Friday, July 29, 2022
Thursday, July 28, 2022
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Monday, July 25, 2022
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Friday, July 22, 2022
I wanted to write up an article describing the game rules we will be using. We are using a "modified" B/X & AD&D system with the B/X and OSE system mainly being used for the races/classes while the actual core rules will mostly be AD&D.
The main thing we will be using from B/X is the races and the classes, basically the same as D&D but with a lot more choices to choose from. We have added several other races & classes that have come from various outside sources as well.
B/X classes are not anywhere near as powerful as new edition classes, even AD&D classes "but they are pretty close" so players can't simply have characters charge in and run through all the enemies that they face. We do plan to use a few 5th edition rules as house rules . . . mainly Advantage/disadvantage and death saves. More 5th edition house rules may be added later but at this time I don't see any I want to use.
The goal is to combine two sets of rules but keep things as classic as possible. This is a new "modified" system that I kind of slapped together. I am sure we will encounter bugs that will need to be ironed out and fixed but overall I think I have it pretty well hammered out.
Thursday, July 21, 2022
First off, thanks for stopping by. I hope if you make it through this long read, you will have a better understanding of what this Forgotten Realms "Icewind Dale" campaign will be about and how I plan to run it. First off, This will be my first Pacesetter B/X, Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy & AD&D system that I've ever ran "mainly the OSE and B/X Pacesetter part will be for character classes and races while our core rules will be AD&D". This will also be my first time running anything online instead of around the table — "lord help me".
I don't consider myself a great Dungeon Master, I simply try and do my best to give my players a fun game - as I've ran games around the table in the past, I've never had anyone complain so I guess I must be decent but this time I'll be doing a mix of around a live table as well as bringing in an online player using Discord/Roll20 "which will be a first for me".
This is a rules light system, your choices as a player matter more than dice rolls. Actions of your character are less defined by your character sheet than on creativity and thoughtful planning. Players have agency, they decide the plot. They're actions have consequences. There is no pre-determined plot. It plays faster and smoother, with more player agency overall, and a kind of classic “feels” or “vibe” that can’t quite be gotten via modern-style rules sets. In a nut shell, It's just like 5e, except all the rules that tell you what you can or can't do are gone. Instead, you tell your Dungeon Master what you want to do and the Dungeon Master tells you what attribute to roll equal to or under. Don't be afraid to try this system out, who knows . . . you may end up liking it."
- About Our Campaign: Here you can read all about our Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Current Companions: This is a list of companions that will be in this campaign.
- Journals Page: This is where my players can find everything they need to know about our campaign.
- Check out the class and race pages to see what is available.
- Discord: This is the eastiest way to reach me. Click the Discord link for a link to my Discord server.
- Facebook: You can also find me on Facebook.
- Email: If all else fails, my email is jamesefullard@gmail.com
- Our Campaign Page: This is the page that will have anything and everything you need to know about our game.
Our campaign setting I plan to run my games in is the Forgotten Realms setting. I will not do a long write-up on this setting but my thoughts on this campaign setting can be found here and hopefully you already know about this setting. I grew up with AD&D from the golden years of D&D and it is by far the overall best system out of them all "imho of course".
If you have read this all the way until then end, then you must be at least somewhat interested. Sure, classic D&D does not have all the bells and whistles of 5th edition, sure classic does not have the option of spell casting with subclasses like 5th edition and most importantly, classic D&D is not meant for you to start out at level 1 and be a superhero. It's dark, it's gritty, it's more realistic and believable but above all else, classic D&D is high fantasy, not modern fantasy like 5th edition.
I am not putting down 5th edition, I simply want to express just how different the two systems are, kind of like "Lord of the Rings" vs "Honor Among Thieves" - it's just not the same style of fantasy. This modified B/X & AD&D system is very easy to understand. You don't need to know the rules before you play.
I hope I can pick up some players that would like to try something new and fresh - I've personally did some adjusting to my modified B/X AD&D system since I plan to run AD&D adventures with it as well.
