Terra Novos

From LiMaWiki

Terra Novos ^[1] is a land, much like our Earth, where man has risen above the animals and created civilizations and empires. In fact, you could call it an alternate earth. The landmasses and the plant and animal species are all the same. The history is the same. Rome has fallen in the West, Western Europe is in chaos. The year is somewhere near 800 AD and the players reside in the Norse lands.

The peoples of the Norse lands have just recovered from an intense civil war (due primarily to overcrowding and dwindling resources) and have united under a council of leaders. Their energies are now focused on finding food and land for the ever increasing amount of people.

Terra Novos is my current campaign for the Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 system. I encourage ROLEplay over ROLLplay and I run my games accordingly. However, I like my games action packed and have installed certain variants to assure an intense and fast paced game. Many of these variants I am trying out for the first time, so don't be surprised if I scrap something mid-game because it doesn't work (especially those items that take time away from the fun).

Here's a rundown on what I expect from my players and their characters. I'll do my best to follow the layout of the 3.5 Player's Handbook. This guide assumes a working knowledge of the D20 system. If you need an explanation or have any questions, click the discussion link at the top of the page and ask.

[edit] Ability Scores

After much consideration, I will allow two systems - Standard Point Buy or Elite Array. You can choose which one you will use to create your character. I do not allow players to roll for ability scores. Over the years I've had to deal with the have and have nots. There's always at least one person that can roll well, and one person that whines that he hasn't. I don't have the energy for it anymore.

[edit] Standard Point Buy

Players will start all ability scores at 8, and then spend 27 points to raise them (or earn back points by lowering them). Calculate the cost according to the table. Yes, I allow you to earn bonus points by lowering your stats below 8. However, I WILL pick on your weak stat, so don't whine about it. It was your choice to have that low of a stat.

Don't forget, you will be assigning a number to Luck as well. This ability has a modifier in the same way that the others do and is explained in detail by following the link. Luck can be fairly low-key in my games (I'll scale it's effects depending on how much you use it), but it really helps me decide tie-breakers.

[edit] Elite Array

Players will assign, in any order they wish, the scores of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 10, and 8, to their abilities. In addition to the normal 6 abilities (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma), players will also assign a value to an ability called Luck. This ability has a modifier in the same way that the others do and is explained in detail by following the link. Luck can be fairly low-key in my games (I'll scale it's effects depending on how much you use it), but it really helps me decide tie-breakers.

[edit] Hopeless Characters

I believe a character is only hopeless if the sum of their modifiers is zero or lower. The characters in my campaigns are not super heroes, rather they are slightly above-average people that decided to do something else with their life. If you believe that a certain class you were interested in is unplayable with the numbers listed above, my games are not for you.

Using the 3d6 bell curve as an example, there are only four combinations that you can get an 18 or 17. However, there are one hundred eight different combinations that will give you a 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13. This should give you an idea of how exceptional (and rare) someone with an 18 ability score is. To the same degree, ranks in a skill represent exceptional training. For example, ranks in a skill imply intent to learn - natural talent is implied by ability modifiers. This is why I require roleplaying the acquisition of new skills and feats (discussed below).

Some would say that real world people with 18 wisdom are as rare as Ghandi and I think this should be reflected in the gaming world too. There is a counter argument that if your character were to motivated enough to become an adventurer they must be from a pool of people who are above average anyway. I've heard many players complain about what they call mediocre statistics. Mediocre, in my opinion, is 10's and 11's for statistics. Considering the Elite Array has 4 stats above 10 ^[2], and only one below, (and the Standard Point Buy generates similar statistics) I think characters are making out just fine.

[edit] Changing Ability Scores

Over time the ability scores your character starts with can change. Ability scores can increase with no limit. Points at which ability changes occur include the following (only changes from the SRD will be noted here):

• At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th levels, you gain TWO points instead of the normal one to add to abilities. These two points may be put anywhere, however one must go to STR, DEX, or CON, and the other for INT, WIS, or CHA. If you desire, either point may be put into your Luck ability, but not both.

[edit] Races

Players will be allotted 10,000xp to start with. Some of the races require a Level Adjustment and/or racial hit dice and must be accounted for. If you choose a race with no Level Adjustment (LA) or racial hit dice then you will begin the game at Level 5. I allow races from any Wizards of the Coast D&D 3.5 source, and from the following link.

• Races

Nearly every race has a favored class. Those that do not have "Any" listed as their favored class. A character's favored class doesn't count against them when determining multiclass penalties.

