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| | What Is Strombolicus Rex? | Vincennzo Capelli | Heva Campaign | Play By Post Games | | ||||||
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The Nitty Gritty Details of HevaIntroductionThis section is going to contain a witches brew of setting related information. The table of contents below should explain what's here. Table of Contents
A Bronze Age Setting?Well, sort of. I would say that in some respects, Heva is a Bronze Age setting, though there are enough elements culled from other periods of history that the name Pseudo-Bronze Age is perhaps more appropriate. Alternatively, one could argue that it's really an Iron Age setting that has been forced to take on some of the trappings of a Bronze Age setting, and this may be closer to the truth of the matter. Based on the reading I've done on the matter, what seems to define a Bronze Age setting is:
The Dominion of Heva was well into what would likely be considered its early Iron Age approximately 1,500 years ago. Then, by virtue of what is now called the Iron Curse, all raw Iron produced from mined ore became impossible for all but Orc-Kin to handle without experiencing excruciating pain and strength sapping fatigue. Bronze, which had been fading in its prevalence of use for quite some time, again became the work metal of choice. Without access to Iron implements and the greater range of working conditions such tools allow, advancement in a number of technologies has been halting and limited. In some notable cases, Elven force-worked glass being a particularly well known example, Kin directed expressions of Potential have lead to a wholesale flowering of a craft or profession. The presence of Daeva's in Hevan civilization (and in the larger world) have led to a far more mortal understanding of religious matters common to less advanced settings. The gods are not distant beings separated from Kin by an army of intermediaries and motivated by obscure and abstract concepts. Instead, they are close at hand and even approachable at times. Like mortals, they have understandable passions that are not far removed from that of Kin. Even the Great Spirits, all powerful creators of existence that they are, aren't described in Folklore as much more than particularly capricious and potentially insane Kin. Hevan culture did not entirely cease to progress after the effects of the Iron Curse were fully felt. In particular, the immaterial arts of performance, mathematics and logic were, if anything, spurred to develop at an even faster rate by its advent. As a result, Heva (like most Dungeons & Dragons settings) is a far more rational and enlightened place than one would ever expect to find in any historically accurate period setting, be it Bronze Age, Iron Age or Medieval. Amongst the scholars of Heva, rigorous testing through repeatable experimentation is fairly commonly believed to be the ideal route for the most efficient exploration of new ideas. That the constant flow of the Ebb through a universe awash in Potential makes this effort decidedly impractical does nothing to lessen the appeal of this particular thought construct. The few astounding victories that can be laid at the foot of the Scientific Method, the art of Fleshcrafting in particular, has done much to illustrate to the skeptical scholar the potential benefits that could be gained if this philosophy could more universally applied. Beyond the protection of civilization, the world is still an exceedingly dangerous place. Though the Dominion of Heva lays claim to a vast expanse of territory, the truth is that the Onyx Queen's grip rarely extends beyond the long spears of her legions. The Dominion's preoccupation with the unceasing menace of the Orcish Hordes often means that lands properly considered to be part of the Dominion but not immediately adjacent to its well patrolled trade routes are for more dangerous than the war torn ground that straddles the divide between Orc and Kin. Past Heva, much of the world is a dark and brooding unknown. What information that can be gleaned from the folklore of the various races of Kin that have migrated into Heva paints a picture in broad strokes indeed. To the west, far and distant Mu floats placidly in the waters of the Endless Gulf. Traders from that land tell tales of a land of red clay, baked by the sun and parched of water that never-the-less manages to support a civilization that rivals Heva in size and power. According to Gnomish oral history, to the north of the now Orc infested Emerald Forest is an endless land of hot jungle, scorched desert, featureless plains and sky-scraping mountains. Not far to the east, in the waters of the Well Known Depths, squats the Dwarven controlled archipelago of Ulverness. Beyond that, both the Elven and Dwarven diaspora bring tales of a burnt and wasted land that was once home to both races of Kin. The Nisaeta claim to originally hail from a string of mist and snow covered islands not unlike Ulverness, but so far north as to be in a place where time itself runs backwards. Like the Nisaeta, Ausaetan folklore contains references to an ancestral homeland, though for the Ausaeta it is described as a warm and fertile high mountain valley located somewhere beyond the Well Known Depths and surrounded on all sides by impassable fields of ice. That the Ausaeta have no tales relating to how they left such a place, in contrast to Nisaetan folk-lore which contains an entire multi-part saga relating events that occurred over the long migration to Heva, leads many scholars to believe that the Ausaetan folklore related to an ancestral homeland was likely fabricated after their first encounters with the Nisaetans. Racial AbilitiesI've made numerous small changes to the creatures (monsters and races) found in the various books of 3.5 Edition. One particular change I've tried to consistently make is to give all Humanoid creatures some sort inborn supernatural ability. That being said, I've also tried to avoid the typical 3rd edition practice of simply giving each race a laundry list of spells from the various rule-books. Each racial ability should, in some sense, evoke a part of that creature's unique Natural Imperative. Animal GuardianThe Animal Guardian racial ability is available only to Hobgoblins, though use of the ability is entirely optional. If a player chooses to have their Hobgoblin character use this racial ability, the decision must be made at character creation time. To use this ability the character must participate in a special Spirit Shaman lead ritual. The ritual is long and complex, combining fasting, meditation, prayer, ritual chants and dance, psychoactive herbs and at its conclusion, the sacrifice of an object the participant highly values. Participation in this ritual is generally considered character background and the "sacrifice" of a valuable item does not impact the character's starting wealth. After completion of the ritual, the Hobgoblin can select from one of three animals with which to bond. Each animal provides two possible abilities and the Hobgoblin must select one or the other when the bond is formed.
