Post/Author/DateTime	Post
sontefir 04-30-07, 06:24 AM	This is my world, called Erran. It's still in the creation phase, but the main villian (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=837944) is complete, along with the basic outline of the continents and major kingdoms, as well as a basic overall plot. The following note was found stuck to your door with a dagger. An Unsigned Letter Elves are a scourge. Xenophobic and mercilessly violent against "inferior" races, they have been systematically depopulating the world of other sentient beings for centuries in a series of long and bloody wars. All that changed ten years ago, however, when a man named Alunitus lead a group of humans calling themselves the Golden Circle on a crusade for the power to defeat the elves. The only survivor of this crusade was Alunitus, who returned with powers and abilities almost godlike in magnitude. He single-handedly infiltrated the elven kingdom, demanding that her king surrender at the point of a sword. In the proceeding years, Alunitus’ control over the world has become increasingly potent. Now, he spends most of his time scrying evil from his ivory tower, swooping in and "resolving" conflicts, answerable to nobody... …and we’re all getting really damn sick of it. Sure, he saved us, but that doesn’t give him the right to disrupt the black markets of Pogrand, or preach to the churches of Avaccia, or even to tell an orc to stop eating his neighbor. It’s not a perfect world, but it’s ours and should stay that way. Alunitus is a nosy, self-righteous prick, and even the goody- goodies are tired of his unannounced visits and oppressive moral tyranny. He must be brought to justice. He must die. If you’re in, meet at the Ringing Coin tavern in Goodharbor three days hence. The password is "Black." -a friend of freedom House Rules: Blackhearts Campaign Dungeons and Dragons v3.5 1: Stats will be determined by a 32 point system. 2: PCs must have the following personality traits: The PC must be willing to trade his/her soul for some object, power or the realization of an ideology. The PC must be any evil alignment. If a player chooses elf as their PC’s race, that PC cannot be sympathetic to King Teres Fairwind's cause. 3: Players may choose from any kingdom (queendom, empire, etc) in the campaign world as their PC’s homeland (with the exception of Ambrosius, which is imaginary, and Tieusee, which is off-limits), and while in this kingdom your PC is treated as a kinsman, gaining +10 to all forms of gather information check, yielding a +4 to all charisma- based rolls for the purposes of attitude adjustment, and lastly, as your character knows the local threats in the chosen kingdom, gaining a +1 to all saving throws, attack and damage rolls on monsters within her borders. Any player with a sufficiently logical reason for other bonuses may submit them for consideration as well. Monsters of identical type in different kingdoms have varying attack styles due to variations in prey and terrain, so these combat bonuses do not carry over despite previous encounter precedence. These bonuses stack with all other D&D v3.5 bonuses. A PC from the Phadir desert must specify a tribe. 4: A close relative must have been killed by elves. Exception: Elf characters. 5: Instead of using the Dungeons and Dragons v3.5 hit dice formula, the following formula is used: HP at first level = HD + constitution modifier x 2 HP at each additional odd level = 1/2 HD + constitution modifier HP at each additional even level = HD + constitution modifier 6: Experience will be handed out to be divided amongst the party according to this chart: Difficulty/Coolness Experience Earned Easy/Humdrum Encounter 25 x the party’s level x the # of PC’s in the party Medium/Average Encounter 75 x the party’s level x the # of PC’s in the party Hard/Ass-kicking Encounter 125 x the party’s level x the # of PC’s in the party An encounter is considered to be any action, interaction/role-playing, in-character denouement or battle that the DM feels adds to the overall flow and plot of the campaign. Experience earned off this chart is divided equally amongst all players present for any session. Item and wealth earnings are subject to DM’s discretion and based on Monster Manual reward amounts. This experience system will yield roughly one level per 13.333 medium encounters. 