[edit] Races and Languages

Each race has a list of given languages that the character automatically acquires for being of that race, regardless of intelligence. In addition, a higher intelligence allows the player to choose extra languages for their character, but only from the Bonus Languages portion of the racial info. Anywhere you see "Common" as a language, replace that with your local language (Latin, Greek, etc.) In addition, add "Regional choice" to the Bonus Languages sections of each race. This ensures that you will be able to speak your regional language and one other language. Standard fantasy languages are almost nonexistent and special consideration must me made before I will allow you to start with one.

[edit] Classes

All classes and prestige classes from D&D 3.5 WotC products are allowed. Click the link to see a few other approved classes.

[edit] Skills

In addition to the skills listed in the above link, there are new additions to the Aid Another rules.

[edit] Feats

Feats are one of my favorite parts of the D20 system. Prerequisites are strictly enforced.

[edit] How PC's Improve

The rules in the Player’s Handbook assume that characters have access to everything they need to advance in level - libraries where they can research new spells, trainers to guide their efforts, and places to practice new skills and abilities. Research and training aren’t a part of the standard rules. They’re assumed to be going on in the background. However, I control the background and have decided how I want to handle things such as this.

[edit] Learning Skills and Feats

According to the rules in the Player’s Handbook, characters pick up new skills and feats as they go up in levels. In my campaign, however, I require that a character can’t learn a new skill or feat that he hasn’t been exposed to. For example, a character in the desert can’t learn swimming unless he spends time at an oasis. A character can’t even improve existing skills without the ability and opportunity to practice. ^[3]

A character must have an instructor to teach him new skills and feats. Under this approach, a character can’t learn to swim unless he has access to a body of water and someone who can swim willing to train him. Likewise, a character can’t learn the Cleave feat unless he’s got a trainer who knows how to do it and the time and a place to practice by sparring with that trainer. A trainer can be another PC (which encourages interaction and cooperation among the players) or an NPC. Nonplayer character trainers who are friends of the PCs might train them for nothing; otherwise, professional trainers, who are usually found only in large cities, charge money.

Training Cost: 50 gp per week for a professional trainer (plus related expenses).

Training Time: One week per rank gained in a skill, or two weeks for a feat. A character may work on two skills or feats at once, paying separately for each.

If a single trainer is providing instruction in more than one discipline, then the skills or feats in question should have some sort of connection. For example, a certain trainer might be capable of teaching both Mounted Archery and Ride-By Attack, since the feats are closely related (they even have the same prerequisites). Likewise, a single trainer might be found for Diplomacy and Intimidate, since those skills are both tied to Charisma and involve the same type of activity (getting someone else to do what you want). It would be less likely to find one trainer for both Open Lock and Ride; even though both skills are Dexterity based, they cover different kinds of activity (fine manipulation of a mechanism versus keeping a mount under control in combat). Scarcer yet would be a trainer who could impart knowledge of Great Cleave and Forge Ring—those feats are so far apart in concept and application that the chance of one character having both of them is close to nil.

A character can obtain training ahead of time. A player whose character is at 2nd level, knowing that the character will get a new feat at 3rd level, might choose to have his character train for the feat now either because the opportunity is available or to just get it out of the way.

[edit] Learning New Spells

Divine spellcasters just get new spells when they gain the ability to cast them. Their deities, or the powers they revere, take care of it all for them. You will not find a ranger in a library trying to learn a new spell.

Arcane spellcasters don’t have things quite so easy. Wizards must learn new spells and add them to their spellbooks. This process is detailed in the Player’s Handbook (see Arcane Magical Writings, page 178).

I require wizards to actually spend game time on spell research to gain those new spells, and it takes one day per spell (but no roll is needed for spells that come with level advancement) and that such research costs twice what it would normally cost to have an NPC cast that spell for the character (see NPC Spellcasting, page 107).

It’s perfectly all right for two PC wizards to share spells.

According to the standard rules, sorcerers and bards don’t need to study books to get their spells but just automatically gain new spells when they gain levels. However, I require that each sorcerer contact an intelligent supernatural entity (anything from a lammasu to a demon) to learn new spells. Such creatures usually don’t want payment in gold but prefer to strike a bargain instead. These supernatural patrons teach their mortal friends spells in exchange for an occasional service (which could lead to an exciting adventure in its own right). Playing the patron is in the purview of the DM and, depending on the creature chosen, you should require whatever sort of bargain you see fit. The following are but a couple of examples.

• A lammasu only makes a bargain with a good-aligned sorcerer. In exchange for spells, once every other level the sorcerer must

right a wrong or do some specific good deed, such as freeing a captive cleric unjustly placed in prison, building a shelter for diseased beggars, or destroying an evil temple.

