Legacy of the Ancients OOC

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Character creation

Steps are listed here numerically, but the development of a character is a not a step by step process.

Develop a concept

Some background information to assist in this. The game is set in the Country of Lindal, starting in the city of Menthras, a trade city on the Hopefire Lake. While the initial story of the game will begin in Menthras, it will not be limited to the city. PC’s are to be from the Lindal, but are not limited to being from Menthras. Other large cities in Lindal are Lindal (of the same name of the country), Limberly, and Golan. The PC’s in this game are exceptional people with significant talent, which has been recognized by the people who have trained you in your chosen classes. It is through these Mentors that the group will be brought together. You can make up some details on your mentor, but it will be my responsibility to flesh them out. PC’s should be young (less than 25) and are not to have a disposition towards evil behavior. PC’s receive 15 Background points to help define the benefits of their individual histories. Please consult that step of character creation to help with your concept.

Pick a race

There are only three PC races available: Human, Half-Blood (half-elf) and Frey-ohani (elf)

Humans: As per the PH with the following exceptions:

  • Cannot be a Bard without Unusual Background: Frey Blood
  • Cannot be a Druid without Unusual Background: Frey Raised

Half-elf (Half-Blood): You have 50% Frey-ohani blood in you (more than 50% you are considered Frey, less Human). Most likely you have been raised by Humans, or perhaps Frey-ohani that live among humans. Use PH rules for Half-Elves with the following exceptions:

  • Do not gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy or Gather Information
  • Touched by the Stilling – You have 1 level of Stilling so are considered 1 level higher for determining arcane spell effects, but are considered 1 level lower for determining divine spell effects (and some divine special abilities) and receive a -1 difficulty to save against all spells.

Elf (Frey-ohani): You are one of the few Frey-ohani who choose to live amongst the Humans. All Frey are from Caer Blackwood, their home in the depth of the Blackwood. Use PH rules for Elves with the following exceptions:

  • Favored Class is Druid (which is an arcane class in this game)
  • Creature of the Stilling - You have 2 level of Stilling so are considered 2 level higher for determining arcane spell effects, but are considered 2 level lower for determining divine spell effects and receive a -2 difficulty to save against all spells.
  • Cannot be a Sorcerer or Wizard without Unusual Background: Arcane tutelage
  • Cannot be a Barbarian, Cleric, Monk, Ranger, or Paladin without Unusual Background: Divine Acceptance.


Pick a class

All classes are available although most have been changed somewhat to fit the game. The names in parenthesis are what the classes are referred to in game.

Barbarian (Battle-master) – The Battle-masters are the elite divine soldiers of The Warrior. Use the class template for Barbarian with the following modifications:

  • No illiteracy. This is removed as it does not fit the game setting
  • Rage is called Battle Trance, but has the same effects
  • Proficient in Heavy Armor, although ability restrictions on Heavy Armor still apply
  • Once gaining a level of Battle-master, you can only become a Cleric of The Warrior and cannot become a Monk, Ranger, or Paladin.
  • If you have any levels in a Cleric other than that of The Warrior, or any levels in Monk, Ranger, or Paladin, you cannot gain any levels in Battle-master
  • Your effective caster level for determining arcane spell effects is reduce by 1 less than the number time per day you are capable of entering a Battle Trance.
  • Every level of Stilling you posses reduces your effective level for determined the number of times you can enter a Battle Trance.

Bard (Spellsinger)- Spellsinging is a cultural tradition of the Frey-ohani, whose skill has spread out from the race. To be a Spellsinger, you must have some Frey blood in you, or the magic will never come to you. All Bard spells are songs. Use the Bard template with the following modifications:

  • Bardic Knowledge is an innate magical ability to tap a race memory to find information. Only knowledge that could have been known to the Bard’s race can be gained. Half-Bloods can access both sides of the ancestry.


