How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

Message
Author
User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#1 Post by Marullus »

Dedication
This game is spawned from Labyrinth Lord West Marches Sandbox, an amazingly successful and enjoyable game developed and run by Keehnelf on this forum. When that game was archived, we initiated this chronicle based on the successful rules and format of the old chronicle. We express our gratitude to Keehnelf for his work.

Game Focus and Concept

1) This is a sandbox-style game using a West Marches format which focuses on the emergent story. That is, the tales that emerge when we set up circumstances around a set of characters with strong motivations and then we allow the rules of the game adjudicate what happens from there. To that end, it is up to the players and their motivations to drive action – forming expeditions, delving into the game world, making discoveries, and developing as characters.

2) The main theme underlying the game is "history" in all its various forms. This ranges from the "grand march of history", the tales of nations and rulers and wars, to really exploring the legacy that each individual character (including NPC) leaves behind in the game world, to exploring how the actions of the PCs affect, play into, perpetuate or come into conflict with historical forces or patterns that have existed in the game world. I love small things like when characters are concerned about their reputations within a town/society/kingdom, or when a bard or other PC comes up with an interesting retelling of their adventures to share with the NPC populace. Thus, you’ll find house rules to encourage the developing of legacy, the public retelling of legends and tales of exploits, and the expansion of civilization of the gameworld at the hands of adventurers and their collected wealth.

3) I believe that characters should have strong beliefs, should act on them, should be challenged in them, and should grow through gameplay. I will shape the game to challenge your characters, including the development and world-involvement of deities, the moral and ethical challenges characters face, etc. The bedrock of the game is the exploration, discovery, and civilization of the Northern Wastes, but the heroes of the story are your characters. The story we tell is one in which they will struggle, grow, and either die or overcome.

4) This is a game, and it is meant to be both enjoyable and fair for all players. To this end, I operate under a strong concept of the Player Compact. In this sandbox, characters can love, hate, work together, or work against each other, but the involved players should be witting and able to all enjoy it at an OOC level. Secret actions against other players through the DM are limited. We are playing a game here as friends, no matter what transpires among characters.


House Rules and Clarifications
This thread will orient you to the practices and expectations of the game forum and provide information essential for all players in this sandbox.

Links:
Labyrinth Lord Original rules (everything you'll need to play)
West Marches blogposts (about the structure of the game)

Table of Contents:
1. Setting
2. Rules of Operation
3. Calendar and Time
4. Combat
5. Rewards
6. Disposition of Property
7. Modifiers, Death Dying & Healing
8. Critical Hits and Misses
9. Construction and Improvements
10. Magic and Magical Items
11. Mixing Melee and Ranged Attacks
12. Monuments, Tributes, and the High Life
13. Festival Days
14. Divinity and Clerics
15. Titles and Rank
16. Dogs and Trained Animals
17. On Magic
18. Transcription: Or, the Subtle Art of Spellomancy
19. Turning the Undead - Clarifying Rules
20. Unusual Magical Items - Intelligent, Evil, Cursed, and Heroic
21. Retainers vs. Hirelings
22. Encumbrance, Mounts, and Tack
23. Clarifying Languages

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#2 Post by Marullus »

1. Setting

The cataclysm of magic ended the old empires. Only legend tells of things more than two thousand years old. Civilization began again then, recording history in the Southlands, kingdoms rising and expanding once more across the world.

When the Men of the South first arrived at the steep and forbidding mountains, their prophets fortold of doom should they enter, as the magic that destroyed the world still lay upon these lands. To walk among their peaks was to invite doom upon oneself and wake slumbering entities best left alone.

The Men of the South, a superstitious lot, let well enough alone and built their empires in other directions, ignoring what they called "the northern waste," but keeping a careful eye on the mountains for signs of stirring powers. Raging storms often ravaged their slopes and made hard living for those who would reside in the foothills or the oft-flooded plains below, and over centuries the wariness of the Men of the South waned. Eventually, the descendants of the settlers sought out new sources of wealth and influence, new territories to settle and new challenges, and so they made out across the mountains and into the Northern Wastes.

Many expeditions failed along the way, or perhaps succeeded and were never heard from again. Finally, however, a group of explorers managed to cross and returned along the same path, having discovered a navigable pass through the desolate mountains. The journey took six weeks of hard climbing and dangerously twisting paths along scree-covered slopes, but it was done. A wide valley was discovered beyond, with rolling plains and forest and a twisting river off in the distance. Blue-shrouded mountains could be seen at the edge of sight, and the place seemed peaceful. Settlers arrived, and began to till the land and construct a place to live, hoping to make their fortune off the new-found territory.

Unfortunately, the place was not as idyllic as it first seemed. Troupes of goblins could be seen prowling the forests and wandering the plains, coming within sight of the new settlement but not attacking. They seemed wary of the newcomers, but the settlers knew from history that it was only a matter of time before trouble struck. Word was sent back over the mountains that support was needed, and the Lords of the South sent Baron Gaul, an overly-ambitious but minor member of the nobility, to take ownership of the fledgling settlement with a handful of troops. The Lords of the South deeded Gaul the entirety of the land beyond the mountains and gave him the title of Arch-Duke to support his claim. Embittered by the slight, by the remoteness of his territory and the very minimal support he was given, Gaul nonetheless set to the work of civilizing his new land with a will, ordering massive stone walls built around the new town (which he christened in his own name) and turning his eye toward settlement of the surrounding lands.

The goblins seemed to him the first major obstacle to civilization. Their proximity to the town would prove dangerous to any new settlements that he wanted to construct beyond the walls, and would limit access to the forest's supplies of lumber or whatever else it might hold. He ordered runners back to the South with word of a 1,000 gold piece reward, a huge portion of the Arch-Duke's remaining treasury, to any explorer or adventurer who could discover the goblins' lair and either destroy them or drive them out of the forests around Gaul.

Thus, the exodus began--those with a need of money or a love of adventure began to trickle, slowly but surely, in ones and twos across the mountains in search of reward: and once there, they found companions who might help them achieve their aims, and a pristine wilderness full of its own strange temptations and possibilities. Gaul has made it clear that those who support him in his goal of civilizing the region will find more reward than simple gold at their disposal.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#3 Post by Marullus »

2. Rules of Operation

This sandbox has a few oddities that I will outline as best I can below.

1 - This game is structured around multiple expeditions/adventures occurring "simultaneously". They may happen at different in-game times, but they take place on the boards co-synchronously, including different characters doing different things out in the sandboxy-world.

2 - The campaign ID for this game is 417. Character sheets for all PCs must be managed through the Unseen Servant interface, and all game rolls will be tracked the same way or they will not be counted. I will run all my GM rolls the same way and all rolls will be posted for the sake of transparency.

3 - This game will be run using Labyrinth Lord basic rules, freely available from the Goblinoid Games website. It is essentially a retroclone of Moldvay basic edition D&D. All character options in that version of LL are fair game and no others at present. I apologize to those who don't like level limits or race-as-class, but those are non-negotiable.

4 - All information on character creation is condensed on this thread. This includes some house rules that adjust the classes for a predominantly low-level game. You must introduce your new PC in the Rogues' Gallery thread, but don't need to share any information about the character that wouldn't be clear from a visual inspection or brief personal interaction. All character sheets will be private in general, except that I will share out the character sheets of individuals you embark on an expedition with. You learn a lot day in and day out from traveling with someone.

5 - You may play any number of PCs in this campaign, with two caveats: first, you can never play more than one character in a given expedition, and second you must complete at least one expedition with each of your existing characters (successfully or unsuccessfully) before you can add a new one.