When a Hobgoblin drops below zero hit points, the Animal Guardian appears in corporeal form as close to the Hobgoblin as possible and attempts to guard the fallen Hobgoblin to the best of its ability. It is a typical animal for its kind that the Spirit Beast template has been applied to. The Animal Guardian remains until the Hobgoblin dies, is returned to zero or more hit points or is forced to discorporate because it has itself dropped to zero hit points. If the Animal Guardian discorporates because it dropped to zero points it cannot reform until the next sunrise. The Animal Guardian can choose to touch the Hobgoblin as a standard action and cause it to automatically stabilize. It discorporates immediately afterwards as if the Hobgoblin had returned to zero or more hit points. Animal Guardians look like typical animals for their type, but each one has a unique pattern of markings that look as if the animal has been marked with ruby dust or wet blood. Bestow FateAs an immediate action a Hafling can choose to forgo use of the Fortunate Soul racial ability and bestow that same ability on an ally within 120 feet. The recipient retains the ability until the Hafling dies or reclaims it. Reclaiming the Bestow Fate is a standard action and cannot happen until the Hafling's turn in the following round at the earliest. Bestow Fate cannot be used for spells and effects for which the Hafling's Fortunate Soul ability has already been used. Bestow Fate can also be placed upon any enemy within 120 feet in the form of a curse. The target is allowed a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Hit Dice + Cha). If the target succeeds at the Will save, the attempt to Bestow Fate fails and the Hafling cannot attempt to Bestow Fate against that enemy for 24 hours. When Bestow Fate is placed on an enemy, whenever he succeeds at a save that would have ended in death from damage or effect if he had failed, he must roll again and use the second roll if it is worse. As with Bestowing Fate on an ally, the curse remains until the Hafling reclaims it or dies. When Bestow Fate is used on an enemy it is considered to be an effect with the Curse descriptor. Blood OathA Gnome can inflict damage upon himself and use the resulting blood to swear a Blood Oath. Swearing a Blood Oath involves inflicting the wound, smearing the blood on an item that will become the focus of the Oath while concentrating on forming a mental image of the target of the Oath. At the end of one minute of concentration the Blood Oath is complete. The Gnome that is the bearer of the Blood Oath gains a +2 morale bonus to all attacks and damage against the target of the Oath, a +2 morale bonus to the DC of all spells cast against the target and a +2 morale bonus to all skill and ability checks opposed by the target. The Blood Oath can be broken by the destruction of the focus or something as simple as washing off the dried blood. The focus must also be kept upon the Gnome's person at all times. Loss of the focus does not negate the Blood Oath, but the Gnome does not gain the bonuses it confers until it is once again in his possesion. Thus, most Gnomes keep the focus of their Blood Oath in a small container that is securely attached to their body. A Gnome cannot have more than one Blood Oath in effect at any one time. If a Gnome does not have the ability to dream he cannot target anyone with a Blood Oath. Creatures that do not dream cannot be made the target of the Blood Oath. The target of the Blood Oath suffers from horrible dreams of being chased by a relentless foe while sleeping for the first time after the Blood Oath is made. The target must make a Will Save (DC 10 + 1/2 Hit Dice + Cha) or take 1d10 points of damage and be fatigued and unable to regain arcane spells for the next 24 hours. The bearer of the Blood Oath can choose to make his appearance and or name known during this dream. The bearer of the Blood Oath dreams of pursuing the target when sleeping for the first time after making the Blood Oath. If the two sets of dreams are compared, they will be found to be remarkably similar, differing only in the perspective. The bearer of the Blood Oath can choose to dissolve it with a full round of concentration. The target of a dissolved Blood Oath cannot be re-targeted for a full year. CrystalskinAs a full round action, a Dwarf can cause a second skin of to form and harden into a thin layer of tough but flexible crystal. This crystalline skin bestows DR 5/- on the Dwarf but also imposes a -10' movement penalty to movement, a -4 penalty to dexterity and an armor check penalty of -8. Forcing the second layer of skin to uniform is also a full round action. Loss of consciousness for one round or more also causes the second skin to disappear. The damage reduction conferred by this racial ability does not stack with damage reduction of the type X/- granted by any other class ability, effect, feat or item. Curse ResistantA Dwarf gains a +4 racial modifier to any saves against spells and effects with the Curse descriptor. If the Dwarf successfully saves, the original caster must then save against the same DC or be affected by the curse instead Any caster level checks made to remove a curse that has been placed upon a Dwarf gain a +4 circumstance bonus. Direction SenseAs long as a Dwarf is not in or on water, flying or underground he can innately sense the direction of the South Pole. Errand Boy of the FatesWhen saving against Geas, Lesser Geas and related spells, the Hafling must roll two dice and use the lower. When a caster level check is being made to remove the Geas, Lesser Geas or related spell, a -5 circumstance penalty is applied to the caster level of the caster attempting to remove the spell. Additionally, even if the check is successful, the spell is not removed but merely suppressed for 1d4+1 days. Fortunate SoulAny time a Hafling fails a save that will result in his death via damage or effect, he may roll again and use the second roll if it's better. If an ability check or skill check directly results in his death these checks may be rerolled as well. Example: Teldiostes of Melanthetis is carefully crossing a rope bridge when it suddenly breaks under his weight. He manages to grab onto it (after his player makes a successful Reflex save) as he's starting to fall, but the violent swaying afterwards requires his player to make a Strength check to determine if Teldiostes maintains his grip. The first Strength check fails and Teldiostes plummets to his death. The player immediately gets to make another roll on the Strength check, which is significantly better the second time. Teldiostes' foot gets tangled up in a rope on the way down and lives to see another day. Land SenseA goblin has the racial ability to sense all creatures operating under Natural Imperative (ie, must be an Animal, Humanoid, Magical Beast, Monstrous Humanoid, Ooze, Plant, Spirits or Vermin) within a certain distance. In order to use the Land Sense racial ability, a Goblin must enter a state of expanded consciousness by meditating without