Post/Author/DateTime	Post
SovietCanuck 03-16-07, 03:42 AM	This is my first attempt at a setting here. What I'm trying to do is create a game where one can combine Victorian era horror with high fantasy and steam punk. I drew a lot of influence for this from Ravenloft and Eberron, as well as from real world histories This is my result! Newumberland, land beyond the mists! All comments are welcome, as I can't improve without some criticisms. “Today marks a dawning of a new age. Today, all of Newumberland resides under one united banner. No longer shall race, creed, or ethnicity divide us. Today, the damned beasts beyond the mists quaver, knowing now that we will not be cowed under. Today, by the grace of God, a new kingdom rises. Together, we shall push back the darkness, free ourselves from these horrors, and find a way back to the homes of our fathers.” --King Tristan I, on the founding of the Kingdom of Newumberland, 0 K.Y Four hundred years ago, the folk of Earth began to explore the oceans. The ever-curious humans, along with the drakin slaves, explored the four corners of the earth, from the vast plains of the Americas, to the myriad of islands that dot the Pacific Ocean. Soon, the oceans were crawling with all varieties of ships, from colonial fleets to merchant vessels to slavers. The majority of these ships reached their destinations, some sank beneath the waves, and still others disappeared, vanishing into the mists. A handful of these ships ended up piercing the veils between worlds. These ships, appearing almost simultaneously, and almost all in the same region. The crews and passengers on these ships attempted to return to the seas where they had been moments before. A few were lucky, managing to catch the proper current to return to their Earth, not knowing what exactly had transpired. Some returned to their previous location, having traveled for days only to return to the strange, savage shores beneath foreign stars. The rest, their wrecks are still being dredged up from the bay of St. James and along the Jagged Coast at a rate of almost one a year. Over a period of several years, the stranded peoples established settlements along the coast, attempting to build temporary societies until they could return to oceans under familiar skies. They called their towns everything from Atlantis Landing to Brooklyn to New Rome. The most powerful settlement established was New Portsmuth, founded by British soldiers and war-magi, under the rule of Duke Denys IV of Northumberland. These settlements grew up independently, believing they were the only ones in this new land. However, the creatures of the shadows were outraged over these settlers who claimed their lands, hewed their forests, seeded their fields with strange plants, and brought light to the darkness. The beastmen of the northern forests amassed into a great horde, and drove the settlers before them. The terrans were driven before them, their small populations unable to stand and fight. It was in this way that they found other settlers, and their numbers grew as they conglomerated along natural traveling routes. Eventually, the masses began to converge on New Portsmuth, the largest and best protected of the settlements. Their new homes devastated, their valuables destroyed, these desperate people were willing to do anything to stop the horde that struck from the shadows. The armories were emptied, any man, or woman, able to fight were equipped with muskets or flaming wands, and taught rudimentary skills. When the horde struck, they were in a blood-frenzy, becoming used to having all opposition melt before them. What they met with at New Portsmuth was a coordinated, mostly disciplined, force. The beasts flead after only a short battle, most of their numbers dead, unable to comprehend the terrans' tactics. That was the beginning of the founding of the first of the five nations. Denys died in battle, but was declared a Saint, a martyr for the Christian churches. The new land was named St. Denys in his honor. Four other nations appeared at this time. Along the northern coast, the nation of Richmont formed out of a conglomeration of villages, allied to stop the undead raids on their coastal settlements. Cascade was founded to the south of St. Denys, and Atlantis was formed to the east. On the archipelago east of Atlantis was founded of Nova Antillia, a loose alliance of several island settlements. These nations slowly expanded and explored their boarders, over the next century. The going was slow, mostly because of the dark creatures that still lurked. Vampires, aberrations, and lycanthropes all controlled large swaths of land between the scattered settlements. However, eventually relationships were established between the four southern nations. Some contact was peaceful, as that between St. Denyse and Cascade, while others were immediately hostile, as between the liberal philosophies prominent in Cascade Republic, and the more conservative, Catholic Church dominated Atlantean Duchy. During this era of exploration, the population of the realms increased exponentially. Most couples had at least six children. At the end of the century, the populations were approaching that of a fairly stable society. Roads were being laid between towns, and early concepts for highways were being drawn up. People began pushing further inland. New communities, such as St. Thomas, Ravenest, Bridgewaters, and Inverness. It was durring this time the Lich King struck. The deaths caused by the hardships of one hundred years of frontier life, as well as the attack of the beastmen, left a great many corpses in the ground. The Lich King was able to use these to a great advantage, devastating the nations with his undead legion. Duke Tristan I of New Atlantis, whose lands were least affected by the undead hordes, formed a legion of undead hunters. These rangers made a large impact on the effectiveness of the undead legion, specializing on eliminating the intelligent undead leaders. Tristan was able to convince the other four nations to grant him control over their armies, convinced that under one banner, united, the settlers were stronger than their fractured parts. As successful in diplomacy as he was on the battlefield, Tristan was granted command over the entire armed forces of the four southern realms. With the aide of his rangers, the United armies liberated the Norlands from undead rule, fighting valiantly. The Lich King cut his losses and fled, not risking personal