7: If a player is absent from a session that player’s PC is considered to have been struck with a disease called "devil’s coma" and placed into the care of physicians for the duration of the session. This PC gains experience normally but is not able to collect gold (medical bills are expensive) or items (we didn’t find anything, I swear). Three such absences result in the PC becoming a "lost" (see Book of Incarnum v3.5). 8: This campaign will be largely event based flow with equal mixes of role-play and battle. The DM will assign an assistant to aid with battle at the first session. The DM’s assistant’s PC will start with one free magical item because this is an evil campaign and evil is rarely fair, so cry about it, you sissy elf-lover. 9: House Rules can be changed by the DM at any time, but changes will be brought up at the beginning of the session that they go into effect. 10. One further character bonus will be given to each character after completion of the above steps, to be revealed near the beginning of the first session. Welcome to Erran, a babysat world. High atop an ivory tower rests the great Alunitus the Gold, defender of Good and Law, bringer of justice and peace. He arose as a great hero during the jihad the Elven king declared on all other races, and ended it in peace ten years ago, forcing the evil king to sign a treaty at hammerpoint. The lands of Erran now exist in a kind of forced quiet, the biggest supporters of Alunitus cheering his looming presence, detractors plotting endlessly to avoid his nearly omniscient gaze. While in his tower, Alunitus can scry almost everywhere on Erran. He has intensely powerful wards all around the tower, protecting against chaos and evil. He actively looks for conflicts to swoop in and resolve, and most nongood and nonlawful creatures on Erran consider him a nosy bastard at best. A prison at the base of his tower houses some of the horrific monsters he’s vanquished in the last ten years, guarding the entrance better than Alunitus alone ever could. Trush Valewind, an elven totemist, is Alunitus’ best friend and partner. He dwells in the Bellend Forest, though he holds no allegiance to the kingdom per se. Trush is also lawful good and serves as emmisary to the animal kingdom on Alunitus' behalf. The Kingdoms of Erran Each "kingdom" will be placed on the following map by the players the moment they travel there. Travel between major kingdom cities is instantaneous via "teleportation bouds." http://black-blackheart.pbwiki.com/f/Blackhearts%20Kingdom%20Placement%20Map. bmp Tieusee - Elven Suspended City Elves make up roughly 65% of the population of Erran, with about 80% of those living in Tieusee’s capital city of Vashne. Despite over 15 million residents, Tieusee is mostly unpopulated, wild forest. The entire capital is suspended in Dire Redwood trees thousands of feet in the air. Smaller hamlets and towns spread outward from this city in increasingly smaller hubs, always high in the air to avoid dire tyrannosaurus feedings, dire flying squirrel bombings and dire colossal elephant tusk-cleanings. In fact, dire animals of every known type run rampant in this forest, making travel easily restricted and carefully controlled. Navigating the earth here is a DC 25 track check due to massive fungii, plants and various other obstacles. The muscle of King Fairwind's army, the Hand of Righteousness, is centered in the capital city of Vashne. Elven king Teres Fairwind has made no secret of the fact that he is awaiting his chance to eliminate Alunitus, but his hands are tied in the face of The Gold’s raw power. Due to massive genocide, Tieusee is the largest city on Erran, with a population six times larger than the second-highest populated kingdom, Tribesh. Frent – Halfling Towering Metropolis Halflings comprise 3% of the population of Erran, with about half of those living in Frent. Frent is a small cluster of towers, some of which reach over 300 feet tall. Composed of redwoods hollowed out and woodshaped by Halfling druids, this city looks almost like one giant piece of wood. Constructs and gadgets of all kinds can be found here, including very rare alchemical items made by Grizzlock Gunsmelt, master alchemical craftsman. Frent was one of the three kingdoms emancipated from the Elven imperialists by Alunitus ten years ago. Porre – Gnomish Walled Bastion Gnomes comprise 3% of the population of Erran with about 20% of those living here in Porre. When built, the town was totally encircled by a wall, but