interruption for ten minutes. If the Goblin takes any damage, is affected by any effect or takes any other action besides quiet meditation and simple speech, the attempt to enter the meditative trance fails and must be begun anew. Before beginning meditation, the Goblin must decide which type of creature he wishes to gain knowledge of. Only one type of creature can be selected and it must be endowed with a Natural Imperative. Once the Goblin successfully enters this state of expanded consciousness, he is supernaturally aware (though in a very loose and non-overwhelming sense) of all creatures of that type within ten miles. While in this meditative state, the Goblin is aware of what his own body is sensing and can participate in conversations, provided they are calm and subdued. Land Sense does not provide a Goblin with a mental image of the distribution of creatures he can perceive. Rather, it is a supernatural state of mind akin to looking at a long list. Thus, Land Sense cannot be used to create maps of the surrounding area. After each subsequent minute of meditation, the Goblin may remove all creatures he is currently sensing that do not share a specific trait he selects at the beginning of that minute. Example: Gabro of the Raven's Foot Clan begins meditation with the intention of sensing all Animals within the radius of his Land Sense. After ten minutes he becomes loosely aware of every Animal within ten miles. He elects to narrow the focus of his Land Sense to only Animals that are Birds and after a minute of further meditation, becomes aware only of birds within ten miles. He elects to narrow his focus again to only eagles, and after another minute can only sense Animals that are Birds and Eagles. If the narrowing of focus removes the desired target from the Goblin's Land Sense he must exit the state of expanded consciousness and begin again. Once the Goblin has sufficiently narrowed the focus of his Land Sense he can attempt to gain more specific information regarding the general direction and distance of the creatures he senses. If the animals he's sensing form social organizations (ie herds, packs or colonies) he'll sense the direction, distance and the rough size of the organization. Sufficiently narrowed usually means roughly fifteen or fewer individual creatures or social groupings of specific creatures. Trying to get bearings for larger numbers of creatures or groups is simply too difficult a task for most Goblins to accomplish. A Goblin's Land Sense extends through water and air but does not penetrate more than 10' of solid rock or soil. Additionally, any caves more than 100' from an entrance into open air are beyond the range of Land Sense. Only traits related to a creature's body and Natural Imperative can be used to narrow the focus. Traits related to the trappings of civilization cannot. Non-living objects cannot be sensed with Land Sense or used as a means of narrowing focus. Example: Gabro could easily use his Land Sense to be aware of all Bugbear's within 10 miles, but could not narrow his focus to only Bugbears that are Clan Chieftains, unless all Bugbear Clan Chieftains happen to have a common physical trait. Land Sense cannot be used to find a specific creature, but sufficient knowledge of a creature's physiology can allow reasonable guesses to be made. Safely exiting the meditative state requires one full minute of additional meditation. Leaving the state before this causes the Goblin to take 1d6 points of Wisdom damage. Lucky AuraAll friends and allies within 120 feet gain a +1 luck bonus on attacks, saves, skill checks and ability checks. Use of the Bestow Fate racial ability suppresses Lucky Aura until the next sunset. Magic AffinityHumans can have one of three possible Magic Affinities, or none at all. Each type of Magic Affinity corresponds to one of the three possible human ethnic groups. The physical appearance of a human with a Magic Affinity tends to match that of the selected ethnic group. Each Magic Affinity provides a bonus to saves against specific types of magic, and if the Human is a spellcaster, bonus to spell DC's and an extra spell slot.
Node SenseAny Elf that comes within one mile of a Node's can sense its presence. One minute of meditation allows the Elf to determine the Node's general direction, size and capacity. Node TapAn Elf can attempt to tap into any Node that he can sense. Tapping a Node requires ten minutes of meditation followed by a DC 20 Concentration checks. Success means that the Elf has tapped into the sensed Node. Failure by more than five means the Elf cannot attempt to tap the same Node for 24 hours. An Elf that taps a Node gains all the normal benefits as described in the section regarding Nodes as well as the following abilities when within 50' of the Node:
Once tapped into a node, an Elf remains connected to it regardless of distance or plane of existence until death, ejection or the connection is willingly severed as a standard action. Spell ImmunityA Hafling gains immunity from selected spells of his choosing. The first spell is selected at the Hafling's 1st Hit Dice. An additional spell can be selected instead of the ability score improvements that occur at every 4th hit dice. The selected spell must be subject to Spell Resistance and the level cannot be more than half the Hafling's hit dice. Geas, Lesser Geas and any other spell with Geas in the name cannot be selected as spells a Hafling is immune to. Once selected, the selected immunities cannot be changed. Spirit FamiliarThe Spirit Familiar racial ability is available only to Bugbears, though use of the ability is entirely optional. If a player chooses to have their Bugbear character use this racial ability, the decision must be made at character creation time. To use this ability the character must participate in a special Spirit Shaman lead ritual. The ritual is long and complex, combining fasting, meditation, prayer, ritual chants and dance, psychoactive herbs and at its conclusion, the sacrifice of an object the participant highly values. Participation in this ritual is generally considered character background and the "sacrifice" of a valuable item does not impact the character's starting wealth. Once the ritual is complete the character "finds" his or her animal guide and gains a special ability that depends on the nature of the guide. Once a form is taken, the Spirit Familiar will always remain in that form and be a constant companion until the character's death. A Spirit Familiar is a normal animal that gains new powers and becomes a magical beast when summoned to service by a Bugbear. It retains the appearance, Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the normal animal it once was, but it is treated as a magical beast instead of an animal for the purpose of any effect that depends on its type. Only a normal, unmodified animal may become a Spirit Familiar. An animal companion cannot also function as a Spirit Familiar. A Spirit Familiar also grants special abilities to the Bugbear it's linked to, as given on the table below.