• A dragon only makes a bargain with a sorcerer of the same alignment. In exchange for spells, the dragon requires payment

either in magic treasure or in service. If treasure, the item must be of a value twice what it would normally cost to have an NPC cast that spell for the character (see NPC Spellcasting, page 107). If a service, every other level (typically) the sorcerer must perform some task appointed by the dragon. Usually, this service is to procure some specific object and bring it to the dragon, slay a creature the dragon considers a threat or pest, or spy on one of the dragon’s enemies and report what he learns. Bards gain new spells by learning new songs. I treat this just as a wizard learning new spells from books in a library, but the bard is studying with another bard and learning new music. Alternatively, the bard may spend an equivalent period of time and money scouring the countryside for new songs, new rumors, and so on.

[edit] Researching Original Spells

A spellcaster of any kind can create a new spell. The research to do this requires access to a well-stocked library, typically in a large city or metropolis. Research requires an expenditure of 1,000 gp per week and takes one week per level of the spell. This money goes into fees, consultants, material component experimentation, and other miscellaneous expenditures. At the end of that time, the character makes a Spellcraft check (DC 10 + spell level). If that roll succeeds, the character learns the new spell if her research produced a viable spell. If the roll fails, the character must go through the research process again if she wants to keep trying.

A viable spell is one that you allow into the game. Don’t tell the player whether you think the spell is viable when research begins. (That’s the point of the research.) However, feel free to work with the player before the research begins and give him guidance on the parameters under which an original spell might be acceptable in your game. Research to create new spells is always in addition to any other research involved for gaining spells that are already part of your campaign (if you decide to also require spell research for the new spells that casters are entitled to as they attain higher levels). The number of spells that sorcerers and bards can know is strictly limited; members of those classes can never exceed these limits even through the research of original spells.

[edit] Gaining Class Benefits

You can mandate that to gain any of the newfound class-based benefits earned by advancing a level, a character needs to perform some overall training. This training requires one week per every two levels, rounded up. Training requires a character to train with a character of the same class who is higher in level and costs 1,000 gp per week. If no such trainer can be found, the cost is the same, but the time required is doubled. The money goes into fees, consultants, material component experiments, and other miscellaneous expenditures. Without the training, a character cannot acquire more hit points, class features, saving throw and attack bonus increases, spells per day, skill points, new spells, and so on.

[edit] Description

In order to fully appreciate what I expect from your character, I recommend you create a background/biography before putting anything on a character sheet. Flesh out where your character is from, where he is now, and where he plans to be. Then use that information as a guide on what makes sense for abilities, skill ranks, and feats. This will set the foundation for a realistic character, rather than a character that is nothing more than a series of die roll modifiers. Your character's background should be as fine tuned as the rest of your character.

I cannot stress this enough. I highly recommend a background/bio be created before you work on your character. If you choose to create one, I am looking for your character's history (family, friends, reason for adventuring), and your character's future plans (goals, motivations, expectations).

I will use the background/bio to build a campaign tailored to the goals and motivations of the characters. With this in mind, I will be awarding extra experience based upon how much I gain from the background/bio you submit. Please be as descriptive as possible. Imagine that it is a resume or an essay. If your character is a combat specialist, imagine what your character would talk about if they were being interviewed by a mercenary captain. I want to hear how your character is going to contribute to the party and how it is that you came to be skilled in those areas.

I also recommend and encourage the players to work together in creating a shared history. Mutually shared experiences are an instant bond that helps you with immersion and me with plot progression.

[edit] Alignments

I greatly discourage unsolicited killing and violence. However, this does not mean I disallow "evil" characters. Play how you like, but know that I deal harshly with disruptions due to player vs. player or character vs. character issues. You also must be willing to accept any and all appropriate in-game responses for your character's bad behavior. You have been warned. If you think I'm picking on your character, you likely deserve it. I have a strict play-nice policy.

Please note that I am not really a fan of alignments to begin with. If not for their specific use in game mechanics, I would do without them completely.

I am currently developing a new alignment system. In the meantime, alignments will operate normally.

[edit] Religion

I typically allow any religion from just about any source you wish. However, given the nature of the campaign, fantasy religions are rare. However, real religions and cults are allowed and encouraged - the Green pantheon, the Norse gods, Christianity, Islam. If you are playing a divine caster though, we will need to make special considerations. Don't let this discourage you from playing one, but it requires a little forward planning.

[edit] Vital Statistics

I have nothing to add to this section aside from that I encourage my players to take their ability scores into account when deciding on their height, weight, and age.

