First, however, there are a few minor points:
Until you have been cleared for play, please do not post (except within the Noise thread).
Out-of-game/Out-of-character posts are to be sent to the OoC (Noise) thread.
Please do not start a thread without GM approval.
- Introduction and Glossary (this post)
- Character Creation
- Etiquette
- Census
- Maps (and other resources)
- Time
- Weather
- Crime and Punishment
- Magic
- Religion
- Earning Income
- Crafting and Item Creation
- Non-core Feats
- Changes to Core Feats
- Modifications to skills
- Armour Class
- Homebrew classes and PrCs
Conceptual Credit: The name and original concept of Garic's City and many of the original ideas are the intellectual property of Tom Gammon, also known as shanks, and may not be used for commercial purposes without his express, written, permission.
A debt of gratitude: I was fortunate enough to have been a patron of Garic's since right after its conception and, barring a few periods of absence, enjoy the fun and many friendships I found here over the years. None of this would have been possible without the tremendous efforts of players and DMs alike who made this place great. Too many to name, but they know who they are. Thank you, all of you.
One person deserves mention by name, since he was responsible for the last great sweeping change to this game (and most of the information here was provided or compiled by him, so he deserves getting credit): ShatteredTower was instrumental in keeping this place up and running. His are very daunting shoes to fill.
1. Submission and Approval:
Before a PC is able to play, the person must receive approval from the DMs. If your name does not appear on the Garic's City Census, then you have not yet been approved. People without appropriate names for a character are required to create a new username for this game.
To gain approval, please e-mail your character and a description to Pangur (see #5 below). Please do not submit characters within attachments. If you do not receive an e-mail regarding your approval, check the census thread. Characters who post without having been approved will have their posts subject to deletion or editing.
You are permitted to begin play when your character has been added to either the Census or the Character Information Thread.
To gain approval, please e-mail your character and a description to Pangur (see #5 below). Please do not submit characters within attachments. If you do not receive an e-mail regarding your approval, check the census thread. Characters who post without having been approved will have their posts subject to deletion or editing.
You are permitted to begin play when your character has been added to either the Census or the Character Information Thread.
- Rule of thumb
- DM adjudication and your right to an appeal as well as concerns regarding abusive DMs
- The Code of Conduct (CoC)
- Actions involving opposed rolls.
1. Use common sense. Everyone here comes to have a good time and enjoy him- or herself. Post accordingly: if your post infringes on other people's enjoyment, you should probably reconsider it.
2. Garic's has always been run by a team of DMs, until recently. Being the sole DM (not my preferred setup anyway) doesn't entitle me to being a jerk though, so if you feel you are being treated unfairly you do not have to put up with it. If that's the case, please do let me know - just let me know privately first, that'll be more conducive to a quick solution. If/when we get more DMs, this will obviously make it easier to handle this kind of situation. That said, I hope and expect none of this will ever apply.
3. All posts to this board, whether by DM or player, in character (IC) or out of character (OoC) are required to observed the Code of Conduct (CoC) posted by WotC. Violation of said CoC is to be reported to either WizO Shadow or Autumn, not to the DMs.
4. If you post an action that others might oppose in the situation, post your intention, not the completed action. A DM will arbitrate the rolls, or a third party in the form of another player, if a DM is not present. Please request such arbitration via e-mail, private message (PM), or an instant messenger service.
Please e-mail a query to the DMs if you have not heard a reply to your character submission within three days.
If any of the details below are inaccurate, please let us know.
1. The Garic's City Gazette
2. The Garic's City Information Desk
Chronicles
For a digest version of many of the events that have occured in the city over the past few years, please go here. (It is necessary to register to the site to view this material.)
Thanks go to Magellan, NaShae, Ran, and Sensandela for the efforts put into the links above.
Time
For quite some time, IC time in Garic's City was tied to RL time: Garic's was slower, but the flow of time was constant. Also, we had a lockdown day on Mondays, to give the DMs the chance to catch up and get some prep work done.