The following special rules apply to the Spirit Familiar's statistics. Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the Bugbear's or the Spirit Familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher. Hit Points: The familiar has as many hit points (not including temporary hit points) as the Bugbear, regardless of its actual Hit Dice. Attacks: Use the linked Bugbear’s base attack bonus, as calculated from all his class and racial hit dice. Use the Spirit Familiar’s Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to get the Spirit Familiar’s melee attack bonus with natural weapons. Damage: Damage equals that of a normal creature of the Spirit Familiar’s kind. Saving Throws: For each saving throw, use either the Spirit Familiar’s base save bonus or the Bugbear’s (as calculated from all his classes and racial hit dice), whichever is better. The Spirit Familiar uses its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any of the other bonuses that the Bugbear might have on saves. Skills: For each skill in which either the linked Bugbear or the Spirit Familiar has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for an animal of that type or the linked Bugbear’s skill ranks, whichever are better. In either case, the Spirit Familiar uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a Spirit Familiar’s total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the Spirit Familiar’s ability to use. Natural Armor: The Spirit Familiar's natural armor improves by one for ever two hit dice the Bugbear has. Intelligence: The Spirit Familiar's intelligence score is equal to the intelligence score of the Bugbear. If an effect lowers the Bugbear's intelligence, the Spirit Familiar's intelligence is not adjusted, nor is the Bugbear's intelligence affected if the Spirit Familiar's intelligence is modified by an effect. A Spirit Familiar has the following special abilities: Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a Spirit Familiar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails. Share Spells: At the bugbear’s option, he may have any spell or spell-like ability cast on himself also affect his Spirit Familiar. The Spirit Familiar must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. A master and his familiar can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the familiar’s type (magical beast). Speak with Master (Ex): A Spirit Familiar can speak Beast and any other language spoken by the Bugbear. If the Bugbear learns a new language the Spirit Familiar can speak it as well. Spirit Familiars prefer to speak Beast. Spell Resistance (Ex): A Spirit Familiar gains spell resistance equal to the 5 + Bugbear’s hit dice. Shadow Walk (Sp): A Spirit Familiar can cast Shadow Walk at will but on itself only. Additionally, it can only Shadow Walk from its current location to the location of any other Spirit Familiar or any member of the Bugbear's clan. Sense Link (Sp): A linked Bugbear can spend a full round action to enter a trance-like state and remain in this state as long as he takes no other actions in subsequent rounds. Once in this state, the Bugbear can experience all sensory modes of the Spirit Familiar. Additionally, he may communicate telepathically with the Spirit Familiar. The range on this telepathic communication is unlimited and can even reach the Spirit Familiar while it is Shadow Walking. If the Spirit Familiar travels via Shadow Walk to another plane of existence, the sense link is broken and cannot be reformed until the Bugbear and Spirit Familiar are once again on the same plane. If a Spirit Familiar is reduced to 0 hit points it is forcibly discorporated and the Bugbear suffers 1d4 points of Con drain. The Spirit Familiar cannot recorporate until the sunrise after the Con drain is restored. When it does recorporate it is healed of all conditions and afflictions. A Spirit Familiar can willingly discorporate w/ no damage to the Bugbear but it cannot reform until the next sunrise. The Spirit Familiar has a supernatural sense of direction when Shadow Walking and always arrives exactly where it wants to. Additionally, it need not even know the person or Spirit Familiar it's Shadow Walking to and can be given commands such as "go to the nearest Spirit Familiar." A Spirit Familiar can choose to mask itself such that other Spirit Familiars can no longer find it while Shadow Walking. A nondetection spell or more powerful anti-divination spell can also mask the location of a Spirit Familiar or Clan Member. Spirit Familiars do not need to eat, breath or sleep but they often choose to ape these behaviors when they are bored. They are immune to all spells and effects that rely on a creature's need to engage in these behaviors. Like Animal Guardians, Spirit Familiars look like typical animals for their type, but each one has a unique pattern of markings that look as if the animal has been marked with ruby dust or wet blood. StonesicknessFor every eight hours that a Dwarf is more than 10' within the earth, he must make a will save or be affected by the curse known as Stonesickness. The DC starts at 10 and increases by one for every 8 hour interval past the first. The Dwarve's Curse Resistant ability does not apply to this specific curse. A Dwarf suffering from Stonesickness will refuse to wear any clothing, armor or items, refuse to eat, drink or speak and will do anything in his power, short of resorting to violence, to be as close to the surrounding rock as possible. In places where loose material is available he will go so far as to bury himself, though never to the point where he would suffocate. Once it sets in, Stonesickness can only be cured by the Dwarf spending at least eight full hours in the open air. Some spells can suppress the symptoms of Stonesickness but not cure it. Goods & ServicesWhat's ChangedHere's a rough list of the major differences between Heva and the default setting with respect to Goods & Services.
