Ok. I'm going to try my hand at Dm'ing a game here on the inn, that's going to be akin to something Almerin does with them being short adventures...*hopefully*

It's going to be DnD 3.5, Core rule books and All Complete series, and Unearthed Arcana, and PHB 2 also. I'll even allow races with Level Adjustment +1. This world of mine where it will be based out of is more tolerant of goblinoid races and those alike, kind of Eberron-esque.

**ALSO**
I want a low magic setting, so no more than one caster please. Think of magic along the rarity of how Audulis has it. Thank you. Also I take back my rules based limitations on casters, the only downside will be the "shock and awe" you'll have on some NPC's if you cast in front of them. This can go either good or bad depending on the situation.



I'm looking for 4-6 Players, starting at Level 2. Starting stat will be point buy system, based off of 32 points. Starting Gear will consist of 175 gold, no more.

I've decided to bump up the starting level to 3. I'll be editing it in the beginning post.

This means you can have a normal, no level adjustment character with three class levels

Or, a level adjustment +1 character with two PC levels.

OR

if you would like, you can play a level adjustment 2 character, with 1 PC class.

If you choose this route, ALL RACES MUST BE RAN BY ME FIRST. Thank you and have fun


I won't shy away from an Evil character, just NO CHAOTIC EVIL. That's just a no go, and if you play an Evil character, Please Role Play them in a way that it won't destroy the party or the fun for other players. Just because you are evil does not mean you can kill your members, randomly steal and screw them over, and other stuff that is just general griefing. Your character represents your alignment, not vice versa.


Now, I will be using Some alternative rules that will need some explaining. This is kind of a test for it, as I've played with about half these rules on table top and it works out to be a very fun, but VERY Deadly style of game play. I CANNOT GUARANTEE ALL CHARACTERS WILL SURVIVE (now doesn't that sound fun?) I will not shy away from death if it swings your way, but with these changes that shouldn't happen as easily. Now here they are.

1) I am getting rid of the D20. Instead, for all rolls that will need A d20 roll, it will be substituted for 3d6. This is called the "Bell Curve Roll" (fancy name, right?)

Metagame Analysis: The Bell Curve
In general, this variant leads to a grittier d20 game, because there will be far fewer very good or very bad rolls. Not only can you no longer roll 1, 2, 19 or 20, but most rolls will be clustered around the average of 10.5. With a d20, every result is equally likely; you have a 5% chance of rolling an 18 and a 5% chance of rolling a 10. With 3d6, there’s only one possible combination of dice that results in an 18 (three sixes, obviously), but there are twenty-four combinations that result in a 10. Players used to the thrill of rolling high and the agony of a natural 1 will get that feeling less often—but it may be more meaningful when it does happen. Good die rolls are a fundamental reward of the game, and it changes the character of the game when the rewards are somewhat stronger but less frequent.

Game balance shifts subtly when you use the bell curve variant. Rolling 3d6 gives you a lot more average rolls, which favors the stronger side in combat. And in the d20 game, that’s almost always the PCs. Many monsters—especially low-CR monsters encountered in groups—rely heavily on a lucky shot to damage PCs. When rolling 3d6, those lucky shots are fewer and farther between. In a fair fight when everyone rolls a 10, the PCs should win almost every time. The bell curve variant adheres more tightly to that average (which is the reason behind the reduction in CR for monsters encountered in groups).

Another subtle change to the game is that the bell curve variant awards bonuses relatively more and the die roll relatively less, simply because the die roll is almost always within a few points of 10. A character’s skill ranks, ability scores, and gear have a much bigger impact on success and failure than they do in the standard d20 rules.

Rules For Rolling
This system requires several changes to how rolls are made.

Automatic Successes and Failures
Automatic successes (for attack rolls and saves) happen on a natural 18, and automatic failures on a natural 3. Neither occurs as often as in standard d20 (less than 1/2% of the time as opposed to 5% of the time).

Taking 20 and taking 10
You can’t take 20 using the bell curve variant. Instead, you have two new options: You can take 16, which makes the task take ten times as long, or you can take 18, which makes the task take one hundred times as long. As with the rules for taking 20, you can only take 16 and 18 when you have plenty of time, when you aren’t distracted, and when the task carries no consequences for failure. For a check that normally requires a standard action, taking 16 uses up 1 minute and taking 18 uses up 10 minutes.

