Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Kravell 03-14-07, 07:25 AM	Edit: On page two I've posted the now ready to be played campaign doc for this setting. It can played using the core rules, the Tome of Battle, and Races of the Wild. The Land of Nine Swords is my next attempt at creating my own world and running adventures in to epic levels. I have tried to do this several times before, but no campaign got above 13th level before stopping for a variety of reasons. What I’m hoping to hear from other posters are ideas on how to keep the game running from 13th level on. I can run the lower levels, but I stumble at the double digits. Do I foreshadow big, upcoming events? Do I wing it and just write one adventure at a time (this approach hasn’t worked well for me in the past)? What villains work well at high levels and what should they be doing as the PCs adventure at low levels? Much of the flavor and background for the Land of Nine Swords is taken from the Tome of Battle the Book of Nine Swords. The place settings such as the Deluge Jungle are in my world and martial adepts are considered as core as the classes from the Player’s Handbook. I’m also using the zern, aberrations and life shapers, from the Monster Manual IV as major villains. Their tinkering created the centaurs and shifters, which are two new races in the game (although I don’t think my players will be playing either race). Currently, my last campaign ended in disaster with a TPK. With careful e-mails (we have a Yahoo group) I’ve tried to overcome the bad feelings left from that disaster and move on. I think I’m succeeding but to be fair to my players, I need to get this campaign to work. I rarely ask for the players to use any book other than the Player’s Handbook. For this campaign, having the Tome of Battle is critical. Several players are buying a copy, so I do feel like I need a “win” with this campaign as they are putting cash out and trusting me when I say it will be worth it for them. After the TPK we ran a short adventure using the Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde. I’m allowing my players to keep that XP and treasure (and their character) and meld that adventure into this new world. I’ll be creating a new adventure set specifically in the Land of Nine Swords and not continuing with the Shattered Gates. So far, I have one player playing Thadius, a human crusader of Kord, now 2nd level after the first adventure is retrofitted to this campaign. He’s a former soldier turned adventurer questing for Unfettered, one of the Nine Swords. The other players are still deciding on their character (we play at the end of March). I’m going to post three e-mails I sent to my players about the world. I’m still working from those core e-mails on fleshing out the world. Any ideas, themes, advice etc. would be welcomed. Charlie
Kravell 03-14-07, 07:26 AM	The Nine Swords Campaign is based in a world of my own devising which you will get to explore (and map!). You will have the choice of continuing to run your recently created character if you have one or to create a new one. The mythology and backdrop for the campaign can be found in the Tome of Battle: the Book of Nine Swords. The Hero Builder’s Guidebook and the Player’s Handbook II have lots more general roleplaying ideas as well. If you don’t have the book, post whatever questions you may have about it here and I’ll answer. At its core, the Nine Swords Campaign is the story of a band of larger-than-life, mighty heroes. You aren’t gardeners or swineherds. You’re heroes! You have the potential to fight better than anyone else, to be the most charismatic and diplomatic, and to possess the strongest grasp and control of magic of anyone in the world. You may choose simply to loot and level. Or you may pursue the greatest legend of the world: seeking out the lost Nine Swords and returning them to the Temple of the Nine Swords in the Sunspire Mountains. It is said that when the Nine Swords are restored to the Temple, then the Swordmaster will return from his wandering and harmony will be returned to the world. It is a time of great conflict and turmoil. You could usher in a new Golden Age for the world. You may be the Swordmaster himself. Only by taking the first step on the road of the Sublime Way will you finally be on the journey to discovering your final destiny.
Kravell 03-14-07, 07:27 AM	The Deluge Jungle pulses with life—both natural and extraplanar. This vast living, green sprawl of isolated villages, training schools, and weird planar disturbances awaits your continued exploration. The Deluge Jungle may lie within the borders of the Kingdom of Naramis, but it belongs to no one. New characters for the Nine Swords Campaign are built using the following variant rules: 32-point ability score build and fixed hit points both from the DMG. Turn undead becomes destroy undead from Complete Divine. Aasimars from Races of Destiny. Centaurs from Races of the Wild. Stonechildren from Races of Stone. Shifters from Races of Eberron (and shifter feats from the Eberron campaign setting and Monster Manual III). The rules and prestige classes from Tome of Battle. Shifters and centaurs were created the zern, evil aberrations that mutate creatures. These two races are often ranger/swordsages and become bloodclaw masters. Heironeous and St. Cuthbert both have prestige classes that function as ruby knight vindicators, the sapphire knight protector and the cudgel knight avenger. If you need to add some new roleplaying background to the world, let me know and we’ll work it in. If you seek a particular one of the Nine Swords, let me know. If you need other rules, whether a new race or class or a feat or spell, just let me know and we’ll figure it out. Your first step on the road of the Sublime Way was taken when you and your band defeated a band of Shrunken Head hobgoblins and recovered some stolen trade goods. When next we gather, your heroes will take their second step on the road of the Sublime Way. The campaign of scores of adventures begins with the first post.
Kravell 03-14-07, 07:28 AM	Ironhame thrives on the very edge of the kingdom of Naramis. A frontier settlement that draws in adventurers, its atmosphere of danger and violence attracts only the most adventuresome or desperate subjects of the kingdom. Built right next to the Deluge Jungle, Ironhame attracts tomb robbers, treasure hunters, fiend-hunting zealots, nature priests, and all other types of adventurers. Lord Mayor Wort enforces one law—he and his cronies must stay in power and stay wealthy. Anyone can roam the streets armed—but they may be fined if they don’t buy a writ of arms. Since roaming the town unarmed is an invitation for robbery for almost everyone but monks, most subjects either buy a writ or dodge the Watch. Keal Kseo, a warblade and magic item merchant, trains some warblades. Allek Thrazt, an outcast of the hobgoblin warblade school of Ur-Thaldaar, offers training in the martial ways of the warblade. The Vix Tholm, crusaders of Heironeous, has its own school in the city, both aiding and competing with its temple. The Harad Devin Temple instructs would-be swordsages and tattoos members with the long history of their order. The temple of St. Cuthbert combines clerics and crusaders into one powerful cudgel. They are zealots, smiting anyone who crosses them or their god. Other forces than martial adepts are at work in the settlement, however. Anything and everything is for sale in Ironhame including not just lives but also souls. Disguised outsiders seek to corrupt and take souls, illusion clad aberrations stalk the streets, and press-gangs shanghai drunken subjects into jungle cutting work parties. Powerful forces for good patrol the city as well, however. The temple of Ehlonna has a powerful presence both within the settlement and in the jungle, bridging the differences between human and elf and their occasional offspring the half-elves. The temple of Heironeous and the Vix Tholm have declared a war against the evil outsiders and aberrations of the Deluge Jungle, and they enforce justice on the streets as well. Unlike they Watch, the sapphire knight protectors cannot be bribed and their temple has more than enough wealth to ensure Lord Mayor Wort writes laws that supports their influence in the city. Of course, this war of shadows leads some followers of Heironeous to stumble and become the worst blackguards the town has ever seen. Kuthar of Ironhame, a powerful warblade and wizard, may be the most powerful arcane caster in Ironhame. He cannot be corrupted and, of all the denizens of the town, he is the one most likely to appear to combat an evil outsider, likely to arrive even sooner than a sapphire knight protector. Kuthar, a pragmatist, always requires a quest in return for his aid. These quests sometimes seem worse than the demon possession he prevents, but whoever completes such a quest gains power and perhaps a powerful ally as well. Other laws, secrets, societies, and challenges are hidden in Ironhame, but you have to adventure there to discover them. Keep one hand on your sword or spell components and the other on your coin pouch, Ironhame awaits!
jay 03-14-07, 09:15 AM	Cool stuff. I've been thinking about a setting based on Bo9S too lately, but I still haven't got anything substantial.
Kravell 03-14-07, 09:23 AM	Cool stuff. I've been thinking about a setting based on Bo9S too lately, but I still haven't got anything substantial. Jay, If you have any ideas or musings you want to share about your possible setting using Bo9S I would enjoy reading them. You may have several ideas that might be useful in my setting. Hopefully, some of my ideas will be useful for you as well. My main question for you would be, what draws you to the Bo9S? I have my own answer to that question and I can post it here if you're interested, but I'm curious what draws you to the book. Thanks, Charlie
Kravell 03-14-07, 02:31 PM	Five thousand years ago the gods lived as spirits in the material plane. They created the elemental planes for substance and drew from those planes to make the material plane solid and to create the world of Kravell. Next, they created dwarves, elves, gnomes, halflings, and humans and gave them the land of Taeroes to inhabit in the northwestern corner of the continent of Kreados. The races spread out to areas most pleasing to them: the dwarves to the Sunspire Mountains, the elves to the Forests of Aevarene, the halflings to the far southern Heloes Plains, and the gnomes to the Copper Hills. Man, however, simply settled where they were placed, spreading out only as more land and resources were needed. The lands were vast, however, and few conflicts arise between the races on the world of Kravell. However, the gods walked the world in those days, and interacted with their followers. The gods, diverse in beliefs and sometimes bitter enemies, came into almost immediate conflict. Followers who had few problems with their neighbors now supported their god as needed through the use of violence and conflict. The Gods War had begun. A terrible two thousand year period that marked the creation of some of the greatest magical creations Kravell had ever seen, like artifacts, and some of the foulest abominations to over walk the earth, like the phane and xixecal. Monsters of all kinds were created as living weapons and epic and deity level magic changed reality. Eventually, even the foulest and most evil gods began to fear that their own destruction was not far away. The gods declared a truce, met without followers, and established a limited war philosophy that endures to this day, three thousand years later. The gods would no longer walk the earth, except for occasionally sending avatars. The northwest of Kreados would be emptied of followers who would be moved over the Sunspire Mountains into eastern Kreados. The gods would create the outer planes and retreat there, waging war through followers on those planes and on the material plane. The gods agreed not to attack each other directly. A more subtle war would be fought in which the alignment of planes would be shifted, followers would be gained or slaughtered, and the gods could continue to pursue their goals without being destroyed. Three thousand years later, northwestern Taeroes remains a dangerous, blasted land of epic monsters and magic. Every few decades an epic monster crosses the mountains and rampages across Kreados, but some powerful magic or force keeps that event thankfully rare. Heroes occasionally cross the Sunspire Mountains and try to free Taeroes from the Godcurse, the rot and ruin left from the Gods War that ended three thousand years ago. Survivors of a quest into Taeroes speak of a frozen, desolate land inhabited by the cast off abominations of the gods themselves and other predators that make the tarrasque look like a housecat. None of these heroes have succeeded in freeing Taeroes of its curse yet.
Kravell 03-19-07, 11:18 AM	Large town; population 5000; GP limit 6000*; lord major and council; lawful neutral; highest-level fighter is sheriff. *doubled gp limit due to large number of adventurers in the town. Deluge Ward Deluge Ward covers the southern edge of the town, just inside the walls that face the Deluge Jungle. A mixture of the poorest beginning adventurers and the wealthiest treasure finders, Deluge boasts both access to powerful magic and continual, unpredictable dangers. Lord Mayor Wort has had a second wall erected between this ward and neighboring wards to keep incidents down (and to tax adventurers entering into the rest of the city). Sun and Moon Neighborhood Keal Kseo, human warblade 7; merchant, keeper of the shrine of Kord and fighting hall. Kuthar of Ironhame; male human warblade 1/wizard 5/jade phoenix mage 4; NG. Beriel; cleric of Boccob (uses DMG cleric 10 as a base), master of the Tower of the Sun and Moon. Inn of the Drunken Zern: caters to beginning adventurers. Monthly rates. Tower of the Sun and Moon: trains wizards in the sun and moon style of magic. Many journeymen are trained. Rumored to train shadow sun ninjas. Trades in magic items.
Darth Sephiroth 03-19-07, 02:49 PM	With everything you've done so far, perhaps you ought to limit classes as well. Beyond ToB you could easily limit it to classes that have a similar feel. The Warlock/Fragonfire Adept work for actual casters. You could also add spontaneous casters to that with the Bard (Both Arcane & Divine), Favored Soul, and Sorcerer (or Battle Sorcerer). Add the variant Martial, Ranger, and other Initiator classes to it. Also Hobgoblins seem like they would be required if you go with the books mythology as they have a lot to do with it (Read the sotry of Kamate in ToB)
Kravell 03-19-07, 04:02 PM	With everything you've done so far, perhaps you ought to limit classes as well.) Beyond ToB you could easily limit it to classes that have a similar feel. The Warlock/Fragonfire Adept work for actual casters. You could also add spontaneous casters to that with the Bard (Both Arcane & Divine), Favored Soul, and Sorcerer (or Battle Sorcerer). Add the variant Martial, Ranger, and other Initiator classes to it. First, thanks for the ideas Dark Sephiroth. Second, while I've considered limiting options from the PHB, I usually decide not to do so. From a creator's standpoint, the tempation is great and I can see the justification for making changes to the PHB in a big way. However, some of my players like just using the PHB. In the past, when I've tried to go too far with house rules they just seem to lose interest. So, I'm going with the Tome of Battle for the few of us who like the extra detail. While everyone else can comfortably use the PHB. I get the best of both worlds that way. I figure that as the DM I can limit the classes I use for NPCs, thereby creating a certain feel for the world. At the same time, I'm not restricting the players so much that they lose interest. Also Hobgoblins seem like they would be required if you go with the books mythology as they have a lot to do with it (Read the sotry of Kamate in ToB) I agree. The Shrunken Head hobgoblin tribe has already bumped heads with the PCs. Allek Thrazt, an outcast of the hobgoblin warblade school of Ur-Thaldaar, offers training in the martial ways of the warblade. And Ur-Thaldaar itself is located in the western Deluge Jungle. The Shrunken Heads have been getting well-made weapons from someone in the Deluge Jungle when in the past they used cast off or stolen weapons. This change in their armaments is making them more aggressive. With better weapons and violence on the mind, they may use the training received at Ur-Thaldaar to make the PCs' lives difficult. Charlie
jay 03-19-07, 07:01 PM	If you have any ideas or musings you want to share about your possible setting using Bo9S I would enjoy reading them. You may have several ideas that might be useful in my setting. Hopefully, some of my ideas will be useful for you as well. I don't really have much. I'm picturing something that looks sort of like Exalted. People in baroque armour with lots of dangly bits, like githyanki might wear. Weird, moody places like this (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/108I0007.JPG) or this (http://www.imagenetion.net/matrix/mwhelan/images/mwhelan53.jpg) or this (http://www.imagenetion.net/matrix/mwhelan/pages/mwhelan65.htm) or this (http://www.asiaphotostock.com/Places/China/Guilin/1view.jpg) or this (http://www.wizards.com/magic/images/mtgcom/fcpics/features/JCfeature_Island1.jpg) or this (http://www-eleves.int-evry.fr/clubsf/fragments/michael_whelan_003.jpg) or this (http://www.galleryone.com/images/whelan/whelan_-_sentinels.jpg). Ninefold Sage of Crimson is a name that doesn't get out of my mind. He might be some sort of an ancient, villainous, high-level master of nine looming in the distance. Perhaps the evil emperor, if there's an evil empire. Lots of ruins, lots of forgotten history. Lots of broken bridges, fallen walls, broken stairways trailing off into the air or descending aimlessly into water. Dying Earth is definitely an influence. As you can see, I get most of my initial inspiration for worldbuidling visually, and so far, I haven't gotten much further than that with this. :) My main question for you would be, what draws you to the Bo9S? Primarily, the attetion to fast, nimble melee warriors, rather than your typical D&D high Str, low-to-middling Dex full-plated fighter. Emulating Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon characters has been a sort of Holy Grail of D&D for me pretty much ever since I started 3E, and ToB is the latest and probably overall my favourite way to do it. So Devoted Spirit or Stone Dragon... I could take it or leave it, as long as I got Iron Heart and Diamond Mind and Tiger Claw. That said, I enjoyed the crusader when I tried it out in a one-shot recently. But the wuxia swordman thing was the main draw. I have my own answer to that question and I can post it here if you're interested, but I'm curious what draws you to the book. Sure, I'm interested.
