,BAB and Saves) Do somethign with them, replace them, or multiclass. Custom racial or whatever substitution-levels are possible, you can design them yourself, but talk to me about it. As a rule of thumb, at all times a character should not have more than one empty level.
Alignment and Mindset: I am distinguishing between Mindset and Alignment. Alignment is like a judgement of your actions. Mindset is what you actually think. You could be of lawful good alignment because you only ever do good, but actually be of lawful evil mindset - and just hide this fact by your actions. Alignment can be detected, mindset can only be found out by reading your thoughts, for instance. If you are cleric of a certain god you should try to harmonize mindset and alignment, because your god expects you to act in his name, and also just might find out your real thoughts. Possibly not all gods care about this.
[edit]PCs may choose all alignments and mindsets except chaotic evil. I regard chaotic evil as pretty much incapabale of functioning in a cooperative environment. Generally good alignments and evil alignments are at odds, but they MAY cooperate for whatever plausible reason they might find. (Like good PCs and devils working together to beat back a demon invasion.) [/edit]
Corruption, Taint, Depravity: These formalized evil aspects do not exist for the purpose of this campaign. Similarly, classes that require them are not accessible. Casting spells with the evil descriptor can only change your alignment if you do evil things with them. Corrupt spells exist but lose this descriptor. Corruption cost counts like a material component and cannot be circumvented.
The Undead: Not all undead are inherently evil. Non-intelligent undead are mostly of neutral mindset, except those that have been created with evil intent, for instance with a hunger for human flesh. Intelligent undead that keep features of their previous life (by adding a template) are usually of the same alignment and mindset as the living creature (for the purpose of this campaign these include
Necropolitans, Corpse and Bone creatures, Dread warriors, Liches, Demiliches, Mummies, and possibly some others I have forgotten). Some undead that specifically mention that they are holding grudges and hate the living are of course more likely evil (for example Ghasts, Ghouls, Bodaks, etc.)
Most Undead are always at risk of acting evilly because their ability to empathise with people and follow altruistic goals is very much reduced. They basically feel very little emotions - which usually includes the negatives like anger or hate. Of course, this is not all set in stone. If you wish to be or become undead you are free to play as you like, I only expect consistency.
Intelligent undead are considered to have their soul bound to an undead body. This process allows no refusal by the soul, and the soul can be dragged out of any number of places to put it in the body. If the soul has been destroyed then the undead can't be intelligent. If an intelligent undead has been rebuked it can be commanded to resist resurrection. It must be destroyed before it can be resurrected in that case.
Postive Energy/Negative EnergyDamage done to one = healing to the other in all cases, even when explicit rules state otherwise.
Leadership Is specifically allowed, with the EXCEPTION of a cascade with cohorts taking leadership, too. You do the paperwork, but I want to see character sheets for cohorts. When a cohort dies you should roleplay aquiring a new one. [Edit] Monstrous cohorts work by the rules I put up for playing monsters as PCs. Any cohort should match your alignment (but not necessarily mindset) and have a really good reason for following you around. Cohorts should be characters with their own personalities. They don't have to slavishy agree with every word their "master" says, and they might even flat out disagree with something. They follow you because of your qualities, because they see something special in you. They are not thralls.[/edit]
Minions and Hirelings, non-special mounts: Are allowed without much interference from me. Anything that has a character sheet is subject to approval. If it's just a pack animal or a mount you can buy for money or train you can handle it by yourself.
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Character management, inventory, purchasing items Basically I won't double check everything you do. Generally you can buy or craft/have crafted any item with a CL equal to or smaller than your character level without consulting with me, but you should write about your shopping spree.
Aquiring spell components may be roleplayed by you at your discretion. Some people enjoy this more than others. I won't hassle anyone over components or foci unless they are quite special. For example, the Hindsight(or was it?) spell requires a 1000+gp diamond shaped like an hour-glass. You should roleplay aquiring this diamond, and not expect every street vendor to sell one. I would expect at least one quality paragraph spent aquiring such a component. Body parts of creatures needed as requirements must be roleplayed unless they are easily available.
Training required to learn new class-features can be roleplayed. Spell research for spells granted by class features should be mentioned on an off between levels, but no great effort on part of the PLAYER is required. I assume the PC will make an effort, naturally.
Prereqs and Items, spell effects, etc.: You must meet the prereqs for any feat, skill or ability you wish to learn for at least your average 16 waking hours every day (as such, persistent spell effects work, as well as spells with a duration of at least 16 hours, as well as class abilities that can be made to last for 16 hours, like Wildshape). Any time you do not meet the prerequisites you cannot use that feat or ability.
Epic Levels: Epic levels are a normal part of this campaign world. As such epic characters exist, and depending on the time, it is theoretically possible to reach epic levels. However, due to the slowness of PbP, don't expect this. VERY FEW important NPCs MAY be epic level characters. I find the levels on many of the famous rulers to be a little low, so they might just get a few more. I won't be using many famous NPCs, but don't be surprised if you are confronted with an Aura check exceeding 30.
Abolished rule:Recent Casting Limit: If a wizard has cast spells recently, the drain on her resources reduces her capacity to prepare new spells. When she prepares spells for the coming day, all the spells she has cast within the last 8 hours count against her daily limit. This rule is IMHO unpractical, and the world is rebalanced already to not favour spellcasters so strongly. Also, it makes certain clerics nearly unplayable in a normal environment, like clerics of Selune, since they have to memorize in the evenings, so that every spell they cast during the day always counts against that limit.