"Shadows of Terramar" Currently in Ravenloft (D&D 3.5 Game)

Started by Caliban, March 16, 2010, 07:27:14 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Caliban

This thread is for both information and narrative for the "Shadows of Terramar" D&D game.

Update: I am running the game (currently set in Ravenloft) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays 7pm to 10pm and 11pm to 2am (i.e. 7pm to 2am, with a one-hour break in the middle) Eastern Time, which is midnight to 7am British Summer Time, in #Terramar and #TerramarOOC here on the Sorcery.net server.

Here is the implicit "contract" I feel I have with my players in every roleplaying game I run, regardless of the rule system or setting (and also what I expect to have with the gamemaster when I play): You may play freely in the game including all actions however you wish, within the limits of the rules system and the genre/setting, and be treated with respect, as long as you treat me with respect as well.

It is a very laid-back game and I attempt to simulate the atmosphere of an authentic face-to-face D&D game:  http://www.somethingawful.com/d/dungeons-and-dragons/steve-old-gygax.php

Update: The players have, by popular demand, requested that for now I run adventures set in Ravenloft, and I am happy to do that.

(I'm also co-storytelling a World of Darkness chronicle that has games on Mondays, Wednesdays, and weekends.)

There are several "adventure locations" (i.e. "dungeons").  The Crystal Caverns are a n00b cave dungeon crawl with a few twists, and very good for a tutorial for new players.  Ravenloft is a gothic-horror fantasy settingThe Tower of the Fool is a castle that travels throughout the multiverse, and I also have created and developed the city of Sardonyx on the Plane of Shadow.

If anyone wants to play but doesn't know the rules, I'm happy to teach them.  If people just want to watch, that's fine as well.  If people are concerned about not being able to make all the sessions, that's not a problem: the game is designed to allow "episodic" play for exactly that reason.

I recommend using the character sheets at http://www.mydndgame.com or the ones from The Mad Irishman, or just a blank piece of paper (i.e. a Notepad file).  Please post your character sheet or a link to it on the "Shadows of Terramar" thread.

You can also use a character generator such as http://www.pathguy.com/cg35lite.htm or http://www.pathguy.com/cg35.htm

My "house rules" for character creation are:

* Your character can literally be from any setting, so you can choose your favorite setting in all of fantasy fiction.

* Core rulebooks are online at http://www.d20srd.org

* Spellcasters use the spell point system including the "vitalizing" option, from _Unearthed Arcana_ and also on the website.

* 32-point buy for attributes; 7,500 xp. 

* You can have as much "basic equipment" as you want, as long as you list it on your character sheet *and* calculate the encumbrance.

* Basic equipment includes masterwork items and alchemical items such as antidotes and tanglefoot bags.  It does *not* include magic items or extra spells in spellbooks; "special materials" such as adamantine, mithril, silver, cold iron, dragon hide, and ironwood; animals (that cost money, as opposed to animal companions or familiars) and vehicles; and wealth such as coins, gems, jewelry, artwork, etc.

* If you want any non-basic equipment, you must subtract the cost (in gp) from your experience point total.  For example, you could have 6,000 xp plus 1,500 gp worth of magic items, for a total of 7,500.

* If you do a 750-word character history, you get an additional 7,500 xp.

* If you want to use anything from outside of the core rules, of course you must speak with me first.  That includes races, classes, feats, skills, magic items, other equipment, spells, deities, etc.

* Hit points are "above average" for every hit die.  If you roll d4's, assume each one rolled 3; d6's, each one rolled 4; each d8 rolled 5, d10 rolled 6, and d12 rolled 7.
"All jocks think about is sports.  All nerds think about is sex." Somewhere at the edge of the bell curve is the girl for me.
"Take off your clothes.  And roll for initiative." I burn for you: I Cor. 7:9
System RP: Shadows of Terramar (d20 fantasy) * Pulp Scripture (WoD contemporary supernatural) * Perfidious Albion (GURPS steampunk)
Do the rocks in my head fit the holes in yours? --> Oohs and Ahhs
Meae Culpae (A&A)

cat storm


o/o's

Olufemi

[tr][td]
[/td][td]
On's & Offs [/td][/tr][/table]
[tr][td]
[/td][td]
A/A - Updated Aug 22, 2011 [/td][/tr][/table]
[tr][td]
[/td][td]
Roleplay wants [/td][/tr][/table]