As things stand now these arrangements are not conducive to good gaming anymore, so they're dropped for the time being. IC time is paced as the adventures demand. If (when) we get substantial number of players again, we'll reconsider how to handle the flow of time to accomodate for easy interaction for everyone.
In the meantime, it can be very practical and helpful to indicate time (and place) of an IC post in the title, or at least to mention it clearly in the post itself. This is by no means compulsory, but can make interaction between players a lot easier.
As things stand now these arrangements are not conducive to good gaming anymore, so they're dropped for the time being. IC time is paced as the adventures demand. If (when) we get substantial number of players again, we'll reconsider how to handle the flow of time to accomodate for easy interaction for everyone.
In the meantime, it can be very practical and helpful to indicate time (and place) of an IC post in the title, or at least to mention it clearly in the post itself. This is by no means compulsory, but can make interaction between players a lot easier.
Previous Sentences
- Arnor: manslaughter during a brawl; execution by beheading
- Saturos, Cayla, Kurakitsu, Gorin: kidnapping; ten years in mines (7 with extenuating circumstances)
- Threfdil: dereliction in his duty as a city guard by allowing a known murderer to escape; twenty lashes (public), expulsion from guards
- Gorin: attacking a member of the city guard; twenty lashes (public)
- Kurakitsu, Gorin: attempted escape from lawful custody; twenty lashes (private)
- Weehawk: firing upon a fellow member of the city guard; ten lashes (private), expulsion from guards
- Saturos, Cayla, Gorin: resisting arrest; ten lashes (private)
- Aria: public drunkenness and assault of a city guard; two weeks community service
- Aria: drawing a weapon during a brawl; confiscation of weapons for one day
- Aramil Fletchett: killing a man in self defense; jailed while crime was being investigated and released with no further punishment.
- Joseph Kell: assault on warehouse guards with a deadly weapon in the attempt to commit a robbery; loss of one hand
1. Costs for Spellcasting
The costs for spellcasting are measured in gold pieces, using this formula:
Spellcasting cost = 10 gp x (spell level + minimum caster level - 1)
The formula assumes a caster of the minimum level required to cast a spell of that level, even if that class could not normally cast said spell at that level. For example, the minimum spellcasting level for a 3rd level spell is 5th level, even for a bard, who would have to be at least 7th level.
If the spell is to be cast at a higher level of ability than the minimum, increase the cost by 1/5th per additional caster level. The bard casting a 3rd level spell in the example above would therefore charge 70 gp for the base spellcasting cost, plus another 28 gp as a 7th level caster, two levels above the 5th level minimum.
Treat a cantrip or orison as a 1st level spell for the purpose of the calculations above, but halve the final cost. Double the costs listed above for spells of 4th to 6th level, and triple them for spells of 7th level or higher.
For magic items, the costs listed above are further multiplied as follows: scrolls x2.5, potions x5, tattoos x7.5, wands x75.
For ease of calculation, use the chart provided below:
Spellcasting cost = 10 gp x (spell level + minimum caster level - 1)
The formula assumes a caster of the minimum level required to cast a spell of that level, even if that class could not normally cast said spell at that level. For example, the minimum spellcasting level for a 3rd level spell is 5th level, even for a bard, who would have to be at least 7th level.
If the spell is to be cast at a higher level of ability than the minimum, increase the cost by 1/5th per additional caster level. The bard casting a 3rd level spell in the example above would therefore charge 70 gp for the base spellcasting cost, plus another 28 gp as a 7th level caster, two levels above the 5th level minimum.
Treat a cantrip or orison as a 1st level spell for the purpose of the calculations above, but halve the final cost. Double the costs listed above for spells of 4th to 6th level, and triple them for spells of 7th level or higher.
For magic items, the costs listed above are further multiplied as follows: scrolls x2.5, potions x5, tattoos x7.5, wands x75.