6 - Each character will have a unique time stamp tracked in the rogues' gallery thread. This will tell us all where in time that character is. If you have multiple characters, you must play the oldest character to start a new expedition, or choose to have that character "catch up" to the latest time stamp you have by spending or wasting time. This is to prevent the buildup of "backup" characters with a big bank of unused time while history is marching past them. No one needs to get trapped though, because...

7 - An adventurer can choose to "retire" at any time they are in town. This can take a number of forms:

-Head south back to civilization.
-Take on a level and status appropriate role in one of Gaul's existing institutions.
-Use resources on hand to set up new amenities in town.
-Something creative of the player's devising.

In all but the first of these cases, the PC will be converted to an NPC, and in all cases may not be converted back.

8 - There is no overarching campaign "plot", though there are storylines by the dozen hidden throughout the Archduchy. Thus, the story of what happens is the campaign's focus-remember that your PCs are at the center of this and embrace it.

9 - Each hex on the map will have a basic terrain type and at least one but no more than three areas of interest. Each time you travel into or out of a hex, your party has a random chance of stumbling upon either a clue about one of these items or the location itself, depending on what sector of the hex you are traveling through. Imagine each hex as a pie divided up by side (so six pieces). As you enter the hex you travel through one pie piece toward the center, and as you exit you do the reverse. Locales in that pie piece or near to it are most likely to be encountered, though if you get lost or turned around you may be traveling through a portion of the hex you didn't expect (or even a different hex).

10 - All expeditions into the wild will be player-organized, based on who's around town and looking for something to do and has a goal in mind. This work should take place in the Tavern thread. That's what the tavern is for! Apart from the hook that I'll be using to set the first adventure in motion, there will be no other NPC-generated "missions", though if you're interested in helping NPCs out they will usually be in need of something or other. They just won't go seeking you out to get it.

11 - Each active expedition into the wilderness will have its own stickied thread, and only those who are on the expedition will be allowed to post in it (plus me, of course). It will be time-stamped in the title based on when the expedition leaves civilization. For now these will be open to other readers for the sake of lurkers, but if too much unfair metagaming happens based on that info (there are some things out in the wild I can guarantee people will want to keep secret if they can) I'll just start running the threads as private forums/group PM chains. The expedition thread will be closed and un-stickied as soon as the group gets back to town, and interaction from that point can take place in the Town Business or Tavern threads, as appropriate.

12 - The world will change based on PC actions, in reactive ways but also proactive ways. You could stir up a hornet's nest of hobgoblins and cause them to go on the warpath, or choose to build a fortress out in the wilderness somewhere (or take over one you find and clean out!)--these things will cause repercussions in the world, since the PCs are generally at the center of what's happening in the wild in the Archduchy, so expect locations to sometimes be different depending on when you visit them.

13 - I will provide one map and one map only, and that is a big blank hex map that lays out the borders of the Archduchy and will provide you with the blank canvas to do your thing. Only a couple of items will be marked, and it is entirely up to the players to update, add to, change, etc. that map and include that as they like in the mapping thread. You can also make and scan maps of specific locations if you like, but I will not provide these. The “adventurerer’s table” in the tavern is an IC resource which contains all maps and notes from the thread.

14 - The Town is Not the Adventure. The Town is where you rest and recuperate between expeditions, marshal resources and make plans for the future. It has nice tough walls, and beyond some really unthinkable circumstances for the near future it is sacrosanct. There are no adventures to be had within its walls, and it is not in imminent danger. It is your home base. Treat it poorly and you will be kicked out on your own. Good luck if that happens.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#4 Post by Marullus »

3. Calendar

Tracking the passage of time is important given this style of play, so below are the details of timekeeping:

The Years:
The Arch-Duchy uses the Southern calendar or Baudh, which measures from the re-establishment of the High Priest by the hands of the Sky God who consecrated the southern lords 2021 years ago. Thus, he game begins on May 1, VC 2021.

The Months and Holy Days:
The calendar is divided into 365 days, just as ours is, and 12 months, just as ours is. The names of the months remain the same for ease of use. Each month has exactly 30 days, making 360 "standard" days. The number of days in each month also matches the real-world calendar, as I am forcasting weather and astrology using a real world analog.

In addition, there are 5 High Holy Days, that are not parts of any month. They are:
Winterveil (December 21st)
Harrowing (March 20th)
Greenleaf (June 1st)
Sun's Crest (June 21st)
Harvestide (September 23rd)

Granularity and passage of time during play:
Any non-combat action taking place during an expedition will consume a minimum of one Turn (ten minutes of in-game time). Travel and especially complex actions may take longer, but one Turn is the minimum passage of time that can take place outside of combat.

While in town, a character can choose to "skip" time forward as desired, so long as funds are available to do so (for inn costs and the like).

All characters in town also advance forward in time when the timestamp changes on the Golden Tooth Tavern thread. This will be moved periodically by the DM when expeditions depart or return to the town. PCs may move their personal clocks forward as they wish while in town, but nobody may be further behind than the game timestamp for consistency reasons.

Unless coin is a serious issue for a PC, all characters only need to reconcile the cost of their town stay (both food and lodging) when it is time for them to leave on their next expedition. At that point, a single transaction covering the food and lodging since they arrived back in town should be posted in the appropriate thread (usually the tavern) to record the expenditure. (Private rooms are the exception, which need to be booked up-front, but then can be paid at the end.)

New PCs who have not yet been on an expedition do not need to pay for town stays (unless they wish to do so to get a bonus). You only need to pay for town stays between expeditions.

Staying in town:
Resting up in town is not only an enjoyable experience, but also healthy. Good food and comfortable beds can fortify one's body against the rigors of life on the road as an adventurer. They may have extended stays either by choice (moving their own clock ahead) or because they are in town when the overall game timestamp moves ahead on the Golden Tooth Tavern thread. Extended town stays have tangible IC benefits, as below.

The Infirmary of Eruanna
Any character who claims poverty and offers confession can stay for free in the infirmary of Eruanna. This is a basic bed in the common room and includes access to their soup and bread offered to the poor. This fare offers no benefits, no matter the length of stay.

The Infirmary grants a +1 (so 1d3+1/day of rest) to a character's healing checks while in town.

The Golden Tooth Tavern

Staying at the inn is the best place for good food and drink. See meals here.
  • Poor meals (1sp/day) are the most economical, but provide no benefit.
  • Common meals (3sp/day) will provide a +1 bonus to Savings Throws for 1 day of adventuring for each week of town rest. (i.e. two weeks in town will retain a +1 bonus to saves for the first two days of an expedition.)
  • Good meals (5sp/day) will provide a +2 bonus to Savings Throws for 1 day of adventuring for each week of town rest. (i.e. two weeks in town will retain a +2 bonus to saves for the first two days of an expedition.)
There are a limited number of private rooms available in the Inn. These don't provide a mechanical benefit, but can be rented for RP purposes or for privacy of a PC, storage of personal items, etc (Private study is required for magic users and clerics making scrolls, for example.)

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#5 Post by Marullus »

4. Combat

Combat will be run as follows:

Once a battle situation has been determined to be taking place, the expedition leader (or his/her designee) will roll a D6 for the party's initiative. (Before this stage I will have rolled to determine surprise, etc. as appropriate.)

Then, each member of the expedition shall declare an action for the round of combat, including any rolls that would ordinarily be necessary to complete that action (I.e. To hit and damage for weapon attacks).