[edit] Appearance

I don't hold to any specific doctrine when it comes to how your character appears. If you want to play an Elf with dark skin, that's fine by me. However, on this world, the differences between humans and non-humans are not as exaggerated as normal D&D would present. Elves are essentially thinner, typically more graceful, slightly pointy eared, humans. Dwarves are short, stocky humans. Halflings and Gnomes are either mistaken for human children, or assumed to be human midgets.

On Terra Novos, non-human races are attempting to fit in quietly. If confronted, they may even deny their heritage. The latest generation of non-human children may not even be aware they are non-human.

[edit] Equipment

Characters are allowed 9000 gp which may be used in any way that you wish, with the following exception. You may spend no more than half (4500gp) on any one item. I place no other restrictions on how you spend it - if you spend it unwisely, only you are to blame. This includes magic items from the DMG. Here are a few special additions to the equipment lists that you may be interested in.

[edit] Wealth, Money, Goods, and Services

Standard wage in my campaigns for common labor is 1sp per day (approx. 3gp a month, 36gp a year). A day's labor is typically considered to be from sunup to sundown, especially in agricultural areas. There are no such things as weekends. Certain regions may allow 1 in 7 days off. Keep this in mind when an NPC hires the party, I award treasure, or you tell someone to "keep the change". Extravagant spending will attract attention.

As an example, if you buy a cup of coffee at Denny's ($2 now), a 10% tip would be $0.20. So, if you buy an ale (4 cp for a mug at standard PHB rates), an extra 1cp would be an excellent tip. Tipping someone 1 gp would be the equivalent of me tipping a Denny's waitress several hundred dollars for just a cup of coffee. Do you really want the kind of attention that would draw, let alone what other consequences may arise? Someone could attempt to mug you, or attempt to mug the waitress afterwards, or both.

Keep in mind that a simple thief can avoid a weeks worth of labor on 1gp alone. Imagine how motivated they would be at the chance for a 1000gp. That's the equivalent to 27 years of labor they could avoid. Play it smart and keep your gold safe.

As well, if the local ruler has offered you a job/quest, don't whine to the GM (in this case, me) when the reward is only 1000 gp, for example. That could purchase one days work from either 10,000 laborers or 1000 average mercenaries.

Don't forget that I use reputation in my games as well. That kind of "publicity", added to the tracked reputation, could be a bad thing for your character. As well, who wants to be remembered as greedy money grubbers?

[edit] Armor

Damage Conversion - In the standard d20 rules, armor reduces the chance of a character taking damage in combat — but that’s the limit of its protection. In this variant, armor not only protects in that manner, but also turns fatal blows into less threatening hits. Armored characters are often more easily battered into unconsciousness than brought down by lethal damage.

[edit] Combat

[edit] Auto Hits and Misses

The Player's Handbook says that an attack roll of natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) is always a miss. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a hit.

This rules means that the lowliest kobold can strike the most magically protected, armored, dexterous character on a roll of 20. It also means that regardless of a warrior's training, experience, and magical assistance, he still misses a given foe at least 5% of the time.

A different way to handle this is to say that a natural 1 is treated as a roll of -10. Someone with an attack bonus of +6 nets a -4 result, which can't hit anything. Someone with a +32 attack bonus rolling a 1 would hit AC 13 or lower. At the other extreme, a natural 20 is treated as a roll of 30. Even someone with a -2 attack penalty would hit AC 28 with such a roll.

[edit] Clobbered

Ultimately, damage doesn't matter until a character is unconscious or dead. It has no effect while she's up and fighting. It's easy to imagine, however, that she could be hit so hard that she's clobbered, but not knocked unconscious or dead.

Using this variant, if a character takes half her current hit points in damage from a single blow, she is clobbered. On her next turn, she can take only a standard action, and after that turn she is no longer clobbered.

This variant will often lead to slightly faster fights, since taking damage would somewhat reduce the ability to deal damage. It would also increase randomness by increasing the significance of dealing substantial but less than lethal damage. It would also make hit points more important; clerics would want to cure fighters long before fighters are at risk of dying, because they might be at risk of being clobbered. Finally, it may be easier for a superior combatant to get unlucky. That fact could hurt PC's more than NPC's in the long run.

[edit] Adventuring

[edit] Encumbrance

I enforce weight rules. You will keep track of how much weight you are carrying at any time. Weight and bulk will be considered. There are no rules for bulk, and I am forgiving. However, even if you can carry 1000 bed rolls due to high strength, you would be unable to fully grasp that much material. Modern mattresses are not heavy, but could you imagine trying to carry a few of them at once?