I don't consider myself a super awesome dungeon master, as a matter of fact I think I am more or less average but one thing I can say is every game I've ever ran my players have had a great time so I guess I am doing something right. If you're looking for a friendly atmosphere, friendly down to earth players and a Dungeon Master that tries very hard to give his players something special, I would love to hear from you.
Now, to finish this novel sized post off, basically . . . the system that I use for my personal D&D campaigns is an AD&D system but with a mix of Pacesetter & Old-School Essentials character classes and races (which in my opinion are along the same power levels as AD&D races/classes but the difference is, I offer more race & class choices. If it pertains to a character race or class then it comes from Racesetter and/or Old-School Essentials. The core rules however are pretty much 100% AD&D.
It's simple and straight to the point and has worked just fine for us in the past. People still might find errors and if they do I encourage them to contact me and let me know what the errors are.
Rules
• Playing Other Games While We Play: Be respectful, if you're playing our adventure, don't have another game running in the background please.
• Be Mature: We are all adults, please ... let us all act like adults when we play. (no need to elaborate on this any more - this should come naturally)
• No Real Life Stuff: No politics or religion at the digital table. Keep outside issues outside the game. I don't do the pronoun silliness, I don't care what race or color you are, I don't care what sexual preference you are and I don't care if you are a Democrat or Republican. We are here to play D&D so keep the real world out of the game please.
• Don't Be Toxic to the Game: We are here to adventure, explore and to slay dragons, not to try and cause disruptions in the game. Don't play yor character as a dick, don't try to do stuff in game to bring "our game" down. If you are a player, then have fun and enjoy the game.
• Multi Tasking Games: While we are playing our game "if you're an online player", please don't have World of Warcraft or some other such PC game running in the background, if you don't want to play and be focused on "our game" I don't need you as a player and neither do the other players.
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Arion is a skilled archer and tracker, whispers of him being a prodigy of the region circulated among his people. Arion is most at home when he is wandering the forests and wilderlands of the region, most recently, the northern reaches of the Sword Coast.
When Arion was 16 years old, a caravan that his parents were assisting with escorting was attacked by an Orc raiding party, both of his parents were killed in the attack. Arion vowed to avenge his parents deaths. He then set out into the wild to become the Ranger he always wanted to be.
Arion has been traveling throughout the Sword Coast and has fought bandits, goblins, kobolds and other creatures along the coast. He has learned much about the lands and he has become a skilled Ranger. Arion will fight for the justice of others. Arion enjoys widdling small wood figurines and is a skilled fletcher for hire. His left eye has a light blue tent, almost white . . . a symble of the ancient Aspens that grow near his former home - some say his discolored eye was gifted to him by the god Silvanus as a mark of the Aspen.
Life has been relatively difficult for the young Ranger since leaving his home. Survival in the wild is no easy task, let alone for a skilled woodsman such as Arion . . . but this is his home, regardless of how brutal life can be at times but it is the only home he has ever known. Since leaving his homeland years ago to explore the lands, Arion has been mostly alone, occasionally visiting Local settlements to resupply, he mostly has remained along the Sword Coast.
Arion has been traveling the lands around the city of Luskan, looking for adventure, hearing rumors of a darkness spreading through the northlands. Rumors are beginning to spread among the locals of something happening in Icewind Dale. Knowing that adventure lies directly to the north, Arion finds himself becoming restless and looking to the north.
Covered by rocks, unable to move or see for what seemed like days, all the while listening to his brother dying somewhere nearby. "In reality it did not take a full day for miners to dig him free". He had never been confined in a space this small, unable to move, gasping for breath, with little to no visibility. By the time help arrived to rescue him, his brother was dead.
Afterwords, life had become a struggle with Hordus dealing with the incident and his brothers death. His sleep patterns became eratic, waking up at all hours of the night with recurring dreams of his friend dying and him being unable to do anything about it. He and his brother were very close and his death hit Hordus hard. It got to the point to where he needed a candle or oil lamp lit to be able to sleep. As time went on, it went from a single candle to more candles that one could count. Hordus stopped going into the mines after this accident, finding one excuse after another to keep himself clear of the mines.