Kravell 03-20-07, 06:54 AM	Darth Sephiroth gave me the idea to incorporate the hobgoblins more strongly in the Land of Nine Swords. Bridging the gap of early mythology and the modern world is the ancient history of Kravell, the Land of Nine Swords: When the survivors of the Gods War crossed the Sunspire Mountains into the rest of Kreados, they were a battered, dispirited people. Small communities sprang up, connected by roads, but few gave thought to empire building. At first. The hobgoblins, however, were a race made for conquest and conflict. Large groups of goblinoids began banding together in southeastern Kreados, building cities and training in a new way of fighting—the Sublime Way. The Sublime Way allowed the hobgoblins to vent their martial spirits in small conflicts of one on one or small group combat. They could prove themselves worthy without committing to a large-scale war. As the hobgoblins continued to build, mostly below ground, the races closest to the Sunspire Mountains in the northwest became alarmed. While the hobgoblins’ steadily growing empire wasn’t overly aggressive, yet, they wanted to be ready to defend themselves. Again, the Sublime Way was the answer. Man and dwarf honed the abilities of the crusader class, as many of their gods were lawful and powerful. Elves, halflings, and gnomes were drawn more to the way of the swordsage. When the inevitable conflict between hobgoblin and the other races came, conflicts were resolved using the Sublime Way on small-scale battlefields. For centuries, the Sublime Way kept an overall peace that actually consisted of mutual respect and careful rules of war. All that would change, however, with the founding of the Amperian Empire and the powerful rise of the Draconian Legion.
Kravell 03-20-07, 07:00 AM	Jay, I haven't got the chance to look at the threads you quoted, but I will soon. I like your idea of ancient crumbling ruins and it goes nicely with the fallen hobgoblin empire that Darth's comments helped inspire. I'm am going to borrow the Ninefold Sage of Crimson. I'll figure out who it is after I've had some to time to think about it! As far as why I went with the Book of Nine Swords, it started for me with rules. Most of my D&D campaigns start with me thinking about the rules. I knew I wanted a few extra classes, a few new feats, and some prestige classes that all fit in with the existing PHB. However, I felt the Complete books were too much of the "shotgun" approach, mixing samarai and swashbucklers. I also wanted a Jedi class or a gunslinger class (Dark Tower by Stephen King). A class of a heroic, larger than life adventurer. The Tome of Battle seemed to fit my needs perfectly. It had the rules I wanted and the gunslinger classes that would fit the world I wanted to build. My players would only need the one book. Charlie
jay 03-20-07, 09:51 AM	I haven't got the chance to look at the threads you quoted, but I will soon. Oh, those are just links to images, not threads, so they shouldn't take much time. I'm am going to borrow the Ninefold Sage of Crimson. I'll figure out who it is after I've had some to time to think about it! Just for the record, the name is not mine, it's from ToB. I knew I wanted a few extra classes, a few new feats, and some prestige classes that all fit in with the existing PHB. However, I felt the Complete books were too much of the "shotgun" approach, mixing samarai and swashbucklers. I agree. From all the Completes together, you should be able to cherry pick additional classes that's have a thematic link (say hexblade, warlock and spellthief for a game which focuses on fiendish temptation), but saying something like "PHB + Complete Divine" just gives you a bunch of random additional classes. And I agree that incorporating the non-standard classes into the world from the beginning is a good idea. Most of the time, classes get added to a game when someone wants to play them. The DM feels the warlock is OK so the new PC is a warlock... thing is, it often feels like he's the only warlock in the world. It's more fun if the world has a history of and a context for warlockery. :) I also wanted a Jedi class or a gunslinger class (Dark Tower by Stephen King). A class of a heroic, larger than life adventurer. While I do see the similarity between Jedi and the ToB classes, I'm not sure what you mean by "heroic, larger than life adventurer"? It would seem to me that almost all PCs qualify for that. The Tome of Battle seemed to fit my needs perfectly. It had the rules I wanted and the gunslinger classes that would fit the world I wanted to build. My players would only need the one book. Here you sound like some sort of evil overlord. :)
Darth Sephiroth 03-20-07, 11:28 AM	You could easily swipe the Iron Kingdoms Gunmage for your gunner class Gunmage (http://privateerpress.com/docs/Gun_Mage_PrivateerPress8-11.pdf) Firearm Rules (http://privateerpress.com/docs/privateer_firearms.pdf) For a Jedi-Type perhaps a variant of the Soul Knife, add a slow progression of psionics to the mix with a small mix of powers.
MagicMouth 03-20-07, 12:11 PM	I´ve been thinking of running a campaign with heavy influence from The Tome of Battle myself, and this thread has given me some nice ideas. :) Perhaps you could incorporate a group of ancient temple ruins, with each one once dedicated to one discipline of the Sublime Way. That way you could have some specialized dungeons, all with very specific themes that provide challenges befitting the discipline in question (the Shadow Hand temple could, for example, have many stealthy creatures as well as areas where you have to utilize stealth yourself). There could also be legends about a Tenth Discipline, providing some interesting adventure hooks as members of different power groups all race to find the secrets of this lost path. Mechanically speaking, this discipline should perhaps be a bit more powerful than the others (especially seeing as no one will have full access to it for a long time), but I´m not all that good with balancing the numbers. There are surely some other members out there who already have posted some ideas of their own. Just some thoughts.
Kravell 03-20-07, 03:51 PM	Oh, those are just links to images, not threads, so they shouldn't take much time.:) I liked the last one the most, with the griffin like sphinx statues on the shore. I see lofty crumbling towers joined by graceful or fallen bridges, all overgrown with vines and pitted by centuries of rain. The Deluge Jungle will doubtlessly be filled with old hobgoblin ruins like these! While I do see the similarity between Jedi and the ToB classes, I'm not sure what you mean by "heroic, larger than life adventurer"? It would seem to me that almost all PCs qualify for that. I wrote the concept into the history I'm posting. If you don't have time to wade through it, here's the basics. Martial adepts and their allies have long fought the wars of the world in small groups of dozens of warriors or even just one on one. When the Sublime Way is strong, it prevents large-scale war that devastates kingdoms. When the Sublime Way is forgotten or neglected, terrible wars engulf the continent. Here you sound like some sort of evil overlord. :) My players would not argue with you on this one!:) I do like how the stuff in the Tome of Battle fits in right from the beginning. The there can only be one! (warlock, swashbuckler or whatever) does seem odd in games.
Kravell 03-20-07, 03:54 PM	You could easily swipe the Iron Kingdoms Gunmage for your gunner class For a Jedi-Type perhaps a variant of the Soul Knife, add a slow progression of psionics to the mix with a small mix of powers. Oops, I wasn't quite clear on the gunslinger or Jedi part. I'm not introducing firearms or lightsabers, I just like the feel and concept of the gunslinger or Jedi--hardened warriors that are the only thing that stand between civilization and ruin. In the Land of Nine Swords the gunslingers are martial adepts armed with blades. Great ideas for converting though. I may use the ideas at another time.
Kravell 03-20-07, 03:56 PM	I´ve been thinking of running a campaign with heavy influence from The Tome of Battle myself, and this thread has given me some nice ideas. :) Perhaps you could incorporate a group of ancient temple ruins, with each one once dedicated to one discipline of the Sublime Way. That way you could have some specialized dungeons, all with very specific themes that provide challenges befitting the discipline in question (the Shadow Hand temple could, for example, have many stealthy creatures as well as areas where you have to utilize stealth yourself). Glad you're getting some good ideas. I'm going to hold off on the tenth discipline for now as I don't want to do a lot of designing rules. However, I'll gladly take your ancient temple ruins for each discipline. Great places to find each of the missing nine swords!
Kravell 03-20-07, 03:57 PM	Kaelar, a powerful human king, believed himself destined to rule the world. His charisma and personal power drew many other kings to his banner. When he found the passes through the Sunspire Mountains filled with monsters, he turned his eyes south, to the hobgoblin lands. There, another new banner was rising. United under a half-dragon hobgoblin follower of Tiamat, the hobgoblins had grown into a real power. Using the rise of the Amperian Empire as an excuse, they struck human kingdoms all along their northern border. Kingdoms not yet united with Amperia fell into line. All feared the Draconian Legion more than then feared losing sovereignty. Wars of vast scope and varying results, collectively called the Dragonfall Wars, raged across Kravell for a thousand years. In the end, the mightiest heroes and dragons were slain, both emperors thrown down, and the entire continent of Kreados was laid waste. The humans gained the upper hand at the end, pushing the hobgoblins into the far southern lands. But it was a pyrrhic victory. The cost was the loss of an empire, the light of culture and civilization being extinguished, and the coming of seven hundred years of darkness.
Kravell 03-20-07, 03:57 PM	The next seven hundred years were called the Dark Years. Barbarism slowly gave way to feudalism, with the rule of the strong being the order of the day. Eventually, the brutal warrior was replaced by the lawful knight. Whether good, evil, or indifference nobles and knights kept the peace. Knighthood led to the several small fiefs joining under charismatic kings, and kingdoms started replacing manors and fiefs. The Sublime Way was not forgotten during the Dark Years, but its practices and beliefs were put to the test by violent warlords, rampaging monsters, ignorance, and barbarism. The Sublime Way served as a beacon of light during the Dark Years, and would eventually lead Kravell into its emergence from the shadows.
Kravell 03-20-07, 03:58 PM	In 4774 Reshar came to the hobgoblin monastery of Ur-Thaldaar. In 4777 he traveled to the Sunspire Mountains and founded the Temple of the Nine Swords. For a century, the kingdoms of Kreados settled conflict using the Sublime Way instead of the large-scale warfare of the Dark Years. After almost two thousand years of conflict, humans and their allies studied side by side with hobgoblins and goblins. In 4877 Reshar brought the Nine Swords to the Temple. He gave each master his or her sword and then Reshar departed. In 4966 the rakshasa lord Kaziir-Thet stole the sword Supernal Clarity. For the next twenty years, the nine masters bickered and fought. In 4986 a vast army led by two masters attacked the Temple of the Nine Swords. All nine masters died, the remaining eight swords were scattered, and the temple fell. Every hobgoblin defender fell in that battle, estranging the two peoples once again. The year is 5007. With the destruction of the Temple of the Nine Swords, kingdoms once again outfit armies and fortify borders. Conflict resolution using the Sublime Way is all but forgotten. As in ages past, a small handful of heroes can change their world. If the nine swords are recovered, the Temple of the Nine Swords could be rebuilt. Nations could turn away from large-scale war and the possibility of yet another continent wide conflict could be averted. Many forces, some evil, some simply ambitious, want a war. If no heroes step forward to stem the tide and bring back the Sublime Way, then all of Kravell will be washed in blood.
jay 03-20-07, 04:35 PM	I see lofty crumbling towers joined by graceful or fallen bridges, all overgrown with vines and pitted by centuries of rain. Exactly! I wrote the concept into the history I'm posting. If you don't have time to wade through it, here's the basics. Martial adepts and their allies have long fought the wars of the world in small groups of dozens of warriors or even just one on one. When the Sublime Way is strong, it prevents large-scale war that devastates kingdoms. When the Sublime Way is forgotten or neglected, terrible wars engulf the continent. Yes, I got the gist of it in the mean time. It's a cool idea. Depending on where you take it, it has great potential for tragedy: two students of the Sublime Way, friends, face off as champions of opposing causes. They're both better men than those they represent, but one of them must die to avert full-scale war, where thousands of innocents will die. Like much wuxia, this would be a setting where duty and honour struggle with personal feelings. More of a focus on Law vs. Chaos than Good vs. Evil than in a typical D&D game. My only worry would be that non-initiators might feel a bit like sidekicks. Star Wars d20 can suffer from this: do you want to be a Jedi, or one of those other guys? Guess what most people pick. But then, as long as the players are aware of the situation up front, they can always just choose to play initiators. There will always be people who will want to play a sidekick or an advisor or the power behind the throne or some other not-quite-center-stage type.
Darth Sephiroth 03-20-07, 04:53 PM	Glad you're getting some good ideas. I'm going to hold off on the tenth discipline for now as I don't want to do a lot of designing rules. Look on the Class boards, there are, I believe, 4 other disciplines pretty much put togather. Also on the OA boards there are rules for Iajutsu using disciplines
MagicMouth 03-20-07, 07:36 PM	Glad you're getting some good ideas. I'm going to hold off on the tenth discipline for now as I don't want to do a lot of designing rules. However, I'll gladly take your ancient temple ruins for each discipline. Great places to find each of the missing nine swords! Glad to be of service. :tiphat: I wrote the concept into the history I'm posting. If you don't have time to wade through it, here's the basics. Martial adepts and their allies have long fought the wars of the world in small groups of dozens of warriors or even just one on one. When the Sublime Way is strong, it prevents large-scale war that devastates kingdoms. When the Sublime Way is forgotten or neglected, terrible wars engulf the continent. Very nice concept. Kinda reminds me of Star Wars: "For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire." One thing I´ve been thinking of is why Kaziir-Thet stole Supernal Clarity. After all, Rakshasa are calculating creatures, and even though the conflicts that followed surely brought cruel satisfaction to the prince´s dark heart he could have some ulterior motives for the theft. Perhaps he seeks to pervert the Sublime Way by taking its basic symbols and teachings and shape them into a pleasing form, and thereby alter the face of the world. What would happen if the main thing that prevents devastating wars is corrupted by fiendish forces? Another thing: the Hobgoblins are seemingly the first disciples of the Sublime Way, but what gave them the inspiration to bring it forth? Was it simply the result of generations of warfare? Divine visions? Could they have found ancient texts of a now forgotten elder race? I don´t know, what do you think? I can´t come up with any more ideas at the moment, but if you need help with something in particular I could post my thoughts on the matter.