Setting TechnologyIn order to become more easily immersed in the setting, it's helpful to understand what sorts of expectations a character should have about everyday life in Heva. Some areas are sufficiently complex or important enough to adventuring that they have been given their own section.
Materials, Special and OtherwiseOtherwise All of the elements known to the ancient world are also known in Heva. This list includes; Arsenic, Antimony, Carbon, Copper, Gold, Iron, Lead, Quicksilver, Silver, Sulfur and Tin. Believe it or not, Platinum can actually be found in nature in a relatively pure form, though it's almost always alloyed with other metals. Thus, coinage based on platinum isn't a total impossibility, just very nearly impossible. Your characters are far more likely to find small ingots of imaginary metals like Mithral and jewelry fashioned from impure platinum as part of a treasure, than bona fide minted coinage made out of the stuff.
To determine the price of a particular item fashioned from a special material, use the following procedure:
Example: Let's say we want to figure out what the average minimum price for a masterwork quality spatha fabricated from star-metal is. The weight of a bronze spatha is listed at 15 lbs. The same spatha forged from star-metal would weigh 30 lbs. The description of star-metal states that the average price of star-metal is around 1000 gp per pound. Multiplying the two numbers gives us a final value of 30,000 gp. That's one expensive blade!!
Armor & WeaponsDifferent weapons and armor require different fabrication techniques, with some items easily fabricated via casting and some only available if a forgeable metal is present. Some metals hold an edge really well and others do not. Some metals break when struck too hard and others simply bend. All of these characteristics together determine whether a particular material will be used in a particular type of weapon or armor. As Heva is, at best, an Iron Age setting when it comes to weapons and armor, some items listed in the players handbook simply will not be available by virtue of not yet having been invented. In addition, some armors not listed in the PHB are now available.
The following armors are available in Heva, with the most common material the armor is made out of (when the armor is metal) listed. Light Armor
Medium Armor
Heavy Armor
Shields
Stats for the new armors listed above:
Items that are commonly made with Bronze can also be made with Mithral, Ulvernessian Tirq, Ancestral Steel and Sky-Metal. Items that are commonly made from Ulvernessian Tirq can be made from Mithral, Ancestral Steel, and Sky-Metal but never from Bronze. Like armor, some weapons are not available, though this has more to do with the technology level of the setting and less to do with available materials. All weapons are most commonly fashioned from Bronze, unless the item is one the simply wouldn't use a metal in its construction. The weapons listed are organized by weapon group. An alternate name is listed if it has one. It would be awesome if you used that alternate name but you don't have to.
As you can see, polearms and crossbows are pretty much gone. Unexpectedly, stripping out the racial, ahistorical and medieval period weapons also led to the disappearance of the Exotic and Exotic Double Bladed weapon groups. Stats for the new weapons are listed below
Ward Cestus: This is a stout leather gauntlet with a well-made metal weight set into it over the knuckles. A strike with a ward cestus is considered an unarmed attack. If you take a Total Defense action, you gain an additional +1 bonus to your Armor Class, representing blows you block with the back of your protected hand. Your opponent cannot disarm you of a ward cestus. The cost and weight are for a single ward cestus. Scourge: This multitailed, barbed whip is often dipped in a poison delivered via injury. You get a +2 bonus on your opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent (including the roll to keep from being disarmed if the attack fails) with this weapon. Tools of the TradeThis section will explain the varied details regarding getting your character's grubby mits on some sweet gear. I'll state up front that while I'm not interested in frustrating your attempts at improving your character's power, I don't subscribe to the prevalant school of thought that purchasing a 50,000 gp magical item should be no more involved than going to your local Super Wal-Mart and plunking down your Visa. In all honesty, I'm just looking to increase the opportunities for role-playing and the smooth insertion of adventure hooks. To determine whether or not a given item is available in a particular community, my strategy to provide a quick and easy answer is going to be to subtract the value of the item from the GP Limit of the community and divide the result again by the GP Limit. That'll give me a percentage chance that a single instance of the item exists and is for sale within the community in question. You can keep asking for more rolls to see if multiple instances of the same item are available, but once you get a "no" you can't ask again for at least a month in game time. For Dwarven Caravans, I'm going to roll d100 to determine what "size" the particular caravan is and then determine item availability as described above. You'll have to leave a given caravan alone for about a month of game time before it'll reset to something different. This, of course, leaves the issue of knowing where to go to find something completely open. Generally, the cheaper and more common an item, the fewer role-playing hoops I'm going to make you jump through in order to get it. Always keep any eye out for potential sellers of items you might want to purchase in the future. I've described the common sorts of places where an adventurer could go to by things below.