long ago the population outgrew the wall and now the city spills over an area three times bigger than the original wall encompassed. As Astounding tinkers and inventors, the elves have suffered this myopic race to live, having found their gadgets useful enough to justify delaying racial demise. A new kind of arcane horseless buggy with unheard-of land speed is available for purchase here at the low cost of 100 platinum each. A train system powered by trained salamanders provides citywide commuting. Tribesh - Dwarven Underground Kingdom Dwarves comprise 10% of the population of Erran, with about 90% of those living in Tribesh. When dwarven miners first discovered the iron-rich veins in this mountain they took immediate steps to secure the find, tunneling in random and confusing directions to prevent raiding. Many of the populated areas in Tribesh are thousands of years old. Tribesh has had a longstanding dislike of their desert-dwelling human neighbors, and over the years many metal-heavy caravans have disappeared into the sandy waste. Suffice to say, don't ask a dwarf to work with a Saheed or a majar, or vice versa, if you value your head at all. Masterwork weapons, armor, tools, and really anything metal can be purchased here, as well as incredibly rare metals, gems and crystals.King Mocul Stoneborn is lawful and good and so is his court, but the population at large care very little about goings-on above ground. Goodharbor - Human Trade City (PC birthplace: Jack Keramin, Daeron Fallcrest) Humans comprise 14% of the population of Erran, with about 40% of those living in Goodharbor. The humans living across this world have never formed a government beyond small cities like this one, and almost every human town has other races living alongside them. Humans are the cockroaches of Erran, having survived dozens of attempts by the Elves to eradicate them completely from the face of Erran. Goodharbor is one of the three kingdoms emancipated by Alunitus the Gold ten years ago. Goodharbor's territory is also home to the eccentric Berryman Spance, inventor of the teleportation boud. Goodharbor is largely good, but her Mayor is known to be somewhat distrustful of outsiders and especially elves. Goodharbor is patrolled on the ground by the Knights of Portsmouth. Portsmouth is the central district of Goodharbor: General of the Army (appointed by the Mayor), Marching Commandant (appointed by the Mayor), Marching Commander (three ranks, comissioned), Helms Commander (three ranks, enlisted), Lieutenant (three ranks, commissioned), Private (three ranks, enlisted: Private, Private Initiate, Private Recruit). Ranking and Succession The Mayor The General of the Army The Marching Commandant Marching Commander (has five Helms Commanders under his authority) Helms Commander (has five Lieutenants under his authority) Lieutenant (has five Privates under his authority) Private (has only other lower-ranking Privates under his authority, and those powers are limited) Commissioned Officer Ranks Master Marching Commander Senior Marching Commander Marching Commander Master Lieutenant Senior Lieutenant Lieutenant Enlisted Officer Ranks Master Helms Commander Senior Helms Commander Helms Commander Private Private Initiate Private Recruit Generally when a Private or Lieutenant are promoted to Commander they stay within their original units if it can be managed. The number of soldiers under a commander is almost always five, though squads of six or four are not unheard of. The infantry of Goodharbor are untried with few veterans in their ranks. The Wyverns and other airborn military of Goodharbor normally protect the city from all threats, including the legendary kite-riding bomber unit often read about in childrends stories. Master Lieutenant Daeron Fallcrest's squad consists of Private Jana Keramin, Private Staid Droleck, Private Initiate Cubrin mac Dorby, and Private Recruit Perth Barnes. He reports to Helms Commander Frederico Salamore. Scania - Queendom of the Mermen Mermen comprise less than 1% of the population of Erran, with roughly 70% of those living in Saltport. Saltport is governed by a kind but naive mermaid queen named Sallah Orcrinel. Her kingdom is small and poor, but the residents enjoy the cool waters and giant cave system in the cliff walls that make up Saltport. Non-mermen who live here dwell in the caves as well, but above water in most cases. One exception is Crazy Catch (aka Gindletork Catchpins), a Gnome who lives in an air-filled cavern the entrance to which is belowground. Inside is his collection of every known kind of mushroom, which he uses to make all kinds of weird potions and foods. He sells these mushrooms and potions in the market of Saltport Central Stair, a long stairwell leading right down into the ocean, surrounded on both sides by a ramp for loading large boats into the water. Mermen boats float half underwater and have both water and air breathing compartments. Mermen also have the only submarines in the ocean, though with few magic users amongst their ranks they have been unable to find weapons capable of firing while underwater, relegating their fleet to largely observational crafts. Submarines will set you back 200 platinum each. Not far from Saltport are the ancient and abandoned Dwarven mines of some ancient time. Depictions of less evolved dwarves adorn these caves, and evidence on these walls suggests that Dwarves literally invented smithcraft. Though the dwarves have abandoned it, other creatures have since moved in, and there are rumors of some creatures that have been there since before Dwarves even existed. Olroxis - Black Market Kingdom (NPC birthplace: Bengar Swayd) If you need ten pounds of acidic poison dust, no questions asked, you can get it here. The seediest, vilest things are traded belowgrounds of this kingdom’s capital’s cobbled streets. Alunitus makes routine trips through the sewers cleaning out the riffraff, but enough always escape the raids to keep business flowing. The king of Olroxis is an overweight pig who pretends to worship the ground Alunitus flies over. His corrupt council keeps the black market off the discussion table in his presence, and his only real concerns are wine, music and elaborate, gaudy religious ceremonies, which it is whispered that he puts on as a show to keep Alunitus happy with him. Crime is very high, laws are lax and bribes are common. Tribes of Phadir - Phadir Desert Jewel Morjuha - Desert tribe (tallest humanoid) Mahadra - Desert tribe (shortest humanoid) Vallaha - Desert tribe (human) Legends say that when Erran was new, the first person to see Phadir desert was a human with three sons. He built a tent in the sand and sent his sons off to find wives. The first married a dwarf, the second an elf and the third a human. One evening after hunting, the brothers got into an arguement over which would be father to the next king of the desert, and the brothers began to feud. Since then, Morjuha, Mahadra and Vallaha tribes have been at war, constantly shifting property lines through bloody raids usually ending in stalemate. Most other races consider desert-dwellers to be human, though some Morjuha can almost pass for elves, and some Mahadra almost resemble dwarves. A veteran warrior of the desert, or Saheed, is a valuable asset in any confrontation, and makes for a formidable opponent. Mages are called majar, and are considered less important in the hierarchy of desert tribes. Desert dwellers call outsiders kafir, or dog in their native tongue. To the desert dwellers, anyone born and raised in the softer lands is weak and probably stupid. To a desert dweller, stealing is a sin punishable by death, though stealing from a non-desert dweller is perfectly acceptable, and in fact encouraged in some cases. A charismatic thief trying to explain the hypocrisy of this to a desert dweller suffers a -20 check penalty to a diplomacy check; in Phadir, might is right, and nothing is more powerful in the desert than a tribesman warrior. Also in this desert is a 260 foot tall tower made of stone, called the "Moon Ladder," that appears to be bent at a 12 degree angle midway up. Expert Dwarven metallurgists have determined that the tower was once made of steel and was somehow bent and then petrified. No one has ever successfully explored the upper levels of this tower due to massive amounts of molten lead that have apparently congealed midway up, blocking every conceivable entrance. These lands are considered to be extremely dangerous due to the masses of sometimes poisonous, flying, sand-swimming or magical and always dangerous desert creatures. Atva - Goatherd Rural City Atva is a nice place to visit. The residents here are as independant and bullheaded as they are fiercely loyal and hardworking. Rumors of a psionic cult in this region have been unconfirmed by officials of any