Cleric – Clerics are a staple of the setting, but are generally restricted to Humans and Half-bloods. There are five faiths available to PCs. They are listed here with the modifications from the Cleric template:

  • Faiths with domains are as follows:
    • The Phoenix - Fire, Good, Protection
    • The Earth Mother– Animal, Healing, Plant
    • The Maker– Earth, Knowledge, Destruction
    • The Traveler– Air, Travel, Luck
    • The Warrior–Strength, War (any martial melee weapon), Water
  • Clerics must pray and pick their spells each day, but they may choose to cast any prepared spell as the equivalent level of domain spell instead. You do not have to choose your bonus domain spells.
  • Every level of spell above 1 that you are capable of casting reduces your effective caster level by 1 for determining arcane spell effects. The only exception are Clerics of the Maker, in which case it is every 2 spell levels above level 1 that you are capable of casting reduce your effective level for arcane spell casting.
  • Once you become a Cleric, you can only become the divine warrior class associated with your chosen faith, and no other. These are (listed with the PH names):
    • The Phoenix - Paladin
    • The Earth Mother– Ranger
    • The Maker– None
    • The Traveler– Monk
    • The Warrior– Barbarian

Druid – The Druid is the spiritual leaders of the Frey-ohani. They worship nature as a whole and not any individual aspect. Use the class template for Druids with the following modifications:

  • Druids are arcane casters, although druid spells can be cast in natural light and medium armor with no chance of failure. Despite being of arcane nature, wisdom is still used for determining spell capability.
  • Druids do not spontaneous cast (except for summoning spells). Their spells are prepared as rituals that invest the magical energies into them, and are released when cast.

Fighter – As the Fighter PH template with the following modification:

  • Fighters start with (3+int mod)x4 skill points and gain 3 + int mod skill points each level

Monk (Wanderer) – The Wanderer is the divine warriors of The Traveler. Use the Monk class template with the following modifications:

  • Wanderers have no proficiency in kama, nunchaku, sai, shuriken, or siangham. The only “monk” weapon is quarterstaff.
  • Every time your hand to hand damage increased, your effective caster level for determining arcane spell effects is reduced by 1.
  • Once gaining a level of Wanderer, you can only become a Cleric of The Traveler and cannot become a Barbarian, Ranger, or Paladin.
  • If you have any levels in a Cleric other than that of The Traveller, or any levels in Barbarian, Ranger, or Paladin, you cannot gain any levels in Wanderer.
  • Every level of Stilling you posses reduces your effective level by 1 for determined your hand to hand damage.
  • Restrictions on gaining levels of different classes (except for above) do not apply.
  • Ki Strike is called Divine Strike.

Paladin – The Paladin is the divine warrior of The Phoenix. Use the Paladin class template with the following modifications. The Paladin’s abilities all have a flame motif when employed (smite evil causes their weapon to burst into flame, healing touch is holy fire healing the wounds):

  • Paladins must prepare their spells each day, like a cleric, except they have no domains to spontaneously cast their spells.
  • For every 4 full levels of Paladin, your effective caster level for determining arcane spell effects is reduced by 1.
  • Every level of Stilling you possess reduces your effective level by 1 for determining your divine spell effects and the number of times per day you can use your smite evil.
  • Once gaining a level of Paladin, you can only become a Cleric of The Phoenix and cannot become a Barbarian, Monk or Ranger.
  • If you have any levels in a Cleric other than that of The Phoenix, or any levels in Barbarian, Monk, or Ranger, you cannot gain any levels in Paladin.
  • Restrictions on gaining levels of different classes (except for above) do not apply.


Ranger – Rangers are the divine defenders of The Earth Mother. Use the Ranger class template with the following modifications:

  • Rangers must prepare their spells each day, like a cleric, except they have no domains to spontaneously cast their spells.
  • For every 4 full levels of Ranger, your effective caster level for determining arcane spell effects is reduced by 1.
  • Every level of Stilling you possess reduces your effective level by 1 for determining your divine spell effects, effective level for wild empathy and effective level for animal companion bonuses.
  • Once gaining a level of Ranger, you can only become a Cleric of The Earth Mother and cannot become a Barbarian, Monk or Paladin.
  • If you have any levels in a Cleric other than that of The Earth Mother, or any levels in Barbarian, Monk, or Paladin, you cannot gain any levels in Ranger.


Rogue - As the Rogue PH template.

Sorcerer (Focist) – Focists are arcane spell casters that rely on the Foci that they construct to cast their spells. Use the Sorcerer class template with the following modifications:

  • All Focists begin with the Craft Foci feat, allowing them to learn the skill of the same name.
  • Spell casting for Focists is based off of Intelligence, not Charisma.

Skill – Craft Foci (int): Using craft foci, the Focist creates the tools they need to channel arcane magic. The Focist must have a foci for every spell they are capable of casting, although they can have more than one for a particular spell. When creating a foci, the spells it is used for casting must be invested into it, and it can only be used to cast those spells. The size of the foci determines it level and what spells it can hold.