For ease of calculation, use the chart provided below:
The following are now the deities of Garic's City:
Pantheon
Mother Ordemetrex (Neutral)
The Mother is still the prime deity of the pantheon. She is patron of artists, judges, hunters, mothers, and travellers. People pray to her for safe childbirth, secure homes, and successful hunts and journeys. Traditionally, artists depicting her use their own mothers as their models, for it believed that this is who she most closely resembles to all mortals that see her.
Druids venerate Ordemetrex as the head of a small pantheon of a collection of elemental deities. Her symbol is the scale.
Domains: Animal, Protection, Knowledge, Travel
Weapon: sickle
Druids venerate Ordemetrex as the head of a small pantheon of a collection of elemental deities. Her symbol is the scale.
Domains: Animal, Protection, Knowledge, Travel
Weapon: sickle
In either case, the intention is for the game to adhere fairly closely to the official guidelines regarding wealth for characters. However, exceptions can be made whenever that fits.
Crafts, Professions, and Income
When I refer to weekly or daily earnings here, I refer to game time, not real time.
A character with ranks in a Craft or Profession earns a number of gold pieces each week equal to the respective Craft/Profession modifier plus 10. For example, if Tynk has a +12 modifier on Craft (alchemy) checks, he earns 22 gold pieces per week.
If a character is earning amounts based on anything less than a week of work, the rate is 20% of the amount listed above per day. In the example above, Tynk earns 44 silver pieces per day as an alchemist. A character can’t hope to earn more than the weekly rate, and can’t try to “earn overtime” by working through the night.
A wizard’s earning power tends to be severely reduced, as apprentices are required to put in at the Hightower in exchange for learning higher level magics. A Hightower wizard may only earn income from a Craft or Profession skill for a number of days per week equal to the highest level spell that wizard can cast, to a maximum of five days at 5th level. (It’s assumed that wizards can handle their own training without supervision after that point.)
Using Tynk as our example once more, if his highest spell level is 3rd, he may earn no more than 132 silver pieces a week as an alchemist. (He is assumed to spend the rest of his time tending to Hightower duties and his studies.) Exceptions can be made for adventures and other duties, but that will require a mentor’s authorization.
The Silver Sword Adventurers’ Guild withholds one day of pay per week in exchange for room, board, and use of the facilities.
A character with ranks in a Craft or Profession earns a number of gold pieces each week equal to the respective Craft/Profession modifier plus 10. For example, if Tynk has a +12 modifier on Craft (alchemy) checks, he earns 22 gold pieces per week.
If a character is earning amounts based on anything less than a week of work, the rate is 20% of the amount listed above per day. In the example above, Tynk earns 44 silver pieces per day as an alchemist. A character can’t hope to earn more than the weekly rate, and can’t try to “earn overtime” by working through the night.
A wizard’s earning power tends to be severely reduced, as apprentices are required to put in at the Hightower in exchange for learning higher level magics. A Hightower wizard may only earn income from a Craft or Profession skill for a number of days per week equal to the highest level spell that wizard can cast, to a maximum of five days at 5th level. (It’s assumed that wizards can handle their own training without supervision after that point.)
Using Tynk as our example once more, if his highest spell level is 3rd, he may earn no more than 132 silver pieces a week as an alchemist. (He is assumed to spend the rest of his time tending to Hightower duties and his studies.) Exceptions can be made for adventures and other duties, but that will require a mentor’s authorization.
The Silver Sword Adventurers’ Guild withholds one day of pay per week in exchange for room, board, and use of the facilities.
If the character’s Craft check (as given above) is not equal to the DC of the work to be done, it is beyond the character’s ability. Masterwork tools and the aid of another with that Craft skill can adjust the Craft modifier in the character’s favor, but if that still leaves the Craft DC higher than the Craft check, then the player must spend twice as much on starting materials, provided that the Craft check is within 5 of the DC. If the DC is higher than this relative to the character's Craft modifier, the cost of production rises to three times as much, or sufficient money to just buy the finished item elsewhere. If the Craft DC exceeds the character's Craft modifier by more than 20, the character cannot do the work at all.
