News:

- Chubby Dwarves are low fat.
- Pippen accused of getting drunk and feeling Merry
- Mexican Hobbit corrupted by One Ring. Known as Smiegel

Main Menu

Character Development

Started by Dray, January 23, 2008, 01:13:55 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

Dray

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT[/b]

Alrighty, first off, thanks for the interest in this campaign.

Let me also start off by saying that I need anyone interested (except Chassic who has been informed) in developing a toon for this campaign needs to forget what was posted here until about a month ago. The posts that are in the EBERRON section now represent what this campaign will be going forward. So ERASE what I have told you in the past.

What does this mean?

Well, it means that the kingdom of SafeHaven, world of a hundred miles is indeed the campaign setting. It is a "world within a world" scenario that will allow me to introduce Eberron to players AND characters at the same time. In other words, this allows 'your characters' to learn the culture of Eberron at the same time 'you do'.

How?

Well, SafeHaven is a completely isolated community on the Eberron world. It has no contact with the outside civilizations, so much so it isn't aware of their existence. The existing dogma and government "doesn't allow" this type of thinking, (insomuch that it doesn't appear to be aware either).

There will be more on this subject later, and please feel free to read the existing posts I have made to get a better feel for where your character comes from. But know the best way to explain this is by relating to the way I got the idea, from the movie "The Village" by M. Night Shamillan (spelling?).

Character Development

RACE: Everyone must be human. For that is all that is known and accepted in SafeHaven. Anything else would be seen as an alien from another planet. If you want to play a race that can successfully pass of as a human in this society, please send me an email and we can review the possibility. Note however, to maintain campaign balance, that pending your ECL, I may not allow the 'class bonus' option below.

AGE[/b]: I still coin this as the "Children's Campaign". I think the opportunity of being a little goofier than normal is fun. It also gives you a solid chance at figuring out who your character actually is. So anything from 12 to 17 is a good starting age.

CLASS[/b]: Magic, whether arcane or divine, psionics, incarnum, anything of the sort that would had you hung in Salem a couple of centuries ago is considered VOODOO. Note however, this doesn't mean you can't roll up a Sorcerer. Just means you better not do any tricks in public or when there are common folk around. For it is considered an unwritten law that anyone possessing such Black Magic (and it is ALL considered evil) shall be tried and executed. So any class, just know the culture of what you are dealing with.

CLASS BONUS[/b]: I want this campaign to be fun for everyone, but I also know how epic my campaigns can be, so here is the deal. Everyone shall roll up a GESTALT character (Un earthed Arcana, page 72). Use the rules and regulations as stated within. Yes, that means you get to play two classes at once in the same toon.

NOTE: ABILITY SCORES UPDATED IN A POST BELOW!

ABILITY SCORES[/b]: +8 modifiers is what you get to spend on your scores for the six abilities. In other words, if you want an 18, which has a +4 modifier, you spend that +4 and have a remaining +4 to spend on one or more of the other abilities. Also note, that you get the lowest of a ranged score for that ability modifier. In other words, 16-17 has a modifier of +3. If you spend +3 on your dexterity (for example), that score would be 16.

An example of a stat list:

18 Str - +4
14 Dex - +2
11 Con – 0
11 Wis – 0
12 Int – +1
12 Cha - +1

Note, anyone who starts under the age of 16 will be given a free character ability point when hitting that age. Those who start at 16 or 17 will not receive this benefit. (Yes, I know....not fair, consider it an incentive program).

NOTE: ABILITY SCORES UPDATED IN A POST BELOW!

SKILLS[/b]: All skills are as they are listed, cross-class skills do apply. However the Gestalt option will allow you a larger group of class skills. Trained skills that may be considered black magic or may be considered "alien" to this world need to be checked with the DM. In most cases we will get the skill to you by incorporating it into a clever background story.