Caliban

#3
We're going to be playing in #Terramar and it's going to be a virtual version of a well-stocked game room.  It has two folding card tables put together in the middle of the room and covered with a vinyl tablecloth, as a playing area, and with chairs for the players; and two more tables covered with a vinyl cloth, for holding munchies.  There will be homemade nachos with an incredible variety of toppings, homemade "Lone-Star Two-Step Three-Pot Four-O'Clock Five-Alarm Six-Gun Seven-Chakra Chili," ruffled potato chips with homemade onion dip (sour cream and onion soup mix), crudites (raw vegetable pieces) with bowls of ranch and chunky blue cheese dip, plus whatever else people want to bring!

Update: We now have several new characters including Valenae the elf, Abbi the halfling, and the warriors Catherine Stormsword and Chevalier Shambler.
"All jocks think about is sports.  All nerds think about is sex." Somewhere at the edge of the bell curve is the girl for me.
"Take off your clothes.  And roll for initiative." I burn for you: I Cor. 7:9
System RP: Shadows of Terramar (d20 fantasy) * Pulp Scripture (WoD contemporary supernatural) * Perfidious Albion (GURPS steampunk)
Do the rocks in my head fit the holes in yours? --> Oohs and Ahhs
Meae Culpae (A&A)

Jguy

I am so in for this, I just need to pick a character! So many!

Caliban

The common people of Ravenloft have a limited understanding of the world they live in. In general, the following are examples of what a common person would know:

    * The name of their "realm" and neighboring "realms", and the most important rulers of those lands.
    * Magic is an unfamiliar, dangerous thing that is best left to those magic-using types, who should be avoided.
    * Many dangerous creatures lurk outside their village; they will know some of the details of the most common animal nearby, and some details about a species of monster if it commonly preys upon humans.
    * Of the many dangerous creatures out in the world, there are a few that look like men. Some are called dwarves, elves, gnomes or halflings, though the differences between them aren't really clear. Some folk trade with these queer folk, but its safer to avoid them.
    * The land has always been the way it is now. Any talk about Grand Conjunctions or demi-planes is just a lot of nonsense - mostly from those magic-using types.
    * No one knows what's beyond the Mists, and no one wants to know.
    * From time to time, strange people might appear with strange clothes and languages, who might claim to be from some land far away. Its best to keep your distance from these people; they're often magic-using types, and always trouble.
    * The Vistani are a strange type of nomads who wander all over the land. Sometimes they put on shows outside of town. Some are thieves and conmen, and others can tell the future, but all have eerie powers.
    * The Vistani know a great deal about the demi-plane, including information about domains, darklords, magic, curses and many species of monsters. They will not, however, speak with the same terminology familiar to players.
    * The people of Charn have more experience and comfort with demi-human races.  They also have an active clergy, and can produce priests with sufficient training and faith to use divine magic. Even the commoners are familiar with both arcane and divine magic and healing.
    * Merchants and sailors may know a great deal about traveling through the Mists, as well as the mistways that link domains.
    * The people of Lamordia do not believe in the supernatural, nor do they believe in gods of any kind. They are aware of many scientific phenomena.  (They are almost steampunkish . . . )
"All jocks think about is sports.  All nerds think about is sex." Somewhere at the edge of the bell curve is the girl for me.
"Take off your clothes.  And roll for initiative." I burn for you: I Cor. 7:9
System RP: Shadows of Terramar (d20 fantasy) * Pulp Scripture (WoD contemporary supernatural) * Perfidious Albion (GURPS steampunk)
Do the rocks in my head fit the holes in yours? --> Oohs and Ahhs
Meae Culpae (A&A)