Finally, I will roll initiative for the enemy and reveal actions and rolls for those, posting a narrative/mechanical summary of the round's actions. Once the necessary bookkeeping is complete, the expedition leader can roll initiative once again to repeat the process until combat has ended.

When team initiative rolls are tied, instead of the team with the highest-DEX member going first in its entirety, each individual phase will resolve simultaneously.

So, all movement happens at the same time for both sides;
then all missile attacks take place at the same time;
then all spells are cast at the same time;
then all melee combat occurs simultaneously.

If someone is taken out of play in a phase prior to their action, they do not get to perform their action.

Most miscellaneous actions (binding wounds, etc.) will take place in the movement phase, but may occur later depending on their nature and complexity (tossing a rock to hit a lever to release the drawbridge would still be a missile attack, for example).

Team initiative will be rolled, and then that total modified for each participant in the combat individually. Thus, faster individuals will act before their team, slower ones will act later, but all defined by a baseline initiative. Individuals with tied initiative scores will engage in each phase of combat simultaneously.

Two-weapon fighting:
Two weapon fighting style is not a thing in LL Basic. The rules for it are added in LL Advanced. LL Basic is deliberately simplified - you get one set of rolls and the rest is narrative - which is the way that I'm going to keep it. What does this mean? You can fight with two weapons and describe your actions accordingly. You only roll one attack/damage roll in a round however. You can narratively describe how the damage occurs with the pair of weapons, and if you like, you can alternate which weapon is swung from one round to the next at your option.

What I will allow is that a secondary weapon capable of parrying can give a +1 bonus to your AC for one melee attack against you each round (i.e. a less effective shield, but with less carried weight than a shield). An actual shield is heavier, but gives its bonus against all melee and missile attacks in any round. This way, if you are without a shield, a dagger in the off-hand is better than nothing. (Note: Torches are not capable of parrying, but can be a primary weapon for 1d4 damage, per the book.)

Mounted Combat:
When mounted, you gain double damage [2d6] if wielding a lance on a charge. Only mounts with battle-familiarity or war horse training will charge towards combat. Normal mounts will not charge. A charge must be at least 20 yards away. (PCs may only double damage on a charge if mounted and wielding a lance. (p.53) Monsters may charge any time they have the outdoor distance. (p.61) PCs may brace a spear or polearm against a charging monster for double damage. (p.61))

When charging, a war horse can only run, but in subsequent close attacks the horse and rider may attack simultaneously. (p. 82) A warhorse does two hoof attacks for [1d6] each, only against a single foe. (Non-war-horses will only defend themselves if cornered, not attack in normal combat.)

Two-handed weapons cannot be wielded from horseback.

A war horse needs to check morale when it is successfully wounded. A mount with battle familiarity needs to check morale when it is directly attacked (whether wounded or not). A normal mount or pack animal checks morale whenever in the presence of combat.

Mounts and pack animals all have Armor Class (AC) 7. There is one type of barding - leather-and-plate, which weighs 60lbs and lowers to AC 5. (p.17)

Pleased read more about mounts, tack, speed, and encumbrance here: viewtopic.php?f=353&t=5467&p=245719#p245719

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#6 Post by Marullus »

5. Rewards

Rewards come in three flavors: material, narrative, and experience points.

Material rewards will be distributed directly to PCs, or they will be listed as available. The two most common types will be rewards and loot. Rewards are not worth experience points, while loot generates 1xp per gp (sale) value for the party at the end of the expedition if the item is recovered, even if it destroyed, consumed etc. (but not abandoned) during the expedition in which it was found.

I will only list loot items and treasure found when they are found. It is up to the party members to determine and to declare who is taking what, and anything unclaimed will be considered abandoned. Loot items provide xp shared amongst the entire party regardless of who claims it.

Discussions about distribution of treasure should take place in the Loot thread if they happen after the end of an expedition. If someone enters town in possession of an item, they will be considered it's lawful owner by the authorities. At that point, discussions happen in the Tavern thread, as normal.

---

Narrative rewards can range from learned skills or abilities to reputations to titles of nobility. They are always acquired immediately by specific PCs, and will be noted in the narrative. These rewards never bear an xp value--they are their own reward and almost always create new adventuring options for the enterprising PC.

---

Experience point rewards are distributed to the entire party at the end of an expedition, in the final post of the thread as it is closed and the party returns to civilization.

The party earns 1xp per gp of treasure and saleable loot they return with or recovered and used during the expedition. Additionally, the party receives xp for enemies slain or otherwise defeated. Then, the party earns xp for locations of interest uncovered (100 x the general level of the location) or for good clues about new locations that they do not visit (50 x the level of the location).

Finally, the party receives xp for any miscellaneous accomplishments achieved during an expedition (GM's discretion) based on the scale or scope of the achievement. For example, killing 50 goblins would net xp equal to 50 goblins but if that were the entirety of a tribe and the group' so tended goal was to eradicate the tribe or drive them out, that would merit an additional xp award.

Xp awards are always shared evenly among all members of the party surviving at the end of the expedition.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#7 Post by Marullus »

6. Disposition of Property

All land in the Arch-Duchy of Gaul belongs to the Arch-Duke. If buildings or other improvements are placed upon his land, his assessor will perform a valuation of that property every year and assess a fee of 1% of the assessed value of that property by sundown of Winterveil annually. The assessor will issue a deed for the current year, valid until Winterveil of the following year, giving full use and ownership of those facilities to the deed holder. In the absence of a deed, control of the property reverts to the state.

Deeds may be transferred from one party to another at any time through the assessor's office for a fee equal to 5% of the deed's value.

---

Wills may also be issued via the assessor's office, and cost 100gp to draft or 20gp to revise. They may include any number of beneficiaries, and only cover material property (treasure, deeds, items) accessible at the time of the will's execution.

For example, Tristram the Mighty falls in battle defeating the Balfog, but his body (including his two-handed sword of balfog-slaying, +5) falls into a deep chasm. He also has a castle in the goblin forest. Both items are covered in his will, but when the will is executed (the day after the party returns from the expedition in which he was slain) nothing on the body is affected by its execution. This, Tristram's son Fistram is not the legal owner of the sword as stipulated in the will, even if the body is later recovered, along with the sword. The law of the Southmen has very liberal salvage rights.

Similarly, any individual who dies without a will retains legal ownership of all possessions until the Harrowing following his or her demise, if the body is "intact and recovered", thus in a position to be raised. If the body is raised later than the Harrowing following death, all property rights are forfeit.

Similarly, an inheritance dispensation is generally included in any delayed-term contract (item creation, construction, or merchant commission sales) that allows directions for dispensation of goods or funds if the original signer is deceased at the time of delivery, but with a 20% surcharge by the ArchDuke's assayers office for handling the legal claims. These supercede a general will and must be specified at the time the original contract is signed.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#8 Post by Marullus »

7. Miscellaneous Modifiers and Death, Dying & Healing

Modifiers - At my discretion, positive or negative modifiers can be applied to any roll to represent adverse or beneficial circumstances affecting that roll. This can include penalties for firing a weapon at range in bad lighting, using a large weapon in close quarters, attempting to employ relevant materials to magical research, or a host of other ad hoc situations. Any modifiers of this type will be announced before dice are rolled.