conflict with the zealous army of terrans. However, the defeat of the undead legion did not end Tristan's mission. The soldiers of Cascade, Nova Antillia and St. Denys, impressed by the charismatic young duke, were easily swayed by his message of unity. He lead the armies of all four nations unto the gates of New Portsmuth, and at the gates he proclaimed the defeat of the Lich King, and the formation of a new nation: The Kingdom of Newumberland. The Duke of St. Denys, seeing his own forces rebel against him, realized his powerlessness in the face of the army now commanded by Tristan. He through his immediate support behind Tristan, proclaiming that he was but a humble servant of King Tristan I, the Uniter. Cascade was horrified at the idea of bowing to a king. The militia was called to service and armed. King Tristan's new army marched upon the capitol of Cascade, Carthridge, and laid siege to it. Within five days, the city was devastated, and the President of the Republic surrendered unconditionally to the new King of Newumberland. The Council of Lords, the heads of the Nova Antillian Alliance, chose to surrender without a fight, leaving King Tristan sole ruler of the southern nations. Tristan established Inverness as the capitol of his new kingdom, establishing a plan to turn the small mining town into a center of education and magic in his new kingdom. He established a new system of government, where there would be a hereditary king who could draft laws, but these laws had to be passed by a council of elected officials, called the House of Elders, before it became law, and vice versa. Each of the four nations also received a similar form of government, with the commanding generals who were loyal to becoming the new noble families of the four realms, and establishing the lands around Lake Inverness as the fifth realm of New Umberland. Tristan promised equality for all races, creeds and ethnicities, which he granted only a few years into his reign. All citizens of Newumberland, weather human, drakin, avar or minoian, weather Christian, Jew, Muslim or Hindu, weather African, Asian, Aboriginal or Caucasian, they were all equal. Tristan's reign is well regarded by most, and those of his descendants, Denys I, Tristan II, Tristan III, and Caroline, are regarded are the best years of Newumberland. There was peace, prosperity, and justice. The realm of Atlantis was renamed Trista, and the city of New Atlantis was rebranded as Port Tristan, in honor of the great man. Highways were built between Port Tristan, New Portsmuth, St. Thomas and Carthridge, allowing fast, efficient overland travel, useful for shipping large goods from the ports to the many small towns along the way. In the twelfth year of Queen Caroline's reign, year 147, a minoian priestess named Tirn had a vision of a great order of holy warriors, dedicated to serving God and Newumberland with every iota of their beings. She had spent many years wandering the five realms, seeking those whom she trusted to share in her holy vision. When she had gathered a sizable following, she lead them north, past the frontier town of Bridgewaters, to the edge of the mist shrouded lake known as Darkwater. There, she founded the Cathedral of the Holy Light, the first church built out of nothing but sweat, faith and lumber. There, upon the shores of the Darkwater, Tirn blessed the first Knight of The Blue Rose, today known as the Knights of Tirinac. The City named in her honor rose up around the cathedral, founded by the failthful, those who joined her new church, the United Church of Newumberland. Her revised form of the Christian faith spread like wildfire, surpassing the Catholic Church in numbers by the middle of the 150's Tirinac became a bustling metropolis, as people emigrated north to harvest the bountiful resources of the north. In the year 183, King Denys II proclaimed a new state out of the northern lands of Inverness, Trista and St. Denys, which he called Norland. Bridgewaters, now a city in it's own right, became the political capitol of this new frontier region, and Tirinac became spiritual heart of the nation. Almost three hundred years after landing, in the year 198, first contact was established with Richmont. The people of Richmont were a hardy folk, and they maintained many of the old values. The non-human races were slaves, religion dominated, and power was held by the elite. The people of Richmont had to fight their own battles, they could not count on the ability to retreat as has the people of the south so often done. The darkness was their constant foe, and they envied the southern lands for their material wealth, and relative peace. They formed false negotiations with their southern neighbors, putting on a facade of friendship. However, when the vampire lords next attacked, Richmont directed them south, and even helped their hated enemies make war on their kin, believing that if the undead conquered Newumberland, they would grant Richmont a century or more of respite. The Vampire Wars were horrendous. Newumberland had not fought a real war in two centuries, only fending off solitary or small packs of monsters that wandered down from the hills. The army of Richmont, along with the forces of the Vampire Lords, cut a wide swathe through Newumberland, marching out of the Black Forest, and laying siege to Tirinac, and destroying Bridgewaters and Inverness. The military lost many easy wins because of their lack of training and vigilance. If not for the Rangers of Tristan and the Knights of Tirn, along with the war-magi of Carthridge, Newumberland would have likely fallen. The twin forces of Newumberland and the Vampire Lords met at the second battle of New Portsmuth, and though the cost was great, Newumberland emerged victorious. Their forces pushed north, growing in number as they liberated cities from the clutches of the traitorous Richmen. The army marched strait onto Roensburg, capitol of Richmont, and though the battle took several months, eventually Richmont became the seventh realm of Newumberland. Now Newumberland claimed all known human settlements in the new world. And civilization progressed at an astounding rate. In 243, the last spike of the Tirinac-Inverness-New Portsmuth rail line was completed, and soon rail connected all cities from Roensburg in the north to Breuklyn in the south, and from Ravenst in the peaks of the Grey Mountains to Port Tristan on the Strait of Storms. Universities began popping up. Inverness, New