kingdom. Goats, cold hills and seclusion are the three things Atva has plenty of. Atva is the only place in the world Alunitus ignores, for reasons known only to him, but probably due to the fact that Atva is globally insignificant. The ground here resembles Irish moores. Kuk Turg - Orc Battlelands Orcs comprise 3% of the population of Erran, with roughly 90% of those living in Kuk Turg. Less a kingdom and more a giant, ever-shifting trench war, the Orchish lands of Zelluch are in constant contest, both because Orcish women are very fertile and food is scarce, and because Orcs are generally violent and will pick a fight for almost no reason at all. Most Orcs are unwelcome in civilized lands, being cannibals, and prefer the freedom of their tent-based lifestyle anyway. Most game and cropland in this area is depleted. Orcs only recently discovered irrigation and farming techniques that the other races have had for thousands of years. A new kind of metal is being mined from this land by very brave dwarves. Mages have determined that the centuries of endless bloodshed on the soil of Kuk Turg has tainted the iron deposits, causing them to appear to eternally drip a hideous and ethereal black goop. Weapons made from this "blacksteel" are masterwork and deal extra damage against good aligned enemies, but supply is limited due to the frequent snacking habits of orcs and limited dwarven replacements. Zelluch - City of Lakes (NPC birthplace: Alunitus the Gold) Residents of Zelluch make their livings off the sea, trading and fishing and shipping marble purchased from dwarves to destinations all over the world. Zelluch is cash rich as a result and maintains the largest fleet of merchant ships in the world within her many harbors. Zelluch controls most of the market in stone, metal and precious gem trade on Erran. The Emperor of Zelluch, Octorius Pollus, was appointed by a formerly democratic government who gave him power over the military. That democratic government had been founded by Alunitus after he freed Zelluch's people from the opression of the elves a decade ago. Alunitus was born in this city, recruited into the then-underground elven resistance movement known as the Gold Circle. Zelluch residents are huge fans of Alunitus. His visage is on a new kind of cotton currency being printed here. c Grenado - Green Valley Kingdom Grenado sports a huge German style castle surrounded by groves of fruit bearing trees and the houses of thousands of denizens of every race. Though basically peaceful, Grenado does have a fierce band of Knights which her democratic government dispatches to aid allies and fend off monsters when necessary. A river runs through Grenado and its water is said to taste sweet and cause bad memories to vanish (untrue). Sorcerers love this valley due to the wide array of strange and rare animals that live in her foliage, providing a spellcaster with everything from magmin blood to unicorn feces. Olroxis and Grenado regularly engage in political subterfuge and occasionally in military skirmishes, and many ballads have been written about the holy knights of Grenado squaring off against the dark knights of Olroxis. Occasionally Avaccia aids Grenado in these battles. Sorcerers gather here every other year for the annual Magic Festival, where a chap can pick up a handy custom made spell or two if he’s got the platinum for it. Famous familiar veterinarian Zulag the Hagg lives outside the city proper, refusing to live amongst "a conflagration of nature’s most brutal animals" and forcing many a finely dressed wizard to trudge through miles of muck to visit her. Avaccia – Magic School Acropolis Mostly "a less beautiful Grenado," Avaccia does have one thing over its more prosperous neighbor; some of the greatest minds in magic have established a school here which turns out the greatest wizards in the world. A man named Asmodean Cern has invented a new kind of magical item which allows magic users to receive extra spells per day of a specified level. Further, the world’s largest wizard college resides here, and her dean is also High Mage to the King of Avaccia. Wizards gather here every other year for the annual Magic Festival, where a bloke can snag a nice custom magical item or two if he’s got the platinum for it. Ambrosius – Invisible (imaginary) City This territory is largely uninhabited wilds. Tales of a holy city hidden here persist despite a complete lack of official