Kravell 03-21-07, 06:52 AM	Yes, I got the gist of it in the mean time. It's a cool idea. Depending on where you take it, it has great potential for tragedy: two students of the Sublime Way, friends, face off as champions of opposing causes. They're both better men than those they represent, but one of them must die to avert full-scale war, where thousands of innocents will die. Like much wuxia, this would be a setting where duty and honour struggle with personal feelings. More of a focus on Law vs. Chaos than Good vs. Evil than in a typical D&D game. My only worry would be that non-initiators might feel a bit like sidekicks. Star Wars d20 can suffer from this: do you want to be a Jedi, or one of those other guys? Guess what most people pick. I'm glad you like the way I'm using the Sublime Way. And I understand your worry and I agree that I don't want martial adepts to take too much spotlight in the game. However, what is interesting to me is that the whole party could actually choose not to play martial adepts at all! Although that isn't the case, as I have one in the group, the game is straight D&D with the Tome of Battle mixed in. Dungeon crawling, looting, and leveling could all go on with the Sublime Way in the background. I don't expect every adventure to be about martial adepts struggling to save the world. Instead, the PCs can choose to go that route, or they can stick with the traditional style D&D game. If the world goes to full-scale war because they choose not to walk the Sublime Way, then that's what happens. How they react to the idea that their characters might have stopped things will make the game interesting. Also, martial adepts fighting each other will almost always want casters and backup, just like a regular D&D party. In fact, a class like the paladin almost follows the Sublime Way by proxy. Paladins will always be willing to fight anyone evil, for any reason, making them great soldiers to use in small-scale battles, especially against the hobgoblins. I can see a lot of hate by the hobgoblins against paladins. And politicians can use the paladin's own goodness and smite evil as a tool to defeat evil enemies. To me, world-building doesn't just go on before the game. The choices the players make will ultimately drive the creation process. And since I don't know what choices they are going to make, it makes the world building into an adventure of sorts for me. That's why I like the Tome of Battle so much. One additional book adds so much to what would otherwise be just another traditional D&D game. Okay, now I sound like an ad for the book!:) I'll stop now.
Kravell 03-21-07, 06:53 AM	Look on the Class boards, there are, I believe, 4 other disciplines pretty much put togather. Also on the OA boards there are rules for Iajutsu using disciplines Cool. I'll take a look. Might be another interesting twist I can add to the game. Thanks.
Kravell 03-21-07, 06:56 AM	Very nice concept. Kinda reminds me of Star Wars: "For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times. Before the Empire." One thing I´ve been thinking of is why Kaziir-Thet stole Supernal Clarity. After all, Rakshasa are calculating creatures, and even though the conflicts that followed surely brought cruel satisfaction to the prince´s dark heart he could have some ulterior motives for the theft. Perhaps he seeks to pervert the Sublime Way by taking its basic symbols and teachings and shape them into a pleasing form, and thereby alter the face of the world. What would happen if the main thing that prevents devastating wars is corrupted by fiendish forces? Another thing: the Hobgoblins are seemingly the first disciples of the Sublime Way, but what gave them the inspiration to bring it forth? Was it simply the result of generations of warfare? Divine visions? Could they have found ancient texts of a now forgotten elder race? I don´t know, what do you think? I can´t come up with any more ideas at the moment, but if you need help with something in particular I could post my thoughts on the matter. Thanks. I do like the idea of fiendish forces trying to corrupt the Sublime Way. Ironhame is crawling with fiends trying to corrupt people. A huge war would go a long way to making the fiends happy. Not good news for the PCs. Hmm.... I'm going to delve more into where each of the nine disciplines comes from. I like your idea that the hobgoblins found ancient texts of a forgotten elder race. I'll think on that idea and post more ideas as they come to me. Thanks for your help!
Kravell 03-21-07, 06:57 AM	Thanks to everyone who is posting with ideas and advice. This world is shaping up nicely. I'll post more on the Land of Nine Swords soon. The first adventure in this world takes place next Friday. I'm really looking forward to introducing the world to my players. Charlie
Kravell 03-21-07, 10:19 AM	Kravell is the name of the world, Kreados is the name of the continent, Naramis is the name of the PC’s kingdom, Ironhame is the name of their town, and the Deluge Jungle is a nearby wilderness. The Land of the Nine Swords is the colloquial name for the kingdoms and realms of Kreados. The night sky is used to navigate by and many a birth sign has signaled the birth a great man (or other sentient being). Luna, the moon Luna has a stable orbit that controls the tides. Lycanthropes are affected in a predicable way when Luna is full. Wizards of the sun and moon have different spell options depending on whether Pel or Luna is in the sky. The Martial Adept constellation This grouping of stars shows two martial adepts locked in conflict. Great leaders and warriors are many times born under this sign. The Captain constellation These stars look like a human pointing to a distant horizon. Explorers and those who seek knowledge and magic may be born beneath this sign. The Diplomat constellation Two beings, arms extended, seem to clasp hands in this grouping of stars. The birth of great peacemakers and diplomats are heralded by this sign. Ehlonna, the green planet Rarely seen, Ehlonna is one of the three known planets orbiting the sun, Pel. Its vibrant green color comes from the massive forest that covers the entire planet. When Ehlonna can be seen, harvests are abundant and natural disasters are absent. Kravell, the blue planet Home to the Land of the Nine Swords, Kravell was created by the gods over five thousand years ago. The center of the Material Plane, Kravell is the axis on which the rest of the multiverse turns. The North Star A brilliant white star that is always appears in the north. Northern Lights Frequently seen in the skies above Taeroes, these brilliant colored lights are remnants of the Gods War. Northern Lights may provide viewers with the protection of one light from of a prismatic sphere or strike a viewer with a random ray of a prismatic spray. Pel, the sun Pel is a yellow sun. Wizards of the sun and moon have different spell options depending on whether Pel or Luna is in the sky. Telchur, the white planet Harder to see than Ehlonna, and many times mistaken for a star, Telchur is a frozen wasteland. When Telchur rises in the sky temperatures plummet, hail falls from the sky, and wild animals attack travelers.
Kravell 03-21-07, 10:21 AM	The current date in the Land of the Nine Swords is Sunday, Day 15, 5007 AD (After Dawning, literally the number of years from the creation of Kravell by the gods). The first adventure lasted around three days. After training and resting, a total of two weeks have past. The starting date of the campaign was Day 1, 5007 AD on the spring equinox. The moon was full until Day 4. 364 days a year, dated as Day 1 through Day 364. 52 weeks a year, dated as Week 1 through Week 52. 91 days in a season. 13 weeks in a season. Day 1-91 is spring. Day 1 is spring equinox. Day 92-182 is summer. Day 92 is summer solstice. Day 182-272 is autumn. Day 182 is autumn equinox. Day 273-364 is winter. Day 273 is winter solstice. The moon is full every twenty-eight days (28, 56, 84, 112, 140, 168, 196, 224, 252, 280, 308, 336, and 364) for four days. 1 full 2 full 3 full 4 ¾ full 5 ¾ full 6 ¾ full 7 ½ full 8 ½ full 9 ½ full 10 ½ full 11 ¼ full 12 ¼ full 13 ¼ full 14 new 15 new 16 new 17 new 18 ¼ full 19 ¼ full 20 ¼ full 21 ½ full 22 ½ full 23 ½ full 24 ½ full 25 ¾ full 26 ¾ full 27 ¾ full 28 full Days of the week (week 1 covers Day 1 through Day 7) Sunday Moonday Seaday Windsday Loamday Fireday Starday
Kravell 03-27-07, 03:03 PM	I created this NPC for use this Fri. If she survives, I'll increase her levels a few times before she seeks revenge. I used the Magic Item Compendium for gear and found it greatly helpful. Firesnake is an enforcer for hire in the town of Ironhame. She uses threats and violence to drive a patron’s competitors out of business, opens new markets for crime by moving out competing scoundrels, provides muscle for meetings, and works as a spy. Firesnake knows the sewers and underground ruins beneath Ironhame well. She uses Shadow Jaunt to teleport directly under the streets whenever a deal goes bad, giving her a reputation as being impossible to catch. An alumnus of the Eighty Empresses, Firesnake wears braidwork of brilliant red in her hair. Her attire is similar to that of the Crimson Mask on page 19 of the Book of Nine Swords. She took her name from the Desert Wind discipline, whose techniques she adapted to the steaming Deluge Jungle during her training. Name Firesnake CR 4 Female human swordsage 4 Chaotic neutral Medium human Init +4; Senses Listen +2, Spot +2 Languages Common ----------------------------------------------- AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 16 Counter Charge hp 25 (4 HD) Fire Riposte Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +5 ----------------------------------------------- Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) acrobat boots, Shadow Jaunt Melee +7 (2d4+5, +1 fire next round, spiked chain) brute gauntlets, Burning Blade Ranged +6 (1d6+1, sling) Base Atk +3; Grp +4 Atk Options improved flanking (Island of Blades), two attack rolls (Shadow Blade Tec.) Combat Gear martial script: tactical strike, potion of cure moderate wounds ----------------------------------------------- Maneuvers and Stances Known Stances—Child of Shadow (1st), Island of Blades (1st)* Strikes—Clinging Shadow Strike (1st), Shadow Blade Technique (1st)* Boosts—Burning Blade (1st)*, Distracting Ember (1st) Counters—Counter Charge (1st)*, Fire Riposte (2nd)*; Baffling Defense (1st)* Teleportation—Shadow Jaunt (2nd)* Disciplines: Desert Wind, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand *Readied ----------------------------------------------- Abilities Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8. Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain), Shadow Blade, Weapon Finesse. Skills Concentration +8, Hide +9, Knowledge (local) +3, Martial Lore +4, Move Silently +9, Sense Motive +9, Tumble +11 Possessions (3300 gp): mw spiked chain (325/162.5), mw chainshirt (250/125), gear and gold (225). Magic Possessions acrobat boots (900/450), brute gauntlets (500/250), phoenix ash threat crystal (500/250)
Kravell 03-29-07, 09:53 AM	One: The Sublime Way Honor Courage Loyalty Patience Education Self-control The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. -Step One of the Sublime Way. You gotta crawl if you wanna walk. -Step One of the Sublime Way as interpreted by those living in the Sun and Moon neighborhood of Ironhame. Drive on. -The Remaining Steps of the Sublime Way.
Kravell 03-29-07, 09:54 AM	Two: Introduction Only you can decide if you want to quest for the Nine Swords and save the world. The mythology and backdrop for the Land of Nine Swords can be found in the Tome of Battle: the Book of Nine Swords. The Hero Builder’s Guidebook and the Player’s Handbook II have lots more general roleplaying ideas as well. At its core, the Nine Swords Campaign is the story of a band of larger-than-life, mighty heroes. You aren’t gardeners or swineherds. You’re heroes! You have the potential to fight better than anyone else, to be the most charismatic and diplomatic, and to possess the strongest grasp and control of magic of anyone in the world. You may choose simply to loot and level. Or you may pursue the greatest legend of the world: seeking out the lost Nine Swords and returning them to the Temple of the Nine Swords in the Sunspire Mountains. It is said that when the Nine Swords are restored to the Temple, then the Swordmaster will return from his wandering and harmony will be returned to the world. It is a time of great conflict and turmoil. You could usher in a new Golden Age for the world. You may be the Swordmaster himself. Only by taking the first step on the road of the Sublime Way will you finally be on the journey to discovering your final destiny. Your first step on the road of the Sublime Way was taken when you and your band defeated a band of Shrunken Head hobgoblins and recovered some stolen trade goods. When next we gather, your heroes will take their second step on the road of the Sublime Way. The campaign of scores of adventures begins with the first post.
Kravell 03-29-07, 09:55 AM	Three: Rules The Land of Nine Swords using the core rulebooks for D&D 3.5 as well as the Tome of Battle. House rules follow. • Ability scores: 32-point ability score build. • New PCs: starting XP: 1000 and starting gp: 1000. • Hit points: fixed hit points from the Dungeon Master’s Guide. • Turn undead becomes destroy undead from Complete Divine. • New races: o Aasimars from Races of Destiny o Centaurs from Races of the Wild o Hobgoblins from the Monster Manual o Shifters from Races of Eberron (and shifter feats from the Eberron campaign setting and Monster Manual III) o Stonechildren from Races of Stone o Tieflings from the Monster Manual. • New classes (in addition to the three in Tome of Battle): o Archivist (Tome of Horror) o Dragon shaman, duskblade, and knight (Player’s Handbook II). o Factotum (Dungeonscape). • Prestige classes allowed: o All those in the Tome of Battle. o Grey Guard from Complete Scoundrel. o Order of the Bow Initiate from Complete Warrior. Shifters and centaurs were created by the zern, evil aberrations that mutate creatures. These two races are often ranger/swordsages and some become bloodclaw masters. The outsiders came to the Land of Nine Swords due to the planar disturbances found in the Deluge Jungle. Heironeous and St. Cuthbert both have prestige classes that function as ruby knight vindicators, the sapphire knight protector and the cudgel knight avenger. If you need to add some new roleplaying background to the world, let me know and we’ll work it in. If you seek a particular one of the Nine Swords, let me know. If you need other rules, whether a new race or class or a feat or spell, just let me know and we’ll figure it out.