The rules for taking 10 remain unchanged.


Threat Range
Old Threat Range New Threat Range
20 16-18
19-20 15-18
18-20 14-18
17-20 14-18
15-20 13-18

Because it’s no longer possible to roll a natural 19 or 20, the threat ranges of weapons change in the bell curve variant. Refer to the following table above.

With the bell curve variant, the narrowest threat range becomes slightly more narrow (4.6% rather than 5%), and the new 14-18 range (16%) falls between the old 18-20 and 17-20 ranges. But because the Improved Critical feat and the keen edge spell double threat ranges, characters still improve their weapons in every case, despite the flat spot on the table.

There’s no table entry for a threat range of 16-20 because no combination weapons, feats, and magic can attain it in the standard d20 rules.

(copy pasted from www.d20srd.org)


2) I am changing how Hit Points work

The new Hit Points
A zero-level character has a number of hit points equal to his Constitution plus his Strength modifier.(this means at character creation)

If Constitution or Strength changes, even temporarily as in a barbarian's rage or due to poison, hit points change along.

Experienced characters do get extra hit points, but not that many. Each time a character levels up, roll the hit die as usual, adding the Constitution modifier. (At 1st level, don't roll. Just take the highest result possible, as normal.)

The result, however, is not added directly to the character's hit points. It is interpreted as follows:

Result Hit Points
4 or less 1 extra hit point
5-9 2 extra hit points
10-14 3 extra hit points
15+ 4 extra hit points

Also as a rule of thumb, I don't let my Player characters roll less than half on the hit die.

When a character has lost more than half of his hit points, his wounds start taking their toll and he becomes fatigued.

He will remain so until he has healed up to half of his hit points again.

(adapted from http://hyboria.xoth.net)


3) I am changing how AC and Armor work.


Defense Class replaces Armor Class as the target number an attack roll must pass. Defense Class is not affected by armor, but your Dexterity modifier still applies. Your Defense Class equals 10 + base Defense bonus + Dexterity bonus + Shield bonus.

Each class has a Defense progression, like the base attack bonus progression. For standard classes, these can be derived from their hit die. This is reasonable, since hit points are the primary experience-based defensive factor of classes in standard D20, and the Defense bonus occupies that position in these optional rules.

The following is a Defense bonus progression chart based on hit die. It only goes up to level 20. If a character reaches level 21, the progression starts over again, stacking fully.

Level d4 d6 d8 d10 d12
1 0 +1 +1 +1 +1
2 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2
3 +1 +2 +3 +3 +3
4 +1 +2 +3 +4 +4
5 +2 +3 +4 +5 +5
6 +2 +3 +5 +6 +6
7 +2 +4 +6 +7 +7
8 +3 +4 +6 +8 +8
9 +3 +5 +7 +9 +9
10 +3 +5 +8 +9 +10
11 +4 +6 +9 +10 +11
12 +4 +6 +9 +11 +12
13 +4 +7 +10 +12 +13
14 +5 +7 +11 +13 +14
15 +5 +8 +12 +14 +15
16 +5 +8 +12 +15 +16
17 +6 +9 +13 +16 +17
18 +6 +9 +14 +17 +18
19 +6 +10 +15 +18 +19
20 +7 +10 +15 +18 +20

Concentrated Defense
It is easier to defend against one attack than it is to defend against many. To simulate this, we use the Concentrated Defense bonus.

This Concentrated Defense bonus can be used once each round to defend against a specific attack. It adds to your Defense Class against that attack only.

You must declare that you are using your Concentrated Defense after the attack is announced but before the attack roll is made.

The magnitude of Concentrated Defense depends on your base Defense bonus.

Defense Bonus Concentrated Defense
1-3 +1
4-6 +2
7-9 +3
10-12 +4
13-15 +5
16-18 +6
19-20 +7

Concentrated Defense has no effect on your attacks. It can be combined with Total Defense (no attacks, +4 to Defense).

