Arcana Unearthed Campaign

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-03-31 12:18pm

Since most of my players have expressed an interest in playing a game using the variant players handbook Arcana Unearthed, I shall be starting one after our Forgotten Realms campaign ends. It will be based in my own homebrewed world, called Anksjarl (the giantish name for it.) All classes and races from the Arcana Unearthed players handbook is open, as well as the following races and classes:
Classes: Cleric, barbarian
Races: Orc, half-orc, hobgoblin (level adjustment +1), drow (level adjustment +2)
Starting level is 4. Feats can be drawn from Arcana Unearthed freely, feats and classes from specialty books such as Tome and Blood, etc, must be announced and ratified by yours truly.

Spells include all spells from Arcana Unearthed and a small selection of custom spells that I will provide. Any equipment is allowed, provided you have the cash for it. (See the DMG for starting cash.)

Anksjarl: Most of Anksjarl won't concern you, but there is one major note: Magic is distrusted, and in some places magic users are outright hunted down and killed. Witches, runethanes, and magisters especially are ostracized. Be very wary if you choose a spellcasting class. The people inhabiting the Runs of Envera (your starting point) are slightly more tolerant of magic users, but the local goverment discourages open magic usage.
More to come later.
So, any takers?

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2004-03-31 12:42pm

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-03-31 12:49pm

lazerus wrote:j0

Thank you kindly for such a witty reply.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-03-31 07:10pm

I will be playing a Mojh Magister... Damn the witch hunts!

Crom · Post by **Crom** » 2004-04-01 04:59am

I am interested but I'm unexperienced when it comes to role-playing via a forum, how does it work? For instance, when I am busy and away from the board, do I arrange a surrogate player? Does the DM do all the die rolling?

Anyway, I would love to join.

My character: Ra-Tindal giant Warmain 4.

How do you want char-gen to work? Will we require gen-ing up a true name?

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2004-04-01 09:09pm

So, when are we doing this?

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-04-01 09:21pm

Crom wrote:I am interested but I'm unexperienced when it comes to role-playing via a forum, how does it work? For instance, when I am busy and away from the board, do I arrange a surrogate player? Does the DM do all the die rolling?

Anyway, I would love to join.

My character: Ra-Tindal giant Warmain 4.

How do you want char-gen to work? Will we require gen-ing up a true name?

You can assign a surrogate player, yes, but it is not necessary (though highly recommended). Also, I will be doing all the dice rolling, but this time, all dice rolls will be posted pubicly, except of course stealth rolls and the like.
Initiative will be strictly enforced, this is why I highly recommend that EVERYONE have a backup player. I don't like delaying combat for a day just because a single player isnt on.
PM your truenames to me, you can decide to tell your fellow PCs your truename or not.
Character generation will be done by using the standard point buy system. (See the DMG)

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2004-04-01 09:22pm

My DMG went poopy. I've been using the SRD.

CAn you post the Point Buy System?>

Crom · Post by **Crom** » 2004-04-01 10:38pm

Captain tycho wrote:You can assign a surrogate player, yes, but it is not necessary (though highly recommended). Also, I will be doing all the dice rolling, but this time, all dice rolls will be posted pubicly, except of course stealth rolls and the like.
Initiative will be strictly enforced, this is why I highly recommend that EVERYONE have a backup player. I don't like delaying combat for a day just because a single player isnt on.
PM your truenames to me, you can decide to tell your fellow PCs your truename or not.
Character generation will be done by using the standard point buy system. (See the DMG)

Is there an online Char-Sheet we are to be using?

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-04-01 11:18pm

Crom wrote:
Captain tycho wrote:You can assign a surrogate player, yes, but it is not necessary (though highly recommended). Also, I will be doing all the dice rolling, but this time, all dice rolls will be posted pubicly, except of course stealth rolls and the like.
Initiative will be strictly enforced, this is why I highly recommend that EVERYONE have a backup player. I don't like delaying combat for a day just because a single player isnt on.
PM your truenames to me, you can decide to tell your fellow PCs your truename or not.
Character generation will be done by using the standard point buy system. (See the DMG)
Is there an online Char-Sheet we are to be using?

http://www.3eprofiler.net/. Easy, fast, and simple.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-04-02 12:50am

The campaign will start at the mercenary keep of Ingoseld, the main base of the Order of the Frozen Hand, a group of mercenaries that are usually hired out to protect nearby towns from the frequent orc and drow attacks. Everyone playing will start out inside the keep itself, lured there by the promise of gold and battle. Drow and orc attacks have increased tenfold within the past months, when winter began, and already 2 of the nearby towns have been burnt to the ground. Meanwhile, an army from the kingdom of Muadarn, in the south, has ordered everyone in the region to pay tribute to their God-Emperor or be killed. There are strong suggestions that the Muadarnians are nudging the orcs and drow into attacking, but no concrete links have yet been made. The Muadarnian's have a paltry sum of troops, but promise that anyone who rises against them will be met by a much larger force lying to the south. Other neighboring kingdoms have begun moving in troops, reluctant to let Muadar have the sole stake in the Runs, which is very rich in iron and gems, and could be a major deciding factor in an ongoing economic war between the northern nations.

lance · Post by **lance** » 2004-04-02 01:05am

intresting, are you going to allow gestalt? If you do you should make them start off as 2 levels lower, sort of like 2nd editions multi classing.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-04-02 01:10am

lance wrote:intresting, are you going to allow gestalt? If you do you should make them start off as 2 levels lower, sort of like 2nd editions multi classing.