Kravell 03-29-07, 09:57 AM	Four: Calendar The current date in the Land of the Nine Swords is Sunday, Day 15, 5007 AD (After Dawning, literally the number of years from the creation of Kravell by the gods). The first adventure lasted around three days. After training and resting, a total of two weeks have past. The starting date of the campaign was Day 1, 5007 AD on the spring equinox. The moon was full until Day 4. 364 days a year, dated as Day 1 through Day 364. 52 weeks a year, dated as Week 1 through Week 52. 91 days in a season. 13 weeks in a season. Day 1-91 is spring. Day 1 is spring equinox. Day 92-182 is summer. Day 92 is summer solstice. Day 182-272 is autumn. Day 182 is autumn equinox. Day 273-364 is winter. Day 273 is winter solstice. Days of the Week: Sunday Moonday Seaday Windsday Loamday Fireday Starday The moon is full every twenty-eight days (28, 56, 84, 112, 140, 168, 196, 224, 252, 280, 308, 336, and 364) for four days. Phases of the Moon Each Month: 1 full 2 full 3 full 4 ¾ full 5 ¾ full 6 ¾ full 7 ½ full 8 ½ full 9 ½ full 10 ½ full 11 ¼ full 12 ¼ full 13 ¼ full 14 new 15 new 16 new 17 new 18 ¼ full 19 ¼ full 20 ¼ full 21 ½ full 22 ½ full 23 ½ full 24 ½ full 25 ¾ full 26 ¾ full 27 ¾ full 28 full
Kravell 03-29-07, 09:59 AM	Five: History Early Mythology (1 to 2000 After Dawning) Five thousand years ago the gods lived as spirits in the Material Plane. They created the Elemental Planes for substance and drew from those planes to make the Material Plane solid and to create the world of Kravell. Next, they created sentient beings, including humans, and gave them the land of Taeroes to inhabit in the northwestern corner of the continent of Kreados. The races spread out to areas most pleasing to them: the dwarves to the Sunspire Mountains, the elves to the Forests of Aevarene, the halflings to the far southern Heloes Plains, and the gnomes to the Copper Hills. Other races settled in areas comfortable to them. Men, however, simply settled where they were placed, spreading out only as more land and resources were needed. The lands were vast, however, and few conflicts arise between the races on the world of Kravell. However, the gods walked the world in those days, and interacted with their followers. The gods, diverse in beliefs and sometimes bitter enemies, came into almost immediate conflict. Followers who had few problems with their neighbors now supported their god as needed through the use of violence and conflict. The gods created the Outer Planes as a place to produce armies of outsiders. Powerful summoning spells brought mighty outsiders to Kravell to battle for the gods. The Gods War had begun. A terrible two thousand year period that marked the creation of some of the greatest magical creations Kravell had ever seen, like artifacts, and some of the foulest abominations to over walk the earth, like the phane and xixecal. Monsters of all kinds were created as living weapons and epic and deity level magic changed reality. Eventually, even the foulest and most evil gods began to fear that their own destruction was not far away. The gods declared a truce, met without followers, and established a limited war philosophy that endures to this day, three thousand years later. The gods would no longer walk the earth, except for occasionally sending avatars. The northwest of Kreados would be emptied of followers who would be moved over the Sunspire Mountains into eastern Kreados. The gods would relocate to the Outer Planes, waging war through followers on those planes and on the Material Plane. The gods agreed not to attack each other directly. A more subtle war would be fought in which the alignment of planes would be shifted, followers would be gained or slaughtered, and the gods could continue to pursue their goals without being destroyed. Northwestern Taeroes remains a dangerous, blasted land of epic monsters and magic. Every few decades an epic monster crosses the mountains and rampages across Kreados, but some powerful magic or force keeps that event thankfully rare. Heroes occasionally cross the Sunspire Mountains and try to free Taeroes from the Godcurse, the rot and ruin left from the Gods War that ended three thousand years ago. Survivors of a quest into Taeroes speak of a frozen, desolate land inhabited by the cast off abominations of the gods themselves and other predators that make the tarrasque look like a housecat. Even to the present day, none of these heroes have succeeded in freeing Taeroes of its curse yet. Ancient History (2001 to 3000 AD) When the survivors of the Gods War crossed the Sunspire Mountains into the rest of Kreados, they were a battered, dispirited people. Small communities sprang up, connected by roads, but few gave thought to empire building. At first. The hobgoblins, however, were a race made for conquest and conflict. Large groups of goblinoids began banding together in southeastern Kreados, building cities and training in a new way of fighting—the Sublime Way. The Sublime Way allowed the hobgoblins to vent their martial spirits in small conflicts of one on one or small group combat. They could prove themselves worthy without committing to a large-scale war. As the hobgoblins continued to build, mostly below ground, the races closest to the Sunspire Mountains in the northwest became alarmed. While the hobgoblins’ steadily growing empire wasn’t aggressive, yet, they wanted to be ready to defend themselves. Again, the Sublime Way was the answer. Man and dwarf honed the abilities of the crusader class, as many of their gods were lawful and powerful. Elves, halflings, and gnomes were drawn more to the way of the swordsage. When the inevitable conflict between hobgoblin and the other races came, conflicts were resolved using the Sublime Way on a small-scale. For centuries, the Sublime Way kept an overall peace that actually consisted of mutual respect and careful rules of war. Instead of vast armies of thousands laying waste to kingdoms, conflicts were settled by a few dozen martial adepts and their allies at most and in some cases by as few as two. All that would change, however, with the founding of the Amperian Empire and the powerful rise of the Draconian Legion. Dragonfall Wars (3001 to 4000 AD) Kaelar, a powerful human king, believed himself destined to rule the world. His charisma and personal power drew many other kings to his banner. When he found the passes through the Sunspire Mountains filled with monsters, he turned his eyes south, to the hobgoblin lands. There, another new banner was rising. United under a half-dragon hobgoblin follower of Tiamat, the hobgoblins had grown into a real power. Using the rise of the Amperian Empire as an excuse, they struck human kingdoms all along their northern border. Kingdoms not yet united with Amperia fell into line. All feared the Draconia Imperium and its Draconian Legion more than then feared losing sovereignty. Wars of vast scope and varying results, collectively called the Dragonfall Wars, raged across Kravell for a thousand years. In the end, the mightiest heroes and dragons were slain, both emperors thrown down, and the entire continent of Kreados was laid waste. The humans gained the upper hand at the end, pushing the hobgoblins into the far southern lands. But it was a pyrrhic victory. The cost was the loss of an empire, the light of culture and civilization being extinguished, and the coming of seven hundred years of darkness. The Dark Years (4001-4700 AD) The next seven hundred years were called the Dark Years. Barbarism slowly gave way to feudalism, with the rule of the strong being the order of the day. Eventually, the brutal warrior was replaced by the lawful knight. Whether good, evil, or indifference nobles and knights kept the peace. Knighthood led to the several small fiefs joining under charismatic kings, and kingdoms started replacing manors and fiefs. The Sublime Way was not forgotten during the Dark Years, but its practices and beliefs were put to the test by violent warlords, rampaging monsters, ignorance, and barbarism. The Sublime Way served as a beacon of light during the Dark Years, and would eventually lead Kravell into its emergence from the shadows. The Temple of the Nine Swords (see Tome of Battle for more) In 4774 AD Reshar came to the hobgoblin monastery of Ur-Thaldaar. In 4777 he traveled to the Sunspire Mountains and founded the Temple of the Nine Swords. For a century, the kingdoms of Kreados settled conflict using the Sublime Way instead of the large-scale warfare of the Dark Years. After almost two thousand years of conflict, humans and their allies studied side by side with hobgoblins and goblins. In 4877 AD Reshar brought the Nine Swords to the Temple. He gave each master his or her sword and then Reshar departed. In 4966 AD the rakshasa lord Kaziir-Thet stole the sword Supernal Clarity. For the next twenty years, the nine masters bickered and fought. In 4986 AD a vast army led by two masters attacked the Temple of the Nine Swords. All nine masters died, the remaining eight swords were scattered, and the temple fell. Every hobgoblin defender fell in that battle, estranging the two peoples once again. Age of Nine Swords (5001 AD on) The year is 5007 AD. With the destruction of the Temple of the Nine Swords, kingdoms once again outfit armies and fortify borders. Conflict resolution using the Sublime Way is all but forgotten. As in ages past, a small handful of heroes can change their world. If the nine swords are recovered, the Temple of the Nine Swords could be rebuilt. Nations could turn away from large-scale war and the possibility of yet another continent wide conflict could be averted. Perhaps Taeroes itself could be cleansed and the races could return to the lands of their creation. Many forces, some evil, some simply ambitious, want a war. If no heroes step forward to stem the tide and bring back the Sublime Way, then all of Kravell may be washed in blood.
Kravell 03-29-07, 10:00 AM	Six: World and Cosmology Kravell is the name of the world, Kreados is the name of the continent, Naramis is the name of the PC’s kingdom, Ironhame is the name of their town, and the Deluge Jungle is a nearby wilderness. The Land of the Nine Swords is the colloquial name for the kingdoms and realms of Kreados. The night sky is used to navigate by and many a birth sign has signaled the birth a great man (or other sentient being). Luna, the moon Luna has a stable orbit that controls the tides. Lycanthropes are affected in a predicable way when Luna is full. Wizards of the sun and moon have different spell options depending on whether Pel or Luna is in the sky. The Martial Adept constellation This grouping of stars shows two martial adepts locked in conflict. Great leaders and warriors are many times born under this sign. The Captain constellation These stars look like a human pointing to a distant horizon. Explorers and those who seek knowledge and magic may be born beneath this sign. The Diplomat constellation Two beings, arms extended, seem to clasp hands in this grouping of stars. The birth of great peacemakers and diplomats are heralded by this sign. Ehlonna, the green planet Rarely seen, Ehlonna is one of the three known planets orbiting the sun, Pel. Its vibrant green color comes from the massive forest that covers the entire planet. When Ehlonna can be seen, harvests are abundant and natural disasters are absent. Kravell, the blue planet Home to the Land of the Nine Swords, Kravell was created by the gods over five thousand years ago. The center of the Material Plane, Kravell is the axis on which the rest of the multiverse turns. The North Star A brilliant white star that is always appears in the north. Northern Lights Frequently seen in the skies above Taeroes, these brilliant colored lights are remnants of the Gods War. Northern Lights may provide viewers with the protection of one light from of a prismatic sphere or strike a viewer with a random ray of a prismatic spray. Pel, the sun Pel is a yellow sun. Wizards of the sun and moon have different spell options depending on whether Pel or Luna is in the sky. Telchur, the white planet Harder to see than Ehlonna, and many times mistaken for a star, Telchur is a frozen wasteland. When Telchur rises in the sky temperatures plummet, hail falls from the sky, and wild animals attack travelers.
Kravell 03-29-07, 10:01 AM	Seven: Ironhame, Town of Naramis Ironhame thrives on the very edge of the kingdom of Naramis. A frontier settlement that draws in adventurers, its atmosphere of danger and violence attracts only the most adventuresome or desperate subjects of the kingdom. Built right next to Deluge Jungle, Ironhame attracts tomb robbers, treasure hunters, fiend-hunting zealots, nature priests, and all other types of adventurers. Lord Mayor Wort enforces one law—he and his cronies must stay in power and stay wealthy. Anyone can roam the streets armed—but they may be fined if they don’t buy a writ of arms. Since roaming the town unarmed is an invitation for robbery for almost everyone but monks, most subjects either buy a writ or dodge the Watch. Keal Kseo, a warblade and magic item merchant, trains some warblades. Allek Thrazt, an outcast of the hobgoblin warblade school of Ur-Thaldaar, offers training in the martial ways of the warblade. The Vix Tholm, crusaders of Heironeous, has its own school in the city, both aiding and competing with its temple. The Harad Devin Temple instructs would-be swordsages and tattoos members with the long history of their order. The temple of St. Cuthbert combines clerics and crusaders into one powerful cudgel. They are zealots, smiting anyone who crosses them or their god. Other forces than martial adepts are at work in the settlement, however. Anything and everything is for sale in Ironhame including not just lives but also souls. Disguised outsiders seek to corrupt and take souls, illusion clad aberrations stalk the streets, and press-gangs shanghai drunken subjects into jungle cutting work parties. Powerful forces for good patrol the city as well, however. The temple of Ehlonna has a powerful presence both within the settlement and in the jungle, bridging the differences between human and elf and their occasional offspring the half-elves. The temple of Heironeous and the Vix Tholm have declared a war against the evil outsiders and aberrations of the Deluge Jungle, and they enforce justice on the streets as well. Unlike they Watch, the sapphire knight protectors cannot be bribed and their temple has more than enough wealth to ensure Lord Mayor Wort writes laws that supports their influence in the city. Of course, this war of shadows leads some followers of Heironeous to stumble and become the worst blackguards the town has ever seen. Kuthar of Ironhame, a powerful warblade and wizard, may be the most powerful arcane caster in Ironhame. He cannot be corrupted and, of all the denizens of the town, he is the one most likely to appear to combat an evil outsider, likely to arrive even sooner than a sapphire knight protector. Kuthar, a pragmatist, always requires a quest in return for his aid. These quests sometimes seem worse than the demon possession he prevents, but whoever completes such a quest gains power and perhaps a powerful ally as well. Other laws, secrets, societies, and challenges are hidden in Ironhame, but you have to adventure there to discover them. Keep one hand on your sword or spell components and the other on your coin pouch, Ironhame awaits! Deluge Ward Deluge Ward covers the southern edge of the town, just inside the walls that face the Deluge Jungle. A mixture of the poorest beginning adventurers and the wealthiest treasure finders, Deluge boasts both access to powerful magic and continual, unpredictable dangers. Lord Mayor Wort has had a second wall erected between this ward and neighboring wards to keep incidents down (and to tax adventurers entering into the rest of the city). Sun and Moon Neighborhood Keal Kseo, warblade and merchant, keeper of the shrine of Kord and fighting hall. Kuthar of Ironhame; male human warblade/wizard. Beriel; cleric of Boccob, master of the Tower of the Sun and Moon. Inn of the Drunken Zern: caters to beginning adventurers. Monthly rates. Tower of the Sun and Moon: trains wizards in the sun and moon style of magic. Many factotums are trained. Rumored to train shadow sun ninjas. Trades in magic items.
Kravell 03-29-07, 10:02 AM	Eight: The Deluge Jungle The Deluge Jungle pulses with life—both natural and extraplanar. This vast living, green sprawl of isolated villages, training schools, and weird planar disturbances awaits your continued exploration. The Deluge Jungle may lie within the borders of the Kingdom of Naramis, but it belongs to no one. Lurking in the Deluge Jungle are the aberrations called the zern, centaurs and shifters, planar touchstones, and warring githyanki and githerazai. Under the jungle, drow plot against their wild elf brothers who live deep in the jungle. Terrible aberrations lurk in the deep Underdark, waiting for their chance to destroy Pel and plunge the Land of Nine Swords into everlasting darkness. See races in Three: Rules for more information on the beings living in the Deluge Jungle and nearby Ironhame.
Kravell 03-29-07, 10:18 AM	Ranger Adept The shifters of the Deluge Jungle have the ranger adept as a favored class. The ranger adept uses the base rules of the variant ranger class created by RadicalTaoist. Here’s the link to the class, however, the Falling Star tenth discipline is currently unknown in the Land of Nine Swords so Sky Watcher isn’t an option for ranger adepts. http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=738077
Obsidianjaerc 03-29-07, 04:42 PM	Interesting.