Regardless of the expense, the rate of manufacture for items beyond the character's ability (DC > Craft modifier +10) will be the square of the Craft DC. On the other end of the scale, if your Craft modifier exceeds the Craft DC by 10, this will result in a higher rate of manufacture.
Unless you have a buyer, the item earns you half of retail value, regardless of how much it cost you to produce. It is possible to produce goods at a loss (or no gain, if you are producing it directly for the buyer).
Crafting Poisons and Traps: Compare the product of the check result multiplied by the Craft DC with the price of these items in gold pieces, not silver. Reduce the cost of listed traps mechanical (not magical) traps to 1/5th the listed value, unless they include an unusual element (such as brown mold).
Creating Magic Items
Each game day of item creation must be dedicated almost entirely to the task of item creation, allowing for only very minimal activity (conversation, a short walk to stretch one's legs, dinner, or a good night’s rest). Should a character attempt more strenuous activity, such as combat, heavy exercise, a rousing performance of Minto’s latest tune (one meant to please a crowd, rather than idly singing for personal relaxation), or exhorting the masses to riot in the streets with an inspiring speech, it will be performed in a state of physical and mental exhaustion (-3 penalty to all checks for the day, not just those based on Strength or Dexterity). The Endurance feat will not reduce this effect, nor will lesser restoration alleviate the condition. (Restoration and the greater version of the spell are effective for this purpose, but the expense of casting either spell offsets the benefit.)
The following feats have been approved for use in Garic's City
Advanced Companion
General
Prerequisites: animal companion, special mount, or summon familiar as a class feature.
Benefit: Select one of the prerequisite class features. Use your character level to determine the abilities of the companion, familiar, or mount you acquire.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time the feat is selected, it applies to a new class feature.
Prerequisites: animal companion, special mount, or summon familiar as a class feature.
Benefit: Select one of the prerequisite class features. Use your character level to determine the abilities of the companion, familiar, or mount you acquire.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time the feat is selected, it applies to a new class feature.
The following feats have been changed in Garic's City
Agile, Alertness, Animal Affinity, Athletic, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Diligent, Investigator, Magical Aptitude, Negotiator, Nimble Fingers, Persuasive, Self-Sufficient, Stealthy:
You may take 10 on checks involving a skill in which the selected feat from the above list grants a bonus. You must have a +5 or higher base Reflex save and 10 or more ranks in the skill to gain this benefit. If you have skill mastery with that skill in addition to the other prerequisites, you roll 2d6+8 on the skill check in lieu of d20 whenever you are not rushed or threatened.
Accelerated Skill Checks
While the rules normally allow one to take a -20 penalty while running on only Hide and Move Silently checks, in Garic's City, characters with the Run feat may also use this option for Balance and Tumble checks. You may also opt to take a -20 penalty on Climb or Swim checks in an attempt to move at your speed.
Other actions that can be accelerated (by increasing the difficulty check) are:
Other actions that can be accelerated (by increasing the difficulty check) are:
- Disable Device (add +20 in order to perform another more difficult than a simple check as a full round action)
- Disguise (+10 to cut the time required in half)
- Escape Artist (+10 to reduce a full round action to a standard action or standard action to move action, +20 to reduce a full round action to a move action, +5 per round less than the usual minute required to escape manacles or ropes, or per check to pass through a tight space)
- Intimidate (add +10 to the result of the target's level check when you attempt to demoralize a target in combat as a move action)
- Open Lock, Search, and Use Rope (+20 to perform any check described as requiring a full round action as a move action instead)
Black Knight
Black Knight
Hit Die: d10
Black Knight
Hit Die: d10