FEATS[/b]: Everyone gets a bonus feat for being human as stated in the PHB. And, again, Gestalt characters get feats for both classes. (Note, you don't get the human bonus twice of course). Trained skills that may be considered black magic or may be considered "alien" to this world need to be checked with the DM. In most cases we will get the skill to you by incorporating it into a clever background story.

SCATTER-BRAINED DEVELOPMENT NOTES[/b]:
    Those considering magic using characters should note that acquiring components may be difficult. *All encumbrance rules are in play. * Starting gold is maximum. Note that although this is a civilized but war-trained society. People learn to fight as soon as they can walk. So owning a set of armor and a weapon is the norm. * See other posts for geography, government, city sites and other information to develop a colorful background. * Maximum hit points at all levels. * All characters know each other, are in a gang within the capital city of "Our Commons". You may be originally from another part of the kingdom though. * The members of the gang are all trusted friends, and there is more than a few with "voodoo" talents, it's what attracts kids to the gang, safety from the government in numbers. * There is about 3 to 4 dozen kids in this gang, they have a hideout in the city. * Kids with these "voodoo" talents have been caught or have disappeared over the years. Any caught were jailed. Executions are not public. * Despite the sentiment of some of the intolerance above, SafeHaven is a nice place to live. * It is called a World of a Hundred Miles because it is surrounded by a barrier, beyond that barrier is Hell. * Kaine, the administrator, is the only known, worshipped and loved God. Your characters' point of view on this is up to you. * All of you are currently attending school in Our Commons. Yeah that's right, you HAVE to be there during the day. * Alchemists are the healers of the kingdom, they are a government controlled entity. * Guns, as represented in the Eberron Campaign Setting are allowed. *More later....

Feel free to ask any questions in this thread.

Johan

Please clarify the following points:

It seems to me that it is the government that has decided that "VooDoo" is black and is punnishable by a fair trial followed bya first-class hanging. On the other hand, in the "school" there are plenty of VooDoo doers, and they are accepted. What is the general population's feelings? Are there safe zones and not-so-safe zones? Do I, as a VooDoo doer, have to be wary of only the coppers, or Aunt May as well?

Is it called the world of a hundred miles because that's the perimeter of the wall? Is that the extent of SafeHaven? A perimeter of 100 miles (assuming it's circular) is an area of 795.78 square miles...about half the size of Rhode Island; or is that 100 *square* miles (which would be 10 miles in diameter...roughly the size of Brookline)? Or is it 100 miles east-to-west as well as north-to-south (which would land on 10,000 square miles, making it roughly the size of Massachusetts (which is 10,555 sqaure miles) or Vermont (9,615 square miles)?

I'm betting that now, you're regretting telling us to feel free to ask questions...

Are there numerous other gangs of kids around SafeHaven? Are we at odds with them? Are there territories (I know...I should read all the other posts and threads, but you know what? I work over here sometimes)

Can I have a pet Gnoll?
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Dray

Good questions,

    Did not intend to intimate the school is full of voodoo kids, it is not. The schol teaches kids to be warrior and/or productive citizens of society. Your GANG is full of Voodoo kids, and is secretive because of it.
    * General populace doesn't like magic, in fact, magic-use is so well secreted because of its illegality, it is "not believed in" by many folk.
    * There aren't safe zones, any magic use by NPC's or PC's is very limited, unless they are alone or with trusted friends.
    * Also note, there simply isn't a whole lot of magic/psionic peeps running around anyway. The players are the exception to the rule.
    * Our Commons, the capital, is at the center of the Kingdom, which expands at an almost even 100 mile radies from it's heart. So yes, big area, 200 miles in rough diameter.
    * There are other gangs of kids in the capital city, but you guys try NOT to conflict with them if you can help it. For if those other gangs found out that you were the gang of black magic, then the government would hunt you down.

Thanks! That was fun! Feel free to ask more.

Dray

OH!

No, you cannot have a pet Gnoll.