To determine whether or not a craftman sufficiently skilled to produce the item you are wanting comissioned exists I will generate a percent chance using the same method described in the previous section. As before, you can ask for succesive rolls to determine multiple instances but the first failure means you're done. You cannot roll again for existance in any community but Melanthetis, where you can re-roll once a year. This reflects the constant flux of Artisans from outside the Dominion travelling to its greatest city. You may have noticed that you cannot find random Artisans to craft any item for you that costs more than 100,000 gp. This is intentional on my part. There are a number of powerful NPC's that exist in Heva that could do this sort of work, but to get them to do so you will need to find them and curry their favor, so to speak. Even if a craftsman exists, he may not be looking to take on any new work at the moment. Availability will be determined with a second percentile check using the same number as before. A success meaning they're available and failure meaning they aren't, with the roll's distance from the check determining just how firmly they'll refuse your pleas. This is one of the places where character's with social skills will come in handy, as it's entirely possible to convince, intimidate or bluff an Artisan into dropping their current commission and switching to yours. If the base price of your commission costs more then 3/4 of the GP Limit of the community, there's a good chance that the Artisan will ask you to do a favor for him in addition to paying the normal rate for the commision. You're asking him to expend a lot of valuable time and materials on your commission by his standards, so he'll want to make sure you're serious. The ethos of the Artisan in question will also determine how willing he is to take on your commission. Some may only wish to make items for close friends and associates and others may be restricted in who they can craft items for. This is particularly the case for Artisans that craft items of religious significance. Alternatively, he may require a special material component that he does not currently posses and will need your assistance in gathering it if he is to complete your comission. If you're not thrilled about the need to find items available for sale and Artisans to take on comissions, you might want to consider investing some feats in the crafting of magical items. Crafting is, for the most part, functionally the same. The general procedure that must be followed when crafting a magical item is listed below.
Weapons and armor can be imbued with special properties that make them more effective against creatures that lack a natural imperative. To get these special properties, the armor or weapon must be adorned with Mithral and the requisite special material (Vasent, Heartwire, Ironwood or amalgam). In general terms, adornment simply means that a network of Mithral traceries must be somehow worked into the structure of the item and the special material is then set into the Mithral pathways. Armor or weapons can be adorned with multiple special materials, though each adornment must be accomplished sequentially. Adornment is entirely a crafting process, as any necessary alchemy occured when the special material was crafted. The specifc type of Craft skill required depends on the item being adorned and the DC is always 20. The crafting cost is always the base price of 1,000 gp plus an additional 1,000 gp for every existing adornment. Getting From Here To ThereThere are many ways to get between two points in Heva, and even some ways of leaving the Dominion entirely if that's your thing. Caravans Perhaps the simplest way to get around is by travelling on Heva's network of trade routes. The largest and most important of these are the ones that connect the military outposts of Fort Gap, Fort Drake, Fort Sand and Fort Ice with the Seven Suitors. These roads are paved, well maintained and patrolled fairly frequently by the Queen's legions. The lesser routes are still well marked, if generally worse for wear, but patrols by the Queen's legions are infrequent or non-existant and these roads are subsequently more dangerous. Whether by the greater or lesser roads, most travel and trade in Heva is done via caravan. This is partly because the size of a caravan is itself a deterrent to banditry and partly because the members of a caravan can pool funds to hire more mercenaries than they would be able to on their own. In the larger communities of Heva, would be travellers can often find caravans to travel with at any time they want. In the smaller locales, a traveller may have to wait until a Caravan comes to town. In the smallest hamlets and thorpes, a Caravan may come through only once a year at best. Most Caravans won't even charge you to travel with them, as long as you can provide your own mount, food and gear and look likely to be able to assist in a fight. When a Caravan feels it necessary to charge for one reason or another, the fee is rarely more than several dozen gold pieces. River Travel Three different sorts of ships sail the Gam Jo river and each can provide an opportunity for transport, depending on the price the passenger is willing to pay and how long they're willing to take to get to their destination. Each of the three types of boats listed below can usually be found in the harbors of the major ports along the Gam Jo. Small and agile oar powered Plank Boats dart in and out of the safety of the various ports plunked down on the banks of the Gam Jo. These boats are commonly used as a platform for fishing and to get from one large craft to another and to shore. They can often be hired to take passengers to a nearby channel island and for larger sums of money all the way across. Like fat and bloated cattle, catamaran like Cargo Barges ferry trade goods from the various ports along the Gam Jo to other destinations on the great river. Cargo Barges are powered entirely by oar drivers, as they are too wide and heavy to get much use from sails. When heading downstream many are content to drift with the current and use the oars only to avoid obstacles. Passage aboard a cargo barge is cheap and efficient as long as you you don't mind how long it takes to get to your destination. Galleys are the only Hevan class of boats that typically make use of the sail. These sails, though very useful cannot provide propulsion when heading into the wind, so they also need oars. If expense is no issue, or you desire speed or the ability to travel long distances over water without a specific destination in mind , hiring a Galley is what you want to do. Sea Travel Travel by galley along the coastline can be fast or frustrating, depending on the time of year and which direction you want to go. During spring and summer, northerly travel along the Golden Coast is assisted by the prevailing winds from the southeast, those these winds can often bring great storms with them as well. During fall and winter, the prevailing winds favor trade heading south and storms during this time are few and far between. Most traders time their travels to take advantage of the prevailing winds. Travel or cargo that must go in a direction counter to the winds generally goes by land, though galley travel can be obtained at a premium. The prevailing winds never favor direct boat travel between Ulverness and Heva. Even if favorable winds existed, crossing the enormous