Kravell 03-30-07, 06:34 AM	Interesting. Thanks!
Kravell 03-30-07, 06:48 AM	Eyepopper hobgoblin (3): Hobgoblin, 1st-Level Warrior Medium Humanoid (Goblinoid) Hit Dice: 1d8+2 (6 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) Armor Class: 16 (+1 Dex, +3 studded leather, +2 heavy wooden spiked shield), touch 11, flat-footed 15 Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2 Attack: Trident +2 melee or ranged (1d8+1) or javelin +2 ranged (1d6+2) at 30 ft. Full Attack: Trident +2 melee or ranged (1d8+1) or javelin +2 ranged (1d6+2) at 30 ft. Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft. Saves: Fort +4, Ref +1, Will –1 Abilities: Str 13, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 12 Skills: Concentration +6, Intimidate +5, Move Silently +2 Feats: Martial Study (Diamond Mind—Sapphire Nightmare Blade) Challenge Rating: ½ Treasure: Studded leather (25/12.5), 2 tridents (15/7.5), heavy wooden spiked shield (17/8.5) Alignment: Usually lawful evil Eyepopper hobgoblins’ hair color is yellow. They have red skin. Large males have blue noses. Hobgoblins’ eyes are black, while their teeth are yellow. Their garments are blood red with black-tinted leather. Their weaponry is kept polished and in good repair. Hobgoblins speak Goblin and Common. COMBAT These creatures have a strong grasp of strategy and tactics and are capable of carrying out sophisticated battle plans. Under the leadership of a skilled strategist or tactician, their discipline can prove a deciding factor. Hobgoblins hate elves and attack them first, in preference to other opponents. Sapphire Nightmare Blade: 1x/encounter make a Concentration check with the creature’s AC as the DC of the check. If you succeed, you get a melee attack against a flat-footed opponent who takes an extra 1d6 points of damage. If you fail your check, you make the attack with a -2 penalty and do normal damage. Skills: Hobgoblins have a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. Hook: Eyepopper hobgoblins are city born and are easily distinguishable from Shrunken Head hobgoblins in the following ways. 1. They don’t have the shrunken heads of their enemies hanging on them. 2. They don’t wear the blood of their enemies as war paint. 3. They have blue noses not red. 4. They have a bloody eye tattooed on their head. 5. They have the viscous remains of enemies’ eyeballs impaled on their shield spikes and occasionally wiped on their tattoo. Eyepopper hobgoblins go for mind games and brute force more than stealth. Even rank and file warriors receive some training in the Sublime Way while many leaders are warblades. They like to start combat with a Duel of Wills. Many martial adepts and community leaders use Eyepopper hobgoblins in the town of Ironhame. Firesnake (see post above) usually has two or three go with her on jobs that don't require too much stealth. When performing leg breaking duties, the Eyepoppers don’t simply bust an arm. They like to carefully remove one of a victim’s eyes, still attached to its stalk, and impale it on a spike so the impaling is the last thing the victim sees out of that eye. Needless to say, captured Eyepoppers rarely live long and are usually killed outright.
Kravell 03-30-07, 02:25 PM	A month ago, before I started this new world, my last campaign ended in a TPK. We quickly made 1st level PCs and ran through the beginning of the Shattered Gates of Slaughtergard. Rather than complete that module (which is pretty generic and basic) I instead assumed a quick wrap up. The PCs retrieved trade goods from the Shrunken Head hobgoblins for Keal Kseo, the merchant. Of continuing concern is the shiny new armor and weapons the hobs were using. Fast forward to tonight, our second adventure, but the first in the Nine Swords Campaign. An ambush by Shrunken Head hobs on the PCs is followed by an attack by Flamesnake and some Eyepopper hobs on Keal Kseo (which the PCs can help stop). A map carried by one of the hobs leads into the next adventure, described below. The adventures use the module, Barrow of the Forgotten King, as a starting point for finding one of the lost nine swords, Unfettered. Changes to the module are detailed below. Overall, the adventure is basically the same, but the barrow is for the sword, not for a forgotten king. The king is instead represented by Reshar himself. Jeroog, an Eyepopper hobgoblin, is a warblade, not a fighter. Xeron is a zern, not a yuan-ti.
Kravell 03-30-07, 02:27 PM	Last adventure, the PCs found a map on an Eyepopper hobgoblin that indicated an entrance to a forgotten barrow beneath the town’s graveyard that held an ancient weapon of great power. The PCs, if they choose to investigate, begin this adventure. Ereth Nazbek (ToB p. 125) watches over Ironhame’s graveyard and keeps it well tended. He knows the information presented on page 6 of the adventure, but his wife Izabel has been sick and he cannot investigate himself. He knows Lord Mayor Wort will not do so, so he is willing to trust good-aligned PCs who want to look for the lost townsfolk. Mentioning looking for Unfettered will not convince him to support the PC’s explorations. Agreeing to rescue the lost townfolk or avenge them will. 1. Encounter. As written. 2. Encounter. As written. 3. Encounter. Replaced with four warforged scouts (MM III p. 193). I just don’t find the clockworks interesting. Warforged scout (4): CR ½ 4. Encounter. Replaced with the Dart Swarm Trap (Dungeonscape p. 122). My players would find the puzzle irritating. The eye is the trap trigger, the three cranks stand on numbers 2, 7, and 10, and the trapdoor marked seven opens up 1 foot at a time as described in the trap. Dart Swarm Trap: CR 2 The trapdoor opens into a five foot deep pit filled with the treasure. A five foot secret trapdoor in that pit opens to the next level (Search DC 15). I added treasure as I like to try to reward the players every few encounters. Makes bookkeeping easier. Treasure (three EL 2 and two EL 3): to be determined using the Magic Item Compendium. 5. Encounter. As written.
Kravell 04-04-07, 07:00 AM	Name Jeroog CR 3 Male hobgobling warblade 3 LE Medium humanoid (goblinoid) Init +3; Senses Listen -1, Spot -1, Darkvision 60 feet Languages Common, Draconic, Goblin. ----------------------------------------------- AC 18 (+3 Dex, +5 a, +2 s, -2 stance), touch 13, flat-footed 18 hp 33 (3 HD), every hit with longsword heals 1 hp up to 10 hp max Fort +6, Ref +4 (+5 not ff), Will +0 ----------------------------------------------- Speed 30 ft. (6 squares) Melee +6 (1d8+3 plus 1d6 plus 1d6 1st rd. , mw longsword plus punishing stance plus feat) Ranged +3 (1d6+3, handaxe) Base Atk +3; Grp +6 Atk Options +1 to confirm critical hits, up to 3 AoO 10 ft. reach, lightning gauntlets 4d6 points of electricity damage once ----------------------------------------------- Maneuvers and Stances Known Stances—Punishing Stance* Strikes—Charging Minotaur (1st), Mountain Strike (2nd)*, Sapphire Nightmare Blade (1st)*, Steel Wind (1st) Boosts— Counters—Moment of Perfect Mind (1st)* Disciplines: Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon *Readied ----------------------------------------------- Abilities Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 10. SQ Feats Rapid Assault, Unnerving Calm Skills Concentration +9, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (history) +7, Martial Lore +7, Tumble +2 Possessions (2500 gp): mw longsword (315/157.5), mw breastplate (250/125), heavy wooden shield (7/3.5), gear and gold (228). Magic Possessions lightning gauntlets (1000/500), crystal of life drinking (400/200), potion of cure moderate wounds (300/150) Hook: Jeroog is an Eyepopper hobgoblin, but he values the Sublime Way more than violence or cruelty. He truly believes he is on an important quest to find and retrieve Unfettered. He will do anything to accomplish that mission and will kill anyone who gets in his way. Before combat, he starts with a Duel of Wills (Concentration check with a +4 bonus). He tries to charge using Charging Minotaur or uses Mountain Strike with Punishing Stance and Rapid Assault. He follows up with Sapphire Nightmare Blade and drinks his potion of cure moderate wounds when at half hit points or less.
Kravell 04-05-07, 01:40 PM	Fellow poster Einvaldurinn_mikli, as his profile shows, is from Iceland. His native land inspired the next world building addition to the Land of Nine Swords. Nine: Frostrealm, Land of Steam and Snow Far to the south of the Land of Nine Swords is an island wrapped in chilling mists. Icebergs sink unwary ships and occasional scalding bursts of water flash boil others. Rising out of the frigid waters is an island of stone, ice, and molten rock. Shaped by lava flows forcibly cooled by the frigid ice, Frostrealm allows only the strongest to survive. When elves of the Deluge Jungle turned their study of the Sublime Way to dark pursuits, they triggered a kin war with the rest of their brothers. The dark elves lost, with many retreating beneath the jungle. A few necromancers and swordsages, however, sailed south. Vanar raiders occasionally sailed to the Land of Nine Swords from a southern colony to raid kingdoms. The elves found Frostrealm and quickly claimed its underground tunnels for their own. The Vanar who live on the surface are a brave, hardy folk. They train tirelessly not only to pillage, but also to protect themselves from the raids of dark elves that boil up out of lava tubes to take slaves, burn, and slay. And the dark elves continue to learn. They knew little of sailing when they fled south centuries ago. But raiding the Vanar has taught them much. Soon, they will be ready to set sail. For plunder and for the glory of their dark goddess. For revenge. They will head north. To the Deluge Jungle and the kingdom of Naramis.
Kravell 04-06-07, 02:09 PM	Wolfgang Baur's recent Dungeoncraft article helped me shape the gods of the Land of the Nine Swords. Ten: Gods of the Land of Nine Swords Six major gods provide for most of the needs of the races of the Land of Nine Swords, although dozens of minor gods exist as well. While each god has favored followers, divine casters are free to follow any god they wish within alignment restrictions. Unaligned divine casters are not an option in the Land of Nine Swords and the alignment domains do not exist. Conflicts are based on the traditions of various churches and cults and do not necessarily follow alignment divisions. Fier, god of fire and runes LG; fire, knowledge, protection, runes; warhammer Bria’s philosophy of simplicity and balance opposes Fier’s push to craft and control. Dwarves have ritualized both crafting and runemaking, while humans use innovation and bursts of creativity. Peld, god of shadow and magic NG; darkness, magic, sun, trickery; Morningstar Despite Hela having good clerics of life, Peld opposes her due to her connection with undead. The sun and moon wizards and ninjas blend light and darkness in a way that maddens the NG clerics, who want followers to choose one path or the other. Kord, god of courage and journeys CG; glory, luck, strength, travel; greatsword Kord and Torm are twins, Kord representing individual glory and Torm representing serving a greater cause. Human swordsages and warblades champion Kord as the master of the Sublime Way. Elves see him as the master of the Order of the Bow. Torm, god of war and storms LN; air, nobility, war, weather; longsword Kord and Torm are twins, Kord representing individual glory and Torm representing serving a greater cause. Human crusaders champion Torm as the master of the Sublime Way. Nobles and fighters see war as a way to achieve ends that simple martial conflict will not resolve to their satisfaction. Bria, goddess of the harvest and storms N; animal, earth, plant, water; staff Bria’s philosophy of simplicity and balance opposes Fier’s push to craft and control. Her clerics strive to blend the needs of civilization with that of nature, while her druids more often believe in survival of the fittest. Hela, goddess of life and death CN; death, destruction, healing, repose; scythe Hela’s CE clerics actively hunt Peld’s priests. Her CG clerics resent the superior attitude displayed by Peld’s clerics. Her two branches of priests both serve to put the dead to rest, or in the case of her CE clerics, back to work. To the eternal disdain of Peld’s priests, the two factions sometimes work together when the need is great. Fier: vs Bria; and LG dwarves vs NG humans Peld: vs Hela; and NG clerics vs N sun and moon wizards Kord: vs Torm; and CG martial adepts vs CG elven initiates of the order of the bow Torm: vs Kord; and LN martial adepts vs LE fighters Bria: vs Fier; and NG clerics versus CN druids Hela: vs Peld; and CG clerics vs CE clerics
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:10 AM	One: The Sublime Way Honor Courage Loyalty Patience Education Self-control The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. -Step One of the Sublime Way. You gotta crawl if you wanna walk. -Step One of the Sublime Way as interpreted by those living in the Sun and Moon neighborhood of Ironhame. Drive on. -The Remaining Steps of the Sublime Way. Two: Introduction Only you can decide if you want to quest for the Nine Swords and save the world. The mythology and backdrop for the Land of Nine Swords can be found in the Tome of Battle: the Book of Nine Swords. The Hero Builder’s Guidebook and the Player’s Handbook II have lots more general roleplaying ideas as well. At its core, the Nine Swords Campaign is the story of a band of larger-than-life, mighty heroes. You aren’t gardeners or swineherds. You’re heroes! You have the potential to fight better than anyone else, to be the most charismatic and diplomatic, and to possess the strongest grasp and control of magic of anyone in the world. You may choose simply to loot and level. Or you may pursue the greatest legend of the world: seeking out the lost Nine Swords and returning them to the Temple of the Nine Swords in the Sunspire Mountains. It is said that when the Nine Swords are restored to the Temple, then the Swordmaster will return from his wandering and harmony will be returned to the world. It is a time of great conflict and turmoil. You could usher in a new Golden Age for the world. You may be the Swordmaster himself. Only by taking the first step on the road of the Sublime Way will you finally be on the journey to discovering your final destiny.
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:12 AM	Three: House Rules The Land of Nine Swords using the core rulebooks for D&D 3.5 as well as the Tome of Battle. House rules follow. • Ability scores: 32-point ability score build from DMG. • New PCs: starting XP: 1000 and starting gp: 1000. • Hit points: fixed hit points from the DMG. • Number of skill points per level increases by 50%. • Turn undead becomes destroy undead from Complete Divine. • Gods in the Player’s Handbook are replaced. See Chapter Ten. If you need to add some new roleplaying background to the world, if you seek a particular one of the Nine Swords, or if you need other rules, whether a new race or class or a feat or spell, let me know. We’ll work it out.