Hordus eventually left home, "unable to tolerate the concerned looks from his peers". He traveled south through the Spine of the World to explore the southern regions but often misses his home deeply, even though his clan relocated to Mithril Hall, south of the Spine of the World. Preferring the outdoors, he tends to travel across the land lending aide when possible to those in need of it. Since he prefers to live an isolated life, he usually doesn't stay in one place for long, living mainly in the outdoor wilderness along the coast.
For the most part, Hordus is your typical every day Dwarf, grumbling, never satisfied with his work and loves working with his hands. He took up wood carving at a young age and it has stuck with him over the years. He enjoys relaxing outdoors smoking his pipe and whittling wood. He tends to enjoy the "drink" a little more than he should. He is still coming to terms with the death of his brother.
Hordus is easy to talk with and is very open minded .... and if asked, he swears he is getting better with not having constant lights on in order to sleep. True or not, Hordus prefers to remain above ground whenever possible but his phobia does not prevent him from traveling beneath the surface "it just takes a bit of convincing and persuasion". Most recently, Hordus has been traveling with friends escorting merchant wagons caravans and currently finds himself in the city of Luskan and the region around the city.
She did not recognize any of them. This was when she realized she had no memory of her past, but she did noticed a name engraved on her money pouch "Elora Dawn" which she assume was her name. The one and only thing that she did remember was her being a priestess of Kelemvot "the god of the dead". How she remembered this she does not know. She gathered herself and began the walk down the road until she arrived at Phandalin where she rented a room at the local inn where she stayed for a week.
What she was able to gather from her documents is as follows ....
Elora's most prominent features include her Prodigiousness and cleverness. She is levelheaded, book-smart, and always very logical. She is often very outspoken, not afraid to say what she feels yet unfailingly dutiful and loyal to her friends—a person who can always be counted on but she does however have occassions where she lets her "snippy" attitude out. Elora never strays off the path she always keeps her attention focused on the job that must be done.
One particular quote she read was "I enjoy long walks through a cemetery while murming soft prayers to the dead - it has a sort of romantic feel to it". This disturbed her slightly but she promised herself that she would try it out for herself to see what the appeal actually was.
She apparently had no regrets in life other than the acolyte thing really didn't work out for her. She has other ambitions and felt the only way to accomplish those was to leave and set out on her own (it does not say where she left from though). Things such as good, evil, life and death are all part of the order of things and she plans to do her best to help spread the faith of her god - Kelemvor.
Despite Elora's intelligence and outspoken attitude, she has quite a lot of vulnerability in her personality, as well as a sense of insecurity underneath, feeling, utterly inadequate . . . and to compensate, she strives to be the best at everything, projecting a confidence where in fact little exists.
Elora has a deep love for the outdoors and nature and hopes soon to be able to explore the world and educate herself on the lands and its people. Leaving her home was hard for her (wherever home was), but she knows deep down that in order to serve her goddess to the best of her ability she must set out into the world to help those in need and to spread the word of Kelemvor to as many as she can. Since coming to terms with her memory loss, she has sense left Phandalin with her new companions and hopes to find answers about who she is.
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Monday, July 11, 2022
Nine distinct alignments define all the possible combinations of the lawful-chaotic axis with the good-evil axis. Each alignment description below depicts a typical character of that alignment. Remember that individuals vary from this norm, and that a given character may act more or less in accord with his or her alignment from day to day. Use these descriptions as guidelines, not as scripts.
The first six alignments, lawful good through chaotic neutral, are the standard alignments for player characters. The three evil alignments are for monsters and villains.
Lawful Good, "Crusader"
A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished.
Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. Lawful good can be a dangerous alignment when it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.
Neutral Good, "Benefactor"
A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them.
Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. Neutral good can be a dangerous alignment when it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.
Chaotic Good, "Rebel"
A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. He makes his own way, but he's kind and benevolent. He believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. He hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society.
Chaotic good is the best alignment you can be because it combines a good heart with a free spirit. Chaotic good can be a dangerous alignment when it disrupts the order of society and punishes those who do well for themselves.
Lawful Neutral, "Judge"
A lawful neutral character acts as law, tradition, or a personal code directs her. Order and organization are paramount to her. She may believe in personal order and live by a code or standard, or she may believe in order for all and favor a strong, organized government.