Death & Dying - The LL rules as written state that at 0 HP the character dies. In our game, this will be modified thus: at 0 HP, the character is considered to be rendered unconscious and in critical condition. If they receive treatment within one hour of being rendered so unconscious, including warming, provision of a restful and safe environment, etc. (dungeon rooms converted to campsites are dank, crawling with all kinds of horrible diseases, and do not count), then the PC will recover consciousness 6 hours after being provided for, modified by the PC's constitution modifier (so a +2 makes it take 2 fewer hours). The PC will remain at 0 HP until they are able to get a full day's rest.

If the character is reduced to -1 HP or lower in combat or via other means, the PC has only three complete combat rounds to be attended to by another character before they are on the quick slide to death, taking -2hp for each full round (-2 at the beginning of the second, -2 additional for -4 at the beginning of the third, then time is up). No check is required to stabilize a character, but they must be provided for afterward according to the rules above, with the exception that they do not recover consciousness until their HP reaches 0 through normal or magical healing (see below for more details). If they do not receive attention during the combat round following their reduction to negative HP, the player may elect to attempt to self-stabilize. This requires a Save vs. Death roll at a penalty equal to the number of negative HP the character has.

Saves vs Death - A Save vs Death is modified by your CON modifier. The number of +/1 hit points received each level also applies to your Death Save. (CON 13-15 get a +1 bonus to the roll, 6-8 CON get a -1 bonus to the roll, etc.) Also note that sworn followers of Gwanwen receive a bonus on these rolls and that the "well fed/rested" savings throw bonuses also apply. If successful, the PC stabilizes (but must still be cared for later), but will suffer a long-term injury based on the nature of the wound inflicted. The exact nature of this can be negotiated between me and the player OOC based on the circumstances and the severity of the injury.

Poison - If the book describes a poison as fatal, it operates this way under these rules: If the Save vs Poison is failed, the character is reduced immediately to 0 HP and incapacitated as the poison takes effect. This is the same as being unconscious from any other injury above. They then also make a Save vs Death (as above) to find if they die, or live with a long-term injury.

Healing - We will follow LL rules for natural healing: 1d3 restored per full day of rest. This includes no overland travel, no adventuring, etc. Healing can take place while in a semi-permanent camp in the wilderness, but bonuses may be available in designated houses of healing in civilization based on the quality of those facilities, and of course there are no random encounter checks in civilization.

-A character with negative HP will regain consciousness overnight following the day in which he or she is restored to 0 HP or higher.

-An unconscious character with 0 HP who receives magical healing will wake the following combat round and use it recovering his or her wits, but be able to act without penalty in the round after that.

-An unconscious character with negative HP will wake one turn (10 minutes) after being restored to positive HP via magical healing. If the character is merely restored to 0 HP, the character follows the recovery rules above as though they had been rendered unconscious at 0 HP.

Critically wounded characters: If a character is at 0 HP, they can be safely transported while being carried by someone or on a stretcher or similar device.

If they are at negative hit points, they must first be stabilized by resting overnight before they can risk being moved. (Moving them anyway does 1d2 hp damage per turn.) After that, they cannot safely be moved by being carried directly, but they can be borne by a stretcher, litter or wagon. However, doing so inflicts 1d2 points of damage per day of travel in this fashion.

If a character reaches -10 hp, they can no longer be stabilized and they die.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#9 Post by Marullus »

8. Critical Hits and Misses

About 10% of the time, a natural 1 or natural 20 will come up on a ranged or melee attack roll. The following are the special rules to govern these circumstances, in addition to the rule that a 20 will always hit and a 1 will always miss, no matter the target.

-A natural 20 on an attack roll will allow the active player the option of dealing minimum possible damage with that attack (as though all relevant dice rolled 1s) and inflicting a context appropriate impediment on the target. This could be a disarm, a hamstring attack that slows movement, knocking the target over, etc. I will be the final arbiter of whether the desired effect works within the context, but in general the goal is to provide some extra oomph to the attack.

-Alternately, the attacker can choose to maximize the possible damage from the attack. Dice are rolled normally – the result is either the dice rolled x2 (then plus strength modifier) or maximum damage, as though all dice rolled their maximum values, whichever is higher.

---

-If an attacker rolls a 1, I will inflict a context-appropriate impediment on the active character, roughly analogous to the impediments created by critical hit rolls. These could be: broken or dropped weapons, lost actions, minor penalties, undesirable interactions with the environment (such as striking a flask of volatile fluid with a stray sling stone), and so forth.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#10 Post by Marullus »

9. Settling In, or Building the World one Brick at a Time

Character-driven improvements may be essential (or at least useful) for long-term prosperity in the region of Gaul.

Right now, the town of Gaul has a small number of utilitarian buildings, a stout stone wall around it, and enough residents and residences to keep all of this functioning. There are really no luxuries (unless you count the Tavern), and there are no specialized services. This will limit the PCs in the long run as their needs grow in proportion to their abilities and accomplishments (and loot).

Thus, there are two main routes to upgrading the Arch-Duchy's infrastructure: player-initiated improvements and player-responsive improvements. I'll tackle them in reverse order.

1. Player-Responsive Improvements

The PCs need stuff, and they will need even more stuff as time goes by. Ideally, the residents of the town (both current and future) will be eager to make a profit by targeting those needs with services (like the ad hoc Assessor's office money-changing service for a nominal fee to limit coin loads).

However, this won't happen automatically in response to every expressed need. Basically, I will always be watching and thinking about two things: 1) does the expressed need recur and is there a likelihood that it will recur often enough to create the incentive for someone to set up a service like this?, and 2) are there resources available for this service to be provided?

In the case of the coin-load issue, it's easy to say that the official treasury has a reasonable stock of platinum coins that can be issued to adventurers. On the other hand, gems are a bit harder to come by because they are not quite so ubiquitous. If someone struck a lode and set up a gem mine in the region, suddenly converting to gems might be easier, and various related and necessary services might grow up around that new resource.

This will be the case for pretty much anything, including needs the adventurers might observably have that they never directly express, if there is market opportunity staring me in the face. Basically, any situation in which there are adequate resources and I find a way to bleed money out of the adventurers' pockets (willingly), something will likely crop up. It might not be ideal, but it will be something.

2. Player-Initiated Improvements

This is a much bigger and broader range of upgrade, and is built upon the players' desire to create amenities for themselves based on their own agendas and desires. It can be anything from personal housing to fortifications to financing of new services or establishment of organizations within or outside of the town's limits--in fact, a lot of expansion will have to be outside the town's current limits, given how narrow the area within the walls. Building done in-town or adjacent to town will receive a new thread in the (IC) Settlement - Gaul sub-forum accordingly. If a new settlement is established outside the town's limits, it will receive a new (IC) Settlement sub-forum and be a place that PCs can travel to IC. A new settlement also is required to be complete before receiving the followers at 9th level that different classes may receive.

Essentially, the PC will go into Town Business and say "I want to find someone to do X", and I will assess what natural and personnel resources are available, and provide a cost and time estimate to make this happen. It could be the crafting of a small item that you carry on your person, or the construction of a monolithic citadel on the side of the Finger of Doom--these are both possibilities if you can get the resources aligned right. I will provide some basic guidelines for structure building here, to get the ball rolling since some of the PCs have money and might be considering something like this (remember that any building will require a deed once it is constructed).

A single-person or one-couple house of modest design will cost about 100gp in imported wood or 200gp in imported stone (there are no native harvesting operations at present) and require one month of labor to construct for a single worker. That normal human workers will earn approximately 1gp per day to do the necessary work, so the sum would be 130gp for wood and 230gp for a stone house and take 30 days to complete start to finish. If multiple workers are available, they will earn the same sum per day, but each worker will decrease the time the construction takes according to the following formula, where N is the number of workers:

60 days/N+1

So 2 workers would take 20 days, 3 workers would take 15 days, 4 workers would take 12 days, and so on.