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:14 AM	Four: Races New races: o Aasimars from Races of Destiny o Centaurs from Races of the Wild o Hobgoblins from the Monster Manual o Patoren (based on catfolk from Races of the Wild) o Stonechildren from Races of Stone o Tieflings from the Monster Manual. Patorens and centaurs were created by the zern, evil lifesmiths that mutate creatures. These two races are often ranger/swordsages and some become bloodclaw masters. The outsiders came to the Land of Nine Swords due to the planar disturbances found in the Deluge Jungle. Hobgoblin Typical hobgoblins wear clothes that are blood red with black-tinted leather and usually keep their weaponry well polished and in good repair. Every hobgoblin either belongs to a tribe or is bloodmarked (tribeless and marked for death). Eyepopper Hobgoblins Eyepopper hobgoblins’ hair color is yellow. They have red skin. Large males have blue noses. Hobgoblins’ eyes are black, while their teeth are yellow. Eyepopper hobgoblins are city born and are easily distinguishable from Shrunken Head hobgoblins in the following ways. 1. They don’t have the shrunken heads of their enemies hanging on them. 2. They don’t wear the blood of their enemies as war paint. 3. They have blue noses not red. 4. They have a bloody eye tattooed on their head. 5. They have the viscous remains of enemies’ eyeballs impaled on their shield spikes and occasionally wiped on their tattoo. Eyepopper hobgoblins go for mind games and brute force more than stealth. Even rank and file warriors receive some training in the Sublime Way while many leaders are warblades. They like to start combat with a Duel of Wills. When performing leg breaking duties, the Eyepoppers don’t simply bust an arm. They like to carefully remove one of a victim’s eyes, still attached, and impale it on a spike so the spike is the last thing the victim sees out of that eye. Needless to say, captured Eyepoppers rarely live long and are usually killed outright. Shrunken Head Hobgoblins Shrunken Head hobgoblins’ hair color is black. They have dark orange skin. Large males have red noses. Hobgoblins’ eyes are dark brown, while their teeth are yellow. Shrunken Head hobgoblins tie the shrunken heads of defeated enemies to their gear. They wear war paint made from the blood of fallen foes. Patoren racial stats as catfolk (Races of the Wild) except: • Automatic Languages: Common, Patoren. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Sylvan. • Favored class: o Hunter: swordsage. o Priest: ranger. o Warrior: barbarian. • Level adjustment of +1 is replaced with an NPC class: o Hunter: 1st level class must be expert. o Priest: 1st level class must be adept. o Warrior: 1st level class must be warrior. Patorens, a blending of elf and panther, were created by the zern. Humanoid, they are covered completely in hair, have muzzles with sharp teeth, and pointed ears on top of their heads. The zern wanted centaurs to carry patorens into battle. Neither species turned out the way the zern wanted. In the Land of Nine Swords, patorens control a vast realm called Thess inside the Deluge Jungle. They have left their animal origins behind them and have evolved a caste based system. They refuse to use any terms related to cats when referring to themselves. Calling them catfolk or saying they live in prides is a grave insult. The castes are distinguished by the body hair patterns of each patoren. Hunters have yellow hair with black circles and follow traditions of skill and stealth. Priests have black hair covering their bodies and pursue magic using professions. Warriors have orange hair with black bands and are the fighters of the patorens. All casters, whether using invocations or arcane or divine spells, fall into the priest caste. All fighters without magic (BAB +1 a level) fall into the warrior caste. All others, including aura users and martial adepts without BAB +1 are hunters. Patorens who take have more levels in a class outside their caste then a class inside their caste are exiled from Thess. Many of these outcasts travel the Land of Nine Swords as sellswords and freespells. Because the patorens have erased all connections to animals, their religion has evolved into a unique institution. They worship Bria as Thessana, goddess of the hunt. Calling her a harvest goddess is another grave insult. Druids, rangers, sorcerers, wizards and other classes with animal followers do not follow those traditions in patoren society. Having a companion that is meat is not an option for patorens. In addition, patoren druids will not use wildshape to turn into an animal. A druid who does so is exiled. Way of the Dragon Instead, the patorens follow a draconic tradition called the Way of the Dragon. Dragon adepts, dragon shamans, and dragon druids are the most common users of magic after rangers. Dragon druids have the alternative class feature of Aspect of the Dragon from Dragon Magic. Dragon druids and rangers both have the Phynxkin Companion feature as well. Sorcerers and wizards take the Drakken Familiar feature. Animals with traces of dragon blood did not incite the patorens’ desire to eat. Patoren monks and swordsages follow a tradition called the Way of the Draconic Fist. They take their painkill emotion (see below) and channel it into energy or ki. A 1st level monk may give up his bonus feat to take Draconic Fist (see Chapter Five). Patoren warblades are sent to the hobgoblin warblade school of Ur-Thaldaar for training. Rare crusaders of Thessana train alongside monks and swordsages. Painkill A human with mild sadistic tendencies is considered aberrant. A patoren with the same trait is considered normal and healthy. Painkill is an emotion found in all patorens. It is the struggle between the instinct to play with an enemy before killing them and the civilized notion of putting an enemy down quickly to win a battle. All patorens have a cruel streak of some kind in them. Monks tend to control painkill the best, while many warriors embrace painkill with relish. Dragonhearts are patorens who master painkill and channel it into ki. Their emotion does not master them; instead they master their emotion and use it in battle. Painkillers are patorens who embrace painkill. Fighters may take Improved Disarm and Improved Trip to draw out combats. Other patorens simply become barbarians, rage, and revel in slaughter. Paradoxically, controlling or embracing painkill are both considered honorable pursuits in patoren society. The patoren Dragonheart who struggles to master painkill and the Painkiller who sharpens its effect are both admired for their strength and spiritual prowess. Painkill is not an acceptable emotion to feel toward other patorens however, only the enemy. A patoren who is caught experiencing painkill while fighting another patoren is put to death. Race Relations Patorens hate the zern. They respect the centaurs, but cannot understand how they can refer to themselves as stallions and mares that live in herds. The old adage is, “Patorens and centaurs can be powerful allies but never friends.” Patorens and the wild elves have an uneasy relationship. The elves are uncomfortable with what the zern did to their ancestors and the patorens don’t like to be reminded of the fact. Interactions between the races range from occasional joint raids against the zern to conflict resolved using the Sublime Way. Patorens and hobgoblins get along well. Both races are martial and respect tradition and status. Patoren warblades train at Ur-Thaldaar and hobgoblin swordsages learn the Way of the Draconic Fist. Patorens find most humans patronizing and annoying. Only the most adventuresome patorens travel to human cities and they must struggle constantly to keep their painkill in check. The fact that hobgoblins and patorens get along so well doesn’t help humans accept them either.
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:15 AM	Five: Classes Monk of the Dragon Way: • Draconic Fist in place of 1st level feat option. • See Dragon Magic. Paladin of Fier: • They lose Knowledge (nobility and royalty) and Ride. They gain Climb and Knowledge (dungeoneering) as class skills. • Instead of Smite Evil, they gain Fiery Smite. Fiery Smite works as Smite Evil except a Charisma bonus is not added to the attack roll. Instead, the attack does an extra 1d6 points of fire damage in addition to the damage based on paladin level. This damage increases to 2d6 at 10th level and 3d6 at 20th level. • They do not gain a special mount. Instead, they gain the class ability described in Dungeonscape. Paladin of Perd • They lose Diplomacy and Knowledge (nobility and royalty) as class skills. They gain Knowledge (arcane) and Use Magic Device as class skills. • They lose detect evil gaining detect undead instead. In addition, they can cast light 3/day with a caster level equal to their paladin level. • They lose divine health and remove disease. Instead, they can destroy undead starting at 3rd level instead of 4th level. • They do not gain a special mount. Instead, they gain the class ability described in the Player’s Handbook II. • New classes (in addition to the three in Tome of Battle): o Archivist (Tome of Horror). o Dragon adept (Dragon Magic). o Dragon shaman, duskblade, and knight (Player’s Handbook II). o Factotum (Dungeonscape). • Prestige classes allowed: o All those in the Tome of Battle. o Grey Guard from Complete Scoundrel. o Order of the Bow Initiate from Complete Warrior. Torm and Hela both have prestige classes that function as ruby knight vindicators, the sapphire knight protector and the onyx knight avenger. Six: New Feats DRAGON CLAW (RACIAL) Prerequisites: Patoren or dragonblooded, furry of blows or Greater Unarmed Strike. Benefit: You do damage in unarmed combat as if one size category larger. GREATER UNARMED STRIKE (GENERAL) Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike. Benefit: You can make an unarmed strike for more damage. You do damage with an unarmed strike counting your class levels equal to a ½ the damage a monk can do. You can replace the base damage of a spiked gauntlet with your unarmed strike damage. Normal: Without this feat, you do 1d3 points of bludgeoning damage if you are Medium size. MAGIC OF THE LAND (GENERAL) See Races of the Wild. Seven: New Domains and Spells See SRD.
Steely_Dan 04-12-07, 11:16 AM	Cool, this all makes me feel very Red Sonja.
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:17 AM	Eight: Calendar The starting date of the campaign was the spring equinox Day 1, 5007 AD (After Dawning, literally the number of years from the creation of Kravell by the gods). See the Adventure History doc for the current date. 364 days a year, dated as Day 1 through Day 364. 52 weeks a year, dated as Week 1 through Week 52. 91 days in a season. 13 weeks in a season. Day 1-91 is spring. Day 1 is spring equinox. Day 92-182 is summer. Day 92 is summer solstice. Day 182-272 is autumn. Day 182 is autumn equinox. Day 273-364 is winter. Day 273 is winter solstice. The moon is full every twenty-eight days (28, 56, 84, 112, 140, 168, 196, 224, 252, 280, 308, 336, and 364) for four days. Days of the week: Sunday Moonday Seaday Windsday Loamday Fireday Starday 1 full 2 full 3 full 4 ¾ full 5 ¾ full 6 ¾ full 7 ½ full 8 ½ full 9 ½ full 10 ½ full 11 ¼ full 12 ¼ full 13 ¼ full 14 new 15 new 16 new 17 new 18 ¼ full 19 ¼ full 20 ¼ full 21 ½ full 22 ½ full 23 ½ full 24 ½ full 25 ¾ full 26 ¾ full 27 ¾ full 28 full
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:18 AM	Nine: History Early Mythology (1 to 2000 After Dawning) Five thousand years ago the gods lived as spirits in the Material Plane. They created the Elemental Planes for substance and drew from those planes to make the Material Plane solid and to create the world of Kravell. Next, they created sentient beings, including humans, and gave them the land of Taeroes to inhabit in the northwestern corner of the continent of Kreados. The races spread out to areas most pleasing to them: the dwarves to the Sunspire Mountains, the elves to the Forests of Aevarene, the halflings to the far southern Heloes Plains, and the gnomes to the Copper Hills. Other races settled in areas comfortable to them. Men, however, simply settled where they were placed, spreading out only as more land and resources were needed. The lands were vast, however, and few conflicts arise between the races on the world of Kravell. However, the gods walked the world in those days, and interacted with their followers. The gods, diverse in beliefs and sometimes bitter enemies, came into almost immediate conflict. Followers who had few problems with their neighbors now supported their god as needed through the use of violence and conflict. The gods created the Outer Planes as a place to produce armies of outsiders. Powerful summoning spells brought mighty outsiders to Kravell to battle for the gods. The Godswar had begun. A terrible two thousand year period that marked the creation of some of the greatest magical creations Kravell had ever seen, like artifacts, and some of the foulest abominations to over walk the earth, like the phane and xixecal. Monsters of all kinds were created as living weapons and epic and deity level magic changed reality. Eventually, even the most violent gods began to fear that their own destruction was not far away. The gods declared a truce, met without followers, and established a limited war philosophy that endures to this day, three thousand years later. The gods would no longer walk the earth, except for occasionally sending avatars. The northwest of Kreados would be emptied of followers who would be moved over the Sunspire Mountains into eastern Kreados. The gods would relocate to the Outer Planes, waging war through followers on those planes and on the Material Plane. The gods agreed not to attack each other directly. A more subtle war would be fought in which the alignment of planes would be shifted, followers would be gained or slaughtered, and the gods could continue to pursue their goals without being destroyed. Northwestern Taeroes remains a dangerous, blasted land of epic monsters and magic. Every few decades an epic monster crosses the mountains and rampages across Kreados, but some powerful magic or force keeps that event thankfully rare. Heroes occasionally cross the Sunspire Mountains and try to free Taeroes from the Godcurse, the rot and ruin left from the Gods War that ended three thousand years ago. Survivors of a quest into Taeroes speak of a frozen, desolate land inhabited by the cast off abominations of the gods themselves and other predators that make the tarrasque look like a housecat. Even to the present day, none of these heroes have succeeded in freeing Taeroes of its curse yet. Ancient History (2001 to 3000 AD) When the survivors of the Gods War crossed the Sunspire Mountains into the rest of Kreados, they were a battered, dispirited people. Small communities sprang up, connected by roads, but few gave thought to empire building. At first. The hobgoblins, however, were a race made for conquest and conflict. Large groups of goblinoids began banding together in southeastern Kreados, building cities and training in a new way of fighting—the Sublime Way. The Sublime Way allowed the hobgoblins to vent their martial spirits in small conflicts of one on one or small group combat. They could prove themselves worthy without committing to a large-scale war. As the hobgoblins continued to build, mostly below ground, the races closest to the Sunspire Mountains in the northwest became alarmed. While the hobgoblins’ steadily growing empire wasn’t aggressive, yet, they wanted to be ready to defend themselves. Again, the Sublime Way was the answer. Man and dwarf honed the abilities of the crusader class, as many of their gods were lawful and powerful. Elves, halflings, and gnomes were drawn more to the way of the swordsage. When the inevitable conflict between hobgoblin and the other races came, conflicts were resolved using the Sublime Way on a small-scale. For centuries, the Sublime Way kept an overall peace that actually consisted of mutual respect and careful rules of war. Instead of vast armies of thousands laying waste to kingdoms, conflicts were settled by a few dozen martial adepts and their allies at most and in some cases by as few as two. All that would change, however, with the founding of the Amperian Empire and the powerful rise of the Draconian Legion. Dragonfall Wars (3001 to 4000 AD) Kaelar, a powerful human king, believed himself destined to rule the world. His charisma and personal power drew many other kings to his banner. When he found the passes through the Sunspire Mountains filled with monsters, he turned his eyes south, to the hobgoblin lands. There, another new banner was rising. United under a half-dragon hobgoblin follower of Tiamat, the hobgoblins had grown into a real power. Using the rise of the Amperian Empire as an excuse, they struck human kingdoms all along their northern border. Kingdoms not yet united with Amperia fell into line. All feared the Draconia Imperium and its Draconian Legion more than then feared losing sovereignty. Wars of vast scope and varying results, collectively called the Dragonfall Wars, raged across Kravell for a thousand years. In the end, the mightiest heroes and dragons were slain, both emperors thrown down, and the entire continent of Kreados was laid waste. The humans gained the upper hand at the end, pushing the hobgoblins into the far southern lands. But it was a pyrrhic victory. The cost was the loss of an empire, the light of culture and civilization being extinguished, and the coming of seven hundred years of darkness. The Dark Years (4001-4700 AD) The next seven hundred years were called the Dark Years. Barbarism slowly gave way to feudalism, with the rule of the strong being the order of the day. Eventually, the brutal warrior was replaced by the lawful knight. Whether good, evil, or indifference nobles and knights kept the peace. Knighthood led to the several small fiefs joining under charismatic kings, and kingdoms started replacing manors and fiefs. The Sublime Way was not forgotten during the Dark Years, but its practices and beliefs were put to the test by violent warlords, rampaging monsters, ignorance, and barbarism. The Sublime Way served as a beacon of light during the Dark Years, and would eventually lead Kravell into its emergence from the shadows. The Temple of the Nine Swords (see Tome of Battle for more) In 4774 AD Reshar came to the hobgoblin monastery of Ur-Thaldaar. In 4777 he traveled to the Sunspire Mountains and founded the Temple of the Nine Swords. For a century, the kingdoms of Kreados settled conflict using the Sublime Way instead of the large-scale warfare of the Dark Years. After almost two thousand years of conflict, humans and their allies studied side by side with hobgoblins and goblins. In 4877 AD Reshar brought the Nine Swords to the Temple. He gave each master his or her sword and then Reshar departed. In 4966 AD the rakshasa lord Kaziir-Thet stole the sword Supernal Clarity. For the next twenty years, the nine masters bickered and fought. In 4986 AD a vast army led by two masters attacked the Temple of the Nine Swords. All nine masters died, the remaining eight swords were scattered, and the temple fell. Every hobgoblin defender fell in that battle, estranging the two peoples once again. Age of Nine Swords (5001 AD on) The year is 5007 AD. With the destruction of the Temple of the Nine Swords, kingdoms once again outfit armies and fortify borders. Conflict resolution using the Sublime Way is all but forgotten. As in ages past, a small handful of heroes can change their world. If the nine swords are recovered, the Temple of the Nine Swords could be rebuilt. Nations could turn away from large-scale war and the possibility of yet another continent wide conflict could be averted. Perhaps Taeroes itself could be cleansed and the races could return to the lands of their creation. Many forces, some evil, some simply ambitious, want a war. If no heroes step forward to stem the tide and bring back the Sublime Way, then all of Kravell may be washed in blood.