Johan

All right! That's 31,400 square miles for the Kingdom; a land mass just a bit smaller than the state of Maine.

I'm going to have to invest some time reading all the background threads to get a feel for them, and to be able to ask informed (if not intelligent) questions.

BTW, congratulations, Dray on making your 1000th post to Griznuq! It happened with your first reply to this thread.

/golfclap
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Dray

Maine?! Wow, perhaps I will increase the population then by a factor of 10.

Cool though, thanks for doing the math as I am in school and therefore incapable of application of any knowledge.

Maine huh, wow, that's big and stuff.

Chassic

Don't you mean DROP the population by a factor of 10?

We ARE talking about Maine, right? There's more moose than men up there ... and, no, I'm not referring to the women.


/yes I am.


Actually I think that would also be roughly the same size as all of England (not including Wales)!


Johan

So I popped over to another web seach, and England seems to be 50,346 Square Miles (although I didn't see that this number specifically excludes Wales, I did another search and came up with 20,764 square miles for Wales).

Assuming that the first number includes Wales, doing some wicked-quick math (for which I'm infamous), looks like you're probably right on the mark, Chassic!

And with that, another Johan Cupie Doll is awarded!

The two closest countries to this size, according to worldatlas.com, are the UAE (32,000 square miles) and the Czech Republic (30,450 square miles). Of course, I'll be ding-danged if I can even come close to identifying with those places!

I'm wondering if, at this point, Dray isn't recalling a quick mention that he made some years ago about a mountain range that could be seen from a couple of days out at sea?

hehe.
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Wildfire

Oh man...this thread is definately great for a good hearty chuckle(head)....LOL! My sides hurt form laughing so much!  ;)
Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Dray

Calification of a point above, every 1st level character gets a 1st feat, then gets the human bonus of another 2nd feat, then if one or both classes lists any bonus feats, you get those as well (from both classes if applicable).

Dray

MODIFICATION TO ABILITY SCORES

In an interest to assist all players in taking advantage of the Gestalt variance, I am upping the ability score modifier allowance and the scores as follows:

    +10 to ability modifiers instead of +8
    *Higher of the two scores in a range instead of the lower (16 to 17 for +3 modifier would now be a 17).

This will help more as your toons reach 4th and 5th level as well. Since any player who has a character who starts under the age of 16 will get a +1 bonus to an ability score when reaching 16, and all characters will receive +1 bonus to an ability score as typical to the PHB every 4 levels.

Johan

Dray, here's the thread that you and I were just talking about. On the 23rd of January, Safe Haven had a radius of 100 miles. Based upon our conversation earlier tonight, it should have been only a 50-mile radius.

PLEASE VERIFY THIS

At a radius of 50 miles, the square mileage would be closer to 7,800 square miles. Obviously, a quarter size what we were thinking.

Massachusetts is 10,555 square miles. New Jersey is 8,721 square miles.

On another tangent, 2007 cencus data puts the population of NJ at 8,685,920 and that of MA at 6,449,755. Maine is 1,317,207

Information is cool.

Oh, what's the population of Safe Haven? Of Our Commons?
Avatar Courtesy of The Image Bank

Dray

Ok, I just changed your statements of feet to miles, but I know what you meant and good call.

As we discussed on the "telley" I am thinking in order to have such a military presence and mindset, the people of Safe-Haven would have to be under constant threat. So I am thinking the danger from the KT of the Outlands is a semi-constant one, with incursions or downright breeches of the wall happening on a monthly if not sometimes weekly basis.

That being said, the military of such a society would be a typical profession of the citizenship (although may not popular to some). So I am thinking we may have more "active" soldiers than I once thought. Since this number is getting into the tens of thousands, the population of the overall kingdom may go from 44k to about 100+ thousand.

Since 6.5 million griznuqs can fit into MA which is only 25% bigger, I am thinking 100+ Lawful citizens could fit into my little place.

Thanks!