This time and the material costs will all be established when the construction (or an estimate) is sought, and the PC is free to provide some of the materials if they are available from their personal stocks. Other races can only be added as laborers through roleplay. PCs may include themselves as laborers if they're willing to spend the time to do so. Any dwarves on a labor crew count as two workers for the calculation of time required. If a labor crew is working in a hex that is not adjacent to the town of Gaul, then the hiring PC must also provide housing, food, and security for the duration of the project. (Anyone hired to provide security, PC or NPC, doesn't count towards the laborers for time calculation.)

3. Advanced Construction:

If you want to build an edifice, you can just ask for a package deal of a given sum and I'll put something together for you. If you want to draw up a map, include extra fun details, etc., then we need to start itemizing things.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and I'll be listing costs for stone construction first, adding wood values in later. Costs may change as material becomes more readily available.

All prices listed are for sandstone or limestone construction. Technically, they have different limitations that would equate to different prices for different types of objects, but for the sake of everyone's sanity I'm going to lump them under the shared category of low quality construction material.

Walls (per 10' section):
Ground level, one level only: 10gp
Ground level, can support upper stories: 18gp
Upper level, top: 8gp
Upper level, can support further stories: 15gp
Underground (includes 10x10 excavation): 20gp at basement level, 30gp further down

Floors (per 10'x10' section): 5gp

Standard roof:
-Wood peaked: 2sp/SQFT
-Wood flat: 1sp/SQFT
-Stone peaked: 5sp/SQFT
-Stone flat: 1gp/SQFT

Vaulted ceilings/domes: the length of the shorter side of the chamber squared (so a 40x40 domed ceiling would cost 1600gp), but an 80x40 vaulted ceiling would cost the same (though the rest of the room would be more expensive).

Doors (each):
Standard wood: 5gp
Locked wood: 30gp
Standard iron/steel: 25gp
Locked iron/steel: 50gp
Secret: by specific request--typically a concealed door will be double the cost, but any additional features would be negotiated. This price is only good for initial construction. Adding secret doors to existing construction tends to be extremely expensive.
One-way: +5gp to door cost
Portcullis: 250gp per 10' width. Requires a 10x10 room for housing the operating mechanism, and controls must be placed within 20' of the portcullis (can be further based on specific request).

Furniture:
Wood chair: 1gp
Wood bed: 5gp
Iron sconce: 3gp
Window:
-Open: 5gp
-Glazed: 30gp
Wood dresser or cabinet: 8gp
Wood desk or table: 5gp
Impressive wood desk or table: 20gp
Very large wood table (mead hall or meeting hall): 50gp
Wood bench (seats 3): 2gp
Iron bench (seats 3): 15gp
Long wooden bench (seats 8): 10gp
Stone fireplace with chimney: 20gp
Stone fireplace (two sided): 30gp

Samples:
Here are player-made sample prices for towers for those who are struggling with the math above (price includes two dwarves or six humans).

Towers:
40' diameter, round, 5 story, cellar: 2,100 gp
40' diameter, round, 4 story, cellar: 1,800 gp
40' diameter, round, 4 story, no cellar: 1,475 gp
30' diameter, round, 5 story, cellar: 1,450 gp
30' diameter, round, 4 story, cellar: 1,225 gp
30' diameter, round, 4 story, no cellar: 1,030 gp
30' square, 5 story, cellar: 1,750
30' square, 4 story, cellar: 1,460
30' square, 4 story, no cellar: 1,230
30' square, 3 story, no cellar: 940
20' square, 5 story, cellar: 1,100
20' square, 5 story, no cellar: 990
20' square, 4 story, no cellar: 810
20' square, 3 story, cellar: 730

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#11 Post by Marullus »

10. Magic and Magical Items

Recognizing Magic Items:
In LL by the book, it is very hard without lots of cash or access to an obscenely high level magic user to reliably identify magic items, leaving parties primarily to rely on trial and error. I am introducing the following house rules to make this SLIGHTLY easier given the lack of high powered resources in this campaign (making even huge sums of cash ineffective at present).

-spell books and scrolls
Any elf or magic user can recognize either arcane or divine scrolls as such without the aid of a detect magic or other spell, though not the exact contents, which requires Read Magic. Any cleric can recognize the contents of a clerical scroll, and employ any clerical scroll of their deity, no matter the level of the cleric of the scroll.

Any elf or magic user can recognize a spell book from its cover and the ubiquitous wizard's sigil, which is present as information and warning. Most powerful wizards widely publicize their sigils, inscribing them in all their works in some way, a de facto warning to any who would usurp or abuse their property about who they would be crossing. The elf or magic user will be able to tell how many spells are inside, and of what level, but will only recognize spells they know without Read Magic support. Even with Read Magic, a caster can only decipher spells up to one level higher than they can currently cast--higher than that and the principles are simply too complex.

Other types of books can be found as well besides those containing finished magical formulas. Some books contain magical research notes and will grant a bonus to Magical Research in a topic area (see Research into new spells, here). These books can be written in other languages (requiring knowledge of that language or a Read Languages spell) or in magical notation (requiring Read Magic spell). Other tomes are invested with a portion of soul to be a true magical items in themselves - these can be differentiated with Detect Magic and the effects of reading them can be dire or beneficial.

-magic weapons and armor
Upon discovery, any character can immediately determine whether a weapon or piece of armor they are capable of using is magical, and what its base enchantment level is (the +x bonus). If it possesses any secondary traits, spell-like abilities or intelligence, those must be discovered via trial and error or extended arcane study (see the section below).

-miscellaneous magical items
Items that are not armor or weapons will be impossible to identify as magical without arcane study or the use of Detect Magic. Their abilities can only be discovered via trial and error or extended arcane study.

Perceiving Magic

Two spells are important to understanding and researching magic, Detect Magic and Read Magic. They operate in slightly different ways, and ascribe to the philosophy articulated under the "On Magic" section.

Read Magic
Every wizard works in a specific idiom in which they "make sense" of what they do magically. When wizards transcribe things in magical notation (which all magic users and elves can do with their own spellbooks) they do so in their own idiom. This spell is like a "magical translator." It works to translate another wizard's idiom into something understandable in one's own idiom. This is necessary for learning from the scrolls or spellbooks of others. However, it also reveals:
  • The idiom that the original caster worked in, which tells about them.
  • Any other information written in magical notation in a book.
  • Information on the function, age, and idiom of other magically-written things such as runes, wards, or seals.
Detect Magic
Detect Magic is not about written magical notation, it is like "magic-perceiving glasses" - it expands perception to see magical energies at work in the world. This can easily allow the separation of magical and non-magical items, as the book describes. However, it also can do the following:
  • Discern Imbued Items from Created Items. (See more information in the On Magicsection and on Heroic Items (i.e. imbued))
  • Discern the idiom of the creator of Created Items.
  • Discern information about the previous owner of an Imbued item. (i.e. someone who put XP into it)
  • Discern information about magical locations.
  • Aid in research of spells and magic items (being able to cast Detect Magic during a week of research allows a +1 bonus).
Conducting Magical Research on Items:
Extended arcane study consists of an elf or magic user closeting him or herself with the item in a secure space for up to eight hours every day for a week or more, making detailed notes on the item's various properties and comparing these with known arcane principles and correspondences until the nature of the item can be derived.