collaboration. It's rumored to be made of gold and house powerful good creatures, from druids and sorcerers to angels and dragons, and is even said to be the home of an angelic necromancer, though this rumor alone is usually enough to send a priest into apoplectic fits of denial. If it exists, all denizens are any completely good alignment, but it doesn’t, so don’t bother wandering through unless you’re headed elsewhere. Bellend – Ancient Empire Bellend has been a unified, enslaved kingdom for thousands of years. In ancient times, an emperor of Bellend insulted King Teres Fairwind of the Elves, leading to a war that lasted thirty-nine years and ending in Bellend’s slavery. It was one of the three kingdoms emancipated from King Teres Fairwind’s empire by Alunitus the Gold. Bellend is at peace these days, though her king lacks the political clout a nation of her size would normally have. In recent decades, Bellend has become an increasingly popular refugee destination for members of all the races persecuted by the elves, and sympathetic elves aligned against Terres Fairwind make donations of food and shelter, partially funded by a government seeking skilled laborers from the refugee ranks. It is illegal to engage in physical violence in Bellend and for non-nobility to carry weapons. Incarnus – Lifestream Warrior's Enclave The incarnum-touched races represent less than 1% of the population of Erran, with roughly 80% of those living in Incarnus. More of a collective of tribes than a unified government, the short-lived incarnum races are all represented in comparable numbers here. Rilkan lore speaks of this site as the actual birthplace of all life on Erran, a belief which is supported by the abundance of Incarnum energy permeating this area. Skarn, Rilkan, Azurin and Duskling warriors are this kindom's major export, a mercenary-for-hire guild which also controls half the governing power of Incarnus supplies able fighters to the highest bidder at a fairly high price; twenty platinum per week per level per mercenary. ........................................ ........................................ ........................................ ............... So, if anyone reads this, what do you think? Comments/suggestions/things you want to throw at me?
sontefir 04-30-07, 06:40 AM	And now, PBWIKI'D for posterity. (http://black-blackheart.pbwiki.com/)
sontefir 04-30-07, 07:03 PM	There is a balance to all things. Light and shadow, pain and pleasure, and above all, Good and Evil. Good and Evil are not in harmony within Erran. Alunitus the Gold CR 20 + A Swarm of Badlings CR 20 (I'm thinking a couple of dragons and a druid) Str 10 (10) Dex 18 (12 + 6 [gloves of dexterity]) Onikani: Thanks! Con 10 (10) Int 12 (12) Wis 12 (12) Cha 34 (18 + 5 [tome of Leadership] +6 [Cloak of charisma] +5 [level ups]) Equipment: 10 scrolls of negate zone of silence Weapon: +5 Harmonizing Warhammer Helm: Helm of True Seeing Armor: +3 Celestial Armor BAB: 15/10/5 AC: 33 (10 base + 4 dexterity + 3 celestial armor + 6 mithral heavy shield + 5 amulet of natural armor + 5 ring of protection) HP: 135 (using the house rule formula linked in above posts) Skill Check Modifiers (* Skill name [ranks+mods+synergies]): 35 * Diplomacy (23+12) 35 * Bluff (23+12) 35 * Use Magic Device (23+12) 25 * Craft Wonderous Item (23+2) 35 * Disguise (23+12) 25 * Sense Motive (23+2) 35 * Perform (23+12+2) 25 * Craft Magic Arms and Armor (23+2) Skill Points: 184 Feats: Improved Initiative +4 Leadership Heighten Spell Enchanting Song Empower Spell Spell Focus (enchantment) Craft Wonderous Item Spells: 6 level zero spells Detect Magic, Know Direction, Open/Close, Summon Instrument, Resistance, Read Magic 5 level one spells Charm Person, Erase, Disguise Self, Feather Fall, Magic Mouth 5 level two spells Blur, Cat's Grace, Rage, Tongues, Eagle's Splendor 5 level three spells Crushing Despair, Displacement, Good Hope, Haste, Slow 5 level four spells Dimension Door, Dominate Person, Modify Memory, Shout, Rainbow Pattern 5 level five spells Mass Cure Light Wounds, Greater Heroism, Mind Fog, Song of Discord, Mass Suggestion, 4 level six spells Mass Cat's Grace, Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Eyebite, Geas/Quest Spell Level - Spells/day = spells from class + spells from charisma score 0 - 4 = 4 + 0 1 - 7 = 4 + 3 2 - 7 = 4 + 3 3 - 7 = 4 + 3 4 - 7 = 4 + 3 5 - 6 = 4 + 2 6 - 6 = 4 + 2 Music (All songs known) Music/day (20)