Portsmuth, Bridgewater. Loudford was known best for it's Colledge of the Arcane Artes, while Tirinac grew to house the gleaming Center of Divine Studies. Muskets where replaced by riffles, and revolvers grew to become popular personal weapons. The technology and society of Newumberland is now at the level of 1890's Earth, with magic enabling this level of technology. However, darkness still lurks in the streets. The evil that was omnipresent before the arrival of the terrans is still present, and evil walks the streets at night. Political corruption runs rampant, and as many battles are one in the halls of power as on the frontiers against the increasingly frequent raids by beastmen, undead, and even worse horrors. And rumors speak of a demon lord, bound long before the time of man, drak, avar of mino, who is awakening to reclaim that which he was denied: rulership over heaven itself. http://i16.tinypic.com/2u7y6xk.jpg Themes of Newumberland: Victorian Horror: This is the era of Dracula, of the wolf-man, of the mummy, of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, of the Invisible Man, Dorian Grey, and Jack the Ripper. Horror has entered the cities, but that doesn't mean it's civilized. Intrigue: Even if there's a demon army knocking at the gates, somebody's going to try and turn it to his advantage. The corridors of power hold as much a potential for adventure as the frontier Low-powered characters: Utilizing a variation on NPC classes as base classes, the regular base classes become prestige classes, extraordinary individuals. This make even your normal wolf a challenging encounter Low-powered, omnipresent magic: Most mages never pass fifth level, granting them second level spells. However, most towns have a resident mage and a resident priest to help them with the daily grind. Potions are common, and continual flames light the sidewalks. An Alternate Earth: The first settlers came from a world much like our own, and yet different in a few key ways: magic was present (though not to the extent of most other fantasy worlds) and humans weren't the only sentient race; the avian avars resided in remote monasteries, keeping separate from the ground-dwellers, while the reptilian drakin were conquered to the last by humans by the time of the Roman empire, and used as slaves for over 2000 years, before being granted their freedom. Frontier philosophy: The people of Newumberland have only explored and settled the furthest north-eastern portion of this new world they have landed on. They haven't even named it yet, referring to what lies beyond as “beyond the mists”. There are undoubtedly other realms out there, the homeland of the minoians, the realm of the Lick King, the woods of the lycanthropes, the and the kingdoms of the vampire lords. These realms have yet to have been seen by a pair of mortal eyes who have returned to tell the tail. This is the Realm Beyond the Mists. This is Newumberland.
KeshFerrar 03-17-07, 09:46 PM	Congratulations, it looks like a good blend of ideas. The supernatural seems to be an effective way to keep civilization's spread in check. After all, they're the only ones that can stand up to bullets. I like the idea of the regular classes being prestige classes. Alternately, you could just make the regular character classes rarer -- 1 in a 100 or a 1000. There are some people out there that are heroes. Have any campaign ideas?
SovietCanuck 03-18-07, 03:56 PM	Thanks for your support KeshFerrar. For the classes thing, I thought about it that way, but I decided I wanted the PCs to start off as 'everybody else'. At the start of the adventure, the PCs aren't anything special or notable, however, as they advance, they make themselves different and outstanding. I'm hoping to get the races up pretty soon here. It's about 50 % complete at this moment. If you were curious about the races, I'll provide some analogues. Humans are, well...humans. Same as always, though I fiddled with their racial abilities a bit. Drakin are dwarf-kobold hybrids, who fill the roll of skilled craftsmen, and tinkerers. Minoians are a highly spiritual people, who posses immense physical strength and a natural connection to druidic magic. Avar are like the elves of other worlds, remote, mysterious, and the masters of magic. As for the campaigns, I'm working on two, and trying to interweave them, not so that their both related, but so they are happening at the same time. One of them is a campaign dealing with the political aspects of Newumberland. Stuff like the criminal syndicates and their influence on the politics of the realm, as well as attacks by the Richmont separatist organizations. Much of this campaign will deal with discovering the links between the organizations, and if there's any supernatural influence (which there's bound to be, though I'm hoping to make it mostly human driven, maybe with a vampire duke being cowed on by the Richmont separatists, having his coffin in their possession, and using him to take out political opponents and such) The other one I was thinking of was an exploration campaign. There's a lot of land that the folk of Newumberland have yet to explore, and so I'm hoping to tag the PCs onto a expedition. Lots of stuff can be done with that, like making contact with other human settlements, discovering other races (orcs, dwarves, trolls and the such), and finding plans for an invasion of Newumberland. This one I'm still working on, it's not quite as sound as the first, but were not starting up a campaign for a few months at least Any suggestions for campaigns would be appreciative as I'm still rather new at this
KeshFerrar 03-18-07, 07:32 PM	In my opinion, you're doing well not using standard races, keep it that way. Don't fall back to using dwarves and elves. You could use the same stats, but call them something completely different and change the flavor. Are there no other nations outside of the Newumberland region? Perhaps something not immediately hostile but alien in mentality and manipulative -- that would go with the setting. Something like arenea (shape changing spiders) or toned down illithid. Campaign ideas: Was the Lich King truly destroyed? Maybe there are rumblings from his former base of power that the PCs have to go investigate. Getting there and getting back could be a campaign unto itself. You're campaign is begging for a special order/branch of government that serves as interior special forces to combat the supernatural menaces to society. X-Files like campaign.