This process requires concentration, relaxation, and good lighting. It can take place in an inn room or suite, a castle or a wizard's tower, but not in the wilds or while adventuring, or in the public sleeping room of an inn.

At the end of an uninterrupted week (7 days) of arcane study, an elf or magic user can test to determine one property of an item, by rolling their level or less on 1d20. The researcher gets a cumulative -1 on that roll for each of the following: regular access to a magical library; a personal workshop space with equipment worth 1,000gp or more; if the research is taking place in the caster's own wizard tower, if the nature of the item’s atunement and the wizard’s idiom are aligned. Only one ability or trait of the item is discovered per successful test, any any command words for discovered abilities must be separately researched or discovered via trial and error. Research to discover command words gets a base -2 bonus to the test, and can be explicitly sought in advance if the ability is known.

The first successful test after the last ability of the item is discovered with confirm that all abilities are known.

Research into existing magic items is generally safer than research into new magical spells, which use similar rolls for Research. Those rules can be found here.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#12 Post by Marullus »

11. Mixing Ranged and Melee Combat:

If a character fires a ranged weapon into melee combat, any miss will strike another target in the same melee if the die roll is odd (the 1d20 roll, not the result after modifiers). It will then deal damage to a randomly-selected target among all the combatants in the melee.

The criteria for being in the same melee are that the character must either:

1. Be the target of attacks from the original target.

2. Be attacking the original target in melee.

Or

3. Be actively engaging one of the characters in 1 or 2, above, in melee.

This means that multiple distinct melees can be taking place near one another if there is no overlap in character engagement between them. I.e. A and B can be targeting one another while C is attacking D and D, E and F are all attacking C. In this case, a missed attack against C could strike D, E or F but neither A nor B. If either A or B were attacking C, then everyone would be in the same melee.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#13 Post by Marullus »

12. Monuments, Tributes, and the High Life

OK, based on some hard-thinking on rewards and on some of the conversation going on in the discussion thread on rewards, here are some additional ways you can pick up rewards, this time by spending cash.

A. Monuments to Fallen Adventurers

Sometimes you want to do more than tell stories. Sometimes, you want everyone to know, even those that come long after you pass on, that there was a hero or heroine or trusted friend or ally, or vigilant protector, or wise wizard, or noble leader. You want their memory to live on.

When an adventurer has died or disappeared during an expedition, and news of it reaches town OR six months have passed since the adventurer disappeared (in the case of a whole group going lost in the wild with no survivors, for example), a PC who traveled at least once with the missing/lost PC may initiate a collection to establish a monument to the individual.

Any PC, while in town after the date that the monument fund collection begins, can donate up to 100gp in cash or other valuables to the fund per level of the lost character. Only one donation, at one time, may be made per character. Any number of PCs may contribute to the memorial fund.

The organizing PC can close the collection at any date in which they are in town, and construction of the monument will begin based on the money collected and the desires of the organizing PC (and local zoning laws). Once the monument has been constructed, the next PC created by the memorialized PC's player will gain starting XP based on the total value of the monument, on a one-to-one basis (so a 2,000gp monument would give their starting character 2,000xp to begin). At the same time, all PCs who donated to the fund will immediately receive XP equal to half of the cash or item value donated.

B. Tributes to Living Adventurers

There is a reason that Big Bad End Guys all have rooms full of statues of themselves: it's called self-investment, and it is an effective strategy for consolidating your power and building your influence. Once per level, any PC can elect to create a tribute to themselves or any one other living PC. That tribute involves a cash or item-value contribution of 100gp per level of the tributee, and the result is some kind of marker or work that promotes the good (or bad) name of the tributee, determined by the one making the tribute. The tributee immediately gains XP equal to the value of the tribute.

C. Tributes to Expeditions

Gaul is populated by those willing to travel here to find something... more. The legends, in tale and song, that arise from expeditions into the wilderness are popular tavern fare. If a dramatic tale or song is composed and told in the tavern (written and posted by a player from the expedition), the teller gets 100xp and everyone on that expedition gains 50xp. [A 1d20 CHA check will be made by the GM, modified by the quality of the post, to see if it is catchy enough. If it succeeds, the XP is awarded and the tale will be immortalized in the Songs of Gaul thread. If it fails, they get heckled instead. The group can pay 100gp to a minstrel in the tavern and ensure the test passes instead. Only one test per expedition.]

D. Living the High (Communal) Life

Throughout the year are scattered a number of festival days, all of which have different purposes and meanings depending on the population, but they are all commonly celebrated by the people. PCs can get involved in the life of the community by contributing funds or goods to assist in the celebration of these holidays. If a PC is in town on a festival day, he or she may donate any amount of cash (and cash only) to assist in the celebrations. That PC immediately gains XP equal to the number of gold pieces donated, and of course the appreciation of the community.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#14 Post by Marullus »

13. Festival Days

Festival days come five times per year and are days of high pageantry, transition and confluence. They are the days most likely to have import for the gods and their relations with mortals, and they are a good opportunity for socialization.

To represent the somewhat unique chance that this gives on a number of fronts, and seeing as we are approaching the first of these on the calendar, this is how they will work.

When the first PC's time stamp reaches a festival day and they are in a settlement, I will ask them if they plan to remain there during the festival. If so, I will create a new expedition for the festival in that location and populate it with that PC.

As PCs reach that time stamp and are in the same location, they will have the option to join that expedition as well. These expeditions are exempt from the rule of one PC per player. Since it will mainly be socialization, information-sharing and the like, there is no real down-side.

Festival day threads will have another purpose as well. Higher-profile consequences of PC actions during the season prior will generally play out in the festival threads: knighting or conferring of titles, public recognition, inauguration of new orders or christening of new facilities will take place then, as it is an auspicious time. Other, less expected kinds of things might also take place, some subtle and some less so.

Finally, there will be the chance to see how the PCs' donations have been put to use to improve the festivities and the community.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#15 Post by Marullus »

14. Divinity and Clerics

The gods are real and they are not far away, which any fool knows just by observing the miracles that are performed on a regular basis by the faithful. In some parts of the world, the supernatural powers of one clergy or another are the only thing keeping humanity from ruin.

That said, the gods are jealous of their powers and use them to support and sustain their faithful. With a plurality of deities, each with their own agenda, their miracles are both a boon and a recruitment tool. If miracles are for the faithful only, it's a good reinforcement of piety where the clergy exists.

On festival days, the boundaries between the mortal and divine realms weaken and unusually powerful divine occurrences are more likely.

In addition, gods often communicate with their most faithful via dreams and, at a higher order, through direct manifestation. Each time a cleric increases in level, he or she will receive a visitation from his or her deity indicating how he/she can most be of service to the faith at that time.

Further, if the cleric engages in behavior contrary to his or her faith in an ongoing or egregious manner, a visitation is also likely to attempt to correct this behavior. If it persists, revocation of clerical powers is likely until a suitable atonement can be made. For clerics of sixth level or higher, a specific atonement is never mandated: it is the burden of the cleric to find a suitably challenging task that will benefit the faith to undertake and complete, or die in the attempt to be redeemed.

To guide the behavior of their followers, all deities have three foundational tenets that inform all their circumstantial beliefs. They also have a prohibition, describing the cost required of those who solicit the faithful for divine aid (like healing). The three primary deities of the Southlands will be defined. If a PC wishes to introduce a new deity, please provide the three tenets of the faith and the prohibition for approval.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#16 Post by Marullus »

Titles and Rank

Within the Southlands, because of the strong influence of Baudh over the ages, the traditions of nobility are well documented and consistent. Below are some of the highlights.