  • Level 1 - Small objects such as rings, broaches, bracelets, hair pins, belts, gloves, small 1 handed weapon. Can hold up to 3 spells lv 0, or 1 spell lv 1-6. Cost 25 gp per spell level ( 3 – 0 lv spells considered a lv 1 spell). Time to make 1 day.
  • Level 2 - Larger objects such as cloaks, shirts, pants, wands, or medium 1 handed weapon. Can hold up to 6 spells – lv 0, 2 spells – lv 1-6 spell, or 1 spell lv 7-9. Alternatively, it can hold 3 lv 0 spells or 1 spell lv 1-6 with the caster receiving a +1 bonus to effective caster level for determining spell effects. Cost 50 gp per spell level ( 3 – 0 lv spells considered a lv 1 spell). Time to make 1 week.
  • Level 3 – Very large objects such as robes, or medium 2 handed weapon. Can hold up to 9 spells – lv 0, 3 spells – lv 1-6 spell, or 2 spell lv 7-9. Alternatively, it can hold 6 lv 0 spells or 2 spell lv 1-6, or 1 spell lv 7-9 with the caster receiving a +1 bonus to effective caster level for determining spell effects or it can hold 3 lv 0 spells or 1 spell lv 1-6 with the caster receiving a +2 bonus to effective caster level for determining spell effects Cost 100 gp per spell level ( 3 – 0 lv spells considered a lv 1 spell). Time to make 2 week.
  • Level 4 – Highly immobile objects, such as a pedestal, table, or statue. Can hold up to 12 spells – lv 0, 4 spells – lv 1-6 spell, or 3 spell lv 7-9. Alternatively, it can hold 9 lv 0 spells or 3 spell lv 1-6, or 2 spell lv 7-9 with the caster receiving a +1 bonus to effective caster level for determining spell effects or it can hold 6 lv 0 spells or 2 spell lv 1-6 or 2 spell lv 7-9 with the caster receiving a +2 bonus to effective caster level for determining spell effects or even 3 lv 0 spells or 1 spell lv 1-6 with the caster receiving a +3 bonus to effective caster level for determining spell effects. Cost 200 gp per spell level ( 3 – 0 lv spells considered a lv 1 spell). Time to make 4 week.

DC for crafting foci is as follows:

  • Level 1: 10 + highest spell level
  • Level 2: 15 + highest spell level
  • Level 3: 20 + highest spell level
  • Level 4: 25 + highest spell level

Crafting roll is made after the required time to make has passed. The focist may attempt to reduce the crafting time by half by increasing the DC by +10.

Wizard (Free Mages) – Free Mages are arcane spell casters that are not bound by foci, channeling their arcane power though themselves. Use the Wizard class template with the following modifications:

  • The Free Mages unmodified number of spells they can cast per day are used to determine their “prepared spells” list. They chose a number of spells of the appropriate levels from their repertoire. They may cast spontaneously from this list of Prepared Spells as if they were a Focist, up to their maximum number of spells per day. Metamagical feats must be applied when preparing their list and they cannot use metamagical feats on the fly.


Assign your attribute points

You have 82 points to apply to attributes. No more than 18 attribute points can be assigned to any one attribute.

Purchase backgrounds

Backgrounds are unique to this character creation system. They represent factors of you characters history that change how the character begins. You have 15 background points to spend.

Allies/Contacts: (1, 3, or 5 pts) This background represents close skilled friends that the player that they can call on to help them out in a pinch. Players should determine the base Class of their ally/contact and the nature of their friendship. It is important to note that the more a player calls upon his allies/contacts, the more likely they are to call on them to help them out of scrapes. The advantage of this background is that these friends will always come to help the player, if they can, with no Charisma roll required. If you happen to betray an Ally/contact, you lose the advantage of this background.

  • 1 pt – you have a single friend
  • 3 pts – you have two close friends you can call upon
  • 5 pts – you have three close friends you can call upon

Bonus Attribute Points: (2 pts per) you have bonus attribute points to spend on your attributes. The 18 point limit still applies.

Destiny: (1, 3, or 5 pts) You are destined for some great event. The higher your destiny, the more important events will swirl around you. You may use this background to re-roll any roll you have just made. The level of destiny determined the number of times it can be used each game month.