SovietCanuck 03-22-07, 10:20 PM	Great suggestions KeshFerrar! And thanks for the help! At the moment, I have ideas for a few other nations outside Newumberland, one based on Barovia from Ravenloft, and another based on Stormwind from Warcraft. However, I haven't really fleshed out the details yet. I like your suggestion of arenea, they seem really appropriate for this setting. The Lich King was not destroyed. Just most of his commanders. he fled back to his base of operations, wherever that may be. I'm thinking another nation, this one composed entirely of undead. The idea for a campaign to investigate was on my itinerary, just not for the first campaign I did And I can't believe I missed out on the spec-ops/ Torchwood of Newumberland! Thanks for brining that up. You're right in saying that this world practically begs for one, maybe even two separate organizations, one government funded, the other church sponsored. Perfect way to feed the PCs adventure options!
SovietCanuck 03-22-07, 10:31 PM	And now for the first supplement to my initial data. A note: much of this is still being reviewed, racial names and abilities particularly. Any suggestions, criticisms and/or advise are extremely welcome Races of Newumberland “They claim there are four races of folk. Four intelligent species, capable of rational thought, of forming traditions, cultures and civilizations. This is not true! No, only the humans have tamed the land, worked towards progress, towards the betterment of all peoples! There is only one species worthy of being acknowledged as folk. We are Humans, the empire builders.” - Alexander Briant, leader of the Federated Socialist Part of Newumberland All the races listed below are humanoid (folk). Folk is the general name for the civilized humanoid species of Newumberland, which posses many similar biological and arcane features. The Folk subtype grants the following benefits: -- 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level. Folk are versatile and capable. --Automatic Languages: English Bonus Languages:Any non-secret http://img470.imageshack.us/img470/4482/clipboard02er2.jpg Humans are the most populous race in Newumberland, making up between two-fifth to half of the total population. Humans run the gamut from noble and selfless to cruel and manipulative, through on a whole they are generally good and lawful folk. They are known for their dedication and tenacity, and humans are regarded as possessing the strongest of the survival instinct of any of the races. Generally, humans resent threats and other attempts at manipulation, however even the most noble among them are not above using such tactics themselves when they feel it would benefit themselves. Humans take up a huge variety of careers, everything from a statesman to a priest to an engineer to a farmhand to a ditch-digger. However, if there is one trade that most humans take up for even a part of their life, it is that of the warrior. Most humans spend a year or two in the local militia, some even go so far as to become a professional soldier in the King's army. Not all humans become warriors, but most take up the sword for at least a short portion of their lives. Human Stats -- Medium-sized: Humans gain no benefit or penalty from their size --Human base land speed is 30 feet --+2 on all Gather Information and Knowledge (nobility) checks. Humans are a gregarious bunch, always up on the who's-who and the what's-what. --+2 racial bonus against fear checks. Humans are known for their perseverance. --1 extra feat at 1st level. Humans are quick learners, picking up skills faster then other folk -- Favored Class: Warrior http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/rodragon_gallery/94134.jpg The drakin race have no culture or history of their own, the last free drakin believed to have died around 900 A.D. Instead, the drakin have lived as a race of slaves for the humans of Europe and Arabia since the time of ancient Babylon. It was not until the 1600s that drakin were granted status as fellow 'beings', or folk, along with the avar. Drakin are short, scaled humanoid marsupials often mislabeled as walking lizards. They stand around four feet tall, and posses tails about half their height in length and dark hair that runs from the crown of their head to the tip of their tail. There are four broad races of drakin, determined by general coloration, though this can vary greatly within a race. Celtic drakins are generally a dark-green, Russian are a pale white, Iberian are a deep-red, and Anatolian are usually a burnished bronze. Drakin have a reputation as craftsmen, laborers and, some would say unjustly, rogues. Though most would never admit to it, they will use their natural dexterity and fine motor skills to their utmost ability, and if that means resulting to larceny, so be it. Drakin Stats +2 Dex, -2 Str: Drakin are not as strong as humans, but they posses fine motor skills --Small: As a Small creature, a drakin gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character. --Drakin base land speed is 30 feet --Low-Light Vision: A drakin can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. -- Skilled Craftsmen: Drakin are natural craftsmen, having spent generations as such. They gain a +2 racial bonus on any two craft skills of the player’s choice. --+2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. Drakin are naturally spell resistant, as a result of their draconic ancestry --Dragonmarked: Reminiscent of their ancestry, drakin posses arcane markings that grant their species minor magical abilities. Drakin gain the least dragonmark feat (Eberron Campaign Setting). If you do not posses the ECS, drakin gain one cantrip or orison of their choice at first level, usable once per day, with a save DC (if applicable) of 10+character level. --Favored Class: Experts