Many of the ranks listed below are invested, or inherited. This means that the title will continue through the heir of the family so long as one exists and the title does as well. Even the liege lord of the Oboe cannot remove the title in order to assign it to another: the only remedy if the liege is dissatisfied is to expunge the dynasty and dispossess the family in order to grant property (and a different title) to another. Because this is a violent process and creates mistrust and upheaval, it is avoided at all costs.

Ranks and Positions:


1. Knight - this title also accompanies the title of Sir or Lady and is not hereditary, but is appended with a location-based suffix based on the Liege that they have sworn oaths to in receiving the title. (Any swearing to ArchDuke Gaul will be Sir So-and-So, Knight of Gaul, for example.) Many southern knights gain the rank by training in the families of nobility and becoming trusted soldiers and leaders of men. To be titled as a Knight, one must swear loyalty to both God and Man, with vows to Baudh specifically and to a Liege Lord. (See Deities for more on the Order of Knights.)

1. Lord or Lady - this title is an honorific bestowed upon a property-holder who has provided support to the reigning lord of the region. It is not hereditary, and may not be combined with a suffix. Upon the death of the honoree, the liege has the option of reclaiming direct possession of any holdings if there is no viable heir, or if the liege does not trust the party bequeathed with the holdings. Any titled landholder is expected to keep a garrison, or a retinue of men at arms that can defend his/her territory and property as well as come when called upon by the liege lord.

3. Baron - If an individual is granted the power to retain land-holding vassals (Lords/Ladies) and Knights as a liege in his or her own right, the traditional title of Baron or Baroness is accorded. This increase in rights and status must be explicitly given by the noble's liege, who must be a Duke or higher.

4. Duke - if the noble's liege approves and is a Marquis or higher, the noble may be granted the power to promote their vassals to the rank of Baron, thus allowing them the right to keep their own vassals. This is a significant jump in authority and responsibility--while a Baron might have four to six land-holding knights under his responsibility, each with up to several dozen military men on hand, a Duke could potentially be responsible for the same number of Baronies, without direct access to and getting of the Barons' vassals, since the authority to retain vassals lies exclusively with the liege in question. This move simultaneously multiplies the scale of personnel while creating distance between the noble and the individual knights, who are generally the problem-causers. Thus, a Duke generally needs to have a strong power base and a great amount of trust in his or her Barons or internal conflict is likely. In fact, most Dukes' public lives are spent holding off an inevitable-seeming stream of civil wars-in-waiting.

The title of Arch-Duke is given to a Duke with a broad scope of territory to control, and thus an unlimited capacity to retain Barons (the traditional limit is 7, rarely exceeded except by an Arch-Duke).

5. Marquis -

6. Prince -

7. King -

8. Emperor -

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#17 Post by Marullus »

Dogs and Trained Animals

Note that currently this only is relevant for animals bought at character generation. Nobody in Gaul trains dogs, although someone COULD do so if motivated, and certainly nobody sells dogs or trained dogs in town.

---

Dogs that you'd want to use for adventuring all use the wolf base stats (2+2hd, AC 7, d6 damage, ML7), and you start with a guard dog as your base. It has two trainings for its 25gp cost.
For each 15gp you want to spend in addition, you can get one of the following abilities: (choose up to 3 maximum)

(standard guard dog)
- Defend: defend its master from any assailant, unless commanded not to
- Guard: bark at strangers that approach too closely, lessening chance of surprise

(additional)
-Attack on command (creatures same size or smaller than itself, not humanoids--basic hunting training)
-Fearless (will defend itself against larger opponents and attack larger on command if it is trained to attack, +1 Morale bonus)
-Tracking (can be instructed to find traces of and follow the scent of a single creature type--birds, dogs, goblins, humans, dragons, etc.)
-Fetch (can be commanded to retrieve an item in sight that it can carry in its jaws)
-Messenger (can be commanded to return to a specific location--must have been there for a full day to train it to recognize the location so the command can be understood)
- Tame (required first for non-domestic animals which rely on flight rather than fight)

(See non-proficiency skills for other options.)

Other trainable animals of dog-size or less are possible (ravens, cats, ferrets, etc) at equivalent costs. For 40gp base cost any more exotic pet gets two training items of choice. Then pay 15gp for each additional level of training.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#18 Post by Marullus »

On Magic:

Intentional Magic
I like to think of magic as half art and half science, no matter the type we're talking about.
  • Clerical magic is a mix of the established ceremonies and prayers of the faith, a deep understanding of the principles by which the patron deity operates (science), and a powerful faith, passion and desire to do the will of that patron in whatever form is necessary (art). This is a combination of the personal and the impersonal.
  • The same is true of magic-user magic from the Southern Lands (where all PCs come from). There are countless volumes of theory on the subject, principles at work and formula that must be closely followed, but in the end those external realities must be translated into a language and symbology that speak directly to the mind of the practitioner, that make the sometimes contradictory and always complex jumble of magic transparent to the caster. (Most magic user PCs will have Symbology as one of their idioms as a result.)
  • There are other lost theories of magic which will eventually be uncovered in the game, but all of them will have some organizing principle (science) and the flair of the practitioner (art).
What this means is that magic that is externalized also possesses both of these qualities--the universal and the personal. Thus, every magical item or cast spell bears the imprint of its maker in some distinctive (if often subtle) way. Every magical item a wizard crafts will bear her mark, that of his magical idiom. All characters will be required to state their own idiom when they reach second level, but may declare it sooner at their option.

This can provide vital clues to figuring out the function of an item if the creator is known. Certain tendencies and habits are passed along a wizardly lineage from master to student, and isolating the idiosyncratic elements from analysis of an item can bring the important functional qualities into sharper relief.

On the universal side, there are several principles at work, and they form the bulk of what is considered arcane experimentation or research.

First, divinely-oriented objects will always have a deity to which they are consecrated and from which they draw their power. The iconography of this deity will always be prominently displayed on the item, but given the age of some items it may be of unusual or obscure design, or relate to a deity no longer worshipped--or even a different aspect of a known deity.

Second, all magical items have their functioning enhanced beyond a mere background trickle of magical energy through the power of sympathy. For deities, specific materials or shapes are special and create a stronger conduit for the flow of energy. For arcane items, specific shapes, images and materials have strong sympathetic/representational resonances with different activities, elements, or domains. The most commonly-recognized by non-wizards is the strong bond between rubies and fire. Rubies have many more connections of varying strengths, but much of a wizard's arcane library is records of these kinds of associations, histories of past use, and comparative strength tables. Referring to these texts, carefully collected over generations, offers the ability to effectively analyze items as well as to craft their own with a good chance of success.

Any time you find a magical item, these principles are at work: no exceptions. Especially in an environment relatively limited as this one is, every magical item has its own distinctive origin.

Natural Magic

The principles above describe mostly Intentional Magic, which is responsible for Created Items. This is when magic is manipulated intentionally by a practitioner to serve a purpose defined by their own will and intention. There is also Natural Magic, however, which works in the world without a guiding hand and which results in Imbued Items.

One form of Imbued Items are the Heroic Items described here. With a Heroic Item, the essence of an individual acting dramatically upon the world impresses itself onto their cherished belongings. This is considered a form of natural magic and cannot be intentionally shaped by the character (though it is decided by the player and DM). It typically manifests in an improved ability to use an item for the purpose for which the character was employing it.