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:19 AM	Ten: Gods of the Land of Nine Swords The Gods Six major gods provide for most of the needs of the races of the Land of Nine Swords, although dozens of minor gods exist as well. While each god has favored followers, divine casters are free to follow any god they wish within alignment restrictions. Unaligned divine casters are not an option in the Land of Nine Swords and the alignment domains do not exist. Conflicts are based on the traditions of various churches and cults and do not necessarily follow alignment divisions. Fier, god of fire and runes LG; Domains: fire, knowledge, protection, runes; warhammer Bria’s philosophy of simplicity and balance opposes Fier’s push to craft and control. Dwarves have ritualized both crafting and runemaking, while humans use innovation and bursts of creativity. Peld, god of shadow and magic NG; Domains: darkness, magic, sun, trickery; Morningstar Despite Hela having good clerics of life, Peld opposes her due to her connection with undead. The sun and moon wizards and ninjas blend light and darkness in a way that maddens the NG clerics, who want followers to choose one path or the other. Kord, god of courage and journeys CG; Domains: glory, luck, strength, travel; greatsword Kord and Torm are twins, Kord representing individual glory and Torm representing serving a greater cause. Human swordsages and warblades champion Kord as the master of the Sublime Way. Elves see him as the master of the Order of the Bow. Torm, god of war and storms LN; Domains: air, nobility, war, weather; longsword Kord and Torm are twins, Kord representing individual glory and Torm representing serving a greater cause. Human crusaders champion Torm as the master of the Sublime Way. Nobles and fighters see war as a way to achieve ends that simple martial conflict will not resolve to their satisfaction. Bria, goddess of the harvest and the wilds N; Domains: animal, earth, plant, water; staff Bria’s philosophy of simplicity and balance opposes Fier’s push to craft and control. Her clerics strive to blend the needs of civilization with that of nature, while her druids more often believe in survival of the fittest. Hela, goddess of life and death CN; Domains: death, destruction, healing, repose; scythe Hela’s CE clerics actively hunt Peld’s priests. Her CG clerics resent the superior attitude displayed by Peld’s clerics. Her two branches of priests both serve to put the dead to rest, or in the case of her CE clerics, back to work. To the eternal disdain of Peld’s priests, the two factions sometimes work together when the need is great. Deity Nemesis Split Fier Bria LG dwarves vs NG humans Peld Hela NG clerics vs N sun and moon wizards Kord Torm CG martial adepts vs CG elven initiates of the order of the bow Torm Kord LN martial adepts vs LE fighters Bria Fier NG clerics versus LN patorens Hela Peld CG clerics vs CE clerics Divine Casters Most druids gain spells from Bria. Traditional paladins follow Torm. Paladins of Fier follow a more dwarven tradition of paladinhood. Paladins of Peld are unconcerned with knighthood and courtly manners. See Chapter Five for variants. Standard rangers normally gain divine spells from Peld, Kord, or Bria.
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:20 AM	Eleven: World and Cosmology Kravell is the name of the world, Kreados is the name of the continent, Naramis is the name of the PC’s kingdom, Ironhame is the name of their town, and the Deluge Jungle is a nearby wilderness. The Land of the Nine Swords is the colloquial name for the kingdoms and realms of Kreados. The night sky is used to navigate by and many a birth sign has signaled the birth a great man (or other sentient being). Luna, the moon Luna has a stable orbit that controls the tides. Lycanthropes are affected in a predicable way when Luna is full. Wizards of the sun and moon have different spell options depending on whether Pel or Luna is in the sky. The Martial Adept constellation This grouping of stars shows two martial adepts locked in conflict. Great leaders and warriors are many times born under this sign. The Captain constellation These stars look like a human pointing to a distant horizon. Explorers and those who seek knowledge and magic may be born beneath this sign. The Diplomat constellation Two beings, arms extended, seem to clasp hands in this grouping of stars. The birth of great peacemakers and diplomats are heralded by this sign. Ehlonna, the green planet Rarely seen, Ehlonna is one of the three known planets orbiting the sun, Pel. Its vibrant green color comes from the massive forest that covers the entire planet. When Ehlonna can be seen, harvests are abundant and natural disasters are absent. Kravell, the blue planet Home to the Land of the Nine Swords, Kravell was created by the gods over five thousand years ago. The center of the Material Plane, Kravell is the axis on which the rest of the multiverse turns. The North Star A brilliant white star that is always appears in the north. Northern Lights Frequently seen in the skies above Taeroes, these brilliant colored lights are remnants of the Gods War. Northern Lights may provide viewers with the protection of one light from of a prismatic sphere or strike a viewer with a random ray of a prismatic spray. Pel, the sun Pel is a yellow sun. Wizards of the sun and moon have different spell options depending on whether Pel or Luna is in the sky. Telchur, the white planet Harder to see than Ehlonna, and many times mistaken for a star, Telchur is a frozen wasteland. When Telchur rises in the sky temperatures plummet, hail falls from the sky, and wild animals attack travelers.
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:21 AM	Twelve: Ironhame, Town of Naramis Ironhame thrives on the very edge of the kingdom of Naramis. A frontier settlement that draws in adventurers, its atmosphere of danger and violence attracts only the most adventuresome or desperate subjects of the kingdom. Built right next to Deluge Jungle, Ironhame attracts tomb robbers, treasure hunters, fiend-hunting zealots, nature priests, and all other types of adventurers. Lord Mayor Wort enforces one law—he and his cronies must stay in power and stay wealthy. Anyone can roam the streets armed—but they may be fined if they don’t buy a writ of arms. Since roaming the town unarmed is an invitation for robbery for almost everyone but monks, most subjects either buy a writ or dodge the Watch. Keal Kseo, a warblade and magic item merchant, trains some warblades. Allek Thrazt, an outcast of the hobgoblin warblade school of Ur-Thaldaar, offers training in the martial ways of the warblade. The Vix Tholm, crusaders of Torm, has its own school in the city, both aiding and competing with its temple. The Harad Devin Temple instructs would-be swordsages and tattoos members with the long history of their order. Firesnake is an enforcer for hire in the town of Ironhame. She uses threats and violence to drive a patron’s competitors out of business, opens new markets for crime by moving out competing scoundrels, provides muscle for meetings, and works as a spy. Anything and everything is for sale in Ironhame including not just lives but also souls. Disguised outsiders seek to corrupt and take souls, illusion clad aberrations stalk the streets, and press-gangs shanghai drunken subjects into jungle cutting work parties. Other powerful forces patrol the city as well. The temple of Bria has a powerful presence both within the settlement and in the jungle, bridging the differences between human and elf and their occasional offspring the half-elves. The temple of Torm and the Vix Tholm have declared a war against the evil outsiders and monsters of the Deluge Jungle, and they enforce justice on the streets as well. Unlike they Watch, the sapphire knight protectors cannot be bribed and their temple has more than enough wealth to ensure Lord Mayor Wort writes laws that supports their influence in the city. Of course, this war of shadows leads some followers of Torm to stumble and become the worst blackguards the town has ever seen. Kuthar of Ironhame, a powerful warblade and wizard, may be the most powerful arcane caster in Ironhame. He cannot be corrupted and, of all the denizens of the town, he is the one most likely to appear to combat an evil outsider, likely to arrive even sooner than a sapphire knight protector. Kuthar, a pragmatist, always requires a quest in return for his aid. These quests sometimes seem worse than the demon possession he prevents, but whoever completes such a quest gains power and perhaps a powerful ally as well. Other laws, secrets, societies, and challenges are hidden in Ironhame, but you have to adventure there to discover them. Keep one hand on your sword or spell components and the other on your coin pouch, Ironhame awaits! Deluge Ward Deluge Ward covers the southern edge of the town, just inside the walls that face the Deluge Jungle. A mixture of the poorest beginning adventurers and the wealthiest treasure finders, Deluge boasts both access to powerful magic and continual, unpredictable dangers. Lord Mayor Wort has had a second wall erected between this ward and neighboring wards to keep incidents down (and to tax adventurers entering into the rest of the city). Sun and Moon Neighborhood Keal Kseo, warblade and merchant, keeper of the shrine of Kord and fighting hall. Kuthar of Ironhame; male human warblade/wizard. Beriel; cleric of Peld, master of the Tower of the Sun and Moon. Inn of the Drunken Zern: caters to beginning adventurers. Monthly rates. Tower of the Sun and Moon: trains wizards in the sun and moon style of magic. Many factotums are trained. Rumored to train shadow sun ninjas. Trades in magic items.
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:22 AM	Thirteen: The Deluge Jungle The Deluge Jungle pulses with life—both natural and extraplanar. This vast living, green sprawl of isolated villages, training schools, and weird planar disturbances awaits your continued exploration. The Deluge Jungle may lie within the borders of the Kingdom of Naramis, but it belongs to no one. Lurking in the Deluge Jungle is the lifesmithing race called the zern, centaurs and patorens, planar touchstones, and warring githyanki and githerazai. Under the jungle, drow plot against their wild elf brothers who live deep in the jungle. Terrible aberrations lurk in the deep Underdark, waiting for their chance to destroy Pel and plunge the Land of Nine Swords into everlasting darkness. See races in chapter Four: Rules for more information on the beings living in the Deluge Jungle and nearby Ironhame. Fourteen: Frostfell, Land of Steam and Snow Far to the south of the Land of Nine Swords is an island wrapped in chilling mists. Icebergs sink unwary ships and occasional scalding bursts of water flash boil others. Rising out of the frigid waters is an island of stone, ice, and molten rock. Shaped by lava flows forcibly cooled by the frigid ice, Frostfell allows only the strongest to survive. When elves of the Deluge Jungle turned their study of the Sublime Way to dark pursuits, they triggered a kin war with the rest of their brothers. The dark elves lost, with many retreating beneath the jungle. A few necromancers and swordsages, however, sailed south. Vanar raiders occasionally sailed to the Land of Nine Swords from a southern colony to raid kingdoms. The elves found Frostfell and quickly claimed its underground tunnels for their own. The Vanar who live on the surface are a brave, hardy folk. They train tirelessly not only to pillage, but also to protect themselves from the raids of dark elves that boil up out of lava tubes to take slaves, burn, and slay. And the dark elves continue to learn. They knew little of sailing when they fled south centuries ago. But raiding the Vanar has taught them much. Soon, they will be ready to set sail. For plunder and for the glory of their dark goddess. For revenge. They will head north. To the Deluge Jungle and the kingdom of Naramis.
Kravell 04-12-07, 11:27 AM	Cool, this all makes me feel very Red Sonja. Glad you like it!
Zumarai 04-13-07, 08:41 AM	Glad you like it! I'll probably cut and paste and print out all of your posts so far (at my work's expense of course), and go over it at my leisure at home. So far it has a very Hyperborian (Conan/Red Sonja)/pseudo-Asian feel (which I love), though I could be wrong - Dig it!
Kravell 04-13-07, 11:10 AM	I'll probably cut and paste and print out all of your posts so far (at my work's expense of course), and go over it at my leisure at home. So far it has a very Hyperborian (Conan/Red Sonja)/pseudo-Asian feel (which I love), though I could be wrong - Dig it! I actually wasn't thinking about Conan when I started on the Land of Nine Swords but now that you mention it, the world does have a sword and sorcery feel to it, at least in regards to the heroes. The world itself is still high fantasy with gods, outsiders, and powerful monsters clashing. The Asian influence is very strong. My interpretation of the Sublime Way comes directly from the Bushido Code. Concepts and ideas based on Zen mediation are also included in the world. The idea of martial adepts and other skilled warriors clashing is similar to kumate, the bare knuckle no points style of fighting used in traditional karate, but with killing possible. A training school (dojo), a skilled master (sensei), and the need to gain training before learning the Sublime Way harkens back to karate as well, especially the idea of learning katas, the traditional ritualized practice of karate. To me, each martial maneuver is like its own kata. I can imagine hours and hours of practice spent by a swordsage before she finally gets her sword to burst into flame with just her ki. I’d like to reiterate that the Land of Nine Swords has both an Asian martial arts feel combined with the traditional D&D world. I don’t cover dwarves, elves, and wizards for instance because they are covered so well already in the core books and in the Player’s Handbook II. So far only one of my players is playing a martial adept. Another player may play a monk or a swordsage, I haven’t heard yet. The rest are fighters, rogues, and wizards straight from the Player’s Handbook. I really like the feel this combination creates in the world. On the one hand, you have the centaurs (pulled from Greek mythology) and the patorens (cat people fantasy stable) having been created by the creepy lifesmiths the zern (MM IV). On the other, you have hobgoblin warblades, rakshasa, and the Sublime Way. Mix them together and you have the Land of Nine Swords. Charlie
Kravell 04-13-07, 11:13 AM	Zumarai, Another theme I haven’t touched on yet is the possibility of mechanical life gone wrong. Somewhere in the back of my brain I see not just golems rampaging and killing but also warforged and other living constructs threatening flesh and blood people in the Land of Nine Swords. Or maybe it is just the idea of law completely out of control, with formians building hives everywhere and warforged warblades rebuilding in their image. What do you think about this idea? Charlie
Kravell 04-13-07, 03:05 PM	I'm using the map of Skullport from Dungeon for Ironhame. Deluge Ward is in the southeast corner and I dropped the Sun and Moon Neighborhood (subsuming it into Deluge Ward). Keal Kseo has his shop and Kord's Arena at location 11. The Tower of the Sun and Moon is at location 20. Garrick Kuryan, a bowyer/fletcher and initiate of the order of the bow is at 10.