Lawful neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you are reliable and honorable without being a zealot. Lawful neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all freedom, choice, and diversity in society.
Neutral, "Undecided"
A neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. She doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil-after all, she would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, she's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way.
Some neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. Neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. Neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.
Chaotic Neutral, "Free Spirit"
A chaotic neutral character follows his whims. He is an individualist first and last. He values his own liberty but doesn't strive to protect others' freedom. He avoids authority, resents restrictions, and challenges traditions. A chaotic neutral character does not intentionally disrupt organizations as part of a campaign of anarchy. To do so, he would have to be motivated either by good (and a desire to liberate others) or evil (and a desire to make those different from himself suffer). A chaotic neutral character may be unpredictable, but his behavior is not totally random. He is not as likely to jump off a bridge as to cross it.
Chaotic neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it seeks to eliminate all authority, harmony, and order in society.
A lawful evil villain methodically takes what he wants within the limits of his code of conduct without regard for whom it hurts. He cares about tradition, loyalty, and order but not about freedom, dignity, or life. He plays by the rules but without mercy or compassion. He is comfortable in a hierarchy and would like to rule, but is willing to serve. He condemns others not according to their actions but according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank. He is loath to break laws or promises.
This reluctance comes partly from his nature and partly because he depends on order to protect himself from those who oppose him on moral grounds. Some lawful evil villains have particular taboos, such as not killing in cold blood (but having underlings do it) or not letting children come to harm (if it can be helped). They imagine that these compunctions put them above unprincipled villains.
Some lawful evil people and creatures commit themselves to evil with a zeal like that of a crusader committed to good. Beyond being willing to hurt others for their own ends, they take pleasure in spreading evil as an end unto itself. They may also see doing evil as part of a duty to an evil deity or master.
Lawful evil is sometimes called "diabolical," because devils are the epitome of lawful evil. Lawful evil creatures consider their alignment to be the best because it combines honor with a dedicated self-interest. Lawful evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents methodical, intentional, and frequently successful evil.
Neutral Evil, "Malefactor"
A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for herself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those she kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make her any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has.
Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies. Neutral evil beings consider their alignment to be the best because they can advance themselves without regard for others. Neutral evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.
Chaotic Evil, "Destroyer"
A chaotic evil character does whatever his greed, hatred, and lust for destruction drive him to do. He is hot-tempered, vicious, arbitrarily violent, and unpredictable. If he is simply out for whatever he can get, he is ruthless and brutal. If he is committed to the spread of evil and chaos, he is even worse. Thankfully, his plans are haphazard, and any groups he joins or forms are poorly organized. Typically, chaotic evil people can be made to work together only by force, and their leader lasts only as long as he can thwart attempts to topple or assassinate him.
Chaotic evil is sometimes called "demonic" because demons are the epitome of chaotic evil. Chaotic evil beings believe their alignment is the best because it combines self-interest and pure freedom. Chaotic evil is the most dangerous alignment because it represents the destruction not only of beauty and life but also of the order on which beauty and life depend.
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Encumbrance is a measure of both the weight and bulk a character is carrying.
• Carrying Coins: Our games will use a common sense ruling for most things dealing with encumbrance. I personally do not want to get bogged down by trying to keep track of each characters total encumbrance so here is what we will do. From what I've seen online it pretty much says fifty coins weigh a pound. That means a single coin weighs 0.02 pounds, or 9.1 grams.
• Carrying Capacity: A characters carrying capacity is the characters Strength score multiplied by 15. This is the weight (in pounds) that the character can carry. To makes things easier we will use this chart, to keep track of encumbrance and movement speeds.
| Backpack 400gp |
| Large Belt Pouch 200gp |
| Small Belt Pouch 75gp |
| Large Box 200gp |
| Small Box 50gp |
| Wooden Chest 15gp/gp of Encumberence |
| Iron Chest 3gp/gp of Encumberence |
| Large Sack 400gp |
| Small Sack 100gp |
| Large Saddlebag 1000gp |
| Small Saddlebag 250gp |
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