Armor absorbs damage
Armor is made for one purpose: to take the damage from a weapon strike instead of your body. It literally gets in the way of incoming strikes, but if those strikes are strong enough to penetrate through the armor or send destructive shock waves to your flesh, then you still get hurt -- but not as much as you would have without the armor.

Armor therefore works like damage reduction. However, it isn't evenly spread around your body. You always armor certain vital spots more than others, and there are always openings and weak spots. For this reason, and because roleplayers love to roll dice, the damage reduction against each individual hit is randomized.

A suit of armor has an absorption statistic, which replaces its AC bonus. Determine the absorption of existing suits of armor from their AC scores by this short table:

AC Bonus Absorption
1 1d2
2 1d4
3 1d6
4 1d8
5 1d10
6 2d6
7 2d8
8 2d10

(adapted from http://hyboria.xoth.net)

Also, I'm adding in that along with all it's other benefits, masterwork armor adds a +1 Absorption.

Ok, that's it for all the rule changing. The feel i'm going for by using all these alternitives is a grittier, more realistic feel compared to the old " i take some damage out of my infinite pool of HP, i'm ok to go."





Now for where you'll be playing. You'll be playing in my homebrew world of Rayeskell. The continent you'll be playing on is Aundil, a place where war has been the main export, creating some of the greatest fighting units the world has known. This place has been ravaged for so long only because none of the major factions want to cross such a vast amount of ocean to get to such a place that has little reward.

Aundil is a large island continent that is mainly used by other countries to dump the worst outlaws and unwanted in life. The penal colonies that have been set up here have sprung up to become small towns and eventually cities.

Over the Centuries leaders rose and fell and now six small principalities vie for power over the land, isolated from any influences across the great ocean.

The terrain on the island is mostly cold temperate to Tundra, with vast swaths of the land bordering wasteland.

Giant pine forests do sprawl on some sections of the island, and few have ever put together a large enough expedition to find out what dwells in the center. Those that have, have come back with horror stories of demons, creatures of the night ripping apart the horses and men alike. Since then none have seen any reason to wander outside the high pallisades of the cities.

You'll be playing characters that most likely have come upon the island three ways. One, you were born there. Two, you were sent there as a prisoner or unwanted. ( most unwanted people were either persecuted because of race, religion, or just supported the wrong side of a war). Third, you ventured here to seek out some sort of fortune fighting in the seemingly endless battles that occur on the borders. But if you have some other idea, please feel free to be creative.

If I missed anything or you want more about the world, just ask. I'm drawing a map also and i'll post a link to it soon.

Continent of Aundil

Also please be aware, this map is a work in progress. Right now it's just for a visual. I'll add up a key, province names and borders and same with counties, and some names of the peopel that you would know in game.


*EDIT*

So far, I have interest and comments from these people below

Reralae
Kreia
Brundel
Chessic
Ayrn

there's room for one more, so please hop in fast! Also to those who are interested, please post here or send me a PM of what kind of character you'd like to play, that'd be great

You know I want in. :3

Very eager to get involved too.

I Just want to make sure that everyone reads the altenative rules though, cuz they do make the game VERY different.

It have more of a grittier, life is balanced on a daggers edge kind of feel, which is pretty dang awesome in my opinion ;D

I'm looking forward to the implementation of them. I'll probably have to consult you a million times for character creation.

Jozan,
Regarding HPs... let's say I was a 2nd level Rogue with Str 8 and Con 14. Would my HPs work out as follows:

Base HP: 14 (CON) + -1 (STR Mod) = 13 HP
Level 1: 6 (max d6) +2 (CON mod) = +2 HP
Level 2: 2 (d6 roll) +2 (CON Mod) = +1 HP

Total HP at Level 2: 13+2+1 = 16 HP

Yes?

1. Does Level Adj count towards your total levels? i.e. I want to play a tiefling (+1 LA)... would he be a level 1 or level 2 rogue?