http://www.wizards.com/global/images/mtgcom_arcana_168_pic3.jpg Avar legend states that they were the first race to discover the existence of magic. Though it is true that the avar are the most magically adapt of the race, the truth behind their legend cannot be substantiated. Unlike the drakin, the avar have never been enslaved, instead choosing to dwell in locations were the ground dwellers cannot reach. There they built their monasteries, and spent the passing years separate from the other races, becoming things of legend like elves, trolls or goblins. Eventually, they chose to rejoin the world, participating in many of the expeditions to the new world on quests of discovery, so appointed by their clans. Avar are avian humanoids around 5 feet tall, with wingspans about 11 feet. Their plumage ranges from a dark brown, to a bright white, to brilliant blues and reds. The patterns and colors are similar within families, and one skilled enough with avar genealogy can determine an avar's family by simply looking at them. Avar generally take up roles in communities that require a higher education, such as archivists, mages or lawyers. Most avar were taught the basics of magic early on in life, and even if they don't dedicate their lives to the study of magic, they will generally dabble in it as a pastime. Avar Stats --+2 Dex, -2 Con: Avar are not the toughest folk around, but they posses fine motor skills --Medium: As Medium creatures, avar have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. --Drakin base land speed is 30 feet --Wings: Avar can fly at a speed of 40 feet (average) --Low-Light Vision: An avar can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. --+2 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks. --Avar gain a +4 on all spot checks made during the day only. Avar have keen eyesight that rivals that of a raptor, but they can't see very well in darkness. --Favored Class: Magewright (if you do not have Ebberon, use adept in stead) http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/7041/clipboard01st7.jpg The minoian are a deeply spiritual race, following many ancient traditions and blending them in with the modern culture of Newumberland. The are the largest of the folk, stowering over the others at around 7” tall. Minoians pelts are generally a rich brown, through an entire spectrum from dark ebony to pale white exist. Tribes generally have the same coloration, though exceptions do exist. Minoians fill many roles in society, filling in as craftsmen, laborers, and soldiers. Most minoian receive training in druidic arts as youth, and some focus on the arts their entire lives, though the majority of minoian only give the occasional nod to the spirits of nature. Minoian Stats --+2 Con, -2 Dex: Minoians are tougher then nails, though their large forms are not as agile as the other races --Medium: As Medium creatures, minoian have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. --Minoian base land speed is 30 feet --Low-Light Vision: A minoian can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. --Stability: A minoian gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped --+2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. Minoians are extremely resilient to most toxins --Add +1 to the caster level for all divine spells of the healing subschool cast by minoians. This adjustment stacks with those from similar effects. --+2 racial bonus on Heal and Survival checks. Heal and survival are always considered class skills to minoians --Favored Class: Gleaner (NPC class by Keith Baker, http://www.giantitp.com/articles/gk7uKJeF296jRcx1NJw.html) http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/rodragon_gallery/94142.jpg Crossbreeds are the decedents of two folk of different races. They can run the gamut, and nothing can really describe their social preferences. Most are looked down upon, seen as foolish and simple by most, and must work to active equality in the eyes of the purebred folk. Crossbreeds combine the most prominent features of their parent races, so those with human blood have visible skin and flat-faces (compared to their other parent's race), drakin descended posses scales and short tails, those of avar decent posses broad feathered wings, while those of minoian blood have a thin coat of fur, and may also inherit short horns or hooves. Crossbreed Stats -- -2 Cha. Crossbreeds are not the most accepted people in Newumberland --Medium: As Medium creatures, crossbreeds have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. --Crossbreed base land speed is 30 feet --Low-Light Vision: A minoian can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. --Crossbreeds can choose two of the following ancestries. Once chosen, their heritages cannot be changed. Human: Human blooded crossbreeds gain a bonus feat at first level Drakin: Reminiscent of their draconic ancestry, crossbreeds of drakin decent gain the dragonmarked ability (see drakin racial stats above) Avar: Crossbreeds with avar parents gain wings that grant them a flight speed of 40 feet (clumsy) Minoian: Those crossbreeds with minoian heritage gain a +1 bonus to caster level checks when casting healing spells, as well as the stability ability of their forefathers (see Minoan racial stats for details on stability) Favored Class: None. Crossbreeds do not have the history or collective heritage to grant them a favored class.
The_Basilisk 03-23-07, 07:03 PM	One place that might be good to look to for inspiration in the world of Bas-Lag, in China Mieville's novels. I haven't read them personally, but Dragon did an article on it a few issues back. I found a Wikipedia entry here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bas-Lag It seems to have almost the same feel you are looking for, and it has ideas for all sorts of new races. Dragon mag mentioned that the author was once an RPGer, too.