[edit] Environmental Effects

I keep to D&D 3.5 standard for most environmental effects ^[4]. However, my world is a little more deadly than the average D&D world in regards to falling damage. Falling damage is greatly increased to reflect realistic physics. A long fall will result in exponential amounts of damage. ^[5]

[edit] Alcohol

Alcohol is considered a poison and is treated like one. I use the drinking rules from Mongoose's Quintessential Dwarf, pg. 32. If you drink in my games, be prepared for the consequences. I use no rules for drugs. There are no drugs in my world and anything drug-like will be treated like a poison.

[edit] Calendar and Time

For simplification, the planet that my game takes place on just happens to be similar, in size, rotational speed, and orbit of its star, to our planet. This means that there are 24 hours to a day, 7 days a week, 365 days in a year. My campaign will likely take place in the temperate band between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer.

[edit] Magic and Spells

I use an alternate Raise Dead line of spells. Please note this if you are playing a class that can cast these spells, or may be the recipient of these spells.

Spell requirements will be strictly enforced. Especially in regards to components and memorization. I considered many alternative systems, and decided to use Recharge Magic from Unearthed Arcana. If you use an alternate casting system from a new class or prestige class, then you will be held strictly to the rules as written by that class. So, be prepared to explain it to me. If you cannot, you will not be allowed to play that class. I hold psionics to the same rules. I am not very familiar with the psionic rules, so you had better be prepared to explain it to me.

[edit] Other Variants

In addition to above, I have decided to use the below listed variants.

[edit] DMG

• Striking the Cover - pg 24 - If you miss your target due to cover, what do you hit?
• Damage to Specific Areas - pg 27 - Guidelines for penalties from specific wounds.
• Instant Kill - pg 28 - If you roll two 20's in a row (threat and crit confirmation), you roll a second threat. If that second threat is a hit, your opponent dies.
• Critical Misses (Fumbles) - pg 28
• Skills with different abilities - pg 33
• Critical Success or Failure on skills - pg 34
• Summoning Individual Monsters - pg 37
• What disabling a device means - pg 70
• New Magic Items - pg 214

[edit] Unearthed Arcana

• Variant races - Chapter 1
• Character traits and flaws - Chapter 3
• Recharge Magic - Chapter 5
• Reputation - Chapter 6

[edit] Further Thoughts

[edit] Character vs. Character

I no longer support character vs. character disputes. Under no circumstances are characters to steal from each other, fight, etc. Trust that I will not force the characters into this sort of situation either.

[edit] Player vs. Player

I will not tolerate any disrespectful behavior between players. When you disrespect another player, you disrespect me as a GM/host. If you have an issue with someone, save it for after the game, talk to me about it, and I will resolve it. If you "take the law into your own hands", I will show you the door, explain how to open it and walk through, and give you guidance on preventing it from hitting you on the ass.

[edit] Sources

I allow any WotC 3.5 source to be used in character creation. However, since we have few of the non-Core books in paper, I require that anything you use outside of Core be printed and submitted (if you don't already own the book) to me along with your character. Any source other than official 3.5 WotC products (which includes Dragon and Dungeon magazines) is to be approved by me prior to consideration. I have a few sources on PDF as well, so if there is anything you need, let me know. If you don't mind looking up info on the computer, you can search the System Reference Document for 3.5 online. It contains everything from the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual. Both links also have much of the Unearthed Arcana info.

• SystemReferenceDocuments.org
• D20SRD.org

In addition, I am going to install a variant by Sean Reynolds and Monte Cook called Fewer Absolute Effects, and I am going to copy a few notes about Taking 20 from Sean Reynolds.

[edit] Notes

I'd like to note that I accept any and all forms of bribery and will return favors with gifts of XP for your character.

I also use this XP calculator. It's been floating around the net for years, and each time I find and link one, the site goes down. So, I took it and put it on my site. It's not going anywhere now!

1. ↑ Terra Novos is my "New Earth". Don't bitch about my shitty Latin. Anyhow, in my 15 years of playing I've never before named my campaign settings. "Phil's Game" was really boring though, so I felt it needed a title.
2. ↑ Thanks Rage. I've had that on my website for years and I never noticed that. Behold the power of the Wiki!
3. ↑ What this means is that you can only skip the training when the skill has been used during that level. If you have not used that skill since the last time you leveled up, you must get a trainer to improve even an existing skill. Putting your first rank into a skill always requires a trainer.
4. ↑ I busted my ass getting the Environment info into neat tables for my own website, I am NOT going to convert that into Wiki code.
5. ↑ For anyone interested in using this system, keep in mind that the CR for traps has to be recalculated due to the much higher amounts of damage from falling.