(Rules as written would say that he would be a level 1 rogue)


2. When you mention your restriction against casters, do you mean ALL casters, or just arcane ones? (I'd argue that Clerics and Druids are actually as powerful as wizards, maybe more so, in 3.5)

Yup pretty much you got it on the head. Depending on what you would roll with your second hit die, your HP could turn out to be 16 (like your example with a low roll) or a 17 (with a high roll)


It makes the game much deadlier, but the scaling defense and damage reduction through armor, dampens that down a little bit. Plus, I feel if I implement the bell curve rolling it'll make it even more survivable with more "average" rolls for creatures and PC's, with PC's having the edge over monsters most of the time from the start so they should win out.



Oh, and yes to get to the casters I'm not 100% sure on my decisions yet but I whole heartedly agree that Clerics and druids can be immensely powerful. It'd be for all casters that something would have to be "taken away" in my opinion because of this system of low hp and low magic setting.

And the level adjustment would rule your tiefling as being a level one rogue, but with the HP system being the way it is, I think that if someone took a level adjusted race they won't be punished severely because the HP gap between level one and two is only a few points.


*edit* Ok so Ayrn you got me thinking about the casters, and at this low level I don't think I'm going to worry too much about a resctriction on casters. The only downside of being a spell caster would be anything to do with RP, as I would like my world to have the same "low magic" feel as Audalis. So if some peasents watched you throw fire at a bandit they might think you are a demon or something.

*2nd edit*

Also, re reading my opening post I sound like some sort of dictator, I hope no one got that impression, I Just like to be clear about my rules :X

I do like to have fun, honest!

Interested.

*evaporates*

You don't sound like a dictator to me, Jozan, just someone who sets the table right away. Then again, I've seen you play a particular gnome character, and that forever will make me fail to see you as a dictator

As for caster restrictions, it actually sounds like you could perhaps call for a class restriction on pure casters (full spells per day, ie Cleric, Wizard, Sorcerer, Druid), because I can't really see in this particular setting the background required for the study/talent/'magic spark' to come to be. It allows for someone to get a 'secondary caster' (ie Ranger, Hexblade, etc.) and so prevents someone from getting access to a fireball that would otherwise be able to annihilate everyone in a 10m radius with this hp system you have here.

Just the two cents of a butterfly

All comments are welcome, and I might incorporate something I've read while scouring the internet. All caster, divine and arcane, do not receive any spells. They must all find and study their spells. These could come from scouring a library, felling a shamanistic foe that has scribed his families secrets onto a bark shavings, Caveman wall paintings and of course if you find an enemy caster and steal his books! I think this would add an element of personalization to the caster and how they feel towards their spells.

Also, possibly each caster can call from a limited number of spells they have mastered from their training and have from the start. They don't need any concentration checks required (besides the normal checks they'd take like in combat, taking damage, etc.)

But if a caster gets a new spell they'd have to study it for hours, then the first few times they cast it they'd make concentration checks; using the weaves of magic without knowing every inch of it is dangerous and could potentially harm you. The more studying and scrutinizing of the spell you've done, the easier the checks. If you try to cast the spell at all without studying (possibly a last ditch effort) the checks will be huge.

I really like this idea, and if anyone in my group of players would like to play a caster please tell me your opinion on this, and if you would be ok using a system like it. Finding your spells would be almost the same as the fighters finding new weapons. A sense of accomplishment and fondness for your odd arsenal of spells that you spent in game time finding and studying. I'd really like to see a caster use this sort of game play.


Oh, also I will never forget that game with Xerath. Too good of a memory. I guess a part of his short good nature might forever be with me :p

It certainly holds its own intrigue... a world where magic is an unknown, where spells are studied for rather than 'pop - new spell'. Not that the latter isn't fun either. This is just different.

Plus, RP of spell study is actually something low level chars can (and ought to) do, rather than spell creation at level 20+ as mentioned in the DMG.

All in all, I think that's a nice setup you have there *sneaks off to examine books*

thanks for the correction by the way, keeping me on my toes x_x

And yeah I would definitely be all for character researching their own spells, as long as it's not completely game breaking stupid :p

I think I may be a butterfly mage (read: wizard) unless someone else wants to claim the magic. This world does have butterflies right?

Yup, plenty of butterflies. Now whether these butterflies are extremely poisonous and deadly beyond comparison is another question...