Kravell 04-16-07, 10:32 AM	After playtesting the patoren, I've made some changes to the race. Basically, I don't like the way the catfolk is written in Races of the Wild. Too cute and cuddly and +1 LA. I like the idea that the patorens don't use animal companions, however that concept can be dropped if using the Player's Handbook II is not desired. Wizards has posted all the maneuvers on the website, so the race can be used even outside a world using Tome of Battle. Patoren • +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma. • Base land speed is 40 feet. • Low-Light Vision. • Bonus maneuver: Wolf Fang Strike 1/encounter. • Clawshield is considered a Martial Weapon. • Automatic Languages: Common, Patoren. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Goblin, Sylvan. • Favored Class: o Hunter: swordsage. o Priest: ranger. o Warrior: barbarian. • Standard Alternative Class Abilities (Player’s Handbook II): o Druid: shapeshift. o Monk: decisive strike. o Paladin: charging smite. o Ranger: distracting attack. o Sorcerer: metamagic specialist. o Wizard: immediate magic (even if not a specialist). Patorens, a blending of elf and panther, were created by the zern. Humanoid, they are covered completely in hair, have muzzles with sharp teeth, and pointed ears on top of their heads. The zern wanted centaurs to carry patorens into battle. Neither species turned out the way the zern wanted. In the Land of Nine Swords, patorens control a vast realm called Thess inside the Deluge Jungle. They have left their animal origins behind them They refuse to use any terms related to cats when referring to themselves. Calling them catfolk or saying they live in prides is a grave insult. The patorens have evolved a caste based system. The castes are distinguished by the body hair patterns of each patoren. The three castes are hunter, priest, and warrior. Hunter Hunters have black body hair with small tan circles. They follow traditions of skill and stealth. All others, including aura users and martial adepts without BAB +1 are hunters. Priest Priests have black hair covering their bodies and pursue magic using professions. All casters, whether using invocations or arcane or divine spells, fall into the priest caste. Warrior Warriors have black hair with light orange bands and are the fighters of the patorens. All fighters without magic (BAB +1 a level) fall into the warrior caste. Patorens who take have more levels in a class outside their caste then a class inside their caste are exiled from Thess. Many of these outcasts travel the Land of Nine Swords as sellswords and freespells. Because the patorens have erased all connections to animals, their religion has evolved into a unique institution. They worship Bria as Thessana, goddess of the hunt. Calling her a harvest goddess is another grave insult. Druids, rangers, sorcerers, wizards and other classes with animal followers do not follow those traditions in patoren society. Having a companion that is meat is not an option for patorens. In addition, patoren druids will not use wildshape to turn into an animal. A druid who does so is exiled. When using shapeshift they appear draconic in form. Way of the Dragon The patorens follow a draconic tradition called the Way of the Dragon. Patoren monks and swordsages train in a hard style of martial arts. They take their painkill emotion (see below) and channel it into energy or ki. Instead of flurry of blows, they usually train in decisive strike, which they call dragonstrike. Patoren warblades are sent to the hobgoblin warblade school of Ur-Thaldaar for training. Rare crusaders of Thessana train alongside monks and swordsages. Painkill A human with mild sadistic tendencies is considered aberrant. A patoren with the same trait is considered normal and healthy. Painkill is an emotion found in all patorens. It is the struggle between the instinct to play with an enemy before killing them and the civilized notion of putting an enemy down quickly to win a battle. All patorens have a cruel streak of some kind in them. Monks tend to control painkill the best, while many warriors embrace painkill with relish. Dragonhearts are patorens who master painkill and channel it into ki. Their emotion does not master them; instead they master their emotion and use it in battle. Painkillers are patorens who embrace painkill. Fighters may take Improved Disarm and Improved Trip to draw out combats. Other patorens simply become barbarians, rage, and revel in slaughter. Paradoxically, controlling or embracing painkill are both considered honorable pursuits in patoren society. The patoren Dragonheart who struggles to master painkill and the Painkiller who sharpens its effect are both admired for their strength and spiritual prowess. Painkill is not an acceptable emotion to feel toward other patorens however, only the enemy. A patoren who is caught experiencing painkill while fighting another patoren is put to death. Race Relations Patorens hate the zern. They respect the centaurs, but cannot understand how they can refer to themselves as stallions and mares that live in herds. The old adage is, “Patorens and centaurs can be powerful allies but never friends.” Patorens and the wild elves have an uneasy relationship. The elves are uncomfortable with what the zern did to their ancestors and the patorens don’t like to be reminded of the fact. Interactions between the races range from occasional joint raids against the zern to conflict resolved using the Sublime Way. Patorens and hobgoblins get along well. Both races are martial and respect tradition and status. Patoren warblades train at Ur-Thaldaar and hobgoblin swordsages learn the Way of the Draconic Fist. Patorens find most humans patronizing and annoying. Only the most adventuresome patorens travel to human cities and they must struggle constantly to keep their painkill in check. The fact that hobgoblins and patorens get along so well doesn’t help humans accept them either.
Kravell 04-16-07, 03:28 PM	Exotic Weapon: Clawshield Light Melee Weapon Cost 16 gp Dmg (S) 1d4 Dmg (M) 1d6 Critical 19-20/x2 Range Increment -- Weight 4 lb. Type Slashing Clawshield: A clawshield looks like the claw of a dragon and is usually painted either in a chromatic or metallic color. It is strapped on the arm like a heavy steel shield with the claws pointing toward the end of the arm. A clawshield can be used either as a weapon or as a heavy steel shield. Proficiency in the weapon does not provide shield proficiency, which must be taken normally. The weapon claws and the shield section can be made masterwork or enchanted separately as a weapon or a shield respectively. Many patorens use a clawshield as an off hand weapon with their Wolf Fang Strike maneuver when combat begins, then use it as a shield if they have proficiency for the rest of the fight.
MagicMouth 04-21-07, 04:13 AM	Liking what I see. :thumbsup: If you´re still interested in the idea of fiends corupting the Sublime Way, then perhaps this (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=801933) could be the first warped discipline developed by the infernal ones. The heroes could be given the quest to investigate the rumors of a dark new path on the rise, and try to stop it before it spreads too far. Additionally, they may now find out a few details about the fiendish plots and work to prevent more corrupted disciplines from appearing.
Kravell 04-23-07, 07:07 AM	Liking what I see. :thumbsup: If you´re still interested in the idea of fiends corupting the Sublime Way, then perhaps this (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=801933) could be the first warped discipline developed by the infernal ones. The heroes could be given the quest to investigate the rumors of a dark new path on the rise, and try to stop it before it spreads too far. Additionally, they may now find out a few details about the fiendish plots and work to prevent more corrupted disciplines from appearing. Very cool. I'm going to read over the school and see what ideas it generates. Thanks!
Kravell 04-23-07, 08:23 AM	I've modified the patoren warrior caste so that its favored class is martial ranger. Martial ranger is based on the design by RadicalTaoist except I'm not currently using the Falling Star discipline: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=738077
Kravell 04-23-07, 08:25 AM	I've added a section on training schools to my campaign doc: Eight: The Nine Disciplines Martial adapts and students of martial study have a variety of schools to choose from in the Deluge Jungle area. The master of each school devises tests that would be students must pass before being accepted for training. Some of these tests are dangerous and a few can even be deadly. Perhaps the most famous school is the hobgoblin warblade school of Ur-Thaldaar. Founded on the western edge of the Deluge Jungle, the school accepts only the best students and both the process of applying and studying can be deadly. Ur-Thaldaar teaches the Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw, and White Raven disciplines. The Vix Tholm, crusaders of Torm, has its own school, the Sapphire Citadel, in the town of Ironhame. Teaching the Devoted Spirit, Stone Dragon, and White Raven disciplines, the masters of the Citadel require all students to have maximum training in the associated discipline’s skill before even allowing them to test to join the Citadel for training. The Harad Devin Temple instructs would-be swordsages and tattoos members with the long history of their order. The school has a training facility in Ironhame that teaches the Desert Wind, Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand, Stone Dragon, and Tiger Claw disciplines. Applicants are sorely tested and newly accepted students receive their first tattoo before any training is given. The patoren school of the Way of the Dragon rivals Ur-Thaldaar in danger and strict training. As difficult as it is for a non-hobgoblin to train at Ur-Thaldaar, it is even more difficult for a non-patoren to be accepted into the Way of the Dragon school. Hobgoblins are the most common race to survive applying to become a student. This school offers training to all martial adepts as well as offering study for martial rangers. All nine disciplines are taught: Desert Wind, Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Setting Sun, Shadow Hand, Stone Dragon, White Raven, and Tiger Claw disciplines. Training in the master of nine prestige class can be sought here. Many warblade alumni also seek advanced training at Ur-Thaldaar.
Kravell 04-23-07, 08:59 AM	Based on the design by RadicalTaoist here is the martial ranger. I didn't include the class chart because I don't know how to get the table to look right in a forum post. Martial Ranger The martial ranger follows a martial adept tradition rather than a druidic tradition. The patorens of the Deluge Jungle offer training in this class if one can survive the application process and schooling. Martial rangers cannot multiclass with the standard ranger class. MARTIAL RANGER Alignment: Any. Hit Die: d8. Class Skills The martial ranger’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex). Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier. Class Features All of the following are class features of the martial ranger. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A martial ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields). Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Shadow Hand and Tiger Claw (but see Martial Ranger Tradition, below). A martial ranger knows and learns maneuvers in the same way as a warblade (page 21 in the Tome of Battle). A martial ranger can learn new maneuvers in place of old ones starting at 4th level just as a warblade can. One level in the martial martial ranger variant class qualifies a character for the Adaptive Style feat (Tome of Battle page 28) just as a level of crusader, swordsage, or warblade does. As a martial adept, the martial martial ranger's initiator level increases by 1 for every level in that class, rather than 1 for every 2 as is normal for non-initiator classes. Maneuvers Readied: A martial ranger chooses and readies his maneuvers just as a warblade does (see pages 21 and 22 of the Tome of Battle). If you go for one whole turn without expending any maneuvers, at the beginning of your next turn you may automatically recover all expended maneuvers as a swift action. Stances Known: A martial ranger learns and activates stances just as a warblade does (see page 22 in the Tome of Battle), except only from the disciplines available to the martial ranger. At 1st level you may learn any 1st level stance from any discipline available to you (see Martial Ranger Tradition, below). Martial ranger Tradition: There are many paths by which the Sublime Way can be traveled in the wilderness. At 1st level, you choose one of the following martial ranger traditions and benefits thereof. Once this choice has been made, it cannot be changed. • Desert Survivor: You come from the killing wastelands of dust and heat, and bring with you their combat training. You may learn stances and maneuvers from the Desert Wind discipline. In addition, add Tumble to your martial ranger class skills. • Mountain Walker: You have hunted in the heights of the top of the world, and know how to survive where softer folk see only harsh and unforgiving rock. You may learn stances and maneuvers from the Stone Dragon discipline. In addition, add Balance to your martial ranger class skills. • Nature's Pilgrim: In the name of a god of nature or nature itself, you strive to protect and venerate the wilderness with your combat prowess. You may learn stances and maneuvers from the Devoted Spirit discipline. In addition, add Intimidate to your martial ranger class skills. • Pack Leader: Whether a tribal chieftain or the lieutenant of an army's scout unit, you know how to guide others through the brush and undergrowth to victory. You may learn stances and maneuvers from the White Raven discipline. In addition, add Diplomacy to your martial ranger class skills. • Steel Hunter: You are a swordsman who went into the wilds for training, seeking in the quiet of nature that elusive place where there is nothing but the sword. You may learn stances and maneuvers from the Iron Heart discipline. In addition, add Balance to your martial ranger class skills. Track: A martial ranger gains Track as a bonus feat. Wild Empathy (Ex): A martial ranger can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The martial ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his martial ranger level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, the martial ranger and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. The martial ranger 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 Feat: At 2nd level you gain a bonus from the list given below. You must meet any prerequisites for the feat you select. At 6th level and every five levels thereafter (at 11th and 16th level), you choose another bonus feat from the list. Bonus Feat List: Gloom Razor*, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Manyshot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Reaping Talons*, Shadow Blade*, Tiger Blooded*, Two-Weapon Fighting. *Feats described in Chapter 2: Skills and Feats in the Tome of Battle. Endurance: A martial ranger gains Endurance as a bonus feat at 3rd level. Distracting Attack (Ex): At 4th level, a martial ranger gains distracting attack as described in the Player’s Handbook II. Favored Enemy (Ex): At 7th level, a martial ranger may select a type of creature from among those given on Table: Martial Ranger Favored Enemies. The martial ranger gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures. At 13th and 20th level, the martial ranger may select an additional favored enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2. If the martial ranger chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the table. If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the martial ranger’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher. Table: Martial Ranger Favored Enemies See SRD Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a martial ranger may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him. Swift Tracker (Ex): Beginning at 8th level, a martial ranger can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. He takes only a –10 penalty (instead of the normal –20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking. Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a martial ranger can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the martial ranger is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless martial ranger does not gain the benefit of evasion. Camouflage (Ex): A martial ranger of 13th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment. Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): While in any sort of natural terrain, a martial ranger of 17th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.
Kravell 04-24-07, 02:55 PM	I'm working on martial adept true dragons to replace sorcerer true dragons in the Land of Nine Swords. Here's the link: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=12202444#post12202444