Imbued Items also can naturally occur from other sources. A potent magical phenomena at a location may have an impact on items, plants, or animals associated with the location. Components derived from a magical creature (similar to the power of sympathy above) might impart a magical capability upon things crafted from them which align with their nature. Because of this, collecting magical creature parts as antecedents for crafting items is profitable, but with different views by different religions/cultures.

Cultural Views on Magic

Society typically views natural magic and intentional magic distinctly. This is a high-fantasy world - most commoners have seen or heard of an item impacted by natural magic, a magical creature, or a magical place. It is generally accepted that magic is naturally part of "how things work." Most have not, however, met an intentional wizard who can bend the rules of the nature to their whim.

This will come into play with how the different religions of Gaul react to each category type.
  • Baudh followers willingly support the use of intentional magic for lawful purposes, and most wizard schools in the southern lands exist in urban places where Baudh predominates. Since Baudh honors the role and right of strength in the world, it recognizes Imbued Items as the evidence of the spiritually-strong. Imbued items are given a degree of reverie, and the church will accept donation of imbued items for its display collection.
  • Gwanwen followers oppose intentional magic, as it opposes the natural order for personal will/gain. They are accepting of natural magic and imbued items.
  • Eruanna followers do not differentiate between natural and intentional magic, accepting the use of either for the cause of Good.
Please see the Cultural Views on Magic section in the Background material thread for further detail. Please see their IC threads in the Town for what the religious organizations offer regarding magic items.

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#19 Post by Marullus »

Transcription: Or, the Subtle Art of Spellomancy

In order for a magic-user or elf to memorize a spell, they must have access to that spell in a spellbook carried on their person.

There are four avenues that a spellcaster can following to add a spell to his or her book:

1. Transcribe from Another Spellbook

Spells written in another spellcaster's book are completely useless to you, until they have been transcribed into the magic-user's own magical idiom. To transcribe spells in this way, translating the necessary symbols and formulae into a new spellbook, requires the Read Magic spell, one empty page (standard spellbooks have 25 pages and can be purchased to have up to 50), two days, and 50gp in materials per spell level. These days must be spent with uninterrupted access to the source text, and the end result is automatic success in transcribing the spell.

2. Transcribe from a Scroll

This process is identical to 1, above, except that instead of a spellbook, a scroll of the spell is needed. It takes the same amount of time and resources, and the scroll is consumed in the process of transcription.

3. Personal Instruction

A spell may be taught by one spellcaster to another spellcaster through personal instruction - spending enough time working together on the concepts to translate it from one idiom to the other and then enabling the student to record it in their spellbook. (This is the primary method used by Elves who do not have knowledge of the Read Magic spell.) This works the same as transcribing from a spell book, but requires the dedicated time from both instructor and student.

4. Research (Science!!!)

This process requires a spellcaster to have equipped laboratory facilities and a library in which to work. The spellcaster can elect to attempt to re-create a spell that they are aware of (or have heard about), or one they have seen in action, or to create an entirely new effect, without texts to work from.

The basic needs are: 1000gp value laboratory facilities and library; gold; time.

The spellcaster describes to the LL what effect they are attempting to research/create, and the LL decides what spell level this will be. Then, the spellcaster devotes one week of uninterrupted research time per spell level along with consuming 250gp 100gp per spell level in raw experimental materials.

At the end of this time period, the spellcaster rolls 1d20 to determine success, with the following modifiers:
+1 per level of the PC
+1 per apprentice involved in the research
+1 per full 10,000gp 5,000gp value of library used
+1 per previous unsuccessful attempt to research this spell (continuous)
-1 per spell level

If the final modified roll is 20 or higher, the research is successful and the proposed spell may be added to the spellcaster's spellbook.

If the roll on the die is a 1, and the final modified total is 10 or lower, something has gone wrong in the course of the research. Roll 2d6:

2: Conflagration! The spellcaster takes 1d10 points of damage per spell level of effect being researched (not reducible), his or her home is destroyed, and each apprentice or other occupant of the wizard's home survives the effects only on a 1 in d6. The same is true for each spellbook or magical item in the magic-user's possession or those of the occupants of the facility.

3: Mishap! Roll a d6. On a 1, the spellcaster is damaged by the magical forces unleashed and receives 1d6 damage per spell level of the researched item. For each die of damage received, if a 4 is rolled then the spellcaster gains a magically-induced deformity that may reduce an attribute by 1 or influence their appearance in a significant way.

4-5: Oops! One of the spellcaster's apprentices is slain in a laboratory accident. If there are no apprentices supporting the activity, one of the spellcaster's magic items or spellbooks is destroyed on a d6 roll of 5+.

6-8: Library Fire. d4 x10% of the spellcaster's library is lost.

9-10: Forgetful. One of the lowest-level spells the spellcaster has in his or her spellbooks is randomly erased, and all knowledge of the spell disappears from his or her mind as well. The spellcaster may never re-learn this spell through any means, including research. It is gone for good.

11: Tapped Into Something. The spellcaster gains a new and unusual feature somehow connected with the effect being researched, that will always be unpleasant and distinctive but not actively deleterious.

12: Opened a Gateway. This is the sort of thing modules are written about. Meddling with powerful forces sometimes opens a doorway to somewhere else, and it's usually not intentional or safe. The strength of the resulting effects are based on the level of spell being researched, and are determined at the LL's discretion.

---

Scribing a Scroll

A spellcaster can create a spell scroll of any spell they current know (this includes clerics), at the cost of one sheet of parchment, one day and 50gp per spell level, in addition to the cost/sacrifice of any special casting components that have unique prices or rarities. Clerics, however, pay double the cost in materials (100gp per spell level) as donations or tithes to their deity.


Laboratory Equipment - A Reference Guide

Prices included below are base for these item types of laboratory quality, and can vary depending on quality and location of purchase.

An aludel, for condensing vapors - 50gp
A still, for refining and fermenting substances - 75gp
A selection of hermetically-sealed containers (4) - 25gp, 25gp, 50gp, 75gp based on size
An alembic, for distillation of liquids and essences - 250gp
A ceramic retort, for simple distillation of dry substances - 50gp
A mortar and pestle, for grinding dry substances - 25gp
A small crucible, for reducing substances by fire - 50gp
A large brazier, for heating larger substances and compounds, and reduction or large elements by fire (if used with an appropriate container) - 250gp
A set of silver razored medical dissection tools - 100gp

User avatar
Marullus
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 17901
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:41 am

Re: How This Works: House Rules and Clarifications

#20 Post by Marullus »

Turning the Undead - Clarifying Rules

Once per day (measured sunrise to sunrise), a Cleric may attempt to turn a given undead or group of undead. This limit is strict regardless of success or failure of that attempt.

Attempting to turn undead takes a full combat round and may not be combined with other non-movement actions.

Turning undead attempts to use the force of the cleric's faith to protect him or her from harm. If the cleric combines a turning attempt with movement away from the undead they are attempting to turn, the effort automatically fails as their resolve falters.

Undead, when massed, are pack animals and rely on the most powerful among them as their champions and leaders--therefore, the difficulty to turn undead is always based on the most difficult-to-turn monsters in a given group.

If the cleric's level is higher than the highest HD of undead being turned, a modifier equal to the difference is added to the number of HD of undead turned (i.e., a ninth-level cleric turning a group of 6 HD undead would gain a +3 modifier to the roll to determine number of HD turned or destroyed).

If a cleric has been rebuked by his or her deity and is actively seeking atonement, the cleric turns undead as though they were half their current level (rounded up).

Post Reply

Return to “Lab Lord: The North Marches”