  • 1 pt – once per month
  • 3 pts – twice per month
  • 5 pts – three times per month

Extraordinary Attribute: (5 pts) You have one attribute that can be raised to 20 at character creation by spending attribute points.

Highly Trained: (5pt per level) You are highly trained, granting +1 level of experience each time this background is purchased.

Special Gift: (1, 3, or 5 pts) you have a special gift, an item passed down to you, or discovered by accident. This item may have magical properties or may just be of fine quality. The level of Special Gift determines the worth of the item.

  • 1 pt – 500 gp
  • 3 pts – 1500 gp
  • 5 pts – 2500 gp

Skill Training (1 pt each) – You have learned a particular skill outside of your classes that is considered a Class skill. Any non-class or cross class skill can be selected.

Status: (1, 3, or 5 pts) You have some particular level of status amongst a group in society. This is either a general social status (noble birth, child of a renouwn person) or one associated with your primary class. You status grants you special privileges and modified any interaction roles made where the status applied, but can lead to penalties amongst those directly opposed to whom your status applies.

  • 1 pt – Lesser Status (Minor noble, renouwn merchant, minor rank), +2 bonus to interaction rolls
  • 3 pts – Major Status (Important noble, important rank), +5 bonus to interaction rolls
  • 5 pts – Greater Status (relative to the ruling families, rank of influence), +8 bonus to interaction rolls.

Unusual Background: (Varies) This is a catch-all for class/race rule breaking backgrounds.

  • 1 pt - Frey Blood: You are a human with a touch of Frey blood in you that allows you to become a Spellsinger at character creation. You could also learn to be a Druid if you had an appropriate teacher. This blood offers no other advantage.
  • 3 pt - Arcane Tutelage: You are a rare Frey who has studied the Human arcane magics. In doing so, you may choose to gain levels of Focist or Free Mage.
  • 3 pts – Lost Faith: (requires level in Cleric, Battlemaster, Paladin, Ranger, or Wanderer) You have lost your faith although you have managed to retain you divinely given abilities. Abilities up to lv 5 (class level) are available to you, but after that, you must supplement your natural abilities by drawing on the empathic residue of events or actions associated with your former faith (for example, a Cleric of the Earth Mother could provide help to the sickly for a day to restore her spells), or else you abilities are not available once they have been used.
  • 5 pts – Dark Upbringing: You were raised by a cult that follows the Dark Ancients, but you have pulled away from them. This gives you a unique insight into these organizations and how they work. A character creation, you may also choose to be a Cleric of a Dark Ancient, although you are considered to have lost your faith (as the Lost Faith 3 pt background). The two Dark Ancients are:
    • The Black Mistress – Evil, Magic (granted power reduces Stilling modifier to divine spells by 2), Trickery
    • The Dark General – Chaos, Death, War (preferred weapon: any blunt)
  • 5pt - Divine Acceptance: You are a Frey raised amongst humans and have become an active member in one of the churches of the Ancients. You may pick one church to follow at character creation which allows you to gain levels as a cleric of that Ancient or of the appropriate divine warrior class of that faith. You innate Stilling will reduce the effectiveness of your divine abilities.
  • 5pt - Frey Raised: You are a Human that not only possesses a touch of Frey blood (as the 1 pt unusual background) but were brought up by Frey. This allows you to gain levels as a Druid or a Spellsinger at character creation.
  • 5 pt – Spontaneous Epiphany: (Human or Half-blood only) You have undergone a Divine Epiphany without guidance of one of the faiths of the Ancients. Pick one of Battlemaster, Paladin, Ranger, or Wanderer. You may gain levels in that class even though you have no association with the appropriate faith. While being equivalent, as a player, you must decide how your special abilities manifest. Due to your spontaneous epiphany, you may never gain levels as a Cleric of any faith, or any of the other divine warriors.

Wealth: (1, 3 or 5 pts) You are independently wealthy, not only receiving additional starting money but receive a monthly income outside your adventuring activities. NOTE – you cannot have higher than 5 pt in wealth without at least 1 pt in Status.

  • 1 pt – 240 gp starting money, receive 24 gp each game month
  • 3 pts – 600 gp starting money, receive 60 gp each game month
  • 5 pts – 1200 gp starting money, receive 120 gp each game month


Choose an alignment

Your alignment is your moral compass, to act as a guide to your actions but not necessarily define how you act. A general description of alignments are in the PH. I place no restrictions on alignments in my game, regardless of character class, except that you cannot be of an evil alignment. The alignment restrictions found on some classes in the PH should be used as a guide as to how the general populous expects those classes to behave, but is not a requirement for the character. Paladins do have a restriction that if they take any act viewed as evil, they may loose their paladin abilities.