KeshFerrar 03-23-07, 09:24 PM	I dunno if he's looking for Bas-Lag. Its dark, yes, but its partly due to the author making a political statement about his views on capitalism and the western "ideal." That's just my opinion though. And for what it's worth I did like Perdido Street Station, the others were "enh-ok." I like the basic races. I think anything that can fly has a level adjustment -- but I could be wrong. Overall the races provide a good blend of character types for players.
taradusis 03-24-07, 11:09 AM	Perhaps the minoans could be like a race of evolved cattle rather than cursed bull men like minotaurs.This would make them herbivores who live as one with the land?They could worship a god like Hathor from the egyptian pantheon.
SovietCanuck 03-25-07, 02:04 AM	I'd like to thank all of you for your suggestions here. I like the concept of Bas-Lag, I actually was rather excited when I saw it as February's Dragon theme. I will admit to steeling some ideas off of Mieville, just as I've stolen some ideas from Keith Baker (Eberron) and Chris Metzen (Warcraft series). However, I'm not into making a political statement here. The bad-guy politicians are not capitalists, nor are they socialists, liberals, Christian democrats, or any other mainstream parties of today. They're xenophobic fascists, as seen in the quote at the start of my last post ( I was originally going to have them in power, though I decided that running a campaign where they take control from the government would a better idea) I'm still really fuzzy on the races, their balancing and so forth. I've worked a lot more on their social conditions than how they work mechanically, so if anyone has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated! I've actually worked out evolutionary trees for all the races (though the human one was ridiculously easy...it's was like somebody had already done the work for me). The Minoians are descended from bison, their closest relatives being almost gorilla-like buffalo creatures (think gorilla with hooves, brown fur, and a buffalo head.) They are omnivorous, having evolved from herbivorous ancestors, but will not eat the meet of bovines. Chickens, turkey, pigs, deer, rabbit, and fish are all acceptable. (Deer and fish are main staples of their historical cuisine, which I'll get around to detailing in a bit) Again, thanks for all of your advice!
SovietCanuck 04-04-07, 06:14 AM	Classes of Newumberland ““For humans, it is their own personal code of honor, their sense of right and wrong, as well as the trill of it all. For the avar, it is curiosity, the quest to find connections between everything, to map the web of life. For drakin, it is the drive to prove themselves, to create something or archive something that would be remembered forever, and not be forgotten like their cultures were. For minoian, it is reverence, bringing honor to one's ancestors, tribe and their kingdom. Each race has something that drives them to adventure, to try and change the world.”-- Ryan Nicol, 'The Wanderers' These classes here represent the basic backgrounds of Umberlander Adventurers. These are the most general of professions, and can only take one so far. Therefore, these classes only go up to the tenth level. --For the priest, mage and gleaner classes, they give spell progression up to the twentieth level, for the sake of prestige classes which grant an increase to caster level. A priest, mage or gleaner cannot take class levels above 10th, they must find another method of increasing their caster level to master stronger magics Basic class summaries Priest-Holy men and women who draw upon their belief and religious traditions to channel the power of God Mage- professional magic users, who have received several years of education in the numerous mage schools of Newumberland Gleaner-those who follow the old religions of humans and minoians, they are able to draw upon the powers of the natural world Expert-craftspeople, scholars, or rogues, experts are individuals who have dedicated their life to a money-making carrier Aristocrat- the high-born scions of the noble houses, these individuals possess the general blend of skills of one that can pick and choose their way in life Warrior- career soldiers and militia men, who stand on the front line against the mist-spawned horrors Table: The Priest Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Domain 2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat 5th +2 +1 +1 +4 6th +3 +2 +2 +5 7th +3 +2 +2 +5 8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Bonus Feat 9th +4 +3 +3 +6 10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Hit Die d6. Class Skills The priet's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int). Skill Points at 1st Level (4 + Int modifier) ×4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level 4 + Int modifier. Class Features All of the following are class features of the priest class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency Preists are skilled with all simple weapons. Priests are not proficient with any type of armor nor with shields. Spells A priest casts divine spells which are drawn from the cleric spell list. Like a cleric, an priest must choose and prepare her spells in advance. Unlike a cleric, an adept cannot spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells. To prepare or cast a spell, an adept must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a priest's spell is 10 + the spell level + the priest's Wisdom modifier. Priests, similar wizards, acquire their spells from prayer books or scrolls, and must prepare them through meditation or prayer, receiving them as divine inspiration through the traditions of their faith. Each priest must choose a time each day at which she must spend an hour in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain her daily allotment of spells. While meditating, the priest decides which spells to prepare. Time spent resting has no effect on whether an priest can prepare spells. Like other spellcasters, a priest can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Priest. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. When Table: The Priest indicates that the priest gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level. Priests do not need holy symbols, as in most cases a copy of their scriptures function as such. Domain A priest's religion influences his alignment, what magic she can perform, her values, and how others see her. A priest chooses a single domain which she believes exemplifies her faith, such as Law for one who believes in a strict, vengeful god, Healing for one who follows the teachings of a merciful god, Destruction for an apocalyptic priest, and so forth. A priest can select an alignment domain (Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) only if her alignment matches that domain. If a priest is not devoted to a particular religion, she still selects a domain to represent her spiritual inclinations and abilities. The restriction on alignment domains still applies. Each domain gives the priest access to a domain spell at each spell level she can cast, from 1st on up, as well as a granted power. If a domain spell is not on the priest spell list, a priest can prepare it only in her domain spell slot. Bonus Feats The priest gets one bonus feat at 1st level, one at 4th level, and another one at 8th level. Each time the priest gains a bonus feat, she may select any feat for which she meets the prerequisites. There is no list of bonus feats to select from. Priest Spells per Day Lvl 0-level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 1 3 2+1 - - - - - 2 4 2+1 - - - - - 3 4 3+1 - - - - - 4 4 3+1 0+1 - - - - 5 4 3+1 2+1 - - - - 6 4 3+1 2+1 - - - - 7 4 4+1 3+1 0+1 - - - 8 4 4+1 3+1 2+1 - - - 9 4 4+1 3+1 2+1 - - - 10 4 4+1 3+1 3+1 0+1 - - --------------------------------------------------------------- 11 4 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 - - 12 4 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 - - 13 4 5+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 0+1 - 14 5 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 - 15 5 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 - 16 5 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 0+1 17 5 5+1 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 18 5 5+1 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 19 5 5+1 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 20 5 5+1 5+1 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 Table: The Mage Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Familiar, Specialization 2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 4th +2 +1 +1 +4 5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat 6th +3 +2 +2 +5 7th +3 +2 +2 +5 8th +4 +2 +2 +6 9th +4 +3 +3 +6 10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Bonus Feat Hit Die d4. Class Skills The mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int). Skill Points at 1st Level (3 + Int modifier) ×4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level 3 + Int modifier. Class Features All of the following are class features of the mage class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency Mages are skilled with all simple weapons. Adepts are not proficient with any type of armor nor with shields. Spells A mage casts arcane spells which are drawn from the wizard spell list. To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, the mage must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a mage’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the mage’s Intelligence modifier. Like other spellcasters, a mage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Mage. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score. Unlike a bard or sorcerer, a mage may know any number of spells. She must choose and prepare her spells ahead of time by getting a good night’s sleep and spending 1 hour studying her spellbook. While studying, the mage decides which spells to prepare. Specialization A school is one of eight groupings of spells, each defined by a common theme. A mage must specialize in one school of magic. Specialization allows a mage to cast extra spells from her chosen school, but she then never learns to cast spells from some other schools. A mage can prepare one additional spell of her specialty school per spell level each day. She also gains a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks to learn the spells of her chosen school. The mage must choose her specialty at 1st level. At this time, she must also give up another schools of magic, which becomes her prohibited school. Spells of the prohibited school are not available to the mage, and she can’t even cast such spells from scrolls or fire them from wands. She may not change either her specialization or her prohibited schools later. The eight schools of arcane magic are abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation. Familiar A mage can obtain a familiar in exactly the same manner as a sorcerer can. Bonus Feats The mage gets one bonus feat at 1st level, one at 4th level, and another one at 8th level. Each time the mage gains a bonus feat, she may select any feat for which she meets the prerequisites. There is no list of bonus feats to select from. Mage Spells per Day Lvl 0-level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 1 3 2+1 - - - - - 2 4 2+1 - - - - - 3 4 3+1 - - - - - 4 4 3+1 0+1 - - - - 5 4 3+1 2+1 - - - - 6 4 3+1 2+1 - - - - 7 4 4+1 3+1 0+1 - - - 8 4 4+1 3+1 2+1 - - - 9 4 4+1 3+1 2+1 - - - 10 4 4+1 3+1 3+1 0+1 - - --------------------------------------------------------------- 11 4 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 - - 12 4 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 - - 13 4 5+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 0+1 - 14 5 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 - 15 5 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 - 16 5 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 0+1 17 5 5+1 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 18 5 5+1 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 19 5 5+1 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 20 5 5+1 5+1 5+1 4+1 4+1 3+1 Table: The Gleaner Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Wild Empathy 2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Bonus Feat 5th +2 +1 +1 +4 6th +3 +2 +2 +5 7th +3 +2 +2 +5 8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Bonus Feat 9th +4 +3 +3 +6 10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Hit Die d6 Class Skills The gleaner's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), and Survival (Wis). Skill Points at 1st Level (3 + Int modifier) ×4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level 3 + Int modifier. Class Features All of the following are class features of the gleaner class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency Gleaners are skilled with all simple weapons. Priests are not proficient with any type of armor nor with shields. Spells A gleaner casts divine spells drawn from the druid spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To cast a spell, a gleaner must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an gleaner's spell is 10 + the spell level + the gleaner's Wisdom modifier. Gleaners prepare their spells through meditation and communion with the natural world. A gleaner must choose a time each day at which he must spend an hour in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain his daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether a gleaner can prepare spells. Like other spellcasters, a gleaner can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day, as shown on the table above. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score. Many of the gleaner's spells require a divine focus. If the gleaner follows another profession, such as the farmer who has found he has a gift for speaking with animals (commoner 2/gleaner 1), this could be anything: it is a personal item that the character uses as an aid in meditation, and not something that will be easily recognized by others. Gleaners who actively pursue the spiritual path as their profession often use a quarterstaff covered with ivy as a divine focus. The ivy is maintained through the gleaner's faith, and this helps other members of the community recognize the gleaner's abilities. Wild Empathy (Ex) A gleaner can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The gleaner rolls 1d20 and adds his gleaner level (maximum +10) and his Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result. If the gleaner has levels in another class that provides wild empathy, his levels in gleaner stack with those levels to determine his total modifier to his check. In this case, he can exceed the +10 limit with his total combined wild empathy check, though he still cannot gain more than +10 to his check as a result of gleaner levels. To use wild empathy, the gleaner and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. A gleaner can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a -4 penalty on the check. Bonus Feats The aristocrat gets one bonus feat at 4th level, another at 8th level, one at 4th. Each time the gleaner gains a bonus feat, he may select any feat for which he meets the prerequisites. There is no list of bonus feats to select from. Gleaner Spells per Day Lvl 0-level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 1 3 2 - - - - - 2 4 2 - - - - - 3 4 3 - - - - - 4 4 3 0 - - - - 5 4 3 2 - - - - 6 4 3 2 - - - - 7 4 4 3 0 - - - 8 4 4 3 2 - - - 9 4 4 3 2 - - - 10 4 4 3 3 0 - - --------------------------------------------------------------- 11 4 4 4 3 2 - - 12 4 4 4 3 2 - - 13 4 5 4 3 3 0 - 14 5 5 4 4 3 2 - 15 5 5 4 4 3 2 - 16 5 5 4 4 3 3 0 17 5 5 5 4 4 3 2 18 5 5 5 4 4 3 2 19 5 5 5 4 4 3 3 20 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 *note* Gleaners were inspired by the original Gleaner NPC class by Keith Baker, http://www.giantitp.com/articles/gk7...6jRcx1NJw.html Several spells located in the above article are extremely useful to gleaners from Newumberland Table: The Aristocrat Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Higher Education, Bonus Feat 2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Bonus Feat 3rd +1 +3 +1 +3 4th +2 +4 +1 +4 Bonus Feat 5th +2 +4 +1 +4 6th +3 +5 +2 +5 7th +3 +5 +2 +5 8th +4 +6 +2 +6 Bonus Feat 9th +4 +6 +3 +6 10th +5 +7 +3 +7 Hit Die d8. Class Skills The aristocrat’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Survival (Wis). Skill Points at 1st Level (6 + Int modifier) ×4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level 6 + Int modifier. Class Features The following is a class feature of the aristocrat class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency The aristocrat is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and with all types of armor and shields. Higher Education: Aristocrats are eligible for a higher education then the middle and lower classes. This ability works just like Bardic Knowledge. Aristocrat levels considered equivalent to Bard levels for the purpose of this ability. Bonus Feats The aristocrat gets one bonus feat at 1st level, another at 2nd level, one at 4th level, and another one at 8th. Each time the aristocrat gains a bonus feat, he may select any feat for which he meets the prerequisites. There is no list of bonus feats to select from. Table: The Expert Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Bonus Feat 2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Bonus Feat 3rd +1 +1 +3 +3 4th +2 +1 +4 +4 Bonus Feat 5th +2 +1 +4 +4 6th +3 +2 +5 +5 7th +3 +2 +5 +5 8th +4 +2 +6 +6 Bonus Feat 9th +4 +3 +6 +6 10th +5 +3 +7 +7 Hit Die d6. Class Skills The expert can choose any twelve skills as class skills, plus Craft and Profession. Skill Points at 1st Level (8 + Int modifier) ×4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level 8 + Int modifier. Class Features The following is a class feature of the expert class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency The expert is proficient in the use of all simple weapons and with light armor but not shields. Bonus Feats The expert gets one bonus feat at 1st level, another at 2nd level, one at 4th level, and another one at 8th. Each time the expert gains a bonus feat, he may select any feat for which he meets the prerequisites. There is no list of bonus feats to select from. Table: The Warrior Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Bonus Feat 2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Bonus Feat 3rd +1 +13 +3 +1 4th +2 +4 +4 +1 Bonus Feat 5th +2 +4 +4 +1 6th +3 +5 +5 +2 Bonus Feat 7th +3 +5 +5 +2 8th +4 +6 +6 +2 Bonus Feat 9th +4 +6 +6 +3 10th +5 +7 +7 +3 Bonus Feat Hit Die d10. Class Skills The warrior’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis) and Swim (Str). Skill Points at 1st Level (3 + Int modifier) × 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level 3 + Int modifier. Class Features The following is a class feature of the warrior class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency The warrior is proficient in the use of all simple and martial weapons and all armor and shields. Bonus Feats A warrior gets one bonus feat at 1st level, one at 2nd level, and another one at every second class level (4th, 6th, and so on). Each time the warrior gains a bonus feat, he may select any feat for which he meets the prerequisites. There is no list of bonus feats to select from.
KeshFerrar 04-05-07, 07:48 PM	I like the inclusion of the Gleaner. I agree with Keith Baker (and you since you're using it) that an NPC druid class was needed.