Campaign Guidelines

[Eanwulf]

Character Creation
Players will be allowed to create a 2nd level character, provided they follow the following instructions in doing so:

Players will first choose their character's appropriate status. Possible choices include - Aristocrat, Commoner, Expert, or Warrior. Players' choices will usually be defined by their character concept and/or submitted Backgrounds and WILL play an important part in how players are brought into the game.

Players will then select an appropriate race and class combination (see below for further assistance).

Players will then assign MANDATORY Professions (fear not as they will not hinder character creation). All players will choose a profession that best defines their character's existing role in the world. Once this is selected they gain a FREE 5 ranks in it; representing how their character has survived up until now. Once again professions will most likely be defined by each character's history and background.

Example

An example of such a choice would be Wilhelm Brecht - a former farmer who enlisted into the local military service. The end result is Wilhelm Brecht - a Fighter of Commoner background. His profession is that of Farmer (5 ranks each).

Abilities
Abilities will be derived from using a Modified Organic system. Players will roll 4d6 (dropping the lowest die result) a total of seven times. Players will then drop the lowest of their outcomes, leaving them a set of six numerical results.

Players will repeat this procedure three times total. Upon completion players will be allowed to select one group of six results, allocating them to their desired attributes.

IF players still have NOT received a set of results that they are quite happy with after completion of the second step, they will have two options.

First is to roll one last time as above (seven groups of 4d6, dropping lowest die then result) but you MUST KEEP these results.

Optionally you can send me an email (robertcullingford@yahoo.com) stating that you would like me to roll for you, using my little red 'œdemon' dice. These dice have been used to roll up most every character I have played and yield most favorable results.

Example

Here is a sample of my little red demon dice and their results:
First Roll: 18, 17, 16, 15, 15, 12, 12
Second Roll: 17, 15, 14, 14, 12, 16, 11
Third Roll: 16, 16, 18, 12, 14, 14, 9

Please note that I am putting a lot of faith into players, trusting them to be honest on their die rolls! Any submissions where the lowest ability score happens to be a 17 or the like will either be re-rolled myself or trimmed down to a more believable level.

Races
Players will be allowed to create characters of the following races (no questions asked):

Dawn Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Halfling, Human (Highlander, Lowlander, Saltblood, Trueborn), Moon Elf

Players will be allowed to create characters of the following races (provided their backgrounds are approved by the DM):

Doppelganger, Lizardfolk, Minotaur, Night Elf, Ogre, Orc, Tiefling, Wood Elf, Yuan-ti (Thinblood)

These races usually suffer some severity of racial tension and can be tricky to work into game play without proper care.

Further Information on Character Races will be discussed/provided as needed.

Classes
Player's will be able to choose from the following Classes:

Barbarian, Bard, Disciple, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Scout, Shaman, Shaper, Sorcerer, Spirit Adept, Swashbuckler, Wizard.

Classes in Italics represent NEW Classes and are covered in the Dawnforge Sourcebook. Further information is available upon request.

Various Prestige and even new Legendary Classes will be available, all information found upon request.

Feats
In addition to standard Feats, players are additionally allowed to select Weapon Group Feats, as listed in Unearthed Arcana, if they so desire. Cultural/Regional Feats are also available and starting characters will be able to choose one of these for FREE.

Starting Gear and Money
Players will start off with 900 gp to spend on their assets. In addition to this, players will start off with regional gear. Said bonus equipment will be based on their character's race and background selection.

Traits and Flaws
Players will be allowed to select one FREE Trait from the Unearthed Arcana supplement. Possibility for DM/Player discussion to use and/or create new Traits is available as well.

Players may (optionally) choose a second Trait, but must also take a MANDATORY Flaw. If you don't own Unearthed Arcana, e-mail me (robertcullingford@yahoo.com) and help will be provided.

Combat
Action Points
I will be utilizing my own variation of the Action Points rules. Each player will start out with only 3 Action Points, earning more only through creative role play, surviving against all odds, or perhaps as individual rewards by the DM for an overall job well done.

Action Points can be spent as listed in Unearthed Arcana but since this is a PbP, having to rewrite posts due to spending such points can be a hassle. Players are responsible for informing the DM in advance if they wish to spend one or not.

This can be done in the form of a comment at the end of a players post when they know they must make a roll, choose an action, etc.

Players will state their course of action and include an 'œI want to spend a Action Point if I fail' or 'œI want to spend one to activate this ability if need be' etc as a footnote to their post)

The DM is smart enough to decide if the point should still be spent or not and can contact players via email before final post if need be.

Using Action Points

You can spend 1 action point to add to a single d20 roll, to take a special action, or to improve the use of a feat. You can spend 1 action point in a round. If you spend a point to use a special action (see below), you can't spend another one in the same round to improve a die roll, and vice versa.

Attack Rolls
I will be utilizing the Variant rules on Automatic Hits and Misses found on pg 25 of the DMG 3.5. This means instead of 1's always missing and 20's always hitting, the following rules apply;

Rolls of 1 indicate a -10 penalty to the total roll.
Rolls of 20 indicate a +30 bonus to the total roll.

Called Shots
Rules on 'œCalled Shots' derived from the Torn Asunder - Critical Hits sourcebook printed by Bastion Press will be used in addition to the previous modifications. Please refer to the 'œHouse Rules' forum thread found within this sub-forum for further information.

Critical Hits and Fumbles
Rules for both Critical Hits and Fumbles will be derived from the Torn Asunder - Critical Hits sourcebook printed by Bastion Press. Please refer to the 'œHouse Rules' forum thread found within this sub-forum for further information.

Initiative
Initiative will be determined normally (d20+dex mod+misc) highest roll getting to act first. The order of execution will continue in set order until normal combat situations change due to a new set of events, etc (see DMG 3.5 pg 22, the last paragraph of the Initiative variant sidebar).

Massive Damage Threshold
Players will be using the Massive Damage Threshold rules in a combined Constitution and HD manner.

This means each player has a damage threshold equivalent to their Constitution score plus 2/HD (5th level dwarf with a 16 Con would have a threshold of 26).

I will also be scaling the DC by 2 for every 10 points of damage that surpasses your threshold as well. (Above dwarf takes 46 points of damage from a single attack, must make a Fortitude save DC 19 (15+4) or die.

Please note also, that players that succeed on their saves will suffer from an appropriate wound of moderate severity - the wound having been derived from the Torn Asunder - Critical Hits sourcebook printed by Bastion Press.

Campaign
The following rules will be incorporated into the "Time of Legend" campaign; all of which can be found in Unearthed Arcana.

Rules for Player Contacts.

Rules for Player Reputation.

Rules for Player Honor (if needed for a player's character).[/spoiler]

My Wish

My overall wish and desire, as a GM, is for Dawnforge: Time of Legend to give players the chance to experience some old fashioned down to earth "real adventure". I want players to experience "nail biting" combat encounters and to succeed in actions that would normally seem neigh impossible. I want players to grow during the campaign, both as creative players and writers. In the end, I want players to retire from the game with that warm and fuzzy feeling inside that makes them want to grin and say "Hell yeah!"