Pick your skills

Skill points are listed in the PH for each class (only fighters receive a change in skill points under these rules).

Select your feats

No changes in how feats work.

Work out the numbers

This is where you calculate your hit points, your saving throws and other features of your character.

Hit Points: You always start with maximum hit points for your first level. Every level gained after that, even if it is a different class, is rolled by the GM. I will make two rolls and keep the highest for determining the number of hit point.

Magic

This section will be a summary of some of the unique features of spell casting and magic in this game setting. How each class casts spells was described under the class.

Arcane versus Divine magic: each type of magic is unique from each other. Mastery of one will tend to limit ones ability in the other. Some other rules regarding this diversity are:

  • The Detect Magic spell will only detect magic of the form it was cast. This rule applies to various other Divination magic spells that analyze magical properties, such as Identify. The only exception are Clerics of the Maker, who can choose to cast their detection spells to detect Arcane magic.
  • Dispel Magic, and other anti-magic spells will always work, regardless of the origin of the spell or the magic they are attacking. Just because you cannot detect the magic does not mean you cannot affect it.

The Divine Epiphany: When someone studies the teaching of one of the Ancients to become a Cleric or one of their Divine warriors, there is a point where you achieve what is known as the “Divine Epiphany” where you open yourself up to the power of the Ancient and you are changed because of it. It is this effect that prevents the powers of each of the Ancients from crossing classes. The Epiphany can only be achieved once, and its effects are permanent, even if you walk away from the Ancients teachings. If one does walk away from the teachings, you are considered “Fallen” or “Lost” and cannot refresh any divine ability granted after lv 5 (class level), although there are ways around this.

The Stilling: The Stilling is the name given to change that one undergoes with constant use of arcane magic, named from the initial effects of extending lifespan. For every level of Stilling you possess, your effective caster level for determining spell effects for arcane magic is increased by 1, but you receive penalties for divine magic and a -1 penalty to your saving throws versus spells.

Stilling is gained by casting arcane magic. Keep track of the number of levels of arcane spells you cast in a single 24 hour period. If the total level is high enough to achieve the threshold number of the next higher level of Stilling, at the end of the 24 hour period, you must make a Fortitude save versus the DC under that new level of Stilling. If you fail, your level of Stilling increases. While the first two levels of Stilling may seem like more of a benefit to a pure arcane spell caster, once the third level is reached, the magic begins to change the caster, sometimes not for the best. A summary of the Stilling levels, their effects, threshold number and DC are listed here. Note, since Focists use their foci to channel arcane magic, they are buffered, somewhat, from the Stilling’s effects. Their Threshold and DC are always considered one level higher than there current Stilling level.

  • Level Threshold DC Other Effects*
    • 1 10 5+total levels cast Reduce aging by ½
    • 2 20 5+ ½ total levels cast Reduce aging by ¼
    • 3 40 ½ total levels cast Randomly determine one Attribute to receive a +1 bonus, and a second to receive a -1 penalty (can be the same attributes).
    • 4 70 ¼ total levels cast Increase bonus/penalty from Level 3 to +2/-2 and randomly determine two additional attributes to receive the Level 3 effect (again, can duplicate). -2 to Reaction rolls
    • 5 110 1/5 total levels cast As Level 4, but bonus/penalties are +4/-4 and +2/-2. -4 to Reaction rolls.

Note: If an attribute is reduce to 0 by the Stilling, you are killed and cannot be returned to life.

There may be a way to purge the effects of the Stilling from you, but nobody has discovered it yet.

Equipment

Everyone begins the game with 120 gp starting cash to buy their equipment. This can be modified by the Wealth background. If you have a Special Gift, this is subject to GM’s approval, but the monetary amounts were set at a level where I didn’t feel it would be too much of an issue, so almost anything will go.

Write up your character history

Well, here’s where you write up a background for your character. I’m not going to be too picky here - write up something you think makes sense. I’ll add/change things if necessary (of course I’ll ask you first before messing around with your background). Use the Background Points system to help with the development and to give yourself advantages from whatever history you have developed. Retrieved from "http://www.otakalypse.com/rocksfall/index.php/Legacy_of_the_Ancients_OOC"

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