expanse of open water between them with only the stars for navigation would make this task one that only a very experienced pilot would attempt. Travel between these two lands does occur but it is generally assisted with magic and therefore quite expensive. Travel by boat around the Southern Horn of the Frost Reaches can be quite dangerous, but no more technically difficult than sailing between Melanthetis and Antionium. However, it's generally a two year round trip and those wanting access to the Mu'ish trademasters at Fort Sand have heavily favored the Solar Route since its completion. In theory, passage to Mu can be acquired by speaking with the trademasters at Fort Sand. This is more difficult than it sounds, as the trademasters are looking at you as something akin to a new crew member and often require more than a sack heavy with gold in return. Folk that travel to Mu (an Muish that travel to Heva for that matter) often stay for a very long time and in many cases never return home at all. Air Travel Hahahahahaha!! I said this was a pseudo-Bronze Age setting right? T'would be tough to preserve that feel if you could jet between Melanthetis and Antionium in a couple of hours, no? Firstly, air ships are not something that the Hevan folk can really even concieve of, much less manufacture. Secondly, magical effects that allow flight exist but they're all mid-term temporary Dweomers. If you really want to fly, your best bet is either to shift your form into something that can fly or domesticate a creature capable of carrying you on it's back. That being said, most creatures capable of doing this with normal sized Kin are rare, stupid and very mean. Interdimensional Travel As with flight, easily teleporting or plane hopping from one location in Heva to another is not something that anyone does on a regular basis. In general, there are no fixed dweomer items capable of doing this and any temporary dweomer effects are of a higher level and greater cost than described in the PHB, if they exist at all. Travelling to another plane entirely is not that difficult and generally only requires that you simply find a place where the plane you're on and the plane you wish to travel to are close and then performing the proper ritual to open up a rift between the two. It is particularly easy for people to travel to the Shadowfell, the Feywild, the Elemental Chaos and the Underdark. Hevan folklore is littered with stories of people who quite unintentionally stumbled into these other realms. Spellcasting ServicesReligious FaithHevan religious faith is handled quite differently than in your standard Dungeons & Dragons setting. No longer are the gods discrete and corporeal entities that reside in distant and unfathomable planes of existence, granting spells to their most devout worshipers and occasionally sending servents and avatars to the mortal realm when necessity dictates. In Heva, the gods are at once close at hand and more distant. The Great SpiritsHevans as a whole venerate a small number of beings collectively referred to as the Great Spirits. Each Great Spirit is surrounded by an extensive body of mythology and folklore, with each snippet of lore attempting to shed light on why a particular aspect of existence has the properties it does. While there may be specific methods of veneration that are considered correct for a particular Great Spirit, none of them have what could properly described as a church in the manner of a Daeva. A large part of this is simply because the Great Spirits are not seen as directly intervening in the flow of the River of Time on behalf of their worshippers in the manner that Daevas do on a daily basis. This is not to say that people believe the Great Spirits do not alter the course of the River of Time at the request of a devout individual. It is simply that the manner in which they change its course when they choose to do so is unfathomable by mortal minds. Examples of these sorts of beings include but are not limited to:
Generally, the philosophy that accounts for why veneration of these beings is right and proper is that the spiritual benefit these distant entities provide is the very existence and orderly function of the world itself. There are no official organizations that claim to represent these beings, though there are special locations and shrines where prayer and offerings are said to be more likely to be heard and acted upon. In some cases, monastic orders devoted to veneration of one of these mystical figures develop around these places. It is also generally believed that druids, shamans and other practitioners of the mystical arts that do not get their abilities from extensive study, spiritual compacts or intense introspection and self-control get them from these beings. Daevas : The Little GodsThese entities, utterly powerless in their own right but capable of granting wide ranging supernatural abilities to their worshippers, are an integral part of Hevan life. Without them, the depredations of the Orc-Kin would have reduced the entire continent to a savage and blood stained wasteland. Daevas' sole purpose seem to be the formation of binding agreements that grant Kin specific supernatural abilities in exchange for the Kin's worship and performance of specific tasks. In many respects a Compact resembles the infernal pact that can be made between certain creatures from other Realms and Kin. The main difference being that a Compact is a good faith agreement between two parties and there is no subtle agenda of corruption. The breadth and complexity of religious organizations that can be formed from Compacts can run the gamut from big to small and simple to byzantine. Ultimately, it depends on the terms of the Compact and the purpose behind why it was formed in the first place. Examples of the sorts of organizations possible include:
On The Nature of DaevasIf you were to ask a Daeva what exactly it is, its first answer would be something along the lines of "I Am." If you persisted in asking and it felt like indulging your curiosity, it might expound on this by revealing the world shattering secret that it's a mere reflection of the power of the Great Spirits. If any Kin has gotten more than this out of a Daeva on what they are, they have not shared that knowledge. Little may be known on what a Daeva is, but other facets of its nature are much easier to elucidate. Daeva's cannot affect the Material World in any lasting way. When not under the auspices of a Compact they can haltingly communicate with Kin through a telepathic whisper. This is how they manage to find Kin to enter into a Compact with. Their vast knowledge indicates an extensive memory and an ability to divine the true nature of things beyond the mortal ken. When first contacting a Kin about making a Compact they often display an impressive level of detail about the Kin's thoughts and deeds. They make it clear that the Kin has been chosen because the Daeva believes a Compact between them would be fruitful. How they come by this information is a mystery. When under Compact, through their idols they can create illusions and phantasms in the immediate area. That is the full extent of the height of their power. Through their worshippers however, they can affect great and long-standing deeds. Their ability to grant their worshippers powers are limited only by the words of the Compact. That being said, a Daeva is not going to give away the farm, so to speak. Great power will come at a commensurate price, though it's in the Daeva's interests to make sure the bargain is fair. Unhappy worshippers tend not to stick around. Even Daevas Have AgendasIt is an unquestionable truth that all Daevas posses an agenda. That being said, Daevas are also bodiless, immortal beings that cannot directly interact with corporeal existence. Thus, the agenda of a Daeva is not that same as that of your typical Kin. What motivates a Daeva and spurs its time-spanning intellect into action is raw passion. These Passions can be loosely organized into a number of different categories. An Agenda of ActionOne category of agendas relates to behaviors that a Daeva would like to see reflected more strongly in all Kin. Whatever this behavior is, a Daeva will always exhort its worshippers to engage in activities that will cause more Kin to do it. Examples of these sorts of agendas are:
An Agenda of ExperienceAnother category of agendas relates to experiences that the Daeva itself wants to experience through embodiment within one of its worshippers. Embodiment is dangerous to the host and can significantly diminish the Daeva's ability to make good on the terms of the Compact. As a result, it is usually reserved for special festivals and ritual periods defined in the Compact. Examples of these sorts of agendas are:
An Agenda of ConstructionThe third and final category of agendas that Daevas can posses are those related to the construction of permanent objects and the development of ideas. Some Daevas are simply obsessed with building temples of a certain form or specific types of works of art and push its worshippers to build or create these things. Other Daevas want to see their worshippers investigate a specific aspect of nature as much as possible. Examples of these sorts of agendas are:
Forming a Daevic CompactForming a Compact is a lengthy and convoluted process and should not be undertaken by those that are not serious about it. At its most basic, forming a Compact has the following general steps:
The Daeva is quite capable of and willing to instruct the Kin on how to perform each step of the process described above, so a lack of knowledge is never a barrier to forming a Compact. Crafting the IdolsCrafting the temporary and primary idols are simply a matter of creating an object that meets the specifications of the Daeva. Each Daeva has a unique style of idol, and a Daeva that has been in multiple Compacts over time can actually be traced by virtue of its idol's characteristics. Some idols are ornate and others are simple, but a Daeva is patient and always willing to wait as long as it takes. The RitualsThe ritual that allows the Daeva to inhabit the temporary and primary idols and bind the Daeva to the primary idol are similar in many respects. Each requires the construction of a complex mystical diagram from arcane and alchemical components and that the idol be placed at its exact center. There are usually one or more places for participating Kin to sit, as all parties subject to the initial Compact must be present while it is being formed. Like the form of the idol, the specific diagram drawn is unique to the Daeva and fairly unchanging over time. Getting To Know Each OtherDuring the part of the process that involves the Daeva and Kin finding out more about what each wants, they will discuss matters related to the Daeva's agenda and the Role that the Kin want the Daeva to take on. The mystical diagram compels all participants to be utterly honest in all answers to questions asked, though it does not compel them to answer. In rare cases, a Kin or Daeva may try to be deceptive about their motives but the resulting Compacts rarely last for any length of time. Negotiation Of TermsThe formation of the terms of the Compact is the most critical part of the entire process. No Daeva is willing to give vast amounts of power for little in return, but they also want their worshippers to be happy with the arrangement. Fundamentally, the terms of the Compact are guided by the Kin and those that are adept at diplomacy and negotiation are likely to get far more out of the Daeva than those that are not. Typical TermsThe terms of a Compact between Daeva and Kin can be quite complex and cover a variety of topics, but most of them boil down to a fairly standard set of issues. Types of CompactsA Compact can be between one or more Daevas and one or more Kin. The various combinations of these have specific names, but like most other formal names rarely used in everyday conversation.
Daevic IconsA Daeva's name and appearance are described in detail in the terms of the Compact. These creatures can be quite vain and will often demand that they be represented by impossibly complicated and strikingly beautiful iconography. A Daeva's Icon can be anything desired, but it is generally something that can be sculpted or drawn. The name ascribed to the Daeva is not the Daeva's actual name. A Daeva's true-name is a secret guarded closely by all Daeva's. The only well-known true-name is that of Enoch, the Daeva behind what is called the "Enochian Heresy." The number of Icons described in a Compact does not have to equal the number of Daevas that are party to it. There must be one Icon at a minimum and there cannot be more Icons than there are Daevas. The general rule of thumb is that there is one Icon for each Role described in the Compact. The Roles A Daeva Must PlayOnce the Daeva's that are party to the Compact and their Icons have been established, a Compact's next task is to delineate which Roles will be played by which Daeva. At its most simple a Role broadly describes what sort of supernatural assistance worshippers expect to receive from the Daevas in the Compact. In addition to the specific Role, the Compact will also contain a more detailed description of what fulfillment of that Role means. Most Compacts tightly proscribe what fulfillment of the Role means, as it is this proscription that enables a Daeva to grant powers beyond simply anointing Priests. The more tightly proscribed the Role the greater the powers possible. There are five possible Roles:
For a Compact to be successful in the long term, the Daeva's Agenda and Role must not be at odds in any significant way. Those that are tend to fail fairly quickly because the Agenda related demands of the Daeva conflict with the Role that Compact demands the Daeva play. A spectacular example of this is the mismatch in Agenda and Roles is that of the original High Holy Order of the Sun, the spiritual predecessor of the Temple of the Five-Fold Solar Aspects. The mismatch between Agenda and Role in the original Compact that defined this Pantheon eventually led to a massive schism of the church into a number of competing and very angry factions and brought the Dominion itself to the brink of Civil War. The Religious OrganizationAfter a Daeva's Role has been defined, the next step in defining the terms of the Compact is usually to describe what the organization itself will look like. This generally involves the following items:
A Mutually Beneficial AgreementOnce the organization itself has been defined in the terms of the Compact, the last items to be covered are those related to what benefits each party will receive from participation in it. What The Daeva Must DoThe majority of terms in a Compact that relate to what benefits the Kin receive involve the various powers the Daeva can grant them. This includes things such as:
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