Gestalt is the most broken thing since the Death Star after ANH.

Crom · Post by **Crom** » 2004-04-02 06:37am

How many points do we start out with? 36?

Oh, and I started my character:
Ra-Tindal

He should be done soon.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-04-02 11:18am

Crom wrote:How many points do we start out with? 36?

Oh, and I started my character:
Ra-Tindal

He should be done soon.

Looking good so far.

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2004-04-02 11:24am

What is the point-buy system?

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-04-02 11:42am

lazerus wrote:What is the point-buy system?

Basically, all your stats start out at 8, and you spend 'points' to level them up. Stats that go above 18 have a 5 point cost, etc, so you can't majorly twink out your character.

Ill post the actual rules just as soon as I grab my DMG.

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2004-04-02 01:45pm

never mind. char's done.

http://www.3eprofiler.net/3ep/view.php?id=5298

I am a...........tea merchant. I sell tea. NOT a theif/assasin using a cover story.

Tea merchant.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2004-04-02 03:39pm

Captain tycho wrote:
lazerus wrote:What is the point-buy system?
Basically, all your stats start out at 8, and you spend 'points' to level them up. Stats that go above 18 have a 5 point cost, etc, so you can't majorly twink out your character. Ill post the actual rules just as soon as I grab my DMG.

Sounds like the bastard child of the special system

lance · Post by **lance** » 2004-04-02 09:01pm

lance wrote:

intresting, are you going to allow gestalt? If you do you should make them start off as 2 levels lower, sort of like 2nd editions multi classing.

captain tycho

Gestalt is the most broken thing since the Death Star after ANH.

It isn't that broken if you follow the guidelines, which are that gestalts go up against things that are a challenge rating of one or two higher than what they are, them being a level or two behind everybody else should work too. I would recomend no Prc also for the gestalt and limiting it too two classes, exept for certain things.

a couple examples fighter mage and mage cleric
examples a f6/m6(no prc) would have a base attack of 9, have saves of 6/4/6, and have 11 feats,30 skill points, caps of 15 and 7.5/50.5 hp cl 6
now With Prc F2/M4/Sps1/EK5-BA10, saves of 10/2/10 7 feats, 30sp, caps 15/7.5, 47.5 hp, and a CL of 9.
gestalt -1 F11/M11-BA 11, saves 7/3/7,10feats, 28sp cap 14/760.5hp CL11
gestalt -2F10/M10-BA 10, saves 7/3/7,10feats, 26sp cap 13/6.5 55hp cl 10
gestalt-3 F09/M09- BA 9, saves 6/3/6, 9feats 24sp cap 12/6 50.5hp CL9

For the C6/S6 BA7 saves7/4/10,5 feats 30sp, cap 15/7.5 42hp CL6/6
C3/S3/MT6-BA 6 saves 6/4/11,5 feats,10sp, cap 15/7.5, 39.5hp CL9/9 turns as a 3rd level cleric
gestalt-1C11/M11 BA 8 saves7/3/7 4feats,28sp cap 14/7,49.5 cl/11/11
gestalt-2 C10/M10 BA7 saves7/3/7, 4feats,26sp,cap 13/6.5, 45hp cl10/10 and turns as a 10lv cleric
gestalt-3C9/M9 BA6 saves 6/3/6. 4feats, 24 sp cap 12/6 40.5hp cl9/9

Things to note-
* This was not broken in 2nd edition
* constitition and intelligence mods affect the non-gestalts more.
*Gestalts are more likely to be hit by fear and other level based effects.
* The gestalts are slightly better at -2 levels than the the non-gestalt mix with prc.-3 is easily balanced/weaker,-1 is overpowered powerful
*If using a wizard add one feet plus one for every 5 wiz levels
* if using a duid instead of a cleric more power two the gestalt
*a Gestalt Cleric/Fighter has feats and turning ability over a cleric.
There are 4 more archtypes that I can think of that I will compare later if need be Warrior/Rogue,Mage/Rogue, Warrior/Warrior, Monk/Divine

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2004-04-03 12:10am

It's still broken and overly complicated.

lance · Post by **lance** » 2004-04-03 01:36am

It's still broken and overly complicated.

Now I have to ask how it is broken, and how is it complicated?

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2004-04-03 01:38am

Allow me to save you some time and say you can stop wasting wear and tear on your keys, because tycho is NEVER going to give it too you. Dont ask.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-03 02:27am

lance wrote:
It's still broken and overly complicated.
Now I have to ask how it is broken, and how is it complicated?

Its broken because you're effectively freaking level 40 by the time you should be level 20. Is this that hard to understand? Try telling me its not broken again and I will spell it out point by point, and then I'll flame you. The only reason I'm not hitting you with the 2x4 of Blatant Obviousness now is because I'm feeling merciful tonight for some reason.

lance · Post by **lance** » 2004-04-03 11:34pm

Its broken because you're effectively freaking level 40 by the time you should be level 20. Is this that hard to understand? Try telling me its not broken again and I will spell it out point by point, and then I'll flame you. The only reason I'm not hitting you with the 2x4 of Blatant Obviousness now is because I'm feeling merciful tonight for some reason

It tis not broken

It is equivical to multiclassing in 2nd edition. or did you think that a Fighter12/wizard12 was broken back in the day too?
You are not 40th level by the time that you are 20th, you are 1-3 below that. It can lead